With every breath in our bodies, we promise you that we will love your child unconditionally each and every day. Every single day of your child’s life we will tell your precious little one how loved they really are…by ALL of US!

Hello!

Thank you for taking the time to learn a bit about us. As we sit down to create this profile of our family for you, we can picture you sitting at a table with a pile of profiles in front of you...smiling faces of strangers staring back at you.

Well, we don’t want to be smiling strangers, but comfortable, familiar people who you can connect with, and as we write this letter from our heart to yours, it is our hope that you will understand that we will provide a safe and happy place for your child. We were very blessed to adopt once, and as you read about Josh and about our family life together, we hope our joy of living and our celebration of how adoption can be an incredibly successful experience for everyone involved is reflected. We look forward to hopefully meeting you, and we pray we might be just the right family for you and your baby.

WHY ADOPTION?

A few years into our marriage, we received the news that we would have to have medical help to have a biological child. Without hesitation, we decided to forgo expensive, invasive reproductive technologies and build our family through adoption. What mattered to us was that we wanted to be parents, and any child that came to us through adoption would be the child we were meant to have. We knew we would love that child with every ounce of our heart, and make their happiness the focus of our lives.

In October 2003, we received a call that a birth mother was interested in meeting us. A day later, we drove 6 hours for the meeting...we were so nervous that we hardly spoke to one another during that entire drive (now that’s a rarity)! One week later (Thanksgiving weekend), Josh came home to us!
Since that day, it has been difficult to put into words the joy that Josh has brought to us, our families and friends. Let’s just say that with each passing day, he does things that amazes us, and we are fortunate to be able to call ourselves his parents. Hopefully, we will know this joy a second time.

A BIT ABOUT US...THE BEGINNING

We met as students in university. Both coming out of relationships, we did not want to jump into another, so we started off as friends (study buddies).

Our first outing as friends was to a ski hill during school break, where we spent hours going up and down the ski lift. Well, Dan spent hours (with a smile and lots of patience) picking Vesna up off the snow-covered hills. The way things turned out after that, regardless of our desire to be just friends, we fell in love. And three years after meeting, we tied the knot in front of our closest family and friends. It was the perfect celebration for us...a relatively small group of our friends and family, an outdoor reception, lots of food (this is the influence from a European mother who could not let anyone go home hungry) and dancing into the wee hours of the night. 

Today, almost 16 years married (a marriage based on love and great communication), we still spend hours riding ski lifts (not so much picking up off the hill anymore), and we continue to enjoy the activities that initially brought us together, and more (skiing/snowboarding, hiking, camping and sailing).

EDUCATION, CAREERS AND OUR CHILDCARE PLAN
We both graduated from University and are happy to say that we love the career paths we have chosen.

VESNA...
Since graduation, I have worked in the DNA Testing field (Consulting/Business Development). My clients range from doctors, lawyers and police agencies to citizens like you and I who need to use DNA testing to resolve questions of identity, such as in paternity, and to assist law enforcement to solve crimes committed against others (believe me, very cool, but not nearly as glamorous as CSI).

The best thing about my career is that I have the flexibility of working from a home office. While some travel is required, it is typically of a short duration (2-3 days a month). However, once we are blessed with a child again, Dan and I have decided that I will not go back to work until your child is in school full time. We want your child to have a full-time mother during his or her formative years.

DAN...
I too am working in a field that I enjoy. Today I work as a manager at a mental health hospital. While I have a lot of responsibility, the hospital environment is one of caring, and it understands that family is of the utmost importance.

Another reason I love my job is that I witness the difference that the hospital staff makes in each patient’s life. Our patients are individuals who have had very traumatic events occur in their lives due to mental illness. Having been witness in my workdays to the hardships that so many people face, I do not ever take for granted a single precious day that I have my health and my family’s health. I believe I make a difference in these people’s lives, and that is rewarding. And I hope my contribution helps educate others about mental illness and encourages our society to be kinder to those who suffer.

JOSH
Josh is a very social and popular boy who easily knows way more people than we do. There is not a single excursion we take in town that he does not bump into (hellos, high fives, fist bumps) someone he knows from the neighbourhood or school. This is quite surprising as we do not live in a small town, but in a city with over 135,000 residents!

Josh enjoys swimming, snowboarding, going to hockey games (any team but the LEAFS), camping, and cub-scouts. Josh is always playing with friends and is especially great/gentle with the smaller ones (takes on the big brother role well). Josh also loves reading bedtime stories to his younger cousins too!

Josh is a very delightful, well-rounded and awesome kid. We have no doubt in our minds that a second child would enjoy life and flourish in our family!

