Sixteen is a pretty special thing to turn. And since it's the first time Ella's ever been in school still for her birthday, her dream of a Big Beach Outing with her whole friend group will have to wait till summer has kicked into full gear in a month or so. Conveniently, this big birthday did fall on Memorial Day, so we had a built in long weekend to celebrate the amazing gal God gave us when he created Ella! One of my favorite things about my 16 year old is her vast array of interests! I did not have to think too hard to come up with a list of things that would make her happy on this milestone birthday...
1. Trying a new recipe together. Ella had ratatouille at the Lamp Light Lounge in Disneyland the last time we visited and has been raving about it ever since. I found the recipe on a Disney blog and we enjoyed putting this fancy dish together and eating our delicious efforts!
2. Homemade cheesecake and strawberries. Gone are the days of elaborate cake decorating! Give this girl a cheesecake and she is in heaven!
3. All the perfect teenager gifts! Black Converse, ear pods, gift certificates for date nights with her boyfriend, movie tickets, and a sushi making kit were all opened and loved! Thank you, everyone!
4. A day in the city, where we could do the best versions of things she loves. Like, a beach with an amazing view.
5. LEGIT Chinese food at Sam Wo's, who's been frying up homemade chow mien noodles for San Franciscans since before the 1908 earthquake.
6. Escaping to a whole new world for an afternoon. A walk around the blocks of Chinatown transported to us the most colorful, beautiful, amazing new culture. We ate, strolled and shopped-- Delia getting (literally) lost in the panda bear displays and Ella picking out a fancy set of chop sticks.
We even stumbled on this super cool Stop Asian Hate Demonstration, designed to shine a light on the beauty of this culture and the recent discrimination and violence the AAPI community has felt.
7. Art, acting and photography at the Museum of Illusions, as described in its own 20 picture long post! ;)
8. And last, two of Ella's all-time favorite things-- dark chocolate and salted caramel, as only the world famous Ghirardelli can do it! Birthday sundaes concluded our day in the city and our long weekend of celebrating the blessing of Ella in our lives!
1 comment:
Sixteen already! We have loved watching you grow into the beautiful young woman that you are today. Beautiful on the inside and outside. It looks like you had a wonderful birthday celebration. We're so glad that your loving family was able to celebrate you in such a fun way. We love you Ella!
Grandma & Grandpa
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