The Balzer Family Bio: A girl & her ice cream-Happy Birthday Sadie Beth!!!

September 18th is a big day for the Balzer family - both David and Sadie Beth's birthday! David feels like he has permanently surrendered his birthday to Sadie Beth, so I guess I will focus on her. (Though I did make David a fun birthday dinner the night before). What a special weekend we had celebrating with our big girl! We didn't do anything super big or fancy, but our goal was to make Sadie Beth feel like the most awesome kid in the world - and I think we succeeded! Sadie Beth's birthday started out with "special oatmeal." We get the variety pack and she loves both the "strawberries & cream" and the "blueberries & cream" flavors. So, we had "strawberries & cream" with fresh blueberries mixed in! Definitely a winner...

Sadie Beth proudly wore her "birthday girl" shirt pretty much all weekend long. Why not? I can't get over how grown up she is looking these days.

After David got home from work that evening we took off for his (and now I believe Sadie Beth's) favorite restaurant - Red Robin! Sadie Beth has been in restaurants many times, but this was a big day because it was her first time getting food from the kids menu. Call us cheap, but we've always just brought her food with us. Sadie Beth loved her eating her "big girl pizza" and talking about the "big red bird robin" statue in the corner of the restaurant.

The highlight of the night though definitely had to be the look on Sadie Beth's face when the staff came out to sing Happy Birthday and brought her her very own "ice cream cone cup!" Sadie Beth does 100% dealing with just about anything in her life if we "process" with her what is going to be happening (just like her daddy!).

So, we told her what was going to happen and when they came out to sing to her she clapped and grinned like she was the star of the show! And you can tell she didn't enjoy her ice cream at all!

Keep track of the balloon. Notice it doesn't leave her hand the ENTIRE time.

She was felt big, that's for sure. And I think she entertained everyone in ear shot.

Still clutching the "orange balloon".....

Such a fun night. After dinner we picked out some new sneakers for Sadie Beth....hers were 1 1/2 sizes too small! No wonder she was always taking them off. :)

The next day we got up bright and early and headed for the zoo! Sadie Beth loves when we can go as a family. We did all the fun stuff - animals, carousel (aka - "up and down"), elephant show. When we got home, Sadie Beth managed to find herself a little "2 year old mischief" and got into my thank you notes box....I thought heard her in the living room saying, "I'm tryin - I'm tryin..." which is a normal phrase for Sadie Beth when she is trying to do something that takes a little effort. Then I listened a little more closely and heard, "I'm writin, I'm writin..." I knew that was trouble. So if you get a "scribbled" on thank you not from me in the coming months - it's just a little love from Sadie Beth.

After her nap, it was time for birthday presents!!!

Does it get any better than that face right there followed by a "thank you daddy, thank you mommy PUZZLES!" We are so blessed by our sweet girl.

Her other present was an ever bigger hit I would say - an AbbyCadabby doll! I knew she would love it, but we're talking new best friend status. Abby Cadabby has become a permanent fixture with us lately, doing just about anything we do.