Sea World San Antonio

One of the fun outings that we had while cousin Adlight was visiting was to travel to San Antonio on a Saturday and meet up with some of the Owuor's for a sightseeing adventure. We enjoyed visiting the Riverwalk, the Alamo, and then SeaWorld for the highlight of our adventures. An unfortunate aspect of the day was that the temperature was in the upper 90's and quite humid, so keeping hydrated and cool was a challenge. Still Savannah's favorite part of the day was probably riding in the stroller with her cousin Kioni at SeaWorld. Her least favorite moments where when Shamu and the other killer whales would come out of the water and onto the platform with their trainers. This terrified her nearly as much as being held by Santa Claus. Watching the orcas was otherwise a very cool experience. It was wonderful to behold these massive animals and to see them do their tricks. My favorite part of the day was visiting the penguin exhibit where it was cool and air-conditioned. :) I think everyone else especially enjoyed riding the roller coasters (especially Michael as it was his first time ever) and seeing the fun pictures capturing their terror and glee during the rides. We thoroughly enjoyed visiting the SeaWorld, and look forward to the opportunity of doing so again soon.

Austin Adventures with Adlight

We are so blessed. We had the opportunity to host Michael's 2nd cousin Adlight for just over a week. She flew in from London on Sunday the 26th and returned home to the UK this afternoon. Our time together flew by far too fast. We had such a great time showing her around Austin, San Antonio, and a little of Houston as well. One of the bonuses for her coming to stay with us is my pregnancy because Adlight is studying to be a nurse midwife. (In fact, she is due to graduate next week and we wish that we could be there to cheer her on!) So in addition to seeing the family and the sights, she had the opportunity to visit my OB's office as well as a midwifery birthing center and really get an idea about the medical field in the US. Perhaps she'll come this direction to work in the future... We'd sure enjoy seeing her more often!

Pictures of Our UK Family

We were so fortunate to get to spend time with family in London during our vacation and they were kind enough to take turns hosting us all overnight as well. We really appreciated having the one-on-one time with each family and especially are thankful for the delicious food and comfortable accommodations. Thank you everyone for your generosity and love. We hope to see you all again soon. Savannah gave lots of kisses to her cousins and really enjoyed playing with the fun new toys. This gorgeous crew is the Zablon Omondi family. Michael and Zablon are first cousins. Zabo is married to beautiful Miriam and they have three handsome boys. Here are just a few of the precious moments with Alice and Mark. Mark is Michaels' older brother. Savannah really took to all of the family but she definately gave the most kisses to Alice and Mark during our many visits. One of the highlights of our visit was to go to the Horniman Museum where we all got to play with miscellaneous musical instruments and robotic insects. This gorgeous crew is the Peter Omondi family. Michael and Peter are first cousins. Peter is married to beautiful Alice and they have one handsome boy and three gorgeous girls. Savannah loved that all our her cousins homes had stairs to climb. Thanks again to her sweet cousins for keeping her busy so that she wasn't tumbling down any stairs. This good-looking group is the Japheth Ochieng family. Michael and Japheth are first cousins. Japheth is married to beautiful Phoebe and they have four children, two beautiful girls (Sylvia & Winnie) and two handsome boys (Richard & James). Thanks again to all of our beautiful family for hosting us and treating us so well. We love and miss you all. Please come visit us anytime.

