Viola June became part of our family through adoption, and from the day she arrived, everything changed for the better. She’s funny and spirited, with so much personality that we can’t imagine our home without her. She’s also the most talkative person wherever she goes. Viola shares every thought and always has something to say, and honestly, we wouldn’t want it any other way.

She loves Disney princesses as only a true fan can, and she treats every dress, song, and story with total excitement. She’s also very nurturing. She covers her dolls with blankets, checks on everyone to make sure they’re okay, and already shows a natural instinct for caring about others.

Becoming Viola’s parents made us sure that this is what we’re meant to do. It’s also why we want to grow our family again.

Viola knows she might have a new sibling soon, and she’s so excited. Any child who joins our family will never be alone. They’ll have a big sister ready to welcome them with open arms and endless love.

Becoming parents changed us in ways we never expected. Before Viola was born, we thought we knew what it meant to be parents: bedtime routines, school plays, scraped knees. But parenthood goes much deeper than that. We’ve both grown a lot in these roles, and we keep learning every day.

Along the way, we’ve learned that being a parent is more than just having a child. It means making sacrifices, putting someone else’s needs first without thinking twice. It’s about commitment: being there, even when you’re tired or things get tough. It’s about selflessness, letting go of who you were and becoming who your child needs. And it’s about patience, the kind you never knew you had until your child taught you.

We’ve also realized that parenting changes from day to day. Some days are filled with kitchen dance parties and late-night movie watching. Other days are about sitting with tough feelings and working through them together. Both kinds of days are important.

For us, being parents isn’t just a job. It’s a privilege, and we don’t take it for granted. We’ve given it everything we have. Becoming parents changed everything, and we wouldn’t want it any other way.

Our life is calm and cozy at heart. Home is truly our favorite place. We’ve created a warm, welcoming space where music is always playing, Ryan is always cooking, and there’s usually a dog or two nearby. We love slow Saturday mornings, good music, and spending time together.

Creativity is a big part of our lives. Eddie loves music, and Ryan enjoys painting, knitting, and making things by hand. We’re always working on new projects and finding inspiration, and we hope to share that creative spirit with our children.

When we go out, we make it special. Just about anything Disney gets us excited! Viola already loves Disney, and we enjoy making travel and adventure a regular part of our family life. Living in Minnesota has given us real seasons. We enjoy everything from swimming in the summer to cozy winter days with board games by the fire.

Our life feels full but never rushed. We focus on what matters most, living with intention and creativity.

To us, family is absolutely everything, and we feel very lucky to have so much of it. Eddie has a big, noisy, and affectionate family consisting of nine sisters.

Ryan has three siblings as well, and during his childhood, family traditions and a sense of togetherness were central to everything he knew.

Even though our families are in different places, we do our best to remain close by FaceTiming and making an effort to be there for one another as often as possible.

We go on vacations together, and our home has now become a place where everyone loves to visit. Each year we go on a trip to Hawaii with our mothers and it has become one of our favorite memories.

We are also fortunate since Ryan's younger brother and our two nephews live nearby, which allows us to see them regularly and to watch those relationships develop in real time.

A new child joining our family will mean they won't just have two dads, but will be welcomed into a large, energetic, multigenerational family that already has so much love to offer. We are looking forward to seeing them settle into it.

We live in a small town in Minnesota. The neighborhood is quiet and has many families, with kids who play outside, and the neighbors know each other by name. Since many of the families living near us have kids about Viola's age, she hasn’t had any problem making tons of friends. Our neighborhood is friendly, safe, and we are so lucky to have found it.

Our house is on an acre of land, has four bedrooms, and we have truly fallen in love with the outdoor area. It's the place where the dogs run around freely, and where Viola ends up getting dirty.

There's always some activity going on outside. And since our neighborhood is situated right in the middle of lake country, our kids will be able to grow up by swimming, fishing, and spending long summer days outdoors. The winters are very real; we won't deny that, but the summers are absolutely worthwhile.

Let us begin by saying thank you for taking the time to read our words, learn about our family, and consider us as you make one of the most important decisions a person can ever face.

We are Eddie and Ryan. We met in 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic, and married in October of 2021. What began as a friendship during one of the most unusual and isolating periods has turned into something that neither of us could have imagined living without. Now that we've been together for six years, marriage has only reinforced the understanding we already had of one another. We are true partners. We look after each other. We make each other laugh and have created something real and enduring; we are very proud of the home we have established together.

Our daughter Viola June joined through adoption in 2023, and she is, in every way, the best thing that has ever happened to us. Becoming her parents taught us what we were capable of, what real love looks like in practice, and why we were brought into this world. She is funny, caring, and completely unstoppable, and she already knows that another sibling may be coming. She is ready, and so are we.

Eddie is a stay-at-home dad with over 10 years of experience as a high school English teacher. He is patient and imaginative, and he is the type of parent who builds forts, recalls little details, and makes sure that every person in the room feels noticed. Ryan is a surgeon, so he brings a quiet calm to all that he does. He is thoughtful, warm, and deeply committed, whether in the operating room or at home. Together, we find a balance that enables us to be better parents than we could each be on our own. We have built our home in Minnesota, which we have genuinely put our hearts into, and have a yard, a pool, a fire pit, four very loving dogs, and more than enough space for children to grow up. We are near family, firmly established in our community, and are surrounded by people who already love your child even though they have never met them.

We want to be honest with you regarding the type of adoption we are aiming for. We are fully willing to maintain an ongoing relationship with you. We will regularly send you letters and photographs so that you always know how your child is growing, what they like, and who they are becoming. We are open to exchanging emails, making phone calls, and having visits. We think that a child's story should belong to them, which means that they should know where they come from. We will never keep you from your child and will always speak of you with love and gratitude.

We realize that deciding which family to place your child with might be the most difficult thing you'll ever have to do. We also know that no letter, no matter how thoughtfully composed, can fully describe the essence of two people or the true atmosphere of a home. All we can say is that your child will be safe with us; they will receive unconditional, without reservation, love. They will grow up knowing that they were wanted, chosen, and celebrated. They will have a big sister who will be with them from the very first day. They will have grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins in more states than we can name. They will travel, create, learn, and be encouraged to become precisely who they are meant to be.

We are not perfect; no family is, but we are committed, we are present, and we are deeply ready to love another child with all that we have.

We wish you peace. Regardless of your decision, we hope that you will feel it.

With all our love and gratitude,

Eddie & Ryan