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Ryan & Stephanie

With so many different paths to parenthood, we are thrilled to begin our journey through the choice of adoption. We have so much love for one another, and we can't wait to open our hearts and home to a child. We are so grateful that you are taking the time to read through our profile to get to know us. We pray that you find comfort and peace as you make this decision.

About Us

Ryan
Stephanie
Job
Piano Teacher
Business Office Lead
Education
Master's Degree in Elementary Education
Bachelor's Degree in Journalism
Children
None
Relationship
Legally Married
State
California

Our Leisure Time

Ryan is an Accomplished Pianist

We are a musical family. Ryan serenades the house with classical and jazz piano daily. He is a lifelong student of music and loves sharing his knowledge with others! Stephanie plays ukulele, is learning piano, and often can be found singing catchy tunes. Ryan composes new songs frequently, sometimes even with the help of his students.

We are both lovers of card and board games. A friendly competitive game of cribbage is a favorite pastime of ours. Ryan has created several unique and really fun board games that we love sharing with friends and family. Pictionary is a staple of any family gathering!

Time to Check the Tomatoes!

On the weekends we enjoy visiting our favorite hiking spots to soak in some natural beauty. Recently this has included creek hiking as a new way to explore the local rivers and creeks. Stephanie loves curling up in a cozy hammock with a can't-put-down book.

A few other hobbies of Stephanie's include gardening, painting, yoga and baking the world's most delicious raspberry bars! Ryan has recently become an avid inline skater, and he loves strategy and tactics in video games.

We are so excited to share all of our favorite activities with a child as well as helping them find their own hobbies and passions!

Qualities We Love, Admire and Respect in Each Other

Better Together

Ryan About Stephanie: Stephanie is my lifelong best friend; I feel so blessed to spend every day with her! She is easily excitable and lights up with joy over life's small pleasures. Her wit and natural ability to make others laugh never ceases to amaze me.

My wife's heart is so pure; it is gentle, calm and endlessly loving. I admire her dedication to making me feel loved and happy. She displays thoughtfulness when she leaves me love notes and chocolates. Long hugs power our love for each other.

I respect Stephanie for her unwavering support in me. She graciously allows me time to pursue my own interests. I fall in love with Stephanie daily knowing she loves me unconditionally.

Stephanie About Ryan: The first song Ryan ever played for me was "Pure Imagination" from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. It couldn't have set a better tone for our relationship.

Ryan is so curious about the world and loves to know how things work. He loves to create – from composing music to designing board games – his imagination never quits. This is what makes him such an incredible teacher! He is patient with his students and finds creative ways to connect and help them learn. Ryan lights the creative spark within me, too.

Ryan is so kindhearted and always anticipates my needs. He is the best storyteller, often bringing me to tears with laughter. Ryan is going to be an amazing father!

Our Favorite Vacation Spot

Weekend Getaway to Yosemite

We love spending time in the Sierra Nevada mountains. In the summer and winter we visit Ryan's grandma, who lives in the foothills near a 160-acre apple orchard. Our favorite tradition is playing mini-golf at a quaint little course in the town of Twain Harte. We also enjoy visiting Pinecrest Lake, which is perfect for camping, fishing, hiking, swimming and watching movies at the outdoor amphitheater under the stars.

Lake Tahoe is another must-visit for us. The smell of the pine trees alone is enough to keep us coming back year after year. Ryan used to spend his summers here with his grandparents when he was young. It was his grandma's most-treasured place on Earth. There are endless hiking and biking trails to keep us entertained for days.

But our absolute favorite destination is Yosemite. It is also the spot where Ryan proposed to Stephanie – along a bend in the river, in the shadow of the Ahwahnee Hotel. The towering granite cliffs and cascading waterfalls captivate our imaginations. The best hiking trail is the Mist Trail – a challenging walk up smooth rock steps with mist floating up from the waterfall ahead. Feeling cocooned in the valley floor by surrounding boulders is like Mother Nature putting you to sleep each night.

Photos

Best Friends
Best Friends
A Perfect Morning Ride on the Beach
A Perfect Morning Ride on the Beach
Touring Gruyere, Switzerland
Touring Gruyere, Switzerland
Playing Ukulele in the Park
Playing Ukulele in the Park
Mist Trail, Yosemite
Mist Trail, Yosemite
Sweet Kisses
Sweet Kisses
Enjoying the Waves
Enjoying the Waves
Hiking Cinque Terre in Italy
Hiking Cinque Terre in Italy
Exploring New Trails
Exploring New Trails
Surrounded by Beauty in Switzerland
Surrounded by Beauty in Switzerland
Yum! Raspberry Bars!
Yum! Raspberry Bars!
Lucky in Love
Lucky in Love
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Best Friends
Best Friends
2 / 12
A Perfect Morning Ride on the Beach
A Perfect Morning Ride on the Beach
3 / 12
Touring Gruyere, Switzerland
Touring Gruyere, Switzerland
4 / 12
Playing Ukulele in the Park
Playing Ukulele in the Park
5 / 12
Mist Trail, Yosemite
Mist Trail, Yosemite
6 / 12
Sweet Kisses
Sweet Kisses
7 / 12
Enjoying the Waves
Enjoying the Waves
8 / 12
Hiking Cinque Terre in Italy
Hiking Cinque Terre in Italy
9 / 12
Exploring New Trails
Exploring New Trails
10 / 12
Surrounded by Beauty in Switzerland
Surrounded by Beauty in Switzerland
11 / 12
Yum! Raspberry Bars!
Yum! Raspberry Bars!
12 / 12
Lucky in Love
Lucky in Love

