Amy & Ryan

OTHER CHILDREN

Ryan was fortunate enough to have two amazing kiddos from his previous marriage. Hannah and Luke are spirited and compassionate kids who are really excited about the idea of expanding our family. Hannah will be a junior in high school and enjoys volleyball, music, film production and most recently, looking at colleges – eek! She has the most infectious laugh and a heart of gold. Luke is entering 6th grade and loves playing sports specifically, baseball, basketball, and golf. He is the sweetest most tenderhearted boy and has the same humorous quick wit of his dad. They spend half of their time at our house and the other half at their mom’s, with whom we have a great relationship. With all the happiness we have found in parenting Hannah and Luke, it is our greatest hope to adopt a child of our own and expand our family.

OUR HOME

We live in North Central Austin on a family friendly street. We moved to the neighborhood in 2019 and completely remodeled the house in 2020. We like to walk the dogs a few nights a week which has been a great way to spend time with our neighbors. There are a lot of kids in the area and our street is constantly gathering to celebrate holidays and events. We spend a lot of time together cooking, listening to music, and just relaxing in the living room.

Our Extended Family

Ryan comes from a large immediate and extended family, most of whom live in Austin and San Antonio. Every year, his family gets together for a family reunion at the beach where there are nearly 50 adults and kids. Ryan is the oldest of 4 children and has 13 cousins with whom he is very close.

Amy’s family is spread out coast-to-coast from Washington state to the beaches of Georgia with relatives sprinkled throughout Houston, Denver, St. Louis, and Florida. Both of her parents are re-married, and she has a sibling from each side. Her sister has a toddler boy with another baby boy on the way and her brother was recently engaged (fingers crossed for more nieces or nephews soon!).

HOW WE MET

Like so many others today, we met online (2014)! There was a lot of awkward back and forth over text, when at some point we agreed to meet each other in-person, we spent our first date at a pizza place with some live music. We (mostly Ryan, ha!) talked well into the night and left each other excited and a little unsure about what would happen next. Funnily enough, Amy beat Ryan to the punch and asked him on a second date. Ryan’s work/travel schedule prevented him from accepting and he was worried that he had goofed things up, so he was quick to ask her on another date, to which she said yes… We spent time in San Antonio attending Fiesta events, riding bikes, and exploring downtown. The most thrilling and happy times of those early days was our trip to far West Texas. We drove 7 hours (which could have been a disaster!) into the desert, spending time hiking, appreciating art, and just enjoying each other’s company. From there, we have not left each other’s side since. In fact, we were married in the same place in May 2017.

What Adoption Means to Us

Ever since we met, we have wanted to grow our family and have a baby together and adoption allows us to do that. We will never stop learning and adapting to this new life and we will constantly push ourselves beyond our comfort zones to go above and beyond for your child. We will teach the same beliefs and values that we live by: empathy and kindness, honesty, generosity, respect, perseverance, and self-compassion (the most important one of all). We can assure you that the gift you give will never be taken for granted.