PLEASE PRAY...

Today, I got an email from our adoption agency stating the main Director in the VN program is RESIGNING...Ugh...while it stated that it wouldn't delay our paperwork, I'm VERY nervous it will--not to mention TET (VN & Chinese New Year) is in FEB!!!

I KNOW God is teaching me lessons in Patience, but it still wouldn't hurt to PRAY for a miracle...to open the way & process our paperwork ASAP to get our little angel waiting for us in VIETNAM...getting bigger and growing older by the day! My heart is so sad, this ADOPTION PREGNANCY is very frustrating esp. now going into month 17 of this journey!!!

If you happen to read this blog before we travel and YOU or KNOW of anyone that has AA World Points that they are willing to TRANSFER into my name, PLEASE let me know...we humbly ask for any donations to help us get points for at least ONE ticket to VN. That would be so much appreciated...

Well, here's to another night of us being away from Maile, praying for a G&R (Giving and Receiving) DATE soon, ideally MARCH or EARLY April travel date!!!

To Him be ALL the glory in bringing Maile home to us!
Signing off, Ms. Saigon....

Leaning on: Jer. 29:11 tonight..."For I KNOW the plans I have for you, declares the Lord..."

Encore Centre for DANCE Slide Show!

Encore Centre for DANCE in the makings!!

Thank you Susie for sharing how to set up a slideshow. I am test running it on my blog to practice for when we adopt our baby girl, Maile (My-lee) Noel from Ninh Thuan, Vietnam this Spring 2007!

Above is Encore Centre for DANCE slideshow, a true testimony to God's faithfulness and provision, all from His calling upon my heart to open my first dance studio. I LOVE Encore, the vision & mission, but most of all, the DANCERS that make it all worth while! I am blessed beyond words...and also, to see the handiwork of God in weaving another miracle in our lives as we adopt our baby girl and we cannot wait to bring Maile HOME to her "forever family."

"Saigon, Vietnam is truly where my life starts...
but for Sandy Howard, it would begin in her heart.
She adopted me so I could have "the American Dream"
and see all God's blessings in the "Land of the Free..."
Now is the time, for my wings to take flight...
Opening my first dance studio & a littl' girl in sight.
Making a FULL Circle, Maile Noel, you will see...
God's blessings in life to be the best you can be!"

We LOVE you, Maile, we are coming for you soon!!!
To God be ALL the Glory!
Your FOREVER Family, Kim-Lan & her 3 boys!

"Trust in the Lord, with all your heart, lean NOT on your own understanding. But, in ALL your ways, acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths..." (Prov. 3:5-6)

Good-bye Sweet Lynn Newman

The grief has consumed me and the guilt of not attending my sweet friend, Lynn's memorial service haunts me. I found out she passed away from the battle of breast cancer one day after her service. I had her website bookmarked, followed her journals & progress and while away on Christmas vacation, she passed away and I didn't know about it. She was so beautiful, precious and sweet...I always wanted to help more, take a meal, be with her and I idly sat by, waiting for the blessing to be called upon.
Obviously, we are ALL busy with "life" and it's time of death, we know how very mortal we are. I am THANKING God for a few gifts already from Lynn, the gift of just knowing her, the gift of HER BODY being NEW now and looking "just right" and the gift her husband, Dave, and her children (Taylor & Jacob) knowing JESUS and the PROMISES from God.

How can anyone watch a loved one die or any major life-battle and not know the gift of Jesus and Salvation? I don't know how they get through it...Praise God, they know who HE is!! HE is the Mighty God that will continue to hold them in the palm of His hands and carry them through this. Death is not for the ones gone, but for the ones left behind...to teach us God gives and takes all. He always sees the bigger picture we cannot! God knows every hair on our head, every day of our life and calls us each by name.

How can I better serve Him today in the life of my children, husband, mom, friends, dancers??? Please God use me today that I might be a LIGHT for you...a light went out on 29 Dec. 2006, when we lost Lynn Newman. "I Can Only Imagine" how she is DANCING now. I love you Lynn, forever in my heart...Kim-Lan (Jer. 29:11)

Mung Chua Giang Sinh!!

