White Christmas

To our surprise,we awoke this morning to snow on the ground and more flakes falling. We have about 6 inches on the ground and anticipate more to come. It's a beautiful, clean, white Christmas and nothing looks prettier. There will definitely be enough to snowshoe later this week.

Merry Christmas to all of our dear friends and family!

Family Ties

The holidays are approaching and it's always a nice treat to spend it with your family. Rebecca's family came for Thanksgiving and spent a short week spending time with the extended family in CO and we took a few day trips. Larry was pretty busy with his physical therapy sessions and teaching in the evening, even though he was off from his corporate job.

We had a wonderful dinner last Sunday with her friend Sherrie, and had lots of fun catching up with one another. Dinner was cooked by Larry on the grill and Rebecca and Kristin cooked the Asparagus. Yummy! The best was for dessert, a flourless Chocolate and Almond cake.

On Monday, Rebecca and her family went hiking on along parts of the esa and Tunghee trails. It was over 70 degrees on Monday and a beautiful fall day. We met several dogs and survied the mile high lck of oxygen.

out Fat Tire beer and the ever growing company that its become. It's also a very green company, in the fact that 90% of their energy is from wind and 10% is from the ethane they create on site. Fun is a big component of every employee who works there, and they even receive a bike after their first year of employment and after five years, they receive a trip to Belgium to learn the art of brew.

We went into Boulder on Wednesday, and strolled around town in the fresh snow. We checked out the St Julien hotel to showcase the spa and lobby. Kristin and Rebecca wished they could have had a spa day that afternoon. We met Larry for breakfast after his physical therapy appointment at the Walnut Cafe.

Thanksgiving was relaxing and a great day to just hang out with the family. We had several helpers who prepared the feast and many more who wanted to be in the kitchen. But our new place, has a kitchen that barely fits two people. We prepared a sweet potato casserole, green beans with sliced almonds, homemade stuffing, two turkey breasts, and Larry's fabulous mashed potatoes. Rebecca tried a new version of pumpkin pie made with a gingersnap crust and mixed with low-fat frozen yogurt. It was a nice light variation to traditional pumpkin pie. We took a walk after dinner around the Arbor Green golf course and chased off the geese. Too bad Abbey (Craig and Kristin's dog) wasn't in town, that's her job!

We hope you and your family had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

Rocky Mountain High

Well, there's been quite the stir of activity in Denver! Our major league baseball team, The Rockies, have won one championship game, they won three games against the Arizona Diamondbacks and if they clinch tonight's game; they're going to the World Series. What a year!

Yesterday was a perfectly drab, wet, fall day, except that the Rockies played last night in 39 degree weather with drizzle. I don't know how the players survived, but it was an amazing game to watch. I spent most of the day baking, making apple cider, and working on our holiday cards. It was the perfect day for it!

Speika enjoyed snuggling in my lap to keep warm and was quite the talkative cat over the weekend. We think she has a boyfriend. There is an neighborhood outdoor cat (orange and white with a big fluffy tail) that lingers near our front door. I know that Speika has seen him and would love nothing more than to hop in the window sill and admire him from behind the glass. He has greeted Larry at the front door and has meowed at him, and again this morning he was hiding around the patio and then showed his face. It's really cute.

So if you get TBS, watch the Rockies sweep the NCLS championship game tonight!

Fall -Winter has arrived in Colorado

This past week, when I've been out running errands and the Rocky Mountains have a dusting of snow on them.
This morning on my drive into work, the Front Range mountains are blanketed with white snow. Longs Peak is completely covered and the mountain range heading south had clouds covering those peaks.
Due to the weather yesterday, Breckenridge got 12 inches of fresh snow and Arapahoe Basin already has a slope open! Winter is on it's way. Yeah!

Life Lesson - It Takes Faith

I found this poem in an old anniversary card that my grandmother kept over the years. I like what it says, and thought my friends would love what it says too!

It takes faith to look for rainbows
It takes faith to find the sun
It takes faith to move a mountain
But we know it can be done
It takes faith to make your marriage
A success in every way
And may that be your "gift of gifts"
On this very special day

Larry's 50th Birthday!

