Thankful Thursday

Happy Thanksgiving!!  Right now I'm waking up as my husband goes to sleep in Korea after his Thanksgiving Thursday comes to a close.  It's 11:30 PM his time, 8:30 AM my time and I'm thankful to have woken in time to Skype while it's still both of our Thursdays, both of our Thanksgivings.  Thankful for a marriage that transcends continental and oceanic separation- a marriage that has felt more and more like a holy and sacred union lately than it ever has before.  Today I'm also especially thankful for the promise of eternal life as my family, dear friends, and others prepare to celebrate this day for the first time since the loss of a sweet one.  What a day to give thanks for the abundant way that He gives and has given!

Thankful!
Hannah K.C. Burton

Not so Wordless Wednesday: done deal

My parent's closed on their house yesterday.  Closed, y'all.  Renovations start next week and will last for 4 months.  I am so excited.  And kind of ignoring the 'question mark' that is [where will me and my family live for the next 4 months?]  Anyways, no buzz kills here... consider this your 'before' shot.  My mom will probably be miffed that I'm showing this pre-landscaping and exterior painting, however, I just basically can't believe this home is theirs.  They have been in the "closing" process since August.  August.  Did you fully process that?  Buying this home has been basically a nightmare.  But that is done.  And we are starting such a fun season!!  Praise God for His perfect timing (albeit His confusing, mysterious, and baffling timing...but always perfect).

Sincerely,

Not so homeless Hannah

Wordless Wednesday: New Normal

Blessed by my second husband, the world wide web,

Hannah K.C. Burton

Greetings from Korea

So after about a year of begging I decided that I would humble myself and guest post here on Hannah's blog. I would probably say no if I hadn't have had such an awesome first week in Korea. However, I had such an awesome first weekend here, so Hannah decided that I need to blog about, so here it is...

My roommate is a very adventurous person and I like to think I am the same way, so within the first 20 minutes of talking to him, I found out that there are some really great places to rock climb here in Korea. He said that he was going out this weekend and I could come along. I have had quite a bit of experience with rock climbing so I was really excited to be able to be doing what I love in Korea!

The day started early, my roommate and I woke up at 7:30am saturday morning (4:30pm Texas time) and had a quick breakfast while we waited on his friend that was going with us. Taxis are everywhere here, even on base, so we took one to the train station 20 minutes away where we took a train to a city called Gurye (about an hour and 30 away.) The actual climbing area is called Yongseo Pokpo.

We had to stand for the whole train ride and we were in an area of the train with about 30 Korean cub scouts. We stood in between 4 girls and 4 boys on either side of us and every one of them wanted to practice every bit of english they knew. Your name, where are you from, what food do you like, do you like kimchi, what is your favorite star (movie star, Harry Potter was one of theirs,) how old are you. After every question they would ask they would look back at their friends and giggle. One was even nice enough to give me some Korean candy he had from his sack lunch!

When we got to Guyre we took a short taxi to Yongseo Pokpo where we are right in the middle of the huge rock faces, beautiful fall colored leaves, even a little water fall. We hiked up a short trail, over a stream and we got to the designated climbing area, where they had actual routes for us to climb and anchors for our ropes at the top.

We met up with a few people at the train station that are living in different parts of Korea and teaching english in schools for a year. One was a fellow Texan, one from South Africa, and couple other that I can't remember where they are from.  These were people that the guys I was with had met on previous climbing outings.

So after several hours of climbing I was sore and extremely happy with my first day out in Korea. I couldn't have had a better way to experience everything that is good here all in one day. I saw gorgeous landscape, met wonderful people and experienced more of God's creation on the other side of the world. We even got an invite to a thanksgiving celebration by the english teachers!  They requested we bring avacados from the base commissary... I guess they don't have access to any.  I also got to climb with a few Korean climbers which was really nice and pretty fun trying to talk climbing with a man that can only speak broken english but was far better than my level of climbing. I didn't meet anyone that wasn't extremely nice and enjoyable to be around. The only thing that would have made this weekend better is having Hannah with me.

Well I guess that's it for my first ever blog post, I hope you all enjoy it! Who knows there may be more to come...

