Easter with the Pages

silliness from Julia started our day

While the rest of the family tried out a Seder meal on Friday night, I worked.  Saturday morning found Andy and me finishing up our Easter shopping.  We then attended Easter services at our church in the evening.  During what little down time I had on Saturday, I watched the video of Mom that Danielle made for her funeral and visitation.  I pondered the dreams that I have given up and reminisced about good times with my family.  This time in the afternoon prepared me for the Easter service held at my church.  The message was well-done, and the last song, Jesus Paid it All, was so amazing that I wanted to do it again.

Andy and I went to bed much too late.  Preparations for Sunday morning had to be completed before we slept.  We awoke today to Krispy Kreme donuts....a really bad dietary start to a day where our diets did not improve much.  After awaiting Zach's decision to wake up and join the family, the scavenger hunt for clues to the location of the Easter baskets began.  This was followed by the reading of that Easter story as told by Mark all the way up to Jesus' appearance on the road to the disciples and their recognition of Him only moments before He left their presence again.

Savannah and Zach know the clues now.  We usually switch one or two out each year, but most of them remain the same.  To see our clues, check my posts from last Easter:
Shh-The Clues to the basket scavenger hunt

I think Wyatt counted the hours all weekend to this holiday.

Julia likes her Webkinz lemer.

I was a little worried about Wyatt's gift.  He loves his Mario shirt.  I should have known.  Mario is his latest obsession.

a piece of sliced agate also thrilled him

We continued our Easter with haircuts.  Yes, we desperately needed them and have been trying to hook up with Tiffany for weeks now.  This was followed by a trip to Dad's for a huge and delicious meal, an Easter egg hunt, and coloring eggs.  We also challenged each other to Family Feud on the Wii.

egg hunting while sporting a new, hopefully "cool" haircut

Yes, eggs were hidden for the big kids too.  The eggs are numbered, and they can only pick up their own numbers.  Therefore, the eggs hidden for the big kids can really be in challenging places.

Listening to the clues given to help out the big kids was hilarious.  They were oblivious to things like, "Zach, how would you like to drive a Honda?"  translation...check Grandpa's car

our fashion diva insisted on dressing up for the occasion

This egg is sticky...eww

We are now home trying to make preparations for the busy week ahead.  In just a few weeks, summer will be upon us.  I think we are more than ready for summer after this challenging (on many fronts) school year.  That said, you might not be hearing from me in blogland for the next several weeks.

P.S.  Bring Me Hope extended the t-shirt offer to today.  It is not too late to help an orphan in China attend summer camp.  

Bring Me Hope

My baby is growing up too fast.

Last night Julia found a shopping bag of candy in our room.  We were getting ready for bed, and there was no going back.  She asked about it, and I told her to just leave it alone.  Julia insisted that the bag was for today.  Finally, I just told her that the Easter bunny has to leave stashes in the houses he visits sometimes.  She asked why the Easter bunny went shopping.  I told her that he didn't go shopping he just used a shopping bag.


Julia then informed me of this:  "You parents don't realize that we kids know all about this stuff, and you bought the candy.  This is just the first time I actually found the candy!  There is no Easter bunny or Santa Claus."


The whole conversation was hilarious.  You just have to know Julia to get it.

Passover Seder

Yesterday we did a Passover Seder to understand more about The Last Supper. We learned about the four cups: freedom, deliverance, redemption, and thanksgiving. For the cup of deliverance, we talked about the ten plagues on Egypt. We spilled drops from the cup for each of the ten plagues to remember the Egyptians who had to endure them because of Pharaoh. We tasted the bitter herb of horse radish and were glad to drink the cup of redemption. My dad had to make up the cup of thanksgiving's part of the seder because he was missing that part of it. This was the cup from which communion came from.
At the beginning of the seder, Julia and Wyatt got rid of the hidden leavened bread in the dining room because you aren't supposed to have yeast in the house. Later they hid part of the unleavened bread and dad had to find it. They got a reward because he did not find it. This was a cool experience to learn about.


Post by: Savannah Page

one of my favorite charities...act now

http://bringmehope.org/Store/detail.aspx?ID=137

Bring Me Hope (www.bringmehope.org) may be may be my favorite charity.  It is so hard to choose a favorite with so many good organizations out there, so why, you may ask, this one?  Bring Me Hope is probably my favorite because it is so completely unique.  A band of college students changed their dreams to bring hope to orphans in China.  They run summer camps for the orphans, and if you've followed my blog for very long, you know that it is my dream to join them with my entire family for a camp one year.

