Mardi Gras Parade and Rodeo Cookoff

We had a fun past couple of weekends. It started off with taking the kids to their very first Mardi Gras in Galveston. We went to the Family Gras event which had a children's parade, live music, vendors, and shopping. This family event was the perfect way to introduce the kids to the fun tradition of Mardi Gras! They had lots of fun and collected so many beads! I thought Katherine was going to fall over with all the beads she got! We even had time to stop into our favorite ice cream shop, it's the same one my grandparents and parents would take me to growing up.

Getting ready for the parade

Eating some ice cream in my crazy hat

My beautiful girl

This hat matches his personality!

Catching beads from the floats

I can't believe she didn't fall over with all those beads!

I even caught some beads

But Matt wins for the biggest beads

Matt and I went to the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo BBQ Cook off while the kids went to spent the night with Matt's parents. There are over 400 teams that compete and hold 3 day long parties in their tents. To get into a tent you have to be invited, we luckily got tickets for a tent. The tent had free and good BBQ, free beer and wine, live band, dance floor, and a patio to hang out on.. yes it does get pretty fancy for this event! We got there a little early to go to the carnival without kids.. amazing huh! We had fun playing games and riding a roller coaster. Then we went to a craft beer garden where Matt was in heaven since they had his favorite beer.. Summer Shandy! We had a very fun night, complete with stuffing our face with funnel cake at the end of the night! Because Saturday night was so fun, Sunday morning was a little rough :) 

Leaving for the cook off

WEEEEE!

Fun in full force! 

Yeah.. Beer

Look at the chopstick they were handing out!!