Fifteen's Routine - Week of Aug. 15th

“Sometimes, You will never know the value of a moment until it becomes a memory.” ~Dr. Seuss

It was hard to believe this week of August 15th was also the week Cam would be 15 years old!  To commemorate the occasion, here are fifteen things you may or may not know about Cam...

1. He is kind
2. He is empathetic
3. He loves projects
4. He loves leading and supervising projects
5. He learns visually
6. His comprehension is pretty impressive
7. His memory is even more impressive!
8. He loves chocolate
9. He loves bread
10. He loves his family and spending time with them
11. His favorite activity with his dad is working on computers and programming Amazon Alexas
12. His favorite activity with his mom is organizing, cleaning and baking
13. He is a routine-driven person
14. He is honest
15. His heart is pure gold!💝

On Monday, Cam went blueberry picking with his dad.  They gathered more than 5 pounds of berries to bring home.

Wednesday, August 17 was Cam's birthday and it started off on a high note.  Our teenager slept in until after 8am.  After waking up and getting dressed, he was greeted with his favorite breakfast from Sundance restaurant: scrambled eggs, bacon, toast and spuds (the best breakfast potatoes, per Cam).

Oma and Opa were with us for the entire week so it was an extra treat to see his grandparents on his birthday.

Jane took the birthday teen out in the afternoon for a drive through the Tropical Smoothie Café for a chocolate peanut butter cool freeze.

Cam's only request for his special day: Olive Garden for dinner.  

Oma, Opa and Ms. Ann all accompanied Cam and his parents out for our dining festivities.  There were plenty of breadsticks and salad to go around.  Since it was Cam's birthday, he was able to score a free dessert of his choice!  They were out of chocolate lasagna (probably not a bad thing) so instead, we all shared warm Italian doughnuts with chocolate dipping sauce.  Each of us can highly recommend.  We left the restaurant with full bellies, big smiles and 6 leftover containers.

Oma and Opa gave Cam two shirts emblazoned with "Cam, the man, the myth, the legend" as well as a baking conversion chart.  The birthday teenager received multiple Amazon gift cards from friends and family.  Grandma Sue sent a handmade quilt with Cam's high school mascot featured from some t-shirts sewn in.  And Jane's co-worker, Cyndi, sent a most delicious array of ice cream packed in dry ice.

Friday's agenda included Jane and her son driving to Muskegon in the morning.  It was the grand opening of Renew Mobility (formerly Alternatives in Motion) Muskegon location.  Jane is on the Board of Directors and Cam is one of their Youth Ambassadors.  Ms. Tessa who is also a board member and a local news anchor was on the scene as well.

We were grateful to have Oma and Opa with us for the week.  We enjoyed meals together, watching movies and just chatting.  Friday evening, Cam's grandparents enjoyed dinner at home with him while Chris and Jane met their cousins at a restaurant close by.

Saturday morning we were on the road again with a planned stop in Grand Haven to drop off some items for Oma and Opa's new place.  

Afterwards, we made our way to the Haroldson cottage for a second celebration of Cam's bday, orchestrated by cousin Coco and friends, Molly and Jude.  

Even though it wasn't a beach day, we were still able to be together and hang out.  Cam loves our cousin's dog, Lucy.  The sweet dog made it easier for Cam to pet her by sitting in the rocking chair. 

We feasted on grilled chicken, potatoes and veggies and fruit.  Coco had two dessert cakes for Cam- a chocolate ice cream one and Reese's peanut butter cup cake.  Coco, Max and Calla gave Cam an Apple gift card, popcorn bucket and treats to enjoy for movie time.  Our dear friends, Molly and Jude presented Cam with a Culver's concrete mixer and a Culver's gift card.  

They all know Cam so well!

Camology Quotes:

We typically use our cell phones for navigation, not because we don't know which way to go, but moreover to be alerted to accidents or delays.  Cam also provides his own narrative during the trips.  

At one point, Jane questioned his directions to which he replied, 

“I’m just following the GPS, not going some random way.”

