Christmas baking with grandma!
All the grandkids!
aunt Jessica and her nieces and nephews!
Stocking time!
Every year, the kids get to open an ornament that represents something they’ve done that year-look how sweet Ella’s is!
Ella REALLY wanted these pink paper holders from Hobby Lobby! LOL
The Frozen Barbie castle!
snapshot of Christmas
The kids ended the evening with a wrapping paper war!
Annie Jr. was a hit, and we were SO BLESSED by all the family and friends that came out for the show! I think we had close to 100 supporters from church, school, and family that came out for the big night!
Of course, we had to play up the Annie theme this season with an Annie Christmas card (thanks to the Annie movie(poster)that came out last night!)
Asher as Daddy Warbucks (yes we had to bribe him to wear a bald cap!), James as Rooster, I’m Miss Hannigan of course, Rilyn as Grace Farrell, and Ella as Annie!
Rilyn was Grace in both shows, so here she is on Dec. 17th! She did awesome and didn’t forget one line!
Her 5th grade ELA and Science teachers came to watch her perform! How sweet is that?
We were so proud of our Rilyn!
On Dec. 18th, it was Ella’s time to be Annie. I was so nervous the whole day, because I have never seen Ella act. Seriously, all the auditions, practices, and rehearsals were closed. They had been practicing for four months, but could she do it? She had so many lines and solos…well, she BLEW US AWAY with her talent and acting chops! Both her and Rilyn were amazing!! Proud, proud parents right here!
Ella’s big night…
Annie comforting Molly, “It was only a dream, honey. Now, you gotta go back to sleep…”
So, maybe now it’s time, and maybe when I wake, they’ll be there callin’ me “baby,”…maybe.
It’s a HARD KNOCK LIFE!!!!!!!!!
Empty-belly life! Rotten, smelly life! Full-of-sorrow life! No-tomorrow life!
This was how James was watching the girls the whole time, he was mouthing the lyrics, so hopeful and proud the whole time! It was sweet to watch!
I’m runnin’ away! My folks are never comin’ for me. I gotta go find them.
Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love ya tomorrow! (with Sandy, the dog)
At Daddy Warbuck’s mansion…I (We) know you’re gonna like it here!!
NYC…To think that I’ve lived here all of my life, and never seen these things!
Together at Last…”Yesterday was plain awful!”
Together, at last! Together, forever! We’re trying a knot they never can sever!
I don’t need anything but you!
Tomorrow! Tomorrow! I love ya, tomorrow! You’re always a day away!
Ella and Rilyn truly had one of the best nights of their life, being able to perform in front of SO MANY friends and family. Ella said, “I’ll always remember that night…”(and then cried because it was over!) Ella asked me to “find another Annie show, because I want to do this again!”
Ella’s 3rd grade teachers came!
I love this picture, because I can see the pride/love in uncle Ben’s eyes of his Ella Bella!
Oma and Papaw drove from Fort Worth just to see the show!
Proud Grandma and Grandpa!
Some of the friends from church that came out to watch!
To see their faces when they found out their roles back in September, see here!
Asher went to his annual Aggie football game in September with daddy and his best friend, Caden! They won, with our quarterback, Kenny Hill, and had tons of fun at the new and improved Kyle Field!
Have to have popcorn at the game-one of Asher’s favorite snacks!
The crowd gets too loud for Asher. Hmm, I seem to remember James having a picture like this a long time ago…
The view isn’t quite so great when the crowd is “humping it” for a 6 year old! LOL
The Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band!
We spent an uneventful Independence day (thank goodness!) this year at my parent’s house, and then we drove to Round Rock to watch fireworks over Settler’s Park. Fun with friends, and no stress!
At my parent’s house with Grandpa at the grill!
Of course there was lots of swimming!
Our best friends!
Three cheers for root beer and friends!
waiting for the fireworks to begin…
watching the fireworks go off!
Rilyn
Here we are at the end of May, and like every year, the busiest month of the year for the Paquettes, flew by! Here are some of the highlights of early/mid May!
I got awarded “Volunteer of the Year” at MES!
Mother’s Day and my birthday were on the same day this year! James and the kids planted flowers for me in the front yard!
I turned 35! Officially in my mid-30s!
We went to College Station to go to an Aggie baseball game!
Ella and grandpa!
me and my Rilyn!
the cousins!
We took the kids to Snow Summit to ski for the first time! James and I have been skiing many times, but the last time we skied was 9 years ago! I was praying for muscle memory, and I only fell once (I hit some mud). I got a NASTY bruise on my arm though because of it! I’m just old and busted at 34, and only could ski 5 long runs before I called it a day!
