¹     Amy missed her mother. She loved her Grandma Norma, but she wanted to see her mommy. Amy's mother was serving in the United States Army in Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Her mother had been gone the entire school year. The last time Amy had seen her mother was before school started last fall.
 
²     She was proud of her mother and the job she was doing for the United States Army. Amy and Grandma Norma wrote letters to her mother every week. They put their letters in the same envelope and brought them to the post office every Friday.
 
³     At Christmas, Amy got to talk to her mother on the telephone. She was so happy when she heard her mother's voice, but when it was over, Amy was sad too. Her mother would not be able to celebrate Christmas with them or see her new puppy. Amy made her mother a pretty red shawl for Christmas. Grandma Norma helped her get started. She had to finish it by October just so she could get it into the mail in time for Christmas.
 
⁴     It seemed to Amy that her mother had been away forever. Her mother had missed Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, and Valentines Day with them. Her mother also missed Amy's 8th birthday. She sent her a red, white, and blue scarf for her birthday. Amy wanted more than anything to be with her mother on her birthday.
 
⁵     Now it was the end of May, and school was almost over for the year. Amy drew a picture of her and her mother together for her Mother's Day card. She sent it along with her letter. Amy would be starting third grade next fall. Amy wondered if her mother would be home before school started again.

Paragraphs 6 to 11:
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