ELKHART-- Today is no ordinary holiday for Tina Hobday and her children. Today they're more grateful for one another than ever.

Because this year, Tina was reunited with a daughter adopted by another family 23 years ago.

Tina and her daughters were in online contact with Laura Pyne, now living in Hershey, Pa., for about two years. Earlier this year, Tina's other daughters, Heather and Elizabeth, and her son, Nathan, made the trip from Elkhart to Pennsylvania to meet Laura.

"It was awesome. There's just no other word," Tina said. "I had waited so long just to hug her."

That was the same reaction Tina's oldest daughter, Heather, had upon meeting her sister.

There had always been questions about the sister she never knew, Heather said. She knew from the time she was a child she had another sister somewhere and had often wondered what she looked like and what she was doing.

"We pulled in, and it was just utter speechlessness," Heather said. "I think everybody just kind of froze."

Laura was excited to meet her biological family, Tina said. Everyone was immediately comfortable.

Laura and her husband John plan on coming to Elkhart this spring to meet the rest of the family, Tina said.

"So many times you hear about situations that have turned out badly, or there are hard feelings in adoption cases," Tina said. "We immediately bonded. It has been an awesome experience. I am so thankful it has all worked out."