James made a sweet video of the family skiing! Check it out!
The kids in front of the cabin. About to head off to ski!
Look at all the snow! LOL
We signed the kids up for morning and afternoon lessons. Here is Asher about to go to Little Bear skiing school!
Ella looking all cool! 🙂
Me and my honey on the lift!
me getting ready to ski!
James!
So, this CRAZY thing happened! James fell off the ski lift! James had a puffy backpack on (filled with my ski jacket-it was 60 degrees!) and so when he sat on a fast blue ski lift, he bounced off because of his backpack! He tried to hold on, but his skis were too heavy and he ended up hanging off the side! I, thankfully, got pictures because James yelled, “take pictures!” LOL He was about 18 feet in the air before the lift attendant stopped the lift! He hung there for about a minute before he dropped. He was able to kick off his skis and landed safely! James always has crazy stories!
James hanging off the ski lift! Can you see the lift attendant below?
Hi James!
James falling
Me taking a picture of James left behind as I go up the ski lift! LOL
James taking a picture of me after his fall
Rilyn and Ella loved skiing! Rilyn had a rough morning, but by the afternoon she had a great time! Ella loved every minute of it. Asher had an okay time, he was so tired at the end of the day! We were so proud of him though for trying!
our little man!
Some random little kid told me I looked like an alien! LOL
Rilyn!
Ella!
Asher getting off the ski lift!
Asher!
James and I would love to take our family skiing every other year from now on!
Last year, I started off with a word that was going to color my life lens. HOPEFUL.
I look back at 2012 in awe of all the blessings God has bestowed on my family:
Hopeful that we will raise enough money to go to the Dominican Republic with Rilyn and Ella in July. PRAISE!
Hopeful that my son will learn to obey his parents. STILL WORKING ON THAT ONE! James is reading a book with some of his best friends with sons, called Raising a Modern-Day Knight: A Father’s Role in Guiding His Son to Authentic Manhood
Hopeful that my son will sit still long enough for a Bible story. STILL WORKING!
Hopeful that my middle child will come to know Jesus as her Savior this year. PRAISE!
Hopeful that I will be a more respectful wife. STILL WORKING ON IT! I AM GETTING BETTER AT APOLOGIZING THOUGH! 🙂
Hopeful that my photography skills will improve. PRAISE! But I defnitely have a long way to go!
Hopeful that I will spend more time playing with my children. STILL WORKING…with my photo business picking up speed, I lost my gusto to really play with my kids, and more about using my time to edit photos. 😦
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). PRAISE! That was a challenging spring, but I look back and see God’s hand in every detail, and feel so blessed that I got to be apart of Women’s Development!
Hopeful that my oldest daughter will find a best friend who loves Jesus. STILL WORKING ON IT. 😦
Hopeful for health for my family and extended family. PRAISE!
Hopeful that I will go to the gym 3 days a week and eat healthier. I WORKED OUT THIS YEAR MORE THAN I EVER HAVE BEFORE AS AN ADULT! BUT EATING HEALTHIER? NOPE. 😦
Hopeful that all things in 2012 are happening not to me, but for me, and for His Glory. YES!! THIS BIBLICAL VIEW HAS BEEN MY ANCHOR IN MANY LIFE EVENTS THAT HAPPENED THIS YEAR! PRAISE HIM!
2011 was the last year of diapers in 7 straight years of buying them.
2012 was the year that naps disappeared. I had to build “naptime” in my schedule for the previous 7 1/2 years and it was time for Asher to stop napping.
2013 is going to be another year of big changes…ALL my kids will be in FULL TIME school by the end of August! Wow!! Asher will start kindergarten! We will no longer be paying preschool tuition (we’ve been paying preschool tuition(s) for 8 years)! What will we do with all that extra money (I can hear James laughing now), maybe get our first pet?!?
The girls got to go ice skating yesterday at a friend’s birthday party! What a fun winter treat! I was so surprised at how much the girls loved it. They went two years ago, and were tired after 15 minutes. This time, they wanted to stay longer than 2 hours! I’m not saying they were good at it, they just loved it! 😉 Rilyn has already asked if she can have her 9th birthday party there!
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| ella |
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| watch out for Ella! |
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| rilyn |
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The lights are up, the Christmas cards are mailed, the gifts are all wrapped- JUST KIDDING on that one! We are officially counting down the days ’til Christmas!
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| we added a nativity this year! |
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| rilyn |
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| Rilyn’s idea-“let’s be the three wiseman!” lol |
Tonight we decorated a gingerbread village and ate it for dinner!
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| big sister helps out |
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| Asher loved decorating |
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| success!! |
the paquettes 