SAN ANTONIO — James and Nellie Schraml met and married later in life, but Nellie wanted even more than that. She long had desired to open her home to older children within the foster system.
"He was more ready than I was," Nellie Schraml said. "At first, I thought I was the one pushing him, but he was pushing me."
She and James opened their home to an emergency placement last August, and in late March of this year, the family adoption welcoming Sain and Justice was complete.
"Sometimes I'm thinking, 'Is this how this is supposed to be?' Nellie said. "There were times that I was scared because I was like, 'Am I meeting their needs enough? Am I doing anything right?' and I start to worry. My friends would say if you're not worrying then you would be doing something wrong, so because you worry it shows that you love these boys. You are doing everything right."
Sain, 17, and Justice, 13, say life has been amazing since coming to James and Nellie, and mom and dad couldn't agree more.
"The love and joy in the house is just... The home was never a home before," James said. "It is now."
"I can trust with anything, and I can talk to them about anything," Justice said.
"I didn't know I need this in my life. Ya know, the Good Lord works in mysterious ways," James added. "He brings things to you, and you just have to be smart enough to recognize the opportunity and seize hold of it."
James and Nellie say the boys continue to blossom with each passing day, and they're getting more and more comfortable with their new surroundings.
"Some nights I didn't know where I was gonna eat or sleep, and I'd have to worry about him (Justice)," Sain said.
"I feel more stable and more secure," Justice said. "Lots of kids don't have that, but yeah, it's nice, really nice."
"Our boys have a home, and they'll always have a home." Nellie said.
She said she never thought she was marriage material, but now everything is complete.
"It has been an amazing journey, and it has changed my life completely," James said. "I was apprehensive going in, but I've been truly blessed."