The hunt for the perfect Christmas tree

So last weekend my parents invited us to "beat the snow" and go cut down a Christmas tree. It was a brilliant idea so we said yes. So we headed to a high elevation in the Cascade mountains where we knew we could find the coveted noble fir. We usually go to this spot every year in the snow but this year we were early and to our dismay we found ourselves walking through the thickest tallest brush ever. We found "the tree" about 1/2 of a mile away from the road. I didn't want to walk back through the crazy brush so I took heather and samantha on a 2 mile hike through... yep crazy thick brush (and I fell off a 10 ft. cliff with the tree in hand) and 2 hours later we made it back to the car guided by the sound of my family calling for us. Next year we will wait for the snow.

Halloween

On Halloween our good friends Gary and Courtney Christenson did a little photo shoot for us at Shevlin park. It was super fun and they took some amazing pictures. Afterwords they came over for pizza and Canasta (card game) and we handed out candy to little lady bugs and fairy and teenagers dressed in togas. It only took 45 minutes for us to run out of our candy (3 bags) so then we had to start passing out cigarettes. Here are some of the photos.

Since we haven't blogged forever...

Since we haven't blogged forever here are a few updates:

July: We were going to move to Redmond into a rental we owned but we really didn't want to so heather put a sign in the yard "for sale by owner" and it sold 1 week later and closed in 3 weeks (that's what we call a miracle folks).

We also took a week long family vacation to "the Chaz Mar" heather's families beach house on the Oregon coast. It was nice

August: We had a full on garden (to us at least) and we harvested tomatoes, zucchini, yellow crook neck squash, sweet peas, lettuce and we had a bunch of sunflowers!

September: We moved into a new house with 4 bedrooms (the McGarry's old house). With all the extra room we were able to get a roomate (Jeremiah Spanbaur) as well as have my good friend Adam Short stay with us for 5 weeks while he was doing a rotation for his physicians assistant program.

October: I started a new job at the Church as director of the kid's ministry (and I love it), and we hired a new part time worship leader named Chris Chabot (and I love him).

Heather turned 30 years old! I had a little suprise party for her at our house. We got home from dinner and everyone was hiding in the kitchen. Heather went straight up stairs to feed Samantha, put her to bed and then Heather went in our bathroom to get ready for bed. 15 minutes later she comes down stairs and everyone yelled suprise :-)

Also our really good friends Gary & Courtney Christenson had their baby girl!

The Fruit Loop

O.K. I haven't blogged for 4 months but now I am feeling ready to blog as much as a geek plays computer games. Right now we are in Hood River Oregon with the McGarry's. There is a 35 mile loop where you can visit over 20 farms. Today we went to this organic farm with really good apples and an amazing view. We rented this vacation home on-line and when we arrived at it this afternoon it was funny because the 2 pictures of it on the internet are like the 2 nicest things in the house, the rest of the house feels like it was pieced together from scrap wood and thrift stores! Our room doesn't even have a door. We are having a great time though, it is nice to get the heck out of dodge every once in awhile.

Nicaragua

I have had a hard time processing/ articulating how I feel about what I saw in Nicaragua. We spent a few days with some families who live in Managua's municiple dump called "La Chureca". I came across this quote that was so fitting:

"Welcome to a land filled with contradictions: a trash dump filled with people, a hazardous wasteland surrounded by tropical paradise, and a dark place filled with beautiful light."

It was the saddest place I have ever been in yet at the same time I saw hope and joy. Overall the trip to Nicaragua was incredible and surprisingly a time of physical, spiritual and emotional healing. I do feel different being home and I hope that I don't loose that feeling.

Samantha's Photo Session

Our friend Sylena took some great photos of Samantha!

Samantha Laughing

Here is a cute video of Samantha cracking up.

Oregon Coast

Whelp I have been a slacker when it comes to blogging and I have also realized heather is not into blogging at all. So I am renewing my commitment to blog! A few weeks ago (April 24-27) we and a few of our good friends (the Fitch's and the Christensen's) went to heather's family beach cabin called the "Chas Mar" named after heather's grandparents Charles and Margret. It is right on the beach about 15 minutes south of Short Sands in a little town called Rockaway. This summer we are going to spend 10 days there and it is going to be sweet. We got in two good surfs, read books, walked on the beach and played games. It was nice to get away from it all. Here's to the "Chas Mar".

all of us at short sands

sam bundled up on the beach

posing after a fun surf

Free Ski Day

I remember a time when a hated free ski day. The Grizwalls and the gapers all over the mountain. Now I live for free ski day, funny how things change. I went with Kevin Wright, Rick Cummings, John Fitch, Gary Christenson and Jeremy K. We slashed it up from summit to sunrise. Go free ski day!

Los Angeles Dream Center

March 24 - 30 I was in Los Angeles with 22 people from Oasis (mostly high schoolers). We spent the entire week serving all sorts of people. Physically it was exhausting: 15 hour van ride, loading trucks with food, cleaning, talking to people on the streets, sharing a room with 8 high school guys; but spiritually it was like taking a long vacation to an island where you just lay on the beach and get served pina coladas. I was reminded of Jesus' words "It is more blessed to give then to receive". Coming back was eye opening realizing how much of my week is devoted to serving myself. We gotta live to give, that's where we find abundant life.

the crew
Rick praying with a lady in the projects
2nd cutest little girl in the world (first is Samantha)

Skate Skiing

For the last 2 weekends hp and I have been able to go skate skiing! We have kind of been busy all winter having babies and stuff so we haven't been able to get out to much. It is Spring time now and the snow is melting quick.

Samantha & the mirror

Sam

Here are some recent pictures of Samantha taken over the last month. Now she smiles and loves to be propped up (she can kind of sit up on her own for about 2 seconds). Her eyes are still crazy deep blue, we don't know if they will stay that color or not. She has also been sleeping through the night since about 6 weeks (props to baby wise).

Samantha & the pig

Samantha is getting so big, she is starting to play with toys... well kind of.

Nicaragua

In July we will be taking a team of 15 to Managua, Nicaragua. We will be going with an organization called forward edge international who is starting to develop "village of hope" which will be a safe place for a community of people who presently live in the city's landfill. These people, mostly women and children, make a living by rummaging through the garbage to find food and items to sell. The girls have turned to prostitution as the only reliable source of income. It is our hopes that we can get behind this organization to help make villa esperanza a reality.

Sledding!

A few weekends ago our community group took a family from the Thurston apartments sledding! It was the first time these kids have ever been. We even brought Samantha. Wanoga snow park is crazy. If your not careful the sledders will take you out.

Bath Time

Today was bath day! The pediatrician only recommends giving your baby a bath every 10 days, so as you can imagine bath day is exciting. Samantha loves taking baths, she feels right at home in the warm water. It is crazy how big she is getting, she is filling up the bath now. Anyways baths are fun.

Samantha Shevlin Parla

On December 19, 2007 Heather gave birth to our daughter Samantha Shevlin Parla (her middle name is the name of our favorite park where we got engaged and married). It was the most incredible experience I have ever been a part of. I could not beleive my eyes when samantha popped her head out! Right away I felt so much love for the little one. Heather was amazing! The labor only lasted for 2 hours and 20 minutes. Samantha weighed 7lbs 5oz and she was 20 inches long. It has been so fun being parents.