To us, being a parent means being there—completely and unconditionally—for a child. It's about showing up every day to love, support, protect, and guide them as they grow. It's a bond for life, built on love, trust, and connection.

We see parenting as a big responsibility, but also one of the greatest joys. We want to raise a child who feels safe and deeply loved, and who grows up with a strong sense of self. Our hope is to pass on our family values like kindness, curiosity, and courage—while giving them the space to discover who they are and what matters most to them.

We're excited for the day-to-day moments: answering big questions, sharing giggles, and learning about the world together. We can't wait to nurture their passions, help shape their growing minds, and see them become their own unique little person.

More than anything, we're excited to walk alongside them as they become exactly who they're meant to be.

Our lifestyle is centered around creating a warm, supportive home filled with laughter, love, and connection. We both work full-time but make it a priority to spend quality time together and with our two dogs, Jake and Walt. We keep a good balance between staying active and enjoying downtime—whether that means going for walks around our neighborhood, cooking together, or just relaxing with a good movie or book.

We love to travel and explore new places, from weekend beach trips with friends to longer international adventures. We're also homebodies at heart and enjoy hosting monthly dinners with our close-knit group of neighbors. Our community is important to us—we spend time with friends weekly, and we've built strong relationships in a diverse and welcoming neighborhood.

We enjoy outdoor activities like hiking, swimming, gardening, and biking, and we both find joy in creative hobbies like quilting, woodworking, and crocheting. We also love cheering on our local hockey team!

Our lifestyle is a mix of adventure and stability—full of experiences, meaningful connections, and routines that feel grounding. We're excited to share this kind of life with a child—one where they feel safe, celebrated, and encouraged to be curious, creative, and fully themselves.

We believe cultural diversity is something to be embraced and celebrated—not just for our child, but because it makes our family and community stronger. Our neighborhood and close circle of friends are incredibly diverse, and that's something we love about where we live. We're already surrounded by people from a variety of backgrounds, and we know our child will see many different cultures, traditions, and perspectives just by being part of our daily life.

If we are lucky enough to adopt a child of a different race or culture, we're committed to making sure our child sees their culture reflected in our home and our lives. That means continuing to grow our community, celebrating their heritage, and creating an environment where conversations about race and identity are welcome and encouraged. We're also ready to learn—we're open to learning another language, attending cultural events and seeking out role models who share cultural background— so we can better understand what our child may face and how to support them.

We know that being a multiracial family will come with unique challenges, but we're ready to face those head-on. This will be a lifelong journey for us as parents– and we know we won't always have all the answers. But we're committed to doing the work, leaning on our diverse community, and raising a confident child with a strong positive sense of self.

We live in a three-bedroom, two-bathroom, ranch-style home in North Carolina that was built in the 1950's but renovated in 2019 before we moved in. We have a large open floorplan and we spend most of our time in that large open living space where we enjoy spending time with friends and family. We have a large (half-acre) lot that is fenced-in with a deck; it is a great place for our dogs to play, but also kids enjoy running around when we host barbecues or nights around our firepit.

We absolutely love our diverse neighborhood and we are extremely close with many of our neighbors. There are seven families (13 adults, 9 kids and growing) that get together almost weekly to hang out; we also have monthly potluck dinner parties and take a beach trip twice a year with these neighbors.

Every year our neighborhood does a "Light the Lake" celebration with holiday lights, food trucks, kids' activities, and a cookie competition. We also live within walking distance to a community pool and are close to a YMCA, which we are members. We are only a 5-minute drive to downtown city center which has many museums that are great for kids and hosts many family-friendly events and parades. When we moved here, Phillip couldn't believe how much greenspace there was for being a big city! We have a ton of city parks nearby with playgrounds and activities for kids and teens.

Our extended families are loving, supportive, and always ready to laugh or share a meal.

Ryan grew up in New Jersey with a close-knit family. His mom, Marie, raised him with lots of love (and lots of Christmas magic– she still waits until everyone is asleep before "Santa" delivers gifts). His dad, Steven, is all about big hugs and "dad jokes." Ryan's younger brothers, Evan and Jack, live in different states now, but they stay close through regular texts and calls. When we are all together, Ryan's mom loves hosting family dinners where we spend quality time with our extended family.

Phillip grew up in Louisiana spent summers at his grandparents' gardening with his grandfather and learning to cook with his grandmother- two activities he still enjoys today. Phillip's mom, Kathy, is full of hugs, thoughtful gifts, and loves a long phone call. We also have two nieces, Caitlyn and Courtney, with whom we are close– and they call whenever they need to talk, which says a lot of the kind of support our child will have.

Our families are excited about our decision to adopt and can't wait to love on this child. On Ryan's side, this will be the first grandchild and his parents are over-the-moon; on Phillip's side, his mom and dad are excited for a new grandchild to love on. Even though our families out-of-state, they are always a phone call away and will always show up ready to help.

Thank you for taking the time to learn about us. We cannot begin to imagine what you must be feeling right now, but we want you to know that we deeply admire your strength, love, and courage as you consider the possibility of adoption for your child. We understand this is a significant and deeply personal decision, and we respect the thought and care you are already providing for your child's future.

We are Ryan and Phillip, we have been married for five years. Our hearts are full of love, warmth, and excitement for the opportunity to become parents. Over the years, spending time with the children in our lives has only strengthened our desire to grow our family. Again and again, we kept coming back to the feeling that we have so much love to give and that being parents would be the most rewarding gift of all.

Our family and friends are incredibly important to us. We both grew up in homes where love, laughter, and shared meals brought everyone together. Those traditions and gatherings celebrating both the big and small moments have shaped the home we hope to build with a child. We live in a welcoming neighborhood with our two sweet dogs and a close-knit group of friends and neighbors. If we are lucky enough to be chosen by you, we promise that your child will grow up not only surrounded by our love, but also by the love from our community that is ready to cheer them on through every stage of life.

To us, being a parent means showing up - every single day - with love, encouragement, protection, and guidance. We want to raise a child who feels safe, valued, and knows they are loved unconditionally. We will raise your child to be Adventurous in trying new things, Brave enough to stand up for what's right, Curious about the world, and Kind to others above all else. These are the "ABCs" of how we live our lives and the values we hope to pass on.

If you decide we are the right family, we are committed to honor the love, courage, and selflessness that led you to consider adoption. Our intention is to create a stable, nurturing, and joyful home - one where your child will have every opportunity to grow into exactly who they are meant to be. We look forward to the everyday moments - family dinners and game nights around the table - as well as and creating new traditions, supporting their passions, and planning meaningful experiences together as a family.

We want adoption to be a natural and celebrated part of our family. From an early age, we will talk openly and lovingly about their story. We will create a "Life Book" with photos, letters, and anything you want to share, so they can connect their past with their present to help them grow into their best future. We promise that your child will always know the special place you hold in our family. If you feel comfortable, we would love to keep in touch as the child grows up through letters, pictures, emails, phone calls, and even visits - whatever feels right for you, for us, and most importantly the child.

We hope this letter gives you a glimpse into who we are, the family we dream of building, and the love we are ready to share. No matter where your path leads, please know that we already respect and admire the love you have for your child and the thoughtfulness with which you are approaching this moment. We are truly grateful for the opportunity to walk this journey together, if that's the path you choose.

Phillip & Ryan