Be Merry, Be Bright! - Week of Dec. 19th

"Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store.  Maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more."  ~ The Grinch

Dec. 25th seemed to sneak up on us this year since Cam was in school through Dec. 22nd. 
On Christmas Eve, Oma and Opa arrived in the afternoon to celebrate our annual trek to Thornapple Covenant Church with the Raisch family.  Cam loves the service, especially all of the singing now that he recognizes most of the carols.  After the 3:30p service, we dined with our awesome friends at their home where we enjoyed homemade chicken noodle soup and bread, fruit, and plates and plates of delicious holiday cookies.
Afterwards, Cam requested some game playing time.  His latest favorite is charades.  Everyone had a turn and our game enthusiast enjoys guessing as much as he does the acting part.

The night before Christmas everyone was snug in their beds except for our nine-year-old who contracted a cold seemingly that night.  Although he had terrible sleep, he was in a great mood Christmas morning!  Being the routine boy he is, we had breakfast before opening presents.  
It seemed that each of us, Cam, Chris, Jane, Oma and Opa were just as excited to see others uncover a gift given as we were to see what each of us received.
One of our annual offerings to Oma is a picture calendar from Cam.  He assists with the design and it's always a treat when she discovers what it is.

New games kept Cam busy as he tried out a Police Line-Up board game as well as a Scavenger Hunt.

Cam's largest present this year was a new sled which can't be used yet due to a big meltdown but we're certain he'll be able to take it on its first run sometime in January.

After a delicious dinner and homemade apple tart dessert- compliments of Oma and Cam, we all piled into the van for our Christmas light viewing.  Thanks to an ingenious website, the best displays are listed by area and address making it easy to plot a course.

This year we didn't take any pictures while enjoying Christmas- we were too caught up in the moment.  Being with our family and enjoying their presence versus presents is truly what we are thankful for.

Camology Quotes:

Dealing with a cold is difficult, but we found the silver lining in Cam's comments regarding his illness.

It feels like there is a hundred and fifty things in my nose!

If you feel like your ears or throat hurt, I can take you to the med center. 
It's just my nose, Mom.
The med center won't give you medicine for just your nose, Cam.
You need to call my real doctor.