Our names are Ron and Dawn. It is with a grateful heart that we share with you this short story about our lives. We are humbled by the very special, sacrificial love you are demonstrating and we are honored that you've chosen to learn about us. Through this profile, we hope to give you a sense of who we are and the immeasurable amount of love we have to give another child. Being parents is such a wondrous journey and we can hardly wait to share all the love in our hearts with another baby.

Ron Dawn Job Description Laborer for the Township Commercial Lines Insurance Underwriter Assistant Education 1 Year Vocational Technical Commercial Insurance Certificates Favorites Family Activity Boating Family Activity Weekends at the Shore Junk Food Doritos Junk Food French Fries Leisure Activity Bowling Leisure Activity Arts & Crafts Sport to Play Football Sport to Play Ping Pong Thing to Cook Turkey Thing to Cook Lasagna Children Josselyn-8 years old

Our daughter Josselyn, aka Josie, was adopted from Guatemala when she was just 5 months old. We embrace her Hispanic heritage by learning as much as we can about her birth country, the people and their culture. We purchased mementos for her during our travel there that are proudly displayed in our living room. It is especially important for our daughter to have a connection with other children that not only look like her, but are from the same cultural background. Our support group of other families that have adopted children from Guatemala are wonderful people. The children are all close to the same ages and enjoy their time together. One family lives just a mile away and our daughters are the very best of friends.

Sadly, due to the closed adoption we have no contact with Josie's birthmother and never had the opportunity to thank her for her courageous and noble act of love. We felt compelled to give back in any way we could. To "pay it forward" we've been sponsoring a little girl in Guatemala. Our sponsorship helps provide her with every day needs including medicine, clothing, shoes and practical presents on holidays that her parents simply cannot afford. Our monthly letters provide her with encouraging words to stay in school and strive for a bright future. We are comforted knowing that our contribution makes a difference. We have so much respect and admiration for Josie's birthmother and in our hearts, we thank her every day for giving her child the ultimate gift - LIFE.

In our home, adoption will always be talked about in the most upbeat and positive manner. We're committed to offering your child a life of unconditional love and nurturing and as part of that commitment, want him/her to always know the depth of your love and the sacrifices you made. We want him/her to know about the adoption process at an early age. We promise to always be honest and open when discussing adoption so that he/she will feel comfortable coming to us with any questions. Your child will know that you spent countless hours making a painful decision that was in his/her best interest and that you worked hard to choose the best adoptive parents. We'll raise your child to respect you and be proud of you for putting his/her needs above your heart.

Josselyn

My name is Josie and I am so excited about becoming a big sister. I'm in 2nd grade and my favorite subject is math. I'm also learning Spanish. I like swimming, cheerleading, soccer and especially softball because my daddy is my coach. My mom is my #1 fan and cheers for me every game.

My mom and dad love me so much and always give me lots of hugs and kisses. They treat me like a queen. I am so lucky because they do fun things with me and take me to cool places for our yearly vacation. We go bowling, roller skating, snow tubing and country line dancing. We've traveled to Tennessee, Oklahoma and even to Disney World two times! Mom & dad tell me that sharing these special memories together is priceless.

Music makes me smile and feel happy. I can't wait to sing songs, dance and play violin for my new brother or sister. I will use gentle hands and soft kisses with the new baby just like I do with my American Girl dolls and my cat. My mommy likes to take lots of pictures, so I will teach the baby how to smile and say cheese.

I have so much love in my heart and I promise to be the best big sister ever!