Hello! We are Josie & Ryan from Colorado. If you’re reading this, it means we are lucky enough to have made it into your stack of profiles. We want you to know that we have tremendous love and respect for your journey. We live in Colorado, however we spend a lot of time abroad. Our love for travel has taken us all over the world yet there remain many places to discover. Living in the Rocky Mountains has provided us with the perfect outlet for our favorite hobbies. On the weekends, we take our dogs to the mountains for camping, biking, and fishing. A child in our home will know adventure but also the comfort of a supportive and loving family with the opportunity to discover their wants and wishes in life.

Before we met, we had both resigned ourselves to the idea that we would live our lives as the cool uncle/aunt but after many open-hearted conversations, we realized that starting a family rooted in our love for each other was something we both wanted. We had always talked about building a mixed family, one that included both adopted children and children of our own. But after Josie’s cancer diagnosis and treatment, she lost the ability to carry a child. While this broke our hearts, we already knew that adoption was for us so the decision has been easy to make. We are very excited to be adoptive parents!

We met at the police academy, where we started talking about the books and movies that we enjoy. We made nerdy jokes back and forth and soon realized we had a lot in common. In fact, after one of our conversations, Ryan text his best friend and told him, “I’m going to marry this girl.”

We began spending more time together: going to movies, sharing long dinners that stretched deep into the night, and sitting side by side through quiet hours of studying for work trainings. All the while we were hopelessly distracted by the realization that we were rapidly and irrevocably falling in love with each other. We have been together for 8 years now and are so excited to build a family together.

There are many things we love doing together, but what brings us the most joy is experiencing life side by side. We love staying active, exploring new places, and making meaningful memories, and we’re excited to share that spirit of curiosity and adventure with our child. Whether we’re travelling to a new destination, hiking a scenic trail, trying a new restaurant, or attending a show, we enjoy discovering the world together and appreciating both big adventures and everyday moments.

We spend a lot of time outdoors and love activities like camping, biking, snowboarding, and hiking, but we also enjoy cultural experiences such as going to the theatre or the symphony. We’re also big Lord of the Rings fans and embrace our fun, nerdy side. When we’re home in the evenings, or if the weather keeps us inside we love playing board games or computer games together. We imagine family game nights, storytelling, and cozy evenings becoming special traditions that bring us closer as a family. We work hard to maintain a healthy work–life balance because we believe it’s important to be present, create memories, and fully experience life together. We hope to raise a child who feels safe exploring the world, encouraged to try new things, and supported in discovering who they are.

We love to travel and see the world! Our mutual travel bucket list includes: Japan, Bali, Scotland, France, Italy.

We both enjoy camping and Colorado provides the ultimate campground, we bought a rooftop tent and have taken our dogs, Toby and Penny, on many camping adventures. Whether it’s with friend or family, we always find a way to get out into the mountains and spend time at a campfire underneath the stars.

I was born and raised in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. My mother is American, and my father is Dutch, though my family’s roots stretch across many other countries and cultures. Growing up, both of my parents were full-time chefs. They took me around the world, and I became an adventurous food lover at a very young age.

I started ballet when I was little, so dance and theatre quickly became central parts of my life. So much so that after graduating high school, I went on to study Dance and Musical Arts in college.

After graduation, I packed my bags and moved from Amsterdam to San Diego. True to my adventurous spirit, I eventually settled in Colorado to explore everything the majestic Rocky Mountains had to offer. I love traveling, watching great movies, going to the gym, and spending time with friends, family, and our dogs. I can’t wait to raise a multi-cultural child!

Josie is the light that overcomes any darkness. Her entrance into a room never goes unnoticed and people instantly gravitate to her Josie is the strongest person I have ever met. Her hobbies include hiking, reading, Jiu Jitsu, and working out. Life has tried to knock Josie down, but she refused to let her brain cancer diagnosis detract from her glowing spirit and love for life`s adventures. Let me try and paint an image of who my wife is and what type of mother she will be.

Everywhere we go around the world, Josie will occasionally halt everything we are doing, regardless of our timeframe, reservations, or obligations, to remove her socks and shoes to place her feet in a natural body of water that we come upon. Despite my type A personality and my obsession with being on time. Josie will remind me that life is not about beginnings and ends. Life is about the moments in between, the journey, and being present with the ones we love.

