The Rodeo

I found some Rodeo pics on my moms camera....we went the same night with Eric and Hillary, we just didnt sit with my family. The day before was the parade Marlee and I were in. I didnt have batteries for my camera so I was scrounging for anyone to take pics of us, a bunch of people said they would and then didnt show up! I was sooo upset that day! Elisabeth and her family came and saw us before the parade started, they sat on the busiest part of the parade with a hundred kids fighting over candy! And they were on the opposite side of us. My mom, dad, brothers and gram came...but they werent even paying attention when we drove by....Im sure it wont be the last time Marlee wins the cutest baby contest :)
The next day is Rodeo day!! This was the day of the post before where we went to the museum. Right before the rodeo we had a bbq at my grams house. It was supposed to be a small meet the family thing for my brothers new in laws. They are proper and fancy, and I was soooo embarassed by what we saw when we got there! Traditional bbqs at my grams house are nice and quiet and maybe have some fireworks. The food is amazing and we just talk.....not this time! My moms boyfriend was in town and he decided to take over the event. He and the bums (if you dont know my family very well then you dont know that all my grampas life he was taking in strays...he had a few campers he would let them live in rent free as long as they helped out around the farm. Lauren was the last one he took in before he died, so Lauren is here to stay to kind of look after my gram and do the yard work) so the bums decided they would play honkey tonk music as loud as they could, put a cooler of beer out and chew tabacco. Not only that, but they invited the neighbors (family, but more rednecks to add to the picture) all the dogs, and undercooked hamburgers. I thought Lizzies family was going to die! Im sure I embarassed Jimmy by announcing my burger was still pink all the way thru and I wasnt going to eat it. Im sorry but I was hungry and had enough of the party before I even got there!
We finally got to leave and meet up with Eric and Hillary, thank goodness I didnt have to witness anymore of the redneckness of my mothers boyfriend! We got to introduce our new date night friends to the BEST hamburgers I have ever tasted! My grampa used to work in the snack stand and would sneak us hamburgers and pepsi. When I was younger he would buy me and my brothers cowboy boots and hats to wear to the rodeo. Zack got red ones and would never take them off! The year he died none of us could go because the memory of him made us burst into tears and being there would have been too difficult....while I was there I thought of him the entire time, but it was easy to smile about the memories.


These are the signs in front of the Rodeo.



See how dark the clouds are? That is why no one (but Elisabeth) came to the parade



Rodeo Royalty



Frog prince float


These two ladies are the two I was sitting next to....see that blue bow on the right? Thats in Marlees hair.....thanks mom!



Grama Nick and Lizzie watching the parade





Time for the Hillbilly Hoedown!


The bums


Jimmy and Lauren




Lizzies family


Gram looking disappointed


Rodeo time!!


I went to school with 2 of the 3 here







The clown is the best part of the Rodeo! They are doing the dirt dance





The meet and dance after the rodeo...we didnt stay for this.