Letters

We are Ryan and Shay. Thank you for the opportunity to introduce our family to you. Adoption is something we had always hoped for; it is a huge part of both of our families as we have siblings and cousins who have been adopted. We have witnessed firsthand the joy and beauty of adoption through the adoption of our second and third sons and we would be honored if you would choose us to be your baby's family as well.

We live in Arizona with our three sons and dog. We met while attending the same college. Ryan was a junior majoring in accounting and playing baseball, and...

I had just arrived at college and one of my teammates told me about this guy who I just had to meet. His name was "Ryan". From the moment we connected, I could see how joyful and lighthearted he was. As we continued to get to know each other, I saw how loyal he is to the people he cares about. He would do anything for them. I also noticed his incredible work ethic and how when he would put his mind to something he would master it. It only took a few dates for me to realize that he was the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.

Ryan's loyalty, "down for adventure"...

There are so many wonderful things about Shay but the one thing that has always stuck out to me is her deep love and ability to nurture and care for others. She has demonstrated this consistently in all areas of her life. When someone is in need or hurting, she is the first person to offer help. Her innate wisdom and sweet demeanor allows her to provide valuable counsel to everyone in our lives, including those in need through various church ministries.

Shay also sacrifices her time and energy to make sure that our kids are cared for, and developing in their learning and...

Our oldest son, Rhodes, is five years old and has been one of our greatest joys in life. Rhodes graced our lives with an extra chromosome (t21-Down syndrome) and has changed us for the better. We want to be honest with you, when we received his diagnosis, we were scared and hurting. However, we wish we knew then what we know now. He is not a burden. He does not make our lives harder. In fact, he is the sweetest, most happy, and easy-going kid ever. It has been such a blessing to be his parents and experience firsthand the joy he brings to all our family and friends.
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We live in a wonderful, spacious home in a suburban community in Arizona. It's the perfect place to raise a family. We love having a big yard for the kids to run around and play. Plus, we have a full garden with fruits and vegetables and lots of citrus trees that the boys like to pick from whenever they want fresh fruit!

Our community is one of the main reasons we chose to live here. It's the kind of place where everyone wants to raise their family. We have an incredible church that we go to, and the boys attend a Christian preschool. There are lots of extracurricular...

Ryan's Family: I am the oldest of my siblings. I have four brothers and one sister who is adopted. My parents raised my siblings and me to be hard-working, loyal, and kind. We have loved all things sports since we were little. To this day, when we are all together we play basketball, pickleball, or volleyball in my parents' backyard. I have grown closer and closer with my siblings as we have matured and now enjoy raising our kids together.

Shay's Family: I was raised by the most caring and loving parents, who have transitioned into...

Time at the Cabin: Every summer, we go to our cabin and spend time boating, fishing, riding horses, and hiking. In the winter, we'll visit and go snow-skiing! The boys absolutely love being at the cabin. Their favorite thing to do there is to hike around our property looking for animals, cool sticks, and rocks.

Visiting the Beach: We all love the beach! Who doesn't? We try to make one beach trip each summer. There's nothing better than spending time in the sun, building sandcastles, and playing in the water!
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Thank you so much for flipping through these pages and getting a peek into what our lives are like. As we have been preparing to walk the road of adoption again, we have had the unique opportunity to talk with Turner about adopting another baby. The pure joy is all over his face when he says "we are gonna adopt another baby, just like I was adopted, I can't wait!" We feel the exact same way... we can't wait either!

"Adoption" is a very special and wonderful word in our home. We talk about adoption with the boys and talk about Turner and Hansens' birth mommies all the...