After years of waiting and hoping, in December of 2023, we received the call that we had finally matched with a birth family. With the help of a great team of social workers, hospital staff, and supportive friends, we welcomed our son, Alex, home just in time for Christmas. His adoption was a bit of a whirlwind, but we wouldn't have it any other way. We stay in regular contact with his birth family, sharing photos and messages. Despite everyone's busy schedules, we try to get together a couple times a year for visits.

Alex is our little bundle of energy and giggles. He's an active toddler who loves playing with his cousin and his friends at church. We're lucky to live in a neighborhood with many young families, so there's always plenty of other kids around for him to run and explore with. Alex loves sharing books and snuggling, and will be the best big brother to any future sibling.

Ryan is an engineer by trade, but his passion is in the arts. He enjoys sketching characters, inking landscapes, and painting models. He's also a skilled woodworker and has built several pieces of furniture for our home. Ryan loves music. We try to attend several live concerts and musicals every year. Phantom of the Opera and The Lion King are two of our favorites. Ryan plays guitar and is part of our church choir. He loves singing to Alex and having dance parties.

Morgan also loves to spend her time creating. She likes to draw, crochet, sew, and has designed costumes for church events, Halloween, and conventions. Morgan brings that creativity to the kitchen as well, baking unique treats like macaroons and croissants as well as decorating cakes. Some of her favorites were a superhero birthday cake and a Monsters Inc cake. She loves decorating cookies with Alex and can't wait to make more memories baking Sunday morning cinnamon rolls with kiddos. But Morgan's true passion is in storytelling. She writes science fiction and fantasy tales and also posts reviews for books. Her favorite thing is snuggling up for bedtime stories.

Both of us also love being involved in our local church and community. We have helped run several events as part of the Community Life team, including ice cream socials, concerts, and children's game days.

We love exploring: New York, Seattle, Louisville, London, Scotland, and can't forget Disney World. One of our favorite vacation spots is Mackinac Island, which we try to visit every year. Cars aren't allowed on the island, so the only way to get around is by horse or bicycle. We love all the great coffee shops and art galleries, and the views of the lake shore are gorgeous. There are playgrounds, beaches, and parks perfect for family picnics.

If we're looking to stay a little closer to home, we enjoy day trips and weekend getaways to Madison or Chicago. Madison has great walking trails and fun books shops to wander through. The capitol building and children's museum are awesome places to visit with kids. Plus the farmers' market on the square has the best cheese curds and pastries. We also visit Chicago several times a year. There are so many great comic and entertainment conventions that are a blast for kids—especially if they like superheroes. But our favorite time to visit is during the Christmas season. The Lincoln Park Zoo lights and Christkindlmarket are must-sees!

We live in a medium-sized suburb with great schools, within walking distance of four parks, the public library, and several great coffee shops and restaurants. The German bier stube and the custard shop are our favorites. During warmer months, we visit the farmers market every weekend and love listening to live music in the park. We also spend a lot of time running and biking on local trails. Our house is across from a wildlife space that's home to cranes, ducks, and turkeys and is a favorite fishing spot for neighborhood kids and families. We've even had to chase away a stubborn deer who tried to eat our apple trees!

Our home is a space to create, learn, and grow. We both love art, so we built a crafting studio and a workshop space/play room in our basement. We have a personal library filled with books for all ages and a warm fireplace. There is also a cozy reading nook upstairs, perfect for bedtime stories and lazy winter days. Our house has three bedrooms, two and a half baths, and a phenomenal kitchen that's perfect for baking cookies as a family. Ryan added a screen porch to the front of our house, and it's a great place to relax and draw or write. We also have a large yard with a garden, patio, and plenty of open space for pets and kiddos to play.

Morgan's family lives an hour away, but we get together several times a month for family dinners, bonfires, and the yearly fireman's picnic. Morgan has one brother who works as a civil engineer and his wife is an accountant. Their daughter and our son have a blast running around together. Morgan's parents enjoy traveling and we've vacationed with them in Mackinac Island and Florida. Morgan's mom is retired and loves hanging out with grandkids, baking and working on craft projects. Morgan's dad also recently retired, but he owns farmland where he enjoys spending time with the animals and working on construction projects.

Ryan has one sister who also lives about an hour away and works for a medical journal. She's traveled all over the world, including living in Japan and Korea. We talk on the phone regularly and love discussing costume design, books, and life's complexities. We've also gone to several comic and entertainment conventions together. Ryan's dad recently passed away, but he loved planes and visited Wisconsin in the summer to see air shows with Ryan. We hope to continue that same tradition with our children. Ryan's mom is retired. She and her husband enjoy craft shows and seeing live musical performances. Ryan's mom loves to sing and used to play viola in a local orchestra. Although she lives in Michigan, Ryan's mom is eager to visit regularly and make memories with grandchildren.

We're so excited to see what the future holds for us as a family. Thank you for taking the time to consider us and learn more about our hopes and dreams for what lies ahead.

We met online (an interesting experience to say the least) and quickly realized we'd found something special in each other. Both of us were taking jujitsu classes at the time and shared a love for comics and travel. Even in the large internet dating pool, it wasn't often you find people with so many of the same quirky interests. We both shared a love of books, rock music, musicals, Halloween, and Disney movies. For our first date, we went for a walking tour then out for ice cream. More than a decade later, we still enjoy taking long walks to the local ice cream shop together. We were married in 2015 and hope for many happy years (and more ice cream) to come.

Ryan is a civil engineer by trade and works as a project manager for the state, organizing timelines and guiding teams as they develop road construction plans for highways and freeway systems. His job offers flexibility and opportunities to work from home so Ryan can dedicate more time to family. When not working, Ryan loves to cook (one of the many things Morgan loves about him), typically has at least three art projects he's working on, and always makes sure our home is filled with music.

Morgan earned her doctorate degree in pharmacy and currently works as a supervisor for a long-term care pharmacy. Her position allows her to be off most weekends and holidays and home in time for dinner. Plus, Morgan's medical background ensures she's well prepared for dealing with scraped knees and other boo boos. Morgan enjoys reading, writing, and crafting. She'll always make sure our kids have the greatest bedtime stories and best homemade Halloween costumes in the neighborhood.

We have always wanted to be parents. After several years of trying to have a biological child, we came to terms with the reality that it wasn't in the cards for us. In 2017, we adopted a furry child, Ink. Ink is a black lab mix with a heart of gold and love for people food. Even though Ink filled our home with joy (and fur), we still wanted to see our family grow even more. We knew that adoption was the best choice for us.

In 2023, we matched with a birth family and welcomed our son, Alex, home. Alex is always on the move and loves books, coloring, and playing with Ink. He enjoys exploring with the other kids in our neighborhood and is very excited to be a big brother. We can't wait to welcome another child into our family and share our sense of adventure, love for learning, and joy of life with them.

Our home is such a creative, exciting, and nurturing space. We look forward to welcoming another child into our family to not only be part of, but also to be a unique source of joy and inspiration as they find their own voice and passions. We hope to have the opportunity to show you a piece of our lives as well if you choose our home for your child. We'd love to send yearly letters and photos, so you can see your child growing up happy, active, and healthy. If you are interested, we're open to a future visit and exchanging emails, text messages, or other social media contacts.

You have so many big decisions ahead of you, but just know that you're in our hearts and our prayers. Thank you for taking the time to learn more about our quirky home and considering us to be a part of your child's life.

Sincerely,

Ryan & Morgan