Where's Waldo?

We're In! Oh the work to do, but we are excited to be in our new home. We had a friend come over and help us unload, and we were able to get it done in about an hour and a half. Our stuff faired pretty well moving three thousand miles -- a few small casualties and a few scratches. but nothing major. We are glad to have our stuff and can't wait to sleep in our own bed. Michelle is already turning the kitchen into a pampered chef's dream come true :-). Well there is not much else to say other than, the weather has been marvelous (to all you nay-sayers out there) and we have a lot of unpacking to do. Hugs and Kisses to all who want them :-)

Home Sweet Home!

"Let them give thanks to the Lord for His lovingkindness,

and for His wonders to the sons of men" Ps. 107:8

Well, after a week of apartment hunting and a beautiful day in Seattle, we have found our new home! It is a two bedroom apartment that is my father's dream (right across the street from the West Seattle golf course, and five minutes to the Safeco Baseball Stadium :-). The location was not actually OUR first choice , but God has opened and closed doors this week, making it clear where He wanted us.
The apartment was just redone and really looks nice. It has a new kitchen, adequate living space, and a great backyard to hang out, grill, or entertain. It is located in West Seattle, which is a quick drive to downtown or other more "cool" areas. If you want our new address please e-mail us and we would be happy to send it your way.




As you can see, God has really blessed us with a great apartment in a beautiful city, and we are thanking Him for His faithfulness.

(Just in case you didn't see Mt. Rainer the first time, here is a better picture :-)

God is Good...all the time.

"Beer is living proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. "
--Benjamin Franklin

We started the apartment search yesterday, and combined with our first grocery shopping experience in Seattle, it proved to be a rather depressing day. Money doesn't go very far here, in rent or in groceries...and Safeway is no Wegmans. :(
BUT, God is good and He used our "bad day" to teach trust and patience. We started out this morning with a new outlook and renewed trust in God's sovereignty...and we found potential apartments, a new friend, and...beer. What could be better? :) Seattle has gained a name for more than just its coffee, as the independent breweries here are really good as well. Tonight, as our stomach's were growling, we happened upon Hale's Brewery and Pub . We stopped in for dinner and were quickly overwhelmed with their beer selection. Fortunately, they had just the thing for us...a sampler. :) So, we enjoyed a pizza and Hale's "Wheel of Beer " Sampler. All we can say is, wish you were here! :)

On the way home, we were again stunned with Mt. Rainier. You're sitting in traffic on the highway and then, out of nowhere, it appears! It really is spectacular and this picture doesn't do it any justice, but we wanted to give you a glimpse of what it was like.

And so the search continues...keep praying. :)

3,200 Miles Later

Well we promised we would update more frequently, so I (David) have taken this post into my own hands. You will have to deal with the lousy grammar and long sentences :-). The morning started off with a quick jaunt to Glacier National Park. We were planning on spending a few days around Glacier but the park is still recovering from major flooding in the fall, and roads through the park were closed. When the weather today turned to rain , we decided that Glacier National Park isn't going anywhere and that we could always take a nice drive back someday. We were planning on staying around Spokane, WA, but who could resist a beautiful evening drive to Seattle (and gorgeous it was).
From seeing snowcapped mountain peeks to beautiful national forests , it was hard to keep our eyes on the road. Michelle and I took turns watching the road as I was driving :-). After a few hours of driving through the rest of Montana, and blinking through Idaho, we anticipated a beautiful sign welcoming us to our new home state, but instead a billboard made us feel "right at home".


We finally pulled into Seattle at 9:00pm PST, and moved our stuff into the temporary house that we will be staying in. Thank you for your prayers for us and our safety as we drove across the country. I know that God is Sovereign, but I would ask that you continue to pray with us, that God would give us wisdom and discernment in picking a location and a house where He wants us!

The Middle of Nowhere

Today we officially ended our drive through the middle of nowhere...which is why we are now able to post! You may ask, 'what about that great internet-over-the-phone thing you talked about last time?' Well, apparently cows do not make great cell phone customers because that's all we've seen and there is lousy cell phone coverage out here!
As we made our way through six states, we didn't stop for much...only gas stations and DQ's were worthy of our time. We flew through Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Minnesota without much excitement. BUT THEN we hit North Dakota, and we trembled with excitement as we came upon...the Enchanted Highway!! Apparently, there is SO little going on in North Dakota, people had to make up their own tourist attraction. I know all of you are wondering if we stopped to see this great, enchanted land--No. But, we did get a small prelude right before we passed the exit, so for everyone's enjoyment, and at no cost to you, here it is, the enchanted highway:
For those of you who are not impressed by North Dakota's creativity...I have more. :)
Being the frugal folks that we are, we are always on the lookout for "cheap-but-not-ghetto" hotels. We have stayed at many EconoLodges in the past, but NEVER have we come upon a themed hotel room...these North Dakota people sure are creative folks.


And no, we did not stay in the Nascar room...or the Green Bay Packers room...or the Tropical Oasis room, but we did appreciate the effort they put into making their guests feel comfortable. :)
Today we finally made it through the fields of North Dakota and Eastern Montana. We landed in Kalispell, Montana and plan to visit Glacier National Park tomorrow. We leave you with one more photo and a promise to write sooner than later.

Welcome to Mayville

Despite David’s disdain for personal blogs, we decided this would be the most efficient way to keep everyone up-to-date on our trip to Seattle…especially since we now have internet access in the car through David’s cell phone (welcome to the 21^st century!).

We left camp on Friday morning with tears in our eyes but excitement in our hearts. We’ve both grown up at camp, so parting was definitely bittersweet, but once we hit the highway we regained excitement…we’re really doing it!!

Our Friday drive beat all Parker records for the shortest trip duration, as we reached our first destination, Mayville, in only 4 hours. Mayville is a quaint little town bordering Lake Chautauqua, and also happens to be the home of David’s Uncle Jim and Aunt Judy. They were kind enough to take us in for the night, so we were able to spend the evening in pure Parker tradition—trying to beat Grammy in a game of up and down. Our visit was sweet but short, and we were on the road again Saturday morning.

Thank You

For about six years, we have been humbled by the way God has used us at Rock Mountain, allowing us to "serve God by serving people." Now, as we prepare to move, God has humbled us in a new way-- by blessing us with incredible love and support from His people! We have been brought to tears by the encouragement we have received from our friends and family, and we just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has given friendship, encouragement, support, and prayers as we take this step of faith and head out to Seattle. We will miss those we have left behind, but we are excited about what God has planned for us in the future.