March 2021

 March is my favorite month of the year and it starts with a bang with my birthday on the first. Just under a year ago the world was turned upside down due to the pandemic. In fact just a year ago on March 1st we were celebrating with the students of DanceBlue as they were finishing up their 24 hour dance marathon. Just 14 days later the world began closing down and widespread panic began across the world. The past year has changed us all. It has truly made us appreciate the small things.

Last year I started a new tradition on my birthday by running half my age in miles. I woke up early and decided to do it again. Only problem was that my watch decided to act up during the run. I had to restart it three different times so I didn't get the 18 mile tracked all in one run. I found a penny on the run, which I stopped and picked up. Ever since my Mamaw died my dad has picked up every heads up penny that he finds because it reminded him of his mother. I just couldn't let this one go on that morning. I wish so much that my Mamaw could have met my kids. She would have loved them. A lot of people don't apprecitate their grandparents, but I am so thankful for the 17 years that I had with the only grandparent that I can remember. I also included my daily devotion which really hit home with me. I want to love the Lord with all my heart, soul and strength.

After my 18 mile run Jennifer and I went out for breakfast at my favorite spot, Wild Eggs. For lunch we took Brinley and my parents out to KSBar. This is becoming my new birthday spot. I think 2 out of the last 3 years I have come here on my birthday. 

The kids took a scooter ride around the neighborhood and Grandma took Pepper for a stroll. After we got home we also took Grandma and Grandpa out to the backyard to see how good of a shot they were with a BB gun. 

They got me a cookie cake for dessert and they knew exactly how I like it, with as much icing as possible. I also finished a puzzle that one of the kids at work had given me. For dinner I had my absolute favorite food in the whole world, Giordano's pizza! It was delicious.

Since my parents hadn't been fully vaccinated we continued to wear masks around them while we were in the house. We didn't want to risk getting them sick. The kids taught Grandma and Grandpa how to play chess. Which was really funny because at one point in Grandpa's teaching career he was actually the chess coach. He said there were a couple of really good kids who helped him out. 

I have been completely blessed during my 36 years on this Earth. These are three of my biggest blessings.

Since I was off on my birthday I was welcomed back with my computer area all decorated. They know me so well because they put UK stuff on my birthday sign. I even had a family bring me a birthday cookie in the shape of 36. It was delicious. I also got to show off one of my birthday gifts, the jibbitz that I got to put into my crocs. They were of course a huge hit with my little patients. 

I also received another gift from a family at work. They actually included something inside for the whole family. Brinley got a bunny night light. Landon got a soccer ball belt that returns the ball after you kick it. Jennifer got a candle and I got some awesome slice of pizza socks. It was a very thoughtful gift from a very special family. 

March 3rd was the first day of school for Brinley. At this point Landon had been in school for about 2 weeks. You can tell who was excited about getting up in the morning. Landon was trying to catch any extra sleep that he could and Brinley was up and getting some bunny snuggles in before leaving for school.

Brinley's first day of in person 3rd grade. She was so excited to finally go and meet her teacher in person for the first time. She did not do well at all with virtual school. 

One of my little patients asked me for some of my jibbitz. I was very happy to share them with him. I only had one rule and that was that he couldn't have the little dog. That was a gift from one of my patients. I even named it Buddy after her dog. 

Jennifer and I finally got to get out and do something with just the two of us. After dropping off the kids at school. We went to the Pinnacles in Berea to hike. It was a beautiful day and we had a lot of fun. Not once did we have to hear "Are we there yet? or Can we go home?". I did kind of miss having them hike with us though.

More pictures of our hike together. We can't wait until the kids actually start to like hiking with us. Then we are planning to take them out west and hike all kinds of places. 

One of Brinley's teachers told her that she makes dandelion jam every year. Well Brinley really wanted to try it out. So she started collecting every one that she could find. Turns out that it has tons of sugar and of course Brinley loved it. Not sure that it is something that I ever want to try. I would actually be happy if I never saw another dandelion, especially in my yard.

We took the kids out for a mini golf night at Malibu Jacks. I got the only hole in one of the day. We had a lot of fun getting out and doing something normal in Lexington. 

