Being a parent is a very fulfilling and rewarding experience. We will love your child unconditionally and encourage him/her to have dreams and we will provide all the resources needed to make those dreams come true. We believe every child is unique in their own way and it is ultimately up to them to decide who they are and what they want to be. But we as parents can do our part in helping that child by offering encouragement, motivation and instilling in them a desire to succeed.

Bret Pamela Job Description Electrician/Plumber Real Estate Development Payroll Assistant at Corporate Level Education High School High School Favorites Family Activity Bowling Family Activity Swimming in Our Pool Food Cheeseburger Food Mexican Hobby Any Sport or Adventure Hobby Photography Shopping Store American Eagle Shopping Store Old Navy Type of Music Christian & Soft Rock Type of Music Christian & Soft Rock Children Jalen-9 years old

We have one biological child and we would like to share a little bit about him with you. His name is Jalen and he is 9 years old. When Jalen was 3, he lost his left arm due to a medical malpractice issue. He is a very courageous, determined, happy, charming, independent and normal 9 year old boy who is an inspiration to a lot of people. He enjoys riding his four-wheeler, swimming, playing basketball, bowling, playing video games on his computer and Nintendo Wii.

We have always tried to teach Jalen the importance of having good manners and respect for others. We have raised Jalen up in a loving Christian home. He always blesses his food before he eats and is always ready to say his bedtime prayers at night.

Jalen is a very bright child. He is currently in the 4th grade and is on the A/B honor roll. He enjoys school and has lots of friends. Last year during the Spring Fling at school, Jalen won 1st place out of over 200 students in the free throw shooting competition. All of the kids went crazy when he won and we even had a trophy made for him.

Jalen desperately wants a little brother or sister. There is not a day that goes by that he doesn't talk about having a little baby. He is very excited about helping out with the baby. We know that he will make a great "big brother."

We want to try and tell you more about what we like to do and what our life is about. We actually really enjoy just hanging out at home. We're not on the go all the time. We do go out to eat on the weekends and occasionally order something during the week. We enjoy our time at home as a family.

We have a swing set in the backyard and the pool is always used in the warm weather. We enjoy riding 4 wheelers, fishing, riding in our paddle boat and playing basketball. We love to curl up on the couch and watch movies.

We also love to entertain at our house. We enjoy hosting many gatherings, pool parties or just having family/friends over to grill-out hamburgers. Pamela has become very good at making homemade vanilla ice cream!

We do feel that vacations are a very important part of life. We have always tried to go on at least one week long vacation trip a year and then a few weekend trips throughout the year. Last year we did a Land and Sea Package at Walt Disney World and the Disney cruise was wonderful. We often try to go to the beach and the weekend trips usually end up in the mountains at Gatlinburg, TN. We feel that sharing those experiences and making memories with a child are an important process of growing up. We cannot wait to share those memories and experiences with your child!

Getting Our Picture with the Easter Bunny Cake

Our families have so many different gatherings and we're going to highlight the ones that we enjoy the most. At Easter, Bret's grandmother always makes an Easter bunny cake that everyone has their picture made with. We decorate eggs at home for the egg hunts at our other parents' home. Pamela's father's family tries to have an annual bonfire. They cook hotdogs and marshmallows over the fire. It's a fun time to hear old stories about the family. Thanksgiving is a great time to reflect on how blessed we are as a family. At Bret's grandmother's house, we enjoy going around the table and saying what we are thankful for.

Our favorite holiday is Christmas. We enjoy spending time with everyone. Christmas Eve starts out at Pamela's dad’s house with breakfast and everyone has to wear their pajamas. Later that day, we go to her mother's house for an afternoon meal and that evening we go to Bret's grandmother's house for a fun game of dirty Santa. Finally, we head to our home for our own tradition that we started when Jalen was born. We bake cookies for Santa and have oatmeal for the reindeers. We read about the birth of Jesus and then we read the Christmas story. On Christmas Day we go to Bret's grandparents’ and then his parents' home. As you can see, our families are blessed with rich traditions and we cannot wait to share those traditions with this child.