A New State of Mind

Thank You, Michelle.

noreply@blogger.com (David) — Thu, 01 Sep 2011 14:55:00 +0000

I know we've been horrible about updating this blog, but just wanted to take a few minutes to publicly say 'Thank You!' to my bride.

10 years ago today, I married my high school sweetheart, Michelle. What a blessing and a gift Michelle has been. It's been a journey filled with ups and downs, pain and laughter, tears and joy, but through all of it, I'm truly thankful that I have been graced with a wife that loves Jesus and loves me. I continue to learn that no matter what the struggle, we have a savior that loves us deeply and allows us to truly love each other. So Michelle, I'm thankful for your years of love and service, and the grace you have shown me as we have walked through life together. Thank you for your continued love and patience with me through thick and thin. Thank you for being a picture of Jesus to me, and reminding me of where my ultimate hope lies. Because of you, I am not the same man you married ten years ago, and I'm so thankful for that! I can't imagine my life without you, and thankful I get to spend the rest of it with you!

So today, I want to reaffirm my commitment to you. A commitment to love and cherish you for the rest of my life. To continually give myself up for you. To be faithful to you. To remind you of Jesus, and to walk with you and enjoy your friendship and company, no matter what the future holds.

Thank you for being my best friend, Michelle!

Will you Marry Me? Again? :-)

I love you,
- Your Husband.
Eph 5:25-30

Turning 30 on 3-30

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle P) — Fri, 01 Apr 2011 05:27:00 +0000

Well, the day finally came. I'm 30. Although I'm not to the point of welcoming this third decade with open arms, I AM ushering it in with MUCH thankfulness...not only for a week filled with birthday celebrations, and many unexpected "little suprises", but more importantly for the many ways I have seen God's faithfulness and blessings to me in these last 3 decades. I am truly humbled to look back and see all the He has done!!
And now, in case you're curious, here are a ton of pictures from the big day (& day before)...I'm writing out all the details. I figure I better write it all down now before I forget; I am 30 now, you know!
(No really...I am writing down ALL the details so I can remember in years to come...so don't feel bad if you don't want to read it all! ;)

David threw me a "surprise" (ish) party the night before my birthday. He had our friends hide out in our building's community room for the surprise...I had a feeling something was up, but it was wonderful nonetheless! It was just great to be able to be with friends to celebrate...and the cake! Oh the cake! Chocolate cake with chocolate ganache frosting, from a local bakery that our thoughtful friend recommended. And the flowers on the cake? Ranunculas...one of my favorites!...that was one of those little unexpected blessings, since no one really knows I love those flowers! :) Another special surprise was the cherry blossoms another friend brought...another flower that holds a special place in my heart!

Like most people, I spent my birthday at work :) But before I left, I did open a special package from my sister before, and it was AMAZING!!

Chocolates, chocolates, and more chocolates, from a
yummy Boston chocolate company!
We have just about finished all those little chocolate truffles, and they were amazing! My favorites were the Earl Grey, the Trinidad (which had cardamom), The Baton Framboise (raspberry), and the Honey Caramel Truffle.

This was definitely the cutest one of the box...a little mousey! (He tastes quite nice as well.! ;)

Dark chocolate and Fig

As if one box FULL of chocolate truffles and bon-bons wasn't enough, there was a second box! It was such a neat package too-- some sort of corn husk-ish material weaved together to make a box...very cool; especially when it's full of...

More Chocolate! 3 BIG single-origin chocolate bars! YUMMM!

I loved the back of the wrappers...very fun to unwrap! :)
We are still enjoying these 3 bars...they should last us awhile I think--they're huge! They each have such a unique flavor, and are all so different from each other...it is amazing how different chocolate bars can be! A BIG thank you Lisa & David for this wonderful gift!

I spent the rest of my day at work...I had 40 nuns sing me happy birthday, which is a very special memory. :) My bosses also took me out to lunch to a great Mexican place called Cactus, so that made the day go extra fast!
Now, of course, for the big gift: my birthday dinner with David. He surprised me with a dinner reservation at a lovely restaurant that I have on my "bucket list" of restaurants. :)

We had a view of the water, wonderful food, and amazing service.
Definitely a birthday dinner to remember!

We were seated at one of the best tables in the house, and I was greeted by 2 dozen lovely red roses that my sweet husband had dropped off earlier in the day. :)

Our view!

I just had to throw this one in...it's the women's bathroom!! It was so beautiful I couldn't resist. I guess they were awarded voted of the most best bathrooms in the country (and yes, I borrowed the picture of a website...I didn't even think to take my camera to the restroom!)