Brinley loves her little Pepper. She is such a sweet little girl. Except when she picks my flowers to make Pepper's walking stroller prettier. 

The kids helped me put together some of my birthday puzzles. I got a set of four 500 piece puzzles that were all Disney themed. They took a little over a week to do all 4 of them. Jigsaw puzzles are one of my favorite things to do. It might actually be the only thing that keeps me still and keeps my mind from wandering. I just keep focused on finding the next piece.

This lovely lady took a lot of convincing, but I finally talked her to going to dayshift. I would say that 12 years on nights was enough. I am proud of her for jumping in and doing it. It will be so much nicer when we are all on a "normal" schedule.

Pi day! One of my favorite made up holidays. March 14th or 3.14. Everyone should enjoy a slice of pie on this day. Brinley has been enjoying it her entire life.

March 15th will also hold a special place in my heart because back in the year 2005 while on Spring Break in New Orleans I asked Jennifer to marry me. It was after we had Cafe du Monde beignets. So every year on that day I get up and make these for Jennifer and the kids. Landon enjoys as much powdered sugar as possible. Last year our little fryer stopped working and we decided that we didn't need to replace it. I just cooked the beignets on the stove with a pot of oil. Well, a small grease fire later and I was thinking that not getting a new fryer was a mistake. Two days later I came home to a new fryer on the porch from my parents.

Happy St. Patrick's Day! The kids not only wore green, but they also ate it too! 

Jennifer and I also got to go out to dinner to celebrate our engagement anniversary. The server was mighty confused that we were celebrating the day we got engaged, but I can find a way to celebrate anything. Jeff Ruby's was delicious as always. 

Not exactly the March Madness that Kentucky fans were wanting this year, Nothing like watching the opening round upsets of the tournament with a little lunch to make it a little more enjoyable.

For the past 3 years we have participated in Southland's Meal Packing. This year was no different any other except we had to wear masks. I have committed my life to serving others. I want my children to know that there is always an opportunity to help others. You never really know how much a small gesture can affect someone's day.

Cancer sucks! Childhood cancer really SUCKS! A young patient that I took care of for three years finally became pain free and was able to play a round of golf up in heaven. The kids and I went to his memorial service that was held out on the baseball field where he played. I had a lot of great memories with this young man and his family. I will be happy to see him again one day. Until then I still think about and pray for his family who have to live without him here.

Brinley has such a love for her little rabbit. She was trying to teach it to jump up on her bed. This is not something that I would ever want an animal to do, but Brinley wants the rabbit to do everything with her. 

The kids and I made a little trip out to the little par 3 course for a round of golf. Brinley said she didn't want to play with us, but on hole 10 she changed her mind (just like a woman). So she played the back nine with us. I really hope these two learn to love sports as much as me.

March was a great month and we did lots of fun stuff. Both kids actually returned to school for the first time in 355 days! Everyone was excited to be back in person and getting to see their friends. We also found many things to celebrate, which might be the only way that we have made it through the past year. You have to celebrate the small victories. I have been so blessed to spend 36 years on this Earth and plan on spending the rest of my days, months, and years living my life to the fullest and living a  life that God would be proud of me. Thanks for reading and God bless!

February 2021

February is the shortest month of the year, but we sure do cram a lot of stuff into the month. My brother-in-law always says that the most special people have birthdays in February because it has the fewest number of days available to be born. Well, I would certainly agree with him that one of my favorite people was born during this month, Jennifer celebrates her birthday on the 7th. We were happy to party with her all month long. 

Pepper was getting a lot of attention, which isn't really that abnormal. Brinley hardly ever puts her down. She really likes to snuggle with her.

One night we decided to have a fitness challenge. Landon by far is our longest plank holder.

Brinley messing around with a little modeling clay. She reminded me of the Mask movie with Jim Carey. Notice that she is holding Pepper too!

I had a zoom meeting in which I thought I needed to get dressed up. If you know anything about me then you should know that I hate dressing up. With a zoom call I felt that it was only necessary to have the top half presentable. Maybe we should call it the zoom mullet, business up top and casual on the bottom.

When the pandemic started we painted the front door. For almost a year we have enjoyed this beautiful and colorful front door. I finally decided it was time to clean it off. We got one last picture with the kids beside it. 

