Feeling ever so slightly more confident last night, pinning pockets into place. Each small point, a moment of patience; each adjustment, a conversation between hand and cloth. There is something so special in learning slowly, imperfectly, discovering that joy doesn’t arrive all at once, but gathers itself quietly in these acts of making.
Learning something new is difficult, can make you cry, and is worth every bit of it!
Excited to share my first sewn garment! Pattern by Friday Pattern Company (@fridaypatterncompany ). Corduroy by Atelier Brunette in Paris, buttons by Lise Tailor in Lyon, and none of this would have been possible without the lessons, patience, and kindness of Samuel Donovan (@samueljdonovan ) at Cotton Candy Fabrics (@cottoncandyfabricshop )
Working slowly, letting color leap and rest.
I kept thinking about color skipping like notes in a song, drifting and returning. This quilt has been growing one block at a time, carrying the same soft burst of joy I feel when I look at “The Rose Cloud” by Henri-Edmond Cross.
The Pentaculum residency continues to be a deeply special experience to me, fostering meaningful relationships in my life again and again!
I first attended in 2017 as a participant, then spent years as a coordinator’s assistant and coordinator, and this year had the privilege of a one-time return co-coordinating the ceramics studio with the incredible Lynne Hobaica.
25 ceramic artists, over 100 artists across studios, from all over the U.S. and one special traveler from Denmark.
The conversations around making, teaching, and building meaningful lives filled me to the brim as we stepped together into the new year.
Thank you, Pentaculum 2026, for endless amounts of laughter and continuing to feel like family. 🤍
More photos to come — Instagram caps tagging at 20 people, which feels rude considering this crew.
Dear friends, family, and everyone in between,
If we could hug you through this phone, we would. In just three days, we exceeded our GoFundMe goal. We keep pinching each other, if that helps convey our emotional state. Once, a friend held the door for me and, trying to be polite, I said, “You don’t have to do that…” Before I could finish, she cut me off with, “Just say thank you.” So, taking that lesson to heart: thank you.
To everyone who donated, shared, or left kind words, your love and support have made a lasting impact on our lives. Each of you have touched our lives in ways we never could have imagined. Our promise to you as we work to grow our family is that we will hold one another close, love unconditionally, and one day work to pay the kindness you have shown us forward.
Over the next few weeks, we will be scheduling our consultation, tackling paperwork, and preparing for our home study in the new year.
If you are just discovering our GoFundMe and feel moved to be a part of our story, please know that any additional support will go directly toward our adoption process. We set our goal where we did because anything higher felt out of reach, but the road ahead is long and winding both financially and emotionally, and we will continue to keep you updated on the major milestones.
With so much love & gratitude, Max + Ryan
A close friend once shared that he overheard me in college talking to a peer about how I hoped to have kids someday and how my dream was to be a father. He reminded me that saying those dreams out loud was something gay men in decades past could never do so freely. Recently, I was telling Ryan how I used to keep my mom company in the kitchen while she cooked and once asked her, “Do you think gay marriage will ever be legal nationwide?” It really makes you think about how far we’ve come. If I could tell that younger version of myself anything, I’d say, “Hold on, because your life is going to get fuller than you can imagine.”
We woke up this morning to learn we’ve hit over 90% of our goal, and I’m grateful I had a box of tissues within reach. We are truly so fortunate, and the words “Thank You” doesn’t scratch the surface of how much we appreciate everyone who has donated, shared, or sent kind words our way.
We were so hesitant to ask for help, but the love we’ve received has made one phrase ring true: joy shared is joy amplified.
We’re now looking closely at the numbers and preparing to officially sign with our agency, taking it one step at a time as we continue building towards what’s ahead.
For now, please know the difference you’ve made in our lives. You will all be part of our future child’s story, and they will grow up knowing they have a fierce community behind them and a kind of love that is almost impossible to measure.
Waking up this morning to the amount of support we’ve received has left us overwhelmed with gratitude for the love and kindness being sent our way — and in less than one day, we’ve already reached 50% of our goal. To all who have donated, shared, or left kind words, thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
We began this journey a little over a year ago. We researched our options, asked endless questions, and held each other close as we started climbing a mountain that once felt far too big to face.
We first explored foster-to-adopt, but the primary goal of that program is reunification with the birth family. We realized we couldn’t open our home and hearts to a child and also be prepared to say goodbye so quickly.
Private adoption brings a different set of challenges and can cost $50,000+, and while it aligns most closely with the path that feels right for us, we have been very careful in how we approach sharing our story so that our child never feels their identity is tied to a cost.
After speaking with others who’ve been through this process and researching agencies, we finally found the one that feels like the right fit for us. We’ve completed the required two-day workshop, and thanks to your generosity, we’re so much closer to becoming clients of the agency.
We truly wouldn’t be here without you, and we want to take a moment to say thank you. No, really, thank YOU.
Our next steps, once we’ve signed on with the agency, are completing our home study and building our online profile so we can officially become waiting parents.
More updates to come as we reach the next milestones.
With endless love and gratitude,
Max and Ryan
Excited to share that Ryan and I are beginning our adoption journey. Asking for help doesn’t come naturally to either of us, but we’ve created a GoFundMe to help support our adoption process.
We’ve included the link to our story in my bio. We’re so grateful for anyone who feels moved to be a part of this chapter with us. Your support, in any form, truly means the world.
.
Link to our story in my bio
Grateful to be home in the community that raised me. As a fourth generation member of this community, it still feels like the safest place to land. Special thanks to my partner for finding a home with space for both a quilting and ceramics studio 🩵
