On the way back from the beach for New Year's weekend, we got to stop at the Bymans' house to visit. I was super excited that I had my Jeep along so that I could take Luke for a ride, and then Davis got to go for a ride too. Luke also got to drive, and he proved to be much better at steering than me.

But Luke and I sure had fun when I ran up on all the curbs and almost flipped us over!

It sure was a Merry Christmas! This is what the tree looked like after Santa Claus came, while I was fast asleep. Mama and dada couldn't believe how many presents there were. Neither could my cousins!

Santa Clause left me a Jeep! I knew that I was getting something big, because I was so good this year, but I never imagined that I would get a toy this great!
I was so excited when I woke up and saw it in the morning, that I couldn't take the time to walk around the couch to get to it, but climbed over a table, a chair, and a couch to get to it, knocking over Ga's tea on the way.
I wanted to go for a ride right away. Look at the Holiday Beach sticker on the door! That's for when I go for rides on the beach, so everyone knows where I call home base.
I got lots of cool toys. My Aunt Bridey and cousins got me Chuck, the Talking Truck. It's loud, which I love, and makes everyone else crazy.
Ga and Papa got me this awesome boat, which is really a research vessel with all kinds of funky freaky fish to store in the hatch. I also like to drive my cars on it and call it a ferry.
After we finished opening gifts, which took a few hours, I got to go for a ride in my Jeep. Of course, I headed right for the mud hole in the yard. Dada taught me how to "rock the Jeep", but putting it into reverse, then forward, to get it unstuck.
After getting stuck a few times, dada convinced me to drive on the driveway. I had a blast, and mama and dada were worried about how they were going to get me to go inside. Just about when they decided to drop the hammer, I drove up next to them and said "My fingers are cold; can we go play with something else?" So, mama and dada decided no gloves is the solution to getting me to go inside.
It was nice to have some snuggle time with my Aunt Bridey. She is super sweet to me, and so I like to cuddle with her.
Me and my cousins, dressed up for a family picture. I was a nut during the professional picture, which made my cousin Brenden act like a nut, so mama thinks this picture is better than the professional pictures. I had a great time playing with my cousins, and can't wait to see them again this summer for their annual beach trip.

Dada and I weren't sure what to do today because it's just gross out, so we made cookies. Then we sent the picture to mama at work to lure her home with baked goods. Come home mama, come home.

Thanks Aunt Shannon, for my Bob the Builder build it set. I love this bulldozer and like to drive it all over the house. Hope we get to see you soon! Love, Keegan

Well, it doesn't look like I'm destined for Hollywood. This year I had my first Christmas performance at school. The teachers warned mama the night before the performance that, because I wasn't able to stand still and kept jumping up and down, I would be moved to the right side of the stage. On the day of the performance, we were dressed up in very hot costumes (I was a lamb in the manger) and forced to stand on stage under the blaring lights. I was hot, getting sick, and couldn't find my mama and dada and Ga in the crowd. So I started to cry, and cry, and cry. It was serious waterworks, tears and snot. Gross. Eventually mama went up to the front and motioned for me to sit in her lap. I was much happier there, but let's say that neither of us are looking forward to the Christmas show next year.

You know Christmas is coming when mama brings out the Santa and his reindeer set. I still love playing with it, and arranging the reindeer just right. The three Christmas songs played over, and over, and over, and over, still drive mama and dada crazy.

Mama, dada and I went to Houston Garden Center to pick out a Christmas tree. I insisted on bringing my ax along, and I was on a terror that night.

See? I ran around like a wild man trying to cut down all the trees. Mama and dada were so distracted by my antics that we ended up picking the most lopsided, empty sided tree in the lot. Oh well, Charlie Brown.

Grandma sent me an advent for Christmas this year. It was a good opportunity for Ga and mama to work with me on my numbers. I can count, but I need some work on knowing that one looks like "1" and so on.

I did like opening all the little doors up to see what was behind the pictures. Mama might even spring for a candy version next year.

Snow in Houston?

Yep, it's true. On December 4, there was snow in Houston (which was mama and dada's 16 year dating anniversary, by the way). Mama said it was too cold to go outside that night when she got home from work, so instead, she brought me in a bowl full of snow to play with. I happily spooned the snow from bowl to bowl for an hour. Dada did take me out in the snow during the day, you can check out the video on Facebook.
The next day, mama and I did go outside to play for a bit. Brrrrrrr, it was cold, especially for a Texas kid that doesn't have any gear to bundle up in!
This was all that was left of the snow in the backyard the next day. Mama said it was pretty pathetic, but cool all the same.