I get teary eyed as I think about the INCREDIBLE 2006 the Carlsons had this year...on many fronts, amazing JOYS and rays of HOPE with the referral of Maile (My-lee) Noel on Oct. 16. We started SEPT. 01, 2005 and now 16 mos. into this the "Adoption Pregnancy" - we feel like we are FINALLY in the LAST Trimester! I also remain humble and grateful for wrapping up the first semester of Encore Centre for DANCE!!! Wow, God, how can I ever THANK YOU for showing me your AMAZING Faithfulness in the midst of some storms, you continue to provide the RAINBOWS!!! And to my family, my Mom & the boys: I thank you from my heart to yours...for your incredible SUPPORT and LOVE to endure all the hurdles & challenges, you are so AWESOME! YOU ROCK!

We seem to still have so many more steps to go before bringing Maile home from Ninh Thuan, VIETNAM. I know you wonder ALL the steps involved, I do too! Hopefully this outline will help you (& me) to understand the painstaking process and please continue to PRAY for stamina & provisions spiritually, financially, physically & emotionally as we wait for GOD'S timing of it all!!!

After a referral of a child has been accepted and the family has returned the paperwork to Dillon, we will prepare the acceptance documents to be sent to Vietnam. The following is an outline of what occurs once your paperwork arrives in Vietnam:

Your dossier and acceptance papers are sent to Ho Chi Minh City to our attorney, Thomas. When Thomas receives your dossier, he will forward it to a translator. The translation process can take 1-4+ weeks.

After your dossier has completed the translation process, Thomas will send it to the International Adoption Department (IAD) in Ha Noi. The IAD will review your dossier, and, if they are satisfied with all the documents, they will give your dossier a log-in date. You can estimate you will travel within 3-6 months of this log-in date.

After the IAD has given your dossier a log-in date, they will send a letter to your child’s province requesting that the Local Justice Department begin compiling your child’s legal documents, which is also called the child’s dossier. This process can take up to 30 business days.

Once the IAD in Ha Noi receives your child’s dossier, they will review your child’s dossier and your dossier. After they are satisfied with all the dossier documents, they will forward your family's dossier and the child's dossier back to your child’s Local Justice Department in your child’s province.

When the Local Justice Dept. in your child’s province receives your dossier and your child’s dossier, they will forward the dossier documents to the People’s Committee and then the People’s Committee will set a date and time for the Giving and Receiving Ceremony.
Families should have approximately two weeks notice before travel.

From my dear friend, Michelle's favorite verse: Jer. 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord..."

To Him be ALL the Glory! God bless you now & always as we enter another day and year... Kim-Lan & 3 boys (Don, Joseph & Samuel) & our baby girl (now '2') waiting for us 1/2 around the world

LOG IN Date = Dec. 25th for our Baby Girl!

Well, what a Christmas it has been!!! The week before Christmas we had one DR wall, all of our LR and 3 BRs painted to get ready for Baby Girl Carlson...not any too soon!!! Just found out TODAY, that we have a LOG IN Date into Vietnam (meaning our dossier is officially registered in the VN system!) We are told 3-6 mos. still to travel and of course, praying closer to 3 mos. than 6 mos...Ideally just after the 24th of MARCH and well before Encore Centre for DANCE's first student concert (set for mid June!)

God knows the timing of it all, He has been orchestrating them both all along... TWO dreams coming true, adopting my baby girl and opening my first dance studio!!! I am sure He will work it all out...Just wanted to share that exciting news...more details to come...

Here's to a STELLAR 2007, can't wait!!! Bring it on!
God bless, Kim-Lan and the CRAZY Carlson Krew
Prov. 3:5-8

Encore Centre for DANCE in our first Parade!

Getting ready for Little Elm's Homecoming Parade (Oct. 2, 2006)
Off to a great start...
We did it, at the finish line! 

