Our 1st Texas Rodeo

Yee-haw! Can we officially count ourselves Texans now that we've attended our first rodeo? :) We definitely did the kid-friendly version this year (meaning that we didn't even attend the actual rodeo), so to most Texans, our visit probably doesn't even count. Plus, we left our boots, belt buckles, and cowboy hats at home, so I think we have a ways to go before becoming official rodeo-going Texans! 

Regardless, our family thoroughly enjoyed the daytime events at the rodeo. We took Grandpa and Grandma along with us to experience all of the kids' activities and left well before the evening rodeo and concert. We'll try that part out another year. The events we did this year were right up Jaden and Cody's alley, so it was perfect. First, we watched a series of pig races.

Each section of the audience was given a colored flag and a certain pig to cheer on. The crowds were quite enthusiastic.

One of my favorite activities of the morning was walking through this farm-to-market experience. First, the boys received tokens (or seeds) to plant into the ground. Then, they got to try their hand at tractor driving (or at least steering a stationary one).

Jaden and Cody did chores around the farm like feeding the chickens.

Then, they used baskets to harvest various produce items from around the farm.

The boys got to feel actual wool from a sheep...

pump water,

and milk a cow.

At the last station, Farmers Cody and Jaden sorted out their produce at the market, where they sold it for cash. They deposited half of their money in the "bank" and used the other half to purchase a sweet treat at the store. It was a wonderful learning experience!

Next we visited the indoor Ag-venture building, which was full of more activities for kids. First, we planted sunflower seeds in a small cup. Once we took the seeds home, Jaden and Cody took the task of caring for their seeds very seriously. They were very eager to check on the seeds' progress every morning. We actually had 4 seeds sprout (3 of them from Cody's cup). The boys helped me replant them in our backyard, and three of them are currently growing strong. We'll see how long they'll last!

Then, we made all kinds of new friends at the petting zoo.

Some of our new friends were quite large! :)

Then, we learned about the life cycle of baby chicks and saw some egg hatching in action.

We visited the piglet birthing center and saw many piglets that were less than a couple weeks old. 

Cody and Jaden were particularly interested in the bunny exhibit.

At the end, they were even allowed to pet a soft bunny. This was, of course, a highlight!

Our family, I guess, did get to see a couple bucking broncos before leaving. :) The rodeo experience was a hit for all! Thanks, Grandma and Grandpa, for joining along with us on this adventure!