about 2 1/2 months home

Things are going so well for the girls and yet continue to get better and better :-) As you can see in the pictures, we are enjoying the warm weather outside. We get together as families once a week and we also still have our girls day during the week. When I look at them all in a row, I can't help but think of how blessed we are. Add our older kids to the picture and well, blessed beyond words.

While things are going so well with the girls, Keira's family is going thru some hard times. Steve (Keira's dad) was diagnosed with colon cancer just after Easter - 1 month after Keira came home. He had surgery right away and just before he started treatment (chemo & radiation) they found two spots on his lungs. Now he will be battling both cancers at once. Praying for complete healing for Steve. Also, that the financial cost are bearable.

tammy
enjoy the pictures

No words for this one

"SMILE GIRLS"

Catching bugs

Daisy chains

making daisy chains - what girls :-)

Keira with such concentration

WHAT FUN!!

We had the chance t0 work at the Steven Curtis Chapman/Michael W. Smith/Geoff Moore concert. WHAT FUN!! Great concert and the girls had a blast passing out folders for Show Hope sponsorships. Great way to help children on a monthly basis at just $35.00 a month. On top of hearing the music we were able to meet Mr. Chapman and Mr. Moore and actually the girls spent a little time talking with Geoff Moore. What a truly nice guy!!! I loved their music and hearts before but now even more!!

enjoy the pictures,

tammy

The new "Doctor" in the house :-)

Just before the concert

Wonderful Concert and meeting Steven Curtis Chapman - a THRILL!!
The girls, Dan and GEOFF MOORE - LOVE his music and what a nice guy!!!

Easter day and 1 month

Well we have been home with Bella 1 month... actually a few days longer as I type this. She continues to do wonderful and is such a happy, smart, helpful, giggly little girl. She loves her family, church, teacher, the dentist (tea stains are all gone) and really anyone that she meets. She is so full of love.

Days are very busy with homeschool, work, meals and playing but wanted to share just a few picts of Easter Day.

tammy

Great week!

"I Love you THAAAREE"

April 4 - home 3 weeks
Oh we are sure having fun with Isabella and she is having such good days!

She loves to tell us she loves us when we leave or come home or just any ol’ time. Well she started saying “I love you too” after we tell her (about 100 times a day) and tonight it became “I love you tharee” which is three!! I never thought about her thinking “I Love you too” in her mind was NUMBER 2 but that must be how she thought of it. Too funny. NOW along with the girls we hear “I love you 100, I love you a million” etc and etc.

She met with her new Chinese Teacher whom she LOVES last week. She will be coming to our home to do school with all the girls including Stacys 3 girls. We will all be learning more Chinese and Isabella & Keira should be able to retain what they already know.

We also went to church last Sunday and are planning on it tomorrow - Palm Sunday. Isabella did really well. We sat upstairs is order to have a little more “grace” incase things got a little loud with her but she really did wonderful. She about jumped out of her seat when she heard Pastor praying for her and thought that was really funny. She also went down with the girls to listen to the Pastor give a children’s sermon. She sat so good and is just really taking it all in. She can’t wait to sing up front tomorrow “He is the king of kings” and wave her palm branch. Yes, say a little prayer for that but I’m sure Chloe & Caillie will keep her in line.

So all in all, everything is going wonderful. She is finding her boundaries, learning so much English, doing well in our school and loving being outside and just playing with the girls. She is not liking the cold weather but hey, we ALL are ready for some warm days. Keira and Isabella talk on the phone often and see each other weekly. They both continue to get easier everyday and are blending into their families wonderful. Lily FINALLY has a sister that loves to play dolls - life is good!!

Tammy

All the girls with their teacher

Playing outside

Feeling her first snow


Riding "horses"




Chalk drawings of her family






running out of room!!

Chalk drawing of herself and best friend/cousin Keira. Notice the hands :-)

Yes, we wonder what the neighbors are thinking!!