JOSH AS YOUR CHILD’S BIG BROTHER

We know that Josh will make an excellent big brother. Because Josh is already a bit older than your child, he is quite independent and will fully engage in teaching a younger sibling to snowboard, skateboard and play hockey. This will be at the top of the agenda (he will probably try to start while your child is still in diapers). Having come from families with siblings, we know that the bond siblings share is one like no other. When there are things you don’t feel comfortable discussing with mom and dad, a sibling will be there to listen and help. A sibling is also someone to share stories with and look out for one another no matter what. And what a blessing to have a big brother, and one who has an adoption story too – one who will understand!

WHAT WE DO FOR FUN - VACATIONS AND SPENDING TIME TOGETHER

When the work/school day is over or the weekend has arrived, we are out and about. We believe that kids thrive in an environment that provides them with countless opportunities to explore and be active. Some examples include...letting them get messy during play, running with them until we are out of breath (chasing that kite), and teaching them to ride a bike and rollerblade, to name just a few. We also enjoy taking camping trips with our friends. The best part of camping is the campfire ... making s’mores with the kids and telling stories under the starlit sky.  

During the summer, we try to spend as many weekends as we can at the lake house where our parents live. There, we can all enjoy fishing and playing around in the water. It is especially fun when w e have friends and cousins come join us for a mini getaway. 

We also enjoy taking many holidays with our parents and extended family. Every year, we try to take a ski/snowboard holiday as well as one getaway in the winter to a sunny, warm destination, which of course your child will always be part of.

CELEBRATIONS

We are a family that lives life to the fullest. We celebrate special times of year with family and friends. Some of our favourite times of the year include Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter and of course Halloween, as we get to dress up in our favourite costumes. Josh is always excited to celebrate the holidays, and he gives our home and our lives so much enthusiastic delight regardless of whether it’s Christmas, Easter or Halloween!

IMPORTANT PEOPLE IN OUR LIVES

We feel so lucky to have extended family close to home, and we see them on a regular basis. Never have we felt that we needed to get away from family at any point of time. All of the family members we see on a regular basis are full of positive energy that is infectious. We cannot express in words the amount of love we have for our family.
We’d like to introduce you to a few of the family members who share our lives. Every single friend and every family member has embraced Josh as part of our life. In our family, it doesn’t matter  whether you come through marriage birth or adoption; everyone belongs!

Oh, and don’t forget to notice Jackson, our family cat. He fills Josh’s life with many giggles and cuddles.

OUR HOME

We live on a quiet, safe court along the shores of Lake Simcoe (just north of Toronto). Our tree-filled backyard home has 4 bedrooms and 4 baths. Life in our home is enveloped in a warm and welcoming atmosphere. We might not always have the perfect organized show home, but we have tonnes of love, laughter and a lot of forts made out of couch cushions and blankets to play with.

Our neighbourhood too is perfect for children, as there is a playground at the bottom of our street, kilometres of protected forest trails at our doorstep, a huge recreation centre (swimming pools and ice rinks-indoor/outdoor) and great schools, all in walking distance. 

VACATION PROPERTY

A few years ago, we also purchased 3 acres of oceanfront property outside of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Our plan is to one day build a family vacation home there. However, for the time being, this property is a tree-filled lot that we enjoy using for camping and kayaking. At times, we see whales, and there are always seals that follow us as we kayak through the islands. We always look forward to all the lobster dinners we get to have when we are in town. Josh has really enjoyed our visits out East, and we know your child will as well.

PARENTING

We can’t promise a sparkling clean house or annual vacations to Europe, but we can promise you that we will love your child with every ounce of our hearts and will do everything within our power to provide them with a happy, stable family life full of love, adventure, opportunities and solid ideals.

Each child is unique and brings their own dynamic to a family. We believe that children undoubtedly learn best when we provide them with unconditional love, patience and understanding. Children need to feel that their family will always be there for them, providing the kind of guidance that enables them to become independent and responsible. We are also opposed to yelling or any form of physical punishment towards a child in order to teach them any lessons – ever. A parent is a role model, and this kind of behaviour defeats the purpose of any lessons one is attempting to teach. Your child will be accepted and celebrated for who they are! We will love, nurture and adore every aspect of them, guiding them through life in a positive and reassuring manner.

We hope that when you look through our photographs, you will notice the happiness on Josh’s face. We see this as evidence of our ability to raise a happy healthy child, and we hope you will see that too.

VESNA…BEING A MOTHER

A mother’s love for her child is like nothing else in this world. I believe, as a mother, that it is the entirely up to the parents to love a child unconditionally, show love, acceptance and commitment. As a parent, I live by the motto that it is important to be patient, understanding and reassuring so that a child in my care knows beyond a doubt that they will be loved no matter what.

