Taron R.

I have known Tevan his whole life. I’m lucky enough to be his older brother. I could spend a long time talking about his quick wit and his sense of humor, his amazing artistic ability, his dashing good looks, or his amazing older brother, but I need to talk about him a little deeper. Tevan has always been better at everything than me. When we were younger (and when he still looked up to me) he would always do what I did, but better. For example, I taught myself how to juggle. Tevan taught himself to juggle AND ride a unicycle. I know that is not a skill that has benefited either of us now, but Tevan has the ability to see ways to make everything better. He never did it out of competition; it is just the way he thinks. “This would be cooler if….” About the time I got home from my mission in 2006 I realized how much cooler he was than me. I have looked up to him ever since. He is always working on projects to make his home better, or working on making some cool new toy, or getting into a new hobby. He has inspired me to improve my home and to get into new hobbies. Because of him I have started working on projects at home. That has given me an opportunity to teach and to be an example to my son, and someday my daughter. When Tevan gets to become a dad, I have no doubt that he will improve on what I have done and will be a better father than I will ever be. He will inspire greatness – not out of competition, but out of his love for those he cares for and his ability to improve. Everyone would benefit from having Tevan in their lives. I know I have.

“He will inspire greatness – not out of competition, but out of his love for those he cares for”

I haven’t known Ris her whole life, just about the past 6 years, but this is what I know. Ris has a heart two sizes too big. She is the oldest child in her family and by nature is a carer. She has been a nanny to several kids and has loved each of them like she would her own. Each of those times, when circumstances changed and she no longer was their nanny, it broke her heart. She still gets emotional when she gets to video chat with them. She feels A LOT of feelings. Because of this, she has this superhuman ability to empathize with anyone. She doesn’t just feel sorry for someone when they feel sad or hurt. She is in their heart, feeling those things along with them—which also makes her super fun to be around when you’re happy or excited! She has done everything in her power to become a mom. When she gets to become a mom there is no doubt that she will open up the flood gates of her heart into that child. They will not have enough room in their whole body to hold it all.

These two are a couple of my favorite people. They are amazing parents. They are just missing their babies. If something awful happened to my wife and me, Tevan and Ris are high on our list of people we would send our kids to be with. I know they would love, teach, and inspire them to be better versions of themselves. Please help them find their family.

Taron R.

Samantha R.

My husband is the sixth in line in a family of seven. When I was still dating Taron, I was beyond intimidated and scared to meet two of the eight people from his family; his mom and his little brother Tevan. I think it is safe to say that I don’t need to explain why I was nervous to meet his mother. Then there was this little brother that I had heard so much about. It was clear that Tevan was important to Taron and if I needed to impress anyone, it was him. It turns out I didn’t need to worry. Right away Tevan made me feel comfortable without even knowing he was doing it. It was also immediately clear why Taron loves him so much. Tevan has the type of personality that is easy to like. He is kind hearted, friendly, easy going, and fun. 

Over the years I have noticed the way all the Ratliff men treat both their mother and their wives. I have always been struck by the kindness, respect and love they show their mother and how they are always taking care of their wives with patience, love and tenderness. Tevan is no exception. He is a part of a long line of men who love their families and will put their needs before their own.

Many of the things I love about my husband are brought out when he is around his little brother. Together they are fun, silly and adventurous. They are the happy outlet their family needs. And when they are apart, Tevan inspires him to spend his time on projects that either improves our home or is just plain fulfilling and fun.  He inspires Taron to do more than just relax on his time off, but to spend his time creating something to be proud of. And you can bet Tevan is the first person Taron is excited to show off his projects to! 

“Ris already knows everything about taking care of different babies and children. Now she just needs her own to pour out her love to”

Ris is a mother just waiting to officially be a mother. She has the ability to love deeply and freely. She has had experience as a Nanny with several families. I have personally seen the way she interacted with one of her families. To her, those children were her family. They loved her, and there was no doubt that she loved them.  I’ve got to say, she was pretty awesome at her job. There will be no learning curve as a new mother for Ris, she already knows everything about taking care of different babies and children. Now she just needs her own to pour out her love to.

