Christmas Pajama's

Every year we look forward to the DeRoest tradition of getting new pj's that match. It's a fun tradition that started when I was a child and has been a cool way that keeps us all feeling like we are close even though we all are so far away. For all of the fun pic's go to my parents blog entitled "The Christmas PJ's" at http://tlderoest.blogspot.com/ .

Christmas in Houston

We spent Christmas with the Owuor's in Houston.

Alex is settling into his new home and was kind enough to host us all for some fun family time. First things first, the Christmas tree needed to be set up and everyone pitched in to decorate - even little Kioni! Kiki put together a delicious Christmas Eve meal and after supping and visiting to the wee hours of the night, we went to bed.

Kina and Phyllis joined the crew on Christmas day. We all enjoyed exchanging gifts, playing board games, watching movies, calling family, visiting, and preparing the Christmas dinner together as a family.

Michael and I had to get back to Austin to work the next day so we had to leave Houston on Christmas night. But we really had a good time and would've stayed longer if we could have... Our special thanks to Alex for being a wonderful host, to Kiki for organizing us all, and to everyone for your love and support for a fun holiday. We love ya'll and look forward to getting together again soon!

Costa Rica

Twas the week before Christmas, and the Cisco team in Costa Rica was overdue for their training on a new technology that they would be expected to support. It a technology that has to do with splitting sub-atomic particles while they are in random motion without letting them get radioactive, because we all know what happens when they do..... No actually, the training really was to teach the team just one more way to say welcome to the human network. Getting to San Jose, Costa Rica from Austin, Texas was a quick trip, taking about as much time as it takes to make the trip to San Jose, California. As the plane made the approach, the view from air the was just as breathtaking... the hills and the mountains were just as captivating, but they were also more prominent, higher, the vegetation fuller. It was as though they were were reaching for the skies. The clouds were hovering just above their smoldering peaks. If those clouds knew how active the volcanoes in Costa Rica are, I doubt they would want to be so close... As we taxied, it was interesting to note the crowd of onlookers behind the fence enjoying the goings on on the runway. Yes, for some, aeroplane landing and take-off is an exhilarating spectator sport. I think that if we lived close to an airport I just might enjoy it too. The immigration line was long, and it took two and a half hours to get to the front of the line. It would take about two minutes to process each traveler and I assumed I would be processed just as fast. I didn't count on the fact that most everyone else in the line with me was American. My Kenyan passport evoked a puzzled but friendly glance and I soon figured out that not too many Kenyan passport holders go through the immigration lines at this airport. After some serious consultations, and what seemed to be an eternity, I was eventually declared persona grata. Wohoo! Ticos are very friendly people! Its unmistakable with almost everyone one encounters. From the airport, the people at the car rental place, the hotel staff, everyone... smiles abound and its heartfelt. On the drive to the hotel, it became abundantly clear that Ticos are very friendly people, until they buckle up in the driver's seat of a car! Then its survival for the fittest, and every man for himself.

Between the crowded roads, daring motorcyclists weaving in and out of traffic, and the occassional pedestrian dashing across the road, the experience of driving is enough to rattle a grown man. Yeah, for the rest of the week the rental car earned some frequent parking points, as taxi decidedly became the preferred mode of transportation throughout the rest of the trip. The Cisco team was a fun group of people. They embody the spirit of Pura Vida!.

Training went well, and soon it was time to come back home. I knew it was time to come back when I had a dream about going back home to my girls, including Savannah. In my dream, I remember holding Savannah in my arms and beholding how beautiful she was. As I pondered how amazingly beautiful she was, and how similar she was to her mother, I realized that she was about a year old. In my dream my heart skipped a beat and I turned to Naomi and asked her how it was that she was already a year old.... to which she replied "You're the one that went to Costa Rica!" Its good to be home with my girls.

Naomi's new job title

For those of you who know me, you're aware of my love for children and that I truly enjoy teaching and working with all age groups. Over the past few years it has been an exciting thing for me to find my niche in the work-world and even more exciting to progress in the industry of childcare and education. That being said, I've given up my post as an after-school teacher at Primrose School at Vista Ridge and have accepted a promotion as the Assistant Director there. Of course I miss my class of Explorers but I now have the opportunity to work with the teachers and to check in with all of the kiddo's at Primrose with the goal of improving the education of them all. There is a lot to learn and do but it's been a fun new post so far.

