things that are fried.

Well I think it's official: we are true Texans. We can proudly say we have been to a real Texas rodeo and experienced all that a real Texas rodeo has to offer. Let's get right to the evidence:

Part I: the carnival. Basically a collection of point-and-shoot games with large, stuffed prizes (that hopefully fit in or on your stroller so you don't have to carry them and sweat even more); a plethora of variations on the same puke-inducing ride (you know, you either go up and down, side to side, around and around, or some combination of the three); and we can't forget the calorie-ridden food carts. Pretty sure I saw the largest mound of chili-cheese curly fries on the planet...being heartily enjoyed by an innocent 5-year-old (ahem, child obesity). But I can't judge too much...I'll admit my sole rodeo goal was to indulge in a fried oreo, which I did, alongside a fried Reese cup, fried cookie dough on a stick, and we can't forget the funnel cake. Whew, detox going on today!

 The oreo...

 The cookie dough...

And the multitude of other options...cheesecake, Snickers, red velvet cake, Fruity Pebbles...?

The carnival was a people-watching mecca. Like Dollywood hardly compares to the sights and sounds present here. Well, that not be totally true...but this place was truly Tex-ified, complete with a huge Ford truck sales area boasting truck trivia, remote-control Ford Raptors in a mini mountainous dessert, and 20 or so vehicles, doors wide open to entice Texan buyers. Classic.

Ok, Part II: the livestock show. We went on the last day, so the rows upon rows of cows had unfortunately moved on. But we still got a glimpse at the huge animal birthing and breeding center and the award winning animals...

That would be a $440,000 steer and a $155,000 goat...everything's bigger in Texas I guess! We also got to witness some pretty fantastic pig races:

 Hard to see because they're going SO fast! They were pretty darn adorable though, especially this little gal, who just broke my heart:

That would be Swifty, the swimming pig. She really didn't wanna jump in, but they made her anyway. Like seriously, my heart still hurts. I just wanted to cuddle her up and take her home!

Oh, there were also camels...in Texas. I mean, why not?

Part III: the rodeo. Now we might be true Texans, but we are seriously spoiled true Texans. As in we enjoyed the rodeo and accompanying Alan Jackson concert from a box suite...meaning we had a private bathroom, waitress, and in-room Texan buffet. Oh, and an ice cream sundae cart that created your custom treat right in front of you. (Since we needed more dessert after the fried fest). So are the perks of working for an oil company. Well, not Ben's oil company, we actually have some fantastic friends who were SO kind to invite us to join them for this swanky rodeo opportunity. But anyways, back to the action: 

K, so that's the only picture I got of the actual rodeo...the empty stadium floor. But it was actually quite entertaining! Those guys are super courageous...and must live off of ibuprofen. Those bucking broncs and bulls gave me a headache just watching!

This was a classic event I just had to share: it's called Mutton Bustin'. I'll describe it the same way the announcers did--"We strap your kids to the back of farm animals and call it entertainment." Yep, they sure do.

 Can you see that? There's a small 5-year old child hanging on to that sheep for dear life...thankfully they wear helmets and don't have to go far. It was really quite adorable. I told Ben I wanted our children to be Mutton Busters someday. Character building.

Man down.

All in all, it was such a fun day! We felt like we got to truly enjoy all the rodeo had to offer, and I'm already excited to return next year. Yay for classic Texan fun!