Heaven Joy

For those of you who don't know we coined that phrase when Murphy was a tiny baby because those were the words that came to mind when we were with him.  Well, the more we said it the more it started to kind of stick.  At school and various other places where we are regulars, no one even bats an eye when I call Murphy "Joy " for short and he toddles over my way.
This weekend was exactly that...Heaven Joy all summed up, with a sweet Tink on top.  This is our 3rd Christmas with Murphy and our second with our tink-and let me tell you it was the most special yet.  We didnt hear much of the sermon Christmas Eve (fortunately for us it's online)...but here are a few things we did  do...
-We read a special devotional in December together that I think will become a Culpepper tradition
-Spent time praying for what we are thankful for and praying for some very special friends of ours
-We heard Madden actually scream when she walked in the den Christmas morning
-We watched our two little ones take off in their new wheels over and over and over and over and over
-We all laughed when Clay swore up and down NO one in this house was getting a car at 16!
-We spent time with loved ones and laughed together and loved every minute of
-We laughed so hard at ridculous jokes in our Christmas Eve poppers-but we laughed even more when we realized how big the boys' heads are at the kids' table...Geez....what on earth!?
-We talked about how special this weekend was to each of us and how blessed we are...
-We did video lots of special moments-the funny thing is that between our other two cameras it really looks like the paparazzi came to Christmas with the Culpeppers
-We got a new camera for Momma's purse-it was time for an upgrade for my "take everywhere camera" so LOTS more to come...I know everyone's thrilled at the thought of more thorough documentation.
-We laughed at the fact that I got a mitre box for Christmas and was excited
-We put everything Christmas away in its place yesterday and we shuttered at the thought of Daddy going back to the office
-We rejoiced over good news from far away
-We can't begin imagine what next year will be like with the babies-all I can think of is Heaven and Joy.

ok everyone, next year you have got to go to this house off Neshoba Santa comes every night for hot chocolate and pictures with reindeer too!

Hmmm uncle Bo and a present her cheeks probably hurt from smiling

tink can open a present with the best of them-took NO time to get the hang off it.

Is that Elmo?  Now maybe Madden will leave the displays in stores in tact because she HAS HER OWN!

This is just before desert=adults have been wearing their crowns for a WHILE

Funny thing about the kids table-only the girls could wear the crowns-all the boys broke theirs with their extra LARGE heads-so weird there are so many in one family.

Note the crown (desert is over) this is Madden's heaven joy.  Reading a book in Skipper's lap, if you can't find her, look for Skipper.

Some of Santa's loot minus a rather large cardboard house that took the place of our coffee table, wow Santa rearranging furniture and everything

That's right you just put everything on right over your jimmy jams

CC and Skippers-not sure who was more excited CC and Skipper or the babies

And they're off...picture Clay standing back telling them now these will have to suffice for a LONG time because no one is driving at 16...we'll see how that goes.

So Madden moved on to everyone else's gifts, and if something is missing check one of CC's purses

Her face says it all...

And a merry merry kiss for a very special uncle

See daddy, you took my car away but I can still drive Bubbas!

There is no way for me to put into words the magic I see in this picture, well I guess Heaven Joy works

The thing about this time of year...

is that for some reason without a doubt it makes me look back at the year before.  I was looking at pictures from Christmas last year and its really unbelievable what a difference a year makes.  This has really been a year for thankfulness.  Thankfulness for special friends and family who act as "shepherds" in our lives.  Thankfulness for time with our loved ones, and the opportunity to grow together.  Thankfulness for the grace that we received by no works or actions of our own. 
As a quick aside...I am including a picture of PROOF.  The thing about Tink...is that she is a bit of a hoarder.  When she runs out of places to stash her treasures she has taken to shoving them in her footed jimmy jams-sometimes they stay there all night because they go undetected-take a look at the collection I found this morning when she woke up-it can't be comfortable to sleep with these things in the legs of your jimmy jams-but she never makes a peep when her 7 (yes 7) friends manage to make it to bed with her. 
As time goes on we see more and more of these little personalities forming and growing into the individuals God has planned for them to become.  Its amazing, they are so different yet there is such a special bond between them already there...I am thankful beyond comprehension for that special relationship.

Just wanted to share a bit of what's going on at our house before the onslaught of Christmas craziness-today in Jesus Calling we read "Nurture well your trust in Me as Savior, Lord, and Friend.  I have held back nothing in My provision for you.  I have even deigned to live within you!  Rejoice in all that I have done for you, and My Light will shine through you into the world."

When I look in the rearview mirror...

Here is a picture of what I see...and I have to say it is one of the most precious things I could ever imagine. It's been a crazy couple of weeks with two coughing babies and a lot, make that a ton of time at home.  We did manage to get a trip in to the Enchanted Forrest with some friends-which made for our third major meltdown for Miss Madden-Murphy has gotten much better with every encounter...Madden not so much.  We want to wish everyone a very special time with their friends and family this week.  Please make sure you love on your loved ones and pray for those who are going through difficult times right now.  More to come from the Culpeppers....

BB came to see us-and yes we are still in our Jimmy Jams after lunch...

The first present Murphy got to open was from sweet Robb-and we've been playing trucks ever since!

Madden got a huge zoo with animals from sweet Kate!

Is there another way to eat a cupcake?

HO, HO, NO!

Good grief Saturday was a last ditch effort to get "THE Christmas" picture...HA.HA.HA.  Without further adieu here is the documentation of the babies and their visit with Santa 2010.  We have been talking about this for weeks, our elf "Mr. Pickles" is here, we have read the books, looked at the pictures...we were READY.  We even say Ho Ho Ho (well not now that we know about the scary guy who coined the phrase).  In their defense, both babies had double ear infections and Santa was late...thank goodness for the delicious chocolate covered waffle while we oh so patiently waited.  While it was traumatic, going to see Santa is almost like a right of passage for the season...we'll start preparing now for next year.  Sweet babies are totally over the scary guy with the beard for now!

Madden at the grocery store with me while Murphy was at school-she has her purse of course.

Its all fun and games until the Big guy makes his entrance

Stories are good...from a distance

Skipper-thank goodness

really?  A huge lollipop and white dress, good idea mom.

I bet this guys day only gets better

NIGHTMARE

Psalm 118:24 - "This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it."

So I have to admit, if we had gone with the original plan to have Thanksgiving at 1-well I feel certain the Culpeppers would have been "no shows"...Murphy was exhausted all morning-he went down for an early nap and voila I had not 1 but 2 well behaved turkeys at the 4pm Thanksgiving celebration!  We were so proud of our little ones-they even said gobble gobble a few times.  What a special day we had celebrating everything we have to be thankful for...Clay and I keep a notebook of "blessings and answered prayers" (even when they aren't the answer we ask for)...it's incredibly powerful to look back and read through this little notebook in the kitchen drawer...you wouldn't believe the things you become aware of when actually start to look for them....

This is the reaction when Skipper stops "to have a coke with us at lunch"

This is actually Paddington's birthday hat, not sure how it ended up on the tink's head

For some reason uncle Sweet Pea makes Murphy really sleepy sometimes

More relaxing....

Emily was home for the weekend-YAY!

There's CC!

And after dinner...out came the pony, where does Lovey keep such things?

Tink might be having a bit too much fun...

Just a little chat with my Joy