Amy & Paul do Phoenix!

My parents left last week after 4 fun-filled days in Phoenix all across the state of Arizona.  We had so.much.fun.  And also an unusual amount of outdoor adventure, for Cuppett girls, that is.  The Thursday & Friday they were here were spent perusing mine & Karl's stomping grounds- showing off our 'hood & home, shopping while Karl had to work, checking out the puppies at our local Puppies n' Love, going to see Karl at work, enjoying good food here at home.

Karl asked me what my favorite thing was that we all did while my parent's were visiting and I told him it was, hands down, visiting him at work.  I rarely visit him at work, and if I do it is only to drop off his lunch when he forgets it, never to go out on the flight line and get to see what he spends his day doing.  My dad loves aviation and generally everything military and my mom and are both pretty much obsessed with Karl (ok, so my mom has an obsession with all her sons-in-law) so this was awesome.  To top it all off, Karl got us a photo pass so I could take pictures while we were out there!  It was such a joy!  I have felt really bittersweet feelings as we near the end of Karl's enlistment so to have some pictures of him on the flight line as well as he and I and my family is precious to me.  He got to show us so many aspects and parts to the F-16- Karl knows that jet like the back of his hand.  He is so so intelligent and the intricate and unique way his mind works never ceases to amaze me.  I am fascinated with the work Karl does and I think it is so so so cool!  He will never know how proud I or my parents are of his Air Force work! Needless to say this was a major week highlight!

Saturday we woke up and hit the road for the Grand Canyon- Karl & I went with The Baileys but were excited to see it again with my parents and to get to see it without snow!  At the Grand Canyon we walked up the sightseeing tower and then drove about 45 minutes along the southeastern rim and stopped several times along the way.  It was so so so beautiful and such a joy to do with my parents!  We really contemplated making a full weekend out of the Grand Canyon with hiking and all the other activities there are to do there but there were just too many other things we wanted to fit in... like trout fishing in Sedona, which is what we stopped to do on our way home after the Grand Canyon!

 The drive through Sedona was one of the most beautiful drives I have ever been on.  This was mine & Karl's third time in Sedona but we had never driven this way or been through this part of Sedona- it looked and smelled like Colorado, absolute heaven!  The trout fishing was fun and funny, not at all what I expected but we did bring home a couple of fish that Karl & I enjoyed later in the week after my parents left and they were DELICIOUS.  This just made all four of us even more excited for our Fourth of July rendezvous in Colorado with Gammy!  We're hoping lots of successful fishing is in our future then and not from a trout farm :)

 Sunday was a hoot!  We drove to Mesa and spend our whole afternoon floating The Salt River.  I have never floated before but always wanted to and it was so.fun.  However, I'm confident the entire student body from Arizona State thoroughly enjoyed their float trip that day as well. The alcohol, drug, and rap consumption on the river was ridiculous and only matched by the amount of profanity used.  We did have a blast, but worked hard to stay away from the students.  Gag me.

My parents leaving was so depressing :(  I've said it before and I'll say it again, living away from family is the worst.  Having my parents here was such a joy- we laugh so much with them, we enjoy the same foods as them, Karl and my dad love the same things, and I finally had someone here that loves to shop as much as I do! We are SO grateful they chose to spend some of their time off here with us, it couldn't have been more fun! We just LOVE our family and having a full house.

Not a ton actually going on in our lives right this second but lots buzzing in our heads and hearts... we are full of excitement and anticipation about the next few months, all of which centers around Karl's Air Force separation and our big move home.  I can't believe I'm even saying that.  Moving home.  Moving home.  Moving home.  Holy cow.

More on that to come.
Hannah K.C. Burton