Sweet Sixteen

Maddie turned sixteen today, and it was a really nice day today for her.  We worked hard setting it up, as she wanted a boba tea party, and we were happy to make props, get decorations and get things all set up for her.  The pool card was a last-minute stress, but we got it working in time and all was well.  Mom set up the chocolate fountain and we hung boba tea banners and got strawberries to dip in the fountain.

Maddie started out the morning checking in her Animal Crossing game, and sure enough there was a party there for her, one she was happy to take a screen photo of.  Soon enough, her guests started arriving, and it was a really nice time.  They had pizza, they had the cake, and of course there was the "Happy Birthday" song and all kinds of sweet desserts afterward.  

Of course, there was boba tea, the homemade kind.  And as the gifts were given out, there were gift cards to boba tea and some new plush boba tea friends that have joined our family.  And then there was Boba Bingo too.  I found some artwork online and made a new Boba Bingo game of it, making nine different cards and then the cards that could be randomly shuffled to call out each one so players could put down their pennies as markers.

After that, the pool!  It was super hot today, but the girls had a great time down there at the pool, playing the usual games and just having fun for an hour or two.  It was a really great time!  The girls retreated from the sun after that to head back to the house for a while to close things down, playing Super Smash Brothers, taking pictures and videos, and just having a great time with each other.  It was a really sweet sixteen!

Below are some of the pictures - and a video - from this very nice day.

Of course, this last picture above is not from her sixteenth birthday, but in fact from her second birthday party.  We weren't there for it, but we did send that cake, and we sent gifts, like that stuffed panda that she still has to this day.  That was fourteen years ago, and it's crazy how time has gone by like this.  We've tried to give her the best birthday party we could each year, and ultimately what she's wanted lately was just to have friends over and maybe go to the pool.  It was relaxing, it was fun, and it was a memorable birthday for her, and for us too.  Happy birthday, Maddie!