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Alexa and Ryan

Hello,

We are Alexa and Ryan from Northern California, but we now permanently reside in beautifully lush and green Oregon. We have spent the last 12 years building our happy, loving and committed life together, adding four furry babies along the way.

Our desire has long been to share our life with a child. We want you to know that if you select us as the family for your child we will spend the rest of our lives dedicated to and loving him or her unconditionally, always honoring the courageous and generous choice you made.

We are so ready and excited about the prospect of one day soon changing dirty diapers, singing lullabies (although they may be out of key), and reading bedtime stories.

We hope in the following pages you get a better idea of who we are, our love for each other, the parents we intend to be, and our incredible support system of family and friends that are as excited as we are to welcome a baby into our lives. We promise this is an open and honest glimpse into our life, and we hope something about us touches your heart as you consider the miracle of adoption.

Alexa and Ryan

Our Story...(wriiten by Alexa)
It goes way, way back to before we even knew we would be a couple. We were not childhood sweethearts, but we did grow up across the street from each other. We spent many occasions hanging out but with a seven year age difference the thought or interest of dating never occured to either of us until years later...Ryan moved back home from college, and I was a high school senior...we met again, and it was fate!

In 1998, thanks to the handy work of both our parents, Ryan showed up to my family’s annual Christmas party. When Alexa answered the door, our eyes met and it was instant chemistry. We spent the whole night talking and finding excuses to keep giving each other hugs. I knew from that night that this was the guy I would marry. At first, knowing we were at different times in our lives (I was about ready to go off to college), we tried to fight fate by spending everyday together skiing, hiking, going to dinners and to the movies as just friends. We thought just being friends was practical and that it would be easier than admitting the truth...that was short lived and a few months later we officially started dating. Ryan, being the consumate“gentleman”, admits that I was the one to make the first move and kiss him.

We were head over heels in love with each other, and 12 years later we are even more in love than before! The fateful Christmas party has led to many years filled with a few long distance stints, college graduations, a gorgeous garden wedding filled with 200 of our closest family and friends, many travel adventures here and abroad, buying our house, adopting our four furry babies (“the girls”), and becoming god parents.

We are more than ready and beside ourselves with exictement to add the long awaited chapter of parenthood to our story!

Meet Ryan (written by Alexa)
Ryan is the absolute love of my life and one of a kind! I often refer to him as my “rock” not just because he is a solid, strong person but because he has great character. He is sensitive, a good communicator and comfortable showing his emotions.

Ryan is an obvious magnet for friends and family. He is so engaging, adventurous, always up for fun, and wants to take the time to listen to and catch up with people, old and new. To him, family and friends come first and he would do anything for someone in need. I know this is what has made him a successful person in all aspects of his life and that he is going to be the best dad! He has so many passions and interests he wants to pass on to our next generation like cooking great egg breakfasts, mountain biking, hitting the slopes, and using your imagination to create games with friends like “bike polo”. He is already the fun-loving uncle willing to play with, entertain, and educate my nieces and our friends’ kids.

We come from a similar background having grown up in the same city, on the same street, both being raised and taught values by parents who are still in love and committed to each other. I feel so fortunate have a partner in life who shares the same need to be a quality and responsible individual and who is driven in all aspects in his life whether it be work, running his own successful insurance business, or fun because playtime is a must. He has been my biggest cheerleader, and I hope that I have been his.

We are both ready to be the best cheerleaders to our new baby!

Meet Alexa (written by Ryan)
I knew I was in trouble the first time I saw Alexa at the Christmas party after moving back from school (and not seeing her for over 5 years). As hard as we tried, just being friends was not an option. Our attraction for each other, similar interests, amazing friendship and growing love was something I knew could only lead to a beautiful future together.

Family comes first and means the absolute world to Alexa. We are fortunate to spend a lot of weekends/vacations/holidays with our parents and brothers/sister which keep us all so close. Currently, our animals are our kids, and, as all our friends and family can attest, Alexa gives them the world with an overwhelming amount of love and care.

