A Birthday for our Country & Chris - Week of July 4th

Cascade Road

What does independence mean to you?  Freedom, celebration and self-governance come to mind.  Most recently, Cam has been asking for privacy to be by himself.  Sometimes, this is when he's content or at

Cam- Parade Participant!

times when he needs a break from everyone and everything...
and don't we all feel that way at times!
 Becoming independent is a part of growing up and although Cam's independence is different from others, his thoughtful way of requesting it shows his parents that he has a good grasp of understanding his own feelings.

On Monday, Cam exercised his independence by participating in the Bike Parade which is always the leading entry in the Cascade Township Independence Day Celebration.  Our son was so determined in his parade duties, he would barely slow down for a photo op.  After the bikers and powerchair participators completed their trek, officers, fire trucks, local business floats and others paraded through.  A sheriff on a police motorcycle stopped to hang out with Cam for a picture.  That evening, we opted to watch some fireworks from the comfort of our front yard!

As if that day wasn't excitement enough, Michelle, who watched the parade with us, had big plans for the remainder of the week.


One of Cam's awesome bus drivers, Ms. Christie had extended an invite to her farm.  The animals took a liking to Cam as he and Michelle hung out with the horses, goats and chickens.

Ms. Christie even made a funny video to send to Cam after their visit.

From horsing around to splashing around, Michelle and Cam made their way to Millennium Park.

The six acre, man-made beach in the Grand Rapids vicinity hosts more than a dozen sprayers, buckets, splashers and other water features in the splashpad area.
On the humid, warm days that are not the norm in Michigan, getting wet in the sunshine seems to be the best activity around.

We celebrated Chris' birthday by taking out the best dad/husband ever to Olive Garden for an Italian dinner.  Cam had framed one of his favorite pictures of the two of them to give him and he was also given a certificate for a new e-reader of his choosing.

We were at Oma and Opa's on Sunday to see our family friends from Joliet, the Hueys, who gave Cam an early birthday present.  Gifts included an awesome bag of law enforcement goodies from the Joliet Police Dept! as well as a camping headlamp.



The remainder of the day was spent in the water and on the beach.  Cam had multiple kayak trips as we paddled out on the calm lake and plenty of "baking" time on the beach, creating different culinary delights out of sand with Oma.

Chris and Aunt Gay share a birthday exactly 50 years apart.  Cam gave Aunt Gay a card and some new sunglasses.

Cam also tried out a new look this week when Michelle draped her hair over Cam's head so he could see what he would look like.
Cam's response: "I look like a girl!"

Camology Quotes:
We enjoyed a cookout with our neighbors at the Flegel home.  Chris asked Cam if he wanted to go downstairs and play pool.  When Cam realized what the "pool" was...
"I thought they had a pool to go swimming downstairs!"

Jane was trying to upload a video to YouTube for viewing elsewhere and was running into issues.  Cam was calmly explaining what the process was..
"First you get the video and send in email to the internet and then get it in YouTube..." (at this point, Mom stops listening and her son definitely notices...)
"Mom- listen to my instructions please!"

S is for Swimming, Schooling, Siestas & Socializing - Week of June 27th

SuperNannies!  Amanda & Michelle :)

Every time someone says any letter is for... as in "C is for Cam" the classic show, Sesame Street comes to mind.  Even though Cam has outgrown his Elmo phase, determining the letters that make up words, putting them together and learning to read is high on our summer agenda.  To that end, our academic boy was anxious to head back to school to attend summer session three mornings a week.


We had our first summer dinner picnic siesta at the Cascade Park where a new playground was dedicated.  Chris volunteered 10 hours of hard labor with our community to assist in the new construction.  The new play area is very accessible with ramps and a rubberized ground.  We see many trips in the future to our local park, a 5 minute car ride from home.

Ms. Laura completed her final swimming lesson with Cam this week at the Mary Free Bed YMCA.  She loves working with him and he's come a long way with back floating, relaxation techniques and working his arms and legs in the pool.

Gearing up for the holiday weekend, Michelle took Cam over to the local library for powerchair/bicycle decorating in preparation for the big parade.  They provided all of the materials and Cam's chair ended up with rocket boosters in the back and lots of red, white and blue!

The summer bus driver, Mr. Chris, gave each of the kids a treat bag as well as an American flag and hat to celebrate Independence Day.  And Cam's dad looks quite festive sporting both!

Mr. Chris & Cam

On Friday evening, Auntie Karen drove in from Chicago to attend a surprise early birthday outing for Chris, which Jane had set up at Dave & Buster's.  The small, adult-only gathering celebrated the coolest guy Jane and Cam know!