We had a wonderful waiter who wined and dined us all evening! It was absolutely perfect!! :) Beautiful piano music playing, wonderful wine, amazing food, and of course the most wonderful husband to spend the evening with! My favorite dishes of the evening were the salad (which had bacon and mint...sounds strange, but it was amazing!), truffle fries, and the desserts (more to come on that!). Our gracious waiter gave us many small "complimentary"surprises as well-- wine to pair with our salad, complementary soup "shooters", some more complementary wine that he thought would "change our lives", and 2 desserts!! I'm sure to some people, that wouldn't be a big deal, but for me, it made my night feel very special.

Our main course...And it tasted as good as it looks!

Our first of 3 desserts: "Cranberry Fizz". This one was a surprise from our waiter, and it was a type of ice cream float...for a girl who loves cranberry, it was a hit!

Second Dessert: "Crème Fraîche Parfait"

This was one recommended by the waiter as "kind of crazy, but fun". We figured hey, you only turn 30 once! :) It had a layer of celery puree, candied almonds and olives, grapefruit, creme fraiche, wasabi, and sugar "glass"! It looked like a work of art, and was actually delicious...very light and refreshing!

Dessert #3: "Chocolate Covered Chocolate"

This was, hands down, the BEST. Dessert. Ever! On the left: Molten lava cake, that was not to sweet but oh so chocolatey, covered with a circular disk of cocoa nib brittle that was just pure perfection. To the right: salted caramel ice cream with a cocoa nib shortbread crust, dipped in dark chocolate . Did I mention the best dessert ever?!
And to top it all off, the waiter brought it out with a candle in it, and just as he set it down, the pianist started to play one of "our" songs...I thought David had planned it, but he said he didn't...I was so overwhelmed by all of it that I was fighting back tears!

After we slowly savored that dessert, our waiter suprised us again by offering to take us on a tour of the restaurant! While we waited for him, he gave us some chocolate-cinnamon truffles to savor...as if we hadn't had enough chocolate! ;)
So, as the final surprise of the evening, our sweet waiter Christopher gave us a personal tour of the entire restuarant--- VIP dining rooms, kitchen, wine cellar...the works! It was such a special gift, and definitely one birthday dinner I'll never forget!

While on the tour, Christopher explained that the owner originally employed all Japanese waitresses, partly to provide jobs for a population that was stuggling to find employment after WWII. This connection with Japan has continued to play a part in their decor. This was another one of those special "little surprises" since I was born in Japan. :) My favorite Japanese item was a huge Japanese wooden "treasure house" door, which represented the many celebrations that are held at their restaurant, and how each celebration is a treasured memory that they play a special part in creating. They certainly did an amazing job of making my 30th birthday a treasured memory I'll never forget!

Look who's 30!!

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle P) — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 06:39:00 +0000

Can you guess who this tower of 30 donuts was for?

That's right! David celebrated his 30th birthday today, and his brother Paul celebrated his 29th!
We had a very SWEET day, with a surprise party for both of them at one of David's favorite places: Top Pot Doughnuts!

The crew that helped us celebrate!

It's hard to believe that it has been 10 years since we've been married, and over 15 years since we've been friends! I am so thankful for you David, and for the ways I have seen Jesus work in your life! You are my best friend and I am so happy I get to celebrate you today! Happy Birthday sweetie!

The Only Thing Constant is Jesus

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle P) — Sat, 10 Jul 2010 06:25:00 +0000

Last month, we celebrated 3 (!) years in Seattle, and next week will mark the 2 year anniversary of purchasing our home in West Seattle. Looking back, a lot of change has occurred in the last 3 years, and looking forward, a lot more change is coming our way! Our "home sweet home" went on the market TODAY (!), and we will be downsizing to move into an apartment in downtown Seattle sometime in August or September (Lord-willing). Yes, this is a LOT of change. Yes, it is a lot of hassle to sell a house in this economy. Yes, we will be sad to leave our neighbors and church family. Yes, we may be crazy ;) But, we strongly feel Jesus calling us to be a part of His new Gospel work at Downtown Cornerstone Church...and since the only constant in life is Jesus, we are packing it up (again) to follow His call to go and make disciples.

More to come soon...

Graduation Day!

noreply@blogger.com (David) — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 19:32:00 +0000

Today marks the end of a journey through a year long Masters Program that I have had the privilege of going through. This year has been one of the hardest yet most fulfilling years of my life. Since many of you have asked “how it’s going” along the way, I wanted to take a few minutes to share some takeaways that come to mind.

