Hello! We are Erica, Josh and our daughter, Amelia, from Anaheim, California! We are grateful that you are taking the time to read our profile. We want to acknowledge your selflessness and bravery which brought you to adoption. We feel very fortunate you are allowing us to share our family life with you.

We are looking forward to continuing our family, and Amelia is super excited to become a big sis. We hope we can give you a thorough glimpse of who we are, the experiences your child would have and most importantly, the love he/she would feel within this family.

We have always known that adoption would be our path. Erica even asked Josh his thoughts on adoption on our first date. To Erica’s surprise, Josh had always wanted to adopt children! Erica has a condition called endometriosis, which makes it unlikely for her to be able to carry a child. The struggles we have faced in our journey to parenthood have allowed us to see just how lucky we are to have you considering us. We are truly honored.

Our story begins as a couple of 12-year-olds, trying to navigate the same middle school hallways in central Kansas. Josh was the shy kid with a knack for math and a love of athletics. Erica was the social butterfly, friend of everyone and a cheerleader at some of Josh’s games. Josh was the shy kid with a knack for math and a love of athletics. Erica was the social butterfly, friend of everyone and a cheerleader at some of Josh’s games.

While we were friends and in many of the same classes, Josh never had the courage to let Erica know she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. As fate would have it, we became “Facebook Friends” in 2009. In the summer of 2010, Erica made a simple Facebook post that changed our lives forever. Josh invited her to that game, and the rest is history!

We both enjoy being active and finding new hikes or places to explore in Southern California. With so many different things to see and do in California, we are never bored! We aim to have the cool house where all the neighborhood kids want to visit. Dance parties are a nightly occurrence, and if you are walking by our home, you’re bound to hear giggles and screams of joy. We tell jokes constantly, and kindness is the primary rule.

We love adventures. We have been skydiving, we have held nurse sharks in Belize and we got married on a beach in Mexico. We’re always up for trying something new!

Favorite Store
Erica: Ikea & Target
Josh: Thrift Stores

Favorite Guilty Pleasure
Erica: Chocolate Cake
Josh: Ice Cream

Favorite TV Show
Erica: Grey’s Anatomy
Josh: Wheel of Fortune (he’s even been a contestant!)

Favorite Children’s Movie
Erica: Aladdin
Josh: The Lion King

Favorite Food
Erica: Breakfast - I could eat it all day!
Josh: Pizza

Favorite Dad Joke
Erica: Q - How much does a rainbow weigh? A - Not much, it’s pretty light!
Josh: Q - Why did the pony get sent to his room? A - He wouldn’t stop horsing around!

I grew up in the country where imagination and creativity were the keys to having the best adventures. My older brother and I could often be found fishing or swimming in our pond, climbing trees or playing with the various animals we raised.

Prior to getting married, I worked as a manager in retail clothing stores. Once married, I became a nanny to two wonderful children. Sadly, I had to step away from my position to tackle a medical issue. In 2013, I was diagnosed with a brain tumor. Following treatment, my doctors were amazed by my recovery and encouraged us to start a family. We did just that, and now we are hoping to grow our family even more!

I am looking forward to sharing my sense of adventure, imagination and creativity with our future children. In me, they will have their ultimate “soccer mom”, nature guide or general supportive cheerleader in their chosen interest. I am devoted to not just family first, but family always.

I’ve known how special Erica is for over 30 years. Even as a young kid, I noticed that she went out of her way to be nice to everyone. She volunteered in special needs classes and spent time helping out at the local nursing home. Being a caregiver is in Erica’s DNA. She has those mom-instincts that only the best mothers possess. Amelia leans on Erica for guidance, and she instills all the values that initially attracted me to her: love, kindness, patience and virtue.

Like with anything in life, Erica faced the medical challenge with grace, confidence, optimism and humor. It was awe-inspiring to be by her side while she bravely beat cancer.

Erica truly is the best mom. Amelia is naturally inquisitive, and Erica always goes the extra mile to answer every question. Erica’s infectious energy and positive attitude make our household the most incredible place for any child to grow up in.

I grew up in a small Kansas town. My home was surrounded by many tall trees, and I would spend most afternoons playing outside. I grew up with an older brother that instilled a love of all sports. While I love everything about Kansas, I knew from an early age that I wanted to go to college in California. I studied broadcasting at Pepperdine University, and Yoo-hoo Chocolate Drink sponsored my campus TV shows. Upon graduation, Yoo-hoo asked me to be their National Spokesperson, and I traveled the country promoting the chocolatey goodness.

