Gobble, Gobble - Week of Nov. 21st

When the week of Thanksgiving arrives, Cameron will experience two traditions- spending time on Lake Michigan with his grandparents, a few cousins, aunts and uncles as well as eating delicious food for what seems like an entire day.

On Thursday, the family ventured over to the Schulze cottage where Chris and Cam kept busy with Thomas the Train shown here with a birds-eye view.
The extended family feasted on 3 turkeys! Two were deep-fried along with the third, ever popular oven-baked.

Every side dish was present for the Thanksgiving dinner and it seems like each person just has to have that second helping on this holiday. Dessert was Cam's favorite- his Grandma's homemade apple pie and pumpkin pie were in the front row, with a delicious chocolate cream pie as a new entry this year. Since everyone was quite stuffed, a restful sleep was had by all.

Even though summer and Halloween have passed, Cameron still had one last ride in the Cam-mobile and even experienced a little off-roading!

This was the first Thanksgiving holiday spent with cousin Libby and we are so happy she was able to stay with our family for the entire weekend!

On a day dedicated to giving thanks, we know there is much to be thankful for....those of you reading this blog hold a very special place in our hearts. For Cam's grandparents, we are beyond thankful for all that you do and all that you are to your amazing grandson.

To our Cam: we love who you are, your infectious smile and laughter, your sweet nature and snugs. We are so proud of the boy that you are and all of the wonderful things yet to come!

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.
~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Parents Take Leave - Week of Nov. 14th

Cameron worked on staying healthy this week, fighting a cold and runny nose. He knew that Grandma & Grandpa were going to stay with him over the weekend, so he had big plans!
While Chris & Jane had their own playtime in Ann Arbor with 'Auntie' Amanda and Mark, Cam's grandparents took him to Robinette's where he had a tasty doughnut treat and looked around the gift shop. Unfortunately for Grandma, Cameron really likes doughnuts, so she only had one little bite, while her grandson happily ate the rest. Cam had a busy Sunday going to church with his grandparents and then out to brunch.
Sunday afternoon, when Chris and Jane arrived home, their big boy was ready to help clean up the leaves. Cam didn't seem to mind being surrounded by the mountain even as it became taller than he was!
Chris highly recommends raking leaves onto a tarp and Cam highly recommends riding on the tarp!
We cannot thank Grandma & Grandpa enough for staying with Cameron while his parents attended the winning U of M game in Ann Arbor.

What children need most are the essentials that grandparents provide in abundance. They give unconditional love, kindness, patience, humor, comfort, lessons in life. And, most importantly, cookies. ~Rudolph Giuliani

Elmo Live! - Week of Nov. 7th

Do you remember when you saw your first concert? Were you 10, 12, 15 years of age? Cameron attended his inaugural live production on Saturday- "Elmo Makes Music" at the Van Andel Arena!!
Grandma and Coco accompanied Chris, Jane and Cam downtown for the late morning show on Saturday.
No one was quite certain how Cam would react...would the atmosphere be too loud? Does a huge live Elmo make sense? All apprehension was put to rest when the family saw Cam's reaction seeing his favorite Sesame Street characters come to life on stage.
As one of Elmo's biggest fans, Cam stayed very engaged through the entire show, even though the red furry character with the funny voice wasn't in every scene.
The 90 minute show had a 15-minute intermission, during which the marketing folks were busy bringing out balloons and treats for sale. Chris captured a big Elmo balloon for Cam, which turned out to be almost as big as the boy himself.
After dining downtown for lunch, the family headed home with one extremely happy boy!

Sunday was another winner for Cameron. After attending church, his friend and neighbor, Emma came over to play. That evening, Chris, Jane and Cam had dinner with another buddy, Liam, and his parents- Matt and Betsy. The boys are pictured here showing off their personal pizzas that they helped create for their dinner. The boys had fun playing with Liam's fire truck and play workbench. It was an awesome evening with great friends!
To quote Elmo's official Philosophy: give love and you shall receive love
We couldn't agree more with the red furry monster !!

Happy Halloween! - Week of Oct. 31st

Even though Halloween landed on a school night, there were plenty of little kids and big kids to share in the fun! Cam Racing went through a few modifications including working headlights and more flame duct tape (because it just looks cool!).

Another addition to the spooky eve included a pumpkin water fountain, expertly designed by Cameron's Dad and neighbor Steve. The green water launched from the top pumpkin to the lower one and recirculated back and forth. Quite impressive! It was difficult to determine who enjoyed it more- the creators or the spectators... Please click on the attached link to see the fountain in action:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCRTEq2U0I4

Trick or treating festivities enticed Auntie Jo and Will to Cameron's house. Cam was so excited to have his buddy Will by his side to trek up and down the street. Cam's cousins Coco and Libby with their friends, Carter and Ryan completed Cameron's entourage! Chris and Jane wore hats with letters labeled "Cam's Pit Crew."

Will and Cam had "races" down the street and giggled and pointed at each other the entire time! Luckily for Cam, Will brought him candy from the houses where the race car wouldn't travel. He politely handed each Halloween treat over without even thinking of pocketing it himself.

After the treating, Will and Cam needed to sample their hard-earned candy. Jane tried to give Cameron some m&m's from the chocolate they passed out, but Cam only wanted to pick something from his very own Halloween bucket. Many thanks to Jo and Will and Coco, Libby, Carter, and Ryan for spending the evening with us!

Even though Halloween only lasted one night, the Cam Racing vehicle still had some extended use when Katherine took Cam out for a spin during the week!

Hope everyone had an awesome Halloween and check out another addition to Chris' hidden talents, the use of dry ice inside of a pumpkin...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynY7dMRkncI