How can it be?

Yesterday was our 1st anniversary with Gavin in our lives. It's crazy to think a year has past us by already.
We all went out for Chinese food last night which is so funny because our first dinner with Gavin in China last year was to Pizza Hut of all places.
After dinner Gavin released some balloons he had picked out for his China family sending them love.
What a year this has been and we look forward to the road ahead.

Blessings, ~Marla

Round two.

A few weeks ago Gavin got through another hand surgery with flying colors. This is the second of two major hand surgeries and now there should just be a couple minor ones.

Way to go buddy you are such a trooper!

Blessings, ~Marla

I have fallen to the statistic.

I have heard that when you start an adoption blog you blog your little heart out because that's about all you can do to pass the time while you wait and wait for your little one to come home. But then they do finally join the family and you drop off the face of the blogging world because you have this new little one to hug and snuggle with all the time. I swore that would NOT be me and I would keep up on the stuff Gavin had been up to. Well the good news is we have had a lot of snuggle time around here, the bad news is I have not blogged since September!
Of course Gavin has been up to A LOT!!
He is LOVING his pre-school class of 12 little boys/ 0 girls. (This is just how the class came together, really we don't have anything against girls.)
Gavin was the Birthday Boy in October when he turned 4.

He was also such a trouper with his first hand surgery at the end of October.

He has also gone on a some day trips with his family in the past few months.

Gavin was in my brothers wedding with his cousin over the holidays.

And got outside to play in our back yard.

Then he celebrated the Chinese New Year at a local festival.

More then anything he has stolen my heart in the last ten months he has been home and we all have had a blast joining him into our crew!

~Blessings, Marla

I don't know if I had told you.

I'm fairly sure most of the people who follow Gavin's blog are aware that he came to us with "special needs". It's strange for me to use that term for Gavin because you really would not know he has "s/n" unless you looked close. Yes they are visible, but in no way do they slow him down at all. Let's not forget he is a three (soon to be four) year old. I really didn't have a reason not to share what his "s/n" is before other then the fact that it's not that big of a deal to us.
Gavin was born with some missing fingers and toes and a few also are combined, meaning he has the bones for two fingers or toes on X-ray, but only one larger finger or toe is visible.
Well this last week we went down to Children Hospital in Seattle to meet with the "Hand" Dr. and were VERY impressed with the whole set up. We were very encouraged at the possibilities for what they can do for Gavin. We will have to go back on Monday to see the "Foot" Dr. and then they are talking like we can be in surgery soon after (on a later date).

Gavin killing time by playing with mama's camera before the Dr. came into the room. Not a bad photographer, but Oh wow was mama having a bad hair day.

 We did finished off the trip with some ice cream for the way home and felt like we are headed in the right direction with regards to Gavin's "s/n" and where to go from here.
~Blessings, Marla

So much Better.

I know it's been a while since I have posted, but then again with my track record that is nothing new.
Since the last post I wrote I have felt so much better about the whole post-adoption thing. I don't know if it was just getting it off my chest or so many of you were praying for me, or both. I had gotten so many sweet comments of encouragement (as always, you guys are the best!). Thank You!

"Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing." 1 Th 5:11

I'm also posting to inform you all that we are moving. Not far just around the corner to Here!
Please come by for a visit.
Blessings,
~Marla

Black cloud on sunny days.

I have been struggling with this post for some time now, writing it out in my head.
A while ago I went back and looked over some of my blog posts and discovered that from the sounds of it everything is just peachy here. I don't want to give a false impression of the adoption process both before and after getting our little one home.

Since being home Gavin has done amazingly well. He has been up for the adventure of it all and takes everything in stride. From the actions he has shown us over the last two an a half months there is no doubt in our minds he was well disciplined, well loved, and well cared for. So why am I the one having a rough time with it all.

Part of my problem is that I was so concerned with Gavin's (and the other three kid's) transition that I forgot to consider the one I was going through myself. Going back to the toddler stage has been harder on me then I realized it would be, it has been five years.
The other issue is that I have never had a clingy kid before (this my be hard to believe from many mom's who deal with this, but it's true). My other three kids could go to Sunday School or the babysitter and never care that I was leaving them for a little while. Not so the case with Gavin and yet I totally understand that his history is very different, the mother he knew most of his life is no longer in it and he doesn't know why.

Am I really that selfish that after just under three months I need me some serious ME time. Was I fooling myself thinking I could crawl outside my comfort box, only to now be trying to claw my way back into it.

I do know that when we were pre-China I felt it in my heart that this was God's idea. Now that we are post-China why am I having to remind myself so much who this all started with. When did my heart forget that God is in this.

This is a very difficult post to write in the fact that I don't want to give the impression that I regret the whole adoption, Because I Don't! When Gavin calls for me in the morning as he is waking up or he reaches for me when he needs some comforting I know he's feeling it that I'm his mom, I just need to get there myself. I know it will come.

~Marla

Been up to so much!

We have been so busy these last couple months, but then again who hasn't~right? Needless to say the blog has taken a hit with my lack of attention. Sorry!

We have already hit the two month mark (last Saturday) of being with Gavin and we have done some pretty fun stuff in that time.

Gavin has gone on a 2nd grade field trip to the library in his P.J.'s. No worries the whole class wore their P.J.'s. We also went to a few school lunches with the kids before school got out for the summer.

