Saucy Apples - Week of July 21st

"When life gives you apples, make applesauce." ~Beverly R. Green

Cam is a fan of traditions.  When Jane was little, she helped her grandma make applesauce and then when she was older, she assisted her mom.  Jane's mom, Cam's Oma, has now passed the efforts to our family.

There is a certain apple that, from our perspective, is superior for making apple pies and sauce.  It is the apple most used by Oma's mom in northern Indiana and Michigan called "early transparent."  There are only a couple of local orchards that we've found that grow this special fruit.  Fortunately for us, Miss Amanda knows the people who own one of them.  She and Cam went to pick up a bushel on Monday.

The Early Transparent Apple, more commonly known as the White Transparent or Yellow Transparent, has a fascinating heritage rooted in Eastern Europe and cherished across generations for its early ripening and culinary versatility.  It was discovered around 1850 in Latvia, as a chance seedling at the Wagner nursery.  It was introduced in North America in 1870.  It's one of the earliest apples of the season, often ready by mid-July.  It is best used for cooking rather than eating because of its creamy puree texture. The process is a bit arduous, but the chinois strainer makes the job easier since you don't have to peel or even fully core the apples.  Our kitchen turned into an applesauce-making assembly line.

During the week, Chris and Cam made their way to Kyle's house to pick up the Mary Free Bed Wheelchair Power Soccer Champions t-shirts!

The weather has been extra warm and humid in Michigan this week.  We headed to the cottage on Sunday to see Auntie Karen and her sister, Sue, along with Oma.  

Lake Michigan was the perfect temperature for swimming so Cam and his dad made quite a few trips in to cool off.

We all relaxed by the water.  The outside temp was actually 89 degrees at the beach, which doesn't happen too often.

The sun shone brightly all afternoon without a cloud in the sky!

For dinner, we joined forces by combining our offerings and ate on the cottage deck.  The different brat varieties from Mac's Meats provided by Auntie Karen and Sue were most delicious.  If you're ever near Rothbury, we highly recommend the blueberry brats and pizza brats.  Even though the flavors sound strange, they were incredibly tasty.  

Our time together was too short.  

We did, however, manage to share one of the best beach days of the summer!

Upon return home, we were greeted by our neighborhood wildlife.  The fawns are quite adventurous while the baby turkeys stay close to their parent.

Our son was happy to be closer to his bed after spending the day at the lake and his parents welcomed slumber as well!

Camology Quotes:

Cameron is very time-conscious. He always wants to arrive early.  To ensure an on-time departure, he now sets alarms in his mom's office.  He figured out how to do this by using Alexa and saying something like "Alexa, set an alarm for 2:15p today on Jane's office."

A Cause for Celebration - Week of July 14th

"We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give." ~Winston Churchill

Cameron's parents didn't know much about the non-profit world before he was born.  Thanks to their son, they currently serve on multiple boards and together, they work to bring awareness to local community organizations.

Cam and Ms. Amanda stayed busy this week, enjoying daily strolls (when it wasn't 80 degrees by 9am!) at our local park.  The two visited a few stores for errands and did some baking.

On Friday, Cameron was scheduled to work at Grand Valley State University with the PT graduate students.  Two sessions were held back to back.  Cam teaches the students how to assist with transfers, the different tone in his muscles, and his skills.  He makes certain to follow all safety precautions.  The professors and assistants always comment about how patient and thorough he is!  As an added bonus, he also saw one of his friends, Onji, who was working with a different group.

Friday evening, our family hosted a Renew Mobility celebration, in honor of the incredible work the staff and volunteers have accomplished in 2025.  Renew Mobility's mission is to enhance independence through access to mobility equipment. As a non-profit, Renew's vision is to become the central hub of West Michigan for the for recycling, distributing, and maintaining mobility equipment for those in need. 