The Star of our Thanksgiving weekend with family...

We were blessed to have Dwayne, Kiki, and little Kioni here for the holiday weekend. It was a fun time sharing food, laughter, and time together. Kioni kept us all smiling as she would chase the dog's around happily and then squeal whenever Brandy or Tootsie would give her a kiss. We enjoyed a Thanksgiving meal midday on Thursday and then did dessert with friends that evening and played a fun game called Apples to Apples. We always enjoy playing games that get us thinking and laughing.

On Friday, us girls went shopping to see the deals but we were smart to sleep in so that we didn't have to face the crazy crowds. While we were out, Michael took Dwayne to his work to show him around. That evening we all went to dinner and a movie. The movie we saw was Fred Claus, which was a cute film that made us all laugh. On Saturday we had a slow relaxing day of watching rentals, visiting, and playing with Kioni.

The Houston Owuors' headed home today and we've been able to relax more today and reflect on the fun we had. We're looking forward to visiting Houston during the Christmas holiday and having more fun family time.

A blessing we are thankful for...

Thanksgiving is a great season and we are especially thankful for the many prayers and uplifting hearts that have come into our lives so we wanted to share a special announcement with y'all... ....it's a GIRL!!!

We are officially 6 months along in this pregnancy and very hopeful and excited for the future. Have a very happy holiday season from all of us here in Austin!

"You can't yet hold my tiny hands,

'Nor whisper in my ear. It's still too soon to sing a song,

or cuddle me so near. But all will change come Spring,

thatʼs when they say I'm due. I'm the newest Owuor and I can't wait till I meet all of you. All I ask between now and then is for your prayers while I continue to grow. I promise I'll be worth the wait because of all the love we'll know. So have a Happy Thanksgiving! A wish to you from me. I can't wait to be a part of this family!"

- Savannah Owuor

Watch out driving world!

Since August I've been driving the 15-passenger bus for the Primrose School at Vista Ridge (the preschool where I work). I primarily drive to just one elementary school and pick up a couple of my kiddo's and then head back to Primrose for a fun afternoon. At the same time that I am on my bus run, the school owner has been taking the larger bus to 3 elementary schools to pick up the rest of the after-schoolers. So the flaw to this system was that until today he was the only one who could legally drive the bigger bus because Texas law mandates that if you drive a passenger vehicle that carries 16 or more you must have a commercial drivers' license. So after some consideration and studying I began the process of taking the CDL exam at the DMV last week and today am glad to be done with the testing process after passing with flying colors. So I am now officially a "short bus" driver! teehee. ;)

I've been tagged

My pal Amelia (http://davieshandsacross.blogspot.com) tagged me which means I get to share random things about myself and then enlist others to do the same. Here's how it works.

• List the link to your tagger (like I did with Amelia) and also post these following rules.
• Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog - some random, some weird, etc.
• Tag up to 7 people at the the end of your blog also leaving the links to their blogs
• Let them know they are "TAGGED" by leaving a comment on their blog

Random Facts:

1. I'm guilty of being amused by light-heartedness! My favorite night of the week is Thursday because of all of the comedies on NBC (My Name is Earl, Scrubs, 30 Rock, and The Office). These shows just keep me giggling and wanting more.
2. As a child, and pre-braces, I would hear ringing in my ears at random times and so I thought that I was a super-hero receiving a signal to rescue/help someone in trouble... Teehee that one is embarassingly funny!
3. I have a strong belief that Heavenly Father does not give you more than you can endure.
4. I married my perfect match six years ago and I look forward to an eternity of growing experiences together.
5. Austin is probably the coolest place that I've ever lived. The weather is great. The downtown scene is fun. And the people are some of the nicest you'll ever meet. Though we're far from family and miss 'em, we have been so blessed with wonderful friends that have made this feel like home.
6. While in college I worked at a couple of juice bars and still enjoy experimenting to make the best fruit smoothies on hot and cold weather days!
7. Michael and I are planning a trip to Kenya next fall (September '08) and would love it if any of our family and/or friends want to join us on a safari. Start saving now... :)

Tag, you're it:

• Mom & Dad (http://tlderoest.blogspot.com/)
• Peter & Jess (http://dogandrat.blogspot.com)
• Brent & Randi (http://brentandrandi.blogspot.com/)
• Shelly Mauzy (http://nmauzy.blogspot.com/)

Happy Howl-o-ween!

