So...the Thornley Family has been home from Panama for a little over 3 months and I have a lot to update BUT not tonight. Tonight I am dedicating this blog post to The Little Gym of West Ashley. I have been taking my kids to Little Gym ever since Li-Li was 3 years old and we lived in Philadelphia. I fell in love with it there...the weekly mommy/daughter classes, the Parents Night Out, the Summer Camps and the wonderful birthday parties. So, when we moved back to Charleston I quickly looked up the closest one. Bella took a class in Fall of 2010 or Spring of 2011. She LOVED it! After Carlee was born I had a short period of time when I had no little ones at Little Gym. Once Carlee turned 1 we were enrolled for Fall semester 2012. She originally was enrolled in the Birds class, for ages 10-19 months. It was such a great experience for both of us. When she started the class she was one of the few that wasn't walking yet. That being said..she had just as much fun as the walkers. Krista, who happens to be the Gym Director, was her teacher. She is fun, enthusiastic, and always has a smile. She has a way of engaging the kids, even at such a young age. Due to the age of the kids in this class...it is somewhat structured, but I like how you can go off at anytime with your child...its fun to take your childs lead at times. We missed 9 weeks while we were in Panama adopting Tyler, Ronnie and Sophie. Tori, the owner, has bent over backwards (at The Little Gym..hee hee) to allow us to make up the classes. They even let us use some of the make ups for Ronnie. Carlee is now in the Beasts class (for ages 19 month- 2 1/2 years old). Carlee is loving class. She is now running and talking nonstop. She absolutely loves the colorful balls and the bubbles. She starts patting the mat at home when we are playing which is what we do at the beginning and end of classes.
I thought The Little Gym classes would be great for bonding with the new kids. I have taken Ronnie to several Super Beasts Classes, as well as Sophie. They are the last level of Mommy and Me classes. It is unbelievable how much stronger and how much better Ronnie's coordination has gotten in just a few classes. He can now walk on the balance beam UNASSISTED when he was terrified of it at first. I think it has been great for him to "have to" trust me.
I can't say enough good things about The Little Gym. You should check it out....they do offer a free introductory class. I love to support local businesses..whether it be a coffee shop, mom and pop grocery or The Little Gym. Thank you to Tori, Krista and the rest of the Little Gym Staff for doing such a wonderful job encouraging the leaders of tomorrow!
I will post a Thornley Family update soon!
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Friday, November 16, 2012
BIG DAY FOR THE THORNLEY'S
I haven't posted for the last week or so because it has been a hectic and stressful week. First of all, the US Embassy told us about 10 days ago that only one parent is needed for the exit interview so that it was no problem for George to fly home. SO...I made all the arrangements for George and Bella to fly home this Sunday the 18th. Then a couple of days ago he called our agency to tell them that he gave us the wrong information and that we both had to be present for the interviw (for the kids visa). Keep in mind this is a 15 minute interview. I explained why George had to leave and the expenses involved in him flying back on Nov. 27th and they said that they were just following the law. I requested to see the law and explained that this WAS NOT a Hague law and that when adopting from other Hague countries such as China only one parent was needed as long as you have a Power of Attorney from the other spose (which we have). We are also only the 3rd adoption so far... So after many friends, family, our agency, etc. contacted Senator Jim DeMent and Senator Lindsey Grahams office, as well as, the State Department...we received an email from the US Embassy here in Panama stating that they would only interview me and that George did not have to be here. Praise the Lord. It really made no sense to us since a Panamian who wants to bring their child into the US can get a visa with only one parent present and a POA but an American Citizen doesn't get the same rights??
On a good note...we had court today and it went perfectly. The children are legally ours and their names have been changed, We have Malachi Tyler Thornley (6), Ronald Venning Thornley (4) and Sophia Nellie Thornley (3). At first the judge was not happy abot us changing the kids names but after George and I explained our reasons, they accepted our request. They also gave me POA to complete the adoption here in Panama so George and Bella can go home on Sunday. It was a great day. It's looking like the rest of us will be able to travel home on Nov. 28th or 29th. WOOHOO!!
