Author Archive for Julie Paquette



07
Jan
12

Ella’s birthday night!

During the afternoon on Ella’s birthday I brought her Sonic for lunch at school, and brought cookies to her class.

In the evening, we let her pick one friend, Anna, and we took them to Gattiland for dinner!

I’m six!
whooooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!
They were all finally tall enough to drive bumper cars!  This was their favorite by far!

This next picture concerns me, because if I wasn’t so busy trying to get a good picture, I would of realized what a dangerous situation having that baby in the carrier so close to the crazy bowler next door! Ella’s balls were flying everywhere! Thank goodness, no one got hurt!

daddy helps Ella score big points!

Ella was the “score keeper” for Rilyn and Anna. She loved cheering them on!

After Gattiland, we went home to open her “big present”. (Can you tell I like to spread the birthday fun through the whole day?)

This was an empty box. We had set it up upstairs so I told Ella wait until I got upstairs and then she could come up and see her new Tangled Barbie tower!

wow!

Who knew that Rilyn would be even more excited than Ella?!? Having sisters close in age means their presents are your presents too!

YAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
love the clip on hair extension for Rapunzel Barbie!

The tower opens up to reveal three rooms to play in.

play time!

Can’t wait for Ella’s Tangled party!!

06
Jan
12

Ella’s birthday morning

We always start our children’s birthdays with waking them up holding a birthday donut/kolache lit up with candles and singing to them!  Ella’s birthday was on a school day so it was too early for her to wake up!

trying to wake up…!
still trying…
blowing out her six candles!

Then our kids get to bust through lots of crepe paper to get to the kitchen to eat their breakfast treat!

At breakfast, the kids get to read their birthday cards from me and James and open a couple presents. I don’t remember when, but somehow, (I just can’t imagine why?!?) James and I turned making homemade birthday cards for our kids into a competition. This year, I’m pretty sure I won. 😉  I might have spent some extra time on the crafting blogs and found a super fun idea! So, here are our cards…(mine is the super cute one…okay, they are both cute, but mine is the bigger one and bigger is always better, right?!)  We both chose Tangled cards because Ella will be having a Tangled party on Saturday!

Now here is why mine is so fun: I found this blog where it showed how to make a “scratch off card”. So easy too! I made the windows on the tower scratch-offs for Ella to use a coin and see who is in each window!

scratching, scratching, scratching…

Look who is in the tower!

“I love mommy’s card best!”  jk, she didn’t say that, but she might of been thinking it.  😉

Ella with one of her presents!

here’s to hoping I didn’t just give Ella a future of cavities!
05
Jan
12

sweet six

Our Ella bella turns six today!  My prayer for her this year is that she will accept Jesus as her personal Savior and I am hopeful that she will.  Here is an e-mail written to me by her kindergarten teacher in November.

“I just wanted to take the time and tell you how much Ella has been an inspiration this week!  She has been carrying her prayer card around the classroom and trying her hardest to memorize every word. She looks at it, and concentrates on the words and the meaning. Other kids see her doing this and ask “what are you doing? what is it about?” She explains, to the best of her ability, the word of God. I feel blessed that she can do this, because I cannot (in the public school setting). It is amazing to see a five year old do this!”

Getting that e-mail made this momma so happy!!

Happy Birthday to our silly, funny, beautiful, cuddly, smart, compassionate, obedient, and loving daughter!!

August 2006-8 months old
03
Jan
12

Top 5 posts of 2011

I love all the “year in review” stuff, so here is my blog’s top 5 posts of 2011 (Funny that only 2 out of the 5 are written in 2011)!  You will notice too, that 4 out of the 5 are from Christmas (and some past Christmas’!)!  I feel blessed that God could use my little blog to spread ideas of how to keep Christ as the focus at Christmas!

1.  Shepherd’s Pouches–  Wow, I had no idea that just adding a picture to an idea that I borrowed from Noel Piper would take off!  Pinterest, Tip Junkie, and A Holy Experience (they put my link up at Christmas under “The Ponderings” on their side bar) were the machines that took this post off and running!

2.  Ella’s First Haircut–  This just makes me laugh, because this post was written in May of 2008!  Ella’s picture is on the top row in google images if you type in “toddler girl haircuts”, so that is why I get so many hits on this post every year!

3.  Happy Birthday Jesus Cake–  This one is another old post, written in 2009, but Tip Junkie (tradition #9), and Google (my blog comes up 2nd when you type in “happy birthday jesus cake”) has helped keep it alive!

4.  Our Jesse Tree–  I wrote this post in 2010 when I first heard about it.  Love this tradition so much!!!

5.  Edible Nativity–  I owe this idea to Pinterest!   Tip Junkie also picked it up from my blog and helped spread the idea!

02
Jan
12

new photo shoot!

I took pictures of some cousin lovin’ yesterday!  To see more, click here.

01
Jan
12

a new year and no naps

Happy New Years!  It’s going to be another year of big changes for me.