Steps in ADOPTION and DANCE...

Wow, where has the summer gone, SO much to do, SO little time... we continue to make BABY Steps to get our BABY GIRL CARLSON!! Here's the updates of our CRAZY LIVES:

We had to get the APPROVAL letter from CIS re-issued as it had MY fingerprints expired 7/21/2006 (!!!) while Don’s expired 7/21/2007

We had to re-order the local police department letters since our notary expired LESS than ONE year from issue date

We had to get updated medical letters re. our “current health” since there was ONLY ONE copy and NEEDED 2 copies per spouse…

We SENT OFF OUR DOSSIER paperwork SAT. 22 JULY 2006!!!!! Now, we wait as the agency and Vietnam certify, authenticate & translate our file….HOPEFULLY and prayerfully within the next 6 mos. or LESS, we will have more info. on our little girl that will be handpicked for us, get WRITTEN INFORMATION ON HER FIRST, then after acceptance a PICTURE OF HER!!! Please keep us in your prayers as we boldly move into a New Year with a NEW baby girl in the house!!! Can’t wait…God is so good.

AND!!!! For those who do not know, I also covet your prayers on the GRAND OPENING of my new DANCE STUDIO, Encore Centre for DANCE!!! Yes, I’m sure by now you think I am utterly CRAZY working in real estate, adopting a sweet baby girl from VIETNAM and now opening a DANCE STUDIO as well… Enclosed is our vision statement and it’s been TOTALLY GOD leading and blessing the past few months as we plan to OPEN THIS AUGUST. I beg for your prayers on a PERMIT Approval for sign and build out ASAP!!! May God bless each and every dancer, teacher, idea/ movements that occur at Encore Centre for DANCE!!!! He had brought us so far, it’s truly amazing and humbling…and VERY OVERWHELMING as well. Please pray my heart will remain steadfast and willing to serve God and these dancers and be a LIGHT for Him as I pursue my PASSION for DANCE through Him!!! Check out our website: www.EncoreCentreForDance.com

God bless you always,

Kim-Lan and her 3 boys (and soon to add 1 littl’ girl ½ way around the world!!!!!)

Real Dreams DO come True...

Kim-Lan pursues PASSION for DANCE as she opens "Encore Centre for DANCE" this summer!

















Ms. Kim-Lan (Owner/ Exec. Dir.) & Ms. Michelle (Artistic Director) debuts "Encore Centre for DANCE" as Little Elm's FIRST Dance Studio at Little Elm, TX July Jubilee 2006.




"Encore Centre for DANCE" makes it debut in Frisco, TX at 4th of JULY FRISCO Freedom Fest- 2006

Encore Centre for DANCE Studio Pictures

Encore Centre for DANCE becomes the FIRST Dance Studio in Little Elm, TX - Aug. 2006
Ms. Kim-Lan (Owner) and Ms. Michelle (Artistic Director) outside the new studio
Ms. Kim-Lan & Ms. Michelle dancin' in "new space" (studio A) 

Spirit of Saigon

Working in the rice fields...














Girls on the street...














Family floating by...















The orphans letting us give them candy, they didn't know to take wrapper off. They let us feed them like little birds...Precious!! 

Back to the Lone Star State

03 April 06 8:30pm CST

Well, after 23 hrs. of traveling half way around the world, through 3 time zones and days and hours lost...we are finally home to the bright, colorful, "new" town of Frisco, TX (in comparison to Saigon).

What an incredible journey-of-a-lifetime, hard to put into words. The beauty in Saigon, Vietnam goes beyond the Notre Dame Cathedral, Mekong Delta, Saigon River, etc...but the true beauty is in the humility and spirit of the Vietnamese people. They were happy to wave, smile & shake your hand (& LOVED getting their picture taken) & sit for hours just fellowshipping with one another. While the traffic was more than I could bare, way too stressful for me...I thoroughly enjoyed the sights & sounds of Vietnam & going back "home."

