Mamaw

While picking up around the house today I was moving around Jennifer's scrapbooks that she had made over the years. I looked through them and it created a lot of old memories for me and gave me a lot of ideas for future blog post. One thing really caught my eye that I had forgotten about over the years. I was looking at the football scrapbooks that Jennifer had made about my junior and senior years. Besides bringing back all the old memories of losing during my high school career, I noticed something that the majority of people would have just overlooked in the picture, a piece of tape around my leg. That picture made me think of all the wonderful memories I had with my Mamaw. Kind of weird, but let me explain.

Senior captains: Will Fuller, Heath Bailey, Colby Wilson and myself

Well at the beginning of my senior year, my Mamaw fell and hit her head on Sunday morning August 18th. After falling she had no symptoms or side effects from the fall, just a little bump. However, the next day while my parents were out of town dropping Andrea off at a college retreat I got a call while at school from her neighbor that she just wasn't acting right. I was checked out of school by my football coach and went to check on her. She was really confused and the paramedics thought that she had suffered a stroke (one side of her face was drooping). They took her to the hospital in Owensboro. After some tests, the medical team discovered that she had a subdural hematoma that was causing pressure on her brain. She was becoming more and more confused and then later became less responsive. Our options were to 1) drill a small hole in her skull and try to drain off the fluid or 2) do nothing. For any of you that knew Mamaw, you knew that she was an incredible fighter - she had beat cancer multiple times (skin, breast and colon cancer twice), a heart attack, suffered a few mini strokes, and 2nd degree burns to her hands and arms. So, there was really no choice, my aunt and father decided on option 1. The procedure was a success and after some time in the ICU, she went to a regular room. She was actually doing pretty well so they decided to move her to a nursing home until she was ready to go home. However, on September 16th the Lord decided that she was ready to come home to Him. This was a very difficult time, but it was much easier knowing that I will get to see her again someday in heaven and I can't wait to have some of her peanut brittle!

Family picture with Mamaw
Probably Easter 1992

Back to the picture of the tape. The week that Mamaw fell was a difficult one for everyone in my family. Mamaw was the only grandparent that I had really gotten to know since my papaw (my mom's dad) passed away when I was just 5. I never got to know the other two because they passed away before I was born. We spent countless hours at the hospital that week, but our parents never kept us out of school because we needed some normalcy in our lives, and Mamaw had always fought back. I was going to school, then football practice and then heading over to the hospital at night to visit for a while. So, when Friday arrived it was our first game of the year. After much deliberation, my dad decided that he would take a break from the hospital and come to my game (Dad's cousin Janet stayed with Mamaw). In the locker room I decided that I would put a piece of tape on my sock with the letters GH, which were her initials, as a sign that even though I wasn't with her right then, she was definitely on my heart and mind. This just became a part of my uniform. Each week I would get dressed in my uniform and last thing on was a piece of tape, for GH. The week that she passed away was difficult, there were too many things going on and I missed some practice, but on Friday I still had my starting spot. That night before the game I put a piece of tape on every guy's leg in the locker room, even though most of the team never even met my Mamaw. It was a tribute to one of the most amazing women in my life. I will be forever grateful that I got to spend 17 years with her.

I am not quite sure how I would have made it through school if I had never known my Mamaw. This is because every time I was given the task of writing a story for English, I would somehow end up writing about her. Half of my 4th grade portfolio was about her. Here are some of my favorite stories.

Mamaw on her birthday with the grandkids

Chicken Breath for the Soul (actual title of portfolio piece-this is the condensed version)
When my Uncle Bob was little, they sold pet chickens in the stores that had their feathers dyed different colors. Uncle Bob had one that he loved dearly. He would play with in the back yard and one day he had it inside an old car tire. Bob was bouncing around the tire and accidentally stepped on the chicken. Mamaw said she heard Bob screaming so she rushed out to see what was wrong. Bob was crying because he had killed his chicken. So Mamaw quickly picked up the chicken and said she started breathing in its mouth so that Bob would stop crying. After a few breaths Mamaw said that chicken just perked right up and started running around again. Sorry you didn't get to see her reenact it because that was sometimes the best part of the story.