Just like Tevan, Ris is the type of person that you like right away. She is so full of life. She is happy, passionate, and has this excitement for everyday life that you can’t help but feel yourself when your around her.  She is quick to laugh and have fun but also quick to notice when someone needs a listening ear. People feel comfortable around her and are not afraid to open up because she is understanding, not judgmental, and makes it clear that she cares. She has even been able to make my shy little boy open up and have fun. That isn’t always an easy thing to do! We have lots of family, so our son doesn’t remember who all of his aunts and uncles are, but he remembers his Uncle Tevan and Aunt Ris!

Tevan and Ris belong together. They make each other laugh, they take care of one another, and they are happy. They are just waiting for someone else to join in on all the love! 

Samantha R.

Dan & Stacy T.

We've know the Ratliff's for what feels like forever in the best way. Dan and Ris have been friends since 8th grade. I have been best friends with Ris for over 12 years. We met Tevan when Ris started dating him 8 years ago.

Our two kids absolutely adore Ris and Tevan and have a super close bond with them. They are always so excited when the Ratliffs come over to our house. Our son Joseph loves to show Tevan his new Lego sets and the cities he's built in Minecraft. Our daughter Izzy loves to show them her kitty toys. They are both always so interested and engaged in what our kids are talking to them about.

They go out of their way to make our kids feel special. They even dressed up as kitty's for Izzy's birthday party! They know our family so well and always pick out the perfect gifts for us. I know life is not about presents or things — It's just awesome that they play such close attention to us that they know exactly what we would love to have or need.

We did play dates with them when Ris was Nannying. Ris is so patient and kind with all the kids. She really loves children so much. There were times we would visit them in Vegas on the weekend and they would have the kids she nannied. We would still go out to eat or do fun activities. They both were perfectly at ease with the kids no matter what we did. I think that most people get overwhelmed to take small children out and about, but they didn’t skip a beat. 

Ris and Tevan are such good people. They helped us move and renovate our house. We would be stressed to the max and have so much to do and the Ratliffs would show up out of the blue and help us get so much done on multiple occasions. Even though they were so busy with work and school themselves, they went out of their way to help. 

“What a truly amazing thing it is to be able to love unconditionally”

Friends are the family you choose. The Ratliffs are 100% our family, even though there is no blood relation. What a truly amazing thing it is to be able to love unconditionally. Ris and Tevan are going to be such amazing parents!

We love the Ratliffs!!

Dan & Stacy T.

Tara B.

Ris and Tevan will be the best of the best parents! Ris has had more than a decade of experience in taking care of and loving other peoples’ children as her own. She also played a big part in helping to raise me and my siblings when we were younger. As my oldest sister she was practically my second mother and made sure I felt loved, appreciated, and taken care of. 

“He always seems to know how to make them laugh and smile because really, he’s a kid, just like them, at heart”

Tevan is also a very kind-hearted soul and has a wonderful affinity for kids. I have seen him on several occasions interacting with kids. He always seems to know how to make them laugh and smile because really, he’s a kid, just like them, at heart. 

Both Ris and Tevan still look after me, even now, and make sure I am doing well and succeeding at whatever I’m doing. They have played a significant part in me growing up as a teen and moving on to adulthood at college. I strongly believe they will be the most wonderful parents a kid could ask for and they deserve it more than anyone I know. 

Tara B.

Mariana S.

When I had my first baby (I am now a mother of 3), I had no idea what I was doing. I didn't understand sleep cycles, breastfeeding was difficult at first, I was exhausted all the time, and in general just feeling completely overwhelmed.

Ris started as our nanny when my oldest was six weeks old. After being at home with my daughter, alone quite often during my maternity leave, I was excited that an expert was about to come help me (and give me some much needed burst of time alone). I loved being a new mom, but at the same time after a while I craved just a little bit of me time - even if it was to wander around Target for an hour with no interruptions. 

“Ris really taught me so many things about caring for a baby and she did it with so much love”

Starting from the very first day, Ris really taught me so many things about caring for a baby and she did it with so much love. I didn't know that young babies needed to take a nap about 45 minutes after waking up! Madeleine didn't nap for me, but Ris immediately got her on a schedule that made everyone in the house so much happier and well rested. She also, I could tell, truly cared about my daughter and was invested in her development and future. I could trust her, and that was critical for me, as a full time mom a great nanny is not easy to find.

