Another Flag, Another Season

Blake has been playing flag football now for 2 years, and loves it! He plays both offense and defense. He was part of the Raiders team this winter (much to the 49'er fan of the family's horror). On March 6th, they won the championship for their age bracket! Score of 60-6 was pretty amazing! Here are a few pictures of the big day, and the big trophy too!

Play Ball!

Craig II has begun his freshman year of baseball at Fremont. He made it through the week of tryouts, being called up to the team on the last day. I can't tell you who was more nervous; parents or player!   Lots of people were praying that day - for however the outcome would unfold. Craig has been playing right field and also as a pinch runner, wearing #5.   We love going to all the games, and seeing the guys work so well together. It is showing, as the team is undefeated! Craig II loves this game, and we are so proud of the player that he is, and the dedication and determination he shows as he pushes forward to be a better player in the years to come.  

Here's A Little Re-Cap!

So, apparently I can't keep up on this blog like I know I should. So, here is a recap for each member of our family:

Craig-
-Kenz & Leslie and BG Products keep him busy
-as a football and baseball dad, nights and weekends are active
-back to playing in a men's softball league; lots of fun!
-still working as the sound tech at our church; has it really been over 20 years since he started that "hobby"? He is too young for that :)

Sarah-
-RMCC Children's Department is the best place to work; it's busy, challenging and there is always humor to make the day
-still have opportunities to sing; I can say it has been way over 20 years for me as I have grown in this part of my life
-as a football and baseball mom, nights and weekends are active
- designed to be thankful and blessed even when it is not so easy

Craig II

-9th grade and working on registering for all high school classes

-baseball is the format he follows

-involved in his youth group at RMCC and led by a great team; combined with great friends makes us very proud

-taller than mom, almost tops dad

-we are loving this boy so much!

Blake

-5th grade and advanced math

-flag football; season after season, after season.....

-great friends makes growing up fun

-living with Wilson's Disease the best he can; slowly responding to treatment and a highlight to PCH and GH every time we have an appointment

-we are loving this boy so much too!

Hope to publish some new photos soon; have a few to share since it has been so long since the last photo we posted :)

"Praise the LORD, all nations!

   Extol him, all peoples!

For great is his steadfast love toward us,

   and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever.

Praise the LORD!"

Psalm 117

Boy oh Boy...SOY!

As our family adjusts to the changes in Blake's diet, one of our biggest tackles is the fact that he can not have an legumes - which includes SOY. It is in everything! A couple of weeks ago, I had a great appointment with a nutritionist at Phoenix Children's Hospital. She was able to break down the properties of soy for me, and what parts are worse than others. As we grocery shop and look at packaged and processed foods, we have really noticed that soy is an ingredient in 80% of all products. So I have begun the process of making many things from scratch. I haven't done that in a long while, and I am actually enjoying it. Does it take a little longer - yes, but it is so worth it. We are all benefiting from it. It seems something is always going on the stove and the house always smells yummy - reminds me of my Mom and Nonna when they were in the kitchen all the time. I am thankful that I love to cook and that I was blessed to have great teachers along the way :)

Shop and It Helps!

In March of this year, Blake was diagnosed with a rare form of liver disease, called Wilson's Disease. His body is unable to process the mineral copper (who knew?) He is currently undergoing treatment at Phoenix Children's Hospital-we see the doctors about every 4-6 weeks. The disease is not curable, but can be treatable if caught early. As the Christmas season approaches (or is already here...), many of you might be doing some of your shopping online. I'd like for you to consider something as you shop. As you spend your money, I have a neat way that you can help Blake at the same time. If you go to www.goodshop.com you are able to search/shop from a list of 100's of stores. When you are done your shopping, and are at the checkout for that website, these stores will then make a donation to the Wilson Disease Association- the group that is researching for a cure and better treatment for Blake and other patients with this disease. When you are asked "who do you support" from the website, type in "WDA". Thank you in advance for thinking of Blake, and for helping out the team that works so hard to see him get better!

Merry Christmas!

PS- you can shop from this site all year long - not just at Christmas!

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!

Wilson

We haven't updated on Blake's health in a while. In a nutshell, Blake's progress is slow and isn't really where the doctor wants it to be. We all know that it is a long process to get him to a stable point; Dr. Mc Omber (pictured here with Blake) thinks it will be at least a year before we can look at maintenance medication. So until that point, Blake is now taking 6 pills a day. At our last appointment, Dr. Mc Omber told us that he feels that Blake's liver is swollen as it is trying to clear all the copper out, and he is concerned that some of the other filter organs may be working harder to compensate. We have another appointment in 6 weeks, and lab work to complete before that. When you see Blake, you would never know that he had a sick liver, as the boy eats non stop and is pretty active. He is a very good patient, and the team at Phoenix Children's Hospital loves it when he comes in. We ask that you continue to pray with us that we can get him leveled out on his medication schedule and that the medicine will continue to do its job.

