Celebrating Sadie
Sadie’s ninth birthday was on Friday and ever since her very first birthday, Ryan and I have always made it a point to celebrate our special girl on January 20.
(Puppy Sadie! My heart might explode.)
I can still remember when we brought Sadie home and did our best to teach her not to pee on the couch, take food off our plates, chew on our coffee table and learn how to ring the bells hanging from the door knob if she needed to go out. We taught her basic (dog)life skills but she has taught us so much more.
It’s no secret that we’re absolutely obsessed with Sadie in our house but it’s more than just her personality, cuddles and playful demeanor that we love so much. Every single day Sadie serves as one of the best reminders to look for joy in the simple things – a sunny day, a long walk, snuggling, STICKS!!! – and we did our best to make her ninth birthday a special one!
For Sadie, I’m pretty sure the highlight of her birthday every year is her annual birthday challenge when we pit two delicious foods against each other and place bets as to which one she will go for first. This year the Whole Foods hot bar dictated our choices and we came home with pulled pork and pork belly for our girl!
Once we plated the contenders, Ryan and I each took a bet as to which pork dish she would go for first. I opted for pork belly (it’s basically thick bacon, I mean c’mon!!!) and Ryan went with the pulled pork.
And heeeere’s how her ninth birthday challenge went down:
Sadie’s 9th Annual Birthday Challenge
*** I’m having issues uploading the video directly to the blog but if you click the above link you should be able to view the video on YouTube! ***
Spoiler alert: The pulled pork was the winner! Apparently Sadie inherited both Ryan and my intense love for pulled pork because she immediately went for that plate and licked it clean before polishing off the pork belly as well.
After Chase went to bed, we spent the remainder of our Friday night snuggling with Sadie on the couch before calling it an early night since Ryan and I were both struggling to keep our eyes open downstairs.
Saturday
Our Saturday morning began with his and hers workouts which we completed separately after swapping playtime with Chase. We were both done and showered by 9:15 a.m and ready for our family activity of the day! We’ve been wanting to take Chase to the Sea Life Aquarium in Concord for ages and since it was raining outside, it seemed like the perfect day for a fun indoor activity.
We purchased our tickets online (<— for the locals, that will save ya $5 per person!) and arrived at the aquarium right when it opened at 10 a.m.
Though the aquarium was not very large, it was perfect for Chase because it wasn’t overly crowded (meaning he could easily roam and explore without being trampled) and many of the tanks were low to the ground which was perfect for our tiny toddler.
Chase was really into the aquarium and loved watching the fast little fish dart about and the stingrays gracefully glide through the water.
We stuck around long enough to do the behind-the-scenes tour and since I’ve always had an interest in marine life (I actually wanted to be a marine biologist as a little girl), I loved learning more about how the aquarium feeds and cares for the animals and also helps with rehabilitation and conservation efforts.
(This is a totally random tangent, but did any of you guys ever watch The Voyage of the Mimi in grade school? Oh my gosh, I was OBSESSED.)
Once our tour was done, Chase was still going strong, so we took advantage of his energy and stopped for some food before heading home and putting him down for a nap.
While Chase slept, Ryan took Sadie out for a walk while I got a jump start on some blog work since we’ll be traveling again toward the end of next week.
By the time Chase was up, the rain returned and it was pouring buckets outside. We debated heading out to the library or bookstore but decided an evening at home sounded perfect. While I got started on dinner with the help from my sous-chef Sadie who is never far from my side when I am cooking, Ryan and Chase played with cars and read books until it was time to dive into some homemade lasagna.
Once Chase was bathed and in bed, Ryan and I decided to try watching Minimalism, a documentary on Netflix that seems to be getting a lot of great reviews. It started out interesting and while I love the concept (parts reminded me a lot of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up), Ryan and I both got a little bored about 45 minutes in and decided to head up to bed and finish it another night. (I was kind of hoping they’d share practical tips and insight into how they approached minimalism when they first began living a minimalist lifestyle.)
Our happenin’ Saturday night concluded with reading in bed and I started a new book! As I briefly mentioned a week or so ago, I started reading Pretty Girls and holy cow that book was intense. Truth be told, when I mentioned it on the blog, I had yet to reach some the most grotesque, violent and extremely disturbing parts of the book and I cannot say it’s one I would recommend after reading the whole thing. It was just too much at times and after finishing that book all I wanted was an easy, breezy read.
Sarah Jio’s past novels fit the bill for what I was looking for so I looked to see if she had released anything I had not read yet and immediately downloaded Goodnight June. I’m about halfway through it now and it was exactly what I was looking for – intriguing, light and entertaining.
Sunday
Sunday morning began with church as we made our return to the church we found before Christmas that we really liked a lot! Chase did well in childcare again and Ryan and I loved the guest pastor’s message.
We arrived home ready for lunch and I made us a butternut squash and curried white bean stew topped with marinated Brussels sprouts that was so, so tasty and perfect for a dreary and chilly afternoon.
After Chase’s nap, our Sunday afternoon took us all over town where we picked up some stuff we needed for various home improvement projects.
