Twice As Long, and Half As Much

Kiana, Kory and I have all been a family for ten months now! The time has flown by so quickly and yet it feels like we have been a family forever! In the past ten months we have seen Kiana grow in so many different ways that I don't even think we could recall them all!

One of the main ways we have seen improvements in with the strength in her legs. She is not only able to maneuver with her walker better, but she is also able to stand up straighter and for longer periods of time. She has been receiving physical therapy for several months now and receives it at school as well. We also do different activities and stretches with her at home that are recommended by her physical therapist.

In addition to PT, another treatment she has received is Botox. Botox is actually quite common for treating spastic cerebral palsy. In fact it was the original purpose of Botox (not for our wrinkle lines as we mainly seeing it being used). What it does is weakens the muscles that are tight, which then allows you to stretch and strengthen those muscles. Her doctor told us that normally it is needed every three months because it begins to wear off after a while.

Kiana received her first set of Botox injections last October. Some time later after church one Sunday we had Kiana prayed over. The main prayer request we had was that she wouldn't need to get this every 3 months, and that her legs would stay lose and get strengthened. As she was getting prayer over I actually felt something relax in her leg! Well, 3 months went by and Kiana was still doing great. Her physical therapist said we could wait on more Botox. 4 months went by, 5 month went by. Finally, at 6 months her physical therapist said she was beginning to get a bit tight again and could use a little more Botox. So we made our appointment and after examining her the doctor ended up only giving her HALF as much as she needed last time! So not only did she last twice as long as expected, but she also only required half as many injections as last time!

We are so thrilled to see God moving in her little tiny body! We are continuing to pray that she will get stronger each day and will continue to require less and less Botox. We would love for all of you to join us in this request! Thank you so much to everyone who has been so invested in our little girl and wanting to see her continue to thrive!

First Days of First Grade

The last month has been a huge transition for us! On January 8th Kiana started school and I went back to work! Kory and I are both teaching Kindergarten again this year, and our classrooms are just two doors away from each other! Kiana's classroom is in the portable that is directly across from the Kindergarten building stairway. It has been such a blessing for us to all be so close to one another!

Kiana is absolutely loving school! She is a part of our school's Deaf Ed program with a focus on ASL! 

We had concerns that maybe she would have some separations issues at the start. Boy did she prove us wrong! Not a single tear was shed on that first day of school, and she was ready for us to leave her be as soon we dropped her off. After her first week of school we had a three day weekend. She was not pleased when we told her there would be no school for three days. If only we enjoyed going to work as much as she enjoyed going to school! Ha!

Kiana is all about agendas so school is right up her alley! She gets going on her morning routine from the second she enters the classroom.

She has one other student in her class with her, and they are becoming great friends, and Kiana never passes on an opportunity to be "mothering" on him. She also gets to spend time with other first graders during resources, like P.E. and Library.

And if you hadn't noticed already... her signature hairstyle for school is pigtails. She tells me each morning how she wants her hair, and even picks out all her own outfits for the week. 

We are so blessed that she loves school so much and that the three of us get to work and learn all within a few from one another. We are so thankful for these days together!

Christmas - An Adoption Story

It's amazing how much adopting a child changes everything about you. The way you think, act, speak. And for me it has radically changed my depth of understanding about the gospel. It truly is a story of adoption, one I didn't fully grasp until this past year.  The Bible refers to our salvation as adoption several times. Ephesians 1:5 says "God decided in advance to adopt us into his own family by bringing us to himself through Jesus Christ. This is what he wanted to do, and it gave him great pleasure", and Romans 8:15 says "So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God's Spirit when he adopted you as his own children. Now we call him, "Abba, Father," to name a few. 

There is no better word you could use for describing the gospel than "adopt". Before the actual adoption takes place there is a mountain of sacrifice involved, endless waiting, but it is all worth it. Why? Because it is an indescribable pleasure. I seriously can't explain it. Every sacrifice, every obstacle, every tear I shed was worth the cost of bringing Kiana into our family. As an adoptive parent I now get a small glimpse into what the love of the Father truly looks like. He sacrificed His own Son for me. He made the decision to adopt me and committed to that decision no matter the cost. 