A Whole New World

Blake had a class presentation this past week at school called "The Wax Museum". Every class member had to dress up and portray a world explorer that they had chosen and done research on. Blake presentation was about Pedro Menedez D'Aviles (founder of St. Augustine, Florida). He had an entire speech to give every time someone stood in front of him at his desk and pushed the red button on the piece of paper. I think I saw Blake give his speech 5+ times. He did a great job. Blake is also a member of the ZBC team at school (the in-school TV program; with news, sports and weather). Blake is the sportscaster on Wednesdays. He researches his own stories and then memorizes his script each time before he goes on camera. It's a lot of fun. Who knows, one day it could be ESPN!

Football!

Craig is playing freshman football this semester. He is a defensive and a tight end; plays both offense and defense. It is a large team and we are really proud of him that he made it through all the final cuts to be part of the team. He is #96 and we cheer loudly for him and the school at each game. He has recently been injured with a severe back strain (bummer)and is out for a minimum of 3 weeks. He still supports the team and is on the field every day helping in anyway he can. We are praying that he heals soon, as the rival game between Fremont Jr. High and Shepard Jr. High is at the end of October; he really wants to play in that game. Go Falcons! On game days, all the players have to get dressed up for school; they really stand out among all the other students. Craig II looks so grown up and handsome! :) Blake begins flag football this Saturday, so I will share photos of him soon. Go Dolphins!

The first of a few...

It's been forever since I last wrote anything, so I am playing catch up. I was going to post all this info in one large post, but I think a few at a time is more fun. :) So depending on how you read this is could be current info, or old news.

August 12th began the new school year. Craig II is in 9th grade, and Blake is in 5th grade. The phrase of "time flies so quickly as they get older" is now more evident than ever. Both boys are doing really well in school so far this year. Blake was bumped up to advanced math (he didn't get that gift from me), and Craig II is taking an engineering class that he really likes (again, not a gift from me)- they are already looking forward to their week off in October. :)

Champion Hoops Camp

This past week, Craig II and Blake participated in a basketball camp.  They worked really hard and had so much fun.  This is the second year our church has provided this camp. We had about 115 students participate.  All the kids had so much fun, and they learned a lot about the game, and life as well.  I was part of the administration team - so I "played" off the court, but was able to try and play when I could (Dad, you would have gotten a good laugh watching me, I am sure).  We have the privilege of bringing in Melvin Adams to work with the kids.  He is a former Harlem Globetrotter and NBA player.  He is amazing - both in the game and with the kids.  We are already looking forward to next summer, and the outreach that this event provides.

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.

Another Blake Update

Blake had another appointment today - we see the doctor every 6-8 weeks. I will start by saying that we love Phoenix Children's Hospital and Dr. McOmber! He is awesome and so concerned with Blake's health and treatment. Blake had to have his medication adjusted, as his liver is not getting rid of the copper as fast as the doctor would like to see. So now Blake has to take 5 pills a day instead of 3; 2 in the morning, 1 in the afternoon, and 2 at night. The good side of this is that it will bring Blake one step closer to a maintenance program. The downside of this is that as the liver is trying to get rid of more copper, there will be abdominal pain. And the hard part, for me as the Mom, is that I can't do anything to take the pain away. Please pray that the side effects from the additional medication are minimal, if there are any at all. Dr. McOmber also doesn't see a need for another biopsy anytime soon - we are so glad to hear that. Blake's food restrictions still remain the same; not as fun, but we are adjusting.
Thank you for praying for Blake - we are thankful for it, and for you, our friends and family too.

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. :)

A Praise To Share!

After trying to be patient for 6 weeks (not one of my strengths), we received word today from the Mayo Clinic that Craig II is only a carrier of the gene that causes Wilsons’ Disease (meaning he doesn't have the disease). You have no idea how happy we are. God has answered our pray. Craig II is on his way to camp up in Big Bear, California today with the Jr. Higher’s from church and I couldn't wait to tell him the fantastic news. So I found out which bus he was in and made the call. He is so happy!!! He too has been waiting, wondering if and how his life was going to change with a diagnosis. Now we can all relax and move forward and focus on taking care of Blake.
Thank you all for being such an amazing support to our family. God has blessed us with wonderful family and friends, and we are forever grateful!

Seriously?... Updated

So, the toilets are all fixed (yea to my amazing husband), and the cactus hasn't fallen over. The TV's on the other hand; not so good. Our big screen that we got for $10 ten years ago is officially dead, and the other big screen that has been so faithful, is done. We have the expensive option to fix it, with only a 50/50 chance that it will still work. So we have come up with a "stand in" at the moment as we try to decide what we are going to do. Oh well, we move on.

Seriously?

Has there ever been a day in your life when you wonder just what else could be around the corner? In the last 3 days, 2 of our 3 toilets have broken, 2 of our 3 TV's have died and the large agave cactus in the front yard that bloomed this spring is dying (if it has not done so already) and could fall over. So, we smile, get frustrated, deal with it, feel blessed for what we do have and pray that no one gets hurt if the cactus falls into the street :) Just thought I would share.

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!

My Turn

Well, it was finally my turn. I received a "golden ticket" from the Mesa Police Department last night. Now I get the choice of paying the fine, fighting the ticket in court, or going to traffic school. I couldn't even get a warning even though the police officer said I was prepared, polite and honest. I even shared with him the names of those that I know on the police force, maybe, just hoping to sway the dreaded piece of paper- but to no avail. Oh, I deserved it - really, I did.