Double Digits - Week of Aug. 14th

Surprise is the greatest gift which life can grant us. ~Boris Pasternak 

Has there ever been a time when you thought you knew what was going to happen, but it ended up being even better than you imagined?

It seemed as if each day held a treat this week, not necessarily to be eaten, but definitely one to be savored and enjoyed.

Cam and Amanda were chosen as professional painter assistants when Papa Ken insisted he paint our kitchen after receiving some technology help from Chris.  We now see bright blue where there once was 'boring' beige.  Lake Michigan water will surround us all year round.

On Tuesday, we welcomed 'Auntie' Leslie from North Carolina, and on Wednesday, her boyfriend, Mr. Jay from Georgia.  These two ascended for their 30th high school reunion with Jane.  They were forewarned that it was Cam's birthday week and surprises were in store.  We couldn't have guessed that they had hidden gems as well for Cam.  Auntie Leslie brought Crazy Forts, a kit of plastic rods and styrofoam inserts, an assembly for easily creating awesome forts inside the house.  The idea came from witnessing Emma and Cam enjoy many different fort creations over the years.
Mr. Jay is a master board game aficionado.  He presented Cam with the game, King of Tokyo.  It became an immediate family favorite and we were all a bit startled by Cam's ambitious, daring Tokyo plays.

Thursday was Cam's actual 10th birthday.  Our inquisitive son had guessed that he was going to Craig's Cruisers.  After all, he had asked over a month ago and yes, he remembered the request. However, he had no idea what is in store.  Our first surprise was a morning of rain, actually a downpour.  Regardless, nothing was going to damper the day.  Oma and Opa arrived shortly after 10am marking the first official bday surprise.

As we all traveled to Craig's Cruisers, Cam had no idea what awaited him.  Upon arrival, we were all given a wristband/card for 3 attractions (go-karts/bumper boats) arcade games and buffet, due to a pre-purchased birthday package.  Cam didn't realize he had a birthday package and was also unaware that 3 of his best buddies would be in attendance as well.  Brody, Emma and Liam all arrived with a parent ready to celebrate!  Brody and Cam have been at Meadow Brook together since kindergarten.  Obviously, Brody nailed the iTunes gift card for his buddy.  Maybe Cam was beyond excited in this video because he's been aggravated by endless ads on one of his favorite games.  Jane kept commenting that he would need to earn money or ask for a gift card to purchase the no-ad version.  It was a wish come true for the birthday kid.  The rain stopped outside and that meant outdoor go-karts and bumper boats became available attractions.

Oma and Opa had picked up a delicious chocolate birthday cake from our favorite bakery, Ryke's, on their way into Grand Rapids.
When you have a celebration equally fun for adults and kids, it's tough to say who enjoyed the day more.  Cam's parents were told by the majority of adults present that it was the best birthday party they've been to.  As an added bonus, each and every person in our group gave their earned "tickets" from the arcade games to Cam as an extra added bonus.

Back at home, Oma and Opa graciously spent the night and their ten-year-old grandson enjoyed opening presents from his grandparents including a national park quarter album, school clothes, books and a toy ice cream truck.  Grandma Sue sent a homemade blanket and book of puzzles.
One of Jane's good friends and colleagues sent an NYPD baseball cap and stocking hat.

You would think once one's actual birthday has passed, the festivities have as well.  However, there was one more planned and it didn't involve Cam's parents.  On Saturday, the adult crew in the household were headed to the high school reunion.  Ms. Amanda arrived to spend the evening with Cam.   She and Cam ventured over to the Woltjer family home (Amanda's boyfriend's fam) to partake in a special party given in our 10-year old's honor.  A delicious dinner, homemade chocolate cake and balloons were more than enough to blow this kid (and his parents) away!
Brooke, pictured kneeling with Cam posted this awesome tribute: celebrated this dude's 10th birthday tonight! Cam, even though we have only known you for a short time, you have become so special to us and have brought us crazy amounts of joy! 💙🚔🍫

It was a week of renewed friendships, unexpected gifts and one sweet surprise after another.
Our infinite love and thanks to you all!

Camology Quotes:

Trying to keep Cam's birthday activities quiet was a challenge, especially when the questions kept coming and coming..  
Mom, are you going to get me a cake for my birthday? 
Do you want a cake? 
Yes, you should always have cake on your birthday. It is important. You had a cake, Mom.

With Cam's ticket winnings, he was able to pick out some wonderful, cheap gifts.  He asked what the whoopee cushion was.  Jane told him it was a cushion that tooted.  Upon arrival home...
Where is my Toot Pillow? 

