Sledding...Finally! - Week of Jan. 18th

Sometimes, there are so many things you want to accomplish one must have a list!  Cam had a lot of ideas to fill his weekend and decided that Dad should be certain none of them were left out.

You hear many folks complain about the long Michigan winters and some definitely take their place in the record book.  This year, though, winter has been slow to arrive in full force.  For the first time during this milder cold season, we took Cam sledding.  And as a bonus, it was a beautiful, sunny day!  Both our front and back yards have their own merits in the form of activities.  We opted for the front yard to test out a new tube.

Jane really wanted to try it out so she and Cam took the first run!
Not much steering control, so after careening down the hill, barely missing the neighbor's driveway and up onto some snow covered rocks, Cam and his mom landed at the bottom of their own driveway- whew!  After a few runs, we were able to check sledding off the list.

The next day, we kept our choices moving forward with swimming at the Y.  As a family investment, we joined the new Mary Free Bed YMCA back in December.  However, even though the facility opened last month, we have been anxiously awaiting the use of the family pool.  Cam insisted on showing his dad where everything was since he had a quick tour a few days before.  The cool chair shown in the background of the picture is found at both ends of the pool and works great to easily bring Cam into and out of the pool itself.  In addition, it's a pretty cool ride!

Both Chris and Jane took turns swimming with Cam as he kicked his legs and floated on his back.  The complimentary use of the pool noodles and life jackets were a plus.  After an hour of pruning our skin, it was time to head out onto other adventures and cross a few more things off the list :)

Cam-ology Quotes:
Cam was home for a sick day and tried out his parents heated mattress pad while relaxing on their bed...

"Mom, I think this would be a good idea for my bed." 

Chris and Cam drove over to Moe's to pick up dinner after Cam was home with Mom for his sick day...

"Thanks guys for picking up dinner for all of us."
"It was our pleasure, Mom!"

Cam- a.k.a. "The Helper" - Week of Jan. 11th

“Life’s most urgent question is: What are you doing for others?” ~Martin Luther King, Jr. 

Most Saturday mornings in the Weatherford household, you will hear a conversation that goes something like this..."I am ready to help Mom and Dad...for the whole day.  What do you need help with?"
"Well, let's have some breakfast first, and then we'll figure it out, Cam."

Due to some bitter cold temps and Cam not feeling quite up to par, we opted for some indoor helping.  Practicing the piano in Jane's office, and choosing different keyboard sounds of course, was a big help to Jane as she worked while listening to some quality music performed by Cam.

Emma stopped over and became a helper herself as she and Cam worked on some iPad activities.

Chris announced he had to drive over to his office and wondered if there might be any helpers wanting to accompany him.  Of course, his son jumped at the chance.
His dad's office is pretty impressive with multiple monitors and lots of gadgets for Cam to test out.  Chris has been pretty impressed lately with his boy's grasp of troubleshooting and programming.
For some reason, wearing the big headphones really cracked Cam up.
And if you didn't notice, it was an all-day pajama day over the weekend.

Back at the house, Jane and Cam decided to keep one string of lights going in the sunroom/art room and placed them along the window.

After all of the hard work and helping, Cam and his mom played foot wars on the floor and spent a little time being silly.

Even when Cam is fighting off a cold, there's no stopping his awesome sense of humor and repeated requests to help us!

Cam-ology Quotes:
Cam and Chris having a conversation about Amazon...

"That's weird.  My Amazon ordered hasn't arrived yet."
"Why Dad?" 
"I don't know.  I'll have to check."
"Did the UPS guy take a holiday?"

Make a Deal - Week of Jan. 4th

For some, routine is monotonous.  Cam likes a routine because there is a purpose, a time frame, a plan.  Even though routine makes him happy, it's still tough to get back into the mode of waking up early and heading to school.  It was a week of earlier bedtimes with sleepy eyes at the end of the day.