Well, Thanksgiving weekend started off with a bang with another round of the stomp rocket. Seriously people, everyone should have one of these.

This year, my uncle Billy, aunt Kristen and cousins Jamie and Katie flew down from Minnesota for the holiday. Grandma and Grandpa came down too (and they got to fly on Southwest!). Uncle Billy brought me a football. Too bad I preferred to throw it at the "ghost" player, ie no one. So, football is not my game.
We had food galore. No joke, there was a major meal everyday. Thanksgiving was, well, Thanksgiving. Friday was a fish fry. And here, Grandma is preparing Sauerbraten - which takes several days because a huge hunk of beef is soaked in vinegar for 3 days, etc. etc. etc. It was so delicious though.
Papa did a great job with the fish fry! Every time he does a fish fry, it gets better. Lots of fish that dada caught, fresh shrimp, potatoes, hush puppies.....oh yea!
The weather was so amazing, we took a long walk on the beach one day.
Katie even brought Mac along. She is really good to him.
My cousins, Jamie and Katie.
Grandpa wasn't sure about a long walk, so he followed along in the golf cart.
Uncle Billy and Aunt Kristen, still in love after, well, let's just say it's been A LOT of years. Hahahah.
Jamie took a ride with Grandpa too.
Not the fanciest Thanksgiving table, but the food was so good, and there was so much of it! It was neat to sit outside too. We were so glad to have our family in town, plus lots of our beach neighbors. That's what it's all about.
Even Zoe came over to hang out. Sweet Zoe.
On Saturday, we were getting a little island stir crazy, so we went over to Galveston to visit Moody Gardens.
Grandma took a bunch of food along so that we could feed the seagulls. I had so much fun feeding them, I did the seagull dance, which is why Grandpa and Katie are laughing at me.
The fam, minus dada (taking the picture) outside Moody Garden.

Mama and I checked out the sea star, and then I was bad so they put me in jail. Just kidding, I was in the shark cage!When we got back to the beach house, we flew a kite. Mama forgot how fun it is to fly kites. It was a pretty sunset too.
Jamie and Katie had fun flying kites too, so we sailed them into the night. I love my cousins!
It was so great to have the family in town for Thanksgiving. Thanks so much for coming -- can't wait for Christmas next year!

In November, my GG, Great Grandma Mary, passed and went to heaven. It was a big shock for the family. I stayed in Katy with Ga while mama and dada flew out to Florida to wish her goodbye and scatter her ashes in the ocean. It was a nice service, although teary, and just what GG would have wanted. GG was a very special lady, and is missed everyday.

In November, I went to Chicago with mama to visit Grandma and Grandpa. Dada had to stay in Katy because his students had a taekwondo tournament. Mama and I flew on Continental, and I was very upset to not be flying on my favorite airline, Southwest.

As soon as we got off the plane, Grandma and Grandpa took me to a very cool restaurant that had model trains all over the place -- up above my head, a big on up front, and even one that delivered my food. The food was super good too.

I had to ride the El Paso train, as a tribute to my dada, back home in Texas.
I had my maiden voyage at the Shedd Aquarium while I was in Chicago. Mama spent a whole lot of time there growing up -- taking different classes and even touring the Oceanarium before it was filled up with water and whales -- and then she did an internship at the Shedd during college. The weather was nice the day we went, so I got to run around without a coat.
We looked at the regular fish tanks for a while, but I was pretty jazzed up to see the beluga whales. Can you see the big white blob about to swim past us?
Every time she passed, she would dive up and into the water to splash, almost like she was greeting us into her home.
You can see the Oceanarium in the background. Once when mama was working there, a visitor asked her how the Shedd got the whales to come back inside after letting them out in the lake at night. Mama wasn't even sure where to start with that one. This is mama's favorite view of downtown Chicago.
I got to meet my newest second cousin once removed (or however we are related -it's mama's cousin's baby), Charlie. Mama was impressed that I both wanted to hold him, and sat still long enough to do it.
Here are two of my other cousins, Lauren and Noah. I was irritated that mama made me stop running to take a picture.
Another cousin, Ethan, is in this picture. He sure did have fun with us. We played 1000000 games of hide and seek.
Ethan helped us to find the best places to hide, even in the shower! I had a great time in Chicago, but we had to get home to see dada, so we flew on another rotten Continental airplane to get home.