We spent the rest of the day working around the house and hanging out as a family before digging into leftover lasagna and Moose Tracks ice cream and calling it a night.
I hope you guys all had a great weekend!!! Thanks so much for stopping by the blog today!
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We’ve been dying to bring our little guy to the Aquarium but the closest one is huge in Boston. It may be a little too nutty for him at 14 months or he’ll love it! Glad you had fun! Happy birthday Sadie!
We really weren’t sure how it would go with Chase but I think the fact that he had space he was able to walk around in without huge crowds was really helpful since he’s so curious and loves to explore independently (with mom and dad right there, of course 😉 ). It was a lot of fun!!! If you decide to go, I hope your little one loves it!
We took out daughter to the Boston Aquarium a few months ago when she was 15 months and she really liked it. We went early on a Sunday and it wasn’t too crowded at all.
That’s great! Thanks for letting me know!
Can you post the recipe for your lasagna? I’ve tried to make it before and it turned out to be a big soupy mess!
Sure!!! I’ll try to remember to measure the ingredients exactly photograph it the next time I make it so I can share it on the blog. It’s a really easy recipe and the one my mom has been making for years! Right now the recipe is more or less notes from my mom which might be confusing to share on the blog but I’ll measure everything out next time so it’s easier to share/understand.
Thank you!!!
What a fantastic weekend!! I’d love to see a recipe for the butternut squash and white bean curry! We’ve been making a batch of rosemary white beans w/ red onion (similar to the ones they serve at Zoe’s Kitchen!) each week, yum!!
I just love Sadie’s outlook on life!! You’re totally right that she is a constant reminder to see the joy in the simple things. I’ve actually been doing that for the past few months and while I’ve always considered myself a happy person, the past few months I’ve been even more joyful (if that’s possible, haha!).
Hope you enjoy your travels later this week! We’re headed to sunny AZ where we’re from and I just can’t wait!!
-Sarah http://www.thefrugalmillionaireblog,com
I’ve always wanted to go to the aquarium, def a great rainy day or winter activity so hopefully I’ll get there soon!
I am currently doing the “KonMari” decluttering method, and it has become an addiction! I feel like things are running so much more smoothly around here without so much “stuff”!
I have yet to tackle my kids “stuff ” aside from their clothes, and that’s going to be the hardest part.
I love the waves in your hair. What do you do to get it that way? I am currently growing my hair out and am looking for style ideas.
Thank you!! I basically wrap my hair around the outside of a curling iron (away from my face) and then hairspray the heck out of it before brushing it out. This was actually day two of curls which I think gave it a more relaxed/wavy look. (Dry shampoo saved my greasy roots. 😉 )
Haha, I was going to ask the same thing! The loose waves in your hair are really cute/pretty!!!
I LOVED the Voyage of the Mimi too! With baby Ben Affleck in it! We actually had a field trip to see the boat that it was filmed on, and of course, we all had to take turns laying in his bed on the boat. Haha Memories.
No way!!! That’s awesome!
We are headed to the aquarium in Chicago next month and I cannot wait to take my water loving boy!
You are GLOWING in that last picture! 😉
I thought the same thing!!!
Watching Voyage of the Mimi was when I first starting crushing on Ben Affleck!
Sounds like a fun relaxing weekend. It’s so nice to have nothing on the calendar sometimes! 🙂 That stew sounds/looks delicious. Do you have a recipe?
I actually started Pretty Girls on Friday after seeing it on your blog… and by the time I got to the end I totally agree with you! I do like a certain element of suspense/even a good murder mystery, but that one really got to me. It went way beyond books like Room or others that are tough to read, but not such a stomach turner. If you have any other good ones let me know, I usually look here for book recommendations!
Happy Birthday Sadie! (I would’ve gone for the pulled pork too! 😉 )
I started to read Pretty Girls last summer and didn’t even finish it. It was waaaaay to violent and disturbing for me. I definitely needed a VERY light and breezy read after that!
You need to try Susan Meissner’s books. I have read her last 3 and they are all soooo good!
How funny – I LOVE aquariums because I also wanted to be a Marine Biologist when I was little, but now I work in communications/pr. Those are such different career paths, I know. Sometimes I wonder if science was more accessible in classrooms, if I would have followed that dream. Hmm….
The aquarium looks like it was a lot of fun. The curried white bean stew sounds delicious!
I’ve always loved the aquarium…anything sea related since I was little too! Looks like a perfect rainy weekend activity! I actually watched the Minimalism documentary this weekend with my husband too! I found the whole thing kind of unrelatable. I agree with what they were saying and I can see how I can apply it to my own life in certain ways. BUT I feel like every person who was talking in that video was like a millionaire who just quit their jobs and did whatever they wanted for a long period of time. To our generation, that’s just not so feasible! That aspect of it was pretty annoying to us!
So funny – we took our 16 month old daughter to Sea Life Kansas City last Thursday! We have the same picture of her in the bubble as you have of Chase. She also absolutely loved it, as fish are her current favorite. Also, it looks like Sadie had a great birthday – pulled pork! Mmmmm!
