McDonnell Place

Tuesday, July 24, 2007

The McDonnell Diaries

Recently, I have been reading a book entitled The Reagan Diaries. It is an incredible look into the life of President Ronald Reagan during his tenure in office. He kept a diary everyday he was in office (except for the few days in the hospital he spent after he was shot).

One thing that has really stuck out to me throughout his diary entries is that everytime his wife, Nancy, has to leave his side to go on some sort of "First Lady"-like mission, Reagan talks about how lonely he is and that the lights in the White House seem "much dimmer now that she has left." Likewise, he also states that the White House lights "are much brighter and more welcoming now that Nancy is back."

It does not fail that every time Nancy is away throughout his 8 years as president that he will mention it in his diary.

Well, I think I know he feels. Katie and the kids left today for Ocala, FL so that Katie could do a couple of photo shoots. The lights around the McDonnell House are definitely dimmer if I even get up the energy to turn them on.

Reagan was most definitely on to something.

Lonely in Apopka,

Shaun McDonnell

Friday, July 13, 2007

How to Cool Off on a Hot July Day

It was 99 degrees coming home from the grocery store and a storm was a'brewing. Veins of lightening buzzed above us and warm gusts blew us to our front door. Amazing it can be storming and still so HOT.

But I'm good now because the next best thing to submerging yourself in a cool body of water: a mint chocolate chip milkshake. Fill a cup with Edy's Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream and then fill about half way with your baby's whole milk from the fridge, mix with a spoon till smooth and frothy and VOILA! You're halfway to Heaven.

Labels: food for thought

Tuesday, July 10, 2007

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Just got back from a quick jog to the store. (By jog I mean car ride, which is never really that quick with 3 kids to load and unload.) 10:30 in the morning and ninety degrees out there! Fshew!

I wonder how our caterpillars are doing in their small, plastic sauna on the back porch: the bug catcher, courtesy of Uncle Tom and Aunt Meredith. We found them yesterday inching around the pool. What amazes me about those little boogers is that Evan had been asking for nearly a week if I would please find him a caterpillar in the yard. I knew I wouldn't be able to- had only seen one months ago, by chance, near the sandbox, and finally told him they were out of season- they were all butterflies right now, (Shaun's idea.) So the discovery of not one but TWO caterpillars yesterday morning was something. That they came to us and we didn't have to search them out, was even more.

I'll confess, I was pretty unhappy about the garden getting mildew and Evan never getting to see them bear fruit. I tend to be disheartened toward the LORD very easily now a days. The up-side to that, as I see it, is that I strongly recognize all things as coming through, by, or from Him. The down-side, is that I also tend to neglect the reality that He knows better than me what is good, and also that I should simply be grateful and overjoyed that my every sin is forgiven, and realize mildew is QUITE relative. (Of course this faith-battle for me doesn't end with mildew but every heart-breaking headline I hear and personalize, which is why His faithfulness in bringing us caterpillars means so much to me...)

He hears our every thought and knows our every longing. He is good enough to credit us for holding Him responsible, and what's more, He's also good enough to not hold us responsible for our ever doubting Him. He rewards our right thinking without punishing our every wrong thought. He credits us with righteousness for every act of faith, no matter how small, but forgives our every doubt and sin.

The caterpillars are not only eating the grass we gave them and living, but one is weaving a cocoon around himself! Call me dramatic and over-the-top, but surely goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives and I will dwell in the house of the Almighty forever!

Labels: soul food

Friday, July 06, 2007

Little Slice of Heaven

Baked Beans on ruffled Lays potato chips with an all-beef Oscar Meyer dog made just so: mustard, mayo, ketchup, and 4 dill pickles- washed down with a tall glass of sweet tea on a hot July day.

Labels: food for thought

Monday, July 02, 2007

Hey, Judy. It's me, Hannah

If you know my husband, you know he must have the latest of all affordable (and sometimes unaffordable) technology. You may remember our rotating Christmas tree that would light in color, white, or both. Or our light switches that turned on and off by remote with a loud whap in the wall. Or all the wires that hung like laundry lines around our basement apartment in Chicago.

Well, one of our most recent household additions has been this program that translates our voicemails into text emails. It's pretty right on, surprisingly, though not perfect. For example, here is a message my grandmother, "Nana," just left on the phone...

Hey, Judy. It's me, (Hannah?). (Quickly?), I want you to be thinking about ideas for Jack's birthday. I have no (earthly?) idea of what to get for little (Frank?). I was thinking of maybe a ride in (??), or something like that. But I don't know what you believe (??). So, I will call you later on today and see if you thought of anything, okay? I will talk to you later. I love you. Bye

Labels: family, humor, shaun, technology