About Me

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Kevin and I have been married for 19 years. We have two heart grown children from the United States,adopted at birth, Garrett 16 and Morgan 14, one heart grown child from Ukraine in 2008, Justin age 13. We also have two dogs, Mattie and Halley, adopted from the local animal shelter. Adoption is close to our family's heart.

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Our Blog is Moving!

It is time to wrap up an old year and begin a new! Our blog is moving to Jamesone2.blogspot.com. We hope you will come and join us.

Bike Riding at the Beach


On Monday the 29th we went down to Redondo to enjoy bike riding and the beach with the cousins. Justin learned how to ride a two wheeler in one day! He still has the training wheels for security but doesn't use them at all. He even rode his bike on the strand! He is a very fast learner for never riding a bike in his life! Teaching Justin to brake was the hardest part. We taught him the day after Christmas in the high school parking lot. He asks to ride his bike everyday now. It is one of his favorite things to do along with riding his scooter and jumping on the trampoline! He is having so much fun just being a kid.





















































Christmas Afternoon


Christmas afternoon we went to my parents house for a wonderful prime rib dinner. The evening proved exciting as palm tree branches from my Dad's tree blew onto the power lines and caught on fire thus blowing all the electricity in the neighborhood. We know the neighbors were happy about it. There was a huge explosion and then poof out went the lights. This happened three times! Each time the fire dept., Edison and the police dept. had to come out. We never knew if the prime rib would finish cooking or the house would catch fire! In between episodes we had a great time together.










































Christmas Day!

Christmas morning was priceless! Justin told us in Ukraine St. Nick but no presents. We told him America presents! He was so excited to put cookies out for Santa the night before. When Justin woke up the next morning, he was amazed to see gifts. He used his hand motions to describe the chimney and the gifts left behind! He was sooo cute! It was definitely the best to see the happiness on his face.

After twelve years of saying no to video games we caved in this year and got the kids a WII. My parents got them a soccer table. We should be set for games this year!










Wednesday, December 31, 2008

A Letter From Dad

Dear Justin,





Since this blog will end up in published form, I have decided to write you a letter that you can read a few years from now. You have only been home for four weeks but it feels like you never left our home since we hosted you last summer in 2007. I don't think that this feeling is strange; after all, God knew that we would be a family before He created any of us. You were always in my heart even when you were half a world away in Ukraine.

Someday, I hope that you understand just how much we endured to adopt you. Our enemy, the devil, used every physical, mental, emotional and spiritual weapon at his disposal to hurt us and get us to give up. I confess that there were times that I did want to give in but God gave me enough strength to stand through the trials. He blessed me with a godly wife, supportive family and a church of faithful friends.

Our hope and prayer is that we can love you enough to make up for the first nine years that you spent in the orphanage, that we can be the family that you wished for and that the miracle of your deliverance will lead you to saving faith in Jesus Christ.

I can't promise you a perfect life but I will promise that you won't be bored. The Greers are a loud bunch and we can be as different as peas and carrots but deep down we all love each other. America will be different than Ukraine but I hope you will grow to love your new home as much as I do. It's not the same America that I grew up in but it's still the best and most free country on Earth. Whatever you choose to do, put your whole heart into it and success will follow.

This letter is a mini time capsule from me to you. I don't know how old you will be when read this. Today is January 1, 2009. It's a new year filled with new hopes and dreams. May all that is good, free and beautiful come true in your life!

I love you, son. Dad

Tuesday, December 23, 2008

Grandpa and the Kids

Justin on the neighbor's Harley.




Grandpa and Grandma got Justin a new bike for Christmas. They decided to give it to him early. Justin was very excited, he has never riden a bike before.


My Dad with all the grandkids! Trying to get a decent picture is futile.

Annual Christmas Lunch

Yesterday, my Mom took "The Girls" to lunch for our annual getaway. My Dad took care of all five of the boys. It is always a treat to enjoy lunch together, just the girls. Morgan is the only girl in the family so she gets to come with her Aunties, Grandma and me. Sometimes we go to a tea room, this year we went to Elephant Bar. We all enjoyed ourselves. Thanks Mom!
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The Gift of Adoption

The Gift of Adoption

A very inspiring video! Please scroll to the bottom of our blog and turn off the music before you push play on the video. This way you will avoid having sound on both features.