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43 Photos Of Adopted Siblings That Show Family Is About Love, Not DNA

Yes, they are “real” siblings.

Many adoptive parents find that people sometimes ask if their children are "real" siblings. The answer is, of course, yes.

In honor of National Adoption Month, we asked the HuffPost Parents Facebook community to share photos of their adopted children that show the sibling bond is about love, not DNA.

Here are 43 beautiful, love-filled photos.

  • 1
    Courtesy of Cindi Parish Spragg
    "Sister love!"
  • 2
    Courtesy of Angeline Sim
    "My kids don't need a prefix, they are not my 'adopted' children, they are my children. The siblings are not a random happenstance, they are handpicked and pre-destined by God. How awesome is this privilege! That's the beauty of an adoptive family. Hope to do our bit for Adoption Awareness Month, right here from Singapore!"
  • 3
    Courtesy of Christina Woodbury
    "Our 10-year-old son, Alexander, joined our family in February 2009 from Guatemala at 22 months. Our daughter, Annika, was born six months later in August 2009. They are best friends and do everything together."
  • 4
    Courtesy of Jennifer Hammonds Fischer
    "My middle and youngest are adopted from China. Because they're only six weeks apart, I get asked if they're twins all the time. When I tell people the age difference, the next question is always, 'Are they brothers?' The answer is yes. Not biologically, but in every sense of the word, yes."
  • 5
    Courtesy of Courtney Maria
    "Yep ... ALL of these goofballs are siblings."
  • 6
    Courtesy of Lucinda Fritzal
    "Every picture I have they are hugging or touching in some way. These two were meant to be together."
  • 7
    Courtesy of Connie Shelton Lancaster
    "Both of our kids were adopted as infants so there's no biological connection, but they certainly love and fight each other as much as any other sibling pair!"
  • 8
    Courtesy of Angie Kurl
  • 9
    Courtesy of Hannah Seibert Hunt
    "My 10-year-old and 3-year-old daughters."
  • 10
    Courtesy of Ross Molly Weaver
    "My daughter has been home two weeks. My son has been waiting for her to come home for two years. Today he grabbed her hand and yelled, 'Stop!' when we got to a street. He looked both ways and then began guiding her across safely. He told her he had to look for cars so that he could keep her safe because he loved her so much."
  • 11
    Courtesy of Michele Gill McKenna
    "This is my loud, loving family! Tess and Riley are only six months apart in age and regularly refer to themselves as twins."
  • 12
    Courtesy of Jaime Lownsbery-Bondy
    "Best big brother ever and best little brother ever."
  • 13
    Courtesy of Kristen Stapp White
  • 14
    Courtesy of Alicia Marie Vanwhy
    "We have three children. None genetically mine. One my husband had from his first marriage, one we adopted as a teen from foster care, and one we adopted privately from a teenage foster child. They are all 'our children' and they are all 'real siblings.' Families are made with love and trust and hard work, not just DNA."
  • 15
    Courtesy of Rebecca Akers
    "My husband and I took permanent custody of two babies with special needs (bio sibs) in June 2015. We had three weeks to prepare to add to our gaggle of girls. We went from having three daughters to having four daughters and one son. As far as they are all concerned, they are brother and sisters, and we tend to forget who aren't our biological children."
  • 16
    Courtesy of Nicole Wise Francis
    "Brothers!"
  • 17
    Courtesy of Abby Massey
  • 18
    Courtesy of Sierra Blackbear
    "My son was adopted when he was three... and I will never forget the day he and my bio daughter met. He looked at her, she grabbed his hand, and off they went to play. They never looked back. I feel like their love is stronger because they know they chose to love each other."
  • 19
    Courtesy of Elizabeth Jones Curington
    "One adopted, two biological. They know nothing else."
  • 20
    Courtesy of Jennifer Miller
    "My boys -- both adopted as babies."
  • 21
    Courtesy of Sarah Fennessy
    "Elena is just over 9 months older than Jovi so we get lots of looks and questions when people realize how close they are in age. We adopted both from the foster care system in Connecticut."
  • 22
    Courtesy of Heather Young Carvell
    "Family is family, and in our house, half, whole and adopted doesn't work -- it is just family."
  • 23
    Courtesy of Stacey Teague
    "Austin and Ryleigh -- 'real brother and sister' since 2006!"
  • 24
    Courtesy of Keri Cockrell Zendejas
    "My babies, not by blood, but by love!"
  • 25
    Courtesy of Megan Getz Bohensky
  • 26
    Courtesy of Sheila-Marie Untiedt
    "Happy sisters."
  • 27
    Courtesy of Katelyn Fearon
  • 28
    Courtesy of Sherry Carruth
    "My 40-year-old daughter, my 26-year-old son and my 17-year-old adopted daughter."
  • 29
    Courtesy of Alberts Fam
  • 30
    Courtesy of Laura Hall
    "Here is my favorite photo of two of my children."
  • 31
    Courtesy of Kelly Liddekee
  • 32
    Courtesy of Julia McEachen-Armbruster
    "Love my girls!"
  • 33
    Courtesy of Emily Clough
  • 34
    Courtesy of Kate Maples Minor
    "My girls."
  • 35
    Courtesy of Caitlin Allana Dussan
    "The only picture I have of almost [all] (missing one) of us together! Four biological and five adopted. One big, crazy, loving family."
  • 36
    Courtesy of Emily Nazario-Brindamour
  • 37
    Courtesy of Sarah Collins
  • 38
    Courtesy of Cassandra English
  • 39
    Courtesy of Missy Griffiths
    "On our adoption day. All siblings, by blood or by heart. The most amazing day of my life. Three bio children who gave the greatest sacrifice to have five separate children come and have an amazing life to share with them."
  • 40
    Courtesy of Deborah Rountree
    "Five daughters, from 10 to 46, two biologicals and three adopted but ALL REAL!"
  • 41
    Courtesy of Christine M. Matthews
  • 42
    Courtesy of Pauline Sue Smith
  • 43
    Courtesy of Lynn Evangelista Quinn
    "They love each other as strongly as if they were biological! Love hard and fight hard ... as siblings do!"
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