Getting Oriented - Week of August 8th

“Intelligence plus character- that is the goal of true education.” ~Martin Luther King Jr.

As we approached mid-August, the activities were kicking into high gear.  On Tuesday, Ms. Amanda and Cam went to meet up with Brooke and her kiddos at Boulder Ridge Wild Animal Park in Alto, Michigan. Previously, there was a tram (with a ramp for Cam's chair) that would take park goers on a safari ride.  With recent changes, Boulder Ridge opted to pave their former bus path to allow everyone to travel at their own pace.  Cam indicated he thought it was better with the pavement and enjoyed the time with the animals and new friends.

That evening (Aug. 9th), Ms. Ann offered to hang out with Cam while his parents enjoyed a night out for their 19th wedding anniversary!  They dined at the downtown Real Seafood Co and enjoyed sitting outside at the JW Marriott afterwards.  A big thanks to Ms. Ann and Cam for making it such a memorable occasion.

Wednesday included a few more outings for Cam and Ms. Amanda. 

There was a visit to check on Amanda's new puppy, Otis, who took a liking to Cam.  Another stop to Chow Hound turned out to be a surprise encounter with one of Cam's favorite people, Ms. Rachel.  Rachel is the executive director for Brody's Be Café, and according to them both, Cam will be a future employee of the café when he turns 16 next year!

On Thursday, bright and early, Cam woke up before 7am.  Why so early? Because he was scheduled for Forest Hills Northern Hill School Freshman year orientation at 7:30am.  He arrived on time and listened to the instructions from his principal and other school leaders. Besides online forms and upcoming events, one of the most important reasons for attending the orientation was to have your school picture taken and obtain your official student id for the upcoming school year.  The photographer noted that Cam was definitely one of the happiest students he had met!

That evening Cam supervised furniture building for his dad as they worked to put together a coffee table for Oma and Opa.  The entire instruction booklet showed pictures with the letters of the different numerous parts.  Cam deciphered and called out the next steps to Chris.  As a team, they successfully completed the building task without any assistance from Jane, much to her delight.

Friday marked Ms. Amanda's last official summer day with Cam.  

She surprised him with a Dunkin' Donuts breakfast complete with a breakfast sandwich and munchkin donuts!  The duo had a fun morning and before we knew it, we were saying 'see you soon' to our Amanda when it felt like it was just yesterday that summer started.

Chris and Jane had the afternoon off of work, so they loaded up the van with the furniture to drop off to Rosy Mound for Oma and Opa.  

After a successful trip to Grand Haven, the Weatherford fam continued on their way to Maple Beach in Holland that afternoon.  At the original Jellema family cottage, Uncle Jon and Aunt Betsy, along with their four kids and their families were all gathered together.  The troops came from South Africa, Germany, Vermont and Illinois.  

We don't see these cousins too often and it was so good to catch up, if only for a short time.  It was cool enough to sit around the outdoor campfire sharing stories and laughing about old memories.  

Cam loves a good tradition and we hope this one continues for many years to come.

Camology Quotes:

Much like the deer we often see in our backyard, sometimes the moment calls for some serene calmness.

Trying to pack in the outings, Jane asked Cam if he wanted to venture out to the local farm stand.  His response was perhaps one of a typical teenager...

"Mom, I've done a lot this summer...I need to relax!"

Cam's Sign - Week of August 1st

"Words are but the signs of ideas." ~Samuel Johnson

There are times when one anticipates gift giving more than gift receiving...  

Such was the case with Ms. Amanda this week.  As a kindergarten teacher, she meets new students and parents every year.  One set of parents is very artistic and sells their creations online.  Amanda connected with them and requested a custom sign for Cam's upcoming birthday.  It was finished on Monday and she couldn't wait for Cam's actual bday and presented it to him on Tuesday morning.  The customized sign was a joint effort with Amanda providing a picture of Cam's powerchair and talking about his love of baseball.  It looks just perfect on his bedroom door!  He thanked Ms. Amanda profusely.