Jesus didn’t call me to comfort, but to a life of dependance on Him. There are innumerable opportunities to seek comfort, worth, and acceptance outside of Christ, but all of them lead to an emptiness that can only be filled by who God says I am in Christ (Eph 1:3-14). In trying to juggle a demanding job, family, and school, there were many times I wanted to drop out, and instead, ended up repenting of my desire for comfort and believing the lies that there is hope outside of Christ. I am thankful for the grace that Jesus gives to persevere.

God’s Love for me is a Love that I would never choose on my own. When I think of someone loving me, I tend to define it by others giving me what I want, or what I think I need. Instead, Christ continues to show the most perfect picture of love by giving me what I truly need -- The Cross. I continue to see the depths and glory of what took place on the cross (my crap for His righteousness!) compared to anything else the world has to offer. My only hope is continually repenting of the times I view Him as “mean and unloving” (because He isn’t giving me what I want), to one who wants my ultimate happiness to be found in Him! Thank You Jesus.

Pray. Pray. Pray. I have never been more humbled this year, than by the act of communing with the living God through prayer. It is one thing to know that God is sovereign, it’s another thing altogether to humbly come before the throne of grace praying that God would do what He said He would do. Sam Storms says it this way; “We must never presume that God will grant us apart from prayer what he has ordained to grant us only by the means of prayer". Spurgeon writes as well, “The minister who does not earnestly pray over his work must surely be a vain and conceited man. He acts as if he thought himself sufficient of himself, and therefore needed not to appeal to God.” What a privileged and joy to bow the knee to the very one who gives us the air that we breath.

Leaders are readers. I have read more books and scripture this year than I ever have in my life. Through the pages read I have tasted the depths of God’s glory in so many new and refreshing ways. There will always be an endless supply of books to read, but a greater amount of “unsearchable riches” found in the ultimate author of truth. I thank the Lord for His Spirit that opens the mind and heart to understand the Bible, apply it, and lead others to the living well.

Life is a Vapor. James 4:14 says “...yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.” I have come to an even greater conviction this year that the only fulfillment in this life is to seek the Glory of God above all else. This life is truly short, and happiness doesn’t lie in the latest technology, relationship, or affinity, it lies in the finished work of Jesus, and making much of Him. All of life is worship, and by God’s grace I want to proclaim the majesty of our great God and King with what’s left of this Vapor!

More to come....
David

A "celebravacarecuperavisitation"

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle P) — Wed, 05 May 2010 03:50:00 +0000

Way long ago, far back in the month of April (wasn't that SO long ago?!), we decided to take a little "celebravacarecuperavisitation". What? You've never taken one of those? ;) Well, let me explain the joys of a "celebravacarecuperavisitation" to you. Birthday celebration+vacation+recuperation+visitation = Vancouver Fun! :)

Since Easter was pretty close to my birthday this year, we postponed my birthday celebration, and lumped it up with a vacation/recuperation from all the work that went in to our Easter services at church, and topped it off with the best part...a visit with the Pichura's! It was a great trip, but quite a whirlwind, since we had to squeeze it all in 3 1/2 days!

We were blessed with a great deal on a room at the 4 Star Marriot Pinnacle in Downtown Vancouver! We were on the 29th floor, so we had a great view of the city too!

I confess I am a nerd when it comes to fancy hotel bathrooms...and their cool mini-toiletries.
(You better believe these went into my suitcase! ;)

While I was busy doing a photo-shoot of the bathroom, David was busy doing...NOTHING! Quite a blessing after a long season of work and Re:Train!

Recognize this thing? :) It was only 2 blocks from our hotel! No Olympic flame burning anymore though. :(

Shabusen must be Japanese for "really amazing yummy all-you-can-eat food"

This place was so cool -- you sat down, ordered all the food you wanted and then they bring it to you table...any terriyaki meats were brought raw, and then you grill them yourself on your own little gas grill! This was David's favorite part of the trip I think!

Ordering all different kinds of sushi was so much fun...great chance to try new things! If anyone ever comes out to visit us, make sure to bring your passports, because we may have to take a 2 hour trip for dinner one day! ;)

Getting to this guy was quite a wet ride, but we did it.
We're such Olympians! ;)

After our soaking wet excursion to the inukshuk,

we stumbled upon the BEST PLACE to dry off...EVER.
We walked into this cafe and found shelf upon shelf of chocolate bars, with funny names like "Mermaid's Choice" and
"Open in Case of Emergency".

I was almost overwhelmed by the choices, but then one item on the menu caught our eye...