Larry turns 50 on Monday! We celebrated by having a party at the Wyncoop Brewery last Friday and we had friends come and play pool and offer a birthday toast for his new lease on life.
We had the 50 birthday balloons and great conversation. Thank you to everyone who showed up and made his birthday such a fun milestone!

Rebecca gave him a heart rate watch for his birthday. He had wanted this ever since he left the hospital after his heart surgery. Here's to his continual good health!

So if you haven't done so, drop a line and wish Larry Happy 50th! You can respond to this blog or email him at ldzent@gmail.com.

Larry's Defibrillator Check-up Results

Larry had his last defibrillator check-up this morning. All went well! They informed him that his heart rate will need to reach 188 before the defibrillator will go off. This higher than most. Older adults, usually have it set around 160. So, he shouldn't having any trouble hiking next summer!
Cardio therapy will help him push his heart rate in a healthy manner. He looks forward to getting started with that in the next week or so. He longs for a heart monitor watch to guage his heart rate when exercising.

Rebecca's 34th Birthday

My birthday yesterday was relaxing and beautiful. The weather was 80 degrees with a great breeze, and sunshine. We had breakfast out and then went up Flagstaff Mountain. We hiked a bit around, and Larry did superbly! Then we went to our favorite spot, overlooking the Indian Peaks and took photos. It was a spur of the moment idea to go, so we didn't bring a picnic lunch or any real water bottles. We hope in the upcoming weekends to go back and take a drive on the Peak to Peak highway in hopes to see the Aspen change. We'll definitely bring a picnic then.

I actually was dedicated enough to make it to the gym and get in a 5 minute workout. That makes five times to the gym in one week. I'm making progress.

Our friends Deb and Grant had us over for burritos and card games. Grant's recipe for the burritos was delicious! They were made with ground turkey, hominy, spinach, cerano chiles, and cheese. They were dynamite! As usual, the girls won at canasta again and Deb won at piles. She's really lucky at cards.

Overall, it was a great day. We all need days like that!

Life Lesson

Everything has its wonders, even darkness and silence, and I learn whatever state I am in, therin to be content.
~ Helen Keller

Sorry for all the life lessons. But I learn from others and their profound outlook on life. -Rebecca

Life Lesson

I care not so much what I am to others as what I m to myself.
~ Michel de Montaigne

I still believe that to serve is the biggest reward anyone will receive in this world. However, there is a certain strength in knowing who you are. Both for yourself and with God. -Rebecca

Jane Lessons

This is a "twist' on Life Lessons. I'm a big fan of Jane Austen nd I've decided to entitled these blurbs, Jane Lessons. - Rebecca

If any one faculty of our nature may be called more wonderful than the rest, I do think it is memory. There seems something more speakingly incomprehensible in the powers, the failures, the inequalities of memory, than in any other of our intelligences. The memory is sometimes so retentive, so serviceable, so obedient; at others, so bewildered and so weak; and at others again, so tyrannic, so beyond control! We are, to be sure, a miracle every way; but our powers of recollecting and of forgetting do seem peculiarly past finding out.
~ Jane Austen, Mansfield Park

Life Lesson

We have all a better guide in ourselves, if we would attend to it, than any other person can be.
~ Jane Austen, Mansfield Park

More Photos From The Wedding

Catherine dancing with her Uncle, Tom Branch. He really knows how to cut up the dance floor. And he was honored to read a limerick he created just for her and Robert.

Sarah exhausted after the wedding, taking cat nap with her father, Craig. How precious is this!

All family got to hang out at Katie's house after the ceremony. What a great way to end a perfect day...

Larry and Rebecca got to take a peak at the Japanese Gardens. (not nearly as nice as the one in Portland, OR)

Larry before the wedding, asking why Rebecca is taking his photo.

Rebecca holding Edwick before the ceremony. He's just too cute!