Because the majority of my co-workers were dressing up for the holiday (as you can see, some even got really creative) I felt the need to go with a new look for the day. To my old college friends you have seen my gothic look before, but to my new friends here in Texas they got a kick out of the "Mormon girl" dressed goth! Tonight I was fortunate to get to go trick-or-treating with my friend Andrea and her little boy Andrew in our neighborhood. When Andrew started to complain that his bucket of candy "hurt" aka. was too heavy, we came back to the house and passed out candy for the rest of the evening. Brandy and Tootsie didn't enjoy being dressed up but they sure loved being with a fun little boy who danced around boxing. I hope that you had as much fun as we did this Halloween.

Time Out and Family Time

Michael and I had the opportunity of going to a Time Out For Couples event in Plano (just outside of Dallas) last Friday night. We took the day off from work Friday so that we could make the drive north to attend the conference. It was a great program that focused on being the best husband and wife that you can be and in bringing out the best in your partner too. We were spiritually uplifted and edified by the speakers' experiences and testimonies of how the gospel of Jesus Christ has helped them to keep eternal perspectives. It was such a blessing for us to be reminded that our differences are what make us and are to be celebrated. We've decided that this is an event that we will return to year after year and that we need to insist that our friends take the time to attend as well.

Alex's rugby team "the Houston Wandies" were playing matches in San Antonio on Saturday, so some of the Owuor gang made the drive to support him. Michael and I were in the Dallas area the evening before and so Saturday morning we begun the road trip to San Antonio to meet up with them. After the matches Dwayne, Kina, Kiki and Kioni then followed us up to Austin for an overnighter. :) Twas a long day for Michael and I, as we got to travel around the great state of Texas between Dallas, San Antonio and Austin. Its a good thing we both enjoy road trips as much as we do.

We were glad to be able to spend time with the family, and were especially excited to see our adorable niece Kioni who continues to grow and is nearly walking by herself at only 10.5 months! As you can see, her smile is infectious and so all of us had a good time playing with her and visiting with one another.

We're looking forward to more family get-togethers over the up-coming holidays.

A season to smile

After much prodding and begging over the years from my Mom, we finally made it in to a portrait studio to have pictures taken of just the two of us. It's not that we didn't want to have them taken, we just haven't made the time to do so until today. We've noticed that in the digital age of photography, it is really easy to be without prints. Our experience at the photo studio was fun and we feel like they captured some treasured expressions, so we hope to make it at least a yearly habit... we'll see.

To all of our friends and family reading along, we issue the challenge to have an updated portrait taken and shared this holiday season. We look forward to seeing all of your happy smiling faces! :)

50 years of a Beautiful Life

This is a special tribute to my Mom - Lorna DeRoest who turns 50 today and doesn't look a day over 35! She's a special part of our lives and has always been so supportive of all that she comes into contact with. Thank you for your example and your love. We wish you all of the best this year and always.

Love from your children in Texas,

Naomi & Michael

We got a new dog....sort of!

Brandy got a new look when we took her to get groomed on Saturday they asked us what kind of dog she is. We gave them our normal answer that she is a shelter rescue and so we think that she is a schnauzer mix. So, they gave her a standard schnauzer haircut. She looks like a whole new dog. Michaels' response when he saw her was "that's not our dog!" Then she jumped up and gave him a smile, that's when he recognized her. :)

Michael celebrates his 33rd!

Well, it has been a fun week of celebrating Michael's birthday. I surprised him last weekend with a dinner out amongst friends. It was a good time had by all and even our waiter appreciated the Tiramisu cake that we brought in. (Michael rewarded him with a piece because he was kind enough not to embarass him amidst the friendly requests for singing or some other recognition!) A special thanks to our friends who made his birthday a special surprise and a fun celebration! We're lucky to have such a great "family" here in Austin. :) Michael was excited to pick out a mountain bike for his birthday so now he's able to go riding on the trails around town. I'll have to get a picture of him with his new toy and post it later.

