Blog From The Eldest Daughter

It seems like just yesterday she was sitting in a hotel room, and now she is humming a song below me in the kitchen. I take that back, it does not seem like just yesterday...to many tears,tantrums, laughter and m&ms have gone into this. Throughout the summer my parents and I would say to each other, "Today we were on the plane," "Today was the day you got caught in the door," "Today we discovered that really good mandu place," "Today was the day we met Nora,"

When we met Nora, we were all so nervous. My Dad had foolishly worn a long sleeve jacket and long pants, and I had spilled on the dress I was supposed to wear, so I wore a different one. My dad and I sat on the hotel room bed watching the travel channel while my mom buzzed around the hotel room, cleaning and getting ready. At one point she made me go upstairs to the lobby to acquire some scissors to cut wrapping paper with. When the time came, we were so nervous. We climbed into the cab, and the drive seemed to take so long. I actually think it was only 15 min. But for us that seemed like a hour. The people on the street walked around, selling food and rushing to work. The building was small and squished between others, but that didn't matter it was our doorway to Nora, the pathway to what would soon be ours. Now, one year later, she is ours. Or, I should say....We are hers. We gave her a home, and she gave us laughter and the gift of patience. For years she was a name, a photo. We could say "one day Nora will be eating Easter dinner here" But she wasn't there. We couldn't stroke her hair or kiss her "boo boos" When she came to us, she completed us. Now she runs through the kitchen, her feet so loud you can hear them in the upstairs. You can hear her screaming for the dogs to come (probably so she can try to wrestle them) and you can hear her babbling on the phone to some poor telemarketer. We are family.

I love you Nora. You little troublemaker.