I like their passion.  Orphans are not the most lovable of people, contrary to popular belief.  Orphans show up at these camps with nothing- no spare clothes, no toothbrush, no favorite pillow nor blanket.  They come with the problems that plagues institutionalized children, a very understandable fear of giving or receiving love.  They melt down, bite, use awful manners and challenge their buddies for the week.  They break the hearts of the volunteers when they ask why not a family for me?  Many get carsick as they have never traveled in a vehicle. Yet, these young people who know little about RAD (reactive attachment disorder) love on them, travel around the world raising money for these camps, and devote their lives to them.  They give them several days of ordinary fun; bouncies, swimming pools, silly games, and even that icon of childhood all around the world--McDonalds.  It is a beautiful thing.

Today is the last day to get a free t-shirt for participating in the biggest fundraiser of Bring Me Hope - the nightwalk.  Why a nightwalk?  China is 12 to 14 hours ahead of us in the States.  Bring Me Hope walks at night so that the orphans of China can walk in the light...yes, even the Chinese orphans participate in this fundraiser in hopes of raising money for camp.  Won't you join them?  Help give an orphan a week of fun.

Mom Guilt

Yep, Mom guilt has hit hard this week.  Dad guilt is different.  I feel very guilty, and Andy feels slightly guilty.  What has happened to provoke this predicament?

The details were provided to the band this week.  The details of their upcoming band trip that includes some really fun activities.  Zach is not going.  He is not being punished.  When the word came out that the band would be taking a trip, we had just recovered from paying for football.  A trip for Zach simply was not in the budget.  I could have forgone a weekend getaway with Andy so that Zach could go.  Why feel guilty about that, you might ask?  Well, he could have applied for a scholarship, but we did not make that happen.  So, he understands -at least he claims he does, but then he says, "do you know that they are going to X, and that they are going to do Y?"  Then I wonder, does he feel left out? Surely he does.  He asks if he will ever get to participate in a band trip.  I tell him I hope so.  Then, I feel guilty.  Andy doesn't feel guilty.  Zach has had great opportunities, he says.  He has done some amazing things.  It was different when we were kids.  Our parents didn't just write a check.  There were fundraisers, and we raised as much of the money as we could.  Andy is right.

Then there is Savannah.  My shy daughter who was not picked for any of the rooms on the overnight, middle school band trip.  She became the odd one out and will share a room with either orchestra students or 8th graders.  Why, I ask myself didn't I just sign up to chaperone?  Oh, I remember, she didn't want me to.  I never know with her, though. Does she want the independence of not having Mom on the trip, or does she worry about the expense so much that she must say "no."  She wouldn't be wondering about her room, whether it will be full of strangers, or not....whether she will be the outsider in a group of friends if I were a chaperone.  There goes the mom-guilt again.  It is just a job hazard.  I will get over it.

Love without boundaries needs your help.

Love without boundaries

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Mother / Daughter Tea - My Style

The AHG troop to which Savannah and Julia belong organizes a Mother/Daughter tea for area troops every year.  Until this year, this was always a Christmas event.  We attended the tea today, and the younger girls worked on their "my style" badge which is right up Julia's alley.

Savannah's squad organized the event.  Savannah spent hours yesterday at the home of friends completing last minute details.

Savannah's job for today was to help the Tenderhearts complete an activity.

Julia is a Tenderheart, so she chose two outfits from magazines and described where she would wear them.

Julia and I spent hours yesterday shopping for the appropriate outfit for the tea.  She wears me out when we are shopping.  We do not agree on clothes, but this turned out pretty cute.  All of the girls had their pictures made and were to describe how the outfit they wore demonstrates their personal style, why they like it, and where they will wear it.  This was tough for Julia, but she likes to accessorize, and she likes dresses, so we included those things on the list.

Savannah's squad sang the creed song for the crowd.

Finally, I tried to get a good picture of my two contrasting, but crazy about each other, girls together.

Julia engaged in much silliness.

I think I like this one the best.

Our busy weekend followed a hard and busy week and precedes another busy week.  I slept after church, attended the tea, and finished the night with a meeting at work.  I did enjoy my time with the girls today.  I need to set aside time with the boys.