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

The Bowen's Came to Phoenix!!

The Bowen's were here all last week and we had such an awesome time!!  Karl & I had anticipated their visit for weeks and it definitely did not disappoint.  Any time spent with family is always the best possible way to spend our time and then to have a sister staying under the same roof as me is like the creme de la creme.  I mean, honestly.  Matt & Maddie got here on Monday, left on Saturday, and spent about 3 days in Las Vegas during the week.

Yes people, that means Karl & I kept Lucy for them while they were gone.  I missed Matt & Maddie terribly while they were gone, like, I was homesick for them.  Lucy did, however, mend my broken heart by being such a good baby for us!  Like, I cannot even imagine an easier baby.  She is so content at all times.  Like, you cannot possibly understand what an easy baby she is.  Anyways, we had such a blast with her!  Lucy is more receptive to Karl's cuddling than I am so he was in heaven.  And I got to dress her in the cutest clothes and take tons of pictures of her, both of which Karl won't tolerate me doing to him, so I was in heaven too!!  For realsies though, Karl & I have missed Lucy girl so much.  I felt like I didn't know her little personality because she was only a month old when we left Texas.  I lived in Texas for Oliver's first 9 months and saw him almost everyday... he knows me and Karl.  Getting to have so much quality time with Lucy- feeding her, changing her, bathing her, getting up at night with her- it was so so so sweet and absolutely priceless to learn her and know her!!  I can't imagine how hard it was for Maddie & Matt to leave her overnight but it sure was a treat for us!  Here are a few pictures from our days with her!

Here is a pretty good visual of how our time with Lucy went :)  Lots of time outside, lots of time eating, lots of cuddling, lots of changing clothes, and me losing the "cry it out" method that Maddie insisted on ;)

The days that Matt & Maddie were here were a BLAST!  We ate great food, got to show them Phoenix, saw Karl's work and the flight line, relaxed in the hot tub, ate out, ate at home, celebrated Maddie's 22nd birthday, played with Lucy, watched good TV, had great conversation, played fun games, ate tons of dessert, took lots of walks, shopped, saw a movie... 

It was such an awesome week and here are TONS more pictures to prove it :)

I'm still emotionally recovering from their departure.  Just kidding.  Kind of.

Aunt Hannah

Health Probz pt 2

So I'm back with an update to all my mysterious stomach probz.  I had an upper scope... also known as a esophagogastroduodenoscopy.  Say that three times fast.  The result was a diagnosis of Eosinophilic Esophagitis, or EE.  The gist of it is that I have allergies to foods which trigger acid reflux which causes scarring on my esophagus which in turn makes my esophagus small and causes food to get stuck.  Allergies=eosinophilia cells.  Those shouldn't be in your throat.  Having those in your throat=more of the tiny throat rings.  So really these bad foods are creating this perfect storm/horrible cycle.  More on EE here.

I am SO GLAD to have an answer!!  My gastroenterologist thinks I've had this condition for years, definitely since my stomach pain started in junior high.  EE has only been commonly diagnosed and known about for the past 5 years so it would have been difficult to diagnose when I was younger.  As for the food allergies, I had a dairy allergy as a baby that my parents assumed I outgrew as my symptoms disappeared (skin hives, swollen lips).  My allergist thinks those allergies never went away, rather they just changed how they manifested, now causing reflux instead of hives.

Again, I am SO SO THANKFUL and praising God for these answers!!  I have a close friend with unique health problems too and we talked about what a blessing it is to know what is causing out troubles!  So many people go their whole lives without a diagnosis and a plan.  I am praising God!!