I just finished watching Minimism and I agree, I was hoping for some more practical ideas that I could use for our home, but I did enjoy learning more about minimalism as an idea (?) and was quite inspired to go through my closets! Sounds like you all had a great weekend! Happy Monday Julie 🙂
Curiously, I just went through Sadie’s challenges over the years and… the girl goes to the right every. single. time. Have you noticed this?
really!?!? no! i don’t think we’ve ever paid attention to it! i wonder if you’re onto something!
One of my favorite moments as a kid was when we went to the Baltimore Aquarium and took a special behind the scenes tour. My cousin was a diver there and arranged for us to come see him and take the tour. We got to see the baby dolphins after the show, walk on the cat walk over the shark tanks, and lots of other cool things. I always love visiting the aquarium and it looks like you guys had a lot of fun 🙂
Aww that video of Sadie is too cute! Our dog was a shelter rescue and I have no idea when her birthday is, but I still think it would be fun to do a challenge like that with her.
Hah! “The Voyage of the Mimi!” Of course I remember those videos! I’m dying!
I love the way you put waves into your hair! Waves go so far to add and keep body in hair. I have a lot of hair and its quick to fall flat, but adding in waves from the scalp down keeps me from looking like Legolas! haha
Happy Birthday Sadie!!! I didn’t finish Pretty Girls. It was way too intense.
You have the cutest family and life. 🙂 I’ve been reading your blog for a long time and you’ve actually inspired me to start my own recently, so thank you! I love reading about what you all are up to and implementing your fitness, nutrition, and lifestyle tips. <3
I love your booties in that last picture – where did you find them? I love the bootie look with the flat heel.
My 2yr old LOVES the Sealife Aquarium – fortunately since we live right next to it, and the ticket purchase is good for unlimited admissions for that day, we can go in the morning, go home for a nice nap and then go back after nap time! Perfect for rainy (or those ridiculously hot) days! It’s the perfect size for toddlers and I was impressed with all of the different aquatic life they have!
ha ha, the Sadie challenge is always fun!! Ha ha, such a fun tradition for you guys! And that first photo of Chase, laughing against Ryan? OMG, so adorable. As is the pic of his little face through the aquarium glass. (I love aquariums, btw).
Ooo…blog post idea for you (only if it sparks your interest, it’s just an idea). But I was noticing how big Chase has gotten, running around on his own now, and I was wondering who he looks like more – does he look like the kid version of Ryan or the kid version of Julie? A post where you share pics of both of you at the same age Chase is now (or whenever, IF ever, you do a post like this.) Anyhow, so cute!
Also, is it just me, or do you also love the SMELL of an aquarium? I do! (for the most part.) Thanks for another great post, it looks like a great weekend!
Love your jeans from Sunday, are they true jeans or more of a jegging? I struggle to find good jeans to wear with ankle booties.
Voyage of the Mimi!!! Just got the opening tune stuck in my head. Ben Affleck’s finest work! :b
Ahh I also accidentally read Pretty Girls and am still disturbed by it!! It was one of those where you had to find out what happened though. I do love a good thriller like Gone Girl etc but this way too much for me. If you like a good mystery that is not as disgusting try The Girls or the Girl in Cabin 10 (usually if girl is in the title its good..)
What a fun family weekend! Ours was very similar- we had friends over on Friday night, fit in some workouts, went to church, got Chipolte as a family and Sunday I went to a girlfriends’ baby shower. Monday came too soon!
That chili looks so good! I’m definitely going to make that. It’s been raining in southern california for days!!!
Family time is the best!
oh my god, that picture of Chase and Ryan is just too much!!!
Love Sadie’s Birthday challenges!
Most of the weekend here was rained out too. 4 day winter storm with wind that didn’t stop for 3 days. So bad the beaches were closed off. Back to sunny skies today!
Gosh I’m jealous of your fun family outings on weekends! Chase is a lucky dude! You guys seem to find time to do things together the three of you every single weekend! It’s amazing! We’re always running around cleaning, grocery shopping, doing house projects, doing laundry, doing meal prep, catching up on work … things that we don’t have time to do during the week. Ah well. I could probably make the time for more fun family adventures if I was strategic about it!
That first picture of Ryan & Chase is sooooo cute.
I just laughed out loud at your Voyage of the Mimi comment, obsessed doesn’t even do it justice! We watched it in school and get this..it’s a YOUNG Ben Affleck…whoooaaa makes me love it more ….lol….
I’m so jealous of all the fun kid activities you have in your city, we’ve been struggling this winter to find cheap and fun things for Sully to do, I know he’d love an aquarium if we had one 🙂
OMG Voyage of the Mimi!! That was the best part of Social Studies! I am sure it is the piece of work that Ben Affleck is the most proud of 😉
My daughter and her fiancé just got their first puppy. I know how much you love Sadie and how “spoiled” she could be! Lol. Just wondered if you had a favorite place you go for her pet toys, supplies, etc? Maybe online? Thank you!