Saturday was our big outing day.  We traveled to the cottage with our packed lunch and beach towels, ready for some beach time.  After we ate and caught up with our cousins, we all headed down to the lake.  The water was warm and the waves were calmer than in the past few weeks.  While Chris and Cam were out in Lake Michigan, there was a bit of a tipsy plunge into the water which made Cam laugh for quite some time.

Oma and her grandson had fun chatting it up on the deck while Jane took one last dip into the lake.  

Cam and his mom drove separately from Chris because he was scheduled for volunteering for the non-profit, Lori's Voice, at the Berlin Raceway.  It was a very warm afternoon and he texted Jane upon his arrival at the raceway.  Cam's dad told us to take our time getting there due to the heat and loud noises.  We were thankful for his advice since we had more time to visit with our family.  

Cam and Jane parked the van close to the raceway entrance and found Chris.  We saw many of our friends there, including April, the founders of Lori's Voice- Lori and Dave Hastings, as well as many other families we know in the community.  It was a successful event and after getting to bed a bit later, sleeping in the next day was mandatory!

Camology Quotes:

Keeping up with the food inventory in any household can be challenging.  Luckily, Cam and his dad are pretty good about letting Jane know when something runs out.  When Cam noticed he had just depleted his chicken nuggets, he quickly alerted his mom.

"Thanks Cam, but actually there's another package in the outside freezer."

"Wow Mom! You're on it...like Blue Bonnet!"

Special Sauce - Week of July 25th

"I want to fill a jar with a lot of clapping, and sell my applause next to the applesauce in a grocery store. You can eat the praise you didn't earn, but did pay for."  ~Jarod Kintz

Ever since Cam began eating different foods as a baby, he has had the privilege of partaking in the most delicious homemade applesauce in the universe.  Perhaps Jane is a bit biased since she has also eaten it as far back as her toddler years. Oma learned the art of making applesauce from her mother and the tradition has passed on. Applesauce-making was a multi-night event in our home this week.

The ingredients include early transparent apples, sugar and a chinois strainer.  A chinois (English pronunciation: shin-wha) is a conical sieve with an extremely fine mesh. It is used to strain custards, purees, soups, and sauces, producing a very smooth texture. It can also be used to dust food with a fine layer of powdered ingredient. Chinois is a loanword from the French adjective meaning Chinese. French cooks call it this not because this kitchen tool comes from China, but because it resembles an Asian conical hat, also known as a rice hat.

This week we welcomed Johnny's family (Dave, Vy, Drew and Jack) into our home for the impending wedding of their son, Johnny.

Sarah, our good friend and neighbor was set to marry Johnny on Friday afternoon at Post Family Farm.  That afternoon, Cam's parents left work early for this festive occasion.  The weather couldn't have been better since there was no humidity and the temps were very mild.

The Raisch sisters looked beautiful as bridesmaids and Sarah was a stunning bride. Johnny and his groomsmen were equally handsome with leather suspenders.  Cam was sporting his own suspenders that he originally wore for Ms. Amanda's wedding and continues to showcase them.  After dining on delicious food from Mission BBQ, the heartfelt speeches were one of the highlights.  Fresh donuts were available for dessert and then the dance floor was open.  Sarah and her sisters have always felt like siblings to Cam. For many years, they all saw each other on a daily basis.  We had great fun dancing and said our goodbyes close to 10pm.

Saturday morning, we said farewell to Johnny's wonderful family as they headed back to NY and we made our way to the cottage after lunch.

The lake water was warmer and we a spent a bit of time relaxing. Later in the afternoon, we left for Grand Haven to visit The Village at Rosy Mound.  We had dinner in the courtyard there with Oma and Opa.

Sunday included another outing, this time to our local minor league baseball field for the Whitecaps Game. This was a planned excursion that Cam thought up for Father's Day. It just so happened that Chris' work had reserved one of the private decks for the Fishbeck employees on the same day.  Not only did we attend the game, but we also were able to partake in free food and drinks. And, the Whitecaps won the game!

