Author Archive for Julie Paquette



28
Oct
11

flashback Friday-Halloween at my house

We always “did it up” for Halloween every year.  Especially when I got into jr. high and wasn’t going trick or treating anymore.  I claimed it my duty to decorate the front of the house and pass out candy.

Remember on Monday I said I wasn’t afraid of gruesome?  Well, check out the balcony of our house.  Yep, I taped half a plastic knife to an old doll and taped red paper around it as blood.  Nice.  If I was a mom in my neighborhood, I wouldn’t go up to my house!  Geesh!

And I still “dressed up”. You can see me with one of my friends here (and my little sis!), passing out candy. Painted face, glow in the dark bat boxers (yes I wore men’s boxers that day), pumpkin antenna, pumpkin socks…

I wish I could see the faces of those kids!
27
Oct
11

how not to buy candy on Halloween

Yes, we eat too much fast food in our house.

I’m probably trying to make excuses for why I have SO MANY kids meal toys accumulated over a year, but it’s true that every time we get fast food, I order 4 kids meals, (I get one too), and that equals 4 small toys that I don’t want in my house.  When I look at the two bags below (the girls separated them into boy and girl toys), I shudder to think all of that could of been littering my house right now.  But instead, right after Halloween last year, I started collecting the kids meal toys.  My kids first whined about it, but then they realized how fun it will be to pass out toys this Halloween!  They will be like little elves!  😉

So Happy Halloween local trick or treaters!  You get a kids meal toy from our house!  I know it will not be the parent’s most favorite thing to see in their kid’s bag, but at least it won’t rot their teeth!  😉  (And hopefully it will discourage grown kids from trying to trick or treat at my house!)  No candy here…

26
Oct
11

another use for pipe cleaners!

I have to give a shout out to James who did such a great job doing the girls’ hair for “Crazy Hair and Totally ’80s Day” at school yesterday!  What a good daddy!  (I have Bible study on Tuesday mornings at 6 a.m. so I couldn’t be there to “stylize”, but I did give him a quick tutorial on what I wanted the night before!) Yay for pipe cleaners!

25
Oct
11

new photo shoot

Who knew that 13 years after meeting James’ suite mate in Dunn Hall at Texas A&M, I would be photographing his three kiddos who live down the street from me?!?  God is BIG.  His plans are crazy AWESOME.  Click here to see the rest!

24
Oct
11

first gruesome Halloween party!

Leave it to my parents to introduce my kids to their first gruesome Halloween party!  😉  I think because my dad is a doctor, blood and guts are not that scary, but rather a reality.  😉  And you will see on my flashback Friday this week, that I didn’t mind the gore either growing up!  Anyway, after Rilyn’s cheer competition on Saturday, my parents drove my kids back to Temple to take them to another doctor’s Halloween party that was “for the kids”.  (Mom, I’m fine with what they saw, I just think it was funny that this party was marketed for young kids!)

Harmless enough…a “haunted house”

I can hear my mom now, “stand in front of the gruesome corpse kids!” Asher isn’t so sure…

In this graveyard, it looks like all my kids are ready to get outta there!

And Asher is running from the spooky house! Hehe, this picture of him cracks me up!

ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!

Now for some family fun! My dad drove the “train” around the property full of kids. Not sure why Asher is sitting with some random girl and not Ella. Rilyn is in the front with grandpa.

Ella was the one who broke the spider pinata (chopped off his head!) therefore we now have a broken spider pinata in our house as a “trophy”. 🙂 I think she is posing with the party host.

The kids had a lot of fun with a hayride and play equipment too. The week before Halloween is always one big party around here! Lots of sweets and fun! Stay tuned!

*Some pictures were left out to keep this post PG.   (Seriously, there was a grim reaper with a rifle pointed at the kids!!)?!?!?!

23
Oct
11

Rilyn’s cheer competition!

Yesterday was Rilyn’s cheer competition!  This is like their “recital”.  Her age group is not judged competitively, but they still give them “scores” so they know what to work on.  Rilyn got to be part of the stunts this year, and if you ask her, that is her favorite part of the routine!

getting ready to start!

Rilyn is in the center of the picture

Go Falcons!
Rilyn on the top of the pyramid
Rilyn is on the top right of the pyramid
her team after their routine
flowers from daddy and hugs from grandma and grandpa!
22
Oct
11

Happy Saturday!

I was in charge of the “photo booth” at the Manor Elementary “Carnival” last night!  It’s funny how some people really love photo booths with silly props and then others…well, they were forced to put something on by their parents.  Happy Saturday everyone!

18
Oct
11

new photo shoot!

If you want to see one of the cutest outfits to wear at the pumpkin patch, click here to see the rest of this darling’s photos!

14
Oct
11

flashback friday-pumpkin patch

James reminds me that our kids will not want to take pictures at the pumpkin patch forever…sigh.

It is true.  My own mother might of tried to force pumpkin patch pictures for too long…

You might be too old to be taking pictures at the pumpkin patch when the only picture you can get of your teenager, who just got finished with soccer practice, and is still wearing her shinguards, while drinking a diet Pepsi…
is when she is not looking.

I promise not to take any Gotcha! pictures at the patch like the one above. For one thing, I would never let my kids go to the patch wearing what I was wearing! 😉

11
Oct
11

pumpkin patch!

We went to the Elgin Christmas tree farm on Monday to have some fun with tractors, hay, and, of course PUMPKINS!!

awkward family shot with James death gripping Asher’s neck to get him to stay still!

The kids love the many mazes!

cornfield maze!

I think this was Asher and Caden’s favorite thing to do!

zoom
who doesn’t love to fall into a pile of trucks?!?

Friends for life! (In age order)

Hayride time!

hayride with your best friend!
sweet sister kisses

To see some of my favorite pumpkin patch pictures, please visit my photography blog! (Yes, I take A LOT of photos everywhere I go!)