Jesse's Birthday Bash!!

Happy Birthday Jesse!

I can't believe you are 8!

Jesse turned 8 on Saturday. It was a very exciting day that seemed to take forever to get here. We counted down that day's and waited and waited... But the special day finally arrived... Jesse rarely misses a wink of sleep, except when he's excited... so the few mornings before the big day were VERY early... Making the anticipation even greater for me..

The morning started with a nutritious breakfast of Twinkies and a homemade carmel with a candle just to get things warmed up... Breakfast was followed by about 4 hours of begging to open his presents...

When we were shopping at the store earlier in the week, I encouraged Jesse to pick out his cake, which he did, and since my mother was in town, the two teamed up and ordered his cake while I was squeezing fruit and checking the corn cobs in the produce department. This gave Jesse the idea to keep the theme of the cake a secret from Steve and I until the big "unveiling" at the party.. So, Saturday morning we had to run and pick up the cake and make a big production out of him carrying it and keeping me from looking at it, of course all while I was paying... It worked, it really was a secret.

Surprise it was Pokemon~!! Who would have thought??? :o)

Finally it was 1:00 and Heidi and her family arrived... The magic could begin.. We started by opening presents. He had several LARGE gifts and several that came in the mail... each was exciting and perfect for Jesse... He loved all his gifts... he got books (which we needed desperately) art supplies, Legos, a rock painting kit, markers, color books, sketch pad, puzzles, games, a super gross squeeze ball with a frog sticking out... a remote control Jeep, remote control Yoshi in a teeny tiny car, golf clubs from mom and dad and a putting green from grandpa... and Money, Money, Money... The kid made out... Thanks everyone for all your thoughtfulness and generosity..

After presents and cake and ice cream we piled the kids into the car and drove to a place called Safari Sam's.. It's one of those places that you can basically let the kids run free while adults sit at a table and eat pizza.... They have a HUGE play structure, mini-golf, and a rather large arcade. It was a really good time and the kids had a ball.

Jesse's new cousin Anna, Blake from across the street,
Gage, Jesse and Alex, also from across the street.

After Safari Sam's we headed home to check out the mother load of gifts... it was great to go through them and check each one out... The boys spent some male bonding time on the putting green, which Jesse is pretty dang good at actually... for a lefty that is... He loves his clubs and is very excited about hitting the links with his dad... he said he promises he won't hit it in the water or the sand... ;-)

It was taco night a the Fontenot's... Jesse's favorite dinner... so we ate till we couldn't eat anymore, indulged in another piece of Pokemon cake and started to settle down a bit...

We ended the day with a cozy dip in the hot tub... another of Jesse's favorites.. It was a great day all about celebrating Jesse and I think he simply couldn't have asked for more. When he finally fell asleep Saturday night, he was the happiest boy on earth!!

Happy day with great memories..

I love you little boy... Having you as my son is like having my birthday every day of the year!! Here's to many, many more!!

Kids!!!

We just returned from the grocery store trip from HELL... we spent exactly $95 dollars, were there for almost 2 hours (don't ask).. 2 trips to the bathroom.. Greeting cards... Picking out HIS birthday cake... Ugh!!

When we finally got into the car (after Jesse took far too long returning the cart and made me go find him)... This is how our conversation went...

Me: "Jesse, when we are in the store.... Blah, Blah, Blah... Bark, Bark, Bark.... Nag, Nag, Nag.... Do you understand what I'm saying???"

Jesse: "Can we get a dog?"

AAAAAHHHHHH..... One of us needs medication!!!

I am very grateful to have moments that are so frustrating one can only make fun of them...

I love you Jesse!!!

My Little Survivor

Relay For Life - Newberg
June 19&20, 2009

Last weekend we participated in the Relay For Life to benefit the American Cancer Society. We were on a team called "Austin Angels", for Jesse's school and the the two sweet cancer patients that go there. The team was full of the school staff and their friends and family members. Jesse is not the only student at his school who has had cancer, there is a little girl named Maddy who has just finished therapy for Leukemia. Both kids are doing great now and looked fabulous in their purple survivor shirts.


The event is a 24 hour relay race where participants walk (or run) around a track for the entire time. At least one member of the team has to be on the track every hour. Usually team members take turns for an hour at a time. Of course there are many teams with several members on each team. The race was held at our high school so there was plenty of room for people to pitch tents and set up for the whole night. We only stayed until about 10:30 because Jesse just couldn't stay up much later than that.

To start the event, all the survivors line up and make one kick off lap around the track, then the race officially begins. The survivors were lined up by date of diagnosis, so Jesse was right in the front of the line, being diagnosed less than a year ago. It wasn't planned, but he and Maddy led the lap and carried the banner. It was amazing and emotional to watch. I was so proud of him!

After the Survivors Lap all the survivors and their families were treated to a nice dinner. It was especially good for Jesse to see how many other people had survived cancer. He was amazed by all the purple shirts and I realized that he thought he and the few kids he saw in the hospital were the only people to have this type of illness. When it got dark, luminaries were lit and lined the track, the luminaries were purchased by the participates either in memory of some one who has passed away from cancer, or in support of someone who has survived or is living with cancer. There must have been a thousand or more. Then everyone came off the track and they read every name. Again, it was very emotional!

After we went home and slept, we went back to the race and walked for the last hour and a half... Then they served ice cream... I think that was Jesse's favorite part.

