The Impactful Conversation - Week of Apr. 21st

"No one knows for certain how much impact they have on the lives of other people. Oftentimes, we have no clue." ~Jay Asher

Kind people surround us.  During a strange power outage in our former neighborhood on the next street, our close friends reached out.  They stayed overnight and we shared dinner together.  A beautiful bouquet of flowers was dropped off from them and two weeks later, the remaining arrangement still looks lovely.  Thanks to Ms. Patti and Mr. Steve!

Perspective is defined as a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; your point of view. Cam learned a lesson in perspective this week. 

When he arrived home from school one day, he was adamant that one of classroom aides had berated him for his power chair not functioning correctly.  He was upset and expressed his feelings. Jane reached out to his teacher via email explaining the situation.  The teacher shared the email with the aide and when Cam arrived the next morning, they had an open discussion. Upon entrance home after the school day, he was so happy to report all about it.  Cam and his mom talked about how misunderstandings happen sometimes because of the lack of open communication.  And, how good it feels to have things resolved and move forward!

Jane picked up Oma on Wednesday and Chris headed to Detroit on Thursday to begin his extended weekend fishing trip on the river with some friends.  The warmer weather provided a nice afternoon for strolling.  Cam and his grandma made energy bites to fulfill the snack zone for the next few days.

The weekend included a Grandma-Mom-Son outing to a family favorite, Olive Garden.  Cam played on the tablet at the restaurant since it's so similar to his iPad.  Our meals were most delicious and Cam saw a classmate who works as a hostess there.

Chris sent us a fun pic from the Detroit River holding a delicious walleye.  The guys all catch their limit daily, have the fish cleaned and then split the entire bounty at the end of the trip.

Sunday was the best weather day of Oma's stay so we headed over to our local botanical gardens in the early afternoon. 

Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park spans 158 total acres, with approximately 60 acres developed as outdoor gardens, natural areas, and the sculpture park.  One of our favorite sculptures is the DaVinci Horse. Here are some fun facts:

• Leonardo da Vinci designed a giant horse statue in 1482 to honor the Duke of Milan’s father. 
• It was intended to be the largest equestrian statue in the world, made of bronze. Though he completed detailed sketches and a full-scale clay model, it was never cast in bronze due to wars and political turmoil. 
• The project was revived in the 1970s by Charles C. Dent, a U.S. pilot and art collector. 
•  After his death, Nina Akamu, an accomplished sculptor, reworked the design based on Leonardo’s original plans. 
• The final statue was cast in bronze in 1999. 
• 🐴 The Meijer Gardens Horse The American Horse at Frederik Meijer Gardens is one of only two castings of the final sculpture (the other is in Milan, Italy). 
• It stands 24 feet tall (about 7.3 meters). 
• Commissioned and donated by philanthropist Fred Meijer, who was deeply inspired by da Vinci and public art. 
• Installed at the Gardens in 1999 and serves as a centerpiece for visitors. 
• It’s located in an open plaza area with space to walk all around it. 
• Made from bronze, weighing about 15 tons. 
• Visitors often take photos standing beneath it to capture its massive scale.

We also saw our close friends, Anna and Spencer with their daughter, Lucie.  It was such a special day made even better!  

Shortly after leaving the Gardens, we made our way to Liam's house to celebrate his 17th birthday.  He and Cam have known each other since preschool!  Chris actually arrived back in GR early, so he joined us there. Jane returned Oma to her home and they both commented on all of the flowers suddenly in bloom.  The weekend came to an end much too quickly, but we all packed quite a bit in 😀

Camology Quotes:

Cam likes to know what meals are being planned in advance.  However, he does not pretend to know what his parents will do as noted in his response to Jane: 

"I only worry about myself when it comes to choosing food, Mom."

Powering Through - Week of Apr. 14th

"Believe you can and you're halfway there." ~Theodore Roosevelt

People often say it's better to be busy than bored. However, when things stack up, it can definitely feel overwhelming.  Waking up extra early again on Monday was tough for Cam and his parents.  That evening, Jane had a board meeting and Chris took his son to swimming/physical therapy.  

Tuesday at school, Cameron endured a full day of testing, then an in-home wheelchair repair appointment followed by an hour of tutoring.

The whirlwind week continued on Wednesday for Cam with an outing to see our minor league baseball team, the Whitecaps. That evening, after an early dinner, Jane and her son figured out how to use the ceiling track/lift to transfer Cam from his power wheelchair to the power soccer chair.  Then, we were off to power soccer practice at the YMCA.

Back at school on Thursday, Cam finished his testing and then had a evening with Jane while Chris was at a work meeting.  Friday evening, we had a quick family din so Cam and his dad could make it to their scheduled haircuts.

Saturday, Jane went to pick up Oma and they were back in Grand Rapids by lunchtime.  Cam's grandma had pre-ordered a fruit basket for our family to enjoy for Easter.  That evening we watched a comedy on Amazon Prime called "You're Cordially Invited" and all of us laughed out loud multiple times.

Easter Sunday morning, the sun shone brightly as we made our way to church. We were surrounded by such friendly people and the live band playing brought the music to life.  The pastor provided at fun surprise at the end of the service indicating that they were giving away 1,500 boxes of Girl Scout cookies upon exiting the church.

After a light lunch, we drove over to Cascade Park to take a stroll.  The sidewalk path along the perimeter of the park is exactly one mile in length.  The blue sky clouded over but that did not deter our group.

