WMML Joins the Y - Week of Feb. 24th

My disability exists not because I use a wheelchair, but because the broader environment isn't accessible. ~Stella Young

We often talk about how fortunate we are to live in the community that we do.  Cam plays baseball with the West Michigan Miracle League (WMML) in the spring and the fall, inclusion basketball at high school and power soccer at the Y.

Most every Wednesday, Cam eats an early dinner and then we head out for power soccer practice at the Mary Free Bed YMCA.  Chris assisted this week by filling in the goalie spot near the end of the practice. 
The Mary Free Bed YMCA in Grand Rapids, Michigan opened in December, 2015. The 16,200-square-foot facility became the first facility in the world to be recognized with Universal Global Design certification. It is a universally designed health and wellness center that partners with Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital. The YMCA's history reflects the commitment of both organizations to community and inclusion.

On Saturday, we were headed to a celebration Family Night for the WMML.  First, we met Cam's best buddy, Brody and his parents and grandma for dinner at the boys' favorite, Culver's.  It was a lively meal and we finished up just before 6pm.

The MFB Y was closed to members for the evening and open for WMML families who had registered to be there for the event!  The entire location was filled with WMML athletes and their invited people.

At the end of the long ramp to reach the lower level, the mascot from the the Grand Rapids Gold basketball team was ready for pictures.  On the lower level, there is a large hot tub and pool.  Jane convinced Cam to hang out in the hot tub since the larger body of water was a bit chilly.  A lift is shown to the right of Cameron in the picture.  Typically, one of these lifts is only next to a pool and rarely a hot tub.  The water was very relaxing.  We hung out with Brody and his family and saw so many other friends we knew.  The time went by quickly.

On Sunday, we made our way to Grand Haven to spend time with Oma.  We picked her up at 11:30 so we could all go out to brunch.  Two Yolks was our chosen location and we all loved our choices for our midday meal.  After dining, we returned to Oma's place to work on some projects.  As a surprise, Chris installed a new shower head with Cam.  Jane and her mom organized a large closet and before we knew it, it was late afternoon.

As we were saying goodbye, it was fun to be able to talk about seeing Oma in just two more weeks!

Camology Quotes:

The ASAWM sent a wrap up video (https://youtu.be/haqCEOFvYx0 ) from the skiing season and we were reminded of a funny story.  One Sunday, Chris made the trek to get the ski sled for Cam to use.  However, he didn't ask his son which sled it was. When he returned, it wasn't the right one.  Cam quickly commented.

"Dad, I have the #1 sled. You should've just asked me!"