Our House and Neighborhood

Home Sweet Home

We feel so blessed to live where we do! Our 4-bedroom, 2.5-bath home is located on a golf course along the California Central Coast, and was originally owned by Ryan's grandparents. Three generations of family have made memories in our home, and we are so excited to welcome the fourth! Ryan is an accomplished pianist, so our home is always filled with the sound of music. We love spending time in our family room where we play board games, work on puzzles and have cozy movie nights. Our yard is protected from the street, and is the perfect place for playing basketball, ping-pong, corn hole, and taking in stunning sunsets while eating s'mores. Our safe, quiet neighborhood is walking distance from the beach, several playgrounds, and an elementary school.

We Look Forward to Many Family Game Nights

Our coastal area is a wonderland for families. It sits on the edge of a beautiful redwood state park – ideal for hiking, picnics, and dips in the creek. We are a short drive from a world-famous aquarium where kids can watch sea otters play, observe sharks swimming through a kelp forest, and interact with sea creatures at the touch pools. Also nearby is an oceanfront amusement park complete with a mini golf course and bowling alley. Throughout the summer the park hosts family-friendly movies and concerts on the beach. During the holiday season, there is an ice-skating rink, a lighted boat parade, and even a holiday train where families can sip spiced cider, sing carols, and meet Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Our Extended Families

Picnic With Stephanie's Mom

Stephanie's mom lives 40 minutes away and loves visiting on weekends. We typically go on hikes or work on quilting projects. Recently retired, she keeps busy working in her garden and can't wait to get in lots of quality grandchild time! Stephanie's dad and step-mom also live a short drive from us. We like getting together with them for dinner. Dad is enjoying retired life and looks forward to having a little one around. Stephanie's brother, wife, and three nephews live a few hours away, just outside a beautiful national park. Stephanie's sister lives nearby and is expecting her first child; we're excited for future playdates!

Rome With Ryan's Family

Ryan's family moved to Texas ten years ago. We visit them twice per year, during summer and Christmas. They also come out for a couple weeks each summer. Ryan is very close with his younger sister. They are both incredibly creative and they love making videos, writing or performing songs, or even working on stories. Time with Ryan's family includes fun activities like traveling, visiting the aquarium, taking bike rides, and playing board games. His family is full of laughter, as there are several family comedians in the bunch. His family is unique in that they love to plan and are very organized. This allows for consistent expectations and a maximum amount of fun!

Both of our families are completely supportive of our adoption plan. They can't wait for us to become parents and to share in our joy.

From Us to You

Hello,

Thank you so much for taking the time to read our story. While we are over the moon to be on this amazing journey, we realize this may be a very difficult time for you. We hope that throughout this process you realize how special, strong, and truly courageous you are. We hope you find peace with whatever decision you ultimately make.

If we had to choose one word to describe our lives, it would be: CREATE.

Cultivate: We both work in education and love helping others learn. Some of our hobbies include composing and playing music; reading and writing stories; hiking and hammocking; playing and creating board games; and spending time with family, friends and loved ones. We are so excited to share these experiences with our child, but above all, we want to encourage our child to pursue their own unique interests.

Risk: We met by taking a risk - on eHarmony in 2017. We both felt timid about online dating, but we embraced vulnerability, opened our hearts to the unknown, and became lifelong best friends. We've been very happily married since 2019. Our relationship is special in that we find joy and laughter in all that we do. In this next chapter of our lives, we once again find ourselves opening our hearts to the unknown - and we couldn't be more thrilled.

Elevate: In the same way that we support and lift each other up in our marriage, we will do the same for our child. We will guide them in their growth and development to help them become the best they can be. And when they fail, we will be there to encourage them to get up and try again. Our biggest dream for our child is that they dream; that they discover what makes them happy. We will help them pursue and achieve their dreams, whatever they may be.

Adagio: In music, adagio is a tempo indicating that the piece is to be played slowly. As a family, we will appreciate the simple moments in life, such as enjoying nightly family dinners, and spending quality time together. We will count our blessings, give thanks for what we have, and give back to others.

Tell Stories: Creating memories and sharing stories is something that is really important to us. We can't wait to share stories with our child about when we met, the places we traveled, and of their adoption. We hope that through our experiences as a family - such as imaginative play, reading together, traveling to a new place, or discovering a magical spot in nature - our child will come up with their own fun stories to tell.

