NOW & FOREVER... A Carlson Girl!!!

The CRAZY Carlson Crew with Grandma Lizzy - now complete with my 3 BOYS, my mom and ONE precious, hand-picked littl' girl for us! THANK YOU GOD...You never cease to AMAZE us!!!

Happy Girl, Maile...precious and sweet as can be! She did GREAT and still fit in her EASTER dress from last spring! Size 12 mos. - still fits, shorter because she has grown UP 2-3" but still so tiny weighing in at about 23.5-24# and standing tall at 33" (Size I was when I CAME TO AMERICA!!!)

Our Attorney, Sharon who also adopted twin girls from CHINA a few years ago & I taught Sarah & Rachel DANCE in the past too. It's a SMALL WORLD, eh? It was special to have Sharon part of our closing proceedings to this amazing and exciting journey!!

Aunt Chelle, "MeMe" (Jeremy) & Grandma Karen sharing in our SPECIAL day. We are adopted into many families, the Kingdom of God's and the Solomon Family here in TEXAS too!!! What more could we ask for! LOVE THEM...what a BLESSING they are in our lives!

18 JAN 2008 Well, a day I thought would never come, finally arrived and set for a brisk, cool FRIDAY am on 18 JAN 2008. We had a court date to meet in front of the Judge for a formal hearing to change Nguyen thi Thuy Trang to Maile Noel Thuy Trang Carlson!!!! She would always have Nguyen as birth name, like I have Duong...but officially and legally her MAIDEN name would now be CARLSON until she marries her husband. We had our family go, Grandma Lizzy, the matriarch of the family, Don and thankfully the boys did not even have school that day! Plus, Maile's other favorite family member that she talks about EVERYDAY, "Aunt Chelle" (Michelle), "MeMe" (Jeremy) & Grandma Karen were in tow...It was a legal process, one that included a lot of waiting like we have for this WHOLE journey of bringing Maile home, so what was new. Instead of reporting to the court house at 8:30am as reported, we arrived on time to wait over 1.5hrs!!! Oh well, it was worth it to within 5 mins. be done and officially DONE with the ADOPTION process!!?? I hope so. I tell people, "we'll be paying for Maile for the REST of our LIVES..." Boy, that is an understatement! Adoption is a very costly journey, emotionally, physically and financially...yet I would NOT trade it in for the world as we would NOT have our Sweet baby girl....

NEW Year...NEW do for Kim-Lan!!

HELLO FRIENDS!!!! IT'S BEEN A BUSY ROLL INTO THE NEW YEAR FOR US!!!!

I HAD WANTED TO SHARE PHOTOS OF MY HAIR CUT, BUT COULD NOT BRING MYSELF TO "EXPOSE" MYSELF UNTIL NOW....I HAVE SOME OTHER EXCITING PHOTOS TO SHARE...HENCE THE REASON TO POSTS THESE FIRST AS A PRELUDE!!!! TODAY, 18 JANUARY 2008, WAS A VERY EXCITING DAY FOR US...STAY TUNED. HERE'S PHOTOS OF THE BIG "HAIR CUT DAY" FOR KIM-LAN....ABOUT 3 WEEKS AGO!!!



Me with "Lan" - Vietnamese hairdresser ready to cut 10" off for LOCKS of LOVE hair donation (hair to make wigs for children with Cancer). Friday 28 Dec. 2007!!!








Oh my goodness, there goes my hair off....one lump sum!!! NO turning back now!!!!

I'm a little sad and definitely in SHOCK that it's done....yikes!!! It was suppose to be 10" - we measured it when we got home, it was 11.5-12" OFF!!!!!! Double Yikes! Plus another INCH to style and we're at about 13" OFF my head, 1/2 pound lighter and ONE cold neck! Ha.... :)




Maile wondering who is standing to her? Sounds like "Mommy" but doesn't look like Mommy!!! This is the SHORTEST my hair has been in over 10 YEARS!!!! I am getting more used to it, but has been a process of getting used to, grief, joy & happiness to donate as well....

Mung Chuc Nam Moi = Happy New Year (Vietnamese)

With love & joy for the New Year,
Ms. Saigon & crew