Waiting Family Profiles

Home Location: Twin Cities Metro

Family Status: Couple without children

Children in Home: None

Child Ethnicity: African American, Asian, Caucasian, East Indian, Hispanic/Latino, Native American

Thank you for taking the time to get to know us! We are Bridget and Ryan Johnson from Elk River, MN. We are so excited for you to learn more about us as well as our family, friends and pets. We feel a deep personal connection as a few of family members are adoptees, including Bridget, who was adopted from South Korea. While we have our own adoption stories, we understand each person’s journey is different and we cannot begin to imagine how you may be feeling. If there is one thing we know for sure, it’s that we cannot wait to become parents. We welcome open adoption as Bridget never had that opportunity, but we also respect the choices you make. Our goal is for you to feel comfortable with us and learn more about our life together.

Our relationship:

We met each other in a way that really represents our relationship; Bridget was drawing unicorns in history class and Ryan was really impressed. He told her, “I like your unicorn”. Through our 20’s we overcame separation throughout our college years. Even though we were apart, we always found our way back to each other.

We were married in 2015 and are committed to helping each other achieve our dreams. Ryan wanted to build his dream house, check! And Bridget wanted to travel to places she had only seen pictures of, check! For us, creating a family has been a tough journey, but because we are living proof of how amazing adoption is, we know that the dreams we have for our child are going to be the best yet.

Fun facts about Bridget:

• I want to visit all Seven Wonders of the World
• I’ve been to every Britney Spears concert
• I studied aquatic biology and geology in college
• I am a diehard Green Bay Packer fan living in MN
• I am a terrible cook, but I continue to try
• I prefer mountains over beaches
• I LOVE to travel, sometimes we pick our vacations by throwing darts at a map

Fun Facts about Ryan:

• If I could do one thing forever, I would go fishing
• I love binge watching shows
• I recently went back to school to get my Bachelor’s degree
• I like to try a food network restaurant everywhere I travel
• I cook a really awesome breakfast
• I enjoy building things, I love the space in my new garage
• My favorite place is Hilton Head Island

Our Home:

We decided that we wanted a little extra space, so we sold our house and built our new home in Elk River, MN. We picked a location where we are close to the city but far enough away to have some land. Things that we are most excited about in the future are getting egg laying chickens, maybe some ducks, and building a pond. We are near the state forest and wildlife refuge which we visit often with the dog to go snowshoeing or hiking. We are also only 30 minutes away from Minneapolis, so it’s easy to get downtown. We are there often for concerts, museums, sporting events or just to get some good food! Ryan tends to lean towards the country life and Bridget is more city, so we need to even it out sometimes.

We also have another home away from home. Ryan’s parents have land in Fosston, MN and that’s where our camper permanently stays. Most of his family live around the area, so it’s a family reunion every weekend we drive up. We are sort of “off the grid” which is a nice break to enjoy fishing, campfires and wearing out our Border Collie!

Our Pets:

Speaking of our collie, we have two pets. Our dog, Bindie, is an old but energetic 14 year old who still acts like she’s 5. We call her shadow because she’s always right behind us. Olivia is a large fluffy cat who has a love hate relationship with the dog. She loves to cuddle and gets very verbal when she wants a treat.

Our family and Friends:

We are both very close with our immediate family who all live in Superior WI. Bridget’s parents have both passed but her stepfather (Mike), sister (Heather) and her family have remained a big part of our life. We have watched these kids grow and absolutely adore them. The whole family visits often for the kid’s sports or just to have a little fun with their favorite auntie and uncle!

We spend a lot of time with Ryan’s family as well. Ryan and his dad both like outdoor activities, so they are often in the boundary waters, fishing or camping. Pam likes to shop, so while the guys are being outdoorsy the girls are usually finding treasures. Ryan’s extended family is really big! So, there are so many cousins with a wide age range. That’s why we love our camper, its gives us the opportunity to see everyone often.

Our lifelong friends create a wonderful support group. We each have friends that are spread throughout the country, but we are also lucky enough to have a close group where we all went to high school together. Within this group are veteran parents, new parents and our best friends who are also going through the adoption process. We feel lucky to have all of them in our corner and they cannot wait to meet our new addition.

We can’t wait to meet you and we hope that you got a good glimpse of what our child’s life would be like.

Sincerely,

Ryan and Bridget

Want to learn more or contact us? Check out our Facebook page – Bridget and Ryan’s Adoption Journey: https://www.facebook.com/BRAdoption/

E-mail: brigid2419@gmail.com

Contact our social worker: Dianne.Delaney@chlss.org