Hello from Merriam, Kansas! We are Ian and Troy. We are honored that you’ve chosen to review our profile, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to introduce ourselves and be a supportive part of your journey. As a couple, we’ve been together for the past seven years, and married for five of those. Since the start of our relationship, we knew that we wanted to eventually have children of our own, and as a gay couple we’ve always seen adoption as the best way to grow our family. Our hope is for an open adoption that allows you to participate and celebrate your child’s development, while we provide a safe and nurturing environment that allows your child to thrive. We can’t wait to meet you!

As a couple, we began exploring options to build our family over the last few years, and met with other gay couples to learn the various avenues used to build their family. Through that process of exploration and learning, we became close with another gay couple who have a five year old son named Jackson. Over time, we have grown into co-parents of Jackson and have formed an extended chosen family by sharing parental duties, participating in school activities, and sharing our home 1-2 times per week. While Jackson has helped us develop our parenting skills, we still desire to adopt a child of our own through open adoption, as we believe it provides the best possible outcome for the child by bringing families together and allowing connection to cultural heritage.

We had our first date in the summer of 2015, and the date almost didn’t happen as we both went to a different coffee shop! Luckily, we figured it out and salvaged that first date, and Troy proposed almost two years later in the same spot on the sidewalk where we first met, surrounded by friends and family. As part of our relationship, we have always valued open and honest communication, and this has been a key component of our relationship. Troy is an amazing artist and creative, while Ian finds joy in structure and methodical planning. The phrase “opposites attract” definitely applies to our relationship, as together we complement and challenge each other to be the best version of ourselves. As part of our life together, our home usually has plenty of fun and laughter with family and friends, and it’s important for us to be connected with our neighborhood and community.

Ian enjoys cooking, reading, yoga, and spending as much time as possible in the great outdoors! He has a goal of visiting all seven continents, and loves learning about various cultures and communities through his travels. As a parent, Ian would love to foster an appreciation for the great outdoors and go on camping trips and other adventures with our adopted child, as well as share his love of food by cooking together as a family. Troy is an avid seamster, sewing most of his own clothes and loves to make costumes. He is currently working on a couture version of Ursula from The Little Mermaid. He is looking forward to going to the fabric store with his future child to pick out patterns and fabric for Halloween costumes. Troy also enjoys creating oil paintings of important places he and his family has visited. When Troy isn’t sewing or painting, he’s usually in his backyard tending to his garden, growing tomatoes, peppers, and all sorts of flowers.

As a kid growing up in rural Indiana, I always loved getting outside and enjoying the lake, riding bikes, or going camping and stargazing. As an adult, I continue to love the outdoors, and have had several adventures in Iceland, Peru, and in the Pacific Northwest. I also love to cook, and enjoy bringing friends together over a meal. During high school I was a theater nerd, and love going to see live theater either here in Kansas City or on Broadway in NYC. During the day I work from home as a healthcare technology consultant, which will come in handy once it comes time to bring our future child home.

Ian has one of the greatest families I have ever met, and they exude love and kindness and a passion for travel. This has greatly rubbed off on Ian, and it’s evident in our shared values as a couple. He’s a gentle and kind man, and I know that he will be a great father. He consistently goes above and beyond to make sure that no detail or plan is left unmade in our lives, and keeps everyone safe and healthy. He loves to cook and try out new recipes with our close family, as well as host garden parties in our backyard. In his free time, he enjoys planning our next getaway and making memories together, either here in Kansas City or farther afield.

From as early as I can remember I had a paintbrush or pencil in my hand, drawing and painting stories that were in my head. Today, I occupy my free time sewing costumes or painting to create something new. I get a lot of enjoyment out of traveling to art museums and finding new locations to paint. My friends and family say I have a caregiving attitude, and this is one of the reasons I started my career as a teacher. My favorite things about teaching were instructing students on multiculturalism and building positive relationships. My current job as a display artist involves creating window and interior displays for Anthropologie, an apparel, decor, accessories, and home goods store. I have loved combining my love of art into a fun and rewarding career.