Saturday morning, our crew headed north to spend the day on the beach.  Auntie Jo and Will met us there and we all hit the sand with Oma.


It was a sunny day with calm waters and our inflatable kayak was ready for Lake Michigan once again.  Multiple trips were taken in the little boat.  Although the big lake itself wasn't quite warm enough for leisurely swimming, it felt refreshing to cool off by wading.  Or, if you're Chris and Cam, "wading" means the Cam-Mobile rolls into the water at top speed where Chris catches it, or catches it as Cam dunks into the water.  Thankfully, this boy enjoys getting wet, even if it is a bit chilly!


Camology Quotes:
Cam has been actively helping Chris with various building projects in the garage.  One evening, they ran into some issues and were trying to come up with some solutions.
Cam was driving around in his powerchair making a clucking noise.

Dad asked, "Cam, why are you making a clucking noise?"
"I do this when I am trying to think of an idea.  It helps me think!"

Welcome Summer! - Week of June 20th

“If you ever find yourself in a jam, just take a moment to sit and think; calculate things, look at every angle, and then wonder where all that jam came from.” ~Melanie Kay Taylor

Cam keeps up with all schedule changes and this week was no exception.

Cam & Amanda

Michelle headed out on a mission trip to Kentucky and Cam's former nanny, Kelsey, stepped in for Monday through Thursday to hang out with her buddy. They kept incredibly busy with reading practice, swimming lessons, stretching and PT.  On Wednesday, they headed out for the morning to complete over 50 pounds of strawberry picking!  And on Friday, Amanda and Cam took the fruits of that labor (literally!) and began hulling and crushing over 10 pounds of berries.  With an assembly line in place, Jane helped the duo fill 18 containers of freezer jam.  There may have been quite a bit of taste-testing during the process.

A visit to the graduate Grand Valley students took place on Friday as well.  Since Cam has been requesting police stories and using his imagination to play "pretend" emergency calls, these PT folks were ready.  They put Cam through unofficial "police training" with a boxing glove and dexterity challenges.  Cam's teaching job was a fun-filled hour and he was rewarded with an official police badge and stickers.


Saturday, the blue skies and sunshine guided us northward.

We stopped at the famous Dog-n-Suds in Montague where Oma met us for lunch.  The location was founded by a Montague school teacher in 1963 who ran the Drive-In in the summer months. It was purchased by the current family in the fall of 1965, and re-opened in the Spring of 1966.  It's a great spot to dine outside right along the river.  A family of swans seemed to be waiting for some floating french fries to head their way.

Whether it's because he's a growing boy or because it's a routine, when it comes to beach time, Cam equates every trip to Lake Michigan needing to be accompanied by a snack.  When everything is settled, the first order of business is a tasty treat and water.

The Michigan sand was warm but the water was still a bit on the chilly side.  That didn't stop Chris
and his son from making the most of cooling off in the hot sun.

Paige & Cam

Cousin Paige had an open house on Sunday and we were excited to celebrate her high school graduation!  The ice cream sundae bar was just what Cam ordered.  To top it off, Paige's mom has some "famous" friends- officers at the Wyoming Police Dept!  Cam had the honor of meeting a real police woman- totally made his day!

This week, we said goodbye to a dear friend, Ms. Mickie.  She and Mr. Ken were married for 55 years and dedicated their lives to helping others and showing their faith through example.  We will miss her so very much.

Whenever Cam giggled and squealed, Ms. Mickie would always echo her own hearty chuckle and say "Oh Cam, you do make me laugh!"

This one's for you Ms. Mickie- we love you!!

Camology Quotes:
Cam took his job smashing strawberries very seriously.  He asked Amanda and Jane:
"Is this jamming consistency?"

Cam asked many questions about Ms. Mickie's passing.  Jane had printed off the picture of Cam and Ms. Mickie's granddaughter, Amanda, making jam.
"Can we send the picture to God to give to Ms. Mickie?"

Sailing into Dad's Day - Week of June 13th

“To reach a port we must set sail.  Sail, not tie at anchor-  Sail, not drift.”  ~Franklin D. Roosevelt

Cam was able to convince Oma to stay and hang out with him in the beginning of the week.  He and Oma and Michelle all had their own stretching class together!  He was very supportive in leading the effort.  The crew took a trip to the Ada Farmer's Market and arrived home with local fruit, vegetables and even fresh fish.