I look forward to the day I can share my love for music, art, nature and cuddles with your child! I promise to you that your child will be as happy, as loved and as adored as Josh is! And how adored is Josh? Well…

I love every little bit of Josh. I cry when he is hurt and I cry (tears of joy) at the smallest of his accomplishments. I internalize everything about him, and it is a privilege to be his mother and watch him learn and grow. He inspires me to be a better person, and he has taught me to each day to enjoy the simple things of life, such as a kiss and a hug. I love his infectious, positive attitude, even in situations of adversity.

I also love his innocence and the way he marvels at the simplest things in life, like walking the beach each and every day when we are on vacation and finding hundreds of rocks, all with their own story that we excitedly share. I will give your child the same parenting, the same love, and the same devotion. I promise you!

DAN...MY ROLE AS A FATHER/COACH

I consider myself to be very lucky as I have a great family and a great job. But best of all, I feel lucky to be a dad. I am fortunate to have a great role model (my own dad), who was always fully involved in all my childhood activities (sports, camping trips and fishing) and showed great patience and encouragement in everything I did. I would describe my dad as my best friend, and we spend a great deal of time together (despite being 2 hours apart).

My role as a dad has provided me with the greatest happiness I have ever experienced. I am an active parent and will also brag that I was the first to change a ‘poopy’ diaper. I have always been actively involved in all aspects of parenting. Ves and I share the traditional household roles of childcare, meals, cleaning etc., although, I cannot say that I create gourmet dinners (I leave that up to Ves), but I can make a mean feast of “KD”on the nights that Dad’s in charge! LOL

Just like I do with Josh, I dream of everything from reading to your child, to spending quiet time together, to teaching him or her how to ride a bike, fish, swim, play hockey read, volunteer as a coach on any sport’s teams they are on, and so much more.

OUR ADOPTION EXPERIENCE and OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH YOU

We have found life to be quite an interesting process, as you never know what is going to happen or how vario us people are going to enter into your world. We look forward to a future of sharing many special moments and milestones with you, and we welcome your involvement to the extent that you find comfortable, including pictures, letters, emails, phone calls and, of course, visits! We have been able to foster this type of relationship with Josh’s birth family, and he knows how loved he is from all directions ... by so many people. You will always be an important part of our lives and of your child’s life. We believe that adopted children are incredibly special and that they need to feel that they belong not only to their adopted family but to their biological family as well. We invite you – and if your family is involved in this adoption process, we invite them as well, – to look through this book and see the happiness in all our faces. Notice that Josh is a happy and well-loved child. We are good parents, and we are good adoptive parents as well, respecting all aspects of this experience for everyone involved.

OUR PROMISES TO YOUR CHILD

Should you decide that we are the best family for your child (and we pray that we are); here are 10 promises we will make to your child...

1.  We will faithfully make it our mission to teach you our beliefs in God and expose you to the beliefs of others so that you may grow up to love, respect and tolerate all of human kind.

2.  We will surround you with a large extended family, filled with people who will envelop you with their love.

3.  We will always be there to protect you, pick you up when you stumble, catch you when you fall and wipe away your tears and fears with words of comfort and support. We will give you courage and strength to face not only the monsters in the closet, but also the scary, everyday challenges of life.

4.  Light of our Life, we will guide you through the wonders of life, teach you right from wrong and give you values and traditions that will enable you to grow into your fullest potential.

5.  We will strive to instill in you a sense of pride and accomplishment, a feeling of self-worth and knowledge of your priceless value in our lives.

6.  We will give you the best educational opportunities you desire; not only in the classroom, but also in the real world.

7.  We promise to support and encourage each and every career choice and life adventure that you choose.

8.  We will always encourage your dreams and fantasies. There will never be a time that you will doubt your ability to make magic.

9.  There will always be a Santa Claus, magic fairies, and superheroes in your life. We will strive to see the world through your eyes and to remain young at heart.

10. Finally, we will strive each and every minute of each and every day to give you a happy home, filled with unconditional love. We will make sure you know the history of who you are and where you came from; and we give you our promise that we will be there for you every step of the way, as you become the person you were meant to be.     

It must be difficult to truly know us through this letter, and we would be honoured to meet you so we can all get to know one another in person (as the saying goes, “the eyes are the window of the soul”). We can’t wait to share more about ourselves with you, and to learn about you, who you are, and about your hopes and dreams for yourself and your baby.  

Wishing you all the best during this time,

Vesna & Dan

For more information about this family, contact info@beginnings.ca, 1-877-528-6665 or 905-528-6665