I am humbled by the "land of the free" as I live as an American and still remain with one foot in Vietnam as well...forever longing to return back to know more about my roots, my culture, my heritage...my people as well. We went back to my orphanage (which is now a school for the blind as well as several active orphanages...what a ministry to see them, love them, hug them and give them goodies, candy, toys, etc) The smiles on their faces were priceles! Many little ones did not even know how to eat candy, one took the starburst I gave her and put the whole thing in her mouth, wrapper and all!!! The littlest thing, like unwrapping a candy and putting in your mouth, I took for granted...they would let me feed them like little birds- it was precious!

I just have to learn the language to really communicate to a new level with them. I was often asked, "where do you come from?" When a translator would say, "Vietnam, Kim-Lan was born here..." They would reply, "How come she doesn't speak Vietnamese?" Hopefully, when we return to get our little girl, we will have some VN language skills in place!?

Please pray for our paperwork/ Dossier to wrap up efficiently & bring our daughter home soon!

Thank you for sharing in this journey with me, much more to come...

Signing off, Ms. Saigon

Onward to the Mekong Delta & Can Tho

01 April 06

Don & I have fallen SO in love with Vietnam, we know this is HOME...we have decided to MOVE here...can someone send my boys & mom here to 0401 Duong Nguyen Que, Saigon VN???
Ah ha...gotcha...April Fool's...we do love it here, but doubt we'll be finding residence here too soon.


I am in the hotel lobby of SAIGON CAN THO hotel living like royalty after our ONE night's stay at the "traditional house" on Binh Hoa Phuoc Island off the Mekong Delta River (2nd largest river in the world as it starts in Tibet, China!)

Rustic, remote & raw would be my descriptions for this ancient old grounds with stunning living room, like you would see in a Chinese palace or similar...there were several rooms with cots in them and we each had our own MOSQUITO net for our own privacy and enjoyment...ahhhh. After a delicious, homemade meal we walked to the local market with the natives live and they seem to welcome our "celebritory" status as American foreigners. They smiled and waved to us and loved having their picture taken, got some great candid shots of the SPIRIT of Vietnam already just in the people alone...

Picture this, showering in a room as big as the handicap stalls that we know with your toilet & rack for clothes & towel with just enough room for you to stand still and clean up...the sinks were out side the restroom area & while I managed to survive that & get some relief from the intense humidity & heat, I was sweating again within 5 mins. of getting dressed again...no joke. At least it was "clean sweat" and not "dirty sweat" from all day...ha.

Retiring to bed was another interesting event with climbing under the net and talking with Thia, Amy & Don before realizing this was REALLY where we were going to sleep...As I turned on the flashlight to do "name that animal" with my fingers, I found a June Bug INSIDE my net and a couple on top on the outside as well. I freaked out, I thought I had so meticulously calculated my way in without any flying friends joining me in the net. I got the tour guide, Tran, to get the bug out and was hard to settle down. I was happy to have had "rice wine" & a tylenol pm hrs. before bed, but anxiously awaiting for it to kick in!!!

I was ready like a lightening bolt to get out of there and take our row boat out of the Mekong Delta area, then the bus & ferry toward Can Tho where we visited another active orphanage. The toddlers were PRECIOUS, so sweet, happy to see us, lit up with our goodies & candy to give...GREAT PHOTOS there! They sang VN songs & recited ABC's to us too, showing off their musical talents!

LOVE the shopping in Can Tho & Saigon, you know I'm all about a good deal and negotiating the best price...I AM a TRUE Vietnamese. If it's 100,000 dongs, I want it for 50,000 and usually we meet somewhere in the middle otherwise I have to walk away...then seconds later I hear, "ma'dam, ma'dam...what you pay?" and we do the calculator numbers game until she wants to sell it bad enough and I want to get it by then too...

Time to get dressed & head back to SAIGON, where we will spend our last 24 hrs. before traveling another 24 hrs. to the US. Thank you for sharing in our journey, many stories & photos to come...I am blessed beyond words for these travels.

