Courtney & Josh

Hello! Our names are Josh and Courtney Reiman. We are embarking on our first adoption journey. We live in San Francisco, CA and are excited, yet nervous for this next chapter, as we know the adoption process is unique each time. In this book, we have attempted to give you a sense of who we are, what we care about, and how we choose to be in this world as individuals and as a family. We want to be open about our story and what brought us here. We also want to acknowledge we don’t know you yet, but come to this place with humility, and with respect for your own story. We want to provide a loving home for another child and seek to be a partner with you as we go through this process. Thank you for reading about our family.

We were friends for years before we became partners. Josh had a secret crush on Courtney for years, but she was not available. However, in time, we realized our feelings had changed. Once we realized that, on New Year’s Eve no less, our relationship moved forward quickly. Courtney moved from Seattle to Washington, DC after six months to be with Josh. After Josh returned from a summer working in Ethiopia, we moved in together. We lived in Washington, DC for two years before moving back to the west coast, to San Francisco, so Courtney could pursue a new career. After four years together, we got married on Stinson Beach, 45 minutes north of San Francisco, in front of 125 friends and family. We have now been married for nearly seven years.

We have always known we wanted multiple children. Josh grew up with a twin sister, and Courtney grew up with two sisters. We enjoyed our years together as a couple, and both pursued graduate degrees that required significant time and energy from us. Our son Forest arrived in Courtney’s fifth year of her doctorate program. Forest is now four years old. Since we began considering adoption, Forest, unknowing of this process now tells us candidly how much he would love to have a sibling. We are at a place in our life as a family now where we are building a future together and would love to welcome your child into our loving home and to offer that special relationship to Forest and your child.

Courtney is an amazing person. She has somehow managed to be both incredibly driven individually, while retaining the capacity to care immensely for those in her family. On the personal side, she has developed expertise in multiple fields, first as a professional ballet dancer, then as a fluent Japanese speaker, followed by becoming a nonprofit executive, and in her latest professional incarnation, she is now an acupuncturist and founder of a perinatal wellness start-up, Akin. At the same time, she is a present and loving mother and partner, quick to love on her boys when times are tough, but also jokes, wrestles, laughs, and thinks and discusses issues in the world in all the other moments. Despite her many talents and admirable qualities, the thing she thinks she still does best in the world - and I agree - is be a Mom. She will love your child immensely and support them to grow into the person that is true and authentic to their sense of self.

Josh is the guy that every person wants to get to know. He is affable and inclusive to everyone he meets, and also craves deep and thoughtful conversations with others about life and almost anything. He does not stray from differing opinions; instead he leans into conversations that could otherwise be perceived as controversial with kindness, respect and with a genuine interest to learn a different idea or perspective. He is led by curiosity and his genuine love for life; this is seen in his unwavering positive outlook on life. He makes every person in his world feel that they are heard, seen, and that they matter. He fathers in such a loving, patient and respectful way and always encourages Forest to be his truest and best self. He sets great importance on sincere listening and communication within the family and this has definitely influenced Forest to grow into a thoughtful, compassionate and open-minded young boy. Josh is also one of the funniest guys you’ll ever meet and is game to turn into a robot, a wolf or anything fantastical at any turn. You can rest assured that your child will be supported and loved like no other with Josh in their life.

Forest is a joyful and emotive little boy. He is a true empath - feeling every emotion fully. He laughs. He cries. He regularly shares his feelings. He tells jokes and laughs at himself. He is affectionate and seeks out hugs from others. When Mom comes home from work, he is ready to snuggle in her arms. Forest loves to play games, especially when they involve your imagination. As Forest’s interest in dinosaurs and now all kinds of animals (or “aminals” as he still calls them) has exploded, we are in daily wrestling matches as we each pretend to be different animals. Today one of us may be an Edmontosaurus and he is a T-Rex. Tomorrow he might insist on being an “adult, female, spotted jaguar” while we are a caiman. A wrestling match “in the river” then commences. At his core, he is a curious and caring kid. He checks in with his friends voluntarily when his friends are hurt, emotionally or physically. He is at a stage where he wants to understand how everything works and why things are the way they are in the world. He will embrace having a sibling and will shower them with hugs and kisses, and then probably try to explain everything he has learned so far in life to them, whether they are ready or not!

This next step in our life as a family is one we are really committed to and excited about. We believe deeply in open adoptions and welcome the opportunity to get to know you and ultimately, maintain a positive relationship with you, to whatever degree feels right over time, and that supports your child throughout their life. The relationship you have with your child will naturally be unique from the one we build with them. We want to respect and care for the process of developing a relationship with you, alongside the journey of bringing your child into our family and loving them fully. We are committed to doing everything in our power to create a safe and healthy environment for them to grow up, to learn about themselves and others, and develop into a confident, respectful, and loving person.