He has hit two local parades and came home with more candy then any 3 yr old should have in their possesion.

We have gone to the park with D.Q. Blizzards in hand more then once. This one is becoming a bad habit in fact, with the Blizzards I mean.

Gavin has met members of the extended family at grad, birthday and 4th of July parties.

and

We have also had some quiet days just having water fights, picnics and playing with some new toys in the back yard with friends over.

Our family has more things on the calendar coming up that include camping trips and water slides before the summer is over.

Hope all of your summers are turning out to be just as fun filled as ours is,

~Marla

The things I have learned.

We have been HOME for one month today with Gavin and I have learned a few things (okay maybe more then a few) about my new bundle of joy.

1~ the boy loves to brush his teeth and the top row is very ticklish. He laughs and laughs every time we get to that part of the process.

2~ he really likes to sing and learn new songs. We have mastered "twinkle, twinkle little star" and are learning "jingle bell". I know it's June, but Gary clams he could not think of any other song one night when he was putting Gavin to bed.

3~ Gavin likes to ride in the car. He likes to go places, but is not a fan of the mall. Just like all the other men in this family, that's not a big surprise.

4~ he is already counting to 10 in English, only he leaves out 8 most times.

5~ Gavin will most likely have the words "class clown" on his future report cards as he will go to great lengths to get a laugh from everyone.

I can't wait to see what else is to be learned about this little boy and I'm so blessed to be the one to witness all the things to come.
~Marla

Poor boy.

This poor little guy had no idea how much his little world would be turned upside down when LuLu entered it.

But I get the feeling he doesn't seem to mind.

Happy Friday all,

~Marla

Can't Believe It!

It was four weeks ago today that we were boarding a 747 headed very far west to China and now here I am sitting at my desk cleaning up apple juice from a three year old as I write this post. Oh how things have changed so much in the last four weeks and yet it feels like this is the way it has always been. How can that be?

We are again...
~setting the table with little plates and cups.
~having to find the nearest bathroom in every store we go into.
~singing "twinkle, twinkle little star".
~playing with big wooden puzzles.
~going to bed at 7:30.
...and we wouldn't change a thing.

We have had so much fun with Gavin finally home with us and he is doing amazing at the adjustments he has had to make with his new life and family.
The first time we sat around our table for dinner at home and held each others hands to pray was a moment I will keep in my mind for a long while. Instead of having to pray for Gavin somewhere we could not even identify with, he was right here with us praising our Heavenly Father for the journey He had safely brought us home from.  God is so good to us.
The kids are back in school, Gary is back to work, and housework is again on my lists of things to do, only now it is being interrupted for a story of "Little Bear" or "Snuggle Puppy"....and I wouldn't change a thing.

Blessings on a Wednesday afternoon,
~Marla

Welcome home family of six!!

Okay - this is Aunt Jan and I have behaved so well and not added any comments or sidenotes during my blogging duty - but I cannot resist anymore!!! :-)

What a privilege it has been to receive the emails and pictures and blog it for all of you, friends and family who love the TenKleys and have been praying for them.

 How exciting it has been (and sometimes emotional) to watch Gary, Marla, Avery, Levi and Lulu go through the adoption "waiting game" counting the days until their son/brother came home.

Gavin - you more blessed than you'll ever know (until you have kids of your own), to have Godly & loving parents who, in listening to the prompting of the Holy Spirit became known to you as Dad and Mom.

You have a Godly heritage and you will be raised to know and fear God, and your parents have sacrificed greatly for you - and they will be blessed.
You will be loved more than can be described.
You will have a brother in Levi, that other boys will be jealous of.
You will have a big sister in Avery,who will protect and mother you with great love and compassion.
 You will have a big sister in Lulu, that will confirm in you that you are glad to be a boy, because being a girl is a lot of maintenance.
You will have Grandparents that will SPOIL you and love doing it.
You will have Aunts (moi'), Uncles & cousins, too numerous to count and they will bring you into the clan and make you feel right at home.

Gavin - you are blessed - and so are we!

From the day Marla shared their desire to adopt, a little spot in my heart started to grow for whoever it was God would bring to them, as I am adopted too and understand the blessing it is to be loved and chosen by wonderful parents! Then, to find out we share the same birthday - woo hoo!  We will certainly share a cake this fall!

I promise not to take over blogger rights again - but TenKleys, thanks for the privilege to share your journey.  I love you all, Aunt Janice

Heading for HOME!!!

It's 5:25 and our wake up call will be ringing in a few minutes so I thought I would quick send one more post before leaving China to come home. We have had such a great time while we were here and yet we are so ready to start our new life as a family at home. Today seems bitter sweet for me for so many reasons. By heading for home it means the steps to adoption are over and it's all I have known for the last twenty months, but I am so excited to bond with Gavin and be a mother to him. Also, the fact that he is leaving the country he comes from today,  there is a birth mother somewhere here in China that has no idea her son is becoming a U.S. citizen in a few hours when we land in San Fransisco brings tears to my eyes every time I think about it. There is now a piece of my heart that will always be in this country for the mothers (birth and foster) before me in Gavin's life. Thank you so much for all the love and support so many of you have shown our family through all this. Our luggage is packed and the phone has now rung, the kids are starting to wake up and we will be leaving China today. Please pray for the people that had a part of my sons life here in China and that we my get to meet them some day next to our Lord and Savior in heaven. Heading for HOME, Marla