A silver platter of 70% cacao chocolate fondue, a pile of marshmallows, and a mini-hibachi to roast them on... Genius. What better way to dry out on a rainy day? It was the perfect way to warm up...especially when paired with one of the BEST cups of coffee
I've ever had!

This unassuming little gizmo may just make the best cup of coffee on the planet! It's called a Clover press , and I'm proud to say that it was invented in our very own Ballard, Seattle! The machine was bought out by Starbucks a few years ago, but apparently there are other places that have snagged this amazing machine! We both agreed, it wins the award for
best coffee ever!

(David discovered the hibachi grill had another purpose: coffee warmer!)

Fortunately for us, one day of rain brought another day of sun...which was such a blessing!! This city transforms into a beautiful place with a bit of sunshine! We enjoyed a visit to Stanley Park and Granville Island before heading out to visit the Pichura's!

We had a great visit with our nieces and nephews (and Bryan and Kristin too!)...although they took the "relaxation" part out of trip out very quickly! ;)

The Pichura's moved to Canada in February, and their journey has been marked by God's provision all along the way. It was great to finally visit their new home ...and see first-hand how God has provided for them in such amazing ways! We are so thankful they are still only 2 hours away!

The clowns of the family ;)

Caleb was a little squished, hence the frowny face.

Micah and Titus posing for a Kodak Moment :)

This would be the part where the "relaxation" vanished! The kids decided it would be fun to handcuff Uncle David and tape his mouth shut! He was a great sport, even with all 6 of them packed on top of him!...We may need to re-work our next trip to Vancouver to include a post-Pichura recuperation! ;) In all honesty though, we LOVE hanging out with our dear family and are so encouraged by their desire to serve the Lord, wherever that may lead them! Thanks for taking us in Kristin & Bryan (and even giving up your bed!).
We love you!

Just for fun

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle P) — Sun, 28 Mar 2010 03:19:00 +0000

Our friend Shan celebrated his 4th birthday today...he had a lion/animal theme, complete with a Chinese lion/dragon dance and parade! We had a "roaring" good time! :)
I must admit, making this lion cake was pretty fun too, once I finally got the right color orange (who wants a pastel orange lion?) and figured out how to achieve a "hairy" mane (probably the only time in my life I will work towards that! ;) The outside is cupcakes, which were a hit with a bunch of 4 year olds!
So, there it is, a lion cake...just for fun. :)

Boston and Back.

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle P) — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 05:37:00 +0000

Last weekend, I flew to Boston to accompany my sister on a crazy, chaotic wedding dress hunt. I call it crazy because the women there were definitely a bit insane! It was an event known nationwide as "The Running of the Brides" at Filene's Basement...except they outgrew the basement so now it's held in Boston's Convention Center, which is huge! It was a whirlwind of a day, but I'm happy to say that we found "the dress"! I can't say I'd recommend this event for the faint of heart, but if you really want a good deal on a wedding dress, then this place is for you!! To get an idea of the insanity, check out the video we took.

I needed a LOT of coffee that morning! ;)

Instead of getting in the line that was probably 1/2 of a mile long, we decided to check out all the "teams" that were already in line. These gals were our favorites! We found out that the women in the front of the line had been waiting outside since midnight (and it's below freezing at night here!!). There were all sorts of props for these teams-- many had matching T shirts and headbands/hats, and some even brought lawn chairs and whistles!

Yes, you see right. There was a first aid station right by the entrance! Although, in their defense, I didn't see anyone needing first aid while we were there...which was all day!

By the time we made it in the room, the racks were bare!

A picture says 1000 words, right? ;)
Well, maybe it needs a little explanation. There were no fitting rooms, so brides wore bathing suits or spandex so they could just try on dresses in the main room! This bathing suit was just hysterical though, especially with the birthday hat. Her whole team had those on so they could find each other! This picture also shows the army girls from the previous picture-- they probably grabbed about 40 dresses, and were holding them all for the bride to try on...and if they didn't fit, then they would barter with other groups to trade for a new dress! It was quite an elaborate system...which we didn't take part in. We just decided to camp out by the army girls, since their bride was the same size as Lisa. Once their bride found her dress, we were able to seize all their other dresses...genius!! :)

After 7 hours, she finally found THE ONE! This was part of the pile of dresses she tried on.

The moment of truth: a $1500 dress for $253.63!!...plus a free T-shirt that says "I survived the running of the brides!" :)

The triumphant bride-to-be, posing with her dress in downtown Boston.

We also tried on bridesmaid dresses, but fortunately that was a much calmer experience! It was a cute little shop that waited on us hand and foot!

Lisa and her fiance, David.

