Red, White, and Boom!
The 4th of July is THE BEST holiday. End of story! If you’ve been following my blog, you’ll know that I am VERY passionate about telling you my top three favorite holidays of all time. For those of you sitting in the back, here’s the list:
4th of July.
Thanksgiving.
Halloween.
Although, I will tell you that Christmas is up there ever since we had Waylin!
I love celebrating Independence Day at my in-laws. There’s always good food, family, and guns! #pewpew
Funny story: This handsome picture above is from the 3rd of July in 2015. Monticello always does a huge fireworks display on the 3rd of July (almost to where “the 3rd of July” sounds like a holiday too!). We drove Ben’s truck to a bridge out in the country to watch them. Ben was a G-E-N-I-U-S and brought these gravity chairs for us to kick back and enjoy the show! It was great…until I had to go pee. More people came and parked on the road, so it actually got pretty packed out there.
I couldn’t pull a “16 year old me peeing in a cornfield” episode, so I actually had Ben cut that sweet tea bottle open with a knife (for a bigger opening 🤣) to use it as…well, you know where I’m going. As I was climbing into the cab of the truck, Ben handed me the mutilated bottle and continuously stressed to me that I better get ALL of the pee inside the bottle. Fireworks were going off…BOOM…crackle…MORE BOOM as I meticulously peed in this bottle in front of my boyfriend.
LITTLE DID I KNOW, Ben had a ring with him the entire time and was trying to decide if this should be the night that he proposes to me! TALK ABOUT RUINING THE MOMENT, STEVIE! I am happy to report that I did not get one drop on his floorboards, my bladder felt better, and he proposed a week later when we were in Florida! #happyending
Waylin’s first 4th of July! (2018)
Waylin was only 8 months old when she got to experience her first Bohlen 4th of July party! I always say this, but…
It isn’t a 4th of July at the Bohlen’s if there isn’t tannerite!
We usually light ‘em up at the gun range on the property, so it was too funny that Waylin brought her little squirt gun with her! COMPLETELY UNPLANNED! She brought her own gun to the range! She did great with the BOOMs! #SorryICan’tHearYouOverAllThisFreedomRinging
In 2019, we partied like it’s 1776! 😂
I’m not sure what you did on 7/4/2019, but did you party so hard you lost a pigtail? 🤣
AGAIN, COMPLETELY UNPLANNED…Waylin brought ANOTHER squirt gun to the gun range when we were getting ready to shoot. I literally looked down at her and just smiled. #thatagirl
Grandma made sure to teach her all about #gunsafety too! 😍
Waylin did great with the BOOMs of the tannerite! We made sure she had ear protectors on, but she didn’t cry or anything. We just sat on the 4-wheeler together and watched Ben shoot!
I was lucky enough to grow up with a grandpa whose heart was made of gold. 💛 A man who showed me that there is no limit to the amount of kindness you can share with others. A man who made up for the love I should have received from others. Through some kind of magic, I married into a family that has given my daughter her own special grandpa! I’m really thankful that Waylin gets to have this time with her grandpa too. That bond will last a lifetime!
Thank you, Tom! 💕
I was able to capture this sweet video of Waylin and her grandpa riding back to the house.
Pam always thinks of EVERYTHING! She is so thoughtful and there are many times I strive to be like her! I’m sure Ben wishes I cooked like her too, but for now, he will just have to keep eating what I put on his plate! Okay, I’m not being fair to myself…I really do cook good meals!
Pam had a big bucket full of water balloons for the kids. It was a HOT day, so it was the perfect way to cool down! Waylin even got in on the action! She really enjoyed tossing the water balloons. Too bad she didn’t listen to me when I said “get Daddy!” because she definitely GOT ME! 🤣
Waylin went the entire day without a nap! She powered through so she could celebrate America’s birthday with everyone! We didn’t make it to any fireworks, but I think she might be ready for them next year!
It took me until my adult years to not be afraid of snap pops! And look at that little firecracker stomping on those DEVIL POPS like they are nothin’! #bravelittlegirl
Thank you, America, for a really great day! 💥