Spur of the moment ideas can be fun.  After the game, we made an unplanned stop for dinner at Logan's Roadhouse.  It was delicious and almost seemed better since it was impromptu.  Cam's dad remembered that there was a Weatherford street sign right across from Logan's.  Before heading home, we captured a quick picture of our last name, assuming that it wasn't exactly something we could borrow and bring home.

Camology Quotes:

Anyone who has spent time with Chris is aware of his awesome sense of humor. Cam has inherited that gene as well. When Cam's dad continuously tries to make him laugh, he sometimes is surprised when his son calls it out.

"Dad, I have known you for 14 years. I know you are a jokester." 

Family First - Week of July 18th

“How did it get so late so soon. It’s night before it’s afternoon. December before it’s June. My goodness, how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?” ~Dr. Seuss

It's funny how quickly you can fall into a routine without even being aware of it. We became accustomed to Grandma Sue announcing "good morning" each day with her joyful smile and settling in to work on her quilting project. Jalayna was the first one up every morning, waiting for her cousin Cam and present for reading stories every evening.  Her constant gymnastics made us all feel more energetic and her giggle always made Cam laugh even harder.

With three days left to spend with Cam's Uncle John, cousin Jalayna and Grandma Sue, we tried to pack in lots of fun.  Games were played Monday morning as Jalayna was determined to test out every board game in Cam's collection. 

After an early lunch, we made our way to Saugatuck for our Dune Rides reservation.  It's a 40-minute ride over the dunes and in the woods filled with a history lesson including, but not limited to: details about the white pines being cut down to re-build Chicago after the Chicago Fire in 1871 decimating the area, the lost city of Singapore, Michigan which is buried under the sand dunes, and the University of Michigan State planning group to ecologically repair the past damage for regrowth.  It was fascinating to hear and the ride on the dune buggy does include a few thrills.  Our driver was very knowledgeable and personable offering to take everyone's pictures.  After a stop for frozen yogurt, we made our way back home for rest and relaxation.

That evening we headed out for a nice dinner.  Everyone dressed up for our reservation at Bowdie's Chophouse.  As long time residents of Grand Rapids, neither Cam nor his parents had ever been.  It was a feast to remember.  We ordered multiple side dishes as well as salads, steaks for the guys and fish for the ladies.  The hostess was very sweet agreeing to take our family photo upon exiting.

Tuesday was set aside for beach time and we all migrated to the cottage in two vehicles with six people now in tow.  Chris's brother, John, hadn't ever been to the lakeside home.  The water was warm enough for swimming and beach time was relaxing.  Grandma Sue, Oma and Opa stayed on the deck watching the activity and catching up.  Layna discovered the walkie talkies and insisted she and her cousin Cam use them most of the afternoon.  As an added bonus, we had a fish dinner at the Haroldson cottage and dessert before heading back to Grand Rapids.

Wednesday came too quickly, but our family wasn't heading to the airport until 7pm so we had the entire day together.  We asked Jalayna if there was anything she wanted to do that we hadn't done yet and the playground was on her to-do's.  Cam and his cousin and Jane headed over to the Cascade Park after lunch to check that one off the list. It was incredibly windy and although we thought we might blow away, we mostly just laughed about it.

Our new tradition is seeing how tall Grandma Sue and Jalayna are next to Cam while he is in standing mode.  And we were able to capture a great pic of Chris and his brother, John.  After a home-cooked meal, Cam's dad drove them to the airport.

Thursday and Friday had us back in the swing of things but missing Grandma Sue, John and Layna was at the top of our list. Ms. Amanda kept Cam busy and they wore their matching "We go together like peanut butter and jelly" shirts to Grand Valley on Friday.  Cam was scheduled for two sessions working with the graduate students and both groups were great.

We traveled northward again on Saturday eager to see Oma, Opa and our cousins. After a bit of beach time, we gathered together for the best summer dinner- burgers, hot dogs, brats, summer sausage, potato salad, veggies and more. We had a great time visiting with everyone!  As we were leaving, an impending storm was making its way across the lake.  The sky looked threatening and upon arrival back home in Grand Rapids, a deluge of rain seemed to sweep across our driveway and street just after we made it inside. 

