@tongdtbds4 My wife and I did the exact same thing. Or kids were 3, u and 14 at the time. That was a few years ago.
Teen...
So first off, puberty is horrible... When the honeymoon phase passes, and it will, dealing with an issue from the teen, I find easier to let them, and yourselves, have some time before talking about it and trying to sort it out. Probably 1 in every 6 issues we have need to be sorted out then and there; otherwise it can wait. Doesn't always take all the tension away, but it makes conversations more fruitful. If they need counseling, hope on it, but always talk to them about it. We'd ask our teen if they wanted it, and for the first year it was a no, but eventually that changed. Talk about birth mom still happens quite regularly.
"The littles"
It's only been there years, and I've seen our daugther, now 10, change so much. It's sad because she isn't a little girl anymore and doesn't watch Barbie movies and come knock on our door to tell us everything that happened in the movie. That's one small example, but they're both getting bigger and maturing. Ugh. I always heard the cliche of "kids grow up so fast" and dang do they. Limit the amoubt of toys they have. They only play with a handful, but tear their room apart so easily with all the other crumby toys they've gotten over they few years. Every year, we do a "physical cleanser" to get rid of some.
Yourselves
Self care. Seriously b self care. I felt like a started to mourna year or so after they moved in. I mourned that I couldn't play video games loudly at night, that we couldn't go out whenever, just mourned that I used to have a childless life. My life is amazing, and I've come to terms with that, but self care is essential. "Even the world's greatest wines need to be uncorked from time to time". So self care. Self care. Be prepared for everyone to tell you what an amazing thing you're doing (which I hate). If funding or any other services are available, really consider them.
Family
This is going to sound weird, but a sock bin is a life saver. When organizing laundry, just throw all the socks in one bin and everyone can grab them when they need. I thought it was weird, but a lot of other people on r/parenting do it. Have movie nights. Go through the drive thru car wash and get the rainbow soap. Let then sleep in the living room once in awhile. Small things can be super big in their lives.
That being said, while I was writing this last paragraph, I let them stay downstairs with their cousin last night and I had to pause what I was writing to come deal with that craziness. That's when I put on the heavy footsteps and Samuel l Jackson face. It's all acting.
And self care.
Adoption is hard; "hurry up and get this signed and then wait a couple months for us to get back to you" was the norm.
Send me a message if you want to know anything else as we were on that same boat.