Four dancing "PRINSess girls"

bags packed with baby gear, hats (yes, I know crazy hats) but what fun they have!

Love to sing together

All dresses up for dancing

Our Flower Continues to Blossom

March 19

Although we may have missed a lot of “firsts” in our 7yrs olds life we are celebrating different ones with her this week.
Meal time prayer - folds her hands now and prays for her family
First Fingernail Polish - even on the toes
First time watching mom drive!!
First time seeing a Grandma Drive - she kept laughing
First time rollerblading
First time riding a bike - she has mastered that but goes way too fast!
First time greeting a Dad when he came home from work
First time eating at the park
First time meeting Keira after 4 days of separation-SCREAMS
First time seeing a boy wear a hat backwards - she thought he was nuts
First time talking with a Chinese person in the US- very fun
First time trying chips, bologna, sprite “cola”, peanut butter sandwich
First Family Photo
First time cooking scrambled eggs with her sisters - HUGE HIT!!
First time making cookies
She continues to blossom more and more precious everyday. She is learning where everything goes and the flow of our house. She loves to be outside - we are so glad summer is coming. She is good about me working at night, very content to be with Dan and the girls & brothers.
In this short 2 ½ weeks she has come such a long way. Incredibly adaptable. Now and then she will mention her Dapu momma but does not cry or seem sad when she speaks of her. I am glad she has felt such strong love in her lifetime.
We are making a grocery trip tonight and that should be a treat for her also. She is making a list of everything she likes and laughs when she sees a gallon of milk or ice cream - such big quantities she acts likes she never saw. Wait till she sees how full we need to fill the shopping cart for a family of 8!! I can hear her say “OIIIYYYY” when she acts like she is overworked - she is so funny.
Also, we she tells everyone in the fam how much she loves them. I asked her tonight how come in Guangzhou she said she did not love me. Her answer was “I sorry momma” followed by a huge kiss and hug!!!! WOW, tears of JOY!! It is less than 1 week home and she is already sorry. THANK YOU LORD for this precious little girl finally loving/trusting me enough to tell me she was sorry for that. Words are not express how much this little girls is loved even though she fought it so. When I ask her if she is happy - she just beams!!!
God is good!!!
Tammy

making cookies


Don't ya just LOVE aprons and the hat!!

Cats Cradle!!

Teaching the girls how to do the star

playing a game of cootie

Yes, the polish

painting with the girls

so proud to ride a bike

Daddy with all his kittens!!

Sooo much fun with Cam

Waking up to Daddy

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY

GOOD NEWS!!

Things are starting to happen at the Knoper home. While Keira did ask a time or two about her freind today... There were NO TEARS!! Even at bedtime which is the hardest for her. She even reached out to hug me even before I was through getting her blankets!! This is also the first time since I met her that I worked and left her home. She was so happy to see me and Tacia come home but was also happy with her dad!! It has been a wonderful day!!!!!!

Friday/Sat/Sunday

Sunday
March 15
What a good first full day home, it was wonderful. Isabella slept in her own bed and was the last one to get up at around 7:00
She has a yogurt breakfast and while Dan, Coty and Chloe went to church and the other girls stayed home with me to catch up. Isabella continues to be so happy.
During the day she rollerbladed, rode her bike, played in the yard, loves the piano and Cam and Tori took her to the park. She is having a blast.
As we watched her and Dan walk hand in hand with the other girls running around them, Coty said “you know mom I think our family just feels perfect” We I could not have said it better.
While there is still work ahead she is making forward steps everyday. She watches her sisters wanting to fit in. To think our Gotcha Day was March 2 is amazing. She still is a little stingy on hugs and kisses to me but the point is I get some! Not too long ago I could not even touch her. I am so thrilled she LOVES her Daddy so much. Tori is also wonderful to her. And well, we are “filling her bucket” with love and love to see her so happy!!
Keira is struggling much more. She had a sad first night and during the day still has quiet crying times. She called on Skype where the girls can see each other and wanted Isabella to come over so bad. She calls on the phone and asks her to come over and also still cries for the guide. She has to learn to be independent of Isabella and I’m sure that is scary on top of all the changes. She loves her family and will allow Stacy to comfort her when she is sad but still is sad. Time will change it but its hard until then. I’m hoping for a better night tonight for the Knopers.
I’m getting ready for a “normal” week. Work on Monday night, school with the girls and yes lots playing. Going to keep Isabella’s week very quiet…hope to have her not leave the house but we will see.
Praying for continued good progress with Isabella and less sadness for Keira.
Tammy
Ps. The pictures are some from her first day home. I hope to get copies of the airport picture later.