This is a list we developed in our early years as a couple. We shared them as our vows at our wedding, and now we see them as family values we share with Forest. We believe these are the best representation of what we strive for as individuals and as a family. 1. In challenging times, I will stand with you and hold your hand. 2. I will nurture curiosity and be open to the unknown. 3. When I get stuck, I will look to you to go forward with faith. 4. I will fight for our dreams. 5. I will strive to be my most vibrant, peaceful, and grateful self. 6. I will help you find courage to embrace what desires to grow or change within. 7. I will preserve our sacred gift of intuitive expression. 8. I will live simply and with intention. 9. I will build community with you while celebrating the individual gifts of myself and others. 10. I will be expressive and clear, and speak and act from the heart.

Courtney loves to: Be with family Laugh Cook and eat well Spend quality time with friends and family Be outdoors Host theme parties - for adults or children! Play with Forest and his friends Have engaging conversations Do yoga, run and bike Take baths at night Josh loves to: Laugh Hug Meet new people Swim in the Bay Read nonfiction Run early in the morning Camp and hike Watch thought-provoking films Create things together Host big all-afternoon picnics with many, many friends Forest loves to: Snuggle Read books Ride his bike Learn about animals and dinosaurs Pretend to be animals and dinosaurs Eat pasta, cheese, apple sauce, olives, beans, dried mango, nuts, and kale Build legos Wrestle with his older cousins (or anyone who will do it with him) Jump on the trampoline in the backyard

Our experiences living, working, and traveling to different parts of the world (throughout Asia, Africa, Europe, and South America collectively) have strengthened our belief in the value of seeing people and cultures that are different from our own. We will do everything we can to provide opportunities for your child to experience the world beyond where they immediately grow up. They will learn to see people who are different from themselves as a starting point to learn and grow, to ask questions, to listen, and to think about the things we have in common and that distinguish us from each other.

We are blessed to have an incredible community of friends who, in place of our extended families living in the near vicinity of San Francisco, have become our friend family in every way. Living in a city has fostered deep friendships from a growing group of people including friends we have made through our neighbors, other friends, work, school, hobbies and, newer friends from Forest’s co-op preschool who we have become close with during the ups and downs of the pandemic. At its core, our community includes people with shared values, including kindness, inclusion, curiosity, and compassion, and who also believe in the importance of laughing and having fun. We do it through community dinners and long afternoon picnics, going camping and enjoying the outdoors together, watching each other’s kids, and being there for each other during the highs and lows life throws at us. As parents, our community has provided consistent, unwavering love and support since Forest was born, and will do the same for your child.

Our extended families will be a big part of the circle of love and support we create for your child. Courtney’s parents, Andy and Margie, live in Phoenix, where Courtney grew up. Also nearby are Courtney’s two sisters and their children. In all, your child will become the newest member of a group of seven cousins under the age of 16 on that side of the family. Up near Seattle, where Josh grew up, is his mom, Julie. Josh’s sister lives in Montana with her husband. We see all of the grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins, a couple of times per year, sometimes in Phoenix, Seattle, or San Francisco, and sometimes in other places where we can all meet for a vacation together. The cousins also really enjoy Facetiming each other on a regular basis. They are all incredibly loving, inclusive, and value our extended family’s time together.

We live in a region that provides us with so many opportunities to experience the wonders of the natural world, and what Forest endearingly calls, “Mama Nature.” In San Francisco, we regularly enjoy weekends at the many beaches, as well as incredible nature preserves such as Golden Gate Park and Land’s End. We can also be across the Golden Gate Bridge in 15 minutes and in the middle of all of the incredible places to be found in Marin and Sonoma Counties, all within a couple hours or less from San Francisco. Moreover, some of our favorite hiking spots are to the east in the Oakland Hills and beyond near Lake Tahoe, with more epic hiking and camping to the south in places around Santa Cruz and Big Sur. Doing family activities in these places is central to us connecting with the outdoors and each other. Away from the stimulation of the city, we find balance, have great conversations with each other, and gain perspective on our lives, making us better people and family members to each other.

We see our home both as a place where we can find quietness and quality time as a family, and as a gathering place for our community. For years, our home has been a primary place for our friends and family to come together through home cooked dinners, game nights, birthdays, a place to drop your kids off, and theme parties, discussion groups, and other fun reasons to get together. We prioritize cooking and eating as a family, playing music together in the living room, and playing with friends in the backyard, where there is a garden, treehouse, trampoline, fire pit and barbecue, lots of chalk, and other toys and games. We live in the beautiful city of San Francisco, and in a building where community trust and care is cultivated and valued. Our “yard” extends to the well-known Alamo Square Park across the street, where we regularly see other neighborhood families and meet up with friends for picnics and playdates in front of the famous “Painted Ladies”.