Here is a new picture of our beautiful Olivia. We are so blessed that another adoptive mom, Susie, took several pictures of Olivia while she was in Ninh Thuan a couple of weeks ago. Susie has adopted two precious girls from Vietnam. Her youngest daughter was adopted from the same orphanage that Olivia is in.

We get lots of questions about when Olivia is coming home and for people who have just learned of our adoption, they often ask how long she's been in the orphanage. Only rarely do people ask me what life is like for her now or what her life has been like for the last 27 1/2 months. I'm not even sure how comfortable I am sharing with family and friends the details of Olivia's young life - much less the strangers of the world who read our blog. I do feel compelled to tell everyone a few things though.

Mike and I have never been out of this country. We are so incredibly naive. We don't know what it means to suffer. Although neither of us grew up wealthy, we've never been without food or a home. We've never been without the love of parents. We've never been afraid and had absolutely no one permanent in our lives that we could trust. I can't fathom what it's like to be a young child and not have a Mommy to run to. I was blessed to have the most wonderful Mama in the entire world. I have also been blessed to have an amazing mother-in-law, Granny and step-mother who I love very much. I have never known a moment of my life where someone didn't think I was the world to them. Whether it was my Mama and Daddy, my husband or my son - I think that every second of my life I have been someone's focus, someone's priority. I am blessed. I am a child of God. There are no words that can describe that kind of love except to know that He gave His son's life for me. There isn't a person in this world I would give my son's life for. Not one.

Olivia has not had a Mommy or Daddy with her for the vast majority of her young life. I have no doubt in my mind though that there is a woman in Vietnam who has ached for her every single day since she last held Olivia in her arms. Her birthmother gave her the name Thi Diem My. That's part of her heritage. Actually it's bigger than that. It's a part of HER. It's a part of Olivia and a part of her birthmom. That's why we've chosen to keep the name Thi - the name she was given by the woman who gave her life. She had choices. Even the poorest of the poor have choices. She chose life and I am in tears right now thanking God for giving her the courage to choose life. I have no doubt that Olivia's birthmom thinks of her each and every day. Perhaps her birthfather does, too. I am thankful beyond words that our Father in Heaven has watched over her every second of her life since the moment of conception. She has always and will always have a Father who loves her unconditionally, who loves her while she's awake and while she's asleep. He loves her even when she doesn't think anyone else does. I have news for Miss Olivia Frances Thi Munn. She has a Mommy, Daddy and big brother right here in the great state of Arkansas who think she hung the moon and stars in the sky! We have dreamed of her for so long that we don't even remember the beginning of our love for her. I have dreamed of her since I was a little girl myself. I have loved her since I wasn't much older than she is now. My baby girl. She is God's gift to us. We are so blessed. I want to make sure that you know that if you know nothing else about Olivia's life - we are blessed to be a part of it. She isn't the lucky one. We are.

WE ARE BLESSED.