While I sincerely apologize, for what seems to be, falling off the face of the earth the last two months, I am thrilled to be writing this post on this very special day.
My heart is jumping for joy today, as I am once again counting my blessings during a very difficult season in my life. Today I am celebrating three precious lives that were given to me to love, to teach, and to cherish.
My dear Olivia has been my ‘buddy’ since the day she was born. She truly is a mini-me. We laugh, cry, ask questions, solve the world’s problems, sing, and just love being so silly together. She is THE BEST oldest child I could ask for and has amazing skills that will make her such a strong woman.
My little man, Elias, came to me during such an uncertain and emotional time. He was a bright star that brought me out of darkness. I was 8 months pregnant with Elias when Ahnya got deathly sick in 2006. While some might think that it is not exactly ideal timing, I don’t think that I would have wanted it any other way. His birth reminded us of the wonderful gift of life and brought happiness and positivity back to our home. To this day, he is our comic relief and the reason for many Kloster-belly-laughs.
Miss Ahnya is the one you hear about the most, since this blog is mainly about her journey. So, I would like to share some very special news today.
This morning I greeted the best Mother’s Day gift I could receive. Today marks 100 days of Ahnya being seizure free. For the past 100 days, I have been praying, unceasingly, that we wouldn’t have to live in fear of when, where, and how bad her seizures would be when they come. Words cannot describe how incredibly grateful I am that this current anti-seizure medicine is working. What little side effects she has experienced, we have been able to correct. While this does not count the seizures she had at the Mayo Clinic, which were brought on by the doctors, her ‘remission’ is amazing everyone involved. The only trigger or pattern we have ever been able to determine for Ahnya’s seizures is the fact that within 12 hours of a family member or doctor asking if there has been any seizure activity, Ahnya would have a seizure. Since being back from Mayo, I have somewhat been walking on eggshells, hence the absence of blog posts... It has been a long time since I’ve been able to walk away from my cell phone in the middle of the day… or not super-reacted to a noise when the kids were playing… or allowed her to ride her bike.
This past Tuesday (May 2, 2011) marked FIVE years of God’s continued blessings on our lives. In the days that followed her hospital stay in 2006, we were beginning to recognize not only God’s unfailing love for her, but also His desire for Ahnya to continue to be a part of our family. What wonderful experiences and challenges Ahnya has faced in the last five years. Her unfaltering faith is motivating and encouraging to me. She NEVER questions God's intentions for her life. She knows without a doubt that He'll continue to be by her side in everything she does.
In March, we welcomed Miss Gloria into our home. She is absolutely precious! I decided I needed a little sunshine in my life and the kids were old enough to help take care of a dog. We had no idea the endless love and energy she would bring into our lives! 100 is also significant to Gloria today. She is 100 days old today. That’s right, Gloria was born on the very day that Ahnya had her last seizure. Little did we know that 8 weeks later we would be adopting her from a shelter to be a part of our family. I can’t help but think that this little pup is God’s way of smiling at us.
This day is significant in so many ways, and all I can really think about is how thankful I am to be surrounded by people I love. Thank you for taking this journey with me and my family. You have supported us through phone calls and texts, cards, money to help with medical expenses, giftcards, visits, meals, transportation in Minnesota, comfy beds for Ahnya and I in Minnesota, and above all...prayer. Words will never be able to express how much all of this means to us. Thank you for being the hands and feet of Jesus.
Humbly yours,
Melissa
