The Cheerleaders!!

As you know, we consider ourselves the "cheerleaders". We attend the pep rally before we leave town for Memphis. We get the signage ready. We help with the tee shirts. We print posters of Jake's pictures. And the night before the race, we hit the course, putting out about 50 or so signs to encourage the runners along the route. As I risked life and limb running across the road to put out the signs!! Others run for miles and miles. I take risks like this one.

That's me. And that's my role... cheerleader. Sign putter outer. And the next day, sign picker upper. I don't run. So, this is how I contribute.

And this is a pair of signs we put out that night. There is a little picture of a "bee" before the "encouraged". Pops made it and thought he was being so clever with this little photo sentence. Jake was wearing his backpack in this photo. It was no ordinary backpack. It was full of his fluids that went directly into his central line that was right in his chest. What three year old should have to carry such a backpack!? And still... he smiled!

I got lots of honks on the way to Memphis!

It was imporant to us that the runners knew that we, as a family, are very grateful for their sacrifice and for their contributing to the fundraising efforts of St. Jude.

Here is our driver, Staci.

This was the back up crew for putting out the signs all over the course. Jin went back to the room to cut the mile markers. Staci drove, I jumped out and put out the signs. Madi cheered us on.

We had so many new signs this year, with photos on them that we were able to put a photo pic with almost every word sign we put out. That made for more impact, which meant it was easier (I hope) for the runners to see when they were running by.

Where's Veronicia? Kinda like Where's Waldo?!

Veronicia's role was to put the stakes in the signs and pass them forward. Even though she gets carsick, she sacrificed her own health and climbed right on back to the back. Now, that's sacrifice, V!!

Look at the Target House. They were all ablaze with Christmas lights. I remember the days we played on their playground equipment, shot pool with Jake and the big boys, and rode up and down and up and down and up and down the elevators there. This is also where we sang, "I went skyyyyy diving...." at the top of our lungs.

Would you look at that sweet smile? That would encourage me!! How boy you!? This was when Jake could barely eat a thing. Look at his little neck. He was so skinny!! And yet the sign behind his photo says it all. He kept right on smiling. NO matter what!

It was pitch black and we were still flicking the overhead light on to read a map 26 miles all around Memphis. We really did pretty well. Only took us two hours to get all the signs out.

The runners' course went right by several spots that were very dear to us.

Hey. It's LeBonheur. Or "Bonner" to Jake. It's where he had two brain surgeries. It's where Staci was told Jake, because of his age couldn't have a full sized bed. And so...since he was only used to sleeping with her every night, climbed into the crib with him. Suddenly, they made accomodations!

Some of our signs may have hit home a little more than others, but they were always only meant to motivate!

And all for this super cool, awesome, one of a kind, kid!!

Tomorrow, I start showcasing our awesome runners!!

MO