Murphy Family Has 22 Reasons to be Thankful This Christmas

MORROW, Ga. (MyFOX ATLANTA) – One Morrow family has 22 children and most of the kids have special needs.  On Christmas Day in the Murphy household, there were 22 reasons to be thankful.

Jeannette and John Murphy have four biological children and 18 adopted children, and many have special needs and in particular, Down syndrome.

"I couldn't have asked the Lord for a better life.  This is the life I dreamed of and he dreamed of," said John Murphy.

Now, through the kind acts of others, the Murphys are dreaming of a bigger house with 6,000 square feet to replace the cramped home they've long outgrown.

Video: Murphy Family Has 22 Reasons to be Thankful This Christmas FOX 5's Julia Harding Reports

Kennan Kids Foundation raised the money to build the new house and is still raising money to get the Murphys into their new home.

"The kids are going to have their own closets, in the new house and so much storage that we don't have here.  And everything is going to be so much more organized I know we're going to be able to spend more time with the kids which is what we really want," said Jeanette Murphy.

Jeanette Murphy fixes 72 meals a day for herself, her husband and her 22 kids.  The Murphys grocery bill totals $2,000 a month.  The family goes through four dozen eggs a day. 

That's why they have a freezer in the house to store all their extra food.  When they move into the new home the Murphys will have plenty of room in the kitchen.

"They're actually going to put two fridges in the kitchen, which is going to be amazing, two stoves, two ovens," said Jeanette Murphy.

There are 660 pairs of socks that get washed and sorted every month and the carpets get cleaned 24 times a year.

The Murphys hope to move into their new home in February, which will add one more blessing to their list of 22.

The Murphy family hasn't been without heartache.  The Murphys had a total of 28 children, but six passed away from complications related to Down syndrome or special needs.

For more information on the Murphy family and to find out how to donate, visit http://www.murphyhouseproject.com/.

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