So yesterday I went to my allergist and had skin testing done on my back to determine what foods are causing the problems.  Skin testing, if you aren't familiar with, consists of one-at-a-time allergen-soaked needle scratches to your back... worse than getting waxed, better than dental work {in my humble opinion}. Then the doctor checks to see which ones you react to.  The result was and still is shocking.  Turkey, pork, chicken, lamb, potatoes, onion, almonds, peanuts, milk, & eggs {also the not shocking cat, dog, trees, mold, pollen, etc}.  I am still wrapping my brain around eliminating all of these things from my diet and what that will look like.  This is certainly not a pity party.  I am excited to feel better, to draw strength from God when I am sick of seafood and soy, and to not live in fear of my health issues!  I can't wait to blog about failures and successes in the kitchen while I try new recipes with egg substitute and other weird ingredients.  On the other hand, I also will not let this rule my life.  I won't turn down a piece of wedding cake, a meal at a friend's house that includes a delicious piece of chicken in a cream sauce, and I won't sit by idly during Thanksgiving while my family chows down on ham.  I'm going to give these diet changes my very very best effort but I will not obsess over it, expect others to accommodate me, and most importantly I will not feel sorry for myself.

In bible study right now we are studying Joseph.  He had years, YEARS of unjust suffering in the midst of serving his father obediently, then serving as a slave in Egypt loyally, he cared for prisoners while he was one, he was humble and just once he was delivered from his suffering... he didn't complain, he didn't pity himself.  Most importantly, he relied on God and gave God glory in his suffering and in his success.  I definitely do not have a life comparable to Joseph, however, it has been good to study this lesson this week!

So, that is where I am at.  It is my first full day on the new plan.  I did realize and take full advantage that a McDonalds quarter pounder with extra ketchup isn't excluded from my new diet.  And I also found milk-free chocolate-covered pretzels.  All is well.

almost basically accidentally vegan,
Hannah K.C. Burton

P.S.: Have any recipes that fit my almost-impossible new standards?!  Send me them!!

Finn Davis Bailey

I posted this in Instagram BUT I am too excited to leave it at that!  Callie, Jeremy, & Oliver found out they'll will be welcoming another BOY this August!!  I am SO excited I can hardly stand it!  A brother for Ollie and another cousin for Lucy to boss around.  Perfection.

Finn Davis Bailey, you are loved!

Love,
Aunt Hannah

health probz part 1

This is long, picture-less, and not terribly interesting... but my grandma's, mom, & dad will probably read it and mostly I just want to have it documented!  Also, who am I kidding, there's no way my dad will make it through this whole thing.  Calling it.  And HEY GAMMY & NANA!!

I want to write out my health story for the heck of it.  Also mostly because it's a big part of my prayer life right now... and I cannot wait to see how God moves through these prayers! Maybe someone can relate and it will help them get to answers more quickly in their own health issues!!

I remember being in 7th grade and doubled over in pit-of-the stomach pain during stressful times- cheer tryouts, namely.  20/20 on that one.  Whatever.  The pain was so cyclical and would come almost everyday for a couple of months or three.  or four.  and then disappear.  Then in 8th grade one of my friends gave me tums and it was the best day of my life.  I never told my mom about the pain prior to then because I was afraid if she took me to the doctor for it they would do something to me that was embarrassing.  I'll leave it at that.

Eventually tums became candy to my iron stomach.  And then stopped working.  The pain was absolutely debilitating.  I guess I cracked and told my mom freshman or sophomore year.  At some point during high school I had a barium swallow to check for ulcers and reflux.  Obviously they saw nothing from this, typical.  I definitely had diagnosed myself with severe acid reflux by the time college came.  The big dog prescription meds worked but my pain didn't seem to be triggered by food or even stress anymore.  It came when I was hungry, when I was full, in the middle of the night, during exams, exercise, basically it was super unpredictable and very inconvenient.

I'm guessing an age here but I'm thinking when I was 15 or 16 my dad had fixed a big steak dinner, I ate a bite, swallowed, annnnd it got stuck in my throat.  It was so scary!  I freaked out.  It felt like I couldn't breathe and I thought I was choking.  Turns out it was stuck in my esophagus, not my trachea. Incidents like this started increasing in severity and frequency starting in college.  Eating breakfast on the way to campus, shooting my cousin's wedding, at a ministry fundraising banquet... food gets stuck (normally red meat or bread), I excuse myself from the table, and then pray and jump around, try and get it out and cry and freak out because it is the worst feeling EVER!