I have so much love and respect for Alexa and am amazed at all her successes in life. Alexa is the athlete and brain trust of our family, making everything she pursues seem effortless; from getting her business and interior design degrees to coming in second place on the one mile swim of her triathlon to completing her first marathon. Alexa never settles for anything less than the best; everyone knows she will be the most devoted and caring mother anyone could ever ask for.

Alexa has such a fun, warm and loving personality that attracts great individuals to surround and support us. We are lucky to have a wonderful group of friends! Many have young kids, and we look forward to being able raise a child in such a healthy and happy environment!

Alexa is the love of my life and for over 12 years we’ve experienced the highest of highs and lowest of lows together; we know we can get through anything. She will be the best mom to our new child, and I can’t wait to be the best dad!

Our Home ...
With Alexa’s interior design expertise and Ryan’s construction background, we co-designed and have spent the last year fully renovating our ”forever” home with our love of entertaining and future family in mind. Not only do our dogs love it because of the big grassy yard and proximity to parks and trails, but it has the perfect floor plan, yard, and quiet family friendly street for a little one. We can’t wait to share our new found space with a child!

Our Homes away from home...
Thanks to our parents, we have vacation homes in Central Oregon and Northern California, where outdoor activities like skiing, snowshoeing, boating, fishing, mountain biking, hiking, and trails of all kinds are at your fingertips.

Much of our core group of friends now live in Central Oregon and we were thrilled when Alexa’s mom and dad decided to retire there. We are so fortunate to have them close by and be able to spend alot of time with family and friends in such a beautiful part of Oregon with a wealth of outdoor adventures.

We also have a family vacation home near Tahoe. It is pretty wonderful to have two families, let alone in-laws, who jointly own a home that affords us quality time together. The best tradition is that both families spend every Christmas together. We also plan times in the summer to all get together and enjoy the California mountains.

We can’t wait to share these experiences with our baby and cultivate his or her love of family time, nature and sports!

Our Animals...
(aka “the girls”)
Kula: Kula is a black lab mix and is our “runner girl”...since being a puppy she has loved running on the trails and has kept us in shape. She is also super sensitive and attentive, cocking her head when you talk to her and always asking so kindly to snuggle on the couch and bed. She loves children, especially when they have yummy snacks in their hand. She also gets concerned when babies cry and likes to sit by their carseats as the protector. When we have a baby we know she is going to be the best “mama bear”!

Viva: No words can explain how Viva is such a wonderfully special and touching part of our life. She is my (Alexa’s) sister’s guide dog. Jenn, my sister, passed away 5 years ago, and we were so grateful that Viva would be coming home to live with us. She is the biggest teddy bear with the sweetest, most cuddly demeanor. She has also grown fond of the trails, romping at the park, and always has a toy in her mouth. She is so easy-going around kids and is one that will let them crawl all over her.

Nelly: She is our first furry baby. Nelly is a 10 year old petite short hair grey cat. She loves dogs, people and napping in any warm area, especially where the sun pours through the window. She likes to sniff blankets of our friends’ babies that come over.

Maisy: Maisy is our newest addition. Ryan rescued her in the middle of a busy intersection when she was a kitten. She is now almost two years old and still full of spunk. She has a big purr, loves the dogs, and her favorite game is playing with Alexa’s hair ties.

Our Family ...
We cherish our family time and cant wait for our new baby to be cherished by all. They are all supportive of our adoption and are so excited to love and welcome a new bundle of joy to the family!

Ryan’s Side ...
Ryan’s parents, Sue and Dieter, still live in the house that his dad (an accomplished contractor) built and where Ryan grew up. Thanks to working for his dad since he was a little guy, Ryan is handy man. Dieter still likes to find projects for Ryan and his older brother, Jason, to work on when they get together whether shoveling snow or splitting firewood at the family cabin. The boys also love making extraordinary egg breakfasts and bond over healthy competitions of horse shoes or who can climb the nearest peak the fastest. Sue loves seeing her men together and happy!

Dieter & Sue are loving parents that want nothing but the best for their kids and can’t wait to have a new (first) grandbaby to love!

You couldn’t get two closer brothers...Ryan and Jason’s bond, interests and similarities are incredible. Sometimes people think they are twins! They also have an impeccable sense of humor...don’t get them laughing together because they just might not stop or they might just get you started and you won’t be able to stop; its infectious (in a good way)! Alexa feels fortunate to be close with Ryan’s family too...she feels like the daughter and sister they never had!

