Crater Lake

Spectacular! The water shimmers a brilliant aquamarine blue. The lush green trees, sparkling white snow, and azure waters starkly contrast one another and dazzle the onlooker. About two hours drive and 6000 feet elevation gain brought us to the caldera rim of Crater Lake. In the vast cavity left in the earth (almost 2000 feet deep) after the eruption of Mount Mazama, a magnificent lake has formed. Fed only by snow runoff and rain, the level of the lake remains constant with mere evaporative losses and no outflowing streams. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crater_Lake)


Our dear friends Kyle and Alison came to visit from North Carolina, and we enjoyed the day trip together. A 3.5 mile hike (up another 1000 feet) gave us a birds eye view of the captivating scenery. The historic lodge which sits on the edge of the lake was a great place for lunch and a little exploring for Nathan. To top it off, we stopped at a little cafe called Beckie's for a famous pie to enjoy once we were home. A wonderful day - great friends and glorious creation, both of which we are immensely thankful for.

Cinnamon Rolls

Up the road from Grants Pass, there is a little town called Merlin. In a very inauspicious building, there is a German bakery that has been family run for five generations. Handmade baked goods only on Friday, Saturday and Sunday - and only until they're sold out.

Last Saturday, Jason took me (and Nathan) there for a breakfast date. We caught the wry little man that was working that day just before he took off with a special delivery. There in the back of his old brown van, he had a metal box full of the gastronomic delights. Two pastries and one breadstick later, we could only smile as we got back in the car. Contagious friendliness characterized this cute German man who had run back into the store to get the breadstick as a gift for Nathan. The cinnamon roll and berry pastry were delicious! On first glance, you might not expect that these artisians have baked for several presidents and get special orders from fancy caterers in California, but on first taste you would. We look forward to sharing them with any of you that drop by. What a great date!

Envy

You may wonder what has got us interested in having a blog... envy. Some of our fun friends have started posting family info on their blogs and now we just can't resist.

19.5 weeks pregnant (almost half way!). Still not too much to show for it, but the belly is starting to fill in. And the baby is getting really active. Nathan is adding personality day by day. He is a destroyer of blocks, a devourer of all fruit, an analyzer of all things electronic (genetic for sure), and a splasher in all liquid (especially the bath).


Our latest- we had a great time with Anna's family in Colorado and then Jason's family in Grants Pass. Jason seemed to have quite an effect on his family (sister Julie and clan) - they returned to Mexico after their Oregon vacation with one less appendix and a couple less tonsils. Our adventures thus far have included a scouting trip up the road that parallels the Rogue River (which runs through Grants Pass) and a jetboat tour of the Rogue River too. Next in line is a trip to Crater Lake!