Hello, world – My name is Kaetlin Jetton. As you read this, you will learn that after being diagnosed with Leukemia in May of 2020, I went to meet my Father in Heaven on January 9th, 2022. Now, my soul mate, James, is leading this blog. However, to understand our circus, it’s essential to know who I am because who I am, is still alive in my beautiful children and Husband.

I wore many hats while I walked in this world. My first hat was my family. I was a full-time mom with 4 children 6 and under (literal stair steppers, and no, they weren’t all “planned”). My crazy bunch kept my daytime hours occupied, and at the time, 3 were in school most days, but Ryder the caboose is a maniac and makes up for all 4 somedays. Currently, all of the kids are in school, with Ryder in Preschool, and I am looking forward to seeing his first day of Kindergarten from Heaven. Many would often say that we would do well in a reality show – partly due to my oldest daughter Laken’s dramatic and vocal personality.

Laken is our go getter. She is fearless of most things unless it’s snakes in the backyard. She is loud and expressive but reserved in new places. She truly is James in a small female form, and we love navigating all the different emotions she has. She carries our big family some days and is fiercely loyal to Hattie and our Jetton Circus.  Laken is now in 3rd grade and is still all the things she was before; it’s been amazing to see how she has navigated such tragic times.

 

Sweet Isla Kate is my 1st middle child, our quiet thinker, and planner. She is our “little Kaet” and is such an affectionate little 2nd momma. She is fiercely independent and also quite the comedian who grounds us all. She loves so deeply and so well. Isla is now in 2nd grade, and she is still “Little Kaet” she is strong and determined, desires to do the right thing, and always wants to get better at the things she loves to do.

Another hat I wore was the role of a special needs momma in the past 2 years. Hattie K, my 2nd middle child, was diagnosed at 1.5 years with GNB-1 Syndrome (a rare genetic disorder). There is a page ALL about Hattie, her story, what life looks like with her, and our journey to get a diagnosis. She is the reason for our blog’s name because her Hands continually go up, and she is constantly reminding our circus of JOY! Hattie is now in 1st grade and loves school! Hattie’s name means “Ruler of the House,” and she has owned that! Hattie has been and will always be a source of Joy in our home; she does not give us an excuse to sit around and do nothing; she makes all of us get and go every day. We are better people today, because of who Hattie is.

My youngest, the caboose, joined the circus in May 2018 and is our ONLY boy Ryder James. He came in hot on our 9yr wedding anniversary and has kept us on our toes ever since. Hattie and Ryder have instantly bonded and have such a special relationship. He has no fear and is a super extrovert. He is strong-willed and brave, and we can’t wait to continue to watch him grow and be mothered by all 4 of his “mommas,” including me. He will be a well-kept man, just like his Dad. Leaving Ryder was hard. was a momma’s boy and loved to cuddle, I only had a few years with my sweet boy, but he and his Dad have an exceptional relationship. Ryder continues to be Ryder; through it all, I can see him from heaven, still keeping everyone on their toes. As one of his teachers described him, he’s the “toughest, strongest, sweetest, kind little boy she’s ever seen.” Ryder is now in Preschool and loves school, his friends, dinosaurs, and superheroes. Currently, he’d like to be a Police Officer when he grows up.

During the night hours – yep, you guessed it, I was a prostitute, haha, Kaet had all the jokes – no, but for real, I worked part-time as an Emergency Medicine Physician Assistant in a non-trauma ER. I worked in emergency medicine from 2012 until I was diagnosed with Leukemia. The funny part is I swore ER was the only type of medicine I would not go into coming out of PA school. I couldn’t help it; I loved the consistency of going from craziness at home to craziness at work. I got to work with some of the most brilliant people I know, who shined inside and out. I have a fantastic husband who supported me more than I could ever ask for and allowed me to live this double life. Everyone asks me, “How do you do it?” It truly is God 1st and then by the fantastic support of my spouse.

Speaking of my husband, James and I met at Troy University (the actual one in Troy, AL) in 2006, dated forever (3 years) then married in 2009. He was and is my soulmate, cheerleader, and strength, and now I’m fully handing off the reins of this blog to him. Previously he did join in occasionally on this blog as my star author because he like actually has a degree in journalism. If you’d like to know more about James – click the James tab. He has a pretty exciting career with nothing to do with medicine and is all about loving people, youth, sports, and life.

So that’s it – that was my life here on this planet in a nutshell…a very brief and uncomplicated nutshell that does not accurately portray who I am at all…so if you want to know more, check out the blog posts.
-Kaet