I will post a few pictures of our trip to the Panama Canal yesterday and court today!! Hope you enjoy!
Sweet Tyler and Carlee
Li-Li playing with Sophie
Haircut time...getting ready for court!
Happy Meals!
Date Night!! Great food in Panama!
Museum at The Panama Canal! We took the three older kids!
The team! Our attorney, Jorge, is the tall man in the back.
He has gone above and beyond for us!!
This lady is the secretary ti the judge and she played a huge part
in getting our court date moved up from Nov. 28th.
Blessings to you and GoodNight!
Diana, George and Gang
On a good note...we had court today and it went perfectly. The children are legally ours and their names have been changed, We have Malachi Tyler Thornley (6), Ronald Venning Thornley (4) and Sophia Nellie Thornley (3). At first the judge was not happy abot us changing the kids names but after George and I explained our reasons, they accepted our request. They also gave me POA to complete the adoption here in Panama so George and Bella can go home on Sunday. It was a great day. It's looking like the rest of us will be able to travel home on Nov. 28th or 29th. WOOHOO!!
I will post a few pictures of our trip to the Panama Canal yesterday and court today!! Hope you enjoy!
He has gone above and beyond for us!!
in getting our court date moved up from Nov. 28th.
Blessings to you and GoodNight!
Diana, George and Gang
Saturday, November 10, 2012
Pictures! Hope you enjoy!
and Thomas!!
Thursday, November 8, 2012
WE HAVE A COURT DATE!!
We have an update: Long story short...the courts were full and couldn't give our attorneys a definite court date. So today, George and I went with the attorneys, Tyler, Ronnie, and Sophie to the courts. While George was in the waiting room with the kids..I spoke to the Secretary to the judge and then walked over to the other building to speak with the DA. The DA could hear the case on the 12th but the judge did not have space. So...they gave us a court date of Nov. 28th...CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?? I then explained that George was leaving next weekend and that he could not stay under any circumstances...he had to take care of the other kids and work. Then they said, "So you can stay until the 28th and we can still have court then". So that backfired! I said...I guess but we really need to get the kids home...I explained that Ronnie needs his tonsils removed, that Tyler needs to start school, that I need to see my other kids...so we ended up getting the court date changed to next Friday the 16th. This means we should be home by Nov. 29th or 30th. George and Bella are leaving next Sunday, the 18th which is wonderful. I'm so glad that Maura Genet and Thomas will be home for Thanksgiving. :) SO...thank you everyone for your prayers...even thoughI will be here for 2 months by the time I get home,, I can see an end in sight...FINALLY!
Saturday, November 3, 2012
Saturday, Nov. 3rd
Hello from Panama! Can't wait till I can not say that again! :)
Our paperwork went to court about 9 days early...went there last Monday. They looked over all the paperwork and all the needed documents are there...which is very good news. The bad news is that it really didn't matter that the paperwork went early because the District Attorney (DA) for the kids is on vacation till Tuesday..yes...you are reading this correctly....on vacation. The person filling in for him is unable to give us our courtdate so we will find out the courtdate next Tuesday or Wednesday. If court is before Nov. 13th...there is a great possibility that we may be home for Thanksgiving. George and I have decided that if we aren't able to be home for Thanksgiving, that he will fly back with either Li-Li or Bella so he can spend Thanksgiving with Maura Genet and Thomas. We feel that one of us should definitely fly back and hmmm...lets put it this way....George would be great at home with the kids that speak English. :)
Today after lunch we will head to the Westin Playa Bonita Resort. It is a beautiful, all inclusive resort 20 minutes from the hotel. We will stay there for 3 nights. This will be Tyler, Ronnie and Sophie's first time at a beach or pool. I think we will take them to the beach first and play in the sand instead of having 6 kids in the pool (4 of them who can't swim).
