Game Night! - Week of Feb. 2nd

Kelsey, Cam & Emma

When you have kids, you realize that one of the greatest gifts someone can give you is... the gift of their time.

Kelsey offered to practice swimming with Cam at the Y.  He's been enjoying his lessons quite a bit and couldn't wait to spend an entire morning with his buddy and pro lifeguard.  Not only did they play and work in the warm water, they also had brunch at McDonald's afterwards.
Quite the double treat for Cam and his parents!

Melissa, Cam & Kayla

Cameron's part time job with Grand Valley started again.  This semester, he is working with Melissa and Kayla.  Ball exercises were the highlight of the PT time with the graduate students.

Friday night kicked off our first annual Game Night with our extended family, Katherine & Paul, Ann, Molly and Gordy.
An official game night isn't complete without lots of silliness!


Katherine and Molly turned into the "Singing Sisters Supreme" as they serenaded Cam in the kitchen and had him act as a backup singer and play the piano.


After a delicious array of taco-inspired dishes and sides, we settled in for a game of Headbands and then Twister!  Hollywood Game Night was  a total hit as well.

The camera timer makes for some hilarious pictures as it automatically snaps ten photos, one after the other, while everyone attempts to get into a different pose.

We can't wait for the next game night in March when we celebrate Katherine & Ann's birthdays!

On Saturday, Emma spent the day with Cam creating their unique Valentine's to pass out in class next week.  We were so busy working on our crafts, that picture-taking was neglected.  But here's a little preview of the finished product...

Unexpected Ice & the SuperBowl - Week of Jan. 26th

We usually pay attention to the weather forecast since it can change so often in Michigan.  This week, however, we seemed to miss the fact that our area was due for some heavy-duty ice overnight Wednesday into Thursday morning.
So, bright and early Thursday, Cam woke up, ate breakfast, and was finishing getting ready when his parents finally checked their technology outlets to find, much to their surprise, that school was cancelled for the day!
Of course, the first thing Chris and Cam decided to do...go outside and test out just how icy it actually was!

Winter didn't subside much over the weekend.  On SuperBowl Sunday, we invited our Windcrest neighbors to hang out and watch the game.  By the time the football game kicked off, it had already snowed close to 6 inches and wouldn't stop until over 4 more inches fell.
Fortunately, our neighbors were all within walking distance!
We had a most delicious dining experience eating tasty chicken wings, cheese dip, make-your-own-salad, fruit, and homemade granola.
We were all hoping the healthy stuff cancelled out the "not so healthy" items.

The football game was exciting and watching the kids play their own games and interact with each other was just as entertaining.

The snow didn't subside all day long, even well into the evening.  Which is why seeing the sunshine "after the storm" certainly makes one smile.

Bouncing Back - Week of Jan. 19th

The week started off with a swimming lesson and looking forward to a visit from Oma on Thursday and Friday.  Cam did not have school due to record-marking days for the teachers.  On Wednesday, though, Cam came home a bit early when he wasn't feeling well.  Instead of having lots of playtime with Oma, they shared quite a bit of couch time together...

On Friday, things were looking up and Cam had his appetite and laughter back in full swing!  We were sad to see Oma go, but so very thankful for her time and help, as well as risking exposure to illness.

We had a visit from Miss Ann on Saturday as she and Cam compared who had the coolest glasses and how smart they both looked.

One of the toughest parts about being sick is not being able to play with your friends. Fort building is an art that some kids really excel at.

On Sunday afternoon, with Cam supervising and Emma creating, the multi-faceted fort was complete.

It just may be that some of our greatest thoughts, ideas and inventions were realized in a homemade blanket fort.

Your friend is your needs answered. ~Khalil Gibran

Official Swimming Lessons - Week of Jan. 12th

Cam & Laura

On a cold winter day, a warm relaxing pool certainly does look inviting...
Cam started his swimming lessons this week at MaryFreeBed downtown.
He loves being in the water since his grandparents live on Lake Michigan (which isn't nearly as warm as the toasty pool).  For the next five weeks, he'll be working on being more comfortable in certain areas like floating on his back and being underwater.