With the weekend finally upon us, we were happy to be invited to Anna's birthday celebration with her family.  While meal preparation continued, Cam thoroughly delighted in his first official game of charades.  Emma did a great job acting out clues and Cam guessed almost every single one by himself!  There were a few times when the laughter had to subside before the guess could be made.

The two buddies also played forts over the weekend, one of their favorites.  With the chilly temps, indoor fun was on the agenda.

Of course, snack time inside of the forts is always a requirement.

Part of Cam's evening routine is to "make a deal" with his parents.  His deal always includes the following parameters...
"Sleep all night"
"Use your manners- please, thank you and excuse me"
"Be kind"
"Be nice"
"Be awesome"

Try making a deal with yourself tonight.  Cam won't mind if you use his list!

Cam-ology Quotes:
On a day of football playoffs...

"Mom, should I watch football?" 
"Do you want to watch football?"
"It will make Dad happy." 
"Dad is happy without you watching football.  You don't have to watch it."
"O.k.  I will watch my kid show.  It is better for me."

Welcome 2016! - Week of Dec. 28th

Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

To ring in the New Year, we headed over to Outback Steakhouse to dine with Ms. Ann, Molly and Gordy.  Cam thoroughly enjoyed the french fries covered with cojack cheese and bacon, dipped in ranch.  They were actually a bigger hit than the chicken fingers.  Because Cam's milk was brought late in the meal, he also scored some free ice cream.  It was a fun evening with our extended family.  Ms. Ann ventured over after dinner to hang out a bit longer, which always makes Cam extra happy!

When we woke up on Saturday, the sun was shining and we decided to take advantage of the final days of Cam's winter break by heading up north to visit Oma and Opa.

It is always surprising to see how much the beach changes in such a short period of time.  Over the summer months, there was barely enough sand to sit on before the water came up on shore.


Now the shoreline has transformed and although some of the high banks have dissipated, the path to reach Lake Michigan is much easier to traverse, especially for the Cam-mobile.

Oma and Opa cooked a delicious Sunday dinner and we were able to see their holiday decorations before everything was put away. We stopped to see our cousins, too, before heading home.  Cam really enjoyed seeing his younger cousins, Gavin and Ella.

Cam-ology Quotes:
Chris preparing to install a new kitchen light with Jane standing nearby.
"Mom, Dad is going to put two holes in our wall.  Is that ok?"
Cam is known as the "informer" and "translator" making certain that both of his parents know exactly what the plan is!

Happy New Year and....keep on smiling!

Christmas is Here! - Week of Dec. 21st

"Maybe Christmas, the Grinch thought, doesn't come from a store." ~Dr. Seuss

"Christmas is the spirit of giving without a thought of getting. It is happiness because we see joy in people. It is forgetting self and finding time for others. It is discarding the meaningless and stressing the true values." ~Thomas S. Monson


So many events this week, it's hard to believe they all took place over 7 days!  With no snow in sight, buddies Emma and Cam enjoyed playing outside while the temps stayed fairly mild.

Jane and Michelle ventured with Cam to Breton Village on Wednesday (two days before Christmas!) to brave a free photo opp with Santa.  Cam was eager with anticipation and actually survived the (gulp) 90 minute wait we endured.  We were witness to many kids who didn't fare as well.

During their chat together, Cam asked Santa where Mrs. Claus was and asked him for a robot, please.  Jane explained that his parents were helping out with that present. Cam thanked Santa and was very happy that he was able to see him.

Oma and Opa arrived the next afternoon on Christmas Eve.  We met our good friends, the Raisch family, at church for an early service and then enjoyed a most delicious dinner at their home.

With our full bellies, Oma, Cam and Jane then drove around the area and found the most decorated yards for the holiday season.

Upon arrival home, it was time to ready the tray for Santa.  The jar is a new addition this year- reindeer food!

Cam had a good night's sleep and awoke the next morning exclaiming Merry Christmas!

