For our second group of foster kiddos, we welcomed a set of brothers, Joey and Cody, along with KJ and a familiar face — my girl Maddy.

It was a new group with a whole new dynamic.

Brothers argue. And when kids live together, they can fight as hard as they care about each other. Joey and Cody have already lived through one of my biggest fears. These boys lost both of their parents. I cannot imagine carrying that kind of grief at such a young age. As a mom whose boys have already lost their dad, it hits a place in me that is hard to explain. My biggest fear has always been not being here for my boys while they are still so young. Joey and Cody are only 10 and 12.

KJ, also 12, came with a love for motocross and a story that will stay with the people he chose to share it with. And then there was Maddy, who has been in the system longer than she hasn’t at this point.

But there is good news for Maddy, Joey, and Cody. After this trip, they were being formally adopted.

Now, about the trip.

Day one was mutton city, with a few other species mixed in. That is the fun of bottom fishing — you never really know what is coming up until it hits the deck. My kids even played hooky from summer camp and got to join us on the boat and later at Dolphin Research Center, which made the trip even more special.

Thankfully, we had a strong first day of fishing because day two brought the wind. The plan was to shark fish inshore, but even the sharks did not seem interested. So we explored the islands, tried out tarpon belly, and made the best of it. Then, in true Keys fashion, a storm formed literally right over us and gave everyone a few memories they will not forget.

At one point, between storms, some of the kids started bickering. I went over to calm one of the boys down, and what he said has stayed with me.

“I’m so sick of people just throwing me and my feelings away, over and over again.”

I was sitting with him on the big, comfy Freeman fish box, rubbing his back the same way I do with my own boys and reminding him that this moment would pass. With tears in his eyes, he looked at me and asked, “Ms. Krissy, would you mind if I laid down and you kept scratching my back?”

Within three minutes, he was asleep.

Then, as soon as the lines started ripping out of the reels, he popped right back up. And just like boys do, they moved on.

Maddy was a trooper the entire trip, rolling with the boys and reminding everyone that girls can hold it down just as well as they can.

I take a little something with me from every one of these experiences. With this group, what will stay with me is the reminder that their circumstances are temporary. These kids are not defined by their childhood, their family situation, or the hard things that have happened to them. None of us are.

What matters is what we choose to do with what we have been given, and how we grow from there.

For a few days, these kids got to be exactly what they deserved to be — kids. They fished, explored, laughed, fought, forgave, and made memories on the water.

And that is why we do what we do.