We are most fortunate to still have Kelsey with us on Mondays, which just happens to be the same day of Cam's swimming lesson...and that possibly wasn't by coincidence :)

Cam & Kelsey

Since Kelsey is a professional lifeguard, we gained permission from Laura, Cam's assigned instructor, to have Kelsey in the pool as well.  The 45 minute lesson goes by much too quickly, but our water boy is so fortunate to have two instructors, especially when one of them is such a favorite friend.

Besides swimming, another new regiment began- wearing glasses!  Cam had glasses for a short period of time when he was younger and his ophthalmologist thought it would be a good idea to use them now for schoolwork and reading.  Although he doesn't appear overly thrilled in this picture, he really does like them.  Cameron was quite intent on picking the blue colored frames and blue case without any influence from his parents.

At school this week, the kids played boccie ball again and the cool ramp Cam uses has become quite the hit.  When Chris saw this picture from school with his proud son surrounded by a group of girls, his comment was "that's my boy!"

Bring on the Snow Machine! - Week of Jan. 5th

A typical Michigan response to the lack of snow is to pack a wallop when it comes!  True to form, we accumulated more than ten inches of snow in one evening.  Consequently, Cam did not have school on Friday.

Luckily for Cam, school can be in session any time because his buddy Emma knows how to set up school right in our home.  As one can see, the school schedule is quite extensive and there are definitely extra activities for time permitting.

Truly, the academics are covered here with math, spelling, and reading.  If school goes well, there is time for an "intermission show."

We attempted sledding in our front yard, but the snow was so deep and fluffy, it didn't make for a very slick course.  Even the steep driveway couldn't provide an advantage.  Cam and Emma wanted to stay outside, though, so we all figured out a way to play restaurant in the backyard.
Emma was the chef and Cam was a diner.  He dined on "Snow-co Puffs" and hot chocolate with "one billion marshmallows" included.

Cam did enjoy the menu and told Emma he wanted to come back again.

It seems a snow day isn't complete without some specially baked treats.  Taylor and Cam worked on a double batch of chocolaty brownies and Cam worked on licking the beaters clean!

Welcome to 2015! - Week of Dec. 29th

And now we welcome the new year. Full of things that have never been.  
~Rainer Maria Rilke
For the first time, we opted to go bowling as a family on New Year's Eve.  To make it even more special, we met up with the Raisch and Flegel families- our "forever" neighbors.  Cam used the helper ramp for the bowling ball and each and every time, his buddy Emma retrieved the ramp, which was also being used by a few other lanes.  Even the with "bumper rails" the kids seemed to have better aim than the adults!  The package deal included pizza, pop and 2.5 hours of bowling fun.  It's hard to believe we've known all of these folks for more than 13 years (before a few of them were born!) and being together as a group guarantees lots of laughter and silliness.
In addition to his parents, Patti also took turns helping Cam test out his bowling skills.After our fill of trying to hit the ten pins, Jane and Chris took Cam to meet up with their second family- Ms. Ann, Katherine & Paul, Molly & Gordy, and Nancy & Don.  We had a most delicious dinner at Outback Steakhouse. When we asked Cam if he wanted dessert at the restaurant or at home (stopping at Culver's on the way) he opted for an in-home dessert experience with Ms. Ann.  While Cam inhaled chocolate ice cream, his parents went to ring in the New Year with the Raisch's and Flegel's.  Many thanks to Ms. Ann for hanging out with her buddy so he could get to sleep before midnight!

Starting off the new year, we ventured over to Liam's new house to say hello and receive the tour of their home.  Liam couldn't wait to show Cam all around his place!  The boys decorated cookies and then taste-tested their creations.  We're so thankful that for every best buddy Cam has, his parents also have the advantage of gaining such good buddies too.Speaking of buddies, Kelsey had some fun time with Cam over his holiday break!  We're so thankful for her positive attitude, her vocabulary push with Cam, and her constant desire to make play fun and educational at the same time.As we welcome 2015, we hope you all greet this coming year with a smile and a heart full of positive thoughts topped off with lots of laughter.

