Our Other Boys

Dominic (8) and Dante (4) are our nephews.  I (Sarah ) had the absolute joy of spending 6 days with them last week; loved every minute.  They kept me busy and we laughed a lot.  Family is such a blessing!

A New Beginning

Day 2 of 2011  

"For I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."  

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

"You can make many plans but the Lords purpose will prevail." 

Proverbs 19:21 (NLT)

What a fellowship, what a joy divine, leaning on the Everlasting Arms.  What a blessedness, what a peace is mine, Leaning on the Everlasting Arms.  Leaning, leaning, safe and secure from all alarms; leaning, leaning leaning on the Everlasting Arms."  

Showalter/Hoffman

December

This time of year, life seems to go so fast. Every weekend, and many nights are occupied; there is so much to do- shopping, cooking, planning, attending events etc. The Herrman family is taking a different approach this year. Basic and simple. Decorations, schedule, gifts; all of it. And I am excited for all of the changes. (picture of last years tree)

Colorado Vacation Part 1

I took so many pictures during our trip to Colorado, but wanted to share a few with all of you.
-beautiful big storm clouds; yet they seemed to avoid us.
-family: Aunt Stacy, Gma Laurie and Papa, and cousins
-Chrsysler's and Herrman's: kids and moms just like always!! (not pictured- Andy was working and Craig was taking the photo)
-Toy Story 3: Pam and Rachel were Craig's babysitters when the first Toy Story was created!!!

Colorado Vacation Part 2

Here are a few more photos from the trip:
-Vail Pass - chilly, windy and perfect!
-took the boys to see our first apartment in Arvada (sure was cuter back in 1991!)
-stopped by our old house in Denver
-Denver skyline and Blake standing under his street!
-playing cards and dinner at Beau Jo's (favorite pizza place, ever!!)

All At Once

So... we have much to share! There are at least 8+ new posts for you to look at! I went a little crazy with all the things that we wanted to update you with. Some are from the end of the school year (yes, I know school ended in May), some are of the boys and the games they play, there are a few summer activities and our vacation. Enjoy! :)

Estes Park

As part of our vacation to Colorado, we visited Estes Park. I have always loved this little town. It has become quite the spot for visitors, so it wasn't as small as I remembered. We had fun, non the less. My mom-in-law's (Laurie)parents live in Estes, so it was good to see them too. We made a trek up into Rocky Mountain National Park to see the waterfall and rocks (one of my favorite stops). It was so green and the air was fresh! The boys even made sure to get in some fishing; both Papa and Great-Papa Duff made sure we had fun (thanks Chris for the numerous tangle rescues). Craig II's first catch was....a pine cone! The boys thought it was fun even if the fish really weren't biting.

Colorado Nature

Our "home state" of Colorado has been blessed by God's creation! There were beautiful things to look at all around us. Animals, flowers, rocks, mountains, water, trees and sky. "God saw all that He had made, and it was very good." Genesis 1:31a

Coors Field!

While on vacation this past week in Colorado, our family went to Coors Field, home of the Colorado Rockies!!! This was such a great time for our family. We saw so much, and learned a lot too (did you know they mow the grass twice on game days, and that the the Denver police have a holding cell under the field for unruly guests?) Both the boys were thoroughly intrigued with all the information and sights. I think Craig II can see himself being a player one day, and so can we!

Just Another Baseball Game

This would be the result of a line drive down the 3rd base line, right to the left hand.  The initial x-ray doesn't show that anything is broken, but there is to much swelling to confirm that.  So we will get another x-ray later this week to see what the thumb and wrist really look like.   Pain medication at the ER worked well for Craig - what a funny guy! :)

Just in Case

Just in case you think we might have forgotten about this blog, trust us when I tell you we haven't. Our main computer at the house is down and dead. That is where the computer softeware is for the camera. So instead of photos, stories, and info, we are only going to be able to share stories and info for a while. As soon as we get the computer thing taken care of, I will have lots to share with you.

We are all keeping busy; school, church, work, sports...all the things we love and enjoy!

Rockies Come To The Desert!

(trying something new and fun with photos)

Our family was able to go to some baseball games a couple of weekends ago; Arizona Diamondbacks vs Colorado Rockies. Our Rockies won 2 of the 3 games. It's really amazing to walk Chase Field and see so many Colorado fans. We had a lot of fun. The boys were able to get close and see some of their favorite players, as well as get some baseballs signed. It was another fantastic time to be together as a family!