Kentucky has been historically bad at basketball this year so I have had to try all kinds of things to try and get myself through the games. I was getting so frustrated with the team that Jennifer threated to hide all the remotes so that I couldn't watch the game. I however discovered that if I did a puzzle while watching the game then my emotions didn't get too far out of control. I guess because it didn't end up being a total waste of 2+ hours if I made good progress on my puzzle. Jennifer and the kids even helped me finish up this one. 

A couple of years ago I was diagnosed with early non-alcoholic cirrhosis. I made some life style changes and dropped some weight and this was my final follow up. My liver is back to way it is supposed to be according to my ultrasound that I just had. Very good news and I was glad that I no longer have to follow up with my GI doctor. 

I am so grateful that I was able to get my second COVID shot because I am a healthcare worker. I walked in and the person giving me my shot asked if I lived in Lexington. I said yes and she asked if I ran out in the neighborhood. I had no idea where she was going with all this, but then she told me that she lives in the same subdivision. She sees me and the kids out on our bikes and even knew what helmets the kids wore. It was pretty awesome and it was a really small world. If not for getting my COVID shot I might never have met Amber, with whom I am very grateful for her volunteering to give the shot. I had no side effects at all. In fact about 24 hours after my shot I decided to get up and run a half marathon. I can only hope that many more people decide to get their shot and that we can get back to normal life sometime in the very near future. 

A couple of requests Jennifer had for her birthday were Olive Garden and Great American Cookies. After I got my 2nd shot I decided to pick up both of these things for Jennifer for a little early birthday celebration.

Landon's indoor soccer season was almost over and Jennifer had never been able to go see him play. There were rules that only one parent could attend the games. However, every other family wasn't following the rules so I told Jennifer to come on in and enjoy the game. Landon and his squad had their best game of the season and they won 4-1. 

Jennifer's birthday was full of so many different things. Jennifer has been wanting to declutter the house so part of her birthday included getting to donate 14 trash bags of stuff to our church donation bin. The kids and I went on a 3.6 mile run/scooter ride through the neighborhood. Brinley made tickets to the movies for Mommy to see Harry Potter 2. We made some homemade caramel popcorn and worked on a puzzle while watching the Superbowl. She ended the night with her nightly reading to the kids. We are so thankful for you and love you so much!

The kids made cards for their mom and drew her some pictures inside. Landon drew her a flower and told her that he loved her more than video games, which is really saying a lot. Brinley drew an awesome picture of her and Jennifer outside on a beautiful day. The kids even helped make a dessert for her. They crushed the Oreos for her dirt cake.

Family picture with the birthday girl, including Pepper. 

The kids got a kit to build different motor vehicles. Landon made a car and Brinley made a helicopter. It was really awesome to see them take some parts, nuts, bolts and create something with them. Landon struggled a little, but Brinley did the whole thing on her own. 

I came to work after a day off and I had a Valentine's Day card from one of my little patients. I thought it was the sweetest little gift and she did it all herself. 

The kids were excited about their Valentine's treats that we got them. I also tried out the new cast iron skillet to cook our steaks for dinner. The kids loved it all! The kids have both become big steak eaters. 

Landon had one of the most exciting soccer games so far in his career. His team got down in the first half 1-5. In the second half something just clicked with his team and they found something that worked. They tied the game at six a piece with about 30 seconds left in the game. It was a really great atmosphere and it was awesome to see his team battle back and come out with the tie. If we had just had a few minutes of stoppage time then I believe we could have pulled out a victory!

The ice storm of 2021 hit and it was crazy. Unfortunately working in healthcare we don't get snow days, so off to work we go. The kids didn't even get to experience a snow day because they were already doing virtual school.

After work one day we packed up the kids and headed out to the best sledding hill around, the old Shriner's Hospital hill. It was packed with tons of people and the hill was awesome. The snow and ice mixture provided an great sledding hill. Almost too good because the hill ends with a pretty busy road in Lexington. A couple of times Landon and I came close to sledding out into the road.

With it being so cold outside I haven't been outside running very much so I have been playing a lot of Madden. Landon told me that he wanted to learn how to play. I taught him and he was really good. He was scoring 80-90 points a game against the computer. Landon even won a Superbowl in my career mode.