All my love & thanks to my boys & mom for supporting us through this...cannot wait to see, hug & kiss you again...SOON! God bless you all!

Signing off, Ms. Saigon

Cu Chi Tunnels Today...

29 March 2006 8PM Saigon Time/ 7AM CST

Another intense day of emotions and site seeing...I'm so exhausted by mid-day...the tours are intense, the traffic is intense, this whole experience is so overwhelmingly INTENSE at times...

We went to the Cu Chi Tunnels that the VN built during the Vietnam War. It was very informative but when I heard gun shots from a practice shooting range, I started freaking out & had to leave immediately. I was surprised on how it affected me so quickly, I was fine for most of the tour but missed going in one of the tunnels b/c of having to leave...

Then we went to the War of Remembrance Museum...more pictorial examples of the horrific war that left millions dead...ahhhh.

This has been a journey of a life time, more stories to come later...gotta go.

Signing off, Ms. Saigon

"Duong" Dream Cruise...

28 March 06
8:45pm Saigon Time/ 7:45am CST

For my MICHIGAN friends, you will appreciate the Title, "Duong" Dream Cruise...in honor of the "Woodward Dream Cruise"....You ain't seen nothin' until you come to Saigon....The cruisers are on "motos" here (mo-peds) and all speed a like, no stopping, no signals, no streets...just BEEPING to say, "get out of my way..." It's is AMAZING to me that I have not seen an accident yet with 100's of vehicles, motos & bikes flying down the street in total chaos & disorder. Don asked why do they paint lines in the road? Nobody stays in them, it's so crazy & overwhelming to watch traffic here...I literally get nauseated riding in a taxi (thankfully we have not had to do it very often!)

We've met some wonderful friends here, the tour group as well as TX friend's sister, Van Wynn and AIAA (agency I was adopted from) has a representative here, Phat Nguyen and he has been so kind & wonderful too.

We went to several "active" orphanages" today, Phu My (foo-me) and Go Vap and handed candy & goodies to the kids...they were excited to say the least to see "celebrities" hand out treats & take pictures...it's incredibly humbling... One little girl just put the whole starburst in her mouth that I gave her, she did NOT know to take off the wrapper...Yikes! I held a sweet newborn baby, "Nam" and made me more anxious to get our little girl & pluck her out of the orphanage, like me...

We saw Hoi Duc Anh (my orphanage) & my "neighborhood" in which the tour guide, Viet, thinks I came from...it's the poorest area of town (if there such a place in Saigon.) We are amazed by how many people there are selling all the same goods, clothes, services...how do they survive? Families huttle in circles cooking and eating, elderly ladies peddling carts or buckets of produce, babies being rode around on motos with mother & father all on the bike & NO safety belt, seat, gear...nothing... It's an overwhelming sight...truly one hard to put in words. The pictures I have taken definitely speak 1000+ words or 15,900,000 dongs (in Saigon!)

Signing off, tomorrow we go to Cu Chi tunnels from the American War...
Take care & PLEASE hug/ say hi to my babies (& mom) for me...

With love from 1/2 way around the world, Golden Orchid

We are HERE in SAIGON!!!!

We arrived in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh- HCM) City around 11:30pm SGN time (10:30 PM CST)
Walking out of the airport, there were 100's of people awaiting the arrival of the exiting passengers. In the sea of family welcoming home a loved one, I wondered, will there be someone waiting for us, just one? Thankfully there was a little VN man waiting with our names on a sign, "Mr & Mrs. Carlson." He escorted us to the van & took us to the Bong Sen Hotel. We were tired from traveling over 24 hrs., but my eyes wide open to try to capture as much of the city as I could, in the dark.

I noticed immediately how HUMID it is here! No wonder the locals are so thin, they work, eat, sleep in a sauna. Also, there are VERY few street lights...the vehicles mainly consist of mo-ped bikes, bicycles & a few automobiles BEEPING as they enter an intersection to notify they are coming...there is no "stopping" and waiting for a light...I saw no "law & order"in the traffic, I felt like I was in NYC except more bicycles to dodge than taxis. And dozens of people still up, walking, biking, talking & even sleeping on the streets at Midnight SGN time!

