She made it!! After 13days 2hrs 21 min and 13 seconds she pulled into Nome. Mom called me as the siren blew in Nome. It was announcing that Laura was only a mile away. I was watching the Nome city live web camera that is trained at the finish. It updates every minute and I was hoping that it would catch her coming down the finish chute. Mom told me when she could see Laura approaching. I could hear the excitement building in her voice. I asked her what it looked like. She said Laura had her team trotting into the finish. I heard the cheering start and then Mom started yelling. The camera had not updated so I couldn’t see her but hearing it was amazing. I started crying immediately. Part of me was overjoyed that she had accomplished what she has been striving at for so long. There was a part, a large part that was heartbroken at the thought that I had missed such an important moment in my sister’s life. I know you can’t compare this to getting married or having a baby but up until those happen this is possibly the most monumental moment in her life. I would have loved to be there to see the look on her face.

     I close my eyes and I can see it as if I am there. I know what Laura will do because I’ve seen it time after time. She pulls into the finish and she sets the snow hook, stomps it into the snow. She is a little shy of the crowds so she’ll look up and wave here and there but will look away or down quickly. Her face will be set in a serious expression but you’d be able to see the corners of her mouth pulling up. Her eyes would be sparkling even though she is exhausted. I can see in those eyes that she has tested herself and is pleased with the results. I can see how proud she is of her dogs. They have been together for years now. She knows every dog inside and out. She doesn’t stop to talk to anyone yet. The race is not over until her “family” is taken care of. I can see her walk up the line of dogs stopping at each one for a little scratch on the forehead or behind the ear. She bends down to talk to each dog; I can’t hear what she says but each of her dogs nudges her with its’ nose or licks her face and their tails thump the ground or the dog next to them. Each one knows that it is the “favorite” of them all. Only after she knows that they have all been thanked will she turn to Mom and Dad. Then comes the rib crunching hugs, the best hugs. When my sister hugs me I know she loves me. She hugs like she lives: strong, nothing held back and completely honest. That is what I wanted the most today. When I cried it was for wanting a hug, a Laura hug. Dad and Mom would be talking through fur parka ruffs and thick jackets but Laura will still know what they’re saying. “You did good sweetie. We love you. You did good.” I know it’s not the right grammar but it would sound all wrong any other way. She is safe, sound, full of stories and happy to be in Nome.

     I was able to talk to her within an hour of her coming is and she sounded great. She said it didn’t seem real and she was still processing all that had transpired in the last two weeks. She thanked me for all of the help to get her there, all the meals I cooked and froze for her(100 meals, snack ,and desserts total) and for the support. It was only then that I told her about the updates I’ve been writing. She didn’t know I’d been able to get the site up and running again (tech. difficulties pre-race). I started laughing and she knew I’d been up to something. Laughingly I reminded her of a time that she waited until I stepped out of my car at a gas station to pump gas and then locked me out. She then turned accessories on rolled the windows down just enough to let music out but not allow my hand back in. I saw the impish look on her face as she turned on an obnoxious parody of the opera Palachi (Spike Jones) and cranked it up until my car was vibrating with the volume. People were staring as I pressed my face to the crack in the window begging, threatening, charming, and threatening some more. As I reminded her of this event she started to chuckle. I said,” Consider yourself locked out with me controlling the volume!” Both of us laugh because we know this is not the end. There will be something that she will do reminding me “of the time I posted stories about her on her sight while she ran the Iditarod”. Then I’ll find something else to do back. The whole time we’ll know that through thick and thin we’ll be there for each other. And although we are constantly trying to “get” the other we know we’d never let anyone else do anything to harm the other. I am so proud of you Laura. You may be my younger sister but I look up to you and am so blessed to have you in my life. Never stop being you. You were made amazing and continue to become more so with each passing year.