Originally appeared on E! Online
There is no bad day a waffle can’t make a little brighter.
Which is why, after two of Kelly Stafford and Matthew Stafford’s four daughters were hospitalized over the weekend, Kelly knew there was one place she could bring her girls to try to turn their frowns upside down: Waffle House.
“Found our happy place in AZ,” Kelly—who shares twins Sawyer and Chandler, 7, as well as Hunter, 6, and Tyler, 4, with the quarterback—wrote on her Jan. 12 Instagram Story over an image of two of her girls sprawled across a table at the beloved breakfast establishment. And while noting they’re still under the weather, she added, “I promise we are happy.”
In fact, in a subsequent slide the NFL WAG—whose husband plays for the Los Angeles Rams—joked that her “southern heart” was “so happy” amid a table full of waffles, eggs, toast and cheesy hashbrowns.
Plus, in an especially sweet moment, one of Kelly’s younger daughters took a moment to rest in her older sister’s lap, Kelly writing over a video of the moment, “Taking care of her lil sis.”
But after an exhausting few days, the girls were tuckered out after their Waffle House excursion, as Kelly showed in a subsequent collage of her four daughters sleeping. She captioned the snap, alongside a 4:49 p.m. time stamp, “Never ending. My poor girls.”
The mom of four’s update comes just one day after she first shared images of her girls in the hospital during their trip to Arizona, having traveled there to watch their dad’s upcoming game against the Minnesota Vikings Jan. 13.
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But after an exhausting few days, the girls were tuckered out after their Waffle House excursion, as Kelly showed in a subsequent collage of her four daughters sleeping. She captioned the snap, alongside a 4:49 p.m. time stamp, “Never ending. My poor girls.”
The mom of four’s update comes just one day after she first shared images of her girls in the hospital during their trip to Arizona, having traveled there to watch their dad’s upcoming game against the Minnesota Vikings Jan. 13.
While Kelly didn’t share details on the hospital visit, she had revealed on Jan. 7 that she thought she and two of her daughters have the flu, saying during a podcast appearance, “I can’t think straight.”
Yet despite having ended up in the hospital, Kelly noted her daughter’s excitement over their Arizona excursion, writing on her Story, “They were all smiles getting to go with daddy on his work trip.”
The family’s health problems come amid a challenging time for the family; just days earlier, Kelly confirmed the family had to evacuate their Los Angeles home amid the ongoing wildfires devastating the area.
But amid the heartbreak many families are experiencing being displace from or having lost their homes, Matthew is hoping the success of the LA Rams as they head into the playoffs might provide a “great escape.”
“We play for the people in this community, the people that support us,” he said during a Jan. 9 press conference. “And this week will be another example of that.”
For more on what celebrities are saying about the Los Angeles fires, keep reading.
Gwyneth Paltrow
The Iron Man actress took to social media to express her sadness about the tragedy that has fallen over her beloved city.
“We are in deep grief for so many of our close friends who have lost everything,” she wrote in her Jan. 9 Instagram post. “Thank you to those inquiring, we are currently safe. When the fires are out there will be more to say and everything to do.”
“The city of angels will need angels of all kind,” she continued. “Please everyone, stay safe and vigilant.”
Jamie Chung & Bryan Greenberg
The Once Upon a Time actress and the One Tree Hill actor are sharing resources after tragically losing their home in the Los Angeles fire.
“It was all a dream,” Bryan wrote on a Jan. 9 Instagram story, showing the rubble that was once their family home. “Thankfully the family is safe. Thank you to all the firefighters risking their lives. Stay safe out there.”
And in between posting helpful resources, Jamie shared a tragic video of their entire neighborhood.
“Damn. Our entire neighborhood is gone,” she wrote Jan. 9. “We are grateful to our brave firefighters and first responders and pray we don’t lose any more lives to these catastrophic fires. Stay safe and stay vigilant.”
Joshua Jackson
The Dawson’s Creek alum confirmed on Jan. 12 that he had lost his home to the L.A. fires.
“First and most importantly, all the people closest to me affected by the fire are ok,” Joshua told Deadline in statement. “My daughter, my family, my neighbors all made it out safely. Sadly my beautiful home did not survive the fires. But today, I feel incredibly lucky to be surrounded by the people I love.”
