Rodeo Houston

One benefit to being married to Kyle is that I do get to go some fun places!  Not as many as he does, but probably a lot more than if I was married to someone with a 9-5 M-F job.  I need to remember times like this to off set the times I get frustrated having a traveling husband :-)

Kyle left 2 weeks ago for San Antonio.  He placed on his 3rd steer there, but did not win enough to make the semi finals.  He went to say with some guys that are from Nebraska, but are living in Texas this winter riding colts & roping calves.  Kyle had a great time saying with them between San Antonio & Houston.  His high light of his time there was going on a wild hog hunt.  If you get a chance to ask Kyle about it, it is an entertaining story.  Maybe I will see if he will write a blog post about it :-)

I flew out on Sunday evening to meet up with Kyle in Houston.  I left Jenae with Chip & Marilyn & took Aubree & Whitney to my parents house.  My Dad took me to the airport in Omaha & I made my way down to Houston.  I am so thankful for everything Chip, Marilyn & my Parents did to make it possible for me to make the trip.   I never do good at leaving my kids, but knowing I am leaving them in good hands does help!  It was nice to have some time with Kyle & Rodeo Houston really treats the cowboys like kings, which made the trip even more fun!  They provide 3 meals a day for us with all the ice cream & treats a person can eat!  I am mad at myself that I did not take more pictures of the hospitality rooms they had set up for the contestants & their families.  We did not really do any sight seeing or anything like that while we were there, but we did venture out to do some grocery shopping!  So many fun things at a southern grocery store & we loaded up on fresh fruits to bring back to Nebraska! 

I do get really nervous when I take off on trips with Kyle.  Some of our travels have been a little on the adventures side so as excited as I am to go I am always glad to be home!  The only slight problem was my van was dead when I went to start it Sunday morning.  Chip came right over & got my van charged up & off I went.  My Dad took my van in to town to replace the battery for me.  When they got to looking at the battery in my van it was a little tiny battery, one that should have been on lawn mower, not a van!  We bought my van with some hail damage on it & we are thinking they took the good battery out & replaced it with the little junk battery before they traded it off.  Just something to take note of next time you buy a vehicle!

Kyle did not draw the best in Houston, but did pick up a 3rd place check in the 3rd round.  The coolest thing about Houston is that there is no entry fee & they pay you $500 to sign autographs!  They only invite 40 cowboy's per event so it is a honor to just be there!  I hope we get to go back next year :-)

Kyle & me at the rodeo.

The rodeo is held at Reliant Stadium where the Houston Texans play football.  This picture does not really do justice to the size of the building!  It is huge!! 

They have pictures up off all the cowboys who are there competing.

A more close up picture of Kyle.

The grand entry.  I took this picture to try to show the size of the arena. The steers were running really hard & fast in the steer wrestling.  Most of them were caught on what would be the 50 yard line of the foot ball field.  The stadium holds 70,000 people. 

Lots of fireworks during the National Anthem. 

Kyle getting ready & watching. 

Kyle signing autographs.

Kyle signing autographs.  The place was so huge that I found it easiest to meet up with Kyle during the autograph session.  I stood off a little ways from where they were signing (unless I was taking a picture of Kyle)  but close enough I could catch up with Kyle when he was done.  It was funny to listen to the women/girls who came out of the Fan Zone.  One lady walked past me and said "They are such eye candy, aren't they!"