Only One Hundred Years to Go Until Her Eleventy-First!

If you're wondering why a post about Susannah's eleventh birthday contains more pictures of food than it does of the giggly, birthday girl, it's because I spent the majority of the day in the kitchen.  It paid off, though. We all agree that Susannah's eleventh birthday may have been the yummiest one yet.


Birthday breakfast was bierocks and apple hand pies with hardboiled eggs and fruit.

Too many cooks in the kitchen!!!

While food baked, Susannah opened her gifts from Millie, so here's a brief glimpse of the birthday girl.

But wait!  They're done!  On to pictures of the golden bierocks!

...with a brief interlude of us singing to this dimpled girl.

Back to the second batch of hand pies!!!

And close-ups of birthday food, for a someday post on buildabelly.

Oops.  I forgot to take pictures of the stew and  bread bowls we ate for supper.  You can console yourself with pictures of Susannah opening gifts after supper.

What of the birthday dessert?  Back to food!  Susannah decided against cake and went with banana split sundaes.  Millie made the most delicious sauces-- caramel, gooey fudge, and peanut butter-- while I made berry sauce, whipped cream, crushed cookies, and gathered sprinkles and cherries...for sprinkles with a cherry on top. 

Oh, yes, here's Susannah again, trying to steal the spotlight from her banana split sundae.

Just so you know, the only reason one should spend nearly an entire birthday in the kitchen is out of love for a tender-hearted, sensitive, deep-thinking, giggly, little Bird who just turned eleven.  She is a joy to know, and it's a gift to watch her grow, a delight to share in her voiced musings, a true pleasure to see her develop gifts and speak wishes and wonderings about the future.  I can't want to see what the next 100 years will bring, my sweet.

(And then the hordes advanced.)