"WHEN THE TIME IS RIGHT, I THE LORD WILL MAKE IT HAPPEN." ISAIAH 60:22
Dear Birth Parents,
We are Ryan and Shelby and we can’t wait for the opportunity to grow our family. Adoption had been on our minds and then one day one of our close family friends handed us a sticky note with our agency's contact information as she had placed her son for adoption with Catholic Charities when she was in high school! She said she felt led to give us this information. That was the moment God truly opened up our hearts to make the decision to adopt and we have never felt more joy in the process. We finally had some hope and feel that our adoption journey is truly the one we were supposed to be on versus a fertility journey.
We have accepted this calling whole heartedly and can’t wait to see where it leads us. We are at peace with our journey and are wanting to offer support to you in any way we can. With this profile we hope we can give you an idea of our true selves and the love and support we have to offer. We are excited to join you in this journey and are praying for you every single day.
ABOUT US
We first met during our freshman year of college 2013. A family friend of Shelby’s introduced us to each other and we are so thankful because we have been together ever since. We both went to Chadron State College in Chadron, Nebraska. Shelby was a college volleyball player then coach and Ryan worked at the afterschool program and at the golf course in the summers. After graduation, we got married in Colby KS in 2019. We have lived in Colby for 5 years now and both work in the school. Ryan is the high school PE/weights teacher and is also the Head Football and Head Boys Track Coach. Shelby is the Payroll/Communications Specialist for the district and is the Head Volleyball Coach and Assistant Track Coach. We love spending time being active members in our community and supporting the students in all of the wonderful things they do. We both enjoy watching or going to any type of competitive event, not just the sports we coach! Celebrating holidays and big events are also part of our hobbies, because really who doesn't love a reason to get together and have fun and of course... cake!
We started trying to conceive in 2020 and did our 1 year of trying before we were able to be referred to our fertility clinic in Wichita. Wichita is a 4 hour drive away for us and that was our closest option so we made it work the best we could. We started out with completing all the tests and other than a large dermoid cyst on one of Shelby's ovaries everything looked promising. Our doctor was confident we would be able to get pregnant. Our first few cycles we did medicated cycles to get used to the medication and then decided to try our first intrauterine insemination more commonly known as IUI before school started. While we were still doing medicated cycles and IUI's, we noticed that the viability of the follicles were getting less and less. Shelby had surgery in May 2023 to remove the dermoid cyst and they ended up also removing stage 3 endometriosis. Feeling like we had some answers we went to start over with another plan to do intrauterine insemination which ended in a failed pregnancy resulting in another dermoid cyst. After 15+ medicated cycles and failed insemination attempts on top of the heartbreak and exhaustion from traveling, we knew it was time to take a break. We are so glad we did as it led us to this journey we are on now and we have never felt better about it!
ABOUT SHELBY
I was the first born child of my parents and their family and friends, so I was showered with love and support from the day I was born. I have always had a very outgoing personality. I loved playing with Barbies as a kid, and if I am honest that is definitely where my love of shopping for clothes came from! I was active as a kid which quickly transformed into my love for sports and competition. For a long time, I was very passionate about wanting to be a basketball player. College women's basketball captured my attention early on and I was a huge fan, especially for the Tennessee Lady Vols! Not to mention Pat Summitt was my idol! Towards the end of middle school though is when the flip switched and I really became dedicated to volleyball. Volleyball has always felt very natural to me and the joy I felt playing was unmatched.
As my focus shifted towards volleyball, I became very passionate about being the best I could be in high school. I prioritized training not only on the court but in the weight room which I found to be very fun. I did club volleyball and lessons in the winter and spring, and spent my summers at multiple camps at high level colleges looking to get better so I could compete at the college level. I was fortunate enough to have several colleges make offers for sports scholarships and made the decision to accept a full ride scholarship to play volleyball at Chadron State College. I played there for two years then due to suffering from a series of concussions, I had to say goodbye to my sports career.I was able to kick start my coaching career and stay with the team as an assistant student coach.
Ryan and I moved back to Colby in December of 2018 where Ryan student taught and I was blessed to have the opportunity to join the staff as an assistant volleyball coach at Colby Community College. It was the most amazing experience to work alongside my now best friend Carey who is not only a phenomenal coach but an even better person. I coached alongside her for the best 5 years and got to coach some amazing athletes who have gone on to do great things. Even though I moved over to the high school to be the head coach there, I still look to her for advice and our teams get to celebrate each other every fall.
