Home at Last… for the Holidays

THANKS SO MUCH FOR JOINING US. I’M JEAN MACKIN. SINCE 2014, WE HAVE HAD THE PLEASURE OF MEETING AND INTRODUCING YOU TO 64. AMAZING KIDS, ALL IN SEARCH OF SOMETHING MANY OF US TAKE FOR GRANTED A HOME AND A FAMILY TO CALL THEIR OWN. WE HAVE BEEN ON LOTS OF ADVENTURES WHERE THESE KIDDOS HAVE HAD THE CHANCE TO REALLY LET THEIR PERSONALITY BODIES SHINE FROM SPLATTER, PAINTING AND CANDLE MAKING TO ICE SKATING AND ZIP LINING, ALL IN HOPES OF FINDING THESE RESILIENT BRIGHT LIGHTS. A HOME AT LAST. TONIGHT WE’RE SO EXCITED TO CATCH YOU UP ON THEIR STORIES AND VISIT A FEW OF THE CHILDREN RIGHT WHERE THEY BELONG IN THEIR HOME AT LAST. CREATING HOLIDAY MEMORIES WITH THEIR NEW FAMILIES. WE START OUT WITH SWEET SMILEY, SHAYNE. WE FIRST MET SHAYNE IN THE FALL OF 2021. HE PLAYED AMATEUR CAMERAMAN AS WE EXPLORED AND ADVENTURED OUR WAY THROUGH THE GREAT BAY DISCOVERY CENTER AND EVEN PICKED OUT THE PERFECT PUMPKIN. NOW HE’S OFFICIALLY ADOPTED AND ENJOYING HIS HOLIDAY SEASON WITH HIS FAMILY IN HIS HOME. AT LAST. SO EXCITED TO SEE SHAYNE. HI. HI EVERYBODY. SHAYNE IS NOW TEN YEARS OLD AND ALL DECKED OUT IN MATCHING CHRISTMAS PAJAMAS WITH HIS GROWING FAMILY. WE HI SHAYNE. MERRY CHRISTMAS. VERY CHRISTMAS WITH SO MUCH TO CELEBRATE THIS YEAR, SHAYNE NOW HAS A LITTLE SISTER BRAY LYNN ALSO ADOPTED AND A PUPPY NAMED HOLLAND. HI HOW ARE YOU. OKAY. OH, HI. DO YOU WANT TO HANG UP THE PHONE? I LOVE HOLLAND AND A CHRISTMAS TREE TO DECORATE IN HIS OWN HOME WITH HIS OWN FAMILY. THERE’S THE ONE THAT YOU PICKED. LOVE THAT. WE’RE GOING TO PUT IT ON THE TREE. I LOVE IT. THIS IS THE ONE THAT SHAYNE PICKED. GRAY. LYNN PICKED THIS ONE. WELL, OUR FAMILY, WE ARE. SO MY FAVORITE PART. YAY! THIS DOLL. YOU CAN’T WAIT UP TOP. YES, YOU DID IT. THE STAR GOES ON TOP OF THE TREE AND THEN WE DO OUR YEARLY FAMILY ORNAMENT. DAD, ME, ME. AND ALWAYS INCLUDE HANNAH. HANNAH IS ALWAYS CLOSE IN THEIR HEARTS IN MANY WAYS. THE ANGEL WHO LED AMANDA AND TAYLOR TO SHAYNE AND BRAY, LYNN. THESE KIDS CAME INTO OUR LIVES DURING OUR DARKEST TIME. I MOVED IN. YOU DID? YEAH. UM, AND WE COULDN’T BE MORE GRATEFUL FOR BOTH OF THEM, SO WE LOST OUR FIRST CHILD THAT TAYLOR AND I HAD. UM, SHE PASSED AWAY. SHE WAS SICK. AND THEN FOUR YEARS LATER, WE GOT SHAYNE AND I KNOW THAT HANNAH PAVED THIS ROAD FOR US. YEAH, THERE WERE DARK CHRISTMASES. THEN ONE NIGHT, A LITTLE SHINING LIGHT REACHED AMANDA AND TAYLOR. SO WE SAW SHAYNE ON CHRONICLE FOR HIS HOME. AT LAST. AND THE SECOND WE SAW HIM, WE JUST FELL IN LOVE WITH HIM. AND WE KNEW THAT HE WAS GOING TO BE OURS. I THINK GETS ON. HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR US? HELLO? ALL RIGHT. I THINK HE’S CHEESE WATCHING HIM. JUST RUNNING THROUGH WRITING THROUGH THE PARK WITH THE CAMERA. SHANE, WHERE ARE WE GOING ON THE HIKE? HE WAS JUST HIMSELF. HE WAS SHANE, AND WE LOVED THAT ABOUT HIM. HEY, WELCOME. ONE, TWO, THREE. HIS