Karl W. Burton

Karl's send off

Karl left 4 days ago.  It has not been a fun 4 past days.  For my own memory: Karl left on Monday afternoon and flew from DFW-Phoenix, hopped on a plane in Phoenix headed for Seattle, and had about a 12 hour overnight layover in Seattle.  We booked him a hotel room at the airport in Seattle but by the time he got to it and then had to be back at the airport (at 2 am) he only had about 4 hours to spend in the hotel but I guess it was enough to get him a shower and a couple of hours sleep.  Super early Tuesday morning he arrived back at the Seattle airport and waited around until is 7 am flight to Japan, which was 11 hours.  I heard from Karl once he was in Japan and then again about 5 hours later when he had arrived in Kunsan- his final destination!  He has internet in his room and we have gotten to Skype several times already!  Unfortunately, his unaccompanied baggage that was shipped to Korea (literally a month ago) won't be there for another 10 days so he's having to make due with minimal bedding/bath stuff.  Bums me out.  I feel so much gratitude towards the Lord and just feel awfully blessed for the past several months to have gone like they have.  We have had such wonderful time together and with family and friends and I am just beyond thankful.  I have experienced so much grace and peace and comfort as of late and have felt so encouraged by such sweet friends and family who have been lifting us up to the Lord- what a privilege it is to be encouraged that way.  While all of the above is true, in the interest of full disclosure I think what I've said about him leaving thus far gives me too much street cred... let it be known that this is not fun and it is basically crap.  I have been having to work extra hard to keep this all in perspective- we are healthy, have each other, have the promise of eternal life and God's perfect plan, and have so much support, however, this still sucks and is definitely not all rainbows and butterflies and I'm basically an emotional ticking bomb.  Be warned.  So, I'm working to balance this focus-gurrrl-he's-alive-and-well-so-suck-it-up with gurrrlie-let-your-honest-pity-party-feelings-out!  So there you have it.  I'll spare you the rest of the inner workings of my head and just share some fun pictures and outings we enjoyed the last week he was here.  Man have we had an awesome time!

We enjoyed some ice skating, per Karl's request.  Note how close I am to the side of the rink.  My safe place.

this will probably embarrass Karl BUTTTT  I enjoyed some last cuddling... when I have ever enjoyed cuddling anyways?  When in Rome...?

We got to have dinner and super fun time with Jacki & Abe and somehow this weird pic is all we have to show for it.  

At Jeremy's last game with one of our favorite people- Kristen!

Family movie on Saturday! I feel like this looks like an optical illusion... how we go on and on and on into the darkness.

Last morning together... also right before Karl shaved his beard off :(

Oh just the housemates.

lunch the day he left

Missing Matt!

I was able to go thru security with him and wait at his gate!  Loved those extra minutes.

Thank you so much for the encouraging texts, prayers, and sweet messages that I've been receiving!  I'm already counting down until he comes home this time next year. And it just so happens to be Veteran's Day ANNND Karl's 4th anniversary of serving in the Air Force.  I'm super extra thankful for Karl and the job that he does today.  I'm also super extra grateful for the service of both of my grandfathers, my father-in-law, and my brother-in-law- such awesome, servant-hearted men who have served this country!

Hannah K.C. Burton

Amy & Paul spoil the kids weekend

Months ago we all set aside a whole weekend for "family fun."  And fun it was.  All this fun I speak of went down about 3 weekends ago and basically my parents just spoiled us in the name of Karl & Korea and I'm not here to complain about it.

Friday night we all went to Jeremy's football game- super fun, as always.

 And Saturday we squeezed in a wedding dress fitting for Maddie followed by... massages for all the girls!  It was such a fun surprise!  Having all sisters = 5 girls in the house so doing things like this or all going to get mani/pedis or do other normal mother/daughter(s) stuff is just not common around here.  Instead of eating my parents out of house and home we could easily groom/luxury treatment my parents out of house and home.  So that was a blast.  Then we all went to celebrate Jeremy's birthday at his restaurant of choice!

Sunday was more fun!  We all packed up in the suburban (using all 9 seat belts that it has to offer, mind you) and headed to Glen Rose to drive through Fossil Rim.  It was SO SO SO FUN!  See for yourself...

After Fossil Rim we stayed in Glen Rose so the boys could have their fun outing- they did a competition clay shooting course at Rough Creek Lodge.  a) that place is gorge.  and I'm dying to stay there ASAP b) the very last thing I would ever do for fun would be competition shooting.  I do not and will not ever understand boys.

While the boys were shooting, we hung out in the lodge and all beat Maddie at Egyptian Rat Screw.

And then played on the giant seesaw... and my mom tried to pick up a bunny.

The whole weekend was a blast and a huge treat!  So grateful for family, the time that my sisters and their guys have given to the excess family activities we've had lately, and for my parents and their desire to give Karl an incredible time while he was home and willingness to basically do anything to do so!

Hannah K.C. Burton

Christmas & Halloween, in that order

This is what Christmas for 9 looks like.  10 if you count the furry girl on the bottom right.