Relay For Life is held in every city and community all around the United States. Newberg is a small community so I guess our race was small compared to other larger city's. Jesse and Maddy and one other little girl who looked to be about 8 or 9 were the only children I saw wearing purple shirts. There were people of all ages, having had cancer many years ago, to people undergoing treatment right now. Our little race raised over $55,000.00 for the American Cancer Society. It was a sobering experience. I suggest every person participate at least once. I think the Fontenot's are relayers for life!! :)

Didn't I leave the Beehive State?

While It's true I've seen many bee's in my life, I have never seen this many bees at one time.... in my yard! (Okay, this is not my yard, but this picture was taken from my back yard)

This tree is in my neighbors yard. On Sunday we noticed some ruckus coming from over the fence. People were gathering and talking very excitedly... Turns out this tree, that is mere feet from my fence, and right smack in front of my neighbors house.... was full to capacity with a colony of bees... This branch, was weighted down from what they said was about 8 lbs of bees!! Plus.... about a million bees were flying around in the air...

Over the course of the evening we heard kids daring each other to touch them... Men chatting about what manly solutions could take care of the problem and even talk of calling the fire department... (visions of them spraying RAID from their fire hoses sent chills up my back....) but in the the end, a bee keeper came... A little guy with a funny bee keeper hat and big gloves and a small step ladder... he calmly donned his protective gear and stepped up brave on his little ladder... I assumed he was getting a closer look, which sort of impressed me... but what happened next actually took my breath away and I have to say I was a bit stunned.... He took hold of that branch and pulled down and gave it a big shake!! Suddenly a fog of brown filled the air and kids began to shriek and the branch bounced back to it's upright position.. I was watching from my back door, which I quickly closed and made sure my kid was on the inside, where there were no crazy little people taunting a bazillion stinging insects...

I assumed there must be a dead cat under there and the bees were feasting or something.... Little did I know... Turns out, after a little internet research that those bees were just hanging out with the queen... Bee's don't even eat dead cats! Wow, now that's what I call POPULAR!!! What's the deal? Isn't the queen supposed to take them to find a new hive? How would it be to be the queen bee and have all those worker bees at your beck and call...? I'm not going to go on and on about bees, but I suggest that if you (like me) are unfamiliar with the fuzzy buzzy flying little bugs, you should do a quick search and bring yourself up to date, they really are pretty fascinating... But here's what I think.... I think she just stopped for a rest and those little drone bees got all excited and started doing their "bee" thing...

I will, however, share with you one interesting fact I learned while trying to make heads or tails of what happened in that tree.... A male who is lucky enough to score with a queen pays the ultimate price. During mating, his reproductive parts get ripped out of him, and he dies. So.... What is all the fuss about?


“"That buzzing-noise means something. If there's a buzzing noise, somebody's making a buzzing-noise, and the only reason for making a buzzing-noise that I know of is because you're a bee. ....
And the only reason for being a bee that I know of is making honey.....
And the only reason for making honey is so as I can eat it." So he began to climb the tree.”
~Whinnie The Pooh

Jesse's Transplant Day!!

See this house? This is were I live. I think this picture pretty much describes how I feel on a daily basis... I feel like my little family is ALWAYS sitting directly under a rainbow.... a smile from God...

Jesse is the most amazing gift in our lives. He is a true miracle.. The kind you only read about in fictional novels... the real heartfelt tear jerker kind... but he's really here... When I seriously let myself sit down and think about it... It seems so bizarrely magical...

Tomorrow will mark the 6 year anniversary of his transplant... For those who don't already know, Jesse was blessed with the gift of life... a liver and small bowel. He was just 3 months from his second birthday.. It's always a time of deep reflection on my part.

(This is Jesse the first time we met him... 4 months post transplant)

We tease in our family that Jesse has so many "special" days... Birthday, Transplant Day, Gotcha Day, Adoption Day and newly added... End of Chemo Day... Which day is most important? I can't say... without each special day, Jesse would not be in my life, so I can't even begin to rank them... Each day is special and unique in it's own way.

This morning, when talking to Jesse about his special day, he asked the question I've been avoiding because of his young age... "Where is the person who gave me a liver and bowel?" Of course I don't believe such a gift should ever be a secret.... so I explained it as best I could for his level of understanding... Today he knows that his special angel and Markelle, along with God, are in heaven looking after him. I believe that more than anyone could ever know. I hope that Jesse grows up believing this too.


Okay, not such a great picture, but unfortunately, the only one of two moms and two transplant babies on Markelle's transplant anniversary. November 13th, 2004. We always celebrated Markelle's special day with a Celebrate Life party. This day I believe was a Mexican Fiesta!! Markelle helped Jesse find his forever family and she loved him so very much! Jesse is so blessed to have had her such a big part of his life.

Tomorrow, six years after his life was forever changed by a very gracious set of parents who made the hardest decision ever, we will pray for them and thank them, and remember them in all that we do. Being an organ donor is more than just a decision, it's an act of unconditional love. My hope is to instill that in Jesse so that he never forgets to appreciate what he's been given. I know that with his sweet disposition and loving personality he will always be thankful!

Please join us in remembering everyone who's life has been touch by organ donation. Tell somone new about Jesse and Markelle in hopes of inspiring them to be an organ donor too. Tell your family once again about your wishes to be a donor. It's the most important thing you can do to ensure your wishes are carried out by the ones you are closest to.

To my sweet baby boy... No one could ever love you more... I appreciate each day with you because I know that your life is my reward... You are my pot of gold at the end of this rainbow!!


Before Transplant 2002

The handsome boy he is today!!

So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
~2 Corinthians 9:7