It’s been said that it doesn’t matter how children get in your family, it’s that they are in your family.

Kendall Williford is celebrating her first official Mother’s Day this weekend, but she’s been mom to two little boys their entire lives.

Williford said that she and her husband, Marvin, decided a few years ago they wanted to be foster parents.

“We decided to go into foster care just to foster,” she said. “We were hesitant.”

They completed their group preparation and selection classes, or GPS, in March 2015.

“We got Tyler in August 2015,” she said.

The Willifords brought Tyler home from the hospital as a newborn.

She said the goal was to ultimately put him back with his birth mom, but that didn’t happen.

“Tyler only had five visits total,” she said. “When we started this, we just wanted to love on some babies, but with Tyler we quickly realized this wasn’t the case.”

Kendall said it was all in God’s plan.

“Then God blessed us again with Heath,” she said.

Heath is Tyler’s biological brother.

The Willifords, who live in Florala, also brought Heath home from the hospital as a newborn.

Tyler is now 21 months old and Heath is 10 months.

In February, the Willifords made Tyler and Heath official members of their family.

“This is my first official Mother’s Day,” she said. “It feels so good. I don’t care about any presents.”

Kendall said that she advises anyone who is considering foster care to do it.

“Don’t hesitate,” she said. “Not everyone’s story is like ours, but just fostering a child can change their lives.”

She advised knowing what kind of needs you can handle, and lots of prayer before actually becoming a foster parent.