Two weekends ago was our big Christmas celebration... and 24 hours later we were dressing up for Halloween.  The weekend was wonderful and perfect and I'm so, so, SO glad that everyone in my family chose to celebrate Christmas with us and be joyful at the change in plans this year.  Saturday was Christmas Eve and per our usual tradition, we ate dinner at IHOP and then all spent the night together.  This year, in tune with the chaos, we all stayed at Callie & Jeremy's house since my parents don't currently have a house, ha.  We all squeezed in and fit just right although Matt may or may not have slept in the hall. Karl & I stayed up late that night preparing the dough for some Pioneer Woman cinnamon rolls that I've wanted to make for a long time... I'll say that they were time consuming and the 2am bedtime + 6:30am wakeup was a little unexpected, however, the rolls were excellent...like realllly good.  And I'm happy to report there is leftover dough in the freezer.  Christmas morning (Sunday) we woke up to find that Santa had in fact been here and he had come to spoil!  The morning was wonderful, Mr. & Mrs. Clause know how to show these 9 children a really good time.  Karl got me the most insane boots EVER that I have been eyeing ever since Rachel Zoe put them on my radar in a recent ZoeReport... thanks gurlie.  Annnnd Amy & Paul got me home things and clothes galore.  It was just great.

waiting in the hall to see if Santa came...

Excuse my mom's blurry pictures but yes, Santa came!!!

One of the funniest times of the morning: ever since I can remember my sisters & I have drawn names to dictate who we will give a Christmas gift to.  It's way easier on the wallet that way.  So, now that 3 brothers-in-law are involved we started the tradition of them drawing names to gift each other.  Well, obvi it is us girls that wrap the gifts that they give among themselves... so we planted something embarrassing in each bag so that it would look like Jeremy gave Matt Superman briefs, Karl gave Jeremy Batman briefs, and Matt gave Karl "Man of Steel" briefs.  The joke didn't last long but the look on Matt's face when he opened his gift that he knew was from Jeremy was priceless.  He had no idea what to say or do.  Verrrry funny.
After our Christmas morning we all went to church together.  It was wonderful to be led in worship by Matt.  He is so so so talented.  And obvi I cried.  I love worshipping next to Karl.  I will miss that more than anything else, literally anything.  If he could just appear alongside me in church every week for the next year that would be sufficient.
Sunday evening was spent cooking together in The Bailey's kitchen and then eating a wonderful Christmas/maybe Thanksgiving meal.  We had ham, turkey, and all of Karl's favorite sides.  It was DELICIOUS and fun and I can't imagine better company and conversation.

Proof that: Maddie's high school art project named Sarah (that also happens to be a creepy paper-mache dia de los muertos doll) somehow managed to find her way onto Callie's tree per the Cuppett Family tradition (although normally we sing "Feliz Navidad," while Maddie tops the tree with her) despite our family's vagabond status and proof that my dad is always looking to be in a photo.

annnnd I blame The Burton's prom-pose on the fact that I was the camera runner.  Ya know, the idiot running back and forth to start the timer on the camera?  That's me.

You can see more from Sarah the Calevera in a picture from a post a few years ago here... well you can really only see her legs but they are unmistakeable...

Last Monday was Halloween.  Karl wanted to be a T-Rex and I decided I would just dress normally and put a leash around his costume and he would be my pet dino.  Karl fashioned the most incredible costume... I mean, you can't really even call it a costume.  It was just insane.  He is so so so creative and can think so abstractly and is such an artist!  He sketched this on cardboard and then cut it out!  He only worked on it for about 3 hours.  He was a show.stopper.  at the church Halloween function we went to with my family at Park Springs last night.  The kids LOVED it- I mean, they really had a hard time understanding that he wasn't a real dinosaur.  One lady even asked if "it" was one of the rides.

early in the construction process

manning his tail... it had a life of it's own.

I wrote this last week so the tense of the language is not very accurate anymore but...The remainder of the week was spent enjoying more time with family, running some errands and packing things, and enjoying more time together.  I am definitely growing more anxious, nervous, and sad.  This is so surreal to me- that's really the best way to describe this.  Less than a week.  I hope the anticipation is worse than the actual experience will be.  Also feeling behind in life as I pretty much have neglected all my friends and responsibilities as of late as I spend all my time and energy on Karl and Korea.  I really feel like I have had no contact with my closest friends/have no clue what's going on in anyone's lives.  Also have late bills, emails that have been unanswered for weeks (sorry Jesse Mackenzie and Maddie's wedding vendors), and have basically checked out of adult life.  So, that's cool too.  That's not like me.  I'm so sorry.  And sorry that my apology is coming via cyberspace... what is becoming of me!?!?  Woof.
Thanks for thinking of us!  Still feeling like I have so much catching up to do!
Hannah K.C. Burton