Any has been a tremendous help on this trip and I am so thankful for her positive, cheerful attitude! She is such a mature and wise young soul and I can only hope that my girls grow up with her same attitude and work ethics. We are very blessed to have her and got quite lucky!
Hope you enjoy the pictures and PLEASE pray for a favorable courtdate soon!!
Carlee Rose 15 months
Ronnie (3), Li-Li (7), Tyler (6) and Bella (5)
at the Fun Zone at the mall
Any with Carlee!!
Ronnie DID NOT like this, Tyler LOVED it and
I'm not to sure about Any! LOL
Li-Li and Bella at ice cream social at Panama
International Church
It took me 5 hours to unbraid Bella's hair. That's with
Li-Li and Any's help!
First time since Oct. 1st I wore make up
and the second time! :)
I think Carlee misses the car...she sat in her car seat
happy and content for 2 hours in the hotel room!
Our paperwork went to court about 9 days early...went there last Monday. They looked over all the paperwork and all the needed documents are there...which is very good news. The bad news is that it really didn't matter that the paperwork went early because the District Attorney (DA) for the kids is on vacation till Tuesday..yes...you are reading this correctly....on vacation. The person filling in for him is unable to give us our courtdate so we will find out the courtdate next Tuesday or Wednesday. If court is before Nov. 13th...there is a great possibility that we may be home for Thanksgiving. George and I have decided that if we aren't able to be home for Thanksgiving, that he will fly back with either Li-Li or Bella so he can spend Thanksgiving with Maura Genet and Thomas. We feel that one of us should definitely fly back and hmmm...lets put it this way....George would be great at home with the kids that speak English. :)
Today after lunch we will head to the Westin Playa Bonita Resort. It is a beautiful, all inclusive resort 20 minutes from the hotel. We will stay there for 3 nights. This will be Tyler, Ronnie and Sophie's first time at a beach or pool. I think we will take them to the beach first and play in the sand instead of having 6 kids in the pool (4 of them who can't swim).
Any has been a tremendous help on this trip and I am so thankful for her positive, cheerful attitude! She is such a mature and wise young soul and I can only hope that my girls grow up with her same attitude and work ethics. We are very blessed to have her and got quite lucky!
Hope you enjoy the pictures and PLEASE pray for a favorable courtdate soon!!
at the Fun Zone at the mall
I'm not to sure about Any! LOL
Daddy with Li-Li and Bella (he JUST woke up)
International Church
Li-Li and Any's help!
happy and content for 2 hours in the hotel room!
Friday, October 26, 2012
25 days in Panama!
Well we have been in Panama now since October 1st. Only with the tremendous help of our family and friends and with strength from the Lord have I made it this far. This is by far the hardest thing our family has had to deal with...which is a good thing..because until now everything has been pretty smooth sailing. :)
The only adoption update that I have is that almost all of the paperwork has been submitted to court and we should know our courtdate by next Wednesday. Looks like we could be home anywhere from Nov. 18-30th but at least we won't ever have to come back.
On Wednesday we took Tyler and Ronnie to the orphanage for the last time to say goodbye. Tyler was very uneasy and kept saying, "Vamos"(which means he was ready to leave). He asked before we went if he could come back to the hotel with me. Even though we explained to him many times...I'm not sure he new what to believe. After we were there for awhile he started to play but was happy when it was time to leave. The teachers gave me a big folder full of stuff for Tyler and Ronnie. :) I was also able to talk to a couple of nannies about Sophie. Apparently, she was one of the favorites and always got her way. This explains her behavior a lot...one day at a time.
Today was pretty bad...riots broke out here in Panama. Over 200 people were arrested, 50 woman broke out of the jail here (they have all been captured), people were trying to shoot the police from balconies, etc. Carlee was almost out of milk but the store that we go to was closed because protestors had gone in and started stealing so I went to the store right by the hotel..they were closed also. Any ran about 4 blocks to the store and got us bread, milk, cheese, mustard...oh and chocolate just in case the stores are closed tomorrow. It was very scary. All of the malls were closed and all of the government offices closed at 2. I think everything is winding down because the protestors have made their point and have "won".