Christmas Celebrations - Week of Dec. 22nd

 The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, in hopes that St. Nicklaus soon would be there...

Oma and Opa arrived Christmas Eve day.  There was no snow in sight, but we were happy there were clear roads to drive on.
Cam was diagnosed with an ear infection the day before, but was in great spirits and feeling better.
We joined Emma, Meg, Sarah, Anna, Steve and Patti at the early church service for caroling and worship.   Emma sat next to Cam and Jane's favorite part of the service was Cam trying to sing "Silent Night."
After dining together eating Patti's delicious homemade chicken soup, it was time to head home to prepare.  Cameron picked out two cookies for the Santa plate and carrots for the reindeer.

Christmas morning, Cam awoke excited and anxious to see if Santa had eaten the cookies and taken the carrots!  Satisfied that the plate was sufficiently empty with just crumbs, we embarked on an unwrapping adventure.  Cam's one request from Santa was a big blue ball- one used for exercise to practice balance and also just to play on.  He screamed with pure delight when he found it.  Another favorite was a VW bus play tent, ready to test out with his buddy, Emma.  After all of the hustle and bustle, it felt good to relax and enjoy family time.  That evening, we took a tour of some elaborate lawn decorations for the holidays.

On Friday, the Weatherford family hosted the annual cousin family party and our best buddy from Chicago also arrived, 'Auntie' Karen.  The annual cousin party is pretty special because Santa actually makes a house call to see the younger cousins and pass out a couple more presents. While the kids are playing downstairs, they suddenly hear the jingle bells and know it's time for Santa to arrive.
This tradition has been in our extended family for more than 25 years!

We're thankful for Oma & Opa staying with us for a few days and being overly generous with their time and gifts.  We love that our friends are also family and we're able to share traditions and time with them.

Cam received many special gifts this year from near and far- many thanks to Grandma Sue, Grandma Mary, the Cornell Crew, the Schulzes, the Jellemas, Auntie Jo & Will, Auntie Karen, Leslie, Erin & Alison, and Alena.

From our family to yours, we hope you received more out of giving than getting, more out of being together than the planning that takes place to get there, and the most out of the giggles, laughter and love surrounding us all.

Yoga Time - Week of Dec. 15th

 As the holidays approach, each day has a packed agenda.  Taylor spends time with Cam after school three days each week.  They are always busy with different activities.  She had her buddy open an early present too!


This was the last week of school before Christmas break and Cameron was scheduled for a yoga session with Melissa.  She's been working with Cam and is a PT grad student at GVSU.   The different stretches are great for our first grader and not only is Melissa a certified yoga instructor, she's also seemingly certified in making Cam smile and laugh!

On Friday, Mr. D took time out for a quick picture next to his bus.  The ride to and from school is a highlight of Cam's day.  Mr. D always beeps when he leaves and Cam watches for him to turn the corner before heading up the driveway.

Over the weekend, we traveled to Grand Haven for a visit with Aunt Betsy and Uncle Jon.  To Cam's surprise, there were some Christmas presents for him to open.  His uncle's artistry shows through on the wrapping paper.  A diesel train has now been added to his collection and he also opened a GVSU t-shirt.
Jane told Cam all about playing in her aunt and uncle's house as a child with her cousins. Her one request was a quick picture on the stairs.
It was good to spend time talking and laughing and we hope to make the trek again soon!

When our family arrived home that Saturday evening, we hosted Emma as well as Auntie Jo and Will for dinner, games, and a present exchange.  We all took part in an I-Spy mystery game on the Wii and found it to be more challenging than expected.

After a long day of travel, presents and games, a great way to relax is a warm bath, complete with bubbles.
It seems that Stella has taken to joining Cam during bath time...just to watch, of course.  Cam would never be able to stop laughing if she actually jumped in!