Swimming Serenity - Week of Nov. 9th

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

Cam's dad is a veteran, having served four years in the Marine Corps.  Each year in school, it is always discussed and thank you letters are written.  Cam typed his own sentiment shown in the picture.

As our teen continues to grow, it seems his muscles are having trouble keeping up.  Recently, he has told us his lower back is sore and tight.  Fortunately, Mary Free Bed contacted us indicating they had an opening for private swim lessons.  As a bonus, the only instructor he has ever worked with, Ms. Laura, was slated to be his teacher.  

Cam and Ms. Laura haven't seen each for a few years so she was quite surprised by his growth.  Just like a friend you haven't seen in a long time, the two easily settled back into their routine.

The pool at Mary Free Bed is incredibly warm and the weightless, relaxing feeling brings a smile to Cam's face every time.

While at Mary Free Bed, Chris and his son saw one of the Board of Director members from Alternatives in Motion.  When Mr. Mark saw Cam he yelled "Hi Mr. Youth Ambassador!"  

For the seventh consecutive year, we reached out to our professional photographer friends, the Gaupers.  Holly and Ryan of Gauper Photo started out as professional wedding photographers and added family photos as part of their repertoire.  They are always creative and fun and definitely know how to make Cam laugh!

We met at Wildwood Farms in Alto a few weeks ago and our digital downloads arrived this week.  Oma and Opa have joined us for every photo shoot except for the second year.

Even though the adults have added a few more laugh lines and Cam won't stop growing, the pure happiness of being around each other seems always present in these pictures.

One of the funniest parts of that day was seeing the goats and the biggest one in particular certainly took a liking to Cam.  And although he does love all animals, this particular one looked just a bit too hungry and our son definitely kept his distance!

Camology Quotes: 

Cam is always keeping a close eye on the local news activity.  The governor held a press conference announcing new restrictions.  The next morning after Cam boarded the bus, his dad sent the following text message to Cam's teacher and Jane.

"There is a kid on the bus heading your way with about 12.5 million questions about the new orders...I saved them all for you!  Might want to get Mr. Behm (superintendent) on speed dial.  Maybe Mrs. Whitmer too just to be safe.  Good luck!"