Kay's Way

Monday night, a few of us went to take Kalynn some retirement gifts.

Oh, how I love her.

My Mama Kay.

It has been so weird for X and I to not have her in the office for months.

We still get to hear her on the radio and the phones.

Her ability to work from home the last few months has been so good for all of us.

Her cancer is retreating just a bit.

She looked SO GOOD Monday night!!

Her official retirement is today.

It will be weird, sad, hard, not to have her around every day.

We love our KayKay!

Speaking of KK, my KK came to my office Monday.

He hung out with me for a few hours.

I think he needed Mama time.

I always need KK time!!

 

Bubba & Suzanne do Santa Clara

Bubba (Burke's Braxton) and Suzanne decided at the VERY last minute to hop in the car and go to Santa Clara to root on their beloved 49ers!

Bubba is the biggest 49ers fan I've ever known, besides my Uncle Victor!!

Cooper is also a huge Niners fan and, I know, would have loved to have been there.

But he loved the pictures, too!!

This Mama is a weeeee bit concerned about family dinner..

It's on the 11th.

So is the Super Bowl.

It is Chiefs vs. Niners.

Braxton is a huge Chiefs fan.

Bubba & Coop are huge Niners fan.

It'll all be fine!

 

Weekend Babies

Saturday, Hudson and I went people watching at the mall!

We are expert people-watchers!

I put Huds in the front carrier and off we go!

I shared my ice cream cone with him.

He loves it as much as Gigi.

When we got home, he had a blowout, then proceeded to pee all over himself and Gigi.

Bath time in the sink, it was.

Then he repped the Red Hot Chili Peppers while Gigi washed his clothes!

Wore us both right out!

Yesterday, Aria and Hendrix came to visit!

Hendrix loves his Gigi!

He doesn't push me away or squeeze onto Papa when I go to get him!!!!

We made sugar cookies whilst watching football.

Perfection!

 

A Reminder

I was looking through blog posts from years' ago, trying to find pictures for Kay's retirement book, and found this gem.

This was a picture that I began coloring in the hospital and continued coloring when I was released to Randy's care.

I had colored outside the lines and threw it away.

That's very Heidi-typical.

Mess up, throw it away. 
I do it with cookies, too.

Anywho, months and months later Randy gifted me with this picture.

He found it, pulled it out of the trash and finished it himself.

I framed it and hung it in my home after that.

It's a reminder that coloring outside the lines does NOT equal failure.

It equals art.

 

Dog Days

The dogs who rule our lives always patiently wait for their people to get home.

Kaya is laying on the floor in this picture which is why you can't see her.

Stella is basically laying ON Gus.

They LOVE their people.

Also, Isis posted these yesterday.

Be still, my heart.

I LOVE watching my kids be parents.

I could not be more proud of them!

 

Menopausing

I am covering my personal menopause journey over on my Heidi Rae Coaching Blog.

If you didn't know, I'm menopausing. 

Here's a little update, if you care...

If you don't, leave now!

There's a LOT more detail... like a LOTTTTT more detail over on the other blog.

Proceed with caution over there!

I believe I started menopausing a couple of months ago.

It was the hot flashes that caused me to do some research, realize I had a problem, call my doctor, and get on HRT.

I thought I was dying I wanted to die!

I've only ever heard of hot flashes in a comical manner.

They are not comical.

They are horrific.

I was having them constantly, throughout the day and night.

I also had vaginal dryness and pain.

I called my doctor, who I love!

I've now been on HRT for almost two weeks... two weeks tomorrow.

I cannot remember a time when I've been so grateful for modern medicine... and I've been on a lot of modern medicine.

I am on an estrogen patch.

I switch it out on Fridays and Tuesdays.

I have only had three hot flashes in the last 13 days.

PRAISE!!!!!!

The other symptoms of my menopausing are also significantly better.

I am grateful to be a woman.

I am grateful to have given birth four times to amazing boys.

I am grateful for my hysterectomy 14 years ago.

I am grateful that my body is doing what it should be doing.

I am immensely grateful for hormone replacement therapy!!!!

 

Colton's A Little Less Wise

This brave man-child of mine!

Colton & Kaydon both had all of their wisdom teeth come in.

Kaydon was able to go on his mission without having his wisdom teeth out.

Colton has just been living with his.

Colton's are really far back - hard to brush and hard for the dentist to get to.

After his dentist appointment, it was determined that they needed to extract his two top wisdom teeth.

Because our dentist doesn't do the whole knock-you-out thing, it was going to be a bit tricky.

In the end, I decided that it was better to not take him to an oral surgeon where they'd knock him out.

It's the same amount of "pokes,"

And, quicker recovery.

Last Thursday, Kaydon drove up to Layton with him and I met them there.

This boy did so awesome!

Five cavities filled and two teeth extracted.

A little laughing gas and he was good!

I was/am so proud of him!!!

 

Porter is 17

This boy is 17 years old today.

17 going on 35.

He is a junior in high school, taking welding and automotive classes.

He is working at the same dealership his dad works at, doing the Quick Lube and learning more and more about cars.

He loves working on his truck.

He got shocks for his birthday and installed them Saturday in our driveway!

This is the look of a 17 year old, begging us to miss his first class.

This is the look of a 17 year old after we agree to let him miss his first class.

We love you, Porterman.

We had our January family dinner yesterday, and also sang happy birthday to P-man!

We missed Bubba and Suzanne (sick), Braxton and Mia and Hudson (sick), and Colton (working).

This is Rian , working on Cooper's valentine gift for the girl he likes.

Aria Jane and Gigi did some playdo fun!

We did a Dips & Sips theme.

French Dip Sliders

Chips & Dip

Fruit & Dip

Veges & Dip

Graham Crackers & Chocolate Chip Dip

Sodas & Flavors

It is so good to have Kaydon back home!!

This picture, though.

Delilah LOVES her Papa.

Thankfully, Hendrix loves Gigi!!

Also thankfully, I had Hudson on Saturday.

Hudson time is so fun.

He is such a cheeser!!!

 

K & D

Jackson calls his girls, "K" and "D."

I think that's adorable because I, too, have nicknames for every human I love!

We got the girls on Wednesday!!

Kehlani was so excited about the new Bronco bouncer for the babies.

She had to try it out herself!!

We also made bracelets to try to allow Delilah to have a minute in the Bronco!

Then Kehlani exclaimed, "PAPA, I need a car!"

At which point Papa and Lani Girl searched for cars for her!

Delilah played in the Bronco.

Kehlani crowned her with a Mario hat so that she could be "really fast!!"

Also, Delilah really loves food!

That night, Uncle Cooper had basketball after speed and agility.

This team of boys is just a hoot.

They lose, badly, every game.

But they are best buds and so it's still fun!!

Carter and Kellen and Cooper are just the three amigos!

They lost by about 30...

We can only go up from here!!