Happy Holidays

The "Holiday Season" was quite a fun time for us. We visited with friends and family, ate lots of good food and paraded our little Jacob around to the sound of "Oh! He is adorable!" (It's a scientific fact he's adorable, so don't mistake my comments as a mother's bias. Impossible.)

Thanksgiving

The recipe I used for the rolls said "World's Best Rolls", but JoAnna would only concede to "Iowa's Best Rolls"... I guess we'll have to work up to the World's Best title

Food, glorious food!

Jacob danced the day away...

... while I slaved in the kitchen

("Oven mitt shake" on it!)

The feast!

Jacob discovered this little chair... he loved it!

And he displayed some great musical aptitude, as well

Christmas

Christmas Carols at the Neeley Christmas Eve Recital

Just a real life look at the Neeley Christmas tree... 

apparently  I have some Twilight fans in my family

Getting ready for our Christmas Pageant (I was King Herod)

You can also take note of our high budget costumes...
that's a mini-present on my head for a crown... Classy

"And they were sore afraid"

Not that you would need a caption, because I'm sure this is perfectly clear what scene from the Christmas story is being depicted, but for those of you who aren't well versed in the scriptures: This is the wise men wondering where to find Baby Jesus and evil King Herod trying to trick them and munching on grapes maniacally

Naomi (My cousin's daughter - so my first cousin, once removed?)
is helping Mary and Joseph put baby Jesus to sleep. That's nice. 

The Cast

Christmas Morning!

Jacob got a grill from Nana and Grandpa and loves it!

What's in there?

"I love Christmas!"

The Stair Picture

I told you he was musically inclined...

As you can see it was a Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas!

Hope you had a good holiday season. It's always a little bittersweet to wrap up Christmas, but I'm excited to start a new year. 

Neeley Christmas

Joy Love Story Holiday

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Poor Santa

Does anyone else find these commericals a bit too cruel? Come on, be nice to Santa!

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat...

(Christmas Carol memories, anyone??)

Just a few Culp-tastic updates:

Jacob has been trying his best to be a "helper" in the kitchen. 

He, 100% on his own, shoved his little booty into this sauce pan. 

 

What is happening? He is too hilarious!

Yes, yes, Jacob. Thank you for all of your help.

Robbie is hard at work interviewing for internships for fall. It's similar to a residency; he has to complete so many supervised hours of therapy before he can be a real life psychologist: Dr. Rob. (And write a best selling book, have a syndicated day time talk show and open up his "clinic to the stars", charging $1,000 per hour - he's worth it!). He has interviewed at several places, here in Chicago and all over the country, and we will find out where we "match" in February.

Robbie is spreading Christmas cheer, that's for sure. He wore this hat out Christmas shopping last week. Seriously. I decided to take the picture for documentation after he insisted on wearing it our entire shopping trip. Try to knock down this man's Christmas Spirit, just try. (Also try to ignore Jacob chomping on our "mommy hook"- weird.) 

Am I ever going to get enough of this boy's fur hood? Nope. I'm not. 

Even baby Eskimos get sleepy...

2011 Christmas Card

Sparkle Joy Holiday Card

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Silence is Golden?

I left Robbie and Jacob at home to get some holiday shopping done. (By the way, I love "holiday shopping". Suddenly shopping becomes an official errand. Like going to the post office or buying groceries. I like to hustle and bustle.) I stopped for a snack at a little cafe mid shopping trip. I was alone, so I was totally people watching while enjoying my mini egg and cheese omelet . I must have been there for 15-20 minutes total. There was a couple sitting at the table next to me... just sitting there. They didn't talk to each other the whole time, and they weren't even on their phones or reading a book or anything. Just sitting there. Sometimes looking at each other. What was happening? Were they waiting for a ransom call or something? Or do they just hate each other?

It was weird.

Robbie, I'm glad we can talk about "nothing" rather than sitting in dead silence. Even if we bicker about you biting your nails or me always losing my phone... or about the validity of owning two different sets of Star Wars movies, so we can have both the unaltered theater version and the updated added footage version. (Can you guess what side I'm on?)

"But the original Star Wars is classic, pure...
And the newer versions are the realization of George Lucas' vision..."