The Things You Catch at the Pier - Week of Aug. 7th

The charm of fishing is that it is the pursuit of what is elusive but attainable, a perpetual series of occasions for hope. ~John Buchan 

If people concentrated on the really important things in life, there'd be a shortage of fishing poles. ~Doug Larson

It was a week of new experiences for Cameron Jackson.  His swimming lessons every Monday evening have increased his stamina with each session.
Ms. Laura has been working with him to incorporate more leg movement to strengthen his muscles since the hip surgery.  The Mary Free Bed therapy pool is virtually empty when their instruction takes place, so it's a targeted 45-minutes.

Cam and Ms. Amanda continued their daily walks, increasing their distance to almost two miles.  Their summer routine has consisted of morning Vizzle work (shout out to Ms. Kathy @ school!), reading practice and then their mid-morning trek for exercise.  Ms. Amanda always finds a way to wrap some fun activity into the day as well.

The weekend arrived and so did some rainy weather.  As we made our way to Holland State Park, we had no idea what awaited us.  Even though the skies were cloudy, we continued on, ready to teach Cam how to fish at the channel.
Chris and Jane both enjoy fishing and they hadn't had an opportunity to take their son.  Our family found a parking spot and the sunshine prevailed as we made our way to find the best spot.

Shortly after we arrived, Mr. Steve appeared indicating his girls would be along soon.  We switched locations and settled in at a bench alcove adjacent to the boardwalk.
All of a sudden, the fishing line bent over and Chris worked to haul in the catch.  We weren't sure how big the fish would be and Cam's dad almost toppled over his son bringing the sheepshead fish in for a photo shoot.  The swimmer wasn't the type you would keep or even eat, but it was a big one and hilarious to see Cam's excitement watching one be captured and then released.

Ms. Amanda, her boyfriend, Nick and his sister, Brooke, parents Mary and Dan and dog Gizmo all showed up at the boardwalk as well.  And they arrived with a huge early birthday present from Ms. Amanda and Nick's entire family.  Cam couldn't believe it! The beautifully wrapped present was adorned with his favorite chocolate coins, and a card from everyone.
Luckily, Mary captured the moment of Cam opening the awesome gift on video.

The day was filled with the bright sunshine of a perfect Michigan summer afternoon, the warmth of meeting new friends you feel like you've known for a long time, the goodness of seeing your close friends/neighbors in a different location, and a whopper of a fish story to share over and over again.

Camology Quotes:

This week, Cam's parents celebrated their 14th wedding anniversary.  Chris had to stay overnight for work on the east side of the state and set up a surprise for Jane since he would be absent.  He conspired with neighbor Sarah to have her hand-deliver a present, card, bouquet and Starbucks on the anniversary morning.  

"Mom, how did Dad do that?"
He asked Sarah before he left.  Your dad is the sweetest.
"That is so cool, Mom!

Sandy Candles - Week of July 31st

"The more sand that has escaped from the hourglass of our life, the clearer we should see through it."  ~Jean Paul

Summer's timer keeps on ticking and we keep soaking it up.
The unexpected invite to a backyard pool on a weeknight is a summer treat for our family.
Emma and her dad popped over to ask if we all wanted to take an evening swim at their family friend's pool.  Although most things solar-heated in Michigan take a temperature dip after dinnertime, it is still refreshing.  Cam and Emma seemed impervious to the coolness, wanting to continue water games for quite some time.

Emma and her creative mind designed a makeshift restaurant and provided play money for Cam to order from her extensive menu.  As she cooked, she pretended all sorts of creative disasters took place in her kitchen and even had to interview new employees, aka stuffed animals.

Our awesome friends and neighbors are always present since they're just a backyard path away.  Whether we share dinners, evening walks, ice cream treats or playtime, these lifelong buddies bring smiles every time we're together.

Summer time also means some work effort needs to be put forth and Cam is always willing to help out.  His dad expertly rigged up a fastener for the wheelbarrow saving his father lugging the weeds across the yard to the woods.

The best laid plans sometimes don't go as expected.  Friday afternoon was reserved for a trip to Stony Lake to see our close family friends, the Hueys.  A rainy day squashed our intentions to swim, boat and waterski.  However, we did love the opportunity to really chat, catch up and share a most delicious meal complete with freshly husked corn, thanks to Oma and Cam.  And Oma's homemade pies were a bit hit.  Since Stony is only 15 minutes from the cottage, our evening ride 'home' was a quick one.  We caught a nice sunset back at Oma & Opa's deck since it decided to clear up about 8pm.

Sunday, though, was a picture perfect beach day.  When Jane was younger and spent her summers on Lake Michigan, a favorite craft was making sand candles with her mom.  Oma had talked to Cam about this in May and he hadn't forgotten, reminding her nearly every time they were together it would need to be an upcoming activity.  Thank goodness for Amazon and internet instructions providing a candle making kit with directions and online videos.  The best part of sand candles is making your own mold to pour the wax into.  Such a fun technique and great way to spend our morning.