Chris brought his discs for frisbee golf to test out his throwing skills.  Cam led the way for the duration of our exercise.  We passed quite a few other folks with the same idea. 

Upon our return home, we settled in for a movie.  We watched the third installment in the Paddington films titled "Paddington in Peru" since we've enjoyed the other ones.  It was a good flick.  Our Easter dinner was a bit unconventional with our main dish of grilled flank steak.  We all agreed that it's a nice change to choose something other than ham or turkey, our typical choices.  

Oma's delicious fruit basket items were part of our dessert, and of course, the unexpected free Girl Scout cookies!

Camology Quotes:

Whenever we have a challenge that involves something with Cam, he will typically indicate he has faith in his parents. Such was the case Wednesday evening when Jane and her son had to navigate a transfer into his power soccer chair without Chris present due to a pre-scheduled meeting he had.  The power soccer chair weighs over 300 lbs and doesn't really have a "slow" driving mode, so Jane was helping her son drive it through the house. Right before the garage, the entryway presented a bit of an issue when Jane drove the side into part of the wall.  Cam immediately saw a bit of damage and commented..."Mom, you're not going to blame that on me, are you?"

Staycation - Week of Apr. 7th

"The eye never forgets what the heart has seen." ~ African Proverb (Mufasa movie)

Although visiting other places is enjoyable, staying home over spring break has its benefits as well.  Even the deer chose to remain and make a daily appearance.

Cam and his parents watched the newer Disney movie, "Mufasa: The Lion King" together.  The CGI (computer generated imagery) is impressive and the adult humor included was greatly appreciated.

Ms. Amanda hung out with Cam and they kept busy baking brownies and banana bread, playing board games, and watching a few shows.

Cameron was invited to spend time with his buddy, Liam at his home. Jane dropped him off late morning.  The fellow staycationers chatted about school and friends.  The boys also watched the first episode of "All Access PD: Grand Rapids" streaming on Max, since they are both avid police fans.  

Liam's home is completely accessible and truly, the only friend's house that Cam can visit and easily drive around in.  After lunch, Liam's mom even drove Cam back and dropped him off in their accessible van.  What a bonus for us all!

On Friday, Jane and her son had plans with Oma.  Upon arriving in Grand Haven, Cam and his mom picked up an early lunch at Panera Bread.  Cam's grandma is always excited for our visit and we were fortunate to have a sunny day.  After our midday meal, we strolled around the complex and stopped to chat with many of Oma's friends along the way.

We made our way back to Grand Rapids in the mid-afternoon.  Cam's parents were headed out on a date night, while Amanda and Cam watched the movie 'Twisters.'

Our family was up early on Saturday to drive over to Grand Valley State University in Allendale.  It was the 30th Annual Wheel Run for Everyone 5K to benefit Renew Mobility, where Jane is a member of the Board of Directors.  The 5K participants walk, roll, jog or wheel their way through the course around the campus. The Doctorate in Physical Therapy students at GVSU (for the past 30 years) have been raising money to support our vital mission to enhance independence through access to mobility equipment.  We were excited to see so many friends there- Mr. Patrick (Cam's current PT), Dr. Lisa (GV Professor), Liam's family and Rebecca with her daughter, Gracie. It felt so good to be outside all morning in the brisk fresh air, supporting one our favorite non-profits.

Sunday was a true day of rest, sprinkled with a couple of projects.  Jane and Cam made their way to Costco in the afternoon, which is always an adventure on the weekend.  We were actually "checked out" while waiting in line when a roaming cashier inputted everything into a tablet.  All items remained in our cart, we presented our card, and off we went.  Cam and his mom loved being a part of the new technology.💻

Back at home, Chris worked on the converting the snow plow back to the lawn mower...yes, we are convinced that any further accumulation will be in form of rain only!

Camology Quotes:

Cam is definitely on a joke roll these days.  On Friday, we had an exterminator scheduled since we had noticed more bugs than we normally do with the weather changes.

"I have more ants (aka aunts) in my family then I thought I did!...Get it??"

Let the Break Begin - Week of Mar. 31st

"Your mind will answer most questions if you learn to relax and wait for the answer." ~William S. Burroughs

It was a short school week for Cam since his spring break officially started on Thursday. He was very excited at the aspect of sleeping in for the next 11 days!

One of his relaxation activities is using his iPad. He likes to search for different videos that may include favorite singers, cool hobbies and games. Cam also does appreciate a routine.  When he's on a break from school, a different agenda falls into place.

Cameron requested a daily round of sight words so Chris and Jane take turns quizzing him and there is also an app he uses to test himself.

Our Saturday adventures led us to Montague to visit cousins. There was still a chill in the air so we remained indoors for the afternoon.

Cam had fun supervising his relatives making brownies and commented on what expert taste testers they are.  

We combined our resources for dinner and feasted on pasta, salad, french bread and of course, fresh brownies for dessert.  Following our delicious meal, the younger set loves to assist with Cam's safety latches in the rear of the van.  Now that we are back in daylight savings time, we are home before it even gets dark!

Sunday afternoon, the sunshine appeared so Cameron requested some power soccer training time.

We ordered a new inflatable outdoor soccer ball for the activity and it worked out quite nicely.  Cam is increasing his skill set with each practice session. As a family, we also appreciate the increased vitamin D for us all!

Camology Quotes:

Cam likes to tell jokes, much like his dad.  Almost nightly, he offers up a new funny eager to see if it will make his parents laugh. His latest entry wasn't too bad...

"What do feet like to eat?" "Toe-fu!"