Ryan is smart, dedicated, thoughtful, and caring. Ryan is careful and measured in his words and actions. If he says it, rest assured it has been thought through fully and it is his truth. Ryan is very compassionate and caring. When Jennifer has had a bad day, he brings comfort, is quick to give a hug, and knows a snack and a funny show can turn the day around. Ryan is open in how he shows affection that makes everyone close to him feel seen, valued, loved, and lucky.

Jennifer is crafty and creative in problem solving. She likes doing projects (like a puzzle or redoing the front yard's landscaping) and she likes seeing them completed. She cares deeply for those close to her and humanity in general. She is also handy around the house. Jennifer renovated a bathroom and our laundry room. Another strength of Jennifer's is that she likes having fun; she doesn't take herself too seriously, will sing and dance in public, is not easily embarrassed, and has a self-deprecating sense of humor.

The strength the Ryan and Jennifer share is our determination. When we decide to do something, we will take it on fully and complete it with all available effort in the best way we know how. We both value education, knowledge, and curiosity. We are always ready to learn something new, experience a new place, or travel somewhere we've never been. Life is an adventure and we really enjoy leaning in to that.

Ryan and Jennifer met in college. We were both in the marching band and shared the same group of friends in our respective fraternity and sorority. After college, Ryan went on to law school and Jennifer went on to medical school. We met again at the wedding of one of our mutual college friends and went on our first date to get Thai food days later. We have been together ever since. We weathered a long-distance relationship while Jennifer was medical residency and when the opportunity presented itself to be in not only the same time-zone, but the same home, we took it!

We moved to Maryland where Ryan finished his PhD and where Jennifer is in private practice. Fast-forward 2 years later and in the fall of 2021 on a road trip through New England, we got engaged on Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park. We married in Fort Worth, TX with our friends and family around us in March of 2023. This year marks 12 years together and 3 years of marriage.

Jennifer has always known that adoption is how she hopes to build a family and as such, she and Ryan have had this pursuit in mind for as long as they have been together.

Jennifer was adopted at birth in a transracial adoption and she describes her family as wonderful and welcoming. Jennifer had a closed adoption and does not have knowledge or interactions with her birth family. Jennifer's younger brother was also adopted at birth; he has an open adoption and has spent time with his birth family. Ryan and Jennifer re-connected at the wedding of our closest mutual friend who is adopted from Korea. You could say, adoption built our family from the start!

Jennifer and Ryan know that the journey to adoption is significant and meaningful but they have also personally experienced that it does not have to be traumatic or an act of desperation. It is an act of love. We aim to parent with our whole hearts and feel a duty to give this child a full and beautiful life as a way to pay it forward.

Our families are not new to adoption. Jennifer and her brother are both adopted and one of Ryan's first cousins is adopted. With that, we know that are so many beautiful ways to make a family and our families are very important to us. Jennifer's mom lives in New Mexico and Ryan's family lives in Texas. We both have younger brothers and we are both close with our parents. Even though we may live far from one another, it is important to us that we regularly spend quality time with our families. Because we all live in different states, a way for us to prioritize our time together has been taking family vacations! We have taken combined family trips to the Pacific Northwest and Norway. When we're together with family, we find connection and conversation over shared meals.

They say friends are the family you choose so when we are with our friends, we also show our love over food. We host dinner parties, potlucks, book clubs, and they all must include good food to share. We have often held game nights in with our friends but also love to celebrate seeing the action in person at baseball games or watching our alma mater - TCU - in football.

We know our friends are excited to welcome this child to boisterous board games and our family will travel near and far to show them the wonders of this world!

We live in a water privileged community near the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. It is a quiet community of single family homes where kids ride bikes in the street, there are fireflies at dusk, and everyone waves when we're out walking our dog. The neighborhood is a mix of young families (our neighbors across the street just had a baby) and older couples (our neighbors next door have their grandkids over for BBQ). There is a Fourth of July parade where people decorate golf carts, cars, and wagons and there are fireworks set off from the beach. If we walk for 15 minutes, we'll reach the playground, basketball court, community center, beach, and plenty of green space.

Our home is just over 2000 square-feet with 4 bedrooms and 2.5 baths. Our property is on 0.28 acres with a huge backyard and over 10 different trees! Our favorite room is the living room where we put most of our holiday decorations and have a couch big enough for all of us - including the dog - to stretch out and relax!

We love animals. We had a 14 year old dog who recently passed and now we have a new furry family member named Harper. She is an Old English Sheepdog/Poodle puppy who is sweet, fluffy, and learning new things every day.

We don't know your name yet, but we already think about you often — and we're so grateful you're taking the time to read this.

We want to start by saying thank you. Whatever brought you to this moment, we know it wasn't simple, and we don't take lightly the weight of the decision in front of you. You deserve to be seen not just as someone making a plan for a baby, but as a whole person with your own hopes, your own story, and your own voice in whatever happens next.

We should tell you a little about why adoption has always felt like home to us. Jennifer was adopted as a baby, and so was her younger brother. Jennifer’s family completely invested in her such that she never once doubted how much she was wanted and loved. Her adoption story has been a blessing and is why she has always intended to adopt. So, when we started dreaming about building our own family, adoption has always been our plan.

Our home is warm and a little noisy in the best sense — we love to cook together, we're both quick to laugh, and we spend a lot of weekends outside, whether that's hiking, gardening, or wandering down to our community beach. We love to travel and explore the beauty and wonder of this world. We are lifelong learners and love music. Just as much as we enjoy sightseeing, we also find peace just sitting on the couch with our dog while watching a good movie. Ryan is steady and caring, the kind of person who remembers small details and plans big gestures. Jennifer is funny and outgoing, the one who shows love through making sure everyone feels taken care of. We complement each other’s strengths and help each other through our weaknesses. Our dog is a cuddly bundle of fluff who is always ready to play.

Because of Jennifer’s own adoption and other adoption stories in our close friends and family, we understand how much it matters to feel connected to where you come from, not cut off from it. We believe this child deserves to know they were loved by more than one family from day one. We are open to sharing regular emails with you throughout this child’s life with updates and photos. We want you to know that if you choose us, this child will grow up knowing their adoption story as something to be honored.

We can't promise you perfection, because no one can. But we can promise a home filled with patience, curiosity, laughter, and the kind of love that doesn't waver. We promise to celebrate every part of who this child becomes, including the parts that come from you.

Whatever you decide, we hope you know how much respect we hold for you already. This is your journey, and we feel honored just to be considered a part of it.

With gratitude and hope,

Ryan & Jennifer