We welcomed close to 30 people in our backyard.  We couldn't have asked for better weather- no humidity, a slight breeze and a tranquil evening.  Chris masterfully grilled an array of choices while Jane, Cam and Ms. Amanda, along with some helpers readied the side dishes and drinks. 

Mr. Matt, who is on the board of directors with Cam's mom, brought a gift of thanks and the Renew staff presented us with a hanging flower basket.  We told the group we should make this a yearly summer gathering and everyone agreed.

By Sunday late morning, we had everything cleaned up.  Cam and his mom were ready to head out for their afternoon visit with Oma.  They were on a mission to bring her a "new" used laptop, thanks to Chris.

It didn't take long to ensure the new computer had internet connectivity and was in working order.  We decided to stroll around the Rosy Mound complex outdoors.  

The flowers are vibrant at every turn and we enjoyed quite a few laughs during our visit.  

It is always fun to visit Oma and always a cause for celebration!

Camology Quotes:

It is typical that Cam is solo on his iPad before dinner while Jane is finishing up work in her downstairs office.  He is accustomed to sending voice messages to his mom's phone.  Sometimes, instead of listening to the message, Jane will just walk upstairs to see if he needs anything or has a question. This week, Cam added his own disclaimer at the close of each one.  After making a comment about something or asking a question, he now ends every voice message with the following phrase.

"Mom, I repeat this is not an emergency by any means..."

Memories in the Making - Week of July 7th

“To be one, to be united is a great thing. But to respect the right to be different is maybe even greater.” ~Bono 

The exact first use of the term “sleepaway camp” in Michigan isn’t clearly documented in public records or historical archives. 

However, the concept of overnight summer camps in Michigan dates back over a century. 

For example: Camp Ohiyesa, operated by the YMCA, has been running since 1919 in Holly, MI. Camp Walden, a traditional sleepaway camp in Cheboygan, was founded in 1959.

Camp Miniwanca, run by the American Youth Foundation, began in the 1920s and has long offered overnight experiences. It is also a camp where Jane' dad was a counselor long before she was born.

The term “sleepaway camp” itself became more commonly used in the 1970s, according to Merriam-Webster, to distinguish overnight camps from day camps. So while Michigan had overnight camps much earlier, the label “sleepaway” likely entered local usage around that time.

When Cam's parents arrived to pick him up from his 5-night sleepaway camp before lunch on Friday, he appeared to be a happy camper!  

During his week at Indian Trails, he told us that he went on scavenger hunts, the adaptive playground, the pontoon and the splash pad.  Cameron purchased a shirt in the camp store.  One of his favorite activities was the dance that took place on Thursday.  Chris and Jane kept themselves busy while Cam was away- Verve Pipe concert, visiting family and friends, seeing the F1 movie and taking Chris out for his birthday dinner. Upon picking up Cam, one of the counselors shared that three girls were surrounding him during the dance event.  

Friday afternoon was relaxing for our family.  We welcomed our dear friends and neighbors for dinner that evening. Ms. Patti and Mr. Steve, Ms. Cara and Mr. Craig joined us for a grilled feast with everyone contributing something different.  We all had our first taste of zucchini tots!

Outdoor and indoor projects filled the weekend.  We were all a bit tuckered out from the week's activities.  Chris had an early morning golf outing on Sunday while Cam and his mom talked about all of the different memories made over the last several days.  And in light of the early mornings at camp, Cameron slept in until almost 9am!

Camology Quotes:

One of the campers in the same cabin as Cam was a fellow baseball player.  Each morning, Cam said Ephram would wake up at 7am and come over to his bed.  Cam said each morning he responded with the same comment (we're certain, in his best 'parental' voice):

"Ephram, you need to go back to bed. It's not time to get up yet."

The Lake Awaits - Week of June 30th

"Looking out over the lake, I felt enveloped in the most peaceful, loving utopia." ~Laurie Kahn

"Stay close to the serenity of a lake to meet your own piece of mind." ~Munia Khan 

We were anticipating our long holiday weekend before it even began. 