Even though big lake waters hadn't made it to the 70 degree mark, Chris and his son still went swimming with the Cam mobile.  On days like this, we forget how cold our winters will be and soak up every ounce of pure Michigan summer goodness.

Upon arrival back in Grand Rapids, a family of deer were slowly making their way through our yard.  Traveling from the rural area of Cam's grandparents back to city isn't quite as shocking when you have this kind of greeting awaiting you.

Camology Quotes:

Cam is an intuitive kid.  He seems keenly aware of when to play up a joke or offer a hug when needed most.  Sometimes, juggling a full-time job and personal business is tough during a work day for Jane.  There were some parts in need of repair on Cam's powerchair and a 'quick' call to rattle off the list turned into a twenty minute conversation figuring out an appointment time.  After the 'go-fish- session, Jane finally disconnected and Cam came over to her.


"I know it's a lot to do, Mom but it is important that we get it done."

And with that simple phrase, frustration melts into a smile.  A later game of finding father and son hiding in the bathroom completely turned the day around!

Labor of Love - Week of July 24th

When Chris suggested that he & Cam build a new picnic table for the cottage as a present for Oma & Opa (their anniversary was July 1st), Jane had no idea what it would entail.  The boys had never built a table, but that wouldn't deter Cam's dad, always ready to take on a challenge..no wonder his son has the same attitude!

After taking measurements of the cottage deck and existing table, we all agreed on a new design. Chris picked up cedar wood, Cam wore his headphones and the two got to work.  Cam's job was to check to be certain his chair would fit underneath the table and supervise his dad.  Chris needed his son's expert assistance to find all of the screws so wood putty could placed over them to blend in with the wood.  After 2 weeks of evening and weekend work, the picnic table was completed.  Due to its 8 foot length, it was expertly secured in the back of the Honda Ridgeline to travel to its final destination- Oma & Opa's deck.

The existing picnic table is nearly 50 years old and a testament to good construction.

When the replacement was revealed, Cam's grandparents were very excited!  Opa was surprised to see a separate bench for him at the head of table, opposite of where Cam sits.  The custom crafting, unique design, and multiple coats of linseed oil have us all hoping this piece of furniture lasts as long as its predecessor.

The weekend calendar also included beach time and the Annual Cousin Baseball Game.
We finally enjoyed some rare, calm Lake Michigan waters as our family kayak had a good workout.
Some cool kid was hanging out in the inflatable boat solo for a bit.  And, we even convinced Oma to take a boat ride in the calm waters.


The famous Cam-mobile went touring through the lake as well, bouncing up and down splashing its occupant.  The water was incredibly clear and the sun reflected the bottom so one could easily spot large minnows, rocks and even a stray golf ball.

The Annual Cousin Baseball Game is an event we look forward to every year.  Cam's cousin, Harper, came up with the idea years ago and he is now an avid player himself.

We try to make it as official as possible with a boatload of snacks, sodas, and even the national anthem itself before the opening pitch.
The best part is watching the kids at bat and in the outfield, guarding bases and figuring out that batting is really the coolest thing ever.  There is a team roster and we do play on a real baseball field complete with bases and dugouts.  Cam and his sweet cousin, Maya, hung out at first base together waiting for the next swing.  The favorite quote of the day, "when am I up to bat again?" echoed by several cousins.

After a couple of hours and numerous innings (we may or may not have reached 9), the sun was warm and bellies were beginning to grumble.  After our group picture, most of players and spectators headed to Fricano's in Muskegon.
Fricano's pizza remains the original and most famous pizza and pizzeria in Michigan. In 1949 the late Cosimo (Gus) Fricano, founded what is believed to be the first pizzeria in Michigan, Fricano's Pizza Tavern, in Grand Haven with the original thin crust pizza pie.
The pizza is a family favorite, although Cam is still quite puzzled why they don't serve breadsticks at most of their pizza establishments.  A definite bonus regarding the Muskegon location is that a specialty ice cream shop is downstairs in the same building.  Cam believes this may outweigh the breadstick issue.

The biggest bonus, though, is hanging out with our cousins we don't see too often due to distance and knowing that the next generation will be surrounded by family, friends, baseball, and of course, Fricano's pizza!

Camology Quotes:

Cam loves school and has always enjoyed summer school too.  The summer program lasts 5 weeks and Cam rides the bus there 3 days per week in the mornings only.  Cam's class worked on an ocean theme and even cracked open coconuts one day.


As parents, we hope our children are polite when we are not there to remind them to do so.  Jane received this email from Cam's summer school teacher, Ms. Kathy, on the last day of summer school this week.  

"I also want you to know what a lovely and polite boy you have.  He thanked us all for having summer school and making it fun!"