To be a CCIE or not to be, that is the question

Michael is in San Jose, CA taking his CCIE exam for VoIP today. We'll know the results on Monday... He is very optimistic and we're very hopeful that he will succeed with this portion of his career. Thank you so much for all of your prayers and well wishes. We really appreciate everyone's support. 9/16 UPDATE: Sadly, a curve ball was thrown his way and so we are in for another month of studying and practice. We'll keep you posted on his new test day.

Tootsie is 3 years old!

Michael is gonna cringe that I'm devoting

a blog to one of our animals but in truth our

dogs have been the kids that we've needed

in order to feel like a real family. She's a fun

dog and a sweet addition to our family and

today she has turned three years old, making

it seem crazy that so many years have passed

since we brought home the sweet tiny 8 week

old puppy. Our schnauzer mix Brandy picked

her out from a litter of five and I brought her

home as a surprise to Michael. Luckily he fell in

love with her in no time and due to his early

allowances of letting her curl up and sleep on his neck it's been hard to break her of jumping on our bed to sleep with us. I must admit that I am the softie nowadays when it comes to shooing her off the bed. She's gotten pretty sly about jumping up after Michael gets in the shower and then curling up next to me until I get up in the morning.

An Anniversary Celebration

What a blessing to celebrate 6 years of marriage together! August 25th was all about just enjoying being together. We enjoyed lounging around in the morning after finishing our house chores, reflecting on the experiences over the years as well as new hopes and dreams for the future, and then to conclude our evening having dinner and a movie out. It was a really nice day together and I know that we both look forward to many more in the years to come.

Michael's new adventure

He's living his dream now. Michael bought a bike and has been taking it out on the road this past week. His first goal is to be riding it to work everyday. His second goal is to get into shape and the result is to perhaps get into competition sometime in the future. He is really doing a great job and I am so proud of him braving this crazy summer heat! It's been a good stress relief for him as he is still studying for an upcoming CISCO exam. No, I'm not in the biking club quite yet... I may consider after the heat of the summer but for now I am content walking the dogs for exercise and supporting him in his quest to "Live Strong." :)

Work is keeping us both busy. Not a whole lot going on here. But we are happy and healthy, so no complaints here.

Busy Workin

Well, today was my first official day with kiddo's at work. There are some super sweet little chubby cheek toddlers in my class! And because my job is so close to home, I've met some of my neighbors through the school. Michael continues to study fulltime when he is not working but has been good to take some time to enjoy double dates with some of his friends from work. Those dates probably could qualify as study time as well though because while I chat with the wives, he and his work-mates trade stories of work and exam hang-ups! :) We've been really fortunate to have made some great new friends here in Austin. Many are at the same point in their lives and have similar interests and goals. In fact I've tried recruiting several of my friends to come work at the Primrose with me. Time will tell if that pans out...

California and back again

Well, we arrived home safe late Sunday night from our CA trip. It was a lot of fun and great to get away together, just Michael and me. Michael took his exam & lab in San Jose on Friday for the Voice CCIE and felt pretty confident that he would be close but not quite pass. The verdict is in.... he was right, but he is gearing up for a re-test on Aug 9th and is confident that he'll be a CCIE to the power of two then. :)

We didn't go to Disneyland this trip and instead went to San Francisco's Pier 39 and the Golden Gate Bridge. It was a bit cloudy but still the view was breath-taking! Our most inspiring moment was on a hike by the bridge. We hiked down to the beach and it was such a steep incline that it gave us a serious workout! I realized just how out of shape I've gotten, so this is a public commitment to changing that aspect as soon as possible.

I just started my new job. I'll be working as a teacher in a toddler

classroom at the Primrose at Vista Ridge. It's a brand new facility so

we are in the organizing and unpacking stages. Classes will begin two weeks from now so I'll get to meet all of my new kiddo's then. It's really been cool opening a new school because everyone is so optimistic and there is a feeling of being there for the long haul, which is a refreshing change. It has been hard leaving behind my kid's at the Courtyard, but I can't beat the 3 minute commute now!

Brandy and Tootsie have a new kennel. It's a huge metal crate that allows them plenty of space to stretch out and has great ventilation. They seem to be so happy to hang out in their new space while we are at work.

We are so lucky to have such great dog's. Tootsie has especially won over the hearts of all of our friends here in Austin. She's so outgoing and friendly. Brandy takes longer to warm up to new faces but is so obedient and loving.