Brush fire
This one I actually experienced first hand. I was always going to Mamaw's to do some kind of work out in the yard, whether it was mowing, raking leaves or just any kind of manual labor. One day, when I was around 10 or 11 years old, after gathering up all the sticks in the yard, we decided to burn the trash pile. So we lit the fire and within about 5 minutes the fire started getting out of control. The fire started spreading outward from the trash pile and started heading towards the embankment that was full of old leaves and limbs. I started trying to beat out the edges of the spreading fire with a broom, but the bristles all burned up. Then I got a rake and tried to rake back some of the leaves ahead of the fire. Meanwhile, Mamaw had gone up to the house and got a bucket and was filling it up with water (a water hose would have been nice). She came back and was at the top of the hill and was going to toss the water down onto the fire. However, the laws of physics were not on her side that day. Not only did the bucket of water roll down the hill, but so did Mamaw (in her 80s at the time). Mamaw did a complete somersault down the hill. I rushed over to help her up and she was fine, but she told me to go get the next bucket full. We finally put out the flames, but the memory will last forever.

Factory Worker
Mamaw held many jobs over the years: house wife, mother, tent maker, store owner and many more, but my two favorites are the candy factory worker and chicken plucker. She got a job at a chocolate candy factory and was part of the line that placed the chocolates in the boxes. I always envisioned the I Love Lucy episode. Her coworkers told her that every night before going home they took some of the chocolates home with them. Mamaw decided that she would do the same, so before the end of the night she gathered up some to take home. Just so happens that management got word that people were taking some home and decided to check every one at the door. There was a long line to get out that night and it was moving extremely slowly. All the women figured out what was going on and threw all their chocolates out on the floor, but for some reason Mamaw held on to hers. After a few minutes and apparently not much success at finding chocolates on the women, they let the rest of them go. Mamaw got away with the chocolates, while the halls were lined with all other women's discarded candy.

Another time she signed up to work as a chicken plucker. Here the job was simple, you got a chicken and started to pluck all the feathers. It was a job that was based on performance and you got paid at the end of the day based on the amount you plucked. After being shown the basic info, they let her begin on her first day. She started plucking out feathers and thought she was doing good until she saw how fast the other women were going. However, she kept going and figured that she would just get faster over time. One of her co-workers was explaining during lunch how getting paid worked and Mamaw found out that they docked your pay every time you broke the skin on the chicken. Mamaw was not told about this and wasn't even sure if she had done this or not, but figured that she probably done it to every one of her chicken's that day. So, instead of finishing the day she just left after lunch. Instead of collecting her payment for working she just left and considered it a win because she figured that she might have owed them money.

Mamaw and I before my Junior Prom 2002

It is amazing all the memories that one picture brought back for me. I truly do miss and think about her all the time. I just wish that she would have gotten to meet my daughter, but I know that she will be looking down from heaven on her. I also can't wait to tell Brinley all the stories about her Mamaw Heflin. Thanks for reading and God Bless!

Engagement Story

Seven years ago today I made one of the biggest decisions of my life. I asked one of the most important questions to the most incredible lady. Sophomore year of college Jennifer and I went on spring break with Andrea, Lance and Tony. After much debate on a destination for our trip, we decided to head south to explore New Orleans and the French Quarter. Andrea and I had both been to New Orleans before, so we were left with the task of determining certain things that were must do's on the trip.

A few weeks before spring break I had been asked by another friend, Stuckey, if I would like to come back to his hometown. One of the main parts of this trip was to visit Stuckey's Granddad's jewelry shop. He was going to be closing his store and Stuckey said that his Granddad could hook me up. I was up for the trip, but Jennifer wasn't very excited for me to leave her at Georgetown for the weekend all by herself. If she had only known why I don't think she would have been as upset. Stuckey, Tony and I all went to the jewelry store that Saturday and I found the diamond cut, Princess, that Jennifer had mentioned that she liked. After much deliberation and even a phone call home to talk with my parents, I decided to purchase the ring. At this point I had no idea when I was going to pop the question, but at least now I would have the ring whenever I felt the timing was right.