The first order of business for Cam, though, were some power wheelchair adjustments. Fortunately for us, Mr. Dewayne makes house calls and he arrived promptly for the scheduled Monday morning visit. 

Ms. Amanda and Cam decided to make some homemade bread. The recipe we have from Ms. Patti is the best. We use our breadmaker to need the dough and help it rise a bit. Then the dough is split into two loaves and placed in bread pans. After finding a sunny spot for continued rising, the bread was then baked to a golden brown. 

Wednesday evening, we were invited to a celebration cookout. On June 25, the Power Soccer Team that Cam is a part of, won the national championship in Fort Wayne, Indiana!  

The Mary Free Bed Overdrive Power Soccer Team from Grand Rapids, Michigan, won the 2025 MK Battery Conference Cup Series Founders Conference National Championship in Fort Wayne, Indiana. This championship is a notable accomplishment for the team and adaptive sports in West Michigan. Overdrive dominated the tournament, securing three shutout victories in pool play and advancing with wins of 7-0 and 2-0 before winning the final game against the Metro Eagles 1-0 in double overtime. 

Kyle, who scored the winning goal in the championship match, was recognized as the tournament MVP. The Overdrive team is part of the Mary Free Bed Wheelchair and Adaptive Sports program and began in 2018. It has since grown to include 13 players.  

The cookout was held at Kyle's house and even though Cam didn't participate in the championship game, he was still a part of the celebration.

The trophy cup was actually a bit heavy, which made it even more impressive.  We told Cameron it was definitely the biggest gathering of power chair users we had ever been to.  And there was an elevator in their home that Cam and his mom rode up and down in.  The coaches gave short speeches about how awesome the players, parents, fellow coaches and the program itself have changed each of them.

Thursday afternoon, we were on our way to the cottage for the next two nights.  Oma planned to meet us there and stay with us too.  We were able to squeak in some beach time and feel the warm lake water.

After a fun dinner with cousins on the deck, we were able to enjoy a beautiful sunset.

Friday was our national Independence holiday, the 4th of July! Although Cam is not the biggest fan of fireworks due to the loud noise level, he was excited about our beach plans.  And, as an added bonus, he had a good sleep at the cottage.

Our great friends, Greg and Jill and their kids arrived after lunch for some beach time and the wind was whipping at the shoreline. We all had fun playing with the little cousins too.  We briefly saw some fireworks that night but agreed that it was far quieter at the cottage than back in Grand Rapids.  

Saturday was another busy beach day with Steffanie and her family as well as our neighbors, Dave and Ms. Cris from GR.  It's also such a bonus for Cam to be able to relax with Oma and his parents in Oma's cottage.  Saturday evening, we were on our way back to our home in Grand Rapids.  We were so thankful for our time with Cam's grandma, friends and cousins.

Cameron requested to sleep at his house Saturday night since he had to pack for his five-night camp adventure at Indian Trails!  

Sunday afternoon, he checked over the list twice with Jane to ensure he had everything.  We arrived at camp shortly after our check in time and patiently waited for our turn go over things and meet Cam's counselors.  

Once we were introduced, he was ready to roll.  Even though this was his first time spending 5 nights away from his parents, he took it all in stride and told us he'd see us on Friday.

As they made their way back to the van, Chris and Jane commented that did, indeed, have a really awesome son!

Camology Quotes:

During the week, Cam and Ms. Amanda found an online contest to vote for the state with the best looking police cruiser.  Cam proceeded to text it to as many people as he could.  Amanda sent us a screenshot showing that the Michigan State Police was currently in first place! She wanted Cam to know because she was convinced that it was due to all of his texting.  When we told him, he responded with:

"Whoa! I did not think that I had helped that much."