Cousin Catherine's Wedding

Rebecca's cousin, Catherine Cleary, married Robert Maunton on Saturday, September 1 at 11:30am at the Denver Botanical Gardens. The weather was beautiful for the ceremony with sunshine and a few clouds. The Romantic Gardens was the venue for their vows, and how romantic it was! What's great about going to Rebecca's family weddings, is that it's a great opportunity for a family reunion. All her father's cousin show up and it's a blast to reacquaint yourself with the family. Another great bonus, is that they know how to throw a great party and are extremely hospitable.

The ceremony was led by Cousin Sarah, Raleigh's daughter. We all missed Raleigh tremendously on this day and will always remember the rainy "rehearsal dinners" she always hosted. Perhaps it's a good luck charm. Needless to say, Raleigh was not forgotten on Saturday, as Sarah brought her legacy into the ceremony. Sarah is a new mom, and Edrick, her four month old son, was the life of the celebration as well. A true depiction of how life comes full circle.

Edrick immediately took to his younger cousins, as they cooed and fussed over him right before the ceremony. He's such a joyous little one!

Even Robert was tickled by Edrick sleeping so peacefully in his arms, while mom was having a photo shoot.

The ceremony began with Catherine's brother, Bill Hewlitt, playing acoustic guitar and her cousin Betsy playing the violin. This is traditional for our family. It's a great touch and fabulous rhythm!

Sarah presented Catherine to Robert in such a way that was honorable, romantic, and spiritual all at once. The vows were similar to ours, as the foundation was borrowed from Sarah's wedding over 4 years ago.

Lauren, Catherine's daughter, looked beautiful in her tailored-made, sage green dress. And Catherine was radiant in her wedding gown, her design. It's hard to imagine Lauren grown up into a mature woman, after seeing her skiing competitions at 13 and having her give her first toast at her graduation party. She is a delight to behold!

The wedding party consisted of mostly family members:

Cousins Bill and Betsy ~Music

Cousin Lauren ~ Maid of Honor

Robert's Best Friend, Larry ~Best Man

Cousin Katie ~ Scripture Reading

and Cousin Sarah ~ Minister

Weekend in Evergreen

We spent most of Saturday getting our master bedroom unpacked, organized, and decorated. It actually looks like we live there now. I'm not sure why it's taken us longer to unpack from this move than normal. Perhaps we're overwhelmed with life at the moment and just didn't need the added stress of unpacking. We're still tackling the guest bedroom and trying to get that situated. I'm amazed that we remain purging after purging before our move to Bend and back to Denver. I guess it goes to show you that you really don't use your belongings as much as you think you do. We'll have a box and a half going to the Humane Society Thrift Store in Boulder later this week.

We decided to venture to the mountains last weekend for a change of pace. So after church, we drove to our friends store Tesoros. It was great to catch up with Jenni and Steve, and we bought a wedding present for my cousin's wedding. Their store was pretty busy that day.
We then drove to Evergreen on Parmalee Gulch Rd, which cuts from Rte 285 to Rte 74, which takes you into the heart of Evergreen. We decide to walk around the entire lake in town, even though the weather look threatening. I was proud of Larry, who made it around the whole distance at 9,000 feet in elevation with only two breaks! We saw plenty of dogs and took photos. We'll post those soon.

Larry repainted my toe nails in time for my cousin's wedding this weekend and they look beautiful! He always does a great job and always wants to do this for me. What a great husband!

Life Lesson from Jane Austen

Nothing amuses me more than the easy manner with which everybody settles the abundance of those who have a great deal less than themselves.
~ Jane Austen, Mansfield Park

Perfect Colorado Morning

On the drive into Boulder this morning, the Colorado mountains were in perfect splendor. The sky was a perfect cornflower blue, and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. The Flatirons were basking in the sun and there were five hot air balloons north of the city enjoying the summer sky.

All Moved In

Our move went well last weekend! Our friends showed up at 8:15am and we had the storage unit emptied and packed onto our moving van in an hour and a half. And then, on the backside, our moving van was unloaded in 45 minutes. I think was our fastest move ever! Thank you to all who helped last Saturday!!! (Brian, Grant, Ron, DJ & Sammy, John, The Sonnens, Tony, and Steve)

We picked up our cat, Speika, at our friends on Sunday. Thank you Mel and Dan! Poor Speika was traumatized. However, she had her first "good" encounter with a dog. Our friend's Yorkie, Otis, went into Speika's room and played and kissed Speika. Her eyes remained green and she played with hi. That was a first! We've come to a conclusion that if the dog is smaller than our cat, she is fine. Our cat is growing leaps and bounds this year!