Adoption is a beautiful thing, and when you view the gospel with an adoptive perspective it is truly a breathtaking concept to behold. Though on a much smaller (and imperfect) scale, I am so thankful that Kiana has the opportunity to see the love God has for her modeled through us. Despite every trial, expanding our family through adoption has brought inexplicable joy and filled our hearts with abounding love. What a wonderous thought to know that on our Father has even more joy and love for those He has adopted into His family! 

Merry Christmas!

Love, 

Kory, Crystal and Kiana Kawai

Rockin' and Rollin'

This week has been a tough week for both Kory and I, but it also was a week of victories! One of those "wins" for our family is that Kiana finally received her reverse walker on Thursday!

Kiana has diplegic spastic cerebral palsy. Diplegic because it affects only her legs and not her arms and spastic because her leg muscles are super tight (as opposed to be being too loose). We are so thankful for the entire medical team that we have treating Kiana. Her neurologist is amazing and has made it his goal to get Kiana independently mobile. Shriner's has given her a pair of AFO's (ankle foot orthodics) to help stablize ankles. While her upper legs are tight to the point where she can't fully straighten her legs, her ankles are extremely flimsy. And most of all we are so in love with her physical therapist. She fought so hard for us to get Kiana this amazing walker, complete with a seat!

Kiana has so much fun walking around the house with it. There is so much joy there! She is not quite yet a fan of it when she has to do it with her AFO's on though. While they help stablize her legs, they are heavy and force her to not drag her feet as much when she walks. So far she has only used it at physical therapy and around the house, but I am looking forward to when see has enough control of it that we can take it everywhere!

Kiana is already turning into a pro though after only a couple of days! She can maneuver it around objects and quickly picked up on how to put the seat up and down while still standing with the walker. She can get in and out of the walker all by herself too! Her strength overall has increased so much over the last 5 months and we can't wait to see what else is to come. Watch out world... Kiana is on the move!

Packin' on the Pounds

Four months ago we adopted our precious girl Kiana from China. After about 15 months of "process" we finally had our girl! However, our adventures in China weren't the end of our adoption adventure, but just the beginning! So, I am reinstating our adoption blog for a more in depth viewing of the realities of post-adoption life. Plus, there are so many different things that are happening as Kiana is growing and changing that I don't want to forget any of them!

One of the many pieces to the adoption process is adoption education courses. I am SO thankful for these! During our "training" we learned a lot about the importance of food in the lives of adopted kids. It provides a feeling of control for kids who otherwise have absolutely no control on their life whatsoever. This could look like kids refusing to eat, overeating, and hoarding food. We were taught that it's okay to let them overeat, even if they get sick. There is a place of trust that they need to arrive at, one part being that they will from now on have enough food in their bellies. 

The first few days in China Kiana was pretty much a bottomless pit. At meal time she would eat and eat and eat. Finally, on the third day as we were having dinner we finally saw her slow down and eventually take a sigh from being full. After we arrived back at Kona we gave her the bottom shelf of the fridge and the bottom shelf of the pantry so that she could get food whenever she wanted. While we try to limit her sugar intake, pretty much nothing else is off limits, like letting her put gobs of butter on her bread or rice.  

Have you ever seen the Lord of Ring movies? I'm sure if you haven't you have at least seen pictures of the infamous Gollum. In a nutshell, that was Kiana in the beginning. When she laid down on her back her stomach would concave WAY in compared to her chest. I could fit my hands all the way around her waist and have my fingertips touch. 

In the last couple months she has FINALLY begun to fill out a bit and put on a little weight. (About 2 pounds so far which is a lot for someone so small!) Just a couple days ago I was sitting on a bar stool with Kiana on my lap and my hands on her waist. And what do you know... my fingertips couldn't touch anymore! It is so exciting to see her growing and changing so much and so fast. Most of the time we don't even realize it as we live our day to day, until we have moments where we reflect back to the beginning and remember "oh yeah, she used to do that!" or "hey, life's not like that any more!" I'm thankful for this tangible moments that remind of how far we have come!

Blessings From Heaven

Aloha Family and Friends!
We have some very exciting news to share about multiple wonderful opportunities that God has provided us with as we continue our adoption journey!