Troy is an incredible artist, and has always challenged himself to learn new mediums and explore new forms of artistic expression, including painting, sewing, and ceramics. Troy loves sewing costumes, and has sewn costumes for friends and family, including characters such as Maleficent and Ursula. He also participates in a karaoke league, which involves competitive singing and costumes each week, and it’s a blast to watch! As a former K-8 art teacher, Troy has a passion working with kids and allowing them to explore artistic mediums and develop their own self-expression through art. Troy challenges me to see the beauty in the ordinary, and embrace experiences that give joy and meaning to life, such as going to a play or dressing up as Prince Phillip and Maleficent at Comic-Con.

We live in a small suburb called Merriam just outside Kansas City, and enjoy interacting with our neighbors and friends! Our neighborhood is diverse, with several generations of young families and older adults, and many of them are excited that we are planning to adopt. We have a movie theater that is walkable from our home, as well as several parks, playgrounds, and nature trails nearby. A brand new library is also opening soon near our home, and we can’t wait to visit for storytime. We have a huge backyard, and love spending time gardening and playing fetch with our dog Milo. Our home provides several spaces for fun and family time, including an art room where Troy hopes to create magnificent works of art with our future child. Our school district is one of the top districts in the state of Kansas, and our elementary school has a diverse enrollment.

Milo is a four year old standard poodle who enjoys playing fetch, tug of war, and going swimming at the lake. We always laugh when Milo decides to “go fishing,” as his favorite part of the lake is pacing back and forth in the shallows and trying to catch fish (though he’s never managed to catch one yet!). Milo is incredibly affectionate and gentle with children, and doesn’t mind the occasional ear or tail pull. He can’t wait to potentially have a sibling, and will always be up for lots and lots of cuddles.

We have strong and supportive families, and love spending time with both sides of our extended family! Ian’s family has an annual trip to Tucson, Arizona, and we travel back home to Indiana every year over the 4th of July. Troy’s family enjoys sharing meals together and playing board games, while Troy and his mother Marie like to visit thrift stores on the weekend. Ian has two siblings, Emma and Owen, while Troy has a brother named Travis. Outside of our immediate family, we have a strong network of friends that we will rely on heavily through our adoption journey, and they are ecstatic to potentially welcome a child. By co-parenting Jackson, we have loved watching Jackson grow into a smart and sensitive young man, who loves to color and create artwork as well as play outside with sidewalk chalk. Co-parenting has been challenging at times, but it has prepared us to be better parents once we have a child of our own. We have sincerely enjoyed the mundane aspects of parenting such as family dinner, bathtime, and always reading a book before bed. Jackson is excited to potentially become a big brother, and can’t wait to welcome a sibling into our extended family.

Our goal as parents is to encourage independence and individuality, always listen and ask questions, and lead with love and empathy when disciplining. Both of us have a strong focus on family and friends, and it’s our hope to create an environment that truly allows your child to reach his or her full potential. Education is definitely a priority for us, and from a young age we will prioritize exposing your child to literature that teaches them about their culture and diversity in our community, and providing space when needed to help explain your child’s story as soon as they are able to understand. We see the immense value in open adoption, and hope to remain connected throughout your child’s life, whether that be through letters and photos or the occasional visit if that is a priority for you. We can’t wait to share our interests and passions with your child, such as spending quality time together, teaching your child how to cook, and exploring new places together.

We want to thank you for reading thus far, and we hope to become a welcoming and supportive step as you consider potential families. We’ve always considered adoption to be the best way of expanding our family, and it is our hope that we can partner with you and have an open adoption that allows you to continue to participate if possible while creating a safe and loving space for your child. Our goal as parents is to continually create an environment where your child feels love and connection to their cultural roots, and ensure their well-being, education, and emotional needs. We will definitely rely on our strong network of friends and family, as it truly takes a community to raise a child.