Diane Warren
The Grammy winner shared one last view from her Los Angeles beachfront home before it was lost in the fire.
“This is the last pic I took of Leah’s rock from my beach house,” the songwriter, who confirmed her animals and rescue ranch were safe, wrote in her Jan. 9 Instagram post of the ocean view. “I’ve had this house for almost 30 years. It looks like it was lost in the fire last nite. There’s a rainbow shining on it which I’m taking as a sign of hope for all creatures who have been affected by this tragedy.”
Cary Elwes
The Princess Bride actor shared his and his wife Lisa Marie Kurbikoff’s Malibu home did not survive the fire in a heartfelt message to fans.
“Firstly, myself and my family are all safe, thank God,” he wrote in his Jan. 9 Instagram post. “Sadly we did lose our home but we are grateful to have survived this truly devastating fire.”
“Our hearts go out to all the families impacted by this tragic event and we also wish to extend our gratitude to all the firefighters, first responders and law enforcement who worked so tirelessly through the night and are still at it,” he continued. “We want to thank everyone for their incredible outpouring of support. It really means a great deal to us.”
Ricki Lake
Sharing a video of the raging fires in the near distance, the former talk show host detailed her and husband Ross Burningham’s final efforts to save her Los Angeles home in a Jan. 9 Instagram post.
“We’re going down my street praying for these homes and these people and my house,” she said in a video, showing the fire in the near distance. “I don’t even know what I grabbed, I think I might have just said goodbye to my house.”
“Grateful to have made it out alive and uninjured,” she added in the caption. “Forever grateful to @kirbykotler_ our absolute angel. He did everything to try to save our precious property. No doubt had we stayed, we would not have survived.”
Leanne Ford
The HGTV host’s home, which she recently moved into, was lost in the wildfires.
“Three weeks ago we got keys to our new LA place in Rustic Canyon. We were excited (though me — a bit hesitant…) to start spending some time again in our favorite part of LA,” the interior designer wrote on Instagram Jan. 10 alongside photos of what remains of her house. “A beautiful historical and quirky artists’ home. We brought over so many of our favorite things to fill it with. It was to be a place to write, to create.”
“Three days ago we lost it,” she continued. “We are the lucky ones. We had a beautiful safe home in PA to escape back to. I’m in awe of the firemen and women choosing to run into the flames while we get to run out. I can only say — thank you.”
Mel Gibson
During a Jan. 9 appearance on Elizabeth Vargas Report, the Braveheart actor shared that his Malibu home was destroyed while he was away recording Joe Rogan’s podcast in Texas.
“Obviously, it’s kind of devastating. It’s emotional,” the 69-year-old said. “You live there for a long time, and you had all your stuff. I had my stuff there, and it’s all like, I’ve been relieved from the burden of my stuff, because it’s all in cinders.”
But when he returned home to discover that his home had been destroyed, he was relieved to find that, at least, his chickens survived, adding, “It was amazing.”
Miles Teller & Keleigh Teller
The Top Gun Maverick star’s wife shared one last photo of what was their Los Angeles home before it was lost in the fire.
“To everyone reaching out I can’t thank you enough, your kind hearts have meant the world, I’ll never forget them,” Keleigh wrote in her Jan. 9 Instagram post. “Community has come out stronger than I could imagine, pacific palisades I love you beyond measure you are a little slice of heaven, we will come back stronger than ever.”
“If you’re in the LA area PLEASE get out if you can,” she continued. “I wish I grabbed my wedding dress .. wish I did a lot different but it doesn’t matter, stay safe, get out. there are no words. THANK YOU to the first responders fighting.”
Bella Hadid
On Jan. 9, the supermodel shared the childhood home she shared with sister Gigi Hadid and mom Yolanda Hadid had burned down in the Palisades Fire.
Mandy Moore
The This Is Us alum—who is mom to three kids with husband Taylor Goldsmith—shared an update on her family after having to evacuate their home.
“We were able to park and walk up our street to bear witness to all the loss,” she wrote on Instagram Jan. 9. “Miraculously, the main part of our house is still standing. For now. It’s not livable but mostly intact.”
However, she noted that the home studio, garage and back house were destroyed in the Eaton Fire.
“Every house on our street is gone. My in laws. My brother and sister in law- 6 weeks from welcoming their first baby. Our best friends,” she added. “Feeling weird survivors guilt. We love this community and will do everything we can to help rebuild and support.”
