My dad was away a few weeks ago on a business trip to Indiana and I asked my mom if Gracie and I could have a slumber party in her room. I didn’t have school the next day so I knew the three of us could stay up a little later than usual. My mom said it would be fine.

As the evening’s activities began, the three of us laughed together, played together, and Gracie’s favorite part, tickled each other silly. When it came time for us to get ready for bed I helped brush Gracie’s teeth as I sung the... more

Sometimes it is the small things in life and the small people, like Gracie, that we remember the most. When my parents and I try to teach Gracie a new word or phrase we have Gracie repeat it after us. We have taught her such words as daddy, mommy, sissy and thank you to name a few.

Tonight my mom came upstairs to my room to take Gracie downstairs so I could study. I saw Gracie look back at me as they were leaving my room and I smiled and said, “I love you Gracie!” All of the sudden she says, “Ove ou” (Love you). My smile... more

Today, I read a post saying that today is Pregnancy & Infant Loss Remembrance Day. When I read some of the posts written by fellow blogglers, it reminded me of my lost sibling and how my parents almost lost me.

About a year before my parents were pregnant with me my mom was pregnant with my late sibling. My mom bought my dad a little bookmark that had a poem called, “Walk a Little Plainer Daddy,” to tell Daddy that he was going to be a father. My parents were so excited when they found out that they were going to start a family.... more

Sometimes I am surprised at the things people say about Gracie and her adoption. I had one friend at school say, “Do you know where Gracie’s real parents are?” I responded with, “What do you mean? Yes I know where they are, they live at my house.” My friend explained that she didn’t mean my parents, but Gracie's birth parents, as sometimes people don’t think before they speak. Things like this are sad to say going to happen.

There are some people that come up with weird and false conclusions about adoption.

I... more

My friends at school think it is pretty weird when I start humming a tune from Elmo’s World or say, “Man! I have the Blue’s Clues theme song stuck in my head.” I can’t help it. When you have a younger sibling you are just surrounded by the songs and shows that your sibling watches and listens to. Constantly, as the oldest I am asked by my parents, “Kelsey, watch Grace while I go to the store.” I can’t watch my sister while I do something else and not have the TV on and hear, “La, la, la, la, la, la, la, la, Elmo’s world…” You have... more

Yes! The paperwork was done for us to receive our referral. I was so ecstatic! The adoption agency said that it would be another week or two until we received our referral as I was packing for a trip to Atlanta, Georgia with some friends to a Braves baseball game and to Six Flags.

The trip was really fun, but I still thought about my unknown sister in China. I wrote in my journal about the updates of the adoption and what I was doing to survive the long wait.

It was June 24, 2005 on my dad’s birthday. My friends and I were pulling... more