Family Included - Week of July 7th

"Family is not an important thing. It's everything." ~Michael J. Fox

"In family life, love is the oil that eases friction, the cement that binds closer together, and the music that brings harmony." ~Friedrich Nietzsche

As Cameron is adjusting to his new baclofen pump, he is finding it much easier to use his arms and hands.  He will continue working on his goals daily as the healing process continues.  

While he was hanging out with Ms. Amanda on Monday, he put his skills to good use making homemade blueberry muffins.  They were very delicious!

Wednesday was Chris's birthday! His family took him out for a Mexican dinner at one of their favorite places, El Centenario.  After gifting him a customizable light up sign, he created a "Thank You" message with his new signage.

Previous to Cam's surgery, he was scheduled to spend five nights at Indian Trails Camp.  We had to forgo that venture based on the elongated hospital stay, but it did mean he was well-rested for upcoming activities.  

On Friday, our dear friends and longtime neighbors were celebrating their third daughter getting married.  The sisters were Cameron's best buddies growing up and we haven't missed any of their nuptials yet. The outdoor setting was beautiful and the passing clouds helped ease the heat a bit.  Megan and Nathan have joined in our collective family dinners over the years, so we know Megan's husband-to-be quite well.

After exchanging vows, the sweet kiss between them made Cam smile and laugh.  We captured the moment Cameron saw them.

Following the ceremony, the beautiful barn adjacent to the outdoor setting housed the reception area. 
Megan is very environmentally conscious.  The place settings were all thrifted china, silverware and glasses.  The mismatched place settings were very elegant.  The Mission BBQ was a delicious dinner and the couple's dessert choice was a huge assortment of donuts from a local bakery in Holland.  We snapped the traditional picture of Cam with all of the sisters.  A big congrats to Megan and Nathan!

Saturday, we began preparing for our Arizona family to arrive in the evening.  The flight from Phoenix to Grand Rapids takes most of the day for Grandma Sue and Jalayna.

They arrived at 6pm and we were so happy to see them once again!  Now that their visits typically occur twice in one year, we fall into our routine pretty quickly.  Everyone was pretty exhausted Saturday evening and slept in a bit on Sunday.

We decided the first full day of our family visit would be a relaxing one.  Layna helped her Uncle Chris with lawn mowing by keeping him company on the rider mower.  Cam and his cousin chatted away about different things and embarked on a few staring contests.  Both Grandma Sue and Layna loved seeing the difference in Cam's flexibility in his arms and hands.

After an early dinner, Jalayna requested a trip to the park.  The Cascade Park is just a few miles from our home.  The accessible playground is a bonus since it features a ramp that Cam can drive on. Layna is quite the gymnast.  As she was maneuvering the monkey bars, her cousin was driving underneath her in between her swaying back and forth.  Jane even had a turn on the swings with Layna while Cam and Grandma Sue hung out together.

We created our calendar showing the events to come during the "Grandma Sue & Layna Week" so we could all keep track of the schedule.  As Cam's cousin and grandma already know, Cam himself is considered a real-life calendar, memorizing all events and keeping track of everything himself.  His parents, however, rely on their electronic schedules and are thankful that Cameron keeps them all moving in the right direction.

Camology Quotes:

Cam's vocabulary can sometimes take us by surprise.  What's also fun, though, is his ability to recognize social cues in any conversation.  His latest interjection: "I know this is off-topic, but..."