Ryan also has a great and close extended family of aunts, uncles, cousins, and new babies. His dad’s side of the family lives in Vienna, Austria. We can’t wait to share the European culture with our new arrivalsomeday.

Alexa’s Side...
Alexa’s parents, Lou and Hollings, are fortunate to be living the retired life between homes in California and Oregon while taking exotic trips in between (Alexa and Ryan are lucky to join them on some). Alexa is incredibly close with her parents, and talks with them almost on a daily basis. Alexa shares the love of design and creating a well-kept home, crafting, recipe sleuthing, and fashion with her mom. She shares her athletic side with her dad and loves nothing more than the time she gets to spend together going on a run or a road bike ride. They did their first ride up Mt. Bachelor in Oregon this summer!

Lou and Hollings have always been their kids number one support team, offering an endless supply of encouragement in all arenas of life, especially to Ryan and Alexa as they strive to start a family. They will be “Tutu” (hawaiian for grandma) and “Pops” forever loving, encouraging and supporting their grandchildren while making plenty of time for creativity and silliness. They are already this way with their first two granddaughters!

Alexa is also very close with her sister, Jess and brother, Chase. Jess is married with two girls and spent many years in the military moving around, so it was hard to see each other regularly. Jess and her family recently settled close by. Ryan and Alexa are excited to spend more time with their talented and ever entertaining nieces, who love to capture an audience whether on stage, in the pool, or on the ski slopes. Alexa’s younger brother, Chase, is a bachelor focusing on starting his own wine business. He goes between California and Italy having a life all envy. When together with Chase, they all share a love of good wine, watching football and movies, and lazing around with the animals. He is great about visiting and seeking girl advice. He is a natural with kids whether it is his ability to talk to babies or kick the soccer ball around with those a little older. He’ll be a super fun uncle!

Togetherness…
One of the favorite parts of both our families is that we love to vacation and celebrate holidays and birthdays all together as one big family, instead of “in-laws” we jokingly refer to ourselves as the “out-laws”.

Our Friends…
Our large circle of close friends are like a family to us. They are a major source of support, inspiration, and fun. Most have been blessed with babies, and it has been so joyous to share in the different stages of their lives as they build their families. We love their kids as if they were our own and are proud to be the godparents to two of them! All our friends are sharing in our journey of adoption, constantly telling us what great parents we are going to be, and they can’t wait to welcome our baby with his or her very own circle of little friends. We are beside ourselves with joy at the anticipation of bringing our baby into such a loving, established group of friends!

What we like to do…
We strive to maintain a balanced, well-rounded life between work, play, arts & relaxation. We are passionate about staying active in the outdoors whether mountain biking, running, hiking, skiing, snowshoeing, boating, or training for triathlons. We also love to entertain and are most known for our Halloween costume parties!

Exploration…
A lot of what we like to do also surrounds traveling. We are so fortunate to share a love of seeing new places and making a tradition out of some family/friend trips on an annual basis that give us so much joy we can’t wait to do it again and again. Here is a list of our top ten vacations so far, many of which we are so excited to share with our new baby and provide a life long exposure to other cultures and new experiences. We hope this list continues to grow!

1. Hawaii
2. Tahoe
3. Palm Springs
4. Lake Mead
5. Europe
6. Tahiti
7. Mexico
8. New York
9. San Francisco
10. and much more...

Thank you!
Words cannot express how grateful we are to you for taking the time to read about us, and we hope we’ve given you a sense of who we are and the life and love we have to offer your child. There is no question in our minds that we are financially and emotionally ready for the joys and challenges of parenthood. We hope that something about us has touched your heart and please know that you have touched ours. We wish you the best of luck through your adoption journey and peace in whatever you decide.

Cheers to new beginnings for us all!

With love and arms wide open,

Alexa and Ryan

If you have an questions for us, or would like to talk to us about adopting your child, please contact an AdoptHelp advisor by Calling 1-800-637-7999 or clicking the "Contact Us" button below.

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