For the past four years, I’ve worked as an Executive Producer, creating incredible events for some of the top car companies in the world.

In my spare time, I enjoy being active and finding new hikes. If your child takes an interest in athletics, I’ll be very excited to be a coach, mentor and the biggest fan in the stands. If he or she takes an interest in the arts or music, I’ll be the first to take lessons so that we can learn about his or her passion together.

From the moment Josh walked into my life, I knew we were meant to be. He and I are so like-minded. He is compassionate, focused and generous.

Every Saturday in our house has been renamed Dadurday! It is a day that Josh goes out of his way to plan an adventure for Amelia. Their recent adventures have included amusement parks, apple picking, swimming at the beach, hiking a nearby trail, visiting a petting zoo, taking photos with murals and the list goes on and on.

I’m proud of Josh for many things, but his generosity knows no bounds. About five years ago, one of our good friends needed a kidney transplant. Without hesitation, he volunteered to be the donor and saved her life. He will do absolutely anything for his friends and family. He’ll even go above and beyond for complete strangers. Less than 100 people in the world have donated two organs and Josh is one of those people. Just recently, he donated a piece of his liver to save a baby girl’s life that he didn’t even know. Additionally, every other Thursday, he delivers groceries through Meals on Wheels for families in Orange County.

Amelia is three years old and attends Preschool. We are constantly impressed by her intellect and humor. She has a thirst for knowledge and is a sponge for all that she learns. She has a strong creative side and enjoys telling jokes! She loves dance parties with mom and dad and makes friends wherever she goes. Her favorite activities are swimming, riding ponies and playing at the park.

Three years ago we bought our forever home in a small gated community in a beautiful part of Orange County, California. We couldn’t be more happy with the safety, top-rated schools and the best neighbors one can ask for.

Josh spent two weekends building a swing set in the backyard that will be enjoyed for many years. We have several nearby parks, and the local library has been Amelia’s favorite for story and craft hour.

We are just a short drive to Disneyland or the beaches, and the mountains are about an hour away. Amelia recently took swimming lessons and loves going to the beach!

We recently remodeled our kitchen, and we love to try new recipes that will hopefully be loved by Amelia and your child!

Erica is actively involved with the OC Black Moms group, this is a phenomenal group of Moms in the Orange County area that support each other and lift each other up. Your child will have quite the village of support through this group.

We rescued a small Terrier mix named Asher about 7 years ago, and he is twelve pounds of love. He adores all children and goes with Josh to his office each day. If you ask Amelia, she will proudly proclaim, “Asher is my best friend!” We enjoy going on family walks with Asher and taking him to the dog beach for some time in the surf and sand!

We love to travel and are excited to explore the world with your child. Josh has been to every state except Alaska so we plan to go there and see the Northern Lights soon. Erica has a dream of visiting the Shetland Islands, and we have both been wanting to go to Australia for a long time!

Both of our parents have been married for nearly 50 years and have been incredible role models. Erica’s brother and wife have three children. Josh’s brother and wife have two kids. Between the five nieces and nephews, we have plenty of spoiling to do when we visit Kansas!

Both of our extended families still live in Kansas about 45 minutes from each other. We try to make it back to Kansas for Thanksgiving, Christmas and at least one Kansas City Chiefs game each year.

We promise to always encourage your child as they grow and develop. We promise to offer new experiences that expand your child’s horizons and understanding of the world around them.

We promise to always be open about the adoption journey with your child, to celebrate their adoption and not dismiss the importance of the decision you made. To the extent that you are comfortable, we promise to have an open adoption.

We promise to love unconditionally, foster your child’s curiosities, instill strong morals and values, listen attentively, respond patiently, hug tightly and be ever-present in each and every moment. We promise to love your child with our whole hearts for our whole lives.

And of course, you better believe that we promise unlimited hugs, nightly dance parties and an endless supply of laughter in our home.

Our hope is that through these photos and words, you feel like you know us and understand just how loved and cherished your child will be in our home. We look forward to meeting you and getting to know you. We fully understand that this may be the hardest decision you have ever made in your life, and we are honored that you are considering us to be your child’s parents.