Jimmy took the day off of work on Friday because we planned a family day! We started the day off with coffee and then visited the National Aviary.

We really hyped up this outing to Sadie all week and by Friday morning she kept saying “The birds!” on repeat, except it came out as “Da bwirds,” which was adorable.

We walked past the flying foxes (aka the largest species of bats) and I was shocked at how large they are. If you aren’t weirded out by bats, Google pictures of flying foxes. One of the workers told us they’re really friendly, which made me a little less afraid of them, lol.

Sadie’s favorite birds were the flamingos and owls. I liked listening to the canaries, and Jimmy thought the toucans were cool. It totally amazes me that God not only made birds, but so many different varieties of birds, all with such unique features and needs. I think seeing so many in one place had me like “Whoa, God is really creative.”

The National Aviary is such a neat place. I think what I love the most is that each exhibit mimics the bird’s natural habitat. Going to see the macaws didn’t feel like we were looking at parrots in a cage; it felt like we entered a lush, warm tropical rainforest and just so happened to stumble upon some beautiful macaws.

It’s a totally immersive experience, which makes it easy to forget you’re in the middle of a bustling city.

Last time we visited the Aviary with Sadie, she was only a few months old. We took a picture by the condors and decided to recreate it two years later.

After our exciting morning out, we went home and hung out while Sadie napped. Once she was awake in the late afternoon, we headed to Build-A-Bear! She received a gift card for Christmas, so we figured our family day was the perfect day to use it.

I had never actually been through the Build-A-Bear process, but it’s really cute! It involves picking a character or animal to stuff (Sadie was so confused by deflated-looking animal shapes before they were stuffed, haha), putting a heart in it, and optional things like adding sounds, scents, clothing, and accessories.

Sadie picked her favorite Paw Patrol character, Skye. She totally decked her out with a pink dress, collar, leash, and pup pack. I liked that it was an experience and she was able to bring something home to remember the outing.

She thought she was pretty cool walking out of the mall with Skye in her new “home.” 😎

All in all, it was a great day! We usually do a family night each month, but having a whole day together every once in a while is very special 🥰