When a woman catches a man's eye, he may do one of a few things. He may get her roses, chocolates, learn to do backflips... Josh chose to make the greatest study guide of all time. The story goes that they were both at Baylor College of Dentistry in their first years, he in dental school and she in dental hygiene school. He had never seen such a beautiful girl, but couldn't just give a regular introduction. Because she was the class president he thought she might be interested in a microbiology study guide that was just as beautiful as she was. So he went to work and put together a study guide that would knock the socks off Bill Nye the Science Guy. He went above and beyond, knowing that as class president she may be interested in sharing it with her class. As it would turn out, the study guide was just icing on the cake. She was already interested.

What Josh didn't know at the time was that Jess was no stranger to attention. She was one of the 38 out of over 100 selected for the prestigious Rangerettes at Kilgore College. The Rangerettes, developed in 1940, are the world's first and best-known collegiate drill team, on which all others today are based.

Despite her impressive background, Jess was charmed by Josh's creative approach. So when Josh presented the study guide and asked her on a traditional date for that Friday, she accepted. Josh likes to be prepared, so he had the Mapquest instructions for their first date printed up for a cute little pizza place. Josh is one of those guys that knows what he wants right away, and so he knew this night she was the one he very may well marry. This certainty guided his actions throughout their courtship. Over the next year and a half, he wrote four letters to her that he never gave her. Then, when the time was right, he set up a beautiful gazebo with flowers, rose petals, over 500 candles, and the four letters. That night he asked if she could dress up a little, telling her he wanted to take her to a fancy dinner followed by a get-together with friends. Instead of the get-together, he pulled up to the gazebo to propose. They were married a year later in 2014.

With their lives now joined, the young couple faced their first major decision together: where to go for Josh's pediatric dental residency. Josh is very passionate about hunting and fishing and was strongly considering a program in Anchorage, Alaska. However, the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin in Milwaukee, one of the top three programs in the world, is where he matched. Josh's excellent scores plus his personality got him in.

After completing his prestigious residency, the next chapter of their journey began. As a couple, they decided to relocate to The Woodlands to be closer to family. Josh’s goal had always been to own his own practice, but there were some hurdles along the way. His first practice business deal didn't work out, and promises weren't kept, which led him to commuting two hours to Beaumont for work while he opened his dream practice in Woodforest in 2022. 

Josh's journey to pediatric dentistry began long before he met Jess. The seeds of Mor Smiles 4 Kids were planted in an unlikely moment: when 15-year-old Josh sat in his pediatric dentist's chair. "When my dentist asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I told him I wanted to 'be him,'" Josh recalls with a smile. That conversation led to a summer job cleaning the dental office and sterilizing instruments, sparking a passion that would shape his future career.

While their professional lives were taking shape, Josh and Jess were also building their family. In their first few years of marriage, Josh and Jess worked with a fertility specialist and their first son David was born in December of 2019, then Stephen 20 months after that. Within six weeks of Stephen being born, tragedy struck. David had contracted an intestinal infection, went to the hospital, and within a day he was gone.

During this unimaginable loss, the foundation of faith that had always been central to their lives became their anchor. Both Josh and Jess grew up in devout Christian households, and shared Christ as the center of their marriage and how they would raise a family. They have been members of WoodsEdge Church since 2017, and have held every day that the hope of the gospel certainly pulled them through their darkest moments. They tell the story of how the true story of Christ's death and resurrection eased the pain of trauma.

Their perspective on loss reflects their deep faith. "Faith means accepting that God understands what we cannot," Josh shares. "We've all experienced disappointments that later made sense in context. In a tragedy like ours, it's virtually impossible to see any purpose. But we hold firmly to the belief that Jesus has defeated death once and for all. This gives us comfort knowing David is in a better place. And if our experience brings hope to just one person, David's life and legacy become immeasurable." In the midst of this journey through grief, joy has found its way back into their lives. This month, the Moraleses rejoice as they welcome their first daughter, Sophia Kate, to the world.

The community that surrounded them in their grief has been an essential part of their healing process. Josh and Jess are eternally grateful for the immense love and support that they received from family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues following the unexpected loss of their 21-month-old son. One of the most impactful gifts was a Hope Family Care Ministries weekend grief retreat. Hope Family Care is a non-profit organization primarily focused on providing support and resources to families who have experienced the loss of a child, offering grief support groups, retreats, coaching, and curriculum to help them navigate their grief journey. Since 2021, this amazing organization has expanded to offer grief support for individuals and families who have experienced child loss, sibling loss, parent loss, and spousal loss in English and Spanish.

This experience of community support has inspired the Morales family to remain deeply involved in their neighborhood. Around the neighborhood, beyond helping so many kids with their dental work, the Moraleses stay very involved. Woodforest Moms of Littles is a neighborhood social group that was created years before they moved to the neighborhood. The previous admin was ready to pass the torch and Jess volunteered to take it over. This group is generally for moms of kids under the age of 10 (unofficially). Some of the things they do together are travel to support local businesses in the area, utilize the Woodforest parks together, and meet at the Palm for Little Bops, a music and movement class once a month. Every event is casual, "come when you can," and great for the kids to socialize. Her goal with the club is to create a space not only for the kids to get together but the mothers as well. Parenting can be a very isolating experience, and this is one of the most important times to have your village around you.

After all they've experienced—romance, academic and career achievements, family building, devastating loss, and healing—the Morales family has found their home in Woodforest. The Moraleses love living here and can't imagine a better community in which to raise their children. Jess shares, "the amenities here are great, but the people are what make it a truly special place to live." So that's the Moraleses. Next time you see them, be sure to say hello.