Ris stayed with us during our time in Vegas which lasted almost four years. My son was born about 18 months after my daughter, and then another 18 months after that I had my 3rd child. When we moved across the country, Ris moved with us for the first six months. This made our transition 100x easier (it was still hard, but I didn't need to worry so much about the kids handling all the change because there was an important constant in their lives). 

We were so sad when Ris had to leave us. We didn't just lose our nanny, we lost what felt like part of our family. We stay in touch still, a few years later, and the older kids remember her and love to FaceTime. I would recommend Ris to any family because she knows what she is doing and she loves kids (and they love her!) from the bottom of her heart.

Mariana S.

Vicki R.

   Tevan and Ris will make amazing parents!  Tevan is the youngest of seven kids, so he has been able to be an uncle while still in high school.  He is an awesome uncle, who plays with the kids, but also teaches them things and is incredibly patient while they learn.  Tevan is also an unfailingly cheerful person, who doesn’t let stuff keep him down for long.

“Tevan is also an unfailingly cheerful person, who doesn’t let stuff keep him down for long”

   When Ris came into our lives, we quickly learned that she is a terrific aunt!  She also will play with the kids, and talk to them about what is going on in their lives.  She has an enormous love and respect for children.  I have seen her in her role as nanny - and she loved and cared for those children as if they were her own - they still sort of are!

   These two remarkable people will be wonderful parents.  They have waited a long time, and they will appreciate every moment of being parents.

Vicki R.

Joanna & Matt P.

We have known Ris and Tevan for over 8 years. They have been great friends to us, mentors to us when we adopted our son, and an amazing example to us over the years of resiliency and passion through hard times and great times.

“She can recognize needs and knows how to meet them, and is devoted to any within her care”

Ris’s work as a nanny makes her one of the best qualified mothers-to-be I can imagine. Her knowledge and love of children and ability to work with them is outstanding. She can recognize needs and knows how to meet them, and is devoted to any within her care. We went to her multiple times with questions about our baby; each time she was able to see things that our baby needed quickly and had great suggestions and ideas to help him sleep, eat, and develop happily.

Tevan is kind, caring, and always supportive of Ris and the others in his life. He is a hard worker and can be depended on in thick and thin. Children love Tevan’s kind and gentle disposition, he is a good friend to people of all ages. We are so grateful for our friendship with Ris and Tevan and can’t wait to see them as parents to some lucky little baby. They will be amazing parents, 

Joanna & Matt P.

Jazmin B.

Seven years ago I moved to New Jersey for a nanny job. The only reason I did so? My sister Ris. I watched for years how she loved and cared for her own nanny children across the country. My sister has been caring after other’s children for more than a decade. Nannying isn’t easy, but she made every day look like an absolute breeze. She felt fulfilled and made those children feel special and loved every single moment, during fun, silly dance parties AND the toddler tantrums. To be quite honest, I have not met anyone more qualified or more eager to be a mom.

Of course, those qualifications only grew throughout the years. Especially once she married Tevan, the kindest, silliest, sweetest man in this world. After being married for a few years, they decided to move to Las Vegas for a new nanny job. I don’t think they knew how much this job would impact their life. It was Ris’s job, but I watched countless Snapchat videos of both of them going on adventures with those three kids. Tevan loved those kids just as much as Ris. It was beautiful to see! 

“They are so dedicated and determined to build their family”

After nearly four years with this family, they decided to move back to Utah to work with a fertility specialist to start trying to have their own children. Ris was completely devastated to leave those kiddos, but she and Tevan were excited to start building their own family. That excitement diminished as multiple IVF attempts devastated them emotionally and, for Ris, physically. It was difficult to watch my sister start to crumble after these losses. Yet, she never gave up on her dream of her family. When they made the decision to adopt, I watched Ris and Tevan fill with hope and strength. They are so dedicated and determined to build their family. It will happen for them and they will be the best parents to those children. The absolute best!

Jazmin B.

Jaylyn P.

