Christmas 2010!

This year's Christmas was an extra exciting Christmas for the Birx families.  Instead of breathing down each other's necks at the Birx homestead in Maryland (a place that we dearly love), we enjoyed a spacious 7 bedroom, 6 bathroom Virginia Beach rental house!  There was plenty of breathing room -- especially for the 12 1/2 grandkids to run around!  Other than the 6 kids and 3 adults who got "the bug," it was a very fun and special time with family (although, that's easy for me to say because none of us WI Birxes got sick -- Sharon and Alisha may say otherwise!).  Tim and Phyllis even brought a real Christmas tree for the house!  I truly do enjoy Daniel's family and realize more and more just what a blessing they all are to me.  I love every single one of them!

The following are some pictures of our time pre, during, and post Christmas... 

The Sunday before we left, Lillian played the piano in our church for the first time!  She played 3 Christmas songs during the offering and did an excellent job!! 

Somewhere in West Virginia on day 2 of our drive out to Virginia Beach, VA

Lillian with a couple of her most favorite people ever -- cousins Hannah and Lydia

Hannah and Lillian enjoying the Christmas tree.  The kids made all the decorations for the tree!

We took a short road trip to Cape Henry.  This is where the English Colonists first came ashore from Britian in 1607, and a year later settled Jamestown, VA.  Notice Daniel and the girls waving from inside!

Lydia and Lillian enjoying the view of the Atlantic Ocean from the top of the lighthouse

The view of the ocean from ground level -- it was a very windy day

The computer station (3 more laptops were hiding somewhere)

Listening intently to Grandpa's story

The cousins enjoying Christmas breakfast together

Unlce Nathan getting that perfect shot while out on a walk with the kids

A calm view before the storm...

... the storm -- a snow storm!  Strange to see snow on the beach!

Nathan and Josh trying to stand their ground

"A Bay Star" covered in SNOW!  Who would have thought?!!

The whole family  :)

After a week in Virginia Beach, we stayed in Maryland with Daniel's parents for about 4 days.  We toured Herr's Potato Chip Factory in Nottingham, PA (we also visited there this past summer).

That same day we also went to the Choo Choo Barn in Strasburg, PA

It was a huge, very detailed, model train display

The cousins enjoying some lunch after a busy morning of driving around Pennsylvania

On our way back home to Wisconsin, we stopped to see my Grandpa Whyte (93!) and his wife, Naomi, in Illinois -- the girls loved seeing Great Grandpa Whyte and Naomi (I enjoyed it, too!)! 

The day after we got home the girls were so excited to open up their gifts from us.  Abigail struck gold with Calico Critters...

Lillian hit the jack pot with "American Girl" accessories...

and Rebecca broke the bank with Fisher Price dollhouse additions!

What did little Rachel get you ask?  Nothing!  The poor thing!  Although she didn't even seem to notice...

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We hope you all had a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

   

Abigail's FIVE!!!

  

 Abigail with her Hello Kitty Castle Cake!

Daniel said it looked like a mosque -- nice -- so I added some ribbons!!

Abigail didn't care.  She loved it!

 

 Daniel took the day off so we went to celebrate at Chuck-E-Cheese!  Fun times!!

 Rachel helping Daddy

 The girls showing off their big prizes.  They each picked a lollipop with the tickets they had earned from playing games.  We won't figure out how much those lollipops really cost...

 Back home Abigail opened up some presents.  Thank you Grandpa and Grandma Birx for the fun puzzle and workbook!!

Our little princess

MORE little princesses!!

 Happy 5th Birthday, Abigail!!

WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!

Where Did September Go?!

Good question!  Take a look and see ...

The girls LOVE hanging out with their friends:  Lillian, Joel and Caleb!!

Lillian recently started taking piano lessons!  She loves her teacher, Mrs. Romportl.  Lillian is doing an excellent job!

A couple weeks ago we attended a nearby Apple Festival.  Here the girls are learning what life was like before washing machines.  Thank you, Lord, for automatic washers and dryers!! 

Daniel taking his little date out on the town  :)

This was taken right before heading downtown to our Fall Festival (different from the Apple Festival!)...

... digging in the sawdust for money ...

... showing off their balloon creations made by Lillian's piano teacher's son (small world!)!

Reading to her little sister

After 3 weeks of Lillian practicing piano on a sheet of paper (I drew a life-size keyboard for her!), she finally got to practice on the real deal!  My DEAR brothers and parents hauled my mom's piano to our house and managed to make it up all our steps without ANY injuries (Daniel helped, too!)!

Almost there!!

Success!!  Lillian loves playing on her new piano...

... and so do her sisters!

Four future pianists!  HA!

After I took that last picture of the girls sitting at the piano, it reminded me of this picture!  So I dug out the picture from a scrapbook and took a picture of it (we don't have a scanner)!  Dan (aka: "Boy"), me, and Mike (aka: "Buckey") from back-in-the-day... 1982ish.  Cute!

Rachel: "Boy, I sure wish Lillian would finish up school so we could go outside and play!" ...

... "YIPPEE!  We made it!!" 

We took our first "Field Trip" to Underwater Adventures at the Mall of America.  They were having a super great discount for home schooling families, so we took advantage of it!!  Grandma Lucy came along as a chaperone!

Lillian finding Nemo  :)

Rebecca found a little creature 

Fascinated by the jelly fish

A girl (well, in this case, 6 girls) can't go to the Mall of America without hitting up a few stores, right?!  I caved in and let the girls get a little something at American Girl.  That store is way too tempting! 

Rachel helping out her big sister with some schoolwork

Some fun pictures of our four giggling girls...

Today Daniel was busy working outside all day, so... Lillian put up signs all around our house for Daddy  :)  The girls sure do love their daddy!

I had a last minute idea of getting some pumpkin pictures today.  It was such a beautiful fall day.

Here is their personal clown at work, helping to get them to smile for the pictures...

Too cute!

I can only imagine what their clown is doing here...

Lillian took this picture (I did a little cropping to center it, otherwise, not too bad!)

There goes that clown again!!

Chuckle being silly...

... there's that smile we love!!

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Happy October!!