2011 was the last year of diapers in 7 straight years of buying them.  Praise God!  I’m still basking in that joy…freedom from diaper bags is bliss!

2012 is the year that naps are gone.  I have had to build “naptime” in my schedule for the last 7 1/2 years and it’s now time for Asher to stop napping.  This is good and bad of course.  Now I’m challenged on how to find “me time” if there is even such allowance anymore.  The positive side is we don’t have to stop whatever we are doing during the day to drive home for his nap.

New Years Resolutions-I am not fond of them.  I’m pretty sure I’ve never made any.  I like things I can check off my list in a timely manner.  Something that could take a year to accomplish is frustrating for me.  I did hear something on the radio this past week though that I liked instead of making resolutions.

Choose a word and use it as a filter for everything you go through in 2012.

So my word for 2012 is HOPEFUL.

I am a realist, (some would call me a pessimist), at heart.  I pretty much always look at things as “it probably won’t happen like I want it to”.  I’m an achiever, not a dreamer.  I don’t take the time to enjoy things, I take pleasure in getting the things done.  I like to check off that I read the Bible/prayed, not to find joy in spending time/listening to my Lord.  This year though, I want to look at things and my relationships with others and most importantly, Jesus, with HOPE.

Hopeful that we will raise enough money to go to the Dominican Republic with Rilyn and Ella in July.

Hopeful that my son will learn to obey his parents.

Hopeful that my son will sit still long enough for a Bible story.

Hopeful that my middle child will come to know Jesus as her Savior this year.

Hopeful that I will be a more respectful wife.

Hopeful that my photography skills will improve.

Hopeful that I will spend more time playing with my children.

Hopeful that I will see the Bible Study I’m in for the spring not as a burden, (as in LOTS of homework), but as a blessing (as in LOTS of time getting to know my Father through His Word).

Hopeful that my oldest daughter will find a best friend who loves Jesus.

Hopeful for health for my family and extended family.

Hopeful that I will go to the gym 3 days a week and eat healthier…hey, I’m already starting to become a dreamer!  Look at that!  😉

Hopeful that all things in 2012 are happening not to me, but for me, and for His Glory.

31
Dec
11

new photo shoot

I got to photograph this beauty on Tuesday!  Click here to see all the extended family!

30
Dec
11

christmas at grandma’s

Christmas afternoon we drove up to Temple to celebrate with my family.  Here are the four grandkids in front of all the stockings!  Next Christmas there will be one more!  My brother and his wife are having baby #2 in June!!!

Not sure what Rilyn is so happy about, but it probably has to do with opening presents!

grandpa with his girls
Ella watching the boys play with their new cars
one of Ella’s favorite gifts!  To wear at her 6th Tangled birthday party!
Rilyn getting a reward chart to play school at home!
daddy showing Asher his new Cars 2 Leapster game!
29
Dec
11

Christmas morning

We came home from Fort Worth on Christmas Eve and went to our church’s Christmas Eve service.

Christmas Eve

Christmas morning was unusual this year because Asher decided this was the one morning all year where he was going to sleep in! So after we waited and waited, we finally decided to wake him up at 9:30!

sleepy head!

Then we did stockings! The kid’s shepherd’s pouches were replaced with their traditional stockings that I made for them filled with goodies! They made $18 this December in their shepherd’s pouches (Asher was too young to participate.) My favorite part was their public school teachers e-mailing us throughout the month with actions they saw at school that showed a servant’s heart. Both teachers really got into it and I loved that we could share this experience with them! Sadly, the girls didn’t have enough money to buy a goat this year, but they had enough to buy a chicken!  I can’t wait to do this tradition next year!

Christmas morning!

This is my favorite picture of Christmas! We give our kids three gifts each. This was Rilyn’s “spiritual growth” gift. We bought her a nice Bible (with her name inscribed on the front in rainbow colors of course!) and a journal. Do I love my Bible this much? Convicting.

The girls both got nice ear phones for their “need” present b/c James gave them his old ipod.

Asher’s “want” gift was a wall track! He loves it so far and I’m just happy he can’t step on it!

race track!

After presents, we normally eat birthday cake for Jesus, but this year, I made cupcakes!

blowing out the candle!

I still put the layers in them (as best as I could) to represent our sin (chocolate layer), His blood (red layer), our new life in Him (green layer), and His purity and righteousness that covers us (white frosting).

James enjoyed a cupcake too!

After the birthday breakfast, we put the last ornament on the Jesse Tree and read Luke 2. A star to represent that our waiting is over! Jesus is born! The star is shining, the angels are singing, the shepherds are worshiping. Our savior is here!

our Jesse tree
28
Dec
11

a props kind of christmas!

Last Friday we celebrated Christmas with James’ family!  I think the theme this year could be summed up in one word:  Props.  Lots of wigs, hats, and just silliness!

We set up a fun photo booth to show off all the props!

aunt Mandy and Ella
crazy sisters
me and James!

Christmas dinner Paquette style!

present time!
now she can make her own spa masks!
Happy Napper from Justice!