[Congressional Record Volume 159, Number 129 (Thursday, September 26, 2013)]
[Senate]
[Page S6957]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO RYAN AND RHONDA KELLY

   Mr. THUNE. Mr. President today I wish to recognize Ryan and 
Rhonda Kelly of Rapid City, SD, as my nominees for the 2013 Angels in 
Adoption Award. Since 1999, the Angels in Adoption program, through the 
Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute, has honored nearly 2,000 
individuals, couples, and organizations nationwide for their work in 
providing children with loving, stable homes.
  Since 2005, 6 girls from China have come to know the love and 
compassion of high school sweethearts Ryan and Rhonda Kelly. One 
morning in January 2005, Rhonda woke up and felt a calling to pursue an 
adoption of a baby girl in China.
  That calling has since developed into a deep passion for providing a 
loving, Christian home to girls from China. Over the last 8 years, 
Rhonda and Ryan have joyfully welcomed 6 girls from China into their 
family: Jenna, Jocelyn, Jade, Jolise, Janelle, and Joy. They have 
adopted girls as young as 18 months to age 14. Each adoption has given 
the Kellys a new opportunity to meet the unique physical and emotional 
needs of each child, a task they have faced with grace, determination, 
and humility. These girls joined biological children Jacob, Joshua, 
Julia, and Jonah.
  Ryan, Rhonda, and their 10 children, now ranging in age from 22 to 4, 
are shining examples of what it means to make the dream of a family a 
reality for every child. Adoption has given the girls the opportunity 
to receive the medical care they need, a family to love and care for 
them forever, and a chance for a bright future. Adoption has given the 
Kelly family an entirely different outlook on life: they look at the 
big picture and choose not to sweat the small things. This family 
clearly loves each other, supports each other, has empathy for each 
other, and gets to witness the miracle of adoption each and every day.
  With National Adoption Day just around the corner on November 23, 
2013, it is important that we recognize the compassionate families who 
fulfill the roles of foster and adoptive parents. Thus, it brings me 
great pride to honor South Dakotans Ryan and Rhonda Kelly as my 
nominees for the 2013 Angels in Adoption award, as they have bestowed a 
gift onto others in an immeasurable way and the impact their love has 
had is profound.

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