Scarlett Johansson and Ryan Reynold married in a low-key ceremony in 2008, and have made no secret of their desire to have a family together. Scarlett`s mother Melanie recently adopted a baby girl from Ethiopia, and the actress has been so taken with her new sibling she and Ryan have decided they want to give an orphaned child a home too.

"Scarlett spent the first two years of married life focused primarily on her career. But now it seems she`s going to make the next two years all about her family," a source told Look magazine.

"She and Ryan are in the midst of meeting with adoption advisors because they`re planning on following in Scarlett`s mom`s footsteps and adopting a baby from Africa. They always knew their first baby would be adopted - it was only ever an issue of when. Ryan`s older brother is adopted and they want to get their baby settled before bringing biological kids into the mix."

The couple are hoping to be able to give a baby a home next year, and are looking at adopting from Ethiopia, Ghana or Liberia. They are then planning to have two biological children within the following five years.

Scarlett, 25, and her 33-year-old spouse recently put their Los Angeles home up for sale. They don`t want to raise kids in the city as they want their children to have a normal life and not be followed by paparazzi.

Earlier this week, it was reported they have bought a run-down farmhouse rural Louisiana which they are planning to renovate. It is now thought they may raise a family there.
sections: Celebrities