Entity: We love to create together, play together and laugh together. We are committed to each other, and to putting our marriage first. Once we become a family of three, we look forward to establishing our unique family identity. When we got married, we vowed to allow each other the freedom to be oneself; when we have a child, we vow to do the same, and to love them for who they are.

When we started dating, we realized early on - due to our age and biological factors - that adoption would likely be our only path to family building. After three years of trying and failing to conceive, and simultaneously exhausting any alternative options, we are at peace with the fact that a biological child is not in the cards for us.

We plan on being very open with our child about their adoption story. We want our child to know that because of their birth mother's love for them, we were given the greatest gift of all. We promise to always speak about you in a supportive and positive light. If you are open to sharing, we would love to get to know you and learn about some of your family traditions. We are committed to phone calls, emails, text messaging, and picture and letter updates, and are open to discussing visits in the future as well.

We are SO excited to be first-time parents!

Ryan & Stephanie

Favorites

Ryan
Stephanie
Actor
Robin Williams
Leonardo DiCaprio
Actress
Natalie Portman
Sandra Bullock
Animal
Fox
Puppies
Author
Raymond E. Feist, George R. R. Martin
J. K. Rowling
Book
The Hunger Games Series
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Candy Bar
Peanut butter cups
Ghirardelli Milk Chocolate Caramel Bar
Cartoon
Pokemon
Animaniacs
Childhood Memory
Visiting my grandparents' house in the mountains in summer and at Christmas
Going to the county fair with my mom and friends
Childhood Toy
Legos!
My Little Pony
Children's Book
Winnie the Pooh
Green Eggs and Ham
City
Santa Cruz
Lake Tahoe
Classic Movie
Cool Runnings, 3 Ninjas
The Breakfast Club
Color
Blue
Blue
Day of Week
Saturday
Saturday
Dessert
Chocolate chip cookies
Olallieberry pie
Disney Movie
Toy Story
Tangled
Dream Car
Millenium Falcon
Chrysler 300
Dream Job
Film score composer, video game designer
Professional singer
Dream Vacation
Swiss Alps
Scottish Highlands
Family Activity
Board games
Board games
Flower / Plant
Redwood trees
Jasmine
Food
Lemon Chicken Piccata
Pad Thai
Form of Exercise
Inline skating
Hiking
Fruit
Strawberries
Cherries
Game
Across the Land (my own creation, a train game)
Pictionary
Hobby
Piano and everything music related
Reading
Holiday
Christmas
Christmas
Holiday Song
Sleigh Ride
Winter Wonderland
Holiday Tradition
Watching Elf on Christmas Eve
Baking Christmas cookies
Ice Cream
Chocolate chip cookie dough
Mint chocolate chip
Junk Food
Chick-fil-A
In-N-Out
Leisure Activity
Reading
Hammocking
Magazine
National Geographic
Better Homes and Gardens
Memory with a Child
Teaching one of my piano students to play a song I composed
Holding my baby nephew for the first time
Memory with Spouse
Proposing to Stephanie in Yosemite
Our first date
Movie
Hook
The Holiday
Movie Munchie
Ritz crackers with 5 chocolate chip morsels per cracker (the perfect combination)
Lightly buttered popcorn
Movie Quote
"It's bobsled time!"
"It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live." - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Movie Type
Sci-fi / Fantasy
Romantic comedies / Fantasy
Musical
La La Land
Hamilton
Musical Group
Snarky Puppy
Michael Buble
Nursery Rhyme
Lullaby and Goodnight
Hush, Little Baby
Olympic Event
Gymnastics floor routine
Snowboard slopestyle
Personal Hero
My sister
My mom
Play
Our Town
Six Degrees of Separation
Poet
Theodor Geisel (Dr. Seuss)
Atticus
Quality about my Spouse
Her bubbly personality
He makes time together a priority
Quote
"Marry your best friend"
"Courage doesn't always roar. Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying 'I will try again tomorrow.' " - Mary Anne Radmacher
Restaurant
Shadowbrook
Shadowbrook
Sandwich
Chicken sandwich!
Turkey panini with avocado
Scripture
1 Corinthians 13:4-8
Isaiah 41:13
Shopping Store
Trader Joe's
Target
Song
Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin
River Flows in You by Yiruma
Sport to Play
Basegolf (a combination of baseball and golf, my own invention)
Table tennis
Sport to Watch
Basketball and hockey
Hockey
Sports Star
Steph Curry
Simone Biles
Sports Team
Golden State Warriors and San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
Subject in School
Music
Psychology
Superhero
Mr. Incredible
Black Widow
Thing to Cook
Veggie fried rice
Raspberry bars
Time of Day
Cuddle time
Cuddle time
Tradition
Visiting my family in Texas twice each year
Going to my hometown's Fourth of July parade
TV Show
Friends and Seinfeld
Gilmore Girls
TV Show Character
Chandler Bing
Tyrion Lannister
Type of Music
Jazz, classical, progressive rock, classic rock, Disney
Rock, pop, country, Christian
Vacation Spot
Yosemite
Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland
Video Game
Roller Coaster Tycoon, Everquest, Apex Legends
Pokemon Go

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