Thomas Rhett Chronicles the Adoption Finalization of Daughter Willa

While out on stage or hanging out in the studio, Thomas Rhett’s life may look easy. But when it came to bringing his little girl, Willa, home to the States, it took more than just love.

After months upon months of flying back and forth between continents, Rhett and his wife finally received the news of a lifetime: they would be officially adopting the daughter they had been waiting for. Through strenuous paperwork and configuration through another country’s cultures, even Rhett revealed that the adoption process is far from being a breeze.

“I don’t think anyone can fully prepare you for the journey of adopting someone, especially from a third-world country where there are so many different laws,” Rhett said to People. “Every day you wake up with a whole new set of challenges that you never even heard of.”

Flying back and forth as much as time and scheduling could allow, the country singer and his partner made sacrifices for weeks on end in order to fulfill the tough foster care requirements created by Ugandan law in order to legally adopt. Making the trips was worth it for the couple, yet still demanded a lot of energy that left in uncertainty many times over.

“I went over with Lauren in December for about seven weeks, and the room we were staying in with Willa almost started to feel like home,” Rhett explained. “The hardest part was never knowing when it was going to end. I’m pretty sure every flight was booked a day before we left either place, because you can’t plan it. We’d get there and realize we had to be there another two weeks. Things moved at a snail’s pace.”

As the sand in the hourglass neared empty and Rhett’s wife, Lauren Akins, discovered she was expecting, their wish became reality as a judge in Uganda granted them the custody of Willa. Happy to get their life as a family started, Akins sighed in relief over the happy grant.

“He changed her life and our lives. He knew how long we had been working with the children’s home and he knew that our family is a family and that our roots are in Uganda too and that we’ll be back. But for a while, I thought I’d be there forever,” admitted Akins.

The journey home, though, was another ordeal as Akins rushed back to the U.S. for a critical doctor’s appointment while her parents later flew with Willa back to her new Tennessee house. Rhett was busy on tour and also couldn’t help to get his sweet toddler situated, but now that she’s been exploring her new world for the past couple weeks, Rhett and Akins wouldn’t have had it any other way.

“She really does live up to her nickname in Uganda: She is just the biggest little Blessing that ever has walked the earth,” Akins happily said.

Rhett will enjoy a little time off with his precious family before playing a few more dates throughout the summer.