James | the paquettes

Archive for the 'James' Category

Oct

fall fun!

Categories: James and Rilyn
Tags: cheerleading pictures

What a week! Here is my life in pictures from last Tuesday to this Tuesday! My camera logged in over 1200 pictures this past week, and there is no foreseeable slow down from now until after Ella’s birthday (in January!) Tis the season!

James turned 34 last Tuesday and spent his actual birthday counting money for the cheerleading pictures that I took that evening. What a guy! Love him so much!! My best friend made the yummy Reeses peanut butter cake and I tripled my banana pudding recipe to bring up to his work for all to enjoy!

Some of the cheerleading pictures I took this week. (I also took 3 football teams.)

Rilyn on top!

On Saturday, Rilyn cheered at the football game!

we won!

Yesterday we went to the pumpkin patch because the kids had a day off! I will post more later, but here is a sneak peek!

I have several photo shoots lined up for the next months, so stay tuned for my photography blog to be busy!

May

lately

By Julie P. Leave a Comment

Categories: Asher, Ella, Family Fun, James, Julie and Rilyn

May is the busiest month of the year for our family by far! With my birthday, mother’s day, both our moms’ birthdays, end of school activities, dance recitals, etc. we have our heads spinning! Here is a quick update of our May (so far) in pictures:

Asher and I went out on our first date together to Chick-fil-A’s Mother Son Date Knight. The restaurant went all out in the medieval theme, and they even had questions at every table for things to talk about with your son. One question I asked him was, “How can you protect me Asher?” Asher told me he will protect me from cars. ;)

first date

Asher being knighted by a 6’5″ cow

there were bounce houses in the parking lot!

For my birthday and Mother’s Day, James let me have a relaxful weekend, and took the kids for the weekend to Fort Worth/Dallas. They spent time with family, and the kids went on their first camping trip! More pictures to come later, but for now:

James, the kids, wtih their aunt, future uncle, and Oma

On Mother’s Day, we met back up in Temple at my parents house, and the kids went swimming and had a barbeque. The water was still a little cold I guess!

Rilyn jumping in for the first time! (I think I put the sunscreen on too heavy on her face!)

Asher was NOT HAPPY with the water temp.!

After they got used to it, they started smiling again!

Ella has a rule: having no goggles means she uses floaties!

jumping for joy

She found some goggles!

my almost 8 year old!

Dec

christmas at grandma’s

By Julie P. Leave a Comment

Categories: Asher, Ella, James, Julie and Rilyn
Tags: Christmas

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!

Dec

Christmas morning

By Julie P. Leave a Comment

Categories: Asher, Ella, James and Rilyn
Tags: Christmas traditions, happy birthday jesus cupcakes, jesse tree, shepherds pouches

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

Dec

a props kind of christmas!

By Julie P. Leave a Comment

Categories: Asher, Ella, James, Julie and Rilyn
Tags: Christmas light pictures, Christmas photo booth

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!

Dec

Merry Christmas!

By Julie P. Leave a Comment

Categories: Asher, Ella, James, Julie, photography and Rilyn
Tags: Christmas card

May your only excess this season be of LOVE and JOY!

photoshop fun!

We chose this theme this year because we are going to be taking Rilyn and Ella to the Dominican Republic on a family mission trip in late July! We live with so much excess in our lives and we want the girls to see how truly blessed from God we are. We know He will do BIG things in the DR with each one of us. Break our hearts for what breaks His. Create in us a renewed love for others. Encourage us to go to the nations in the name of Jesus and spread His Love.
Here are some of the other shots that didn’t make the card, but still cute none the less!

my girls

love Asher’s look here

grrrrrr

mamas boy

Nov

Thanksgiving x2

By Julie P. Leave a Comment

Categories: Asher, Ella, James, Julie and Rilyn

We hosted Thanksgiving for James’ family again this year. We celebrated on Saturday and had 15 people here! It was a great time had by all and I think we can call our dessert portion a success when we had 6 pies/cakes, cookies, and chocolates! We all ate some vegan dishes too, thanks to aunt Mandy and Allen! James said the vegan strawberry cheesecake made the list of the top 3 cheesecakes he has ever had!

yummy

the kids table

Rilyn’s beloved aunt

Our guest of honor for 2 years in a row is James’ maternal grandmother. How special is it for my kids to spend the holidays with her?

great gramma

I started a new Thanksgiving tradition this year at my house that I found on another blog. Here is the link if you want to print the banner flags for next year. Every year I plan on making another banner and so each year, I will accumulate another banner to decorate my house! Each banner will be full of all the things we were thankful for that year! By the time my kids are grown, my house will be FILLED with banners during Thanksgiving time!

I made each person write what they were thankful for . (Asher really told me those things!)

2011 Banner will be hanging up next Thanksgiving 15 flags long!

Nov

Thanksgiving 2011

By Julie P. Leave a Comment

Categories: Asher, Ella, James, Julie and Rilyn

We celebrated Thanksgiving with my side of the family on Wednesday! I believe this is our first posed group shot since Jessica’s wedding 2 years ago.

Eric, Jessica, James, Julie, Jeff, Becca

Ella, Grandpa, Caden, Grandma, Asher, and Rilyn

Of course, we always do the “around the dining room table” shot!

Thanksgiving meal

Grandparents with the grandkids! I love Asher and Ella’s faces in this picture!

Oct

Go Ags!

By Julie P. Leave a Comment

Categories: James

This is a quick post to let you know that James is in Lubbock right now cheering on the Aggies. I’m assuming that he is probably wearing one of these shirts. (And he actually asked for the Adidas Aggie shirt on the right bottom for his birthday from my mom!) Ugh. There is such a thing as too much maroon dear. And he would argue with you that all these shirts are completely different and serve unique purposes. :P

Oct

Happy 33rd!

By Julie P. Leave a Comment

Categories: James

James said he finally will remember how old he is this year because he can remember the number 33. Seriously, is this what happens as you age? You forget how old you are?

Well, James didn’t get the best sports birthday weekend with the Aggies and Cowboys losing, but at least the Rangers won!

Another “fun thing” as you age, you start asking for lamer and lamer presents. This year he told me to use any money we would spend on his birthday to put toward sprinklers. Blah. :P Oh well, the way to this man’s heart is food anyway. I’ve made banana pudding, cheesecake, and strawberry yogurt pies, and that’s just the sweets I’ve made! I also bought all his favorite junk food at the grocery store. And made his favorite dinners, so he should be going to the gym everyday from here until Christmas. :-)

I love this man so much. Thanking God for the 14 years I’ve known him!