What trip to New England would be complete without Dunkin' ? :)

No, those aren't Boston clouds; they're Olympic Mountains! :) This was actually taken in SeaTac airport while I waited to fly to Boston. It was one of those perfect, blue sky days and all the mountains were "out"...and I was so thankful I had a window seat! I could see Mt. Rainier, Mt. St. Helens, Mt. Adams, and Mt. Hood! They were such a beautiful reminder of our amazing God!

Everytime I fly, I always have to listen to a certain song when I leave Seattle...the words so accurately describe how I feel when looking out at this beautiful world.

29!! (and 28)

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle P) — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 07:50:00 +0000

Today we celebrated David's 29th birthday! He had a quiet day at home with Re:Train reading and paper-writing, but he did get to enjoy a nice surprise in the evening...some friends...and chocolate cake...and go karts!! I thought that after all David's hard work with Re:Train, a fun evening racing might be fun...he has always had a need for speed! :) We also celebrated Paul's birthday as well (David's brother...They are exactly 1 year a part!). It's hard to believe this year we are turning 29...last year in our 20's!! Time goes by fast!

Our sweet friends, Cliff and Hyun Ju, hosted a little birthday party for David and Paul...they were pretty excited about the cake! :)

I am so thankful to have such a wonderful husband...He is such a blessing to me!
Happy birthday dear!

Let the racing begin!! (L-R: Alan, Paul, David)

Paul means business.

David is in the head of the pack!

This was the score board..."BB Tops" is David. He made it to #3!!

Our friend Alan...fighting to inch up the list (he is "AA" on the board)

David rounding a corner...he got "pulled over" for bumping people ;)

Family Fun

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle P) — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 03:58:00 +0000

Family is such a blessing, and we are so thankful to have some of our family living in the Northwest...it seems that slowly but surely, most of David's family is inching closer and
closer to this beautiful corner of the country! :)
We recently added one more brother to the "Parker Bros." of Seattle, as Andrew moved up in the beginning of January! He stayed with us for a few weeks, and is now getting settled in his new apartment. We're so glad to have him up here...although he's been
so busy with his new job we barely see him
(but we're so thankful God provided a job!).

We've also enjoyed some visits from the Pichura clan (David's sister). It is definitely CRAZY when all 8 of them are in our house, but we enjoy every minute of it! They came 2 weeks ago, and are coming again this weekend...and we can't get enough! :)

Our little table gets stretched to capacity with this bunch!

Faith turns 7! She told me she wanted "a doggy cake that's chocolate with chocolate frosting"...this girl knows what she likes! ;)
It took me awhile to come up with a plan, but this is how it turned out. She loved it!

On one of Seattle's notorious "rainy days", we decided to go to the Aquarium...which was great! We enjoyed lots of hands-on stuff, which the kids really enjoyed. We also got to see them feed the fish, the octopus, the seals, and eels!! The kids actually got to feed starfish too, which was really neat. This place is definitely worth going to, rain or shine!

Christmas Fun...and snow!

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle P) — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 08:29:00 +0000

We were blessed to be able to spend the holidays with family in Hood River, Oregon...we celebrated a late Christmas on the 28th, and
we were so excited to receive a "white christmas"!
The snow kept falling, and we actually had to stay a day later than planned because of a big storm coming through...
but this is one time when we were happy to stay put!
It was a fun week filled with laughs, Wii, sledding, baking
(which of course means eating!!),
games, and just enjoying time together as a family.

The Pichura kids all lined up with their "big gift" -- Red Sox jerseys!

Caleb and his new outfit...too cute!

Faith seems to be in an ongoing Broadway production...it's always drama with her!

This was the main attraction throughout the week--
"we" played a lot of Wii!! :)

David's dad and our nephew Titus.

This dog has patience like I have never seen!

The infamous Gingerbread contest has begun!! Get ready for some crazy pictures! I don't know where the Parker's get their "talent" :)

Paul's masterpiece...I'll let you guess.

As you can see, Andrew was really getting into the Spirit of Christmas with his gingerbread man.

Bryan's left us speechless. :)

Micah's Star War's gingerbread man.

Mom Parker's adorable gingerbread house...I think she could start a business!

My entry-- orphan Annie and her dog Sandy.

Grace's amazing gingerbread house...she is becoming quite the artist!!

David's finished product...he spent a lot of time on the Wonka house, and I thought it was pretty cute, but, apparently, others didn't, because he was knocked down to second place this year...the new championship title went to:

Kristin's cute clown!

Mery Christmas from the Parker's!!

Merry Christmas!!

