Gobble, Gobble! - Week of Nov. 19th

As the Turkey Day neared, Katherine and Cameron were busy making Thanksgiving cards for the family.  Cam's nanny certainly is creative using Cam's handprint to make these cute turkeys!


Our Thanksgiving tradition is to ride north to Cam's grandparents home on Lake Michigan.  This year, the Michigan weather fooled us all by providing a 60 degree day complete with sunshine!   However, the big lake still whips the wind around so it didn't quite feel like 60 degrees on the deck...

Cousin Annie & Cam sharing a joke

After taking some holiday photos, we all went over to Aunt Joyce and Uncle Joe's to join more cousins to celebrate.  As a family, we feel so grateful to be surrounded by so many who support and love Cam so much.  Here is his list...(with a little help from his parents) of
Cam's Top 10 Thankful Things:
1. Family (Dad, Mom, Oma, Opa- all aunts, uncles, and cousins.. including Coco's dogs)
2. Friends (Katherine, Emma, Auntie Jo, Will, friends at school) and ALL of you reading this blog!
3. Caregivers & Teachers (Miss Lisa, Miss Ann, Miss Kathy, Miss Liz, Miss Felicia)
4. Crackers
5. Chocolate
6. Culver's, Moe's and McDonald's (my favorite fine dining establishments)
7. Curious George, Blue's Clues, Berenstain Bears (this order changes daily)
8. Books
9. Going to the store
10. Giggles & Laughter- every day

As a group, we put a dent into our turkey day dinner which consisted of 3 turkeys, 17 potatoes (mashed), green bean casserole, creamed corn, cranberry sauce, cornbread, two kinds of stuffing and gravy...followed by pie choices- pumpkin, sweet potato, pecan and even a cheesecake!

Guess we all should've made a couple of laps down to the beach like Chris and Cam to work off all of that food!

Listening Ears - Week of Nov. 12th

"When people talk, listen completely.  Most people never listen."   ~ Ernest Hemingway

"Be a good listener.  Your ears will never get you in trouble." ~Frank Tyger






Cameron looks forward to every school day.  He has an opportunity to see his friends, work on activities and enjoy playtime.  Chris and Jane are always proud of their son and seeing his "listening ears" used at school certainly does make a parent smile!




Sometimes, Cam even has some homework to do such as this gluing and creative project that he completed at his house and brought back to school.



There are some interests Cameron has, though, that don't involve schoolwork...
One of those is decorating cookies!

Grandma ("Oma") brought the ingredients to make homemade frosting and Cam was very eager to help.  He was very careful to first put the yummy green concoction on top of the cookie before adding the delicious sprinkles.


As everyone knows, the art of decorating requires very careful taste-testing and Cam is one kid who never passes up a tasting opportunity!

My First Marathon - Week of Nov. 5th

Some folks say you have to walk before you run... but not in all cases.

Katherine & Cam preparing for "race day"

Downtown GR.1K Race

This weekend, Cameron took part in his first marathon, a .1K Race!

Yes, .1K is about 120 yards, a little longer than a football field.  Cam's nanny, Katherine, told us all about the race and her personal connection.  Katherine volunteers at a muscular dystrophy camp every summer.  The GR .1K race is a charity event to help in the battle to end Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.  It was an unseasonably warm day and Cam wanted to bring out the Commander Cam shuttle one last time! 

Chris and Jane took turns running with Cam and there was even a hydration station for those folks that just needed to stop for a drink of water!  It was such a fun family event and one we hope to participate in every year.

The weekend also brings extra time to hang out with good friends.  Our buddies and neighbors spent Sunday afternoon and evening with us.  Cam taught Emma and Sarah how to play one of his favorite games on the ipad called "Giggle Ghosts"- you have to tap on a ghost to make it giggle as it floats by on the screen.

Living in Michigan, you become accustomed to the changing weather patterns.  In one week, we experienced a 70 degree day as well as a 40 degree day.  But either way, it always brings a smile to your face to see the sunshine on a crisp, fall day!

Blast Off to Halloween! - Week of Oct. 29th

Cameron's parents don't recall ever going "Trunk-or-Treating" during October when they were growing up.  So, it was exciting for the entire family to attend their first Trunk or Treat outing at a local church.  If you haven't been exposed to one of these events, it's when several families get together in the church parking lot, park their cars, and cleverly decorate their trunks.  They pass out candy to kids who have the advantage of collecting Halloween treats in a safe, confined area, and in a short amount of time.

Cam and his buddy, Will, made their way around to each trunk. A big thanks to Auntie Jo and Will for trying out this new event.

Chris completely outdid himself this Halloween by creating the Space Shuttle CamMobile, piloted by Commander Cam!  The shuttle was built and painted by Chris and Cam.  When Jane wondered why there was some black paint on the front of the space module, Chris explained that it was from "re-entry."  The space suit, identification card and space fabric were Jane's contribution.  Cameron's ID card read: "Commander Cam" - Official Space Commander of  CamMobile Missions & AfterParty.

October 31st, although gloomy outside, ended up being such a bright afternoon and evening!
FTCH, where Cameron's Dad works, has trick or treating festivities in the warm, dry office every year!  Cam showed off his shuttle to many oohs and ahhhs by adults and kids. 

While Cam enjoyed collecting treats inside, he couldn't wait to see his buddies and go trick-or-treating outside.  Emma and her sisters as well as other neighborhood kids all banded together to go door to door.  In the evening, the space shuttle lights nicely led the way!  The backside rocket boosters were a pretty cool effect lit up too. 

Cam's buddy, Emma, stayed with him the entire time, asking the other kids to wait...mostly because Jane had to chat with all the neighbors!

The race down the empty street was one of the highlights for Cam with Emma on one side and Chris on the other.  Even with the downhill fun, the treats all stayed intact.  Cameron held onto his Halloween bucket very tightly this year and made certain that each piece of candy stayed inside.

Being the sweet boy he is, though, Cam still let his parents pick out a few of their own favorites from his big pile of treats!