Emily's First Birthday

Our favorite Canadian's just celebrated the 1st Birthday of their sweet little girl, Emily.  We met Mark and Chantal when she was about 7 months pregnant so we have been able to watch Emily grow from the day she was born.  We were happy to get to join in the celebration of one year!

Both Ellie and Emily just had birthdays so I got each of them some toys I could still relate with - the Gloworm and Cabbage Patch Kids.  I knew CP Kids were still around but I didn't know they still made Gloworms so I was very excited when I found them.

Checking out each other's Gloworms

I turned around and found Derek holding Emily
without being asked to do so. So sweet.

About to get messy with her first cupcake.

Rockets vs Mavericks

Every year my division at work has a Safety Picnic.  There is not much about what we do that resembles a picnic anymore but for some reason we still call it that.  For the last several years we have gone to the Astros but this year decided to change it up and go to a Rockets game.  I was on the planning committee and had the joy of trying to organize 350 people for the night. 

The Rockets played the Mavericks and put on a great show.  There was a last second 3 pointer to take the game into overtime where the Rockets lost by 2 points.

View from our upper deck seats.  The problem with the seats
wasn't the view but the extremely loud speakers

I don't know if this is done every game but it has been done
at the only two games we have ever gone to.  This is the half
time show brought to you by Jazzercise.  They really need to
come up with something better.

For being the largest group of the night, two people from our
division got to go down and receive an autographed ball at halftime.

Derek and I cheering for the Rockets.

Aeros Hockey Game

I'm not much of a hockey fan but when Derek said we were invited to go sit in a box with his group from work, I was happy to go!  All I know about the Aeros is that they are a minor league hockey team, have some crazy die-hard fans, and oddly enough they have cheerleaders.

View from the box as they warm up

Derek and I enjoying the game.

In my opinion, the only interesting thing about hockey is watching the fights and we were lucky enough to see three of them.  We get to return to the Toyota center this weekend to watch the Rockets play the Mavericks with my work group.

Week Full of Rodeo

The last week of the Rodeo this year had the best performers lined up each night so of course we went as many times as we could.

On Monday night we went to see Zac Brown Band with my friend Megan and her fiance, Stuart.

Me and Derek

Megan and Stuart

Me and Megan

Zac Brown Band!

Tuesday night we went to see Miranda Lambert with Carly and Garret.

Me and Carly

Carly and Garret

Miranda Lambert and her sparkly boots

Derek, Holly, Carly, and Garret in The Chute Club

 I had to go on a business trip mid-week so we missed The Band Perry and Jason Aldean.  We returned for our last day on Saturday with Derek's parents who came to visit. We watched the championship night of rodeo where each winner got $50k and an awesome saddle.  Brad Paisley was the performer, who we have already seen twice, so we opted to enjoy the Wine Garden all to ourselves.

Saddle for the Champion Bull Rider

We sat down and watched the sheep dog trials for a bit.
These dogs just amaze me.

I got my boots shined up!

We enjoyed wine in the Wine Garden

 It was an exhausting but extremely fun week! Can't wait to do it again next year!

Babies Go to the Rodeo

In all of the times Derek and I have gone to the rodeo, it has never been with kids in tow.  This year our friends wanted to bring their almost one-year-olds to see what the Rodeo had to offer.  Greg and Andrea had been before but the Canadians (as they are affectionately known) had never had the privilege of going and we insisted that they check it out while they are living in Texas.

Ellie walking around the
petting zoo

It was a rainy day in Houston, although we couldn't complain as we are still in a drought, but we braved the weather anyways.  It turned out to be a great day to be there as most were not willing to deal with the off and on rain so the crowds were low.  First, we went to the petting zoo which Ellie and Emily loved!

Mark helping Emily pet the sheep

Since both of the babies were really into the animals, we took them inside to The Birthing Center.  The Birthing Center is where they bring sheep, pigs, and cows in to have their babies for everyone to sit and watch.  We saw lots of newly born animals and even a pig who was going into labor.  The piglets were so incredibly cute!  We also got to see how they milk cows.