Milo Ventimiglia
Like his This Is Us costar, the actor’s Los Angeles home was destroyed by the fires. While visiting what remained of his property, he told CBS Evening News his heart felt “heavy.”
“You start thinking about all the memories,” he continued. “My heart just breaks.”
Jessica Simpson
Amid the outbreak of the Kenneth Fire on Jan. 9, the “Irresistible” singer shared an image of smoke rising from beyond her backyard. She wrote in the caption, “We stayed as long as we could.”
Bozoma Saint John
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star revealed her dream home in Malibu, where she lived with her teenage daughter Laela, was totaled in the fires.
“This is an unimaginable loss,” she wrote on Instagram Jan. 9. “I grieve with the rest of Los Angeles as it burns… and even though I’ve found even words to write here, there’s nothing that I could say in this moment to describe this feeling.
Olivia Wilde
“My block was on fire tonight and the only reason we still have a home is thanks to the brave members of the @losngelesfiredepartment who worked on the ground and from the air to save us,” the Don’t Worry Darling director wrote on Instagram Story Jan. 8. “Thank you.”
Chrissy Teigen
The Cravings cookbook author started preparing in case of an evacuation, writing on Instagram Story Jan. 8, “This is surreal. I’m very scared. Packing.”
Jen Atkin
The hairstylist and her husband Mike Rosenthal safely evacuated along with their kids and pets, though she said their home was “gone.”
“Our whole area demolished,” she added on Instagram Stories Jan. 8, alongside a tearful selfie. “So many are displaced and feeling scared right now it’s almost too much to comprehend.”
Olivia Culpo
One day after the Sunset Fire set the Hollywood Hills ablaze, the Culpo Sisters star—who is married to San Francisco 49ers Christian McCaffrey—wrote on Instagram Story Jan. 9, “I’m praying so hard for our community. My heart aches for everyone who has lost so much so fast. It’s just unimaginable.”
Tina Knowles
Beyoncé‘s mom shared on Jan. 9 that “my favorite place, my sanctuary , my sacred Happy Place” was destroyed in the Palisades Fire.
“This is what I was looking at on my birthday this past weekend from my tiny little bungalow on the water in Malibu,” she captioned a video of the Pacific Ocean. “Now it is gone!!”
The entrepreneur added, “God Bless all the brave men and women in our fire department who risked their lives in dangerous conditions . We Thankyou for your dedication and bravery and for saving so many lives.”
Melissa Rivers
The daughter of late Joan Rivers said her home burned down, though she was able to evacuate with necessities and a few treasured heirlooms.
“I grabbed my mom’s Emmy, a photo of my dad and a drawing my mother had done of me and my son,” she told CNN. “I went for a drawing of hers, rather than a photo. I know I can find the photos, but a drawing I can’t replace.”
Jhené Aiko
The “Bad Peace” singer shared on Jan. 8 that “me and my children’s home is gone.”
“Burned to the ground with all things inside,” she wrote on Instagram Story. “Thankful we still have eachother. Starting from scratch. My heart is so heavy,”
Alabama Barker & Landon Barker
Travis Barker‘s kids Landon and Alabama shared they were forced to leave their residences amid the devastation.
“Just evacuated from my home due to wild fires in Los Angeles, please be safe!!,” Alabama posted on Instagram Story Jan. 7. “They are saying the fires are spreading foodball field amounts in seconds.”
Jennifer Tilly
The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star and her husband Phil Laak evacuated to Commerce—a neighborhood southeast of Downtown Los Angeles—to escape the Palisades Fire. She wrote on InstagramJan. 8, “Phil and I had to evacuate to the Commerce Casino.”
Ricki Lake
The former talk show host shared on Jan. 8 that her house had been destroyed by the Palisades Fire. Sharing throwback photos of the property, she wrote on Instagram, “It’s all gone.”
“I lost our dream home,” she continued. “It was our heaven on earth. The place where we planned to grow old together. We never took our heavenly spot on the bluff overlooking our beloved malibu for granted, not even for one second.”
She added, “This loss is immeasurable. It’s the spot where we got married 3 years ago. I grieve along with all of those suffering during this apocalyptic event.”
Want to help those affected by the Los Angeles wildfires? Find out how you can get involved in relief efforts here.
