Kindergarten! - Week of Sept. 2nd

"By all these lovely tokens September days are here, with summer's best of weather and autumn's best of cheer." ~Helen Hunt Jackson

With each season, comes change...and this week Cameron was due for quite a few!
On Tuesday, our six-year-old embarked on his first day of Kindergarten at his new school, Meadow Brook Elementary.
He was excited about meeting new friends, teachers, and bringing his new lunch tote to school in his backpack!  Cam picked out everything for lunch the night before so he'd be all ready.  He is one punctual guy.  Truth be told, he didn't want to sit for any pictures, but Auntie Roe was quick with the camera.  When the school bus arrived home late in the afternoon, there was a crew of people to greet Cameron!  His bus driver, Ms. Althea, said you'd think he was a celebrity!  In Cam's backpack, there was a bag of items with the following note from Cam's teacher attached that was so special, it had to be shared for all to see.

Items in this bag represent different thoughts as we begin a new school year:
Starburst- Your child is a star in my class.
Smarties- We are going to learn so much in school together this year.
Pencil Eraser- Everyone makes mistakes.  That's how we learn.
Snickers- Your child will have fun and laugh a lot.
Rubberband- Let's be flexible and respect each other's opinions.
Cotton Ball- This classroom is full of kind words and warm feelings.
Nestle Treasure- Your child is a treasure.  I value our time together.
Sticker- Let's stick together and work as a team.
Snowflake- Respect and admire the students and their differences.
Feather- I am tickled to be working with you and your child!

Cameron's visits from buddy, Emma, will not be as frequent due to school starting, but it's moments like these that remind us how blessed we are to have such great neighbors and friends!

Cam even had some time with some other school buddies, the GVSU graduate students working with him on their project. Pictured here are Ashley and Peter with Cameron, who wanted to show off his yellow hat from school!

The first day of school also marked Katherine's last official day with us, although as we've said so many times, it's not goodbye, only see you later!!
Katherine, You came into our lives and little did we know, That you couldn't be more perfect and we'd come to love you so... Thanks cannot convey what you've given to our Cam, You'll be his "Ah-Dah" always and a forever member of our fam!!

Labor Day Weekend 2013 - Week of Aug. 26th

Definition of a Beach Bum: someone who spends most of their time enjoying themselves on the beach.
That's exactly what we did for a couple of days this weekend!  In fact, we may consider ourselves professionals.

And the weekend couldn't come soon enough...Jane had to travel to Omaha to attend work meetings for two days this week and Chris was still trying to get his pulled back muscles back on track!

On Friday, the Weatherford crew traveled to Maple Beach in Holland for dinner and playtime with the Jellema cousins and although the time together was much too short, it is always memorable to see our family!

It seems that when summer is trying to say farewell, it decides to kick into high gear...Lake Michigan was perfect for swimming and the sunshine and clear skies beckoned everyone in the water. Cameron had fun using a new boat float complete with a horn for helping to warn people he was cruising in the lake.  It seemed that leaning back and getting his hair wet was one of the best features.

Cam had a great time on the beach building sand castles and creating sand drips with Oma.
Opa made it to the shore to take a swim too.
The family enjoyed a walk along the water with the CamMobile and it seemed you couldn't pass people without seeing a smile.
Dinner was served on the porch with a perfect view to watch the boats the go by while dining together.

Even though Sunday started out a bit cloudy, the sun quickly forced its way into the day as we continued beach activities with a replay of the day before.

As we close out summer, we are reminded how thankful we are for our time with Oma and Opa and extended
family.  The slice of serenity on Lake Michigan is a gift we are able to receive over and over again.

The beach will beckon us once again next season and until that time, wouldn't it be nice if we all had a little hibernation time?

Summer- Don't Go Just Yet - Week of Aug. 19th

Dear Summer, can you slow down?  Sincerely, Everyone...

It doesn't seem possible that the (sometimes) lazy days of summer are almost over!  So this weekend presented itself with a beautiful forecast demanding beach time.  Unfortunately, Cam's Dad stayed home to rest a pulled back muscle.  Cameron's godmother, Auntie Jo, made the trip with Jane and Cam to the cottage on Lake Michigan.

