From Leah and Grace's Mom, Amy:

Hi All.

Leah's teacher gave her class the assignment to write a narrative paper about one time they received a special gift that really pleased them. They were to tell what happened and how they and the other people involved reacted. This is the paper Leah wrote.

GRACE

My family and I had been thinking of adopting for a long time, but we never made up our minds. Then one day my Mom and Dad called my brother and I downstairs and told us something I would never forget.  I was getting a little sister.

As soon as I heard the news I thought of the name Grace. That's how we got the name Grace. I thought it was the most beautiful name in the world.

This was one of the most exciting days of my life. I couldn't stop thinking that I was going to get a baby sister. That night I asked my Mom "Can I go get Grace with you and Daddy?" It was no use begging after that because my Mom answered "No Sweetie, you have school."

There was bad news and good news about me not going. Well, the bad news was that my Mom and Dad would be gone for two whole weeks. That was way too long to wait for a little sister. The good news was that my Grandma and Grandpa were staying for one week and my Nonnie and Papa were staying for one week. Also, for every day my  parents were gone my brother and I got a present. That's 14 presents! That's amazing! It was kind of like 14 little presents until there was one big present (Grace). Every time I opened a present I knew it was one step closer to getting my little sister. I also had one more butterfly in my stomach every day. Finally, it came to only one more present.

Finally, Grace came home! I was so excited I didn't know what to do. That day we went to the airport. We got out the car seat, put that in. Then we took out the stroller and pushed it into the airport. At the airport we were looking all over for my parents and Grace and then suddenly I saw my Dad jumping up and down waving his arms. They came to us and that was when I saw Grace for the first time. She was the cutest little girl ever. This was not just the ending a journey, but it was a whole new beginning for a whole new life just for Grace. I knew a place in my heart was missing until I saw her.

I picked this journey to write about because this was one point in my life I remember the most. Now I have someone that looks up to me, instead of me looking up to my brother.

Leah