We had a leisurely morning of breakfast, taking turns opening gifts, and waiting with anticipation for someone to open a favorite item wrapped.  It is so true for our family that giving is often times more rewarding than receiving.

Among Cam's favorites were the personalized suitcase from Oma and Opa and robots from Chris and Jane.


Jane and her mom had a good laugh when they discovered they were both thinking the same thing without even talking to each other about it.
Oma had a personalized cooking apron made for Cam.
Jane ordered aprons personalized with the names Oma and Opa!
It was such a relaxing day and we were so thankful to have Cam's grandparents with us for 4 whole days!

On Dec. 27th, we hosted the Jellema cousin party at our home and greeted 45 people (please note we were still missing quite a few cousin families!).

After our potluck dinner, the kids played and adults chatted.

Each and every year for more than 40 years, Santa has made a personal stop at the Jellema cousin party and this year was no exception.  15 kids gathered around while Santa found two small presents in his big cloth bag for each younger cousin.  Cam couldn't believe Santa was in his house!

We have many family members and extended family who celebrated with us and sent such wonderful gifts this Christmas and we thank you all so very much!

By far, though, our most special gift this Christmas is one that Chris built and created for us.
(Being the humble and gracious, giving man that he is, he created an instruction video so others could complete the project.)

This incredible handmade picture frame is now installed on our living room wall where we will see it every day and be reminded of the smiles and love that surround this home.

Cam-ology Quotes:
Upon Cam opening his new travel suitcase roller bag for an April 2016 trip to New Orleans...
"Can I go pack now, please!"

After having a few turns of present unwrapping right in a row, Cam's parents told him that someone else needed to take a turn..
"Ok, Mom, you go first...(short pause)...and I'll go second."

Winter Break Begins... Week of Dec. 14th

Just before winter break begins, you can feel the anticipation of relaxation.  But the few days before the last day of school are filled with activities.  The day of Cam's school party, he and Jane were dressed in red and when Michelle arrived after school, she was too!

Cam and Ms. Christy

Cam gave Christmas cards to all of his teachers and helpers at school as well as his bus drivers.  The holiday greeting is a favorite project Cam and his mom do together- deciding which pictures and Jane creating the poem.

The weekend plans were set for Saturday and Sunday.  We first ventured over to visit Ms. Mickie and hang out with Mr. Ken.  We met so many people and everyone said Cam had the best smile.  Mr. Ken kept telling him how tall he was getting and how much he liked our Christmas card!  It is always good to see our good friends and neighbors of 15 years.  Cam asked if we can go again and we most certainly will.

Lunch at the exclusive Target dining followed by some holiday shopping filled our afternoon.

Chris and Cam worked on homemade chocolate covered cherries for the remainder of the day.



Sunday afternoon was reserved for our Christmas celebration with Auntie Jo and Will.  We dined on homemade mini burgers and freshly made french fries and opened presents.  After playing some games, we had big plans to see the annual light show.

Every year, the local baseball park decorates the area to drive through (for a hefty fee) and it's something Auntie Jo and Jane have done with their boys for a few years now.  Pictures can't do the display justice and Cam and Will had to pick their favorites as we slowly made our way around the festive surroundings.
Afterwards, we were able to get both boys to agree to a photo complete with Santa hats- a rare occasion to catch everyone smiling at the same time!

A notable change in our household has been the appearance of the Elf on the Shelf.  Cam named his elf, Gerrit, and this elf has been busy moving around our home.  Every morning, our curious boy has been actively finding the mischievous helper.  This picture captured Cam's loudest laugh and favorite hiding place of his elf.  Of course, though, many questions ensued after his discovery.  Cam's questions included, but were not limited to, the following..."how did he write on the glass?....who put him in there?....is he ok?"

We expect this holiday season will be full of even more surprises!



Cam-ology Quotes:
(Mom) Cam, what are you thinking of for dinner?
"Do we have any leftovers we have to eat?"
(Mom) I sure do love you, Cam.