Little piglets nursing

Milking Demonstration

 

We did some shopping while the babies napped in their strollers and even took them on their first visit to the Wine Garden.  Once they were awake, it was off to the Pig Races.  There were three races of pigs that were of different sizes.  It was a lot of fun to see the pigs run and I think Emily and Ellie enjoyed the excitement.  They also had a little pig who swam across a small tank.  So precious!

And they are off!  The pigs were racing for an Oreo cookie.

Derek and I with little Emily

 
The pigs weren't the only ones to get Oreos that day as everyone, except myself, decided to try the fried version from the fair booths.  It was another great day at the Rodeo!

Derek enjoying his fried Oreo.

Wine Auction

Some of the wines ready for Auction.

The last event of the Rodeo year for the Wine Events Committee is the Wine Auction.  The only way into the Auction is a $3,000 table or as a working volunteer.  Derek and I chose the later option.  We were put on the Wine Pick-Up team which really just involved organizing the wine as it came downstairs and then taking it to the winning bidder when they were ready to leave.  It was fun delivering wine to inebriated people who were all happy that they just won some wine!

Of all the events organized by Wine Events, the Auction raises the most money for rodeo scholarships.  This year the Championship wine was purchased for $211,000 and overall we raised $1.4M.  I spoke to someone about why people will pay so much for the wine when it really is not worth that much and their response was that these people really want to contribute to the scholarships and the Auction is just a fun way for them to do it.  Maybe one day we will be able to go and bid on something...

One of the three liter bottles of wine in the
Silent Auction

Found these awesome chaps in the Wine Cave. 
This pair went to the Top Value Wine this year.
Like I've said before, no trophies at the rodeo.
Awards come in buckles and chaps!

These people had a lot of money to give up.

Mutton Bustin'!

It is no secret that my absolute favorite event at the rodeo is Mutton Bustin'.  How can you not enjoy watching five and six year olds clinging to the back of a sheep for dear life?  They are just so fun to watch.  At the end they always interview the winning kids and it is like an episode of "Kids Say the Darndest Things".  I'll have to try to get a video of one of them talking.  The little girl that won on Thursday night was asked what helped her win and she said that it was all the practice her daddy made her do.

All the kids who compete get a little trophy but the winner gets a big belt buckle.  I hope to one day be the proud parent of a champion Mutton Buster!

My videos are too large so in order to watch Mutton Bustin' you have to go to Youtube. 
Round 1:  http://youtu.be/aTQlese7zm0
Round 2:  http://youtu.be/R9qkJKlYBRU

PBR and Lady A

March is one of our busiest months of the year.  Mostly because of the 20 days of rodeo that are going on.  It has been less than a week and we have already been twice.  We went last Saturday for the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) event and got to watch some amazing bull riding.  PBR is kind of like the Nascar of bull riding in that the same 25 guys travel around the US and compete against each other every few days in order to improve their standing and win the big trophy at the end of the season.  They put on a great show and I know we will want to go again if they come back next year.

Derek and I at PBR

I'm making a collection of the great cowboy
names I see.  Here is Stormy Wing.  Hopefully
this year I will spot Howdy Cloud again.

It all goes so fast.  Cowboy is about to face plant and the bull
fighter is trying to protect him.

I thought this kid was
precious!  He is so cute in
his cowboy hat and bull
fighter jersey!

Thursday night we went to the rodeo to see Lady Antebellum.  We went to see them last year but I really didn't enjoy their performance.  It seemed very slow and dreary.  This year, they picked up the beat and did an awesome show that I thoroughly enjoyed.  We picked some seats down low and sat there until the rightful owner came to claim them about three songs into the performance.  Then we went to The Chute Club to watch the show and get cheap drinks.  The thing about the clubs is that you have to be a member of the rodeo in order to get in there so it was us and other volunteers as well as the cowboys that were competing earlier in the night.  Because it is a private club, they can serve drinks really cheap.  I got a giant 8 oz glass of wine for $4, and at that size I only needed one.  It was a fun night!

Enjoying my huge glass of wine and
loving my new badge holder!

Getting ready for Saddle Bronc riding.  It is amazing how big
this place is and how many people come.  This is early so
the seats aren't filled yet.

Lady A!

Hanging out in The Chute Club.  Notice the cowboy up at the
bar with his leather number still on his back.  Derek says
he is a bull dogger which means he competes in Steer Wrestling.