Thank you for considering the honorable and selfless decision to create an adoption plan and for reading our profile. We can't imagine how difficult this decision is for you and we admire your courage and willingness to do what is best for your child. We would be forever grateful if your decision was to choose us to parent your child and at the same time make our dream come true!

Ryan Dalene Job Description Computer Technician for a Global Retailer Special Education Teacher, Future Stay-at-Home Mom Education Associate Degree in Avionics Technology Bachelor's Degree in Special Education; Masters Degree in Special Education Favorites Dream Job Photographer for National Geographic Dream Job Private, Individual Teacher for Students with Disabilities Family Activity Camping Family Activity Boating Hobby Building Things/Working in Shop Hobby Traveling Restaurant Smokin’ Joe’s Barbeque Restaurant P.F. Chang’s Sport to Watch Hockey Sport to Watch Basketball Children None

Dalene's paternal grandfather was adopted. Due to the closed adoptions of that time, no medical history or other information about his biological family is known. Dalene also has several distant cousins who were adopted so the idea of adoption is not foreign to her family and they are accepting and supportive of the decision to build a family through adoption. Ryan has three cousins a little younger than him who were adopted. He also has an aunt (who is actually younger than him) who was adopted as an infant. They grew up together more like cousins would than aunt and nephew due to their closeness in age. The adoption of his aunt into the family had a huge impact on the family throughout all of Ryan's life. Due to this, Ryan's family is very open and comfortable with adoption as well. In addition to family, we also have some close friends in our church who have adopted three children. They have shared their journey with us and it has been amazing to observe the bonding of their family in the past few years. Watching the adoption success stories of our family and friends has better prepared us to adopt a child. We have been able to see first hand how adoption can build a family and create strong family ties.

We share many of the same interests, although we each have our own as well. Ryan loves to "tinker" in the garage, build things, fine tune any kind of electronic equipment, play the trumpet and violin, and relax with computer games once in awhile. Dalene understands nothing about any of those things, but does like to read, learn new things, work outside, and keep in touch with family and friends. Together we enjoy hiking, kayaking in nearby lakes, camping, fishing, going out to eat (always searching for the new or different) and cooking up our own delights in the kitchen. Arkansas and the surrounding Ozarks are home to many beautiful places that make our outdoor activities interesting and scenic. Spending time with friends and family is another favorite pastime. We spend most weekend evenings with friends: talking, laughing, playing games, and eating. Our friends all have young children who will make great play mates for this child and are just as excited as we are about our decision to adopt.

Reading Our Bibles Together on a Camping Trip

Our faith and trust in God is our first priority. We firmly believe that when our relationship with Him is first and foremost, everything else in life falls into place. We attend Sunday morning fellowship meetings in a nearby home and Wednesday night Bible studies also in the home of families who share our beliefs. We enjoy reading our Bibles together at home and learning more about our Father and Creator and His plan for our lives. Our marriage and relationship with each other is our second priority. Because we are committed to having the best marriage possible, spending quality time together and having open communication are vital. Spending time with family and friends is another priority in our life. We understand how essential connections with other people are and value the relationships we have with our friends and family. Although there are times when life gets in the way and we don't get to spend as much time with them as we would like, our family ties are strong and communication frequent. We strive to live each day in a way that shows that faith, marriage, family, and friends truly are the most important aspects in our life.