Found Our Own Home - Moving Again! (yes, again...)

Good news, our move is only to Arvada, CO just 20 minutes away. And just to clarify, we will be renting a small Town home for the next year, perfect for just the two of us as we get back on our feet.
Here is our new address, so please update your address books with the following:

8781 Pierce Way #101
Arvada, CO 80003

We will be at this address as of next Saturday, July 28. we haven't gotten our new home phone number yet, so that will follow.

Larry has done a fabulous job recruiting his previous co-workers and friends to help us move next week as he will NOT be able to lift anything over 10 pounds. His job will be to assemble the grill we purchased today.

Rebecca employed at RegOnline

Well, my first week of work at RegOnline went smoothly and I actually had fun. My drive to Boulder from Golden is beautiful and not that bad, 45 minutes. I doubt the Customer Service position (inside sales) will be too stressful and my team seems friendly and supportive. They welcomed me Monday with a plant on my desk and great welcoming email. Note, I may have to steal my boss' biography she wrote on me. It was well written and touted my many years of experience.

The great benefits of working for RegOnline are as follows:

• Casual dress at work (Capri's, shorts, no suits)
• Breakfast catered every morning
• Lunch brought in every Friday
• Company wide social events monthly
• Department social activities monthly

Besides my position, I've already requested to join an internal committee to help develop the company's benefits, wellness, and community involvement programs. I think my experience from open enrollment last year would be a great benefit to RegOnline.

So, if you're curious as to what the company does, please check out their website at http://www.regonline.com/. We provide an online software tool that allows event managers to create an online registration form for their event. And that's not all... Our software can processes payments, create reports for lodging & travel, finance dept., and create name badges all from one location. It's economical and easy to use! So, whether you're department is hosting a Christmas Party, you're planning a family reunion or golf tournament, or managing a large convention; RegOnline will work for you.

First Year Anniversary Celebrated

Larry and I celebrated our first year anniversary in great tradition. We had dinner at my cousin's home where we were married. It was a great summer evening, with a sunset that was full of peach and pink hues over the lake. We had our cousins Tom, Katie, and Craig there to commemorate the occasion which was grand.
We are blessed to be home where we can celebrate life with family and friends. It's good to be home!

We've learned lots about married life and one another in our year in Bend. We've learned to rely on one another and confide in each other, better than we did before we left CO. We lean on our Lord every day to help us through each challenge life brings our way and we take solice in our prayer time at the beginning and end of each day.
May the Lord bless you and keep you all close to us!

Life Lesson on Time

Take time to work - it is the price of success
Take time to think - it is the source of power
Take time to play - it is the secret to perpetual youth
Take time to read - it is the fountain of wisdom
Take time to be friendly - it is the road to happiness
Take time to dream - it is hitching your wagon to a star
Take time to love and be loved - it is the privilege of redeemed people
Take time to care for others - it is too short a day to be selfish
Take time to laugh - it is the music of the soul
Take time for God - it is life's only lasting investment.

This poem means so much more to me since Larry experienced his heart attacks. Take the time in life to accomplish all of these virtues in your life.

Life Lesson

The shell must break before the bird can fly.
~Tennyson

Beautiful Imagery

(left) Gail visiting CO for Larry. Basking in the sunshine atop Flagstaff Mountain in Boulder, CO.

Cloud formations in Golden, our first night home from the hospital.

Larry Recovering from Heart Surgery

My apologies for not updating our blog sooner. It's always hard when to know whether you should share a subject like this or not. I'm sorry if I have failed to communicate to everyone the situation that has taken place within the last month. But as you can imagine, it's been a crazy, and almost surreal these past four weeks. ~ Rebecca


In early June, Larry suffered from a heart attack while on our drive home from Boulder, after playing racquetball with his friend John. Luckily, we were still in Boulder when it happened and a good Samaritan Dr stopped when I screamed for help. He gave Larry CPR and had a pulse for the paramedics to shock him. We were only a good 5 minutes from Boulder Community Hospital where he was taken, thank God! This story is filled with miracles from God!!!