The kids are doing well. We have changed their names...one last time. Due to the circumstances of their adoption (which is private), as well as other reasons, we have decided not to keep their names that they had at the orphanage. The oldest boy will be named Tyler Malachi Thornley. We names him after George's nephew who died at the age of 2 (Tyler). We wanted a biblical name for his middle name and we both liked Malachi. The youngest boy will be named Ronald Venning Thornley. Ronnie after my Dad and Venning after my Mom's side of the family. The little girl will be named Sophia Nellie Thornley. We both liked the name Sophie and Nellie is my paternal grandmother's name. So there you have it! Our family is truly complete and we thank the Lord for these children daily. Funny how their transition has been fairly smooth...unlike the judicial system here. We continue to ask for your prayers during this difficult time. We miss Maura Genet and Thomas very much but they have spent many weekends with family and are doing great at the Goehrings and Rothermel's. Hope you enjoy the pictures!
Any's good nature and strength continue to amaze me. Every morning she wakes up with a smile and is happy. I don't know how I could do it without her cheery attitude!!
Daddy and Tyler
Ronnie (3) and Sophie (3)
Headed to church
Carlee Rose (15 months)
Beautiful Flea (7)
Tyler (6) with Bella Boo (5)
The Orphanage
Maria and Lisa from my agency
Will update again soon!
The only adoption update that I have is that almost all of the paperwork has been submitted to court and we should know our courtdate by next Wednesday. Looks like we could be home anywhere from Nov. 18-30th but at least we won't ever have to come back.
On Wednesday we took Tyler and Ronnie to the orphanage for the last time to say goodbye. Tyler was very uneasy and kept saying, "Vamos"(which means he was ready to leave). He asked before we went if he could come back to the hotel with me. Even though we explained to him many times...I'm not sure he new what to believe. After we were there for awhile he started to play but was happy when it was time to leave. The teachers gave me a big folder full of stuff for Tyler and Ronnie. :) I was also able to talk to a couple of nannies about Sophie. Apparently, she was one of the favorites and always got her way. This explains her behavior a lot...one day at a time.
Today was pretty bad...riots broke out here in Panama. Over 200 people were arrested, 50 woman broke out of the jail here (they have all been captured), people were trying to shoot the police from balconies, etc. Carlee was almost out of milk but the store that we go to was closed because protestors had gone in and started stealing so I went to the store right by the hotel..they were closed also. Any ran about 4 blocks to the store and got us bread, milk, cheese, mustard...oh and chocolate just in case the stores are closed tomorrow. It was very scary. All of the malls were closed and all of the government offices closed at 2. I think everything is winding down because the protestors have made their point and have "won".
The kids are doing well. We have changed their names...one last time. Due to the circumstances of their adoption (which is private), as well as other reasons, we have decided not to keep their names that they had at the orphanage. The oldest boy will be named Tyler Malachi Thornley. We names him after George's nephew who died at the age of 2 (Tyler). We wanted a biblical name for his middle name and we both liked Malachi. The youngest boy will be named Ronald Venning Thornley. Ronnie after my Dad and Venning after my Mom's side of the family. The little girl will be named Sophia Nellie Thornley. We both liked the name Sophie and Nellie is my paternal grandmother's name. So there you have it! Our family is truly complete and we thank the Lord for these children daily. Funny how their transition has been fairly smooth...unlike the judicial system here. We continue to ask for your prayers during this difficult time. We miss Maura Genet and Thomas very much but they have spent many weekends with family and are doing great at the Goehrings and Rothermel's. Hope you enjoy the pictures!
Any's good nature and strength continue to amaze me. Every morning she wakes up with a smile and is happy. I don't know how I could do it without her cheery attitude!!
Ronnie with Tia Jenny (one of his nannies)
Maria and Lisa from my agency
Will update again soon!
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