The beach was warm and inviting even if the water was still a little chilly...
Auntie Jo, Jane and Cam all had a fun ride in the kayak, rolling over small waves and watching the boats in the big lake.

Cam and his Grandma created a tepee on the shoreline with sticks found along the beach.  Every time the waves hurtled toward their creation, they giggled and laughed and proceeded to build another one.  It's funny how the natural elements can offer more play objects than expensive toys!

Sunday was a blustery day and a morning walk was on the agenda.  CamMobile was back in business after a flat tire replacement and Cam couldn't wait to explore the beach.  We picked up "Uncle" Kevin along the way with dogs, Levi and Kozzmoe.  The Boston Terriers enjoyed running alongside CamMobile and Cameron thinks it's great fun to watch them chase things and run up ahead of him.
We certainly missed Chris at the beach, but were so thankful Auntie Jo made the trip.

On Sunday, Grandma and Jane commented how great it was that Cameron slept through the night.  Imagine their surprise when Grandpa indicated he had checked on his grandson twice during the wee hours when he heard him.  Many thanks to Opa for "rescuing" Cam.  It's no coincidence that Opa was the first person Cameron requested when he woke up Sunday morning!

Cam's 6th Birthday! - Week of Aug. 12th

You often hear people say..."once you have kids, time will go by in the blink of an eye."  So very true.
It doesn't seem possible that Cameron Jackson turned six years old this week!!
Since Cam recently played in his first official baseball game, his parents thought it fitting that he attend a Whitecaps minor league ball game on Thursday evening.  And what a nice surprise it was to find cousins Coco and Libby at the game, too!

Saturday was Cam's actual birthday and from the time he woke up, it seemed his outdoor party couldn't commence soon enough.
Now a curious thing about this six year old is that he doesn't really like cake.  He much prefers ice cream.  However, many people invited to Cam's party do like cake.  Now, if you add the cake to the frozen treat, the birthday boy doesn't mind it so much.  Each of Cameron's birthday have been celebrated with a custom cake from Ryke's bakery (www.rykes.com). With technology advancing in all areas, it seems only fitting that the baking industry has found new ways to express creativity.  The ability for a baker to take a picture image and transfer it onto a

Cam, Forest, Cousin Ollie

cake in an edible format is delicious ingenuity.  The real treat for Cam, though, was a custom-made ice cream sundae.  With over 20 toppings to choose from, the birthday boy's favorite was hand-crushed oreos and peanut butter cups over vanilla and chocolate ice cream, all topped with chocolate sauce and real whipped cream!  After the delicious dessert, all the kids had a great time playing in the backyard.

Cam & Ms. Kathy

Simultaneous games of whiffle ball, boccie ball, and bullseye were in full force.  After corralling the youngsters, it was time to take a swing at the Curious George pinata.  After each one took a few swings, each child held a string attached to the candy monkey and pulled at the same time.  Only one string actually released the "door" inside, but every kid thought they were the one that pulled the correct string.  It was a scramble for the candy and everyone shared quite nicely.  The best parties are the ones that keep going past the "end" time and Cam's party didn't disappoint, hosting the last twenty or so people for tasty pizza and breadsticks.

Forest, Ms. Kathy, Cam, Liam, Betsy

Cam was very surprised by all of his gifts- THANK YOU!!

A special thanks to Oma and Opa for picking up the Cam cake, to Ms. Ann for providing evening Cam care, to Ms. Kathy for spending special time with Cam during his party, and to all family and friends who were with us in person to celebrate Cam!

People come into our lives for a reason and we know that so many are here to stay because of our sweet boy!
In the wise words of Dr. Suess~ "Today was good.  Today was fun.  Tomorrow is another one!"