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle P) — Fri, 25 Dec 2009 09:13:00 +0000

We hope you all have a Merry Christmas celebrating our Savior!

Merry...Thanksgiving!

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle P) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 07:16:00 +0000

These pictures are just a tad bit late, but I wanted to post a few pictures from November before Christmas pictures roll around! David's parents and brother Andrew made the trip up from Oregon, and my parents were here for the week visiting,
which made this Thanksgiving extra nice.

Starting the morning off with a healthy dose of cinnamon rolls! :)

David's brother Andrew enjoying some snacks.

The star of the show: the turkey fry!

Table set and ready to go!

The Parker men and their technology! ;)

(Some) of the Parker's! It was great to spend some time with everyone!

Mom and Dad Come to Seattle!

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle P) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 06:10:00 +0000

My parents have been patiently waiting for the "opportune time" to fly out and visit...they were trying to avoid all the rain that welcomed them on their first trip! :) However, circumstances didn't work out for a summer visit, so they decided to take their chances with November, which is usually one of our rainiest months!! I must say that all things considered, I think they had great weather...and a great week!

We had a really fun time visiting with them, and showing them around our lovely city. The first time they visited, we had only lived here for 3 months, so we were still figuring things out for ourselves...This time, it feels more like home, and we actually own a home, so that was fun to show them for the first time! I think by the end of the trip, my parents probably felt like they needed another vacation, as we had them moving around a lot! :) They flew in on Thanksgiving Day, which is probably enough to exhaust anyone! Then we took them all around Seattle, and even did some day-trips...We had a great time seeing new sights with them, and are so thankful they came out to visit us!

We took a day trip to the picturesque town of Leavenworth. It's a Bavarian-themed village nestled right below the Cascade mountains...definitely a tourist town, but we loved it! :)

We had to try a soft pretzel in Leavenworth!

Another "must" in Seattle: the Space Needle!

We went to a Christmas Party for my work, with lots of different Christmas Trees...this was the German themed tree-- my Dad's favorite!

I think this was my Dad's favorite part of the trip. We went to a Japanese restaurant in West Seattle, and it was a treat! Dad said it was the best Japanese food he's had since Japan!

Mom and I tasting some chocolate gelatto and hot chocolate at a fun shop downtown called "The Chocolate Box"...yes, it's one of my favorites! :)

Dad and I overlooking downtown Seattle.

We're Back!

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle P) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 06:11:00 +0000

We just wanted to let you know we're back from our trip! We had a great time and saw many beautiful places...more to come after we sort through the 2500 photos!!! :)

Summer "Fun"

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle P) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 05:51:00 +0000

As you can tell, we kind of went on a blogging hiatus for a few months. We really haven't had a lot of "blog-worthy" adventures this summer...well, we have had 2, but obviously those lived up to their name, since they're, well, on the blog. :) Other than that, a few short day trips have been the extent of our summer. Not that I am complaining! We have enjoyed this summer, but it has been busy...mostly with people and books! ;) David has been quite busy training people, as our church started a Discipleship Program, and also helped launch a new campus of Mars Hill. Since this is what he feels called to do, it is a blessing that he has been able to spend most of his summer equipping leaders for the sake of the Gospel. David also started a Master's Degree level program at our church and I have been going through a biblical counseling training, so it definitely hasn't been a summer of relaxing on the beach...although we have been blessed to enjoy a few relaxing days on the water. It can be tempting to look back at this summer and feel like it was "wasted" because we didn't get to enjoy the warm weather as much as we would like...but as soon I think that, I realize this summer was far from wasted. It has been spent impacting people for Jesus, which is the furthest thing from a waste...in fact, it's the only thing that's not.

With that said, I will attempt to do a blogger "unload" of what memories we did make this summer. I've realized that if I don't transfer them onto blogger, the memories transfer from my mind into into the dark abyss of the hard drive :) So, if you care to read, make sure to keep scrolling down because I will probably may make separate posts in the next day or 2 to make things easier to find (I may back-date them to keep them in some sort of order).

#8

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle P) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 06:56:00 +0000

It may be hard to believe, but September 1st we celebrated our 8th Anniversary! We enjoyed a very nice night out, doing two things we really enjoy...eating good (cheap!) food and watching a beautiful sunset. We were talking about how crazy it is that it's been 8 years, and even crazier that this is our 3rd anniversary celebrated in Seattle! We are so thankful that Jesus brought us together, and that He has kept us together! He has definitely grown us both a lot this past year, and we are ever more
thankful to be serving Him together.

The happy, handsome husband.

Yum! Nothing beats happy hour prices. We practically ordered the whole menu for under $30!