Ris and Tevan are more than worthy of a fairy tale on their own. The love they share, the excitement they bring to life, the dedication to the people who are important to them. It’s a beautiful narrative of compassion, commitment to values and connection, self-awareness and self-improvement, and overcoming relentless obstacles. The grit, the reality of what makes for the perfect story. 

“I’ve had first hand experiences of both Ris and Tevan’s willingness, capability, and desire to fiercely love those around them”

But their story isn’t finished. I’ve known Ris for over a decade. And in that time I’ve seen her be a better mother than I ever even hoped to be, to children who were not her own. I’ve had first hand experiences of both Ris and Tevan’s willingness, capability, and desire to fiercely love those around them. I can think of no better place, no better home, no better parents than these two people who want nothing more than a child to cherish, nourish, foster, and love unconditionally.

Jaylyn P.

Pam B.

Ris is the oldest of 6 children. She has always been a great big sister. There is a 7 year gap between the first 3 children and the last three. When Ris was in middle school and high school she would take her younger brother and sister with her and her friends. It was never a burden. She was very close with all her siblings. The younger siblings always looked forward to her being home and going places with her. They knew she loved them and they adored her. 

Ris has worked as a Professional Nanny since 2005.That same love and devotion she had for her brothers and sisters carried over into caring for “her kids” in each family she nannied for. Throughout her adult life, she worked for multiple families and showered each of their children with attention, love, and affection. Her bookshelves are covered in framed photos of her with all the kids she has cared for over the years.

Ris truly helped raise those beautiful babies. She read to them, taught them how to sleep through the night, fed them, taught them to be potty trained. Sprayed “monster spray” under beds and in closets when they were too afraid to sleep. She played games with them, taught them how to share, how to be patient. How not to be spoiled. Took them to dance classes, gymnastics, music class. Took them to the library, taught them how to be polite. She knows their favorite colors, their favorite animals, favorite movies and stories. She was there to take them to the doctors when they were sick and when they needed shots. She took them trick or treating. She would clean up their messes when they got sick. And taught them how to clean up their own messes when playing. She still loves each them as if they were her own children.

Tevan is the youngest of 7 children. He might not have had younger siblings to help raise, but he has 20 nieces and Nephews. He, of course, is the favorite Uncle! He loves to play games with them rough house on the trampoline. I have seen Tevan take a special interest in his youngest brothers- and sister-in-law. They were young when Ris and Tevan first got married. Soon after they got married, Tevan made a potato canon and would take the boys to the fields to go shoot off potatoes. He helped put together a basketball hoop and then played basketball with the boys. He spends hours playing board games with his youngest brother-in-law. He taught another how to ride a unicycle. He also is a great tease. Every time he comes for a visit, he turns a photo of his sister-in-law upside down. He was very involved with the children in the last family that Ris Nannied. Tevan installed all the baby proof gates and locks in the family’s home. When he was around he would hold them, play with, and tease them. The children loved having him around!

“No matter how that child comes into their life, they will be great parents and create a wonderful family with so many adventures, lots of learning new things, and sharing so much unconditional love”

Ris and Tevan have had challenges in their lives, just like most of us, but they try to look on the bright side of things. One of their biggest challenges is having so much love to share and not being able to share it with a child of their own. No matter how that child comes into their life, they will be great parents and create a wonderful family with so many adventures, lots of learning new things, and sharing so much unconditional love. Family is so important to both Tevan and Ris. Not just the one they are trying to create, but the families they grew up in. We are so excited to share our unconditional love and welcome new little ones into our great big Family.

Pam B.

Ross C.

Clarissa or Ris as we all call her, is the second oldest of my 24 grandchildren as well as the oldest of her five siblings.  She has worked for more than a decade as a nanny. With all of my interactions over the years with Ris, she has shown exemplary love, admiration and devotion to her extended family members, her siblings and the children of her employers when she served as a nanny.

“I am convinced that she will show an even greater degree of love, devotion and protection to a cherished child of her own”

I am convinced that she will show an even greater degree of love, devotion and protection to a cherished child of her own.  I look forward to personally witnessing Ris' and her equally devoted husband Tevan, as they expand their loving relationship to include a child of their own.   I also look forward to welcoming another sweet baby into our growing number of great grandchildren.

Ross C.