Ryan’s life has been touched by adoption in many ways.  Growing up in rural Iowa, Ryan had several friends whose families expanded through adoption and he got to see how happy they were when welcoming their siblings.  Ryan also had very close relationships in high school and college with friends who were adopted as young children.  His interest in being an adoptive parent developed through conversations with these friends.  When Ryan met his wife Rachael, they identified this common interest early on in their relationship and decided to become adoptive parents a few years after getting married.  Ryan and Rachael finalized the adoption of their son Grayson in 2016.  They gained a great deal of knowledge through this process and are happy to educate others by sharing their experiences.