The view from the bottom.

And the view from the top.

8 years...

The Lightrail...public transit or new date night?

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle P) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 05:19:00 +0000

This summer, Seattle unveiled it's new "state of the art" public transit system. Drumroll please...announcing The Lightrail! We decided that it might be fun to try it out for a date night excursion-- Take it till the end of the line, then grab dinner and go to a free concert at the Space Needle. See...it sounds more fun that you thought, huh? :)

We actually had to drive out of the way to get to the station, so we decided it's not very practical. And we discovered it takes at least twice the time to get downtown than driving by car, but hey, it's still a fun ride and very cheap entertainment (we're easily entertained obviously...but, we're not the only ones doing this for fun. My residents at work took a field trip to ride it too!).

Can you feel the excitement ?!

It looks so much like a big city rail system when you look at this picture...but, it's not.
But it's trying reeeaally hard. :)

Part of the rail goes underground, which was by far the coolest part.
They had all this crazy neon artwork up on the ceilings!

What?! You don't have any of these crawling up your ceiling?

We made it! Not that I was worried or anything...you can't really get lost on this thing.

Sometimes you get what you pay for...but
there was one band we enjoyed.

Lightrail date night complete!
Well, almost. We still had to take it the whole way back! Not quite as entertaining the second time around, but still a fun trip.

Fun on the water

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle P) — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 18:32:00 +0000

We have been blessed with some wonderful friends who are such an encouragement to us...they even let us hang out with them on their boat from time to time!

The Blue Angels come to Seattle every summer, and this year we were able to watch them from Lake Washington, which is directly below their flight path.

My little friend...who is getting big fast!

Our dear friends and their adorable kids. (aren't they cute?!)

The boating version of a tail-gate party...a very tasty tail-gate party.

She posed like this all by herself. Our little Seattle starlet.

A beautiful sunset on the water.

Camping at the "beach"

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle P) — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 06:32:00 +0000

The Parker-Pichura clan had originally decided to do a big camping trip in July, but with the arrival of our new nephews happening only a week before the planned trip, we made some changes. David's parents still went camping for 2 weeks, but the rest of the family shortened the time to a day or two...which was still plenty of craziness for all of us I think!! We really enjoy spending time with family, but I will say that 12 people trying to move in and out of one little pop-up camper can be a bit...challenging! We were so glad we were able to spend the day catching up with family, relaxing on the little "beach" at the campsite, playing with our nieces and nephews ..and then being able to drive back home. :) We are so very thankful for the blessing of a family that's close-knit and close-by (half of you anyways).

Samuel is quite the clever guy...he is always finding new uses for things lying around. He was using the hammer to pound sticks into the sand to surround his castle.

Titus "suiting up" for the water.

Kristin and Caleb...Caleb is kind of a clown when it comes to cameras...you either get a solemn stare or a goofy face.

The "relaxation station"...but they did all get
in the water eventually. :)

Faith enjoying a personal moment with her popsicle...which was melting faster than she could eat it.

Father and son.

Micah and I playing a game of horseshoes...somehow he always manages to beat me. :)

Grace enjoying the water.

The kids really enjoyed playing with Mom in the water.

Kristin had a special birthday this year...the big 3-0 on the 30th!

What a ham! :)

A July 4th Departure

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle P) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 07:08:00 +0000

We had a dilemma on July 4th...what should we do? We decided to celebrate our nation and see God's creation at the same time by traveling a few hours north, to Mount Baker.
This is one mountain that amazes me, because even though it's a few hours away, we can see it perfectly on a clear day, and it's always covered in snow...even in the heat of summer it's a mountain of white. It was amazing to get up close to it -- we hiked up a neighboring mountain to get an up-close glimpse at Baker's beauty. And yes, July 4th and snow don't usually go together, but up here, it seems the snow never melts! Don't be fooled by the snow though...it was about 80 degrees outside...and yours truly actually got a sunburn in the snow! (Yes, I DID put sunscreen on. Goes to show how much stronger the sun's rays are when you're on the side of a mountain.)
We drove the Mount Baker Highway, which had some amazing views, and then hiked the last few miles of road that were still covered in snow. By the time we were halfway up, I was wishing the snow was gone so we could just drive up...but, it was peaceful without the cars. The way back down was much more exciting...we simply used our backsides as sleds! We got soaked, but it was a fun, fast way down the mountain. :) These mountains are so amazing. We were again awed by the majesty and beauty of God's creation...and quite thankful for such a wonderful country that has preserved this land for us to enjoy. It's such a blessing to have this so close to home..we were back in Seattle in time for the fireworks! :)

Two New Nephews!!

