Each month, iParenting.com spotlights a father who inspires and moves us, who embodies the qualities that we all admire in a person, a man and a father. Above all, the Dad of the Month is dedicated to his children. Rich or poor, famous or not, he shines as an example of what fathering is all about.

Our choice for January is Don Allen Ledzius, father of two boys and five stepdaughters.

When Don Allen Ledzius, a divorced father of two boys, said "I do" again, he not only gained a wife, but five stepdaughters. His bride, Bonita, had two biological daughters – Melanie, 27, and Jklyn, 3 – and three adopted daughters – Laura, 17, Barbara, 15, and Rochelle, 14.

"Don is a great stepdad," says Bonita. "He is fair, yet the strict disciplinarian that they need. He is loving towards them, and it is often hard to tell that he isn't their biological or adopted father. He treats them as if they were his own."

Internet Beginnings
The couple met in a very modern way: in an Internet chat group. "I just returned from spending three years in Japan, and she wondered if I was in the military," says Ledzius. "She was interested in this because her father was in the military while she was growing up. We had a lot in common and continued to chat the night away getting to know each other."

The couple chatted almost every night for two weeks before meeting face to face for dinner. "She lived 150 miles from me, but for a wonderful woman like her I would have traveled a thousand miles to meet her," says Ledzius.

The fact that Bonita had five daughters never really bothered him. "I know that it would be a big adjustment for both her children and myself," he says. "I realized that her children were part of her and I was willing to take on that responsibility." The couple has now been married for nine months.

From Boys to Girls
Having lived and grown up in predominately male households, Ledzius says he has enjoyed learning what is important to girls. "They are different," he says. "The bathroom being one of the craziest places in the house in the morning." But he says the best thing is "the love that the girls are able to show towards me and being able to show my love for them."

Bonita echoes these sentiments. "He spends every free moment with us and takes every chance to show his love, whether it is a pat on the back or a kiss on the forehead or just saying, 'I love you' to the girls and I," she says.

Making a Family
With five girls came five different personalities for Ledzius to bond with. Melanie, 27, is married and has a 7-year-old son. "She is from my first marriage and didn't know her father until she was 21," says Bonita. "She is funny and smart and loves to be the big sister to all her brothers and sisters from both sides of the family. She loves having a stepdad who carries the burdens she feels for her family."

Melanie says Ledzius has been a blessing for her family. "Not only did he come into my mother's life and make her happy, but has been what a true father should be to my sisters," she says. "He shows love unselfishly. He is a good man who has made all our lives better. With his help he has helped my sisters and I begin to accomplish some of our goals."

Laura, 16, was adopted when she was 2 weeks old. "She has struggled with her temper over the years and gone through some difficult things because of her self-esteem and feelings towards her adoptive father," says Bonita. "She's made wrong choices and is trying hard, with Don's guidance, to get her life back on track. She knows his limits on her behavior and always comes back to him for advice and help when she has done wrong. She recently started NJROTC class in high school, and this has given her and Don more in common." Laura is a poet and has dreams of becoming a forensic pathologist.

Barbara (Bobbie), 15, and Rochelle (Shelly), 14, both currently live with their adoptive father in Missouri, though Bobbie may soon move back to California to live with the family. Both girls were adopted when they were very young – Bobbie at 3 months and Shelly at 2 days old. Bobbie wants to go to beauty college and get a degree in vocal music, and Shelly, who is an athlete and cheerleader, would like to teach one day and play professional basketball.

Jklyn, now 4, is the entertainer and clown of the family. "She was just beginning to question where her daddy was when Don came into our lives," says Bonita. "He has been the only daddy that she has ever known. She loves to play football with him and listen to him read to her. She also likes to tease him and bounce on him. There is no doubt of the love they have for each other."

Zachary, 19, and Lucas, 22, Ledzius' children from his first marriage, have adjusted to having five stepsisters surprisingly well. "They have no problem with it," says Ledzius. Zachary has recently started college, and Lucas is working in a home for the handicapped.

Though there were some obstacles to overcome, Ledzius believed that if he treated his new family with respect and love, they could build a loving and caring relationship. "I was not trying to replace their dads, but I did have rules and expectations that I expected them to follow," he says. "The hardest part was setting limits for her girls and making sure Bonita and myself were in agreement on all decisions that regarded them. They might not have liked some of the things that were decided upon, but we stood together as a team and I feel that they are starting to respect those limits."

In the Navy
The Navy has offered Ledzius many opportunities. He attended school in Millington, Tenn., spent four years in Hawaii, three years in Miramar, Calif., and then went to Lemoore, Calif., where he was deployed on two different aircraft carriers: the USS Lincoln and USS Constellation. He also spent three years aboard the carrier USS Kitty Hawk in Yokosuka, Japan. "Now I am back in Lemoore as an instructor for my final tour of duty," he says.

All the travel and long separations resulted in his first marriage ending in divorce. "I believe that the military has many things to offer but it is difficult for maintaining lasting and loving relationships," he says. "The hardest part of being in the military was not being able to be a bigger part of my sons' lives while they were growing up. They said they understood, but I still feel that we missed so much that can never be recaptured. I cannot change what has happened in the past, but I plan on being there for Bonita and all my stepdaughters whenever they need me, physically, emotionally and spiritually."

Right now the family calls Lemoore, Calif., home, but soon Ledzius will be transferring to the fleet reserve. "I have traveled all over the world in my last 21 years in the military, and I am looking forward to finally staying in one place," he says. Though he says it depends on many factors on where that place will be, he would like to live in a small, family-oriented city. "We do not want to live in a big city, but close enough to see and enjoy the arts and museums that cities offer," he says.

No matter where they live, Ledzius has big dreams for his stepdaughters: "To become the best at whatever they choose to do with their lives," he says. "To become strong, self-assured women. To someday find a man that will respect, love and support them in all their dreams."

One Word
What one word would describe Ledzius best? "Loving," says Bonita. "I can't express enough how much time Don takes to show his love. We never walk without his taking my hand or putting his arm around me. He has given me the most loving presents and cards to show that he cares for me not only physically, but mentally, emotionally and spiritually. He has seen me through some of the toughest physical problems, even holding me when the stress from them drove me to tears."

And his love does not stop there. "He does the same for the girls, by listening and letting them cry on his shoulders," says Bonita. "No one can ever know the feeling of a mother who sees the man she loves dance with her daughters, making them feel special and loved. Don is the ultimate man: tough, strong and yet loving and caring."

Want to see more?

• iParenting Adoption
• Suc cessful Stepparenting: 10 Steps
• Dads and Daughters: Making the Most of This Special Relationship
• Read about past Dads of the Month here!
• Talk about it!