Amanda & Cam on pontoon ride

On Friday, Cam was pre-registered for a sailing clinic in conjunction with MFB at the Grand Rapids Yacht Club on Reeds Lake.  Cam was a bit nervous last year when it was his maiden voyage, but he was ready for the adventure this time.  Lucky for us, Amanda had never been sailing before and we were excited to share this experience with her.  The conditions were picture perfect for boating- gentle breeze, warm air and sunny day.  We arrived shortly after 9am and while we were waiting our turn, we took a cruise around the lake on a pontoon.  Next, Cam had a solo ride in a small sailboat.  To wrap up our excursion, Amanda, Jane and her son all boarded a larger sailboat named "Rebel" captained by Ms. Mary.  Mary cruised around a good portion of Reeds Lake and showed us the secret "Sunken Island" located in the middle of the lake.  You could actually jump out of the boat and stand up- it was that shallow!

Mathew & Cam

Late in the afternoon on Saturday, we headed over to Alaska (not the state, but small town near us) to celebrate Mathew's graduation.  Mat used to live in our old neighborhood and we still see the Flegel family, who are known as our forever neighbors and friends.
The open house served up delicious food and outdoor games, two of Cam's favorite things.  Mat's dad has a huge tractor that Chris put Cam on to check out the view from way up high!

Sunday morning, we left Grand Rapids early to head up to north to surprise Oma and Opa at their church, St. Peter's By the Lake.  They were quite surprised to see us there, albeit just a couple of minutes before the beginning of the service.

We had an awesome beach day afternoon, gave Opa a new grill, and celebrated Father's Day with our family.

Cam and Jane know that Chris is one of kind.  His ability to always find adventure, like digging up a half-buried boat on the beach, constantly remind us that every day something just below the surface awaits discovery!

Camology Quotes:
For Father's Day, Cam and Ms. Michelle worked on a project creating an award card for Chris.  Michelle asked Cam questions which he answered and Michelle helped fill in the blanks.

This is what Dad always says: "Hello, Hi, Goodbye"
He is so good at: "Making ramps"
Here is his favorite thing to eat: "Pickles, tomatoes, broccoli, ham"

Cam helping Chris with the mower

My dad's pockets are full of:  "Money and a wallet"  (Ha! says Dad)
This makes my dad laugh: "When he tickles me" (soooo true!)
When he comes home from work, he likes to:  "Eat, tickle Cam, kiss Mom"  (Mom's personal favorite!)

Baseball, Buddies and a Bride - Week of June 6th

WMML Medal time!

"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end"
~ song lyric from 'Closing Time' by Semisonic 

New shelves for Jane's bday!

Endings and beginnings are a part of daily life.  This week, we experienced quite a few on both sides.  Time to start counting...

Jane celebrated a birthday (with a number not to be noted here) on Thursday and her boys took her out to dinner and for her present, built a set of needed shelves in the closet.  These boys are talented!

Family of Helpers
from Miller-Johnson

Yeah for Meadow Brook families!!

Saturday morning, we took our final spring season trip out to the baseball field for WMML where Cam played his final game.  The volunteers from a local law firm were eager to assist and the heat of the day was muted by a nice breeze. Along with Cam's parents, Oma, Opa and Mr. Steve completed the bleacher fan club.

Ms. Michelle, Cam &
Ms. Barbara

Less than 10 minutes after arriving home from the ball game, our first guests arrived for Cam's End of School & Summer Cookout!  Teachers, therapists, aides, fellow school friends and their families all enjoyed a delicious array of food brought by all guests.  The daytime temp reached 90 degrees so were all happy for an air-conditioned break inside to watch the Project Unify video that Ms. Barbara had put together.  It was important for everyone to see the presentation so the families of teachers, therapists, aides and fellow students could see what an impact everyone has on each other.

Oma, Cam and Opa

On Sunday, we traveled to Kalamazoo to celebrate a new beginning for Auntie Roe.  Cam was able to wear his tuxedo once again and take on the all-important duty of being a ring bearer (for the 4th time!) for Ronda & Mike's wedding.  The day was almost as beautiful as the bride.  Cam and Auntie Roe have a special relationship and many shared memories including, but not limited to, banana bread making and Portuguese language lessons.
Ronda's baking buddy worked diligently to memorize a short speech...Feliz Casamento! meaning Happy Marriage  (pronounced fah-lease koz-a-mento) and Abraços e Amor meaning Hugs and Love (pronounced ah-bra-sus eh ah-more).
It was an action packed weekend and we all had fun remembering the moments that become our memories.  For all that took place, this quote lingers and reminds us just how impactful people are...


“Some people come into our lives and quickly go. Some stay for a while, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never, ever the same.”

Cam-ology Quotes:
When you have a day ahead full of activity, it's easy to feel a bit anxious and stressed.  And then, Cam wakes up and announces:
"I just love this beautiful day!"  
and those nervous feelings melt away....