Welcome to Camville - Week of Feb. 18th

We knew when Katherine became Cam's nanny, she was pretty special.  We are reminded so often that her talents are endless, as is her warm and caring nature.

As a special surprise for Valentine's, Katherine presented Cameron with a cozy warm blanket she made herself, featuring Cam's favorite show these days- Curious George!  It is most unfortunate that Jane didn't capture the moment of the reveal on video- Cam literally squealed and screamed with delight...he was that excited!!  The blanket had to follow Cameron from the couch to the living room rug where Stella found it quite cozy when everyone was outside. 

School was cancelled two days this week- Monday for President's Day and Tuesday for winter weather.  
Katherine found an ingenious way
to make the days inside fun for Cameron- she created "CamVille!"  CamVille featured a small village complete with a train around the town, a bus stop,  a Starbucks coffee shop and live music in the streets.  A drum solo by the town's namesake rocked the place out!

It was time to say goodbye to our sweet "Auntie" Ronda as she prepared to return to Brazil.  Cam was helping her pack.  He made sure she had a picture in her suitcase of him to remind her of his winning smile.  We will miss her while she's away, but know she is working with others who will benefit greatly from her influence.  A quote to describe both Ronda and Katherine is framed in our home:  "Some people come into our lives, leave footprints on our hearts, and we are never the same."

All My Valentine's - Week of Feb. 11th

"All you need is love.  But a little chocolate now and then doesn't hurt." 
~ Charles M. Schulz

Ms. Kathy

There are so many people that touch our lives on a daily basis, by their actions, kindness, thoughts and words.  We wanted Cam to "give back" to those individuals who provide so much to promote his learning in education and life.

Jane reached out to Cam's teacher, Ms. Kathy, to ask if she could snap some pictures and send them to Jane so that Cam could make special V-Day cards for each person. Ms. Kathy and our boy took a wagon ride around the school to find all of the people to smile for the camera.

Ms. Kasey- teacher

We have decided Ms. Kathy is an overachiever because she sent Jane 10 pictures of teachers and therapists from his school that interact with Cam on a weekly basis.  Jane designed individual cards on the computer with their pic on the front.  Cam decorated each card himself and signed them and his mom printed her original poem on the inside:

Ms. Kate- teacher

How can we Thank You
What can we say
To express our thoughts On Valentine’s Day
You make such a BIG difference for one special boy
It’s easy to see, It’s YOU he enjoys
Know every little thing you do,
Makes such a huge impact on those around you!

Ms. Heidi

Ms. Julie

Ms. Kelly - Speech

Ms. Liz - PT

Mr. Mike - PT Grad Student

Ms. Shannon - OT 
(has known Cam since he was a baby!)

Ms. Pam

By the smiling boy in every one of the pictures posted, it's easy to see how much Cam enjoys his school and all of the people in it!!

Snow Days - Week of Feb. 4th

Even though the famous groundhog has promised us an early spring, winter is doing its best to hang around as long as possible..

After a couple of treacherous days of driving, the sun reminded us that it does indeed shine on even the coldest days!

Cameron had to "go to work" early Saturday afternoon at Grand Valley where he "taught" a roomful of more than 30 people.  It may have been a bit overwhelming for him, so a photo opp wasn't on the agenda.  As always, we are grateful for the opportunity to work with the university as well as M.O.V.E. International.

Cam was able to spend some extra time with his Grandma this week and thought that sitting on the snow bank was pretty cool.
Chris found a new snow tube for backyard fun in the white stuff.  Cameron was determined to help his dad blow up the tube.  After some "manual" attempts, the boys decided that an automatic pump may be better equipped for the task.



Although they haven't actually gone (or taken us) on a sleigh ride, the deer are ever present in the backyard.  Even though they are frequent visitors, we never tire of their natural beauty or visitation rights.

Super Time - Week of Jan. 28th

During the winter months in Michigan, there are days when we anxiously await spring, especially when we see the wildlife forage for food.  Yet, there are also moments we revel in the playtime we have for a bit in the fluffy white snow...

Cameron has finally gotten some serious use with his sled in our backyard.  The tiered hills make for a pretty long run with Cam leading the pack!

We celebrated Opa's birthday on Friday and Cam is not saying how old his Grandpa is because Opa asked him not to!

In the afternoon, we had a small "See You Later, Not Goodbye" party for Cam's speech therapist, Miss Felicia.   Ms. Felicia has been a big part of Cameron's accomplishments this year in school.  She has also been at Cam's house every Friday for a home session.  Ms. Felicia provides a great combination of challenging kids while making things fun at the same time.  We know she'll continue to be a part of our lives and we're so thankful for everything she's done.  She couldn't resist a famous Cam super snuggle after he opened a sweet present from her.

On Sunday, it was time to celebrate the SuperBowl!  Cam's buddies kept him company before and during the first portion of the football game.

The girls and Cameron even picked squares to guess the score at the end of each quarter.  No money was exchanged, but a promise of ice cream treats will be delivered next week for the lucky winners.

Whether your favorite team won or lost, we hope your game time was spent with good friends and good food, too!