It was quite the storm that evening, but the Weatherford household was fast asleep after an exciting day.

Camology Quotes:

After Chris took his mom, brother and niece to the airport, Cam and his mom were left alone in the very quiet house. Communicating is always key and expressing emotion unlocks and releases what we are feeling.

"Mom, I am very sad that they're gone." 

Me too, Cam. I'm more sad than I thought I would be.

"I am really sad. I need some time alone."

The Choice Conundrum - Week of July 11th

 "F.O.M.O." - Fear of Missing Out

As we all settled into our routine together with Cam's Grandma Sue and Jalayna, our home seemed energized.  

Amanda arrived Monday morning to take the kids on a hike through the nature park while Jane worked.  Another daily activity on the agenda was to have Grandma Sue walk down the driveway for exercise with her grandchildren.  Layna opened a "salon" in our living room to do everyone's hair.  Monday afternoon, Cam headed out for his swimming and PT session while his cousin Layna was sad she couldn't go with him.  This was our first FOMO exposure of the week.  The second came Tuesday morning.

Summer school runs from Tuesday through Thursday during the last three weeks of July. The fear of missing out is a strong pull for our teenager. He wanted to stay home with his grandma and cousin, but he also wanted to attend the summer session.  After much discussion and conflicted emotions, Cam decided to make his way to the bus stop.  That afternoon, the cousins were able to visit with a dog named Jada and meet Ms. Amanda's bunny, Ollie.

Wednesday evening, Chris wrangled Cam and Layna into the van for an evening at Dave & Buster's to play games and eat there as well.  Grandma Sue and Jane had a lovely fish dinner at home and chatted away until everyone arrived back home.  At school, Cam enjoyed an outdoor activity after class work inside.  They made s'mores outside using the sun's reflection to provide enough heat to melt the chocolate and make the marshmallow gooey inside. Jalayna and Jane enjoyed some pedicure time Thursday morning and by Saturday, we were ready for beach time!

After an early lunch, we loaded everyone into the vehicle traveling northwest.  The trip to the cottage normally takes just a bit over an hour but during construction season in Michigan, our trip was an extra 20 minutes.  Upon arrival, we were all anxious to be on the beach.  Chris and Cam took an unexpected tumble down the boardwalk, but both of the guys were fine after a bit of cleanup.  It was incredibly windy on the beach and a little cooler so Grandma Sue and Cam stayed on the deck with Oma and Opa.  Layna had her first kayak ride with her Uncle Chris.  Dinner on the deck was delicious as we all enjoyed looking out over the water.

Sunday morning, we busied ourselves cleaning and awaiting Jalayna's dad's flight arrival.  We decorated for his impending birthday party.  His actual birthday was July 15th, but we were celebrating on July 17th.  John, Chris's brother had originally sent his itinerary that noted he was due in at 6:30pm.  However, while Chris and his niece were at the store, John texted that he had landed and it was 4:15pm!  It was a huge surprise when our doorbell rang and there was Cam's Uncle John jokingly telling his nephew he had just walked all the way from the airport.  It was the best evening for us all, laughing, sharing dinner and eating birthday cake.  We all went to bed a bit earlier that eve gearing up for the next three fun days ahead!

Camology Quotes:

While we can't rename Camology Quotes to Layna's Laughs, we are dedicating this week to Jalayna.

There was a great deal of game-playing in the Weatherford household since July 5th.  Every single board game, card game and dice game was examined and reviewed.  Some especially fun moments were when the cousins would determine games to play that didn't require any props.  "School-time" was one such activity.  Layna was the teacher while Cam and his Grandma Sue were the students.  And Grandma Sue was pretending to be a troublesome student and kept asking the teacher "why?" with each instruction.  As Cam was cracking up and couldn't stop laughing at the entire scene, Layna had come to a conclusion and stated...

"I am not ready to be a teacher!"