As you may already know, my friend Ku'ulei has organized a fundraiser for us through her in-laws' very generous business, Sage Harvest. From now until December 15th, 100% of the profits from their "Steadfast + Immovable" line of shirts will go to help fund our adoption. I got one of their tank tops myself, and it is the MOST comfortable shirt I own! In addition, for the next week, if you enter the Promo Code: KAWAI, 100% of the profits on gourmet jerky purchases will also go to us to help bring our little girl home. You can check it out at www.sageharvestjerky.com

But that's not all! This past week we received a matching grant from Chosen and Dearly Loved and Lifesong For Orphans up to $3,000! There are two ways that they will match funds. One is through Gobena Coffee. 50% of profits from purchases made through our link will go to us AND be matched by Chosen and Dearly Loved. Our special link is: https://my.gobena.org/stories/kawai-adoption-fund/?id=124

In addition, we now have an account set up through MyStory. All donations are tax deductible and will be matched (up to $3,000) by Chosen and Dearly Loved. You can view our "MyStory" at https://mystory.lifesongfororphans.org/stories/kawai-ohana-adoption/

For those of you who have been following our blog updates know that financial provision has always been on our prayer request list. Thank you for all of your prayers! We truly feel like the flood gates of heaven have opened up upon us in our time of need!

Some of the ways that your donations and purchases will help us bring our little girl home is by helping to cover expanses such as immigration and visa fees, travel expenses, and medical reviews by an International pediatrician, just to name of few. LifeSong also sets aside $1,000 of the funds to help us with post-adoption expenses.

Thank you again to everyone who has joined us in this incredibly journey. We cannot wait to get our little one home, and we could not do it without all of your prayers and support!

Steadfast and Immovable - by: Ku'ulei Steinke

In the famous words of Disney’s Lilo and Stitch, “ ʻOhana means family,” and for Crystal and Kory Kawai of Kona, Hawaiʻi, ʻohana means a precious little girl from China who is waiting to be adopted.

Crystal and Kory Kawai first met at Kealakehe Elementary School, where they both work as teachers. “We were initially attracted to each other because of our similar sense of humor,” Crystal said. “We both act silly and goofy. We both grew to realize that we have the same values and interests.” Their similarities don't end there. They are both Christians who enjoy playing music in their worship band; Crystal plays the bass guitar, while Kory excels in playing guitar. The duo also shares a passion for playing the drums and ukulele. So, it was no surprise to friends, family, and colleagues when the two started dating the day before Thanksgiving of 2013. It didn’t take long for the musical duo to realize they were meant for one other. “One night Kory told me he was done with dating and knew that I was it for him,” Crystal said. Kory proposed to Crystal during spring break in March 2014 and the couple tied the knot four months later, on July 7.

Soon after they were married, Crystal and Kory began discussing the idea of adoption and made the ultimate decision to begin the process in February of 2016. “We both believed that this was the way that God was calling us to grow our family,” Crystal shared. What began as talk of adoption bloomed into the desire to adopt children with special needs. “We believe that the work God has placed in us as teachers, especially with Kory being a special education teacher, has prepared our hearts and minds for this.” Crystal said. “We believe that God has our children planned out for us. We just need to find them.”

While the desire to grow their family was simple, the process to make their dream come true has been much more complicated. The Kawais describe the process as a roller coaster ride. “It definitely has been a struggle trying to adopt while living in Hawaiʻi, especially living on a neighbor island, because our resources feel limited,” Crystal said. “It’s character building,” Kory added. In spite of the stress and mountain of paperwork, the couple has remained steadfast in continuing on the journey that God planned for them. “Overall, it has been a wonderful journey that we continue to pursue each day,” Crystal said. “At times, it is like watching a lifelong dream slowly unfold before our eyes.”

Crystal said that while their primary goal is “to bring our girl home,” she and her husband also hope that their adoption story will inspire and encourage others to embark on the journey of adoption.

Now, blessed with the partnership at Sage Harvest Gourmet Jerky, we can all help support this wonderful 'ohana as they bring their adoption story full-circle. From November 15, 2016 – December 15, 2016, all profits from sales of their “Steadfast & Immovable” shirts will be donated to Crystal and Kory Kawai to help lift their financial burden. To order shirts, please go to http://sageharvestjerky.com.