When Karl & I first got married our good friends came to visit us.  At this point I was having red meat issues like 1 in 20 times.  Karl grilled steak and, shocker, it got stuck.  After 3 hours of getting sick in the bushes outside I was begging for a hospital.  After lots of failed nurse's efforts, they put me under and did an upper esophageal endoscopy and removed the steak from my throat.  Best feeling ever waking up free from that nasty.  And let it be known that I felt like SUCH a fat girl crying at the ER counter telling them I had steak stuck in my throat.

The doctor that did that procedure saw that my esophagus has like bands around it, constricting it, making it too small for certain foods to pass, called strictures.  This is caused by scarring from years of acid reflux.  Winning.  So, he did two follow-up procedures to dilate my esophagus.  This is apparently relatively common and has to be done every year for a lot of people.  Also I abandoned red meat at the ER.  Haven't looked back since.

However... in the past year I have definitely felt that my esophagus is constricting more, I feel nauseas literally all the time, and my reflux is starting to give me a physical allergic reaction- itchy jaw, swelling tongue, itching skin.  WHAT. IS. WRONG.

Last week I had an ultrasound to look at my gallbladder/liver/spleen.  It came back normal.  On Friday I'm having another EGD.  This time the doctor is going to biopsy my esophagus and my stomach... she is looking for a condition called eosinophilic esophagitis or celiac disease.  Gag me if I have celiac.  Then I can be like every other girl and be "gluten free."  EE, as I'll refer to eosinophilic esophagitis, is an allergic reaction that causes inflammation within the esophagus to foods that you eat.  Typically it's 6 foods that most people react to- eggs, peanuts, milk, wheat, soy, and seafood.  What?  That's literally everything.  The thing with a positive diagnosis of EE is that the next step is to have allergy testing to determine exact foods that may be causing problems.  This part, I am down with.  Pinpointing what it is that I am exactly allergic to and getting rid of it.  OK.

I am SO looking forward to these procedures.  I know that sounds insane but I want them to find something so it can be fixed!  I am so tired of feeling bad.  I literally cannot remember a time in my life when I didn't have a physical complaint/pain/ailment.  I distinctly remember feeling my normal stomach pain and nausea on my wedding day.  The total pits.

I am praying for answers and resolution!  I want diet and lifestyle change (and maybe a little surgery or something... what?) to be remedies and not more medicine!  I also don't want my diet to change too drastically, ya know, as in I would like to continue eating like normal person + some healthiness.  I'm praying remedies this month, thru this doctor, from our ultimate Healer!  I know Karl is sick of hearing me say I don't feel good, however he would never say that! I'm praising God for my awesome husband who is always quick to take care of me and I know hates seeing me feel badly as much as I do.  I have already seen awesome answered prayer!  I have had a hard time find a gastroenterologist that I like, that listens to me, and that I feel really wants to get to the root of the problem instead of putting a band-aid on my esophagus and I LOVE this doctor!  Karl & I prayed long and hard before my first appointment with her and God provided an awesome appointment.

I'm looking forward to writing about healing and health and answered prayer in the coming days and weeks!
Hannah K.C. Burton

annnnd a picture of me and Gammy and Nana because they're the only ones that probably made it this far

The Bailey Family Visit

If you follow me on Facebook/Instagram/Twitter than you know that The Bailey Family was here last weekend for a much anticipated visit and it did not disappoint!  Yes, the stomach virus that followed them here from Texas could've stayed where it came from, however, I cannot think of anything that would've stolen our fun while they were here!!

Karl & Oliver got to play A LOT!  Both of them had tons of fun!  I think it's because they have equal amounts of energy and none of the other adults can keep up with them.

Look at that chubbiness!

Ollie used the fabric high chair Uncle Karl sewed for him... with a stool underneath it.  Looks really safe, right?

Lots of fountains and splash parks around here to help keep cool!

