Pueblo Adoption Day held at the Dennis Maes Judicial Building

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- Four families can call their families complete. Friday, Magistrate Kelle Thomas presided over the legal adoptions of four children into loving homes.

KRDO spoke with two of the families, the Parkers and the Mittlestadts. Both adopted young boys from Pueblo.

“To us, it's more just like a checked box because he has been ours since the moment we found out he existed," said Angela Mittlestadt after adopting her son, Keagan. "But it feels good to have it be legal and final."

Balloons lined the outside of Courtroom 501 as both families made their way inside. Family and friends watched the proceedings from the courtroom pews.

Magistrate Thomas said this was her first Pueblo Adoption Day. She told KRDO she was glad to bring some joy to a normally somber courtroom.

"There are a lot more sad stories in the courthouse than there are happy ones. I think ultimately what led a lot of these children to the situation is they are in, to be available for adoption, is rather heartbreaking in most cases," Thomas said. "I think adoption day is one of the very rare opportunities we get in this building to do something happy and joyful and get to unite families."

The Parkers have been a foster family for a while. They were the foster parents to Nathaniel, the boy they adopted Friday.

"It's bittersweet knowing that we aren't going to be foster parents anymore. It's a little bit sad on one end of the spectrum, and then on the other end giving three kids a permanent home is extremely exciting and just to know that our family is complete," Tori Parker said.

November is National Adoption Month. For more information, click here.