Denver from the Plane

Denver had just recovered from two large snow storms in December, when we arrived into the white city on December 30th.

Here are some pictures from the plane.

Gingerbread Festival at Sunriver

Life Lessons

The only gift is a portion of thyself.
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

In memory of my cousin Raleigh.

In Memory of Cousin Raleigh

The passage below, was written by my second cousin, Sarah. She elequently describes her mother in great detail and her memory will live on in others. I hope to learn the gracious life Raleigh led.

Dear loved ones and friends:
My mother, Rosalie (or, as everyone knew her, Raleigh) Johnston, had her Coronation day today, December 7, 2006 at 7:30 in the evening. She went to be in the glorious presence of our Lord while at home with my dad and wonderful friends by her bedside. I would say that she has now, once and for all, won her battle with cancer.
I got the news about Mom tonight, shortly before the beginning of our University's Christmas production. As my mom was a great woman of faith, the words of the songs took on new meaning tonight. As I listened to the celebration of the voices, from the angels' proclamation to the majesty of Handel's "Messiah", I knew that this was but an earthly shadow of the heavenly celebration she was experiencing. I was also reminded that it is because of the birth of our Savior (and His gracious death), that she forever has life. What a new facet to the celebration of Christmas for me.

My mom was a woman of character... she was the same person no matter to whom she was speaking (well, except for "phone voice" :-)), and her word was her bond. I learned about honor (and humor) from both she and my dad.

My mom was a woman of great wisdom... many of my friends called upon her as their "mom" when they needed advice through the years. Even now, there are countless times when, in the midst of teaching or leading a Bible study, I answer a question beginning, "Well, my mom used to say..." I am praying that I hear her voice in mine and remember her wisdom as I teach my own children.

My mom was a woman of great love... the many people she loved and took in always amazed (and sometimes frustrated) me. :-) There was always "room in the Johnston inn" for those who needed one, as well as a listening ear for a hurting friend, a healing touch for a disabled child, or a word of wisdom.

Thank you for your love and prayers for my mom and our family during her struggle with this nasty, terrible disease. I have been reminded many times of the great gift of community - as we share both our joys and our grief. Thank you... for being community to us. We are more grateful than words can express.


The Lord bless you and give you all grace and peace during the Christmas season.
Love,
Sarah

Beginning to look like Christmas in Bend

Walking in Drake Park on a cold winters night. Just below 20 degrees and fresh snow.












In downtown Bend, the Christmas is up and fully lit. Much more natural compared to Rockefeller Center's Tree. But it's a nice touch for the square behind the Tower Theater and the Dechutes River.



And in the same square, resides Mirror Pond Gallery. It's one of the remaining historic bungalow houses in Bend and has since been used as a Gallery these past few years. We really should visit it one of these days.

Drake Park is a gorgeous, historic park located right in the center of town. It's a great place to walk, picnic, and enjoy the simple life of Bend. And we found some holiday lights gracing the houses along the park. Some in simple elegance and other providing a message.

The Blended Family

Kit biting Rebecca's ponytail.

Zent's First Thanksgiving!

Both Larry and I have much to be thankful for. We were especially thankful that Gail and Billy were able to come to Bend for a short visit. It was great to see them both, and of course little Kit! Kit is their seven month old American Eskimo puppy.
This Thanksgiving, it was our first attempt to cook a turkey and actually host the holiday. It was exciting! Our 15 pound turkey was moist and perfectly golden. We tried a new stuffing recipe and Larry made the best mashed potatoes using Rebecca's KitchenAid. Bravo Larry!



We dined on Rebecca's grandmother's china and used her festive red glasses too. And it wouldn't be Thanksgiving with pumpkin pie and homemade whipped topping. This year, we're celebrating a bunch of "firsts" and making new traditions for us as a couple and our family.

Though we have to mention, we do miss celebrating the holidays with our friends and family in CO! The celebrations and meals we've shared with all of you over the years has impacted us. We miss the joy at each gathering, and the fun we had playing cards, swinging from chandeliers, and trying new tasty holiday treats.

Winter has arrived on the Pass

Last weekend we went to Portland, OR for a shopping trip and to experience on of the McCormick restaurants in town with Craig and Kristin. Some of the shops we miss being approximately 4 hours out of the "big city" are Kohls, Trader Joes, and Uwajimayah. Needless to say, we had fun shopping for some needed items and our favorite food!

The pass to and from Portland had experienced their first snow and we caught some of winter wonderland's best on film.

Kit - Gail's Dog

Over the summer Gail fell in love with an adorable white fur ball, named Kit. His official name is in in Japanese and means White Fox. Here are some puppy photos of him on a trip with them from August. We'll see them next week for the holiday, and we're sure he's gotten bigger.

