Food, Friends, and Fireworks: Independence Day 2018

Food, Friends, and Fireworks: Independence Day 2018

• 7.06.2018

We enjoyed yet another fantastic Independence Day, full of friends, food, and fireworks.  It doesn't get any better than that!  The 4th of July is hands-down one of my top three favorite holidays each year.

We began our day by loading up the truck and heading into the South Hills with the Horsleys and two sets of Stangers.  We drove all the way up and over to Bostetter to beat the heat and the crowds.  Then Bron turned into a master chef and made dutch oven fried chicken.  Delicious!  The kids did a craft and we all tried shooting some bows and arrows.  It was a simple afternoon full of eating and chatting.  Sweet memories already. 

Sing with me now, "Oh I just can't get enough!"  Views like these never get old.

 ^^The kids with Shelly and Amy at camp making firework rings out of colorful pipe cleaners.^^

 ^^So festive!^^

 ^^Conrad admiring his fireworks bracelet.^^

^^Jed has come around to carbonation.  He kinda likes it now!^^

 ^^The kids downing their cream sodas!^^

^^My handsome fried chicken man!^^

 ^^Picnic lunch in the pine trees.^^

 ^^How does that chicken leg taste, Levi?^^

 ^^Archery lessons!  Sorta.^^

 ^^Levi taking the sport seriously!^^

 ^^Jed was obsessed with archery!  He stayed there practicing, long after everyone else had lost interest.  And he was actually pretty good too!^^

 ^^Oli taking a picture of me taking a picture of him.  Haha!^^

 ^^Addy girl.  So full of sweet spunk and personality!  Can't help but love her.^^

^^The Horsley family in front of their Monster Truck!^^

 ^^And our family.  Haha.  So true to life.^^

We said 'adios' to the South Hills in the late afternoon.  Apparently all that sun wore the boys out!  Little did Conrad know, there was still more excitement to come!

After a brief rest at home, we hopped back in the truck to see the fireworks in Burley!  We grabbed a couple of pizzas and found our usual spot on the golf course to spread out and let the kids play while we waited for darkness.  The Horsleys joined us there, of course!  It's tradition. 

^^Little American^^

^^Conrad pulling Addy's hair!!!  Poor girl.  He has a grip!  But Addy took it like a champ and just laughed.^^

^^No surprise, the kids got a little rough and Levi would up with a cut across the side of his head.  Ouch!^^

Bron got Conrad to sleep on our big jean quilt before the fireworks show started... and he miraculously slept through the whole thing!  He stirred a bit, but the poor boy was just sooo tired.  It was a spectacular show.  As usual, we sat directly underneath the lights and the booms.  It's exhilarating.  This year, the smoke settled on us.  It gives quite the holiday ambiance.  The fireworks in Burley were the only thing that were a must-do on my list for the 4th and they delivered.  So, so cool.

This year, I also decided to photograph the fireworks... at the very last minute.  It's always an internal debate for me: live in the moment or document the moment?  But since I wanted some fireworks to go with some silhouettes I'd shot earlier, I decided to try.  I simply propped my camera up on a water bottle on its side, turned on the 2-second shutter delay, and played with the shutter speed.  I was shooting blind, but feel I got the best of both worlds: being in the moment while documenting it.  And hey, I grabbed a handful of keepers after all!  Win.

The kids were having a blast playing with their new rocket copters before the show that we'd saved especially for the occasion.  I laid on the ground on my stomach to get these silhouettes of the kids.  I had this idea in my head to add in fireworks later, as if they'd shot them into the sky themselves.  Haha.  They wish!  I personally love how they turned out.  I get such a kick out of playing and creating in Photoshop.

That's a wrap!  Happy Birthday, America.  You're pretty great.  We're happy and lucky to call this place home.