Lissy's become a reporter with the school newspaper, but she lacks a good story. When Duane announces that he has to climb the rope in gym class but he's afraid of heights, Lissy turns him into the laughing stock of the school.

Jay Jay has a appointment with a children's dentist, and Ethel pulls strings with the new receptionist (namely Candy) to get Richard in to fix a tooth that's killing him. Richard quickly flakes on the appointment, but finds himself back in the dentist's chair (er.. dentist's hobby horse). Meanwhile, Lissy and Duane try out for the debate team.

When Lissy has a celebration for her Guatemalan foster child's birthday, Jay Jay decides that he wants to ""adopt"" an orphan too. Adoption, however, is more literal in Jay Jay's case... a donkey soon arrives at the door. As if a jackass in the house isn't bad enough, Richard is allergic to animals.

Jay Jay brings home what Ethel expects to be his girlfriend, but the whole family is in for a shock when he arrives with a bag lady. Instantly, the Preston's fall in love with Grace and ask her to stay -- but Ethel is suspicious because Grace asks too many questions about her. Turns out Grace is also an angel (with the CIA -- Central Intelligence of Angels) who's investigating Ethel.

Duane agrees to a blind date with Candy's recently-dumped sister, Taffee, unaware that she's a biker chick. The date seems disastrous until the goodnight kiss. Duane soon dons leather and is head-over-heels in love with Taffee -- until her ex, Rocco, gets wind of the situation and decides to break Duane's face.

Richard agrees to use a computer dating service, if Ethel does too, and he wounds up being matched with an old girlfriend. Ethel's perfect match winds up being mysterious -- namely because it's Jake.

Ethel's earned her wings, but she skips out on the festivities to be with her family. Jay Jay is convinced that Santa's real, so he waits up to meet him. Richard tries to trick the local videostore out of their copy of ""It's a Wonderful Life;"" Lissy reveals that she can't sing.