I woke up this morning and had an alert on my phone from my blog page. I heard it early and knew it was waiting for me. It has a different sound alert than my other messages and only dings with good news.

I published my first blog post over three years ago. That post alone has gotten over 10,000 views. Seeing the reaction of people to our story truly made me feel like it mattered. That our life was relatable or that people truly cared about what happened next and would help in any way they could. I took a huge leap of faith that day and don’t regret it for a second.

In these last three years, you have been with me as we have navigated the highs and lows with Ella. You have offered advice and support. You have sent meals, snacks, and flowers. You have shared your stories and shown me a vulnerable side when telling your truths. You have never judged but also weren’t afraid to tell me when I needed to simmer down. You shared my frustrations and celebrated our triumphs.

What started as a blog meant to be mostly about Ella turned into stories about the whole family. CJ navigating the emotions of elementary school, Jack testing every last bit of my patience, Steve getting hurt on the job and then going back to his crazy schedule. You were here to lift me up when my dad died and the grief consumed every part of my life. When I didn’t think I could go on, you showed me it was possible.

How I have grown and been inspired by you all. I have formed so many new amazing friendships. I helped form a local special needs support group that now meets once a month. Let me tell you, it is a group full of strong-willed, badass moms. In March not only did Steve and I start a foundation in Ella’s name to support other special needs families, but we also finally got the diagnosis for Ella we had been waiting eight years for. A diagnosis that could potentially change all of our lives.

In August we have our first big fundraiser for the foundation and a few more ideas in the works. We have new appointments for Ella and in the fall big things will be happening for CJ as he heads to middle school. Our life is in a constant state of change and we are always working on ways to make things run smoother.

I hope you will stay along for the ride. We have more memories to make together, more battles to fight, more families to help, and more dreams to make come true. It blows my mind that in three years 50,000 people have visited my page. Me? I am humbled you keep coming back. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart!

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