Fifteen's Routine - Week of Aug. 15th

“Sometimes, You will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” ~Dr. Seuss

It was hard to believe this week of August 15th was also the week Cam would be 15 years old!  To commemorate the occasion, here are fifteen things you may or may not know about Cam...

1. He is kind
2. He is empathetic
3. He loves projects
4. He loves leading and supervising projects
5. He learns visually
6. His comprehension is pretty impressive
7. His memory is even more impressive!
8. He loves chocolate
9. He loves bread
10. He loves his family and spending time with them
11. His favorite activity with his dad is working on computers and programming Amazon Alexas
12. His favorite activity with his mom is organizing, cleaning and baking
13. He is a routine-driven person
14. He is honest
15. His heart is pure gold!💝

On Monday, Cam went blueberry picking with his dad.  They gathered more than 5 pounds of berries to bring home.

Wednesday, August 17 was Cam's birthday and it started off on a high note.  Our teenager slept in until after 8am.  After waking up and getting dressed, he was greeted with his favorite breakfast from Sundance restaurant: scrambled eggs, bacon, toast and spuds (the best breakfast potatoes, per Cam).

Oma and Opa were with us for the entire week so it was an extra treat to see his grandparents on his birthday.

Jane took the birthday teen out in the afternoon for a drive through the Tropical Smoothie Café for a chocolate peanut butter cool freeze.

Cam's only request for his special day: Olive Garden for dinner.  

Oma, Opa and Ms. Ann all accompanied Cam and his parents out for our dining festivities.  There were plenty of breadsticks and salad to go around.  Since it was Cam's birthday, he was able to score a free dessert of his choice!  They were out of chocolate lasagna (probably not a bad thing) so instead, we all shared warm Italian doughnuts with chocolate dipping sauce.  Each of us can highly recommend.  We left the restaurant with full bellies, big smiles and 6 leftover containers.

Oma and Opa gave Cam two shirts emblazoned with "Cam, the man, the myth, the legend" as well as a baking conversion chart.  The birthday teenager received multiple Amazon gift cards from friends and family.  Grandma Sue sent a handmade quilt with Cam's high school mascot featured from some t-shirts sewn in.  And Jane's co-worker, Cyndi, sent a most delicious array of ice cream packed in dry ice.

Friday's agenda included Jane and her son driving to Muskegon in the morning.  It was the grand opening of Renew Mobility (formerly Alternatives in Motion) Muskegon location.  Jane is on the Board of Directors and Cam is one of their Youth Ambassadors.  Ms. Tessa who is also a board member and a local news anchor was on the scene as well.

We were grateful to have Oma and Opa with us for the week.  We enjoyed meals together, watching movies and just chatting.  Friday evening, Cam's grandparents enjoyed dinner at home with him while Chris and Jane met their cousins at a restaurant close by.

Saturday morning we were on the road again with a planned stop in Grand Haven to drop off some items for Oma and Opa's new place.  

Afterwards, we made our way to the Haroldson cottage for a second celebration of Cam's bday, orchestrated by cousin Coco and friends, Molly and Jude.  

Even though it wasn't a beach day, we were still able to be together and hang out.  Cam loves our cousin's dog, Lucy.  The sweet dog made it easier for Cam to pet her by sitting in the rocking chair. 

We feasted on grilled chicken, potatoes and veggies and fruit.  Coco had two dessert cakes for Cam- a chocolate ice cream one and Reese's peanut butter cup cake.  Coco, Max and Calla gave Cam an Apple gift card, popcorn bucket and treats to enjoy for movie time.  Our dear friends, Molly and Jude presented Cam with a Culver's concrete mixer and a Culver's gift card.  

They all know Cam so well!

Camology Quotes:

We typically use our cell phones for navigation, not because we don't know which way to go, but moreover to be alerted to accidents or delays.  Cam also provides his own narrative during the trips.  

At one point, Jane questioned his directions to which he replied, 

“I’m just following the GPS, not going some random way.”