We will meet our Motherland Tour this am and see the sights, already in the sun light I see how poverished the city is...just like I have seen in the movies, I see with my own eyes now!!! I am trying to take it all in.

Stay tuned & I'll be back...signing off, Golden Orchid

PS-PLEASE anyone seeing my sweet boys, Joseph & Samuel- & my mom, please hug them & tell them how much we LOVE & MISS them, already!

**Thank you MOM for help making this once-in-a-lifetime dream trip come true...I will now see my "hometown" in which I was plucked out of and into your hands many moons ago. I am forever grateful to you, I love you from the depths of my heart...

Almost there...

We are in TOKYO now... We've been up since 5:30am CST and it's now 2 AM CST....we've had a few naps & a few meals...ALL on the 13 hrs. plane ride from DFW to Tokyo. We have a lay over and head to Saigon in a couple hours! It will be 10:30PM Saigon Time, which is about 10:30AM- CST since we are 1/2 way around the world!

Will keep you posted, thank you for your prayers and support. PLEASE, anyone who sees my boys & my mom, give them BIG HUGS from us and tell them we are safe, we love them & miss them!!!

Will write more when we land in Saigon, signing off now...Golden Orchid (aka Kim-Lan)

Ready or not...

Here we go...I am so tired right now I can barely think. I had hoped to go to bed around 1 am, until I could not find our flight tickets- ahhhh. After an hr. of searching every paper pile around the house (& there's countless # of them), I grew more and more distressed. I called AA and they said b/c they are PAPER tickets and not e-tickets, we would have to re-buy them! Yikes... FINALLY, after one moment of clear thinking, back tracking and brain racking, I thought of a place I might have put them. Now, the goal became finding that one manilla envelope that I was envisioning...low and behold, under the bed...there it was. I remember now, shoving things under the bed before our home study (since they said they won't look under there!) :)

So, I guess we are as ready as we are ever going to be...I will keep you posted on my "full circle journey." Thanks for coming along for the ride.

Signing off, take care & God bless. Kim-Lan

SAIGON BOUND...

I have been up for hours trying to figure out how to post pictures on this blog as a link vs. all the photos on one page...I'm am NOT tech savvy.

Well, as you may or may not know, ONE WEEK from today on 25 March, Don and I will be traveling to SAIGON, Vietnam for a one week tour of my "home town." It's surreal how this all came together, less than 6 weeks ago, I didn't even know about the tour...

Don found this lady on the internet who helps adult adoptees find their birth parents. He tried to inquire for with what little information he knew... She (Susan) told Don about this tour she was escorting this March with other adult adoptees from Vietnam and encouraged us to go. We explained we were adopting a little girl from VN and she said it was even MORE important that we try to make this tour happen b/c it's so overwhelming to return to a birth place let alone be adopting a little girl too. Susan said I had to "bring closure to the past before opening a door to the future..." We know this tour happening is meant to happen because here's what God did:

-The tour co. let us register 14 Feb when the deadline was 31 Dec 05

-The tour co. is letting us go for only ONE week, instead of the organized two weeks.

-We were able to make our own flights from DFW to HCM (Ho Chi Minh) City

-My mom, once again, with unending love & support said she'd watch the boys again! She is the pillar to our family!!

We thought we could NOT afford to go, but emotionally, we felt this was "once in a lifetime" opportunity BEFORE getting our little girl to return to my homeland...

So, ready or not, Saigon...here we come...stay tuned!! I am not sure how I am feeling about it, I was VERY excited, now a bit apprehensive and overwhelmed with what has to be done from now to when we leave...

PLEASE pray for GOOD health, SAFE travels & OPEN hearts to whatever God has in stored...

Until next time, take care and God bless...Kim-Lan

Kim-Lan & her 3 boys...

Kim-Lan & Don at Vietnamese Wedding