Two days before leaving on our journey to the Big Easy, Stuckey came back from his hometown with the ring that had been sized to fit Jennifer's finger. It was at this point that the idea came to me that New Orleans would be a good option for popping the question. There was already a few people on the football team that knew the ring had been bought and with Georgetown being a small school, I didn't want anyone to ruin the surprise.

We stopped by Livermore on the way to New Orleans so that we could swap vehicles and use my parents mini van to make the trip a little more comfortable on the ride down. I told Jennifer that I needed to work a shift at Sears, which had been my summer job so that I could stay on the payroll. However, I had really asked her parents, Bobby and Kara to meet me for dinner. I bought their dinner and asked if they would be alright with me asking Jennifer to marry me. They both were really excited and said they would be happy to have me as a son-in-law.

After the 13 hour trip of driving through the night, we actually arrived earlier than expected and couldn't check into our hotel room, so we slept in the car at a Wal-mart. We roamed around the city and Bourbon Street the next two days. On the way back to the hotel after the second night, Jen told me that she really wasn't having that much fun because we were spending the majority of our time watching people drink and act stupid. I told her that we would get up the next day and just explore the city on our own. She seemed ok with that idea.

That night I only slept about 2 hours because I was so nervous about how I was going to ask Jennifer to marry me. I decided that we would get up, head down to Cafe du Monde and have some beignets and then head down to a park that I had remembered from a previous trip to New Orleans with my family. I would ask her there in the park on the banks of the Mississippi River. I couldn't take it any longer, so around 6 am I woke up Jennifer and told her to get ready so we could get a jump start on the day. I told her to wear something a little dressier and I even put on a dress shirt and khaki pants, yes that’s right pants!

Our hotel wasn't in the best part of town and when leaving the hotel that morning we had to walk past about 20-30 homeless people. This made me extremely nervous because I had this ring in my pocket and I definitely didn't want it to fall out, so I checked my pocket about every 5 steps. We arrived at Cafe du Monde and we placed and order for two orders of beignets. I was so nervous that I barely choked down one. I suggested that we head over to the river and take a walk since it was so nice out. Upon reaching the river walkway, I looked ahead to kind of map out my path to the park that I had thought about before hand for the perfect spot. The only problem was that I saw no park anywhere. (Come to find out later on that it was just hidden behind a building about 100 yards from where we were.) I panicked and just suggested that we sit down at the nearest park bench. We sat there for what seemed like an eternity (probably just a few minutes real time) because my mind just went completely blank. After gathering up the words I wanted to say I started to get frustrated because about every time I was about to stand up to get down on one knee a morning jogger or cyclist decided to pass by us. I finally found a break in the fitness freaks and got down on one knee and I asked Jennifer if she would like to spend the rest of her life with me. At least that is what I wanted to say. Neither Jennifer nor I can remember exactly what was said during the exchange. I don't even think Jennifer said yes, but her putting the ring on her finger was the only answer I needed. We hugged, kissed and Jennifer even got a little teary. Almost immediately after sitting back down on the bench a cyclist passed by and said "Good Morning" and indeed at was. I even snapped a picture of Jennifer on the park bench. Then we walked back to the hotel and along the way I told Jennifer about all the lies and stories that I had to tell her to make it a surprise. Jennifer decided to call her family and tell the good news, even though they already knew.


Jennifer on the park bench where I popped the question

Jennifer and I spent the rest of the day wondering around the city by ourselves while the rest of the crew played a round of golf, which was only on the schedule because that is what they were supposed to be doing when I popped the question. I am not sure how much of New Orleans Jennifer really rememberslooking at her new jewelry.

New Orleans definitely holds a special place in my heart. We were lucky enough to have visited before hurricane Katrina hit. To help with the recovery of the city we decided that we would forgo wedding favors and instead donate money to help the great city of New Orleans. Thanks for reading and God Bless!

