FAMILY | Bryans Adopt

Our Little Family

Dusty (written by Hannah)

One of my favorite things about Dusty is seeing how much he loves being a dad. As cliché as that sounds, it is genuinely one of his greatest qualities. Proven by the fact that kids and babies often befriend him quicker than any other adult in the room, and he is usually the first person to volunteer to hold a baby. Dusty is a natural nurturer to our son Mac, and loves helping him learn new skills and have fun. He likes to be active, trying to exercise everyday running, lifting, or playing basketball. After moving to Boise he rediscovered a love for mountain biking, going most weekends with a friend when the weather is warm (or with Hannah when he’s up for a less rocky ride 😄). Dusty always makes sure I have time for myself as well. We both feel it is important for our partner to have ample opportunities to enjoy their individual interests. I’ve always admired how level-headed Dusty is and that he never overreacts or has emotional outbursts. His personality is easy-going, being a happy person who gets along with others well. I’ve appreciated Dusty’s hard work and sincere desire to provide for our family, allowing us to handle the ups and downs of life with stability. With Dusty we laugh often and enjoy trying new things together.

Hannah (written by Dusty)

One thing that initially stuck out to me when I met her is her great smile. And fortunately, she uses it a lot! She is happy and kind, always wanting to do the right thing and very conscious of others feelings. She has a great personality and laugh. Hannah is also really good with kids. One of my favorite things is seeing her spend time with her nieces and nephews, asking them questions and spending quality time with them. She is committed to being a great mom, too. She has read countless parenting books to make sure Mac and any other kids we have, have the right environment and activities to grow and gain confidence in themselves. She loves to play volleyball, be healthy, cook, and spend time outside and in the sun. Although we always enjoy a good movie or TV show, Hannah doesn’t like to be still very often. Hannah is committed to improving and trying her best. She has helped me to think of others and collaborate when making decisions. Another thing I admire about her is her willingness to help people out. She won’t turn down a chance to help someone, and often she is proactively thinking of what she can do to brighten someone's day or take a load off of someone’s plate. Hannah is slow to judge and has so much patience with me as often as I make mistakes. Mac and I are so grateful for her!

Mac (written by us)

Where do we even begin?? Mac is our most favorite person in the whole world and we could write pages about him! He is a friendly, outgoing four year old who loves being around people and is especially thrilled when there are other kids to play with at the playground. Mac is curious, always asking “why” and “how” about something. He’s not much of a cuddler but he loves to give hugs, and it brightens everyone's day. Every foster child that has been in our home has been smothered with hugs and soft tickles while hearing “hi baby boy!” and “don’t worry baby girl, mom is coming.” Mac enjoys helping others, especially his classmates at preschool. Mac is always on the go riding his bike, jumping on the trampoline, digging in rocks, or running up and down the room for no reason at all. Some favorite toys and activities include cars and monster trucks, robots, legos, binoculars on walks, swimming, cleaning with rags, paw patrol, spider man, transformers, cutting with scissors, Halloween, painting, yogurt, and wrestling his dad. Even with all that busyness though, Mac also loves books and stories, often spending majority of the day looking through the new books checked out from the library. His favorite movie is Incredibles 2. There is never a dull moment with the goofy, fun-loving guy Mac is!

Our Big Family

Both of our immediate families are a big part of our life, and both are incredibly awesome! What else can we say!? We’re blessed with parents, siblings, and in-laws that deeply care about our well-being, our successes and struggles, and who treat Mac like their own. They are all excited for the possibility of another little person joining the family.

Dusty's Family

Moving to Boise also meant moving close to my oldest brother and his family of five boys (ages 6 months-11 years), one being only two weeks older than Mac and they are best buddies. My parents are both retired and have a home in Winnemucca where I grew up, but spend most of their time at their home in Boise about 15 minutes from us, and we get to see them at least every week. Mac loves to go to “close” Papa and Grandma’s house. They have fun toys, dogs, and almost always he gets his favorite “circle sandwich” (Uncrustables) when we stop by. We try to get together for Sunday dinners or other events (birthdays, sports games, etc.) often.

I have two other brothers who don’t live close, but I keep in touch with them regularly over the phone. We also get to see them for holidays and our annual family summer vacation. We have branched out some on the location, but we have mostly done this in McCall, Idaho. My family has been going to this lake town since I was a kid. We usually spend the week hiking, playing games, spending time at the lake, mountain biking, and eating good food and enjoying each other’s company. I’m grateful to have such a good relationship with my parents and siblings and the support they give me and my family!

Hannah's Family

My parents, “far away Grandma and papa Buck,” live in Utah where I grew up. I have two brothers whose families (cousins ages 1.5 years - 8 years) live close by. It’s an easy five hour trip to Utah that we make several times a year to see them and friends. My older sister lives in Florida so we keep in touch over the phone, calling often. Plus, we don’t mind taking a warm vacation to visit the cousins there (ages 2 years - 9 years), and make a day trip to one of the DisneyWorld parks and beaches. Every summer their family goes to Utah for a few weeks, so we make sure to drive down and join in. We all just like being around each other! We’re usually outside on my parent’s back porch talking and laughing while the kids play in the yard on the trampoline, slide, bikes, or some water activity. My mom (Grandma) usually puts together a trip somewhere in Utah to have some fun enjoying the sunshine as a family.

I grew up in a sports filled home and as the grandkids are starting their own activities my parents eagerly attend those games and performances, cheering on their grandkids.

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