Substitute Teachers & Beach Baseball - Week of Aug. 5th

Megan, Sarah, Cam & Emma

Our Ms. Katherine was on vacation this week, so we called in some subs for Cameron.  Actually, he requested his neighbor girls.  They eagerly accepted the task of playing school with Cam while Katherine was out.  They did teach their student many things versus playing.  In his home school this week, Cam was quizzed on flash cards, learned the difference between his right and left, found internal organs of the body on a puzzle and began simple math.  Somewhere in there, we did find time to make brownies as well.  Along with the girls, Ms. Molly (Katherine's sister) and Oma filled some gaps with Cam Care this week.  Many thanks to you all!
It was a busy weekend for the Weatherford family.  Saturday morning, we shared breakfast with good friends Keith & Bobbi.  Jane & Cam ventured over to Wellerwood for a play group date.  They had fun seeing Ms. Kathy (Cam's teacher), sharing some treats and playing on swings.  Jane was so pleased to meet Kathy's parents- they are wonderful, just like Ms. Kathy!  After play group, it was off to cousin Ollie's 5th birthday party where Cam saw lots of panda-themed toys and goodies, Ollie's favorite. 
To round out the day, the family ventured northward to the cottage to get ready for the Sunday afternoon beach baseball game!
The teams were created
by cousin Harper- the Gulls and the Rockets.  Every one had a chance up to bat and although rain threatened during the game,
no delays due to weather had to be called.
Cam and Chris had a hit and ran to first base!  Chris had a home run and Jane had a base hit which she ran in as well.  Cousin Annie was teaching Cameron how to use the glove and Cam was very interested in the snack assortment available at the game.

It was such a fun afternoon for everyone and even though our team, the Gulls, didn't have the final win, we sure had a great time playing.

Chris and Jane celebrated their 10-year anniversary this weekend and were reminded of their favorite quote..."Life is a journey, not a race.  It's the little things we learn to embrace!"  It's been an awesome journey with many more adventures yet to come...

Cam's 1st School Graduation - Week of July 29th

Cam's handmade graduation cap & personalized diploma

When Cam's parents were younger, they looked forward to two graduations- high school and college.  It seems that with the newer generation, there are multiple grad celebrations.  This week, Cameron attended his very first one!

Ms. Kathy and Ms. Sara giving Cam a super smooch!

Wellerwood Early Childhood Center has been Cam's school since he was 2 and 1/2 years old.  He had the benefit of working with several different teachers and therapists throughout his time there.  This past year, he was able to enter a Head Start program, eating lunch at school and learning different things to help him prepare for kindergarten.  Since Cameron is headed to the big "K", it was the last year he could attend Wellerwood and most unfortunately, the last year any kids would attend the school.  It is closing and Cam held the honor of being in the last "graduating" class.

The teachers at Wellerwood made the students go through the real deal, walking up the steps with their caps and receiving their official diploma. Don't be fooled by Cameron's fancy shirt- the tie is a part of his t-shirt!  An extra special tasty treat was created by the teachers using little debbie snack cakes and thin licorice ropes to mimic mini diplomas.

This memorable ceremony was attended by Oma, Chris and Jane.  Cam was so excited to show everyone his cap and diploma!   He rode the school bus home one last time from Wellerwood and there was quite a crowd to greet him at the end of the driveway! ~ Emma, Ms. Ann, Oma, Auntie Ronda, and Jane.

For Cameron's grad treat, he wanted
to help make some delicious banana bread with his sweet friend, Emma. The kids were official taste testers of the batter and even enjoyed eating the actual bread.

Happy 1st Graduation... of many more to come... for our Cam!

Wild Animal Park - Week of July 22nd

There are some days when you feel like a kid again, especially when you experience something through a child's eyes.  And then, there are some truly unique days when you discover something you weren't even aware of and as an added bonus, share it with your child.

Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park has been in existence for three years and is less than 20 minutes from our home.  The Park is situated on 80 acres of land and contains an exotic collection of animals and reptiles.


When Jane, Cam, Oma and Katherine went to visit Boulder Ridge, they weren't sure what to expect.


After walking through the gift shop area, they entered into a reptile house featuring iguanas, spiders, geckos and other creatures.  From there, you step into the outside area where at first glance, huge tortoises and gators appear to be sunbathing.
In addition to an aviary you can walk through, one of our favorite stops was the bunny pen.  With trained park attendants nearby, you're able to hold and snuggle the beautiful soft creatures.

The sanctuary outside contains a giraffe arena as well as a play area for kids in a giant sandbox.  One of the most creative attractions is a safari ride- a modified school bus painted with zebra stripes providing a fifteen minute ride around a natural habitat area including emu, ostriches, zebras and others.  We recommend paying a visit to Boulder Ridge (www.boulderridgewap.com).

In the meantime, it's always fun to take a ride on the wild side with the penny horse at Meijer!