WE ARE HOME!!!
March 13/14/
Thursday/Friday night we started packing for leaving on Friday. Ohhhh that’s not a treat. I love to pack, repack and then do it again but I did not have time for that so we just was just shoving things in!! We did not purchase many things but we both felt like it was going to be a little tight so Coty ran out at to try and buy a suitcase. Fun to watch him from the hotel room window talking, looking, walking away and then back after they made their “best offer” as he was going to leave. TOO FUNNY, he is so good at knocking down prices! So we finished packing and had about 3 hrs sleep before we needed to get up and ready to go. Its always such a frantic time to finish things up, pack, check-out, think about what would be needed in Hong Kong, snack for the girls etc but we were ready and out the door and on the bus by 5:50. While the breakfast buffet is not even open at that time, they had box lunches for us to eat. The girls ate nothing and nerves made us not hungry either.
At the Guangzhou airport our luggage was taken off from the bus and off we go to check-in and find our gate. In the process we forgot to load a small duffle bag and by the time we remembered it - well it was stolen. Not sure what all was in it but I know they got my underwear! Serves them right!!
Airport are very hard, busy & filled with security checkpoints at which every point they takes just a little more from your luggage. We finally boarded the plane and made the short flight to Hong Kong where we stayed at a hotel in the airport. The girls were very excited about their 1st out of 4 plane rides. The kept ourselves busy at the airport/hotel and again at night started the finally packing. We (OK I) woke up at 3:00am and got everyone in the Prins room ready to go only to find out it was Tokyo time NOT Hong Kong and we were ready 1 hour early.
Finally we were ready to check in to fly to Japan and Stacy realized she left her alarm clock and Isabella left Stacys coat in the room. Well, we were slowing lighting up our loads….. Duffle bag gone, coat gone, clock gone. After that I had to count everything 10 times before we moved to our next points.
Anyways, the girl were wonderful on ALL 4 of the planes. We were smart enough to NOT let them sit together and they really slept a lot. GREAT plane rides for which we are very thankful. It is so many hours in such a small area that well, it could have been trouble but was not.
On the flight from Detroit to GR Isabella was so excited. We talked about hugging Babba (Daddy) her brother and sisters and she was just so happy! Keira, well she hardly spoke most of the day and was very somber. We got off the plane Isabella ran to her family and just hugged everyone. She was so excited to finally met them! She got to meet her Grandma & Grandpa, Aunts and Uncles and cousins and our very special friends the Wiersmas and Sterkens
Lots of pictures, lots of hugs and lots of smiles from both girls to finally meet everyone. We were nervous about finally parting ways with the girls but Keira was hand-in-hand with her sisters and well Isabella LOVED her dad and family and so they both waved goodbye and were off to their new homes.
Never dreamed it would go so well in/at the airports and I’m so very thankful!!
Isabella and Keira spent the rest of the night exploring their new homes and playing with their families. Both so excited about everything!!
Perfect ending to the LONG day!
tammy

Isabella and her Dad

Watching Daddy put on the training wheels

Cam, Isabella and Coty

Help from both brothers

Cam helping with the Roller blades.... looking for her helmet!

Cam and Isabella

Cam helping her ride her bike

Watching the plane in Hong Kong

First night at home!!

Hand in Hand with Daddy