Merry & Bright - Week of Dec. 22nd

“Tradition is not the worship of ashes, but the preservation of fire.” ~Gustav Mahler

It was hard to believe Christmas was almost here!  

With the beginning of Cam's winter break, he started coughing and was fighting a runny nose.  Jane had picked up Oma on Sunday and we were hopeful Cameron would feel better.  We opted for watching the church's Christmas Eve service online.  Our dear friend Patti, surprised us by dropping off her most delicious homemade chicken soup and freshly baked bread accompanied by Steve's scrumptious homemade caramel corn.

By the next morning, we were all ready to celebrate Christmas🎄Following our tradition of opening stockings, we took turns unveiling gifts we had chosen for each other.  Oma always finds treasures from the Maruska store for each of us to wear.  Cam expertly chose gifts that he wrapped at school.  It seemed one of the themes we all inadvertently picked up on were new games: Uno No Mercy, Uno Flip, Impossible Puzzle, Grand Rapids Monopoly and Hot Streak. 

Our afternoon was spent testing out the new Uno games which led to lots of laughing! There are some key differences between Flip and Classic Uno games.

With Uno Flip, players start on the Light Side of the deck, matching cards by color, number, or symbol. When someone plays a Flip card, the game switches to the Dark Side, which has more challenging action cards (like Draw Five and Skip Everyone). The game continues flipping between sides until a player plays their last card. After each round, points are scored based on the cards remaining in opponents’ hands. The first player to reach 500 points wins the game.  We played multiple rounds and finally started preparing dinner.  That evening, we ventured out for our Christmas lights tour in the surrounding area.

On Friday, Dec. 26th, we welcomed a small subset of our extended family for a holiday gathering at our place.  Prior to 2020, we hosted the annual party for more than five years.  Cam had been asking if we would ever be able to have it again.  It seemed this was the time to resurrect that tradition.  Even though we had less than twenty people (compared to almost 50 when everyone was in attendance) it was fun to reconnect and re-visit memories together.

Saturday afternoon, we brought Oma back to her home, very thankful for the extra time we had with each other.  As Cam noted, we even started a new tradition- playing games on Christmas Day!

Camology Quotes:

When Cam wasn't feeling well, he reported his wellness percentage each morning when he woke up:

"Today, my coughing is 80%, my runny nose is 70% my stomach is 95% and overall, I am about 80%."

The Christmas Card - Week of Dec. 15th

“I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, with every Christmas card I write. May your days be merry and bright, and may all your Christmases be white.”  ~Irving Berlin 

Did you know the Christmas card tradition began in 1843? Overwhelmed by holiday correspondence, Sir Henry Cole commissioned the first printed card—a simple design wishing “A Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year.” From that single idea, a global tradition was born, evolving from hand-painted greetings to today’s colorful, personalized cards. More than just paper, Christmas cards remain a heartfelt way to share joy and connection during the season. 

• The first commercial Christmas card cost one shilling in 1843—quite pricey for the time! 
• Early cards often featured spring flowers, not snow scenes, because they symbolized renewal. Americans send over 1.6 billion holiday cards every year, even in the digital age. 
• The largest Christmas card ever made was over 16 feet tall!
  

Our family Christmas card is a labor of love.  It is a tradition, like this blog, that seems so tedious, yet very rewarding. 

*fully magnified wording*

2025 has sped past like a winter breeze, Moments turned to memories with total ease. Winter began with Cannonsburg snow, Cam’s adaptive skiing—confidence on show. March brought respite at Indian Trails, A weekend of peace where happiness prevails. Springtime arrived with WMML swings, Baseball, friends and all that it brings. Jane’s May escape to N.C.’s mountains and more, Time with Leslie, a surprise spa and memories to store. June was special with Grandma Sue and Layna here, Family visits fill hearts with laughter and cheer. Summer unfolded with sunshine bright, Indian Trails camp—a week of delight. Miss Amanda’s fun and Ann’s tutoring with care, Fishing for Chris in warm summer air. Outdoor concerts for Chris and Jane under starry skies, Music and laughter where summer joy lies. Beach days at Oma’s, Lake Michigan’s glow, Cam’s mobile chair rolling where soft waves flow. An accessible boardwalk at the cottage too, Making dreams come true for our entire crew. And at home, a door that automatically opens wide, Cam’s new independence fills us with pride. July brought sports camp—wheelchair strong, Power soccer kicks kept Cam moving along. August called us to Mills River’s view, A family road trip with mountains in hue. Ali and Daree’s wedding, a joyful scene, So much love in the air, our vacation serene. Celebrating Cam turning eighteen in style, At Sierra Nevada—smiles all the while. Autumn returned with applesauce sweet, A family tradition that can’t be beat. Halloween at MFB, giving hearts their best, Supporting the Guild with community zest. Thanksgiving blessings with Oma and Miss Ann, Grateful for health and our loving clan. Through it all, our cousins—our laughter, our glue, Every moment with them feels warm and true. Supporting Lori’s Voice, Renew Mobility too, And Be Café’s mission that started with Brody true. From our family to yours, stay strong and bright, May Christmas bring peace and pure delight. With health, with love, with laughter near, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

It was a busy week of working, mailing packages and cards.  Our weekend was spent catching up on home projects and shopping trips.  Of course, Chris took time out to make his son laugh, which is a daily occurrence.  When Jane made a request to her husband to make rice, he immediately went outside to grab some icicles.  He put them in a pot and brought them to Cam, announcing "Mom told me to make ice!"