I grew up in the Midwest, in Indianapolis, Indiana. From my childhood there, I gained two important things: my best friends, who I still talk to every week, and a strong dislike for humidity. After graduating from high school in 2009, the three of us packed up and moved to Colorado. I spent about ten years working in the restaurant industry while finishing college in 2015.

As my priorities shifted from recreational sports and working on cars to building a career, I promised myself I’d never lose the youthful spirit that makes life fun. By the time I turned 28, I thought I had things pretty well figured out, until I met Josie.

I had never known what adventure was until I met the love of my life. The boy from the Midwest was completely swept up by the woman who had traveled the world and never met a stranger. I grew up in a household that holds very tight family bonds and our child will be welcomed into a family surrounded by love.

Ryan is the ultimate protector and provider, the kind of person whose presence alone makes you feel safer and more grounded. He is the home to my wandering, the place I return to no matter how far life carries me. He seems to know how to fix just about anything, and when he doesn’t, he will patiently and determinedly figure it out. His creativity runs deep, even if he would never admit it himself, and his loyalty is woven into the very fabric of who he is.

Ryan has an effortless way of making everyone around him laugh, and he loves with his whole heart. He is the kind of partner and friend you can lean on without hesitation, as steady and reassuring as the sun rising each morning and setting each night. He is incredibly intelligent and pragmatic, yet somehow also the silliest person in the room. The one who knows exactly how to make you smile when you need it most. He loves spending time with his friends and family, and his thoughtfulness continues to surprise me every day.

We live in a single-family home in a small, family-friendly town surrounded by parks and neighborhoods full of other families. We moved into a warm but dated home that had previously been loved by an elderly couple. Since we purchased it, we have enjoyed updating and remodeling it ourselves, one project at a time. Most recently, we enjoyed redesigning and decorating a baby room in great anticipation of soon having it occupied. During the summer, the neighborhood is filled with the sounds of children outside playing. There are groups of kids who ride bikes and scooters up and down the block to the school right next to our home. The park right next to our home is packed with young families, who spend their time at little league practices, birthday parties, or movie nights. Yes, the park right next to our house hosts “Food and Flick” nights where there are food trucks in the evening and when the sun goes down everyone watches movies on a giant inflatable screen!

Josie’s family roots stretch across the world, giving her the unique gift of having many places she can call home. Her father has since retired and settled into a peaceful countryside home in Portugal, where he enjoys the slower pace of life, beautiful scenery, and warm sunshine. Josie continues to make annual trips back to Amsterdam to visit her sister and many other friends/family.

Not long after Josie made Colorado her home, her mother and stepfather followed and settled just five minutes away. Having them so close has been an incredible gift, allowing them to stay closely connected and involved in each other’s daily lives.

Ryan`s family is small but very close. He is the middle child between his two sisters. After growing up in Indiana, Ryan moved to Colorado to start a new path. Not willing to let family ties be stretched by time or distance, his entire family followed shortly after. Now, the entire family has set up shop within 30 minutes of each other. Our child will have four cousins, four grandparents, and four aunts/uncles that will all live very close!

Our dream is to raise a child in a loving, adventurous and supportive home. We aspire to share our love for the outdoors and adventure with them while also providing stability, education and family time. We want to encourage them to be curious and to feel safe no matter what.

We promise your child entrusted with us will have a big, loving community, be read to and given every educational opportunity, get to be totally themselves and still always feel good enough, eat the most delicious and nutritious home cooked food, have friends of all ages and races, be prepared to handle life’s challenges, probably listen to a lot of music from all eras, enjoy the outdoors and go on a lot of adventures with friends, family and pets.

You have learned quite a bit about us by now, though not nearly enough. Despite us remaining strangers to one another at this point, we share a common effort. We all hope to brighten the world through the love of a child. Although we sincerely hope we are the family for you, trust that we support your decision regardless.

Please know we firmly believe these tenants about the adoption journey; We will honor your wishes in this process. We will respect you and the decisions you make. We will value your courage. If we are fortunate enough to raise this child, they will know love every day. From you and from us. We are grateful for you taking the time to learn more about us.