We started off our week of fun with a trip to the Grand Canyon!  Ollie didn't love the car ride there but it is such a short trip from Phoenix it wasn't too bad!  By the time we got there it was dark so we checked into our hotel and went to an overpriced Mexican restaurant :)  We had adjoining rooms so after Ollie went to bed we played a few rounds of Farkle and Callie's magical dice-rolling fingers dominated us all.  On Sunday we made our way to the canyon- none of us had ever been before and it was truly awesome!  I do not understand how anyone can see something like that and not believe in our one true God.  What an imaginative, creative, and really awesome God He is!  And then we were like, OK now what??  So we drove the length of the southeastern part of the rim and finally felt like the trip was worth it, ha. It was an awesome weekend!

And then on the drive home we went thru Sedona so The Baileys could see the red rocks.  Also an awesome detour!  So awesome that Callie threw Ollie up and down over and over!  {And see how cute and pregnant Callie is?!?  I've been holding in the Baby Bailey #2 secret for months and they're revealing the gender THIS WEEKEND!} ...Anywayz, Ollie threw up a ton about 3 minutes later.  And that, my friends, is when the stomach bug entered our week.

Fortunately that was the only time Ollie got sick and he seemed to be on the mend on Monday so we went to the Rangers Spring Training game against the Giants!  It was SO FUN!  We sat on the lawn, took lots of good food, ate sno cones, and just had a blast!  Basically, we did everything except watch the game.  I have no clue if they won.

The virus robbed our Tuesday when it came in the night and owned Callie.  And then took all of Jeremy's lunch money on Wednesday.  I will say that I didn't hate all the alone time I got with Oliver while his parents weren't feeling well ;) We tried really hard to get out of the house so we went to lunch and shopped a little on Wednesday night but nobody was feeling 100%.  Thursday morning I woke up and wasn't feeling great.  Karl stayed home from work and we decided to brave the zoo.  We were a sorry bunch with basically 10% energy if you gathered up everything we had.  The bug got me that night while The Baileys were visiting Jeremy's grandma that lives here but God definitely spared me and I was feeling better by Friday!

Callie & I enjoyed getting our nails done Friday morning and then we all enjoyed lunch out after.  I took them all to the airport that afternoon by myself since Karl was at work and then drove home crying :( ...pitiful.  The Bailey's spent ALL of Jeremy's Spring Break here- we were so excited to have them and just had a blast!  I made precious memories with Oliver (well, for me at least) and even got to see some of his first steps!!  We love The Bailey's!  Karl & I wish we could live in a big compound with all my sisters and their babies.  We love those kids like our own and just cherish every second, all the drool, the toys, their little voices- they are so precious to us, I would clean up Ollie's vom everyday if it meant living in the same town as him!  Now we're counting the days till Matt, Maddie, and Lucy come to visit... especially when Matt & Maddie go to Vegas and I get to keep Lucy all to myself!!!!

Love,

Hannah K.C. Burton

Alaska

So this is a long overdue post but one that I didn't want to go unposted!  Last year when Karl was in Korea he had a temporary duty assignment in Alaska that fell over Labor Day Weekend.  We made a last minute decision for me to go up and spend the long weekend with him and it was the BEST DECISION EVERRRR!

My time with Karl was so fulfilling and needed for us after such long periods of time apart.  Beyond that, Alaska was and is one of the most beautiful places Karl & I have ever seen.  The air is so fresh and crisp and the view was different in each town we went to but equally beautiful no matter where we were!  I cannot express how much I loved that weekend!  It felt like such a long trip, even though it was just 4 days.  We saw so much but both of us would love to go back!

We rode the train all day to a super cute town called Talkeetna (which is apparently where most people start their climb of Denali) and stayed there that night in a little apartment over a bakery and cafe.  It was adorable.  Next time, we want to take the train one stop farther to Wasilla and go whale watching!  The whole train experience felt like we were in a movie or a dream or something out of this world.  The mountains, greenery, the snow, the cabins in the middle of nowhere.  There was a car with a glass-dome roof that we sat in on-and-off for the whole train ride that gave us a 360 degree view, the train had great food and hot drinks... I could go on and on.  I would never have thought that a long spontaneous weekend in Alaska would end up being one of my favorite vacations ever!  God is good and so fun!!