My story (condensed)

I guess we need to start this blog journey off right. I am the middle child of Michael and Shelia Heflin and was raised in the great state of Kentucky. I have been saved by the grace of GOD, who is my personal LORD and Savior. I grew up in a town of just under 2,000 people with no stop lights or chain restaurants. Needless to say a place where everyone knew everyone and everything. My father was my elementary school principal and later on my 8th grade English teacher. He currently enjoys retirement while working part time at the middle school. My mother continues to work at the library, although retirement talks have surfaced many times lately. My parents helped lay the foundation while I was growing up to help prepare me for the next major step in my life: parenthood.

I have two siblings, an older sister, Andrea and a younger brother, McKinley. It has been a lot of fun growing up with the both of them. For the first five years of my life it was only Andrea and me. I know that we shared many memories together during those years, but being so young during that time means that I don't really remember them as well. Our teenage years were a little rocky, but I can honestly say that she is the best big sister in the world, although most people think she is my little sister. McKinley was the "pleasant" surprise that my parents brought home when I was 5 and a half years old. Over the years he has changed from the little brother that I picked on to one of my best friends. The three of us are a highly competitive group, mainly due to a father who hated to lose. Andrea set the pace in life and school, which made it very difficult for me to go through school as Andrea's little brother. I like to think that I surpassed my sister, or at least evened the playing field so that I created my own personal identity. However, I am sure this made it extremely difficult for McKinley to try and live up to expectations of others. Overall, I would say that we are a pretty good group of kids. We all finished high school with the honor of Valedictorian of our class and only McKinley didn't have perfect attendance for 13 years, although Andrea will be quick to mention that I once missed a half day.

Most people don't marry their high school sweetheart, but I was one of the lucky ones that found my soul mate at the age of 15. Jennifer and I first started courtship or "talking" in Mr. Bowman's computer class during our sophomore year of high school. For those of you that know Jennifer, then you probably think that it was a pretty one sided conversation. I got up the nerve to ask her to the football homecoming dance. (Later on I found out that it truly was fate, because Jennifer had turned down another offer by saying that she wasn't going to the dance at all.) A few weeks after the dance I actually called Jennifer at 8 am before football practice and asked her to be my girlfriend. She said yes on October 10, 2000. We have shared many great memories over the years and can't wait to make many more with her! She has truly been one of the greatest blessing and I thank GOD everyday for putting her in my life.

Jennifer and I at our 1st homecoming dance

After high school, I decided to go to Georgetown College to further my education. I was lucky enough to be able to be a part of the Tiger Football Program. Although my playing career didn't turn out as well as I had hoped, the team was very successful. While there we won the conference all 4 years and made it as far as the final four in the post season tournament. This was a wonderful small college experience. I was so thankful to have Andrea and Jennifer with me, or else I really would have been homesick. At Georgetown I met some lifelong friends. Probably the two closest were my roommates junior year, Tony and Lance. After changing majors multiple times, I decided that a career in nursing was the route that I was going to pursue. Georgetown had a dual degree program, which required transferring to the University of Kentucky. Jennifer and I graduated from Georgetown College in 2007.

In 2007, I moved to Lexington to attend the University of Kentucky College of Nursing. After my first semester, Jennifer and I got married. This was a great experience at a larger university, but I spent most of my time with the same 54 classmates. There were a lot of great friends that I met during school, but I am not sure if I could have made it without my friend James. We were 2 of the 4 men that were in our class. I graduated from the University of Kentucky in December of 2009.

After college I started working on 6 North at the University of Kentucky Hospital. This was a cardio-thoracic step down unit. I met many wonderful patients and enjoyed working with so many great people. However, after a year I was able to get a position in the Children's Hospital, which is the area that I had always wanted to work in. I currently work in the Pediatric ICU and I love my job. Again, I have met many wonderful kids and I enjoy working with all my co-workers.

That is a breif history of where I have been and some of the major people in my life. I decided to write this blog while we are expecting our first child. We are excited about what the journey of parenthood has in store for us. It will be a fun, yet stressful time for both Jennifer and me. I plan to keep you all informed about all the exciting things that miss Brinley Kate will be doing. Thanks for reading and God Bless!