Return to Sender - Week of June 23rd

"How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard." ~A.A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh 

The phrase “All good things must come to an end” traces its roots back to the 14th century and the pen of Geoffrey Chaucer, the famed English poet best known for The Canterbury Tales. In his earlier work Troilus and Criseyde, Chaucer wrote: “But at the laste, as every thing hath ende, She took hir leve, and nedes wolde wende.” While the exact modern wording didn’t appear in this form, the sentiment- that all experiences, even joyful ones, eventually conclude- was clearly expressed. Over time, the phrase evolved. By the 17th century, variations like “All things must end” were circulating in English-speaking regions, and eventually the word “good” was added to emphasize the bittersweet nature of endings. It’s now one of the most universally recognized idioms, used to express everything from the end of a vacation to the closing of a cherished chapter in life.

Such was the case as we laughed and enjoyed our last few days with Grandma Sue and Layna.  Monday night, we feasted on our very own seafood boil consisting of fresh crab, sausage (andouille and turkey), shrimp, potatoes and corn on the cob, along with homemade cornbread.  It was quite the assortment and we all decided that we needed an expert "crab shell remover" after all of the effort to extract the crabmeat.

Chris created a wooden card holder for his son to enable Cam to be an integral part of the many Uno games that were played Monday and Tuesday.  Tuesday evening, we picked up photo books for Grandma Sue and Layna from Walgreens that Jane quickly created filled with pictures from their visit.  We also stopped by a local restaurant to see Ms. Ann, her daughter Katherine (Cam's former nanny) with her family and friends. 

Wednesday morning arrived much too quickly.  We gave each other big hugs before Chris drove his mom and niece to the airport for their 10:30am flight.  Fortunately for Cameron, Ms. Amanda was there to fill the void left and spent the rest of the day with us.

Saturday afternoon, we loaded up our van to head northward to spend the night at the cottage.  It was steamy hot in Grand Rapids and the lake breeze was a refreshing relief.  Upon arrival, our cousins came over to show Cameron the new electric toy vehicle in use.  How cool it was to see them both driving when they met on the road.

Beach time was mandatory with the nice temps and Lake Michigan has steadily gotten a bit warmer.  Cam hung out under the tent to chat with Jeffrey about some legal questions he had 😉 It's so nice to have a lawyer in the family.

We also celebrated our younger cousin's birthday with a grilling extravaganza and delicious side dishes.  The evening was capped off by a beautiful sunset.

On Sunday, Oma drove out after church to spend the afternoon and evening with us.  Cameron was asked by cousins if he wanted some makeup applied to which he politely replied, "no thank you!"    

A welcome breeze provided us relief from the warm air near the beach.  It was surprising to see army helicopters fly by and pretty exciting!      

We had some water time before getting ready to go to dinner at Old Channel Inn where we met everyone for a final bday celebration for our cousin.  Although we had to say "see you later" to our Arizona family, we were thankful to be surrounded by our cousins and Oma to close out the weekend.

Camology Quotes:

We often comment on the fact that, at times, Cam seems to be more of a 'parent' than Chris and Jane.  This was exemplified when he chastised his parents after going to bed one evening.

"Hello! The TV is up too loud...I'm just letting you off with a warning, Mom and Dad!"

Precious Cargo from Arizona - Week of June 16th

"Family visits are proof that love travels any distance." ~Unknown

There are times when not have everything planned out becomes the best plan of all.

Monday evening, Chris's mom and niece arrived at the Grand Rapids airport shortly after 9pm.  Tuesday morning, our official start to being together for the next nine days began!  

Cam and his cousin, Layna wasted no time settling in and playing games with Grandma Sue and Ms. Amanda.  The "Guess in 10" game led to plenty of mistake responses and lots of laughter.  Layna also enjoyed being Cameron's teacher, quizzing him on different schoolwork. That evening, we watched one of Cam's favorite movies ("Out of My Mind") as a family and the kids gave Chris a hard time for falling asleep.

Wednesday included some outdoor strolls and making homemade cookies.  The standing crew had their official height photo taken as cousin Jalayna is edging closer to the top of Cam's head.