The doctors at the hospital acted quickly and gave him four stents in his left ventricle in order to remove the plaque build up in his major arteries, providing larger amounts of oxygen and blood flow to his body. His recovery was a bit more difficult from the normal patient receiving stents, as he was admitted as a trauma patient. He got out of ICU after four days and moved to Telemetry, step down. His breathing progress was improved and he had a new found energy than he's ever felt.

Larry was scheduled to have a defibrillator placed in his chest to save him from ventricular fibrillation going forward; but the morning of surgery he had another heart attack. Luckily, he was already in the hospital and the doctors were able to record this attack on EKG. The doctors acted quickly, giving him a fifth stent. After further review of his heart functions in the Cath Lab, the doctors recommended bypass surgery.
On June 14 Larry survived sextuple bypass surgery. It was a long and tedious process, but he's guaranteed a better, healthier, and longer life now.
A week later, Larry received a defibrillator to prevent V-fib from impacting his daily life. Larry was released from Boulder Community Hospital the next day, Saturday, June 22. He was delighted to be out of the hospital and rejoiced to feel the fresh air and summer breeze on his face. As you can imagine, Larry has a new perspective on life.

Larry's family has a history of heart disease, and Larry and I knew that eventually this would catch up with us sooner or later. We just didn't realize it would this soon. Larry has always thought of himself as healthy and active. So don't be deceived if you feel similarly. You never know what you may encounter until you see a doctor and take a stress test and heart scan.

I want to thank all our friends, both near and far, for their support, prayers, and thoughtfulness during this strenuous time. We couldn't do life without you!!!

Life Lesson

There are two ways to live your life. One as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.
~Albert Einstein

Back into the swing of things

We've been back in the Denver metro area now for 4 weeks! Our roommates have been perfect hosts during our stay in their home. Life just seems to be in limbo and a bit stressful. Which isn't a surprise to either of us. We're trying to find our routine to daily life; which can be difficult without a job or familiar work on repetitive basis.

Larry begins teaching this evening. He'll be teaching Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings until the end of August. He looks forward to continue contract work with local engineering and architecture firms and has some news clients entering the mix.

Rebecca has made great strides looking for her next career. She's joined a career networking group that meets every Friday, has attended a job fair, and has had two interviews within the last week (one in Boulder, the other in Denver). as always, Rebecca isn't one to just sit back and relax, she's also volunteering for church. She's constantly networking with new people and building her career pipeline. The Denver market has improved over the years and the job search looks promising thus far.

We are delighted to see our old friends again! And soon we'll be saying "Bon Voyage!" to two dear friend making the plunge and relocating to Switzerland at the end of June. We've also made a few new friends.
It's hard to believe that we left the mecca of micro brew to return to Boulder where a friend of ours has begun his own brew. Jon has released a Scottish Ale and a Raspberry Wheat so far. Both magnificent! We look forward to the other brews he has scheduled in upcoming months.
Our roommates, Brian and Diane, have been wonderful to us. Their home in Golden has been our home these past few weeks and it's perfect. We get great views of the foothills and the great colors Colorado has to offer this year with all the moisture they've had. We're all avid hockey fans, so we'll be tuned in for the Stanley Cup playoffs. We had a BBQ at the house with 20 guests last weekend. Brian prepared a tasty Pork Shoulder (like pulled pork when done) and great burgers. I must admit, his desserts were my favorite... a Blondie brownie and this gooey bar with butterscotch and chocolate chips. YUMMY!

Life Lesson

If you do not tell the truth about yourself, you cannot tell it about other people.
~ Virginia Woolf

Life Lesson

The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts.
~ Marcus Aurelius

Back in Denver

We arrived in Denver, CO on Wednesday, May 2. There was snow at Vail Pass and we stopped to visit a friend's store on the way into the city.
We've had the opportunity to revisit with most of friends over the weekend. We're happy to be "home" and tired of eating out. But our reconnection with our dear friends has been a gratifying experience. Thank you to all of our friends who have stayed in touch and helped us feel right at home on our arrival!

