Author Archive for Julie Paquette



07
Sep
10

first day of preK!

It was a GLORIOUS rainy morning today!!  We started a new season of life in the Paquette household and I am praising God for giving me just what I needed at the right time-rest, peace, quietness.  Today is the first day of preschool for Ella and Asher, (and the very first day of preschool EVER for Asher!)  It feels different sending your youngest (and last) off to preschool.  I’m much more anxious and nervous for Asher then I ever was for the girls.  It could be because of his personality or that he’s my baby-probably some of both.  As for me, Asher and I needed some breaks from each other during the week.  Actually, I think it’s safe to assume that Asher would of preferred me being at his beckon call and at his side ALL day, EVERY day, but I just don’t have the patience right now.  (So maybe I had a month long countdown going in my head until preschool started.)  🙂  Asher was crying when we left him, but that didn’t surprise me.  I am very interested to hear how his day went from his teacher.  Ella is a preschool pro, (this is her 4th year of preK!) and was very excited to go back!

ella- 4 1/2 years old
His Buzz backpack that is bigger than him.
New lunch kit from Grandma! and a little unsure of what

this preschool stuff is all about.

preschool buddies!

Ella and Asher are going to preschool with their best friends and Ella and Anna had to keep the tradition alive and dress alike on the first day. This is their 3rd year doing it!

At the donut store with their BFF shirts on!

Asher is going to preschool with Caden and Malachi. I figure might as well dress them alike too while they still don’t care, because I’m certain the boys will nix the matching outfits sooner than the girls!

Three little monkeys sitting on a bench!

Ella’s class is Miss Robin’s Rhinos!

And Asher’s class is Miss Brooke’s Bees.

Caden and Asher are both in the same class.  That could spell TROUBLE!
04
Sep
10

Cheer!

Rilyn cheered this morning for the Manor Falcons!  I was excited, of course, to get some shots of her in her uniform (oh, and to watch her cheer)!

view of the back of the uniforms
There are 10 girls on her flag cheer team, 2 were absent today
This was her face when my friend, Kim, told her how

good she was at cheering.  So happy!

little artsy shot
Rilyn is getting more flexible!  High kick!
03
Sep
10

flashback friday-are you ready for some football?

My favorite season is upon us!  Football season mixed in with cooler weather (that technically won’t get here til Novemberish but hey, a girl can dream!)  Ever since I graduated from Texas A&M (2001), my parents have had four Aggie football season tickets in the Zone and we have shared them with my brother and his wife.  Here we are at our seats before the game started in 2004.

Kyle Field before the game started

And here I am in 2005 all hot and sweaty because I’m 6 months pregnant with Ella!

Rilyn gets to go to her second Aggie football game tomorrow with grandpa, uncle Jeff, and aunt Becca. Next year, it’s Ella’s turn!

Rilyn’s first game last year at Kyle Field
Cheering the Aggies last year!
31
Aug
10

Ella’s date night music video

29
Aug
10

Falcons!

Rilyn had her first cheer ‘scrimmage’ on Saturday.  Because it was only a football scrimmage, the girls wore only their practice outfits and not their real game-day cheer clothes.  Rilyn was bummed about that, but everything was A-OK when they let them use their poms-poms!

sheer joy
You can see that the cheerleaders even have their own cheer chairs to rest in!
Football game behind them and the cheerleaders trying to pump up the crowd!
Rilyn giving us a high kick!
27
Aug
10

flashback friday-boys in the ‘hood

Authentic.
Like a brother.
Bear each other’s burdens.
Ties that cannot be broken.

As many of you know, one of the main reasons we moved to Austin was to live in community with our friends whom we met in college.  Here we are 12ish years later, MANY kids later, and minutes away from each other.  What a blessing to raise our children together, and an added bonus was James, Halim, and Jeff all having little boys that are within 9 months apart.  We all visited each other in the hospital room the day they were born and have watched them grow into preschoolers now!  (In a couple of weeks they start!  Praise the Lord!)  😉  I can’t wait to watch their friendship grow as they become young men!  (Malachi still prefers to play with Ella over Asher!)  I had the three boys at my house yesterday and miraculously, (it helped that fruit snacks were involved!), I got a decent shot of them sitting together!

Caden Richardson, Malachi Suh, and Asher
Asher’s BIRTH day and 6 month old Malachi with proud daddies, James and Halim
newborn Caden, and 3 month old Asher
November 2008- Asher and unhappy Malachi
The three boys swinging this past spring

And you know how I love to show old-school pics!  Here is Jeff, our college friend Carson, (who was apparently very tired), James, and Halim on New Years morning 2001.

January 2001
26
Aug
10

the wheels on the bus

This is Rilyn’s third year on the bus!  Selfishly I L.O.V.E the bus.  It drops her off right in front of my house everyday!  I sit on my front porch rocking bench and just chill and wait for her.  This year she doesn’t want me coming up to the bus door to get her.  Now that she is a big first grader, she wants me to stay on the porch and she will walk to me by herself!  She is so grown-up these days!  🙂

Here she is going to preschool in fall of 2008:

fall 2008
field trip in 2009 (I actually did not take a picture of her first day on the bus in kinder!)
end of her first day in first grade!
24
Aug
10

First day of 1st!

Big day today for Miss Rilyn!  Today she started first grade at Manor Elementary!

Last night, we did our family night ‘back to school style’ to get prepared for her big day.  I got the idea and printable from here, a Back to School Survival ‘kit’ with scriptures. So fun and so easy!  (Example:  Rilyn pulls out an eraser from the bag and we talk about that the eraser reminds us that everyone makes mistakes at school and it’s okay.  We then read Genesis 50:15-21 about how Joseph forgave  his brothers.)

This morning was great!  Rilyn was a little nervous because she keeps thinking about getting ‘graded’ this year (versus ‘S’ for satisfactory or ‘E’ for excellent like last year).  We prayed and once she saw her old friends she was great!

new backpack from grandma!
Manor Mustangs!
Her teacher, Mrs. Stein!

I got the idea for making this speech bubble in the top two pictures right here.  (Thanks Kristy for finding this!)

23
Aug
10

dancing

We got a new Flip video cam and James was playing with it the other day. He made this ‘music video’ to show a day in the life at our house! A certain little boy who loves jumping off our furniture, a messy-prone girl with marker stains on her dress, toys all over the floor, a certain 6 year old picking her wedgie in front of the camera, and one boy who loves spinning until he falls down dizzy!

22
Aug
10

photo shoot

I dream of mine one day, off in the distant future, would be to have a little photography business.  I’m starting to learn about lenses and love creative photography.  I did a little photo shoot at Mayfield Park yesterday with my brother and sister in law and their adorable son, Caden.  I thought I would post a few of my favorites!

lily ponds are always gorgeous scenery!
secret doors
peek a boo