On Thursday and Friday, Chris and Jane took time off of work to spend with our extended family.  Chris put his niece to work helping with some non-profit decals and she was able to create one for her water cup too that said "I 💗my family."  Grandma Sue and her grandson strolled outside while Layna and her aunt completed a quick shopping trip.  They returned home with mini custom donuts for everyone.  

Friday was a working day for Cameron at Grand Valley University downtown.  His cousin wanted to see his teaching skills in action, so she accompanied Cam and his mom.  

Back at home, Layna tested out Chris's riding lawnmower in the afternoon. We had all been enjoying home-cooked meals, but did decide to take the family out to dinner on Friday.  Carolina Lowcountry Kitchen was a first-time experience for each of us.  Hushpuppies were brought to the table for everyone to try.  Dinner was delicious and fun for our crew.

Saturday included some driveway power soccer practice time⚽ Cam showed off his skills while his cousin passed him the oversized ball.  We all took part in more indoor game playing as well. Layna asked if she could test out Cameron's power chair so she could see how it felt while he sat on the couch for awhile.  She is the only other person he has allowed to sit in his chair and drive it.

Sunday was our cottage beach day!   Oma met us at the lake so she could spend some time with Grandma Sue and Jalayna too.  The grandmas enjoyed chatting with each other on the deck.  Chris, Jane, Cam and Layna headed to the beach and felt the strong wind while watching some kite surfers (parasailing) on Lake Michigan.  We were all thankful to escape the heat from the city.  We dined on our outdoor deck for dinner before loading up the van. Of course, Calla and Arthur showed off their helping skills to Layna showing her how they assist with all of the safety hooks for their cousin, Cam.  We deemed it a very successful day, proven by the fact that Layna was sound asleep on our drive home!

Camology Quotes:

With family in town, we always enjoy some special treats.  Grandma Sue tasted a grasshopper milkshake and the cousins requested extra creamy whipped cream for their homemade cookies.  When Jane returned from the store with the goods, Cam excitedly said:

"That will make the bomb dot com! But I did not mean a real bomb, Mom!"

Summer Break Sweetness - Week of June 9th

 "Look deep into nature and you will understand everything better." ~Albert Einstein

Frank Clark said "If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere."  Sometimes this seems like a lifelong lesson...

Cam wished his mom a happy birthday Monday morning and Chris arrived home Monday night from his Canada fishing trip!

With Cam's break officially in full swing, Ms. Amanda is back with us for summer hangout time with Cam.  The duo have already settled into a weather-dependent morning routine.  They typically head out after breakfast for a two-mile stroll through the large pedestrian walkways near our home.  The morning activity is such a great way to start each day.

Tuesday afternoon, Cameron reunited with his buddies, Brody and Maddie. They all met up at Brody's Be Cafe in Ada to help out with the hot dog cart.

The weather has continued to be very pleasant.  Friday afternoon, Cam and Amanda had some deck time while Chris and Jane found a downtown deck to hang out as well for a date night.  We are so thankful for our Ms. Amanda who has always felt like an extended member of our family.

Saturday late in the afternoon, we made our way northward.  Our goal was to spend the night at the cottage now that Cam can make his way in.  We had a nice dinner and watched a movie.  The sunset was a bit hazy due to the Canadian wildfires but it was still beautiful to see.

We all had a good night's rest and cousin Annie rode back with us to Grand Rapids.

Sunday was a day to celebrate Cameron's dad for Father's Day!  He truly is a one-of-a-kind super duper dude.  He is also incredibly humble.  Even though this day is set aside to honor dads, for Chris's son and his wife, they feel honored by Chris daily.  A shout out to all the great dads we know!  Hope it was an awesome day 😎

Camology Quotes:

One evening, Jane and her son drove over in the van to Costco to fill up the gas tank. Upon arrival, they realized it was closed.  Cam lamented:

"Well, you live and learn, Mom!"