Jeremy & Carri Mikkelsen

Have you ever heard of a babymoon? Neither had Jeremy and until a couple of weeks ago. It is like a honeymoon for a couple before they have a baby. Jeremy and I were blessed to be able to take a little “babymoon” this past weekend. We were able to reflect on what we’ve accomplished in the 4 1/2 years of marriage by God’s strength and mercy and the blessings we are about to bestowed with.

We camped in the Newberry National Volcanic Monument, which consists of lakes and lava flows. To get a bird’s eye view of the surrounding are we drove up to the highest peak and walked the last twenty feet. We saw the acclaimed Mt. Bachelor and the Three Sisters, which I (Carri) learned are called Faith, Hope, and Charity, Three Fingered Jack, which seems to have five or six fingers to me, Broken Top Mountain, and Mt. Jefferson.

We also walked in the notorious obsidian flow (picture on right).

Next we shopped and saw some of the best things of Bend like the new park built around the Deschutes River in the Old Mill District. Many people were floating and tubing down the river. It looked very refreshing. We stayed at the McMenamins, which has been converted to a hotel from the old St. Francis Parochial School. With our hotel package we decided to take a moonlight canoe trip. This awe inspiring experience was something Jeremy and I will never forget. We canoed in Sparks Lake below Mt. Bachelor and saw the moon rise from behind the mountain. I have never seen the moon rise as the sun behind a mountain before. I was very proud I was able to paddle and stay fairly comfortable even in my third trimester.