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle P) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 16:25:00 +0000

This past Friday, we drove to the airport to meet our new nephews, Samuel and Caleb. David's older sister, Kristin, and her husband Bryan, adopted these two beautiful boys from Ethiopia. It has been a blessing to be able to walk with them through the journey of adoption, and to see their faith in God, who adopts us into His family when we trust in Jesus. We have seen God's faithfulness time and time again throughout this process, and yesterday when we got to meet Samuel and Caleb face to face, it was another sweet evidence of God's grace. Welcome to the family boys!! :)

All the kids at the airport...meeting their new
brothers for the first time!

Everyone packed in!
All of our nieces & nephews...one big happy Pichura clan!

We stopped by a park for a little playtime and picnic dinner before theys headed back to Yakima.

My co-worker, Bea, and her daughters came along to meet the boys. They are Ethiopian and have become dear friends to all of us. They were able to talk with the boys and explain who everyone was...what a blessing!

They were a little shy... probably because they've got all these crazy people talking jibber-jabber to them! :)

The boys got used to the playground real fast...and it seemed to help them unwind a little.

As you can tell, the other four kids were really excited about their new brothers. Samuel and Caleb were pretty happy too...despite their solemn looks in this picture! I think they were probably tired out!

Time with Family

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle P) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 06:50:00 +0000

After my brother's wedding, my Mom and I drove down
to Virginia to visit my Grandma.
My time with her is always special,
as I only get to see her about once a year.

Three generations.

Mr. & Mrs. Kuhn - 7.11.09

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle P) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 05:23:00 +0000

A week ago today, my little brother got married! They did a wonderful job planning out their special day, and it was a joy to be able to celebrate with them (unfortunately David couldn't fly out for the wedding). It's still a little hard to believe my baby brother is now a married man, and that together they are Mr. and Mrs. Kuhn! :) It's a joy to see him so happy, and to have a wonderful sister-in-law! Congratulations guys!

The wedding and reception were held at
Lakeside Manor, in New Jersey.

Waiting for the big moment.

The beautiful bride, escorted by her grandmother and mother.

The happy groom.

You may kiss the bride!

Mr. and Mrs. Zachary Kuhn!

The Kuhn Family

My mom, sister, and me.

My sister Lisa, and her boyfriend David.
(yes, 2 Davids...it gets confusing at times ;)

The reception site - Zach was in charge of a lot of the decorations,
and we were so proud of him. It looked beautiful! Mary did an amazing job as well--planning everything out perfectly!

Dad and me.

Lisa and Zach.

Mom and me.

They had a beautiful cake...

which they managed to make a mess of!
They weren't too messy though; just a little dab on the nose. :)

Dad with his girls.

A couple family tables. We were blessed to have a lot
of family attend the wedding, so it was a great time to catch up!

The centerpieces...aren't the lemons cool?
(just had to show them off since they were Zach's responsibility ;)

Spring Getaway

noreply@blogger.com (Michelle P) — Tue, 19 May 2009 04:05:00 +0000

There are so many places in Washington that we have never seen, so two weeks ago we decided to go on a mini-vacation to the Olympic National Park. We've been told by many people that it's worth the trip, so we decided to give it a shot...It was well worth it! We had a beautiful day on Friday and were able to see all the Olympic Mountains. It was a spectacular view!

We went snowshoeing in the mountains, which was a new activity for me...not nearly as hard as I thought it would be! We had a wonderful time trekking around the mountains, listening to perfect silence and taking in the magnificent beauty of the place called Hurricane Ridge.

While snowshoeing, I saw something off in the distance and I thought it was a "picnic table". Once we got closer I realized my "picnic table" was really a information kiosk with 8 feet of snow around it! We were thankful for our "table" though, since there was no where else to sit but in the snow! :)

After a full day in the mountains we returned to the town of Port Angeles, where we stayed at a lovely B&B called The Tudor Inn. Our hostess Betsy was very welcoming and served us a very beautiful, tasty breakfast.

The next day we drove to the Washington Coast, and then into the Hoh Rain Forest. It rained most of the day, but the scenery was still beautiful...just not as good for picture taking! The Hoh Rain Forest was really neat...it is one of the few temperate rainforests in the US. It was full of huge trees, moss, and ferns. And if people think Seattle gets a lot of rain, they should try living here...they get an average of 140 inches of rain a year! (Seattle only gets 32!)

So, that's our trip in a nutshell! We are so thankful to our Creator for such an awesome world to explore, and for the chance to explore it! If anyone ever wants to explore with us, the door's always open! :)