Hot in Arches

Our trip back to Colorado had us stop in Arches National Park in Moab, UT. We had 80 degree weather and sunshine both days we in the park. Our hike to Delicate Arch was fabulous, with an early start in the morning hoping to miss the heat. We started out with a long climb over the red Navajo Sandstone to reach our destination. It was steep and hot.
When we arrived at the vista of Delicate Arch, a fresh breeze captured our attention. It was delightful! We explored around the rim that has been weathered over the years and took in the landscape. We took many photos, too be posted soon. As other tourist lingered at the Arch we decided to make our back and refresh ourselves by our vehicles air conditioning.

We made another hike to Landscape Arch located in the northeast section of the park. It too was hot with the occasional breeze. We met many friendly visitors in the park on the trail, which was a pleasant surprise coming from Bend.

Though we covered ourselves in sunscreen for protection from the heated sun, we found we were not prepared as we thought. Rebecca burned her calves and Larry had crispy red ears. Next time, we'll bring hats and load up on the sunscreen.

Moving Back to Denver, CO

We're happy to report to those friends in Colorado, that we will be back in the Denver area next week! We're sad to say goodbye to Bend, OR, to new friends, my brother and sister-in-law, and Gail and Billy in Whidbey Island. Central Oregon was a great place to spread our wings as newlyweds! We will always hold Bend dear to our hearts!

For those of you who wish to remain in contact with us, you can still reach us on our Colorado cell phones. There's always our blog, and our personal emails are as follows:
rebecca.zent@gmail.com and ldzent@gmail.com

We packed our truck this afternoon and are living in an empty house. We will depart Bend early Sunday, April 29 and plan to stay in Ogden, UT the first night. We will detour to Moab, UT and spend two days in Arches National Park for some Rest and Relaxation. Moving to Bend has allowed us to see two National Parks that I doubt we would have traveled to earlier. This is Larry's first time to Arches as were the Tetons last summer. What a great adventure!
Rebecca will be delighted to return to the Park as well, as her memory of the National Park system holds a dear place with her. Natural scenes will be great to see again and there will be many photos to post to the blog!

A New View - Retro Chicago

Chicago at Dusk from Above

Walk Through Chicago

Life Lesson

You must learn to be still in the midst of activity and to be vibrantly alive in repose.

~ Mahatma Gandhi

Whidbey Island- Gail's Birthday Weekend

Mt Hood in fog and clouds at sunset on the drive on scenic byway Highway 97 -

It's a fun drive with curvy roads and not that much traffic. The views are incredible as the dusk lighting plays on the landscape!

While visiting Langley (a small tourist town on the south part of Whidbey Island) it began to rain lightly. We encountered this rainbow on our walk to see the shops after purchasing fabric at Quilts by the Sea. Gail found some wonderful, lively, oriental fabric to make herself a purse. She's so creative!

Langley plans to have Mystery Weekend, February 23-25, "Death By Chocolate". Apparently, you go store to store collecting clues, and you gather in town later that day to solve the mystery. Note-the town writes the mystery.

There's a chocolate flower farm outside of town that creates all sorts of products from candles, chapstick, to soaps from these plants. It's amazing what you learn by exploring a small town...

Last weekend was Gail's 23rd Birthday. We drove to Whidbey Island on Friday, Feb. 9 and returned to Bend on Monday, Feb. 12. It was great to see her again and celebrate her Birthday! Billy, her husband, has been on detachment since early December, so celebrating with family made her day.

Larry always painted Gail's fingernails and toenails since she was a little girl. It was a treat to have him do it again.

(Kit, her American Eskimo, is in the background)

Deception Pass is north of Oak Harbor by ten minutes and is on the way to Anacortes, the main land. This is the only section of Whidbey Island that connects, via bridge, to the main land.

The waters of Deception Pass are know to have strong currents, so it's always fun to watch boats pass underneath these large bridges.