Gulf of Mexico trip to an offshore platform

I was right off amazed at how many platforms I saw out there. I counted 50+ just out in one direction. Even more amazing is the fact that, in the Gulf of Mexico, many more of the platforms have been dismantled and are no longer in view--there must have been hundreds.
The two near platforms are ones I am working with for my project. I landed on the tall white structure off to the right. The larger structure out in the distance is a jack-up rig drilling a well. These are well-heads from wells that used to produce and have since been plugged with cement and abandoned.

Sacre Bleu!--72 degrees in January!?

The girls at the beach. It was a good day at the beach. The waves were big enough to body-surf in (I stayed out for 20min alone doing just that), the tide was high, and no one was out there except us (the water was cold).
Here's Savannah playing in the sand.

Karen saw the picture I put of her sleeping in the car...I had to take it off the blog.

Maya's Birthday and related events

We went to the Mall for Maya's birthday because when we showed up to the local Childeren's Museum, it was closed on Mondays. (We lacked a little forsight in that one.) Naturally, a carousel is always welcome as a second option. Here, my horse bolted and I nearly fell off. I think she smelled a rattlesnake or perhaps something much more dangerous--like Hillary Clinton.
The cake.
Here's the birthday girl having a good time on the Carousel.

Christmas Time!

Maya and SpongeBob just hangin' out.

Savannah and Maya got a trampolene for Christmas. They have been on it everyday (except Sundays) since. Santa did a good job this year. (Even though it took some convincing from Mrs. Clause.)

Kids hyped-up on sugar and extatic about the tramp.

This flattering picture of karen and I shows off what we both got from Santa for Christmas. We both got leaf-blowers! Just what we always wanted--no more borrowing the neighbors'. Really, it was funny when I opened mine, knowing that Karen got the same thing--nothing is more romantic than blowing dust and leaves together. 'Can't be mushy now, so we traded one in.

Xmas Lights

I put a few more lights up on the house this year. I am pretty proud of my decorating. It's not much, but I like things simple. (Less work, the better!)

Christmas Eve with the girls showing off their new pajamas.

Santee-Clause

My work threw a pretty cool party for the kids, where Santa came and each kid got a gift. Great place too--they reserved a room at the Children's Museum. The girls had a lot of fun. Maya expected Santa to have brought the gift she was going to ask for then-and-there, so she was a bit disappointed until I explained he was saving that gift for Christmas Day.

We finally painted

We've finally painted our Dining Room--any room for that matter! No, wait, I almost forgot we painted out WC bright orange (man, I love that color). So, next is the rest of the house. We're excited to paint more, but, I doubt we'll get to it soon, as things usually go. (Probably better that way--less of an all-at-once expense.)

Savannah's Dance Recital

Savannah's dance recital was great. I thought it would be pretty boring--and parts of it were--but when she took the stage we had so much fun watching her. She even lost her place on stage and started wondering around when the rest of her class went off stage. She stayed out there for 15 seconds before she was "pulled off" by her teachers' promtings. It didn't help that, although she is the same age as the other kids, she is a head-length shorter, so everyone thought she was practically a toddler who lost her way and they all laughed and "awwwwed" affectiontely.

Christmas Tree Hunting

We tried the Christmas Tree Farm this year for a Christmas tree. You cut it down, they shake the needles off and wrap it up for you. But, they were all Douglas Firs. Too bushy--I like pine trees. And they were overpriced. So, after having some fun, we left for Home Depot to get a tree. So far, we've had really good luck at Home Depot. We go there because they don't have Christmas Tree lots in Texas--too far removed from the mountains, I guess.

This is Maya hiding in the Christmas tree grove. As you can imagine, we had a ton of fun playing hide-and-go-seek.

Karen and the girls at the farm. The guy driving that tractor looked almost exactly like Paul J. if Paul were to gain another hundred pounds. It was eerie--he even had the same mannerisms and he wore a camouflage hat.

Savannah posing at the tree farm.

A few photos...

Savannah and Maya making scary faces.

Dallin, Savannah, Haley, and Maya at Old MacDonald's farm--proving that kids are just a bunch of chickens.

I like this photo, just because Karen's never in the pictures. This is her and the two girls before bedtime.

All Hallow's Eve

Here are the girls before the great race to see how much candy they could get. Maya and Savannah are with thier friends, Briley, Haley, and her brother, Dallin. For those of you who cannot tell what Savannah is, she's Sally off of The Nightmare Before Christmas. Karen made her outfit. I think it's awesome.

Nanner and Maya are outside on the porch the night we carved our pumpkins.

Three months already

Three months have gone by and I haven't touched this website. Granted, we've been very busy since the Holiday Season started, but three months is too long. I apologize if you are in the dark about anything--especially the part about us expecting our third kid. Karen is 10 weeks or so now, and if you feel like that is too long a time for us to have kept you out of the loop--no worry, I found out just two weeks ago myself. She decieved me. My own wife decieved me.
Actually, it was sort of a Christmas announcement. After we were done with the presents on Christmas and the kids were busy playing and gorging themselves with candy and chocolate, she took me aside and told me I have another present that I had to find in the kitchen. It was a bib that said "I love Daddy", a few onesies, and booties. It took me awhile to understand it's significance--then I couldn't believe it--pretty funny actually.
I have a lot to write about, but, I ask myself, do you all really care? Didn't think so--it's pictures that people want to see, so the above are all the pictures explaining Halloween, Thanksgiving (if we have any pictures of that), and Christmas.