“Shhh! Baby sleeping!” Rowan informs us, as he covers his stuffed animal with a blanket and pats it softly. Rowan, our son, loves being the caretaker of his various toys and mimicking the things his family and friends do for him. Rowan loves other children, whether it’s spending time playing with his cousins or excitedly waving at another kid he sees at Target. We have always known that we wanted two children, but moments like these make it clear that Rowan would also love another person to complete our family.
OUR STORY
We met on an online dating website seven years ago. We messaged back and forth for a few weeks before Aaron nervously asked Kyle on a date. When we met, we instantly felt a connection and felt at ease with each other. Over the next few months, we bonded over our shared values and love of video games, Disney movies, and caring for animals. Kyle admired that Aaron had a calm demeanor, was easy to talk to, and possessed a great sense of humor. Aaron liked that Kyle was smart, caring towards his pets, and ambitious. After dating for a couple years, we moved in together and eventually were engaged. We had a beautiful wedding surrounded by family and friends in August 2015.
After being together for several years, we felt ready to pursue our desire to become parents. We excitedly started the process of adoption in 2016 and matched with a birth family at the beginning of 2017. Rowan was born in the spring of 2017, already loved by so many. We truly love being dads and watching Rowan grow up.
WHY WE WANT TO ADOPT AGAIN
Each of us grew up surrounded by big, close networks of extended family members. We both have many fond memories shared with our siblings, parents, cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents. We’ve each always wanted to become fathers and start a family of our own. While we were dating, we agreed that we wanted to start a family. We talked about our options for parenthood and agreed that adoption was the best option for us. We both feel adoption is incredibly beautiful and can be an enriching experience for everybody involved.
Becoming fathers to Rowan has been a spectacular experience. We often express how lucky we are to get to care for such an amazing, lovable person. Although it is challenging at times, parenthood has been the most rewarding, fulfilling experience we each have had. We have always known that we wanted to raise at least two children and are excited to start the adoption process again.
We cherished experiencing the adoption process and got to meet new people whom we came to love. We have an open adoption with Rowan’s birth family, including Rowan’s birth parents and birth grandparents. We love them and know they are important to Rowan’s life. We truly admire birth families and would like another open adoption, if the birth parents feel comfortable with it.
ABOUT AARON
Aaron is from Vail, Colorado. Growing up, Aaron enjoyed snowboarding, playing volleyball, and participating in school theatre productions. Aaron also loved music, playing in the high school band and taking private piano lessons after school. Aaron moved to Utah to pursue his higher education and has a bachelor’s degree from the University of Utah. Aaron currently works as a manager at a retailer. In his spare time, he likes to cook, bake, read, play video games, and coordinate home improvement projects. Aaron enjoys sharing family traditions with Rowan, including teaching Rowan the Spanish language and sharing traditional Mexican food.
ABOUT KYLE
Kyle grew up in Kaysville, Utah and has always enjoyed living close to the mountains and beautiful Utah scenery. As a child, Kyle enjoyed playing outside with his friends, celebrating
Christmas traditions, taking care of his pet guinea pigs, and traveling with his family. Kyle has a bachelor’s degree and currently works as a child welfare social worker. In his free time, Kyle enjoys hiking, taking/editing pictures, traveling, playing video games, and planning parties and events. Kyle loves sharing the outdoors with Rowan, often taking him on adventures in nature.
ABOUT ROWAN
Rowan is a rambunctious, happy three-year-old. He is full of personality and has a great sense of humor. Rowan has always been a very social child, grinning at nearly everybody from the moment he could smile. Whenever we go to a store, he can be heard throughout the aisles greeting the people passing by. Rowan loves to dance, sing, finger-paint, tell stories, and explore outside. He is a very inquisitive kid and often surprises us with how much he learns every day. He speaks English and Spanish and teases Kyle when he tries to speak in Spanish.
OUR HOBBIES AND TRADITIONS
We love the outdoors and try to go camping and hiking several times each year. We like going to movies, live theatre performances, and other artistic events together. We have a love of travel and exploring new places. Some of our favorite places we’ve traveled together are New York City, Disneyland, and Tokyo. We have made sure to continue traveling with Rowan, including enjoying Yellowstone, Disneyland, and multiple trips to Colorado together.
Although we are currently between pets, we enjoy taking care of animals. We’ve had rabbits, guinea pigs, and rats. Kyle loves the holiday season, which is a magical time in our home. We enjoy decorating, including a 12 foot tree for the season each year.
OUR HOME
We live in a multi-level home in Davis County. We moved in 2015, right after it was built. It is located in a safe, quiet neighborhood with lots of children and quality schools nearby. We love that our home is in a calm neighborhood, but still only 15 minutes from downtown Salt Lake City and all the activities and programs within it. We take pride in our home, striving to create a nice atmosphere to live within.
OUR FAMILIES
Kyle’s parents and siblings all live within about 45 minutes of us. We spend lots of time with them, sharing regular family dinners, activities, and holiday celebrations. Our family strives to create cherished memories for the children, with our nieces, nephews, and Rowan particularly enjoying our annual chalk drawing contest and family Christmas parties. We also spend a lot of time with Kyle’s extended family, especially around various holidays throughout the year.
Aaron’s family is spread out between Colorado, Utah, and Mexico. We usually go to Colorado each year to visit with Aaron’s parents and relatives there. Although we do not see them as often, we try to incorporate many of his family’s traditions into our own. One of our favorites is making tamales during the holiday season and giving them to neighbors, friends, and family members.
We have a diverse group of friends that we see frequently and consider as family. Rowan has a close bond with many of our friends and family members. When our doorbell rings, Rowan excitedly tries to guess which of our loved ones has come to visit. We cannot wait to connect another child with all of the special people and traditions in our lives!
Thank you for taking the time to consider us!