In 2022, I was hired as the Head Volleyball Coach at Colby High School and was also hired on as a K-4 special education para. While it was a very hard transition it was my most favorite thing. I had a blast being in the classroom with a former high school teammate, Madison, who now teaches 1st grade and is such a special friend! I was blessed to have worked with 4 total kiddos in her class, but 2 higher needs kids stole my heart (and still have it to this day) one with autism and the other with Spinal Muscular Atrophy. Between that and coaching volleyball, basketball, and track I have found so much joy and my purpose. This year I took a different job in our district and am now the Payroll/Communications Specialist and still coaching volleyball and track. I have the opportunity to manage or develop our district’s social media and website where I can showcase all the amazing things our staff does for our students.giving back to the community and serving the kids in our school district is something very close to my heart. I can’t wait to share the love and support we have received with our child.
About Shelby's Family
I won't ever have enough words to describe how blessed I am with my family. We are an incredibly tight-knit family that loves hard and gives endless support. That not only comes from my parents but my grandparents as well. I am so lucky and know that they will spoil our children like my brother and I were. I cherish my relationship with all of them very much!
My dad, Chris grew up in Callaway, NE which is not very far from where Ryan grew up. He attended Chadron State College and played football. He started out teaching and coaching in Nebraska until we moved here to Kansas in 2006. He taught social studies and science along with coaching football, basketball, and track! His passion was coaching football. I always joke that if I didn't fall in love with volleyball I would've been a football coach just like him. My favorite thing was tagging a long to all of his practices after school no matter the sport. I got my love of competition and coaching from him. In 2017, he went back to school at Fort Hays University to obtain his masters in education. After 20 years of teaching and coaching, he decided to take on administration. He spent 8 years as the Middle School Principal in Colby. This school year he will start a new chapter and will be 7-12th Grade Principal at Hoxie Public Schools and will get to dive back into his love for football and will also be the High School Assistant Football Coach.
My mom Renae grew up in Littleton, CO. She spent a lot of her childhood camping and hiking in the mountains or going to the lake with her parents and other family. She played volleyball and basketball in high school. My mom also attended Chadron State College and studied psychology and that is where my parents met. After college, she worked for Region II Human Services in their Nebraska offices until 2018. She now works at Colby High School as the College and Career Advocate. My mom never once missed one of our games from grade school on to college and was always the first one in the stands. She made every thing special and fun from the first day of school to every holiday with the best decorations, food and games. She and I share a love for shopping, so we like to make time to go together when we can, and those are my favorite days.
I have one brother, Tobin and we are 8 years apart. When I found out my mom was pregnant with him, I was so excited to be a big sister. However if you asked me when I was a teenage girl with a younger brother I might have felt differently. He would say the same thing about me too, as he was drug to so many gyms and volleyball games as a kid. He was a Star Wars, Indiana Jones and lego loving kid. But after I went to college our relationship got stronger and stronger. I moved back to Colby just as Tobin became a freshman in high school so I was able to be around for that part of his life and that was very special to me. It was fun to see him wear the #26 on a Colby jersey like I did. He graduated high school and attended Colby Community College for 1 year and competed in track. He transferred and has now graduated from Fort Hays State University with his degree in Sports and Recreation Management and Administration. After graduation, he moved to Springfield, MO and entered a masters program at Drury University and is working as a graduate assistant in the Sports Information Department. Tobin has enjoyed lifting and traveling. I am so proud of the man he has become and can't wait to be a part of the rest of his life milestones.
ABOUT RYAN
I grew up in a small town of 700 people in Sargent, Nebraska. Both of my parents were in education for many years. They are now retired and chasing around grandchildren. My dad was a PE Teacher and Coach of many things and my mom was a kindergarten teacher. I like to say that I took over the family business of education but I know I stepped into the shoes of my role models.
I was one of the younger kids in my family and I was the baby of my immediate family. I grew up with two older sisters and they were both off to college by the time I was in 3rd Grade. One of my favorite parts of my childhood was when I became an Uncle. I was young, but it was an experience watching them grow up. I have 2 nieces and 3 nephews. There are many memories of our experiences together.
Growing up I had great parents that were very supportive of me and everything that I did. There wasn’t a game or event that at least one of them was in attendance. I was blessed to have both of my parents in the same school I was in. A large amount of time in my childhood was spent on a field or a court. I was lucky enough to have a very successful high school career in school and sports. As I grew up I knew education and coaching was in my future.
