Memories of my buddy Cam,

As our happy 10lb baby boy became a toddler my memories are “dirt and bugs”  Cam used to say “I luv bugs” and his enjoyment of digging in the dirt in our backyard with a big spoon.  The challenge was keeping him from eating so much of it.  At that age Cameron also loved to drive his big sister Ashley’s battery operated pink Corvette. Another favorite memory was his dressing up as batman.  He loved superhero’s, capes, and swords.  Wearing only his cape, underwear and cowboy boots he would run up and down the sidewalk in front of our house.   As Cam got a little older his interests change to building.  He loved his Lego’s and Knex.  He would spend hours creating buildings, vehicles and robots of all sorts.  When Cam was about 7 or 8, his grandpa Ray took he and his cousin Jerry fishing.  I will never forget Cameron bringing home his first catch.  Cameron was quite upset when he later discovered that I had forgotten the fish in the freezer and had never eaten it.  The fish was only about 3-4 inches but to him it was the “catch of the day”.  He loved to fish from that point forward.

Cameron’s early childhood friends were Jennifer and Ben.    Jennifer was a schoolmate and neighbor.  Although Cam’s buddy Ben was much younger, they would play for hours creating forts and contraptions that would cat-a-pult things into the air.  They were quite creative and very good friends. 

Although Cam spent a lot of time playing with all of his cousins, neighbors and friends his best friend of all was his sister Ashley.  Ashley and Cameron’s birthdays are only 2 days apart and from the day we brought Cameron home from the hospital on Ashley’s 6^th birthday, they were inseparable.  Ashley wasn’t just his best friend but like a second mother.  Their relationship was a close as any could be and that never stopped.  Ashley was always there for him.  Ashley taught him a lot.  Ash and Cam celebrated every birthday together and on Ashley’s 18^th birthday she wanted to go parasailing.  Cameron was fearful of heights but wouldn’t allow Ashley to do something he couldn’t so Jerry and I took them to Cd’A.  We could see the fear on Cam’s face but he faced it and soared into the air.  When he came back down, he said “I want to go again!.

Cameron also loved to go to Montana to spend time with his grandpa Bill, We all loved Grandpa’s mountain and had a lot of memorable vacations there. 

On the 4^th of July, 2004, Jerry and I took Cameron, Karli and Allie to Ft. Stevens on the Oregon coast.  Cam had never seen the ocean.  I will never forget the look of awe on his face when we got to the beach.  Cam and girls spent the next 3 days “rescuing” hermit crabs, starfish and sand dollars from the beach.  (I’ll have to say I shared the same awe, collecting shells and watching the beautiful sunsets.  I opted out of the crab part).

We took Cam and his step sisters camping each summer over the last few years and Cam loved it a lot.  He got to fish, hunt for creatures and his most favorite, play with the camp fire.  He made many s’mores and burned many sticks.  Jerry taught him to chop firewood, he loved that a lot.  It was hard to keep that ax away from him.

Cameron most recently enjoyed reading mythology, Homer’s Odyssey, doing crossword puzzles and SuDoKu with his dad as well as reading his daily horoscope.  He was also learning to repair cars.

Cameron had some difficult times recently but was never without many friends, and family that loved him.  Cam will forever be in our hearts and remembered as the loving gentle kindhearted boy that he was that hugged everyone.

Cam, I love you and miss you so very much.

mom