Camology Quotes:

Cam's sarcastic side shines through at times.  When engaging in his evening routine one night, Chris reminded him about something he had to do to which he responded:

"Okay Captain Obvious!"

The Weather Outside is Frightful - Week of Dec. 8th

"To appreciate the beauty of a snowflake, it is necessary to stand out in the cold." ~Aristotle

Cam's mom spent most of her school years in Michigan.  Jane has told Cam stories from her younger years about waiting to hear if her school was closed by listening to the radio or watching the tv.  

With the arrival of modern technology- text messages, automated phone calls and emails dominate the communication field of school cancellations.  There is even a School Snow Day Calculator website to determine the viability.

Even with these portals, we were all still surprised by the closure on Wednesday when we received the automated 'school is closed' text and email messages at 5:30am.  Thankfully, Cam was able to go back to sleep and didn't awaken until 8am.

The weekend brought a visit from our cousins who came to Grand Rapids for some birthday celebrations.  We dined at one of our favorite sushi spots, Ju Sushi and Lounge.  It was Cam's first time there and for some of his cousins as well.

Chris and Jane recommended the playboy sushi roll.  It contains spicy tuna, tempura shrimp, cream cheese and asparagus topped with shrimp, eel sauce, Japanese mayo, sriracha and furikake. It is delivered to the table...on fire.  It was quite the sight to see!

With the treacherous weather this week, Chris put himself on snowplow duty.  Unfortunately, the heavy packed snow thwarted his plans.  The belt on the converted tractor broke and it was time for some serious mechanical endeavors in the garage.  Fortunately for Cam's dad, his son was all about trying to help work with him through the challenge.  The dynamic duo fixed the snowplow and had fun with making a photo with A.I.!  The picture on the left is the original photo and then the one with the snowman is digitized- artificial intelligence created the snowman shown in front of the plow!!

Camology Quotes:

It's that time of year when we start watching holiday movies again. Cam and his mom decided on "Deck the Halls" - a show about a neighbor who becomes obsessed with decorating his house so it can be seen from space. The neighbor rivalry escalates into an over-the-top competition, creating chaos for their families and the entire neighborhood. Cam wisely found the life lesson when they realized family mattered most.

"Mom, they were both wrong. I'm glad they figured it out."

Cheerful Singing - Week of Dec. 1st

“The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.”  ~Buddy the Elf (from the movie Elf, written by David Berenbaum)

A young buck awaited Cam's arrival as his bus pulled to a stop in front of his home after school in the afternoon.  With the snow sticking around, the wildlife appear to be foraging more.

Monday evening, Cam was anticipating his choir concert.  He talks about the music director, Mr. Wheaton, quite a bit.  Chris and Jane sat with Brody's family. The program was a short 45 minutes and divided into three groups as well as the entire ensemble.

Cam was a part of the Vocality section with his best bud, Brody.

The director, Mr. Wheaton, began the program saying that the kids determined what they would be singing based on choice.

The Vocality singers chose Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Ad Astra and All I Want for Christmas is You.  Cameron even had his own microphone!

The Northern Singers were next up with a trio of musical numbers, followed by the Elite group titled Chorale.  The last number included all sections and was a personal favorite of Jane's: Carol of the Bells.

The weekend marked holiday events for Fishbeck, the longtime employer of Cam's dad.  

Friday evening was the department outing for the IT staff and Saturday was the fancy holiday party held at JW Marriott.  

Amanda stayed with Cam for the first eve and Ms. Ann arrived for the Saturday's festivities.  

Cam and Ann watched the movie "The Best Christmas Present Ever" and thoroughly enjoyed it.  

Chris and Jane stayed out much later than usual and were grateful for their son's tardy wake up time of 8:30am.

Cam is still participating in his Ability Athletes class on Saturday mornings.  Each time, he tries something new and the coaches learn more about his strengths.  And his parents are reminded that their son continues to surprise them, in the subtlest of ways.

Camology Quotes:

Once again, Chris and his son were having fun with A.I. and created this picture.

They uploaded a photo of our Christmas tree and asked the A.I. engine to add presents for Cam around it. 

Even his son was surprised by the results.

"Dad, I would never have THAT many presents!"