Some Time Away

Our family was finally able to take a few days last week
and go to San Diego for a vacation. We love that city.
We were able to spend a day at the zoo, a day at Sea World
and some time at the beach before coming home. My sister
Elise and her boys Dominic and Dante joined us as well.
We all had a great time! Here are a few pictures to give
you a little idea of our time together.

Random Activities

Crazy busy here at the Herrman's. For those that don't know, it's Summer Explosion time at church (VBS). Its that time of year when I am only home long enough to catch my breath and then head back to work; but I love it. My guys are so supportive; even if they miss me they still give me encouragement for what I do. Here is what else is going on:

• Blake got his braces off! His teeth are so straight. He lost two more teeth when they took the brackets off, so now he has a retainer to hold everything in place while the new teeth come in. Did you know you can pick the color of the retainer and choose a decal to go in the acrylic color? I didn't - but Blake did. He is now sporting a bright red retainer with an Atlanta Falcons symbol in the middle.


• Craig II had a really bad case of the flu - was it swine flu? Who knows. Lots of kids who went to summer camp came back sick - not a great way to end an awesome week in Big Bear, California.


• Craig II is getting ready for football; even participated in a passing league game the other night. It was 106' outside at the beginning. I wonder, if they have indoor arenas in Colorado that protect people from the winter weather, (so they can play soccer and such) why don't we have indoor arenas with a/c? The boys didn't even have full gear on, and oh man was it hot.

As soon as things settle down a bit - I will post more frequently. :)

Mom's Day!

Our family spent Mother's Day at the Wild Life World Zoo and Aquarium. It was so nice just being the four of us. We had a really fun time - finished our evening off at The Fish Market Restaurant (Blake's choice for his birthday - combo celebration! ). I love my guys - they are all gifts from God!

Happy Birthday!

Craig II is 14 years old today! Where does the time go? He is so special to us. He is taller than his Mom (close to being taller than his Dad) and is an amazing big brother. He is a driven athlete, a dedicated student, a budding comedian, has great friends, and has a servants heart. He is a child of God who strives to follow Him daily. We love this young man like there is no tomorrow and are so blessed to have him in our lives. Happy birthday Craig!

(2nd birthday photo - oh so cute!)

Ready to be stretched

Our family is leaving this Friday morning to go to Puerto Penasco , Mexico. We are part of a team from our church (150 people) that are going to help some families, by building them a home. Mind you, this is not a "trip" to Mexico. It is tent camping, with very "rustic" facilities - meaning, there basically aren't any (stretch). I can't believe I am saying this - but I can't wait to go! We went last year and were blessed beyond belief. Knowing what I know now, I am a little nervous about a few things (stretch), but overall I can't wait to meet our family and get started! The weather forecast is showing rain (stretch), and I can imagine that will make things a little interesting. This trip is so much more than a whirlwind of construction. It is unbelievable that in 3 days, from the ground up, we construct a home for a family - 4 walls, a roof, 2 doors and 2 windows. Nothing else-no electricity, running water, etc. This is more than they could ever ask for, and we are humbled that we are called to provide. God has really blessed this trip in so many ways before we even leave town- financially, supplies, people, etc.  We would love it if you would pray for us as we travel and work,  that we would put aside our own personal needs and not complain when it gets rough (stretch).  Also pray for the families who we will minister to - we have a great opportunity to show the love of Christ as we work side by side for a brief 3 days.  This is going to be an amazing experience, and I look forward to posting picture and stories for you when we get back. :)

So...

I have realized that much can happen since my last post. My sister and her boys were here, we celebrated Christmas, my dad and his wife Dena came for a visit, and we celebrated New Years.

Here are a few pictures of the events mentioned above...

Fantastic Family Friday

Have you ever had one of those days when you are so thankful for the blessings that you have been given? Friday was just that for all of us. Craig II received his quarterly progress report; he got straight A's in all classes! We are so proud of him. Blake won a contest in his class, and got to go out to lunch with the principal from his school. The principal then took him to Barnes and Noble to get 2 books of his choice (thanks Mr. Oliver!). The day ended for all of us by going to a baseball game; AZ Diamondbacks vs Colorado Rockies! The boys received tickets to this game for their birthdays in the spring - we have waited all summer for this game! We were all decked out in purple and black. The Rockies lost, but we all had so much fun anyways. The boys were able to get baseballs signed by some of the players, and even caught a game ball tossed up to them by Todd Helton (1st baseman). The game ended with an awesome fireworks show. I think we will all remember today for a long time! (Sorry if the photo is a little hazy - fireworks had just ended)