Then we went on a hike.  We were in Denali National Park and we chose a "strenuous" trail.  I was feeling really confident.  I don't work out.  Ever.  I have the endurance of a large, mouth-breathing lap dog.  But I figured, like, there were A TON of old people and kids at the park so surely they mark the trails based off the physical capabilities of the weakest human.  The trail was 2 miles, each way.  I haven't walked a mile since my freshman year of high school.  WHY DID MY HUSBAND AGREE TO THIS??  I will boil the whole thing down to 3 points:
1) I literally thought I was going to die on that mountain.  Die of cold.  Die of exhaustion.  Die because I did smell bears.
2) My legs did stop working.  They stopped over and over and over again.
3) While he didn't say anything even remotely close to this, I knew 100% for a fact in my mind that if I didn't make it to the top of the mountain my husband would be crushed.  His soul would die.  Right then and there.  He was counting on me for the absolute greatest moment of his life.  What is wrong with me??
But we made it!  It was literally the coldest I have EVER been at the top.  And going down was possibly worse than going up.  And I felt SO ACCOMPLISHED when we made it!  But not accomplished enough to ever do it again.  ever.  That mountain owned me.  Here is picture proof, in chronological order...

 ...and there is my mule of a husband who didn't break a sweat and Richard Simmonsed me up that mountain.

Then the weekend was over. I remember how hard it was to leave him.  It always is.  But if I remember right, we only had to endure about 6 more weeks before he was home for good!  Since then, I have only been separated from him once- for Lucy's birth.  When we say goodbye it feels like we are saying bye for months and months.  It is the worst feeling.  My mind cannot comprehend a short-term separation.  I say to myself over and over, "it's just a weekend," or "it's just one week," but literally in my mind it's months!!  It's like a weird form of PTSD or something.  IDK.  A weird after-effect of 6 years of goodbyes.  I cannot wait until November, when we feel safe that we don't have to say goodbye anymore.  Goodbye is so lame. Alaska is so cool.

Hannah K.C. Burton

weekend away and fun things ahead

Two weekends ago Karl & I got a last minute opportunity to spend the weekend away in Sedona, Arizona.  We had already decided that we definitely wanted to spend a weekend there before we move away so we were super excited to go!  We went on an all expense paid Air Force marriage retreat and I am so glad we did!  Sedona is absolutely breathtaking!!  It is a pretty small town with these huge red rocks surrounding the whole town.  It is the coolest thing!  Driving in was beautiful but all of a sudden those red rocks just appear and it really does take your breath away!  The resort we stayed at was awesome, all the food we ate was delicious, and Karl & I had so much fun exploring the town.  The retreat was nice... it wasn't Christ centered and catered to couples in all stages and states of marriage as well as religions or lack thereof but the time we spent in the different sessions was really limited... so basically it was just a good weekend away :)

This snow is what we woke up to Saturday morning.  We expected nice cool weather but not quite this!  While it did cloud the views for the rest of the weekend, it was a welcomed change from the Phoenix heat!  I LOVE the cold!

Loved having quiet time in front of a fire and with Karl!  He has been on a weird shift at work for several weeks and it's made time with him sparse.  

In PRESENT DAY news: shoutout to two of mine and Karl's besties for the resties, Jacki & Abe and brand new Baby Keagan!!  It sounds run-of-the-mill, but Jacki has been battling pre-term labor for almost 4 months.  Keagan's pefect birth and health is nothing short of God's faithfulness, provision, love, and grace wrapped up in a gender-neutral hospital blanket :)  I am so excited for them!! Karl & I are itching to meet him!

SUCH a great weekend!!  Now we are getting pumped up for all the visitors we are expecting!  First up: THE BAILEYS!!!!!!  And to excite everyone: here is the video I cannot stop watching.

{cookie is my mom and that growling is how Oliver complains/cries... it's normal}

Love,

Hannah K.C. Burton