Some Pictures From Our UK Vacation

On our way to the Houston airport we took the time to stop and enjoy the Blue Bonnet flowers that dot the Texas roads this time of the year in Brenham. This is us in London. An early morning arrival meant we couldn't check into our hotel immediately, so we decided to spend a couple of hours getting acquainted with the streets of London. Uncle Mark was our patient guide through the city for most of our time in London. Thanks again, Mark, for spending your vacation showing us around town! Savannah Jo with Uncle Mark on the London Eye. The Eye is great for getting to see the city from a vantage point as it provides great panoramic views all around. Savannah was enthralled with the view. Mommy on the London Eye. We got to enjoy this and a couple of other attractions on our second day. We took a boat tour on the River Thames to explore the city's fascinating history. We also visited the London Aquarium nearby. Daddy and Savannah Jo enjoying the river boat tour. Mark and Savannah checking out the coral life at the London Aquarium. Savannah and Daddy weren't afraid of the sharks at the London Aquarium. Savannah Jo and the Davies girls taking a bath together at the Davies' family home in Aberdeen, Scotland. This is Miriam. Pretty pretty pretty... The Davies family at Drum Castle. The Davies girls with Savannah at Drum Castle. As you can see Savannah loved Miriam AND getting her picture taken! The girls being cute at Drum Castle. Still at Drum Castle, our big girl loves walking around and exploring new spaces. At Crathes Castle, here's Raymond taking a photo of lovely Evie. This is Crathes Castle in Aberdeenshire. We were able to explore the inside and the outside here. The gardens are especially beautiful. In the gardens of Crathes Castle... Not sure what the girls are looking at but it was something interesting. Savannah has begun babbling so it's fun to pretend to understand her conversation and go along with it. One of the great things about visiting Scotland during this time of year is that the daffodils are in full bloom everywhere. This photo of Savannah with Daddy was taken on the grounds at Crathes Castle. The wonderful Davies family at the gardens of Crathes Castle. We arrived soon after Edward Scissorhands at the gardens of Crathes Castle. The view from one of the rooms at Crathes castle. Such a pretty landscape! We all enjoyed the tractor-wagon ride from the parking lot to Balmoral Castle. The walk wouldn't have been too difficult but considering Naomi's condition we opted for the free ride. The kids loved it. We never tire of posing. Naomi & Savannah at Balmoral Castle, home to the queen during the summer months. Our 4th Scotland castle was Donnottar Castle. It's situated on the side of a cliff so a very scenic backdrop. We didn't walk all the way there because it is a little bit unnerving to be on a cliff-side with small children and an awkward pregnant lady! But we were still able to enjoy the beauty and scenery. The Davies family at Dunnottar castle. It was a bit chilly that morning, hence little Evie was reluctant to uncover her face. We really enjoyed every moment with our dear friends. Thanks again for being such great hosts and for showing us the beautiful country of Scotland. On the train ride from Aberdeen to London - Kings Cross Station after a very enjoyable trip in Scotland. Savannah and Auntie Alice (Marks' fiance) outside Buckingham Palace. Mark and Michael with Savannah in front of the gates of Buckingham Palace. Notice the armed police and the uniformed guard at the wall behind them. Savannah Jo by the flowers outside Buckingham Palace. Having fun on the London tour bus. Sights from the London tour bus. We learned all kinds of fun information about the city, parliament, and the history of some of the buildings and builders. It was fun for us all. We highly recommend the London Big Bus Tour, and a tour of the UK in general.

An Easter-style Birthday bash

Our little birthday princess had a great party. We enjoyed hosting a few of her friends for an Easter egg hunt, cupcake decorating, and egg coloring. The concept of the egg hunt was lost on Savannah, but this was her first time... She discovered right away that there were yummy treats inside the eggs so she would sit down next to an egg and insist that Daddy open it to reveal the goodies. Considering that there are a few weeks until Easter, I believe that she will catch on with more practice in the coming weeks. To our guests and all of our sweet friends and family who couldn't join us, thanks for all of the birthday wishes, gifts, and for sharing your love with our big girl!

We have a 1 year old!

What a blessing this past year has been watching Savannah Jo grow and learn. We've enjoyed every moment with her and feel so lucky to have her. She was in such a great mood today as if she knew it was her special day. She woke up all smiles and wanted to wear her boots before bath time...how could we deny her? After bath time Mommy picked her outfit for her to wear, a pink onesie that said "Baby's first birthday." Her favorite things today were going to the mall to people watch and birthday shop, ripping the paper off of her presents from Grandma & Grandpa D, clapping along to the birthday song, and eating dinner at Rudy's barbecue where Mommy & Daddy eat off the table too. :) What a great birthday! We're planning a fun Easter themed b-day party with friends next weekend.

A Sister for Savannah

According to the doctor and ultrasound technician, we are expecting another sweet little girl. She's due to arrive the last week of July. She is healthy, active, and seems to enjoy her time in mommy's belly. Let's hope that Savannah will be ready for a best friend this summer!