Our neighbor Willow asked the kids to come over and play in the snow at her house. She had a little hill in her backyard so the kids kept sliding down it. We told them about the hill at Shriner's and that they should check it out. 

The next day we met Willow and her dad out at Shiner's hill to go sledding. The kids loved it! It is so much fun seeing them just be kids. 

The school system decided to bring the kids back in certain grade levels. The first group back was     K-2nd grade, which meant Landon was a part of the first group back. His first day of in person 2nd grade came just over 11 months after his last day of first grade. He was so happy to be back. They checked temperatures as you were getting out of your car and all the kids had to wear masks the whole time at school. 

The ice storm caused a few little difficulties for us. With me being a cheap skate and parking on the street it proved to be hard getting a parking spot over all of the piles of snow and ice. I ended up having to drive around with a shovel in my car so that I could dig myself out everyday after work. I also got a phone call from Jennifer one day while at work telling me that water was coming in from the ceiling. We believed it to be some frozen ice and it expanded some areas around the roof and gutters and then found it's way in when it began to melt. 

The kids wanted to play out in the backyard one afternoon so we all went out there. We decided to clean off the trampoline. It had probably four to five hundred pounds worth of ice and snow on it.

During the summer we had a water balloon fight and I had recorded it in slow motion with my camera. During part of it I got drilled in the private area. After I posted it to Facebook I had so many people think it was hilarious. One person even mentioned I should send it into America's Funniest Home Videos. Well, I did and they said that they would like to use it. The Heflin's made our national TV debut on Feb 21, 2021. It was so funny to see ourselves even if it did bring back a lot of painful memories. We even made honorable mention for the show. We couldn't believe it. We were so close to making money off my pain. The kids didn't know that they gave out money but started trying to think of ways that we could make more videos to send in. 

The kids both said that they wanted to play coach pitch baseball. Since it was cold outside they had tryouts at an indoor baseball facility. Each kid ran a timed 30 yard dash, fielded a few ground balls, caught a couple throws, and got five pitches to try and hit. Not an extensive viewing of their abilities, but they then had a draft to pick all the kids evenly between all the teams. The kids did ok, but were a little timid because it was weird having all kinds of people just sitting around watching them. Thankfully they were a package deal and whoever picked them got both Heflin kids. 

I tried to get out and do some type of activity every night. It was getting dark a lot earlier so I had to break out the headlamp that I got for Christmas.

I am not sure why this girl loves rabbits so much, but she does. It might be the number one thing that she thinks about.

On my day off I took Brinley on a daddy daughter date. We went to Goodfellas for lunch and even stopped by Magee's Bakery for a sweet treat. She talked the whole time and I spent a lot of the time just listening. I think she is an amazing young lady who loves bunnies (actually all animals), drawing, reading, cooking shows, and did I mention bunnies.

Landon's indoor soccer team had their final game and they pulled out a final victory on the season. This group came a long way and they all improved greatly from the indoor winter season. Landon now says that soccer is his favorite sport.

I had a friend ask if we wanted a couple of tickets to see the CATS play in their senior day game against Florida. Well, I rarely pass up an opportunity to watch them play. I asked MiMi to watch Brinley so that Landon and I could go out on a father son day. Of course Landon wanted to get Goodfellas pizza as well.

We had an awesome time. It was a weird environment with not as many fans in the stands and it not being as loud as normal. We had a lot of fun. It was a really close game down the stretch, but like most of the season Kentucky found a way to lose the game. In the end it was the most fun I had at a loss because I was with my little mini me.

We even made it onto the big screen. 

Grandma and Grandpa came up to visit up on the last day of the month. I got the smoker out and cooked a couple racks of ribs (which were delicious) and the kids played trivial pursuit on the Nintendo Switch with them. Landon had to pose with the screen because he beat them all in a game of trivia. Some was because the old people couldn't grasp how to work the controls. 

The month of February was a blast.  Jennifer and I both became fully vaccinated. Then we got a little normalcy back with Landon starting back to school. We had  ice storm and lots of snow to play in. As much fun as February is I am always looking forward to March even more, which it just so happens to be my favorite month of the year. Thanks for reading and God bless!