Ben & Ryan
Hi! We are Ben & Ryan, and we are so excited to be dads. We have talked about being parents just about since the day we met in a local coffee shop almost 11 years ago. We have experience with adoption within our family, and we knew early on that adoption was the way we wanted to create our own family.
OUR STORY
We live in an awesome, historic and diverse downtown neighborhood with our big red goldendoodle, Kaidan, who loves kids! One of our favorite things to do is go on walks together without any destination. Sometimes we end up in one of the nearby parks around our neighborhood, the patio of the Mexican restaurant behind our house, or just a few blocks away at Ryan’s parents’ house.
We have been very fortunate in this life to be blessed with supportive and amazing families and friends, as well as opportunities that led us to careers that we love. Our greatest hope is to share these blessings with you and your child through an open adoption. We are excited to get to know you!
Ben about Ryan
Ryan is my rock and I love that I can always count on him. Ryan dreams big and always has faith that things will all eventually work out. When he first pointed to our house and said that we should buy it, I immediately said that it was too big and we could never afford it. But we found a way and now have plenty of room for our new addition.
Ryan may not be able to find his car keys or his phone, but he always manages to find the best in any person he meets and lift them up. No matter if we are lounging on the couch watching a superhero movie-which he loves-or working in our yard and sweating in the dirt, Ryan can always make me feel like we can conquer the world together. I can’t wait to see him show our child how to be their best selves—like he has shown me.
Ryan about Ben
I often say that Ben has a heart as big as his feet, and he’s got some big feet. One of the first things that drew me to him-other than his good looks-was his kind and generous spirit. He’s like a gentle giant, and kids are always attracted to his playful demeanor.
The first time I took Ben to my family’s big Christmas dinner, he was literally covered in my cousins’ kids. There was a point where he had one kid hanging from each arm and one clinging to each leg as he pulled them along the hallway toward the tree to open presents.
Ben’s biggest mission in life, other than being a dad, is to make the world a better place, and he’s chosen a life and a career where he works daily to improve our community. Every day he makes me laugh while challenging me to be the best person I can be. I’ve always known Ben would be the best father a kid could ever ask for.
Our Home
We live in a vibrant and historic downtown neighborhood in Indianapolis. It has a big front porch we like to hang out on, three bedrooms, and it’s full of nooks and crannies making it perfect for hide-and-seek (a frequent activity with our nieces during their visits). Being big lovers of the outdoors, we have plenty of plants throughout the house. The nursery is ready and decorated in a playful woodland theme with plenty of red foxes. We have a great park just a block down our street where there are always other kids to play with. We enjoy sitting out on the many restaurant patios around our neighborhood with Kaidan and chatting with our neighbors as they pass by. We love the diversity and accessibility of our neighborhood.
Our Family
Ryan’s parents and younger sister all live just a few blocks away. Not only are they nearby, but we are all very close and enjoy regular family dinners and helping each other out for projects around the house and watching each other’s dogs. In addition to being close, they also run a family business together. It will be great to have dependable babysitters so close by. This baby will also be the first in their family, and everyone is incredibly excited, especially Ryan’s mom who had wanted a grandchild for a very long time.
Ben’s family is scattered about, mostly throughout Indiana. Growing up in Fort Wayne, most of his family is still there, and we visit as often as we can. Ben has an older brother, and younger brother and sister. Ben’s brother and his wife have two daughters we adore! His mom lives just an hour way and comes down for visits quite a bit. She is already planning on increasing the frequency and length of those stays once the baby arrives. Ben’s dad and his wife live in Warsaw. In our families, kids are always celebrated and the center of all family gatherings. That probably has a lot to do with the fact that we are all pretty fun-loving and still kids at heart.
Our Community of Friends
We have an incredible family of diverse and loving friends. Many of our friends now have children, some of them through adoption. We have a few friends who are adoptees. Our child will always be among others outside of our home who have a relationship with adoption. We celebrate diversity in every way, but also realize the importance of being able to connect with others who share a similar identity as your own. Life is all about balance, and our friends provide that in our lives.
We look forward to getting to know you and your hopes and dreams for your child!
- I almost always have our dog, Kaidan, with me and take him anywhere he’s allowed. Our favorite stores are Lowes and Nordstrom Rack.
- I love to swim, snorkel, scuba dive and do any activity in the water.
- I was president of my high school show choir and continued choir in college at IU.
- I’ve worked in my family vacuum business my entire life, and I love it.
- I prefer cooking and eating at home over going out.
- My favorite TV shows and movies usually involve the fantastical like Sabrina, Buffy, the X-men, and Game of Thrones.
- The only reality show I watch is Rupaul’s Drag Race.
- I love Broadway musicals. Top five: Into the Woods, Hamilton, Les Miserables, Next to Normal, Wicked.
- I love home improvement projects like hanging new lighting and ceiling fans.
- Ben was the first guy I called my boyfriend and I married him. Best decision I ever made.
- I’m a nester and get so much joy in creating a home that provides a space to gather with our family and friends. Designing and building the nursery has been a dream come true on so many levels.
- I’m passionate about equity and making our community better place for all and I am lucky that this is a huge part of my job.
- I love grocery shopping and cooking; mexican food is one of my favorites.
- Being in nature brings me an incredible amount of peace and reflection.
- I grow a house plant in just about any space that gets enough light.
- Before beginning my career in not-for-profit marketing, I was a working actor!
- I have never had a driver’s license and am an avid pedestrian and cyclist.
- I love that I have been the go-to babysitter for our friends and adore my nieces.
- I knew Ryan was the man I would marry when he first met my niece, Bayla, ten years ago. She immediately adored him and still does.
- Yoga is my jam!
- I love kids and babies. Especially all of the little toys they bring me.
- I am a picky eater, and my dads have to constantly change up my food to keep me interested.
- I helped my dads’ get a head start on baby-proofing the kitchen. Especially the trash drawer.
- Long walks on the canal downtown are my favorite. But the geese are so rude and yell at me when I try to get close.
- I love road trips and can’t wait to share the back seat with a little human.
