McDonnell Place

Wednesday, August 31, 2005

available for your viewing

The rest of the wedding pictures are now available for viewing here.

I'll post some rehearsal shots and some from our visit with Eric, Annika, and baby Jack later on...not that you're all on pins and needles or anything! ;) Man, is that baby Jack a cutie-pie, though! And he smelled so sweet, too!!!

It was great seeing you guys...thanks for making the drive! It meant so much to us...I missed you again the moment you all left!

some wedding shots...more to come...

CONGRATULATIONS, Shannon and Steve!!!

loosen up

some of the wedding party

Madalyn and Aunt Cici

shannon and shaun

runaway flowergirls

Shannon and Evan

Evan with the bride

Madalyn with the bride

Tuesday, August 30, 2005

I Know

It seems that some "anonymous" blogger decided to post a nasty comment on Katie's last post and the saddest thing about this comment is that it is someone we know.

How do I know this? Let me count the ways:

1. Only someone close to us could have known that Katie's dad was not invited to Evan's birthday party.

2. There is no such thing as an anonymous post and therefore, I know who posted the comment. Every computer connected to the internet carries with it a unique ID called an IP Address (Internet Protocol Address) and I was able to track down the IP address of the computer that the comment was posted from. I will tell the general public this much: I routed the IP Address to a computer located in Central Florida that was connected to the internet via America Online (AOL) and then I tracked it down to the America Online account that posted the message.

However, because I was raised a decent human being who respects other human beings (even though they might be the most pathetic human being on earth) I am not going to out this person. It is already plainly obvious to the public that the person who posted the comment is a pathetic coward who is unable to communicate his or her true feelings in a way that might be helpful. This person is selfish. This person is rude. This person cares only for itself. This person has no self respect and therefore deserves no respect. This person is mean-spirited. This person is wrong. We still and always will love this person.

However, I demand that this person call Katie immediately and apologize. You haven't seen the tears that I have in the past. You haven't seen the heartache that I have seen in the past. And you comment shows how out-of-touch you are with this family. Your anonymity is guaranteed no matter what; but, I demand an apology with no excuses to follow it.

We now return to our regular scheduled blogram.

Shaun

Thursday, August 25, 2005

Evan Turns Three

Party bags and cups

His real birthday is in five days, on the 30th, but we had Evan's kid-party last Saturday in Ocala with his "Ocala friends." We missed all of the kids who lived here, though; Kaley, Eli, Sarah, Ryan, and Abigail were asked about and missed. Next year we'll have to party-hard here in town!!

the waste...after cutting out who-knows-how-many fish-shaped sandwiches

gettting ready for the party

Evan and mommy swimming before the guests arrive...big mistake...Evan wore out too soon! :/

David and Georgina's beautiful yard and pool

Macon and Honey

Julie

Madalyn just after gettting her ring...Shaun can push her down and she'll swim and grab the ring off the bottom...she LOVES doing it, too. Wants to be just like big brother.

Julie

Ainsley, just before making a splash

Madalyn and her innertube

i'm sorry, but is this not one of the funniest things you've ever seen?

Julie and Grace

Macon

Madalyn chowing down on her fish-shaped pbj and juice...she's got that cup down, eh?

Evan's cake

blowing out the candles

pleased with himelf

proud of himself for blowing out all the candles

time to eat...

Mason

getting some ice cream

Donna Jane and Madalyn. I think this is so funny because madalyn has a bottle cap velcroed to her swimsuit. Who knows when it fell off.

Ainsley's Nana says she loves baby dolls...and the real thing is even better. She is always SO sweet to Madalyn...look how she has her hand up protectively...I have like 6 shots with her hand there!

prima ballerina, Ainsley, eating her cake

Grace and Madalyn having a visit on Chris's lap.

Daddy enjoying his cake

swimming to the edge...again, and again, and again...

I told you she eats everything!

a big "thank you!!!" to David and Georgina Kuhn, who let us have Evan's party at their home.

Surfer Girl

pool princess

opening a gift from Grace

a thank you kiss

Sunday, August 21, 2005

happy birthday, mops!!!

Dear mom,

Remember that nickname? It's been awhile. I guess that would have been my personal equivalent to John's "woman!"

We enjoyed seeing you very much. As usual, you spent your birthday doing things for everyone but yourself. It didn't go unnoticed or unappreciated. You're a role model for all grandmothers, and mothers, too, for that matter.

I mean sure, (let's be honest here and admit that) there've been times when I desperately wished your unwanted, mother of an opinion away (pun intended.) But in all fairness, I also know for a fact that there were many times you must've all but sewn your tongue to the roof of your mouth you were biting on it so firecely in order to let me live and learn...you probably have a permanent scar. Thanks for being who you are, and being ours.

We hope you had a wonderful evening out and look forward to seeing you here tomorrow. I'll close with two of your favorite words: "drive carefully!"

Katie

Friday, August 19, 2005

1st step after breaking something? get an alibi

There is a foreign object, (at least foreign to me,) sitting on the breakfast table. It looks like it was torn from some part of our apartment, but I have no idea where from, nor what it is.

I ask, "What is this? Evan, where did this come from?"

Evan, (who watched part of Aladdin the other night for the first time,) grins like the Cheshire cat and promptly answers, "The genie put it there."

Does this mean he's told his first lie?

I think we'll cut him slack based on creativity. Eventually that point system will fail us, but today I just have to give him credit...it was just too clever...

Thursday, August 18, 2005

overheard while shopping at target today

"Madalyn, no...no, no, Madalyn. We have to pay for it first. That's it. Gooood boy, Madalyn! There you go. That's a sweet boy, Madalyn...sweeeet boy."

Wednesday, August 17, 2005

best buddies

siblings

Evan

she's catching up

eating grapes

Madalyn mistook them for bouncy balls and kept trying to bounce them on her highchair tray.

"Baaaall!" she would marvel just before popping one past her pink lips.

Edible bouncy balls. Can life get any better?

(Oh, by the way and interestingly enough, grapes and raisins look exactly the same in a diaper; like small brown balloons. Fascinating!)

Evan also decided to munch on a grape, and then there unfolded a miracle right before our very eyes, when he exclaimed "there's little candy inside there!" and went on to eat an entire bowl of them!!!

*If you are missing the miracle, let me refer you back to our April Archives, when the child was praised for eating a chicken nugget because anything was better than the literal Ritz cracker, applesauce, and yogurt diet he'd restricted himself to for over a year!! Now he eats oranges, bananas, apples, and GRAPES!! In addition to all of the usual kid-favorites, such as Mac n Cheese and chicken nuggets. And he's sooo proud of himself.

Yay, Evan! I knew you could do it...after all the praying together and kicking screaming fits, and starving yourself before tasting something new...I think it's safe to say you've arrived, sweet boy!! You can do anything and everything!! (Phil. 4:13)

Tuesday, August 16, 2005

the van zuthem kids

Sarah

These are my friend Kelly's kids. Sarah is exactly six months older than Evan, and Ryan exactly 6 months younger than Evan. They came over this afternoon and he was in HEAVEN.

RYan

Sarah and Evan playing "Nigh-night"

Kelly and Alex

Alex

Alex's dimples