PERSONALITY JUST SHINES RIGHT THROUGH. WHOA, WHOA. LOOK AT I AM. AND I’M PULLING THE PUMPKIN IN THE WAGON. I THOUGHT THAT WAS. YES, THE CUTEST LITTLE THING. GET OFF OF MY WAGON, BECAUSE I’M STRONG. BECAUSE SOMEBODY. WELL, WE HAD MULTIPLE PEOPLE ALL TELL US THEY WERE SO EXCITED TO WATCH THIS LITTLE BOY ON CHRONICLE. OH. OH, NOW GO GET THAT PUMPKIN. THEY ALL SAID YOU GUYS HAVE TO ADOPT HIM. YOU WOULD BE PERFECT FOR HIM. AND NOBODY KNEW THAT WE HAD SAW HIM, TOO, AND THAT WE WERE INTERESTED IN HIM. OKAY. CATERPILLAR, CATERPILLAR, CATERPILLAR. WHAT? WILL THIS CATERPILLAR TURN INTO? A BUTTERFLY. A BUTTERFLY? SO WE MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PROCESS TO GET LICENSED. AND TWO MONTHS LATER, HE WAS IN OUR HOUSE. BRAELYN WAS ADOPTED. THIS FALL. THE WHOLE FAMILY HOME AT LAST FOR THE HOLIDAYS, BUILDING GINGERBREAD HOUSES TOGETHER. YOU CAN PUT SOME CANDY ON YOUR HOUSE. SHOULD WE PUT THEM ON YOUR HOUSE? YES. NO. THEY LOOK SO PRETTY. OH, YOU’RE GONNA EAT THEM. OH, OKAY. SHOULD WE PUT SOME FROSTING UP TOP TO MAKE A CHIMNEY? YES. YEAH, MUCH BETTER. A CHIMNEY. A CHIMNEY? WHERE DO YOU WANT A CHIMNEY? A CHIMNEY? KINNEY. SHOULD WE PUT SANTA ON THE ROOF? SINCE HE’S. SINCE HE’S COMING SOON? YEAH. WE NEED TO PUT SANTA’S LITTLE CHIMNEY. I NEVER THOUGHT WE’D BE SITTING AT THE TABLE WITH TWO KIDS DOING GINGERBREAD HOUSES. JUST TO BE ABLE TO HELP OTHER CHILDREN AND HELP THEM FIND THEIR FOREVER HOME IS SO. IT’S SO WONDERFUL. WHAT DO YOU HOPE SANTA BRINGS YOU FOR CHRISTMAS? I THINK HE’LL BRING ME A RHOMBUS AND A COMPASS. WOW. NOW THE BEST THING ABOUT CHRISTMAS, THE KIDS IS RIGHT. THE FAMILY. OH, THAT’S RIGHT. THE FAMILY. I’M SO HAPPY THAT WE HAVE THESE TWO. CHRISTMAS IS. IT’S AWESOME. NOW, I LOVE YOU. WHAT’S CHRISTMAS? CROYDON. NOW FOR A HOME AT LAST UPDATE. REMEMBER THIS FEARLESS 13 YEAR OLD? THEY’VE BEEN TRYING SO HARD. AND I THINK THAT ONE DAY THEY’RE GOING TO FIND AN AMAZING HOME FOR ME. WELL, PAUL, NOT ONLY HAS A NEW NAME NOW, JOSHUA. YEAH. HE ALSO HAS FOUND AN AMAZING HOME AT LAST. JOSHUA HAS BEEN ADOPTED. SIX MONTHS AGO, I FELT LIKE THIS WAS NEVER GOING TO HAPPEN. AND NOW I FEEL LIKE MY DREAM IS COMING TRUE. HIS DAD’S, JOE AND BRIAN SAY HE’S THE PERFECT FIT FOR THEIR FAMILY. OH, OVERJOYED. WONDERFUL. YEAH. HE’S COMPLETED OUR FAMILY. JOSHUA SAYS HE’S HAPPY WITH HIS NEW FAMILY AND IS WORKING HARD IN SCHOOL BECAUSE HE WANTS TO BE A DOCTOR ONE DAY. I’VE SEEN THAT DOCTORS HELP A LOT OF PEOPLE, AND I’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO HELP PEOPLE. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN FOSTERING OR ADOPTING, THERE ARE LOTS OF KIDS OUT THERE THAT NEED YOU. TAKE THE FIRST STEP IN MAKING THEIR CHRISTMAS WISHES COME TRUE. OPEN YOUR HEARTS AND REACH OUT TO GET MORE INFORMATION ON WHAT IT TAKES TO BE A FOSTER OR ADOPTIVE PARENT. IF YOU HEAD TO OUR WEBSITE, WMUR.COM SLASH HOME AT LAST, WE’