Elsa's Door County Birthday

We celebrated Elsa's birthday while we were in Door County. Since her birthday was on Sunday (and we had to be out of the cottage by 11 a.m.), we partied a day early, on Saturday.

Elsa chose Wild Tomato in Fish Creek for her birthday dinner. We'd been there a few days before, and loved their European-style pizza, so this was another one of our favorite spots for the week. Plus they have sangria! And a nice outdoor patio. So Bob and I definitely approved of her choice.

They give out pizza dough for the kids to play with before dinner.

Claire now refuses to eat her food cut up into little pieces if she sees somebody else eating it whole. And she always eats pizza backwards and upside down. I seem to remember Elsa eating it that way too, a few years ago.

For dessert, our waitress brought Elsa a birthday cupcake.

After dinner, Claire and I went back to the cottage so Claire could go to bed, and Elsa got the special treat of staying up super late and going mini-golfing with Bob.

She actually got a hole-in-one on the 7th hole! She kept calling it a "one-in-hole."

And after that, they rode in the go-carts. She called those "go-cards."

After Elsa and Bob got back to the cottage (at 10 p.m.!) we took the flashlights out to the beach for some star-gazing. Unfortunately, the almost-full moon was so bright we couldn't see as many stars as Bob and I did some of the other nights. But we reminisced fondly about when we went to the beach at night in Costa Rica, and I stepped on a crab.

We made Elsa wait until Sunday morning to open her birthday present (which had been hiding out in the car the entire week).

It was a big box of Toy Story figures! She was so excited. Claire was too. (Claire says, or at least tries to say, "Jessie" and "Buzz.")

Happy birthday to our sweet, wonderful Elsa. I can't believe you are four years old! Where has the time gone? You make us so proud, and so very, very happy. We love you to pieces, Elsa Rose.