Happy Anniversary MOM & THANK YOU!!!!

3 generations of Girl Power & Adoption!!
Kim-Lan, her Mom ("Grandma Lizzy") & Maile together FOREVER!









Look at this silly girl, she's a HAM!!!

SUNDAY 15 APRIL 2007

I wanted to write a couple days ago celebrating the ONE MONTH ANNIVERSARY of MEETING Maile for the first time in Ninh Thuan (Mar 13) and then OFFICIALLY getting her FOREVER (Mar 14)...and then TODAY, marks the ANNIVERSARY of ME coming to AMERICA, "Home of the Brave & Land of the Free..." I am deeply humbled and grateful, particularly this year since having Maile and knowing the POWERFUL GIFT of ADOPTION again!!!

I cannot believe how emotional & choked up I get reading the Vietnam Forum entries as Selah & Anna celebrated OFFICIALLY getting their adoption finalized in the U.S. gov't this past April 13!!!! I celebrate with them and completely understand that emotional RELIEF & JOY of knowing their babies are theirs FOREVER & "legal" now in the U.S. Government. It's hard to explain, those who have adopted, understand. While you LOVE, care for & know this baby God has hand-picked for your family is REAL, there are moments you cannot believe it's REALLY true or forever!?? How can something SO REAL and SO AMAZING in this littl' life be FOREVER MINE, are you sure???? I think I am still waiting for someone to pull the rug out from underneath me, or knock on my door or get "the phone call" and tell me there's been a mistake. EVERY littl' step of the G&R ceremony, landing on U.S. soil, ordering Maile's SSN, etc. helps me to think this is REALLY REAL!!! When we FINALIZE her adoption here in the U.S. (like the other families did 2 days ago), maybe I will know Maile Noel is FOREVER OURS!!!! I don't know, it's still so surreal to me to have wanted to ADOPT for YEARS, really pray and start looking into agencies 2 years ago...and start officially with Dillon Int'l SEPT. 1, 2005 and NOW, 18 mos. later of praying, paying and paperwork, WE HAVE OUR BABY GIRL!!!!!

I had a NIGHTMARE last night that still brings tears to my eyes, we lost Maile. I was at a High School for an informal "dress rehearsal" of some play or show...I had a couple lines and I was in the bathroom stall waiting to go on stage (weird, I know, but in the dream, it felt so real.) Maile was with me, always by my side for the first run & throughout the whole dream. Then when I got done with my 30 sec. part, I started looking for Maile and she was NOT there...not in the bathroom stall, no where!!! I was panicked, freaking out and frantically looking through the H.S., I do NOT know if I found her or where she was, but I then woke up!!! The dawn had broke and for a few seconds, I had to think "where am I?" "Did I just have a dream!?" "Where is Maile??" When I realized I was in my bed & she was NOT in bed with us, I jumped up & ran to her room. With a beating heart that was about to jump out of my chest I cautiously looked into her crib, and there she was...our littl' angel sleeping with the sunlight beaming off her bubble gum pink walls!!!! Oh thank you Jesus, for letting that dream NOT be real...praying it NEVER comes true either!!!! ugh....a Mother's WORST nightmare for any of her babies!!!

Just putting her down to bed tonight, singing her lullabies to sleep...tears were streaming down as I sang "Amazing Grace," "I stand in Awe of You, " & "You are my Sunshine..." I just kept singing, "Lord, please don't take my Maile away..." I have such a different outlook on ADOPTION now and think my MOM is even MORE AMAZING than before...My MOM is my HERO, she was a SINGLE mother (& with my Grandma Violet) adopted ME during the end of the Vietnam War when Saigon was falling!!! A single woman adopting in the 70's was unheard of and my mom was marching on unchartered territories!!! She took that "LEAP OF FAITH" on giving ONE littl' girl a NEW LIFE.....ME!!! I am proud to be ONE of THOSE babies from the "Baby Airlift Operation" - and now an American who has lived an amazing American DREAM...Boy, my heart is so full now having made a FULL CIRCLE back to my Homeland to bring home MY DAUGHTER!!!! "My cup runneth over... with JOY, LOVE & GRATITUDE."

So, I encourage anyone who reads this, LIVE the American Dream, you cannot believe the FREEDOM we have as Americans to work, prosper & give to others...take that LEAP OF FAITH! If there is something you have ALWAYS wanted to do, but too scared, Just DO IT!!! Keep lookin' up and pray, God will open or close doors if you trust Him to lead you!!! LOOK for the RAINBOW in the Storm...there will ALWAYS be people to bring you down, bad news on TV, negative comments and complaints, but if we seek the GOOD in people and offer random acts of Kindness, the blessings will come back to you, ten fold!!! Okay, off my soap box now, I just have so much LOVE in my heart and I wanted to share...Here's a littl' poem I wrote recently, celebrating the 3rd Generation of ADOPTION in our family.

"LOVE Circles Back"

*The Legacy began over 100 years ago, Kim-Lan's Mom adopted as the story is told...
*Kim-Lan adopted from VIETNAM into AMERICA: "Land of the Free"
*Destined to be Sandy's littl' girl for the world to see...
*Back to VIETNAM: Don & Kim-Lan adopted their newest angel from above!
*Celebrating Maile Noel Thuy Carlson - a Gift of God's LOVE!

Signing off to clean the house for our "1st Post Placement" visit TOMORROW- YIKES!!

Ms. Saigon