Life Lesson

Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. That's relativity. - Albert Einstein

Fall Has Arrived

After a wonderful Saturday with temperatures in the 70's, fall has arrived in Bend,OR. The past two days, the weather has dipped into the 50's and we've had rain showers throughout the day. I'm happy for the cool weather, and all that fall brings, it's just we're not ready for snow yet.
Here are some photos from our evening walk in our neighborhood overlooking Bend's Old Mill District and the horizon south of us.

Walk In The Clouds

Craig, Rebecca's brother recently attended a team building retreat at Timberline Lodge at the base of Mt Hood, OR. He started hiking up Mt Hood with his camera and found this lovely sight looking into the valley. It's absolutely breathtaking and majestic! Hope it provides you with inspiration.

Wines By The River - with Craig and Kristin

We had the wonderful experience of attending Wines By The River in Bend, OR with Craig and Kristin the last weekend of September. Over 55 vineyards showcased their various wines and 10 chocolatiers gave samples of their delicious milk and dark chocolates. Kristin and Rebecca were in heaven!
You were allowed to taste 20 wines with the tokens given to you. But in actuality, we all tried each other's wine besides the one we wanted. So we probably tried 80 wines. It was really hard to duge which ones we really liked after two hours of tasting. Luckily, Kristin and Rebecca were keeping notes. Vineyards climbing the charts that day were:
Rex Hill,OR ~ Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir
Eola Hills, OR ~ All varieties
Iris Hill, OR ~ Pinot Gris

It was a fabulous event supporting a local hospice program. We all enjoyed oursleves in the 70 degree weather and a brief break along the Dechutes River.

Stamp Camp Cards

Two weeks ago, Rebecca participated in another Stampin Up workshop. We had six projects to complete in four hours, but we managd to complete four. Rebecca learned three new techniques and here are some examples:
1. Waterfall Card

2. Slider Card

3. Glass Embosing

Dog Meets Cat -September

The last weekend in September, Craig and Kristin came to Bend for an event. This was the first meeting of their dog Abbey and our cat Speca. Here's a snapshot at the stare down one morning during our breakfast.

Friday night when Abbey arrived, Speca was her pleasant self hissing at Abbey every time she got near. It continued throughout the weekend too, but only when Abbey tried to lick Speca. Speca wanted to see where Abbey was at all times, but never wanted her near her. Speca's eyes were black throughout the weekend, notifying us that she was not pleased that a K9 has intruded on her territory.

And it just wasn't Abbey was dissed that weekend. She has received plenty of lovings from Craig and Kristin in past visits, but she didn't want anything to do with them this trip. Apparently Abbey's scent was keeping them at snobbish lengths from the cat.

Cascade Lakes Scenic Highway - Sunday Drive, September 24

Rebecca Has A Job!

Rebecca starts her new job Monday, October 2! She'll be working for GL Suite, a government licensing software company. The company has amazing core values, high work ethic, and care more about the employees strengths and talents rather than pigeon holing you into a job that might not suit you.
She originally applied for the position of Project Coordinator back in July. She hadn't heard anything by mid August so she qualified contacts within the company and sent her resume to the Director of Operations. Needless to say, that worked. The interviewing process happened in a mater of two weeks; beginning with a phone interview on August 30. The questions were created by Gallup, and weren't specific to a job title, but rather to your character, work ethic, and philosophy. Rebecca made it passed that level and made a friend in the process with the Recruiting Manager. (there might be a possible mentor there) Her next interview was scheduled for September 6 with the director of Operations. After taking a role behavior assessment test, she was offered two positions- 1) Project Coordinator and 2) Account Manager based on her strengths listed from the assessment. How many people are offered two jobs that they would love to have?
Surprisingly, Rebecca was called back for a second in person interview with the President. Apparently, this interview was scheduled to confirm the position Rebecca really wanted. Since the company believes in placing employees where there strengths and talents are suited best, this interview decided where Rebecca would be best suited. After receiving clarification on the Account Manager position, Rebecca felt this role would give her more exposure to the product and clients. A great foundation to create for starters and with the hope to expand to other positions within the company.
That Friday, September 15, Rebecca was offered the job. She chose the Account Manager position with room to grow. The job comes with great compensation and benefits. For more information on GL Suite, visit their website at www.glsuite.com.

Larry's Birthday, hike up Pilot Butte

Larry's birthday was a quiet day around town. It was such a beautiful day that a hike up Pilot Butte was in order. It's a vertical hike up 800 feet to the top of a butte on the east side of Bend. At the top, you cansee 360 degree views of Central Oregon, including Mt. Hood. Here are some of the views.