I started school at University of Nebraska-Kearney in Kearney Nebraska and then transferred to Chadron State in Chadron, Nebraska after a semester. Little did I know, my life would change that Christmas Break. My physical Therapist mentioned a family friend of theirs was a volleyball player there and suggested I should look after her. I took this as, introduce myself as soon as possible. From there Shelby and I have not had a day where we were not in contact of some sort.
After graduating from Chadron State in 2018 with a degree in kindergarten-twelfth grade Health and PE, and grades sixth-twelfth coaching endorsement, I student-taught in Colby, KS, for a semester. After that I spent 2 years teaching at a small school in Nebraska until returning to Colby in 2020. I have been teaching strength and physical education in Colby for five years now, and I am the head football coach and boys' head track coach in Colby
ABOUT RYAN'S FAMILY
I was blessed to grow up in a town with all of my cousins, aunts, and uncles. There were many family gatherings for holidays and football games. Some of my favorite memories come from everyone meeting at grandma's house. In our family we have farms, business owners and educators.
Steph is my oldest sister, we lived in the same house for a short amount of time as she graduated when I was in kindergarten but she always took the role of the care taker even when she wasn't around. She always made sure to check in on me and still does. My other sister Kari is the middle child and she graduated when I was a 3rd grader so we are a little closer in age and I spent more time with her. Kari and I are both competitive so we had more of the sibling rivalry relationship and I like that she brings that side out in me. I still have a good and close relationship with both of my sisters and like to be active in my nieces and nephews lives.
My dad has coached me in about everything I can remember. He played a large role in my athletic career and has always pushed me to be my best even if it was off the field like a farm project or house project we did together. Our bond is very much still driven by sports and projects. I enjoy our phone calls after my games now and talking about things I am doing in our house here in Colby.
My mom and I have a really good relationship because of her never-ending support. She has always been a nurturer and taught me to be kind and caring to everyone I know. She and I are similar in our quiet and structured approach to things. My favorite thing is when we go home to visit her and I get up early before everyone else and catch up over coffee and making breakfast for everyone.
DEWEY & DELLA SUE
We have two very spoiled weenie pups in our home. They both very much love attention and are also playful. If you have a blanket with you it is not long before 1 or both of them are snuggled up to you buried under the blanket. They like to be around and involved and we have no doubt they will be great fur siblings when they are promoted!
Dewey was our first fur baby and he was born on 12.13.14 so he will be 10 this year! He is a standard red long haired dachshund. He is our outgoing one! He is playful and expressive and is our fearless protector. He has a green squeaky ball that he loves to play with and sometimes he squeaks it so often we think that is how he talks to us! If he is not cuddled up to you, you can find him on the back of the couch looking out the window making sure he has eyes on the neighborhood.
Della Sue is our newest addition to our family. She is a miniature black short haired dachshund. She came to our house in October from a local breeder. She turned 3 on 12.3.23. Della is a little more reserved than her brother. She will play when she is up to it but she is more focused on treats and cuddles. She is our burrower, so she often gives us a good scare when we can't find her because she has chosen to find herself in the laundry basket of warm clothes or a pile of blankets. She has been the perfect companion for Dewey.
THERE IS NO PLACE LIKE HOME
OUR HOME
We live in a 4 bedroom 2 bathroom house close to the grade school and middle school in town. It is an older model home but we have enjoyed upgrading it and making it our own. It has thick white trim in every room and high ceilings which we love. We have two bedrooms and one bath on our main floor and then the same upstairs. We also have an unfinished basement that Ryan works on little by little. He has his office down there.
OUR ADVENTURES
We have been blessed to be able to see some wonderful things together as a couple with our family and friends! We still love exploring and seeing new things and can't wait to continue exploring and seeing new places with our child!
COMMUNITY: A big strong circle of helping hands. They are there when you need to be heard, accepted, and loved.
We have SO many special people in our lives to be thankful for. From our family, to friends, to our community we are well taken care of and the love and support we receive is truly unmatched. The best part about it, is knowing all of these people will do the same for a child and their birth parents when we are lucky enough to be chosen. It has been such an amazing experience being a part of so many lives through coaching and being in the school district. We all know it takes a village to raise a child and we can't imagine a better village than the one we have.
If you have any questions or would like to contact us, please call or email our Social Worker, Lori with Catholic Charities of Southwest Kansas. Her office number is 620-792-1393. You may also reach her by email at ltitsworth@CatholicCharitiesswks.org