OMAHA, Neb. -- Children in Omaha and across the country were welcomed with open arms into new families on Saturday.

National Adoption Day, now in its 10th year, was created to celebrate adoptive families and to finalize the adoptions of children in foster care.

John Hurt and Jonna Childers-Hansen said the day was a dream come true for them. After their children went off to college, the couple wanted something more. They adopted two brothers, Carlos and Angelito.

"We have more room in our family to let our love grow and these two boys fill a special place in our hearts," Hurt said.

They spent four years on an adoption waiting list before getting the call.

"I said, 'Those are the boys we've been waiting for," Childers-Hansen said. "They were ours."

She said that while Saturday's event made everything official, they have been a family since they all first met 10 months ago.

"When I saw them that very first day, that same feeling came over me again, so I knew and (my husband) knew, too," Childers-Hansen said.

She said the new family is loving every minute and growing closer all the time.

"We've been the lucky ones because they're teaching us about love and growing," she said.

In all, the adoptions of 45 children were finalized in Douglas County on Saturday.