Hello! Our names are Jon, Bettine and Benjamin. We are so thankful that you are taking time to read our profile and we hope that it will provide you some insight into who we are!

We are so excited at the idea of continuing to grow our family through adoption and to see Benjamin become a big brother. We can only imagine that you might be feeling some of the same things we are... especially feeling a little nervous about what lies ahead. We have experienced that open adoption creates a very special family between the child, adoptive parents and birth parents.

We got married in June 2000. Jon is 35 and Bettine is 36 (although only 6 months older, it continues to be a fun joke for Jon!). Benjamin came into our family through open adoption on the day he was born, April 9, 2010. We have a fantastic open adoption and stay in contact with Benjamin's birthparents.

We have always loved to travel, and this continues to be one of our favorite hobbies. Travel for us includes camping, heading to the beach or visiting our friends in Milwaukee. Bettine's mom was born and raised in Brazil and we still have family there, so we try and visit as often as possible. We have been lucky enough to take Benjamin to Milwaukee, Seattle, Colorado, Cancun and Brazil over the past year.

Our house tends to be a central gathering place for social events, we are always hosting or planning our next get-together. We also stay busy with our dog, a 9-year-old Golden Retriever named Penny. She loves to be around kids... she and Benjamin play well together and he loves to feed her during meal times! We enjoy spending our family time at the park, swimming pool or playing with cousins and friends.

About Jon (written by Bettine)

Jon is an avid sports fan, an outdoorsman, a world traveler but most importantly, he is a wonderful husband, a loving father, a thoughtful son, a great friend, a helpful brother and a fun uncle. Jon always puts his family first, above everything else. He loves spending time with Benjamin and I! He is so energetic when it comes to playing with Benjamin. As soon as he walks in the door, he scoops Benjamin up and runs around the house until they are both laughing. Benjamin lights up when he see Jon walking in after work! Jon loves to read books before bedtime, reading in silly voices and making up stories. He has always been this way with our nephews and niece, but it is so special to me to see him get to do the same thing with our son.

I must also mention that Jon has a great sense of humor. He comes by it honestly because his father was a great joker. It is his sense of humor that has allowed our marriage to weather through tough times. This is one of my favorite things about Jon, he loves to have fun.

About Bettine (written by Jon)

We've been married for 11 years, and she continues to amaze me with her passion for everything in her life. Bettine has excelled in everything she has done in her life, so it has been no surprise to me that she is an amazing mother.

Bettine has stayed home with Benjamin for the past two years. I do not recall that I have ever seen her so happy as she pours constant energy and love towards raising our little guy. She is everything I knew she would be as a mother and continues to amaze me with her creativity and adaptability. During the week there's never a dull day for Bettine and Benjamin. Swimming lessons, walks to the park, play time at the gym, running through the fountains and hanging with the cousins are just a few of the activities they've enjoyed. Bettine is going to be a perfect mother for our second child. She has so much space in her heart! Hugs and warm encouragement will continue to be her motivation for our children. Together we will strive to provide the same wonderful environment our parent's provided for us during our childhood.

Benjamin

Benjamin is an energetic, talkative, confident, courageous, and overall very happy little toddler! He loves to explore and climb! Some of Benjamin's favorite things to do are playing with "choo choos", dancing and reading books (we love to read too!). He has a younger cousin whom he loves to visit, we like to think he's practicing to be a wonderful big brother. Benjamin has been loved beyond words during his first two years of life; his constant smile is our proof. He has cousins, aunts, uncles and grandparents that live nearby and continue to spoil him rotten and love him constantly.

Thank you!

Thank you for taking time to read our profile. We cannot presume to know how you feel, but we respect the difficult decisions you are facing and can only hope that you are able to find comfort and peace. It has long been a dream of ours to share our life and love with children, and it is our commitment to provide the best possible home and family we can for them. We love being parents and can't wait to have another child in our family. We look forward to meeting you and learning more about each other. Thank you for taking this opportunity to learn about our family.

Jon, Bettine and Benjamin