Surgeries.....1 more to go!!

Hey yall..... Hope you are all feeling better then me!! I have been having kidney stone problems for a little over a year now and last year I got a kidney stone removed.... Well, was hospitalized for 3 days with a kidney infection and lucky me more kidney stones!! Well, I went in a week later and got my left kidney stone removed.... But there is another one on my right side and it is bigger... Can that really be??? Well they decided to do a lithotripsy on that kidney stone on the Thursday!! I felt like I was smashed between 2 trains... The pain wont ease..... Well on top of all of that I must get my gall bladder removed on Tuesday.... So excited about this!!! :(.... Hopefully the pain from the lithotripsy goes away by then because so far I am not sure how I am going to deal with being in more pain .... I am feeling a little better and I still have 2 days to go to recover from this one... Well,,, wish me luck!!! I had to vent and I am feeling better already!! lol

Amazingly perfect!!

Lately, I have really been working on me and how to accomplish life and fill more fulfilled. I must say that every morning I wake up felling so happy and feeling ready for those bad times!! Before I would dread having those moments with the kids and try to figure how to avoid them. Now, I say bring it on and lets learn from them!!! I am loving how the kids are so youthful and looking at life through little eyes is amazing!! I see the kids smile over something silly and it makes me smile too. I see the kids at the table doing homework and how a problem is nothing and everything clicks in their heads!!! I love when Bryce tells me about our day through his words. It is amazing when I am grouchy he sees me as giving him a snack and I am the greatest!! I love talking with Bruna on the webcam!! She makes me laugh and to see the kids get so excited for her as well. They all have 500 questions and things to tell her!! I love how Cody works so hard at his job and then he comes home and goes over and beyond here at the house for me and the kids. I love how much he loves us!!! I am so thankful for all my friends and family. They support the decisions of our life even though they may not always agree with what we do. I love how a simple hello from the kids to a stranger can make them smile. I love how generous the kids are. A homeless woman was holding a sign and Katelyn asks to give her money to the lady!! I love life. God is great!! I love how he makes challenges for us and he guides us through them. I can not tell you how happy that life is coming together and depression medicine isnt needed to feel this way anymore!! I love LIFE!!

A new life in our Family!!

As I have posted that last few days, we are getting a foreign exchange student. Her name is Bruna, she is 16 and is from Brazil. I got to talk with her over email and throught instant messaging for the first time yesterday and I can not tell you how excited I was to hear from her. She finally got the word that she is joining our family and she has sent pictures. I have got to talk with her almost for 2 days now and I have learned so much about her. She has told me nothing but wonderful things about her parents and I am so thankful that they are willing to share her for the year with us and give her this exciting new adventure in her life. I have no doubt that she will do great here in Idaho. Here are a few pictures of our daughter that will be joining our family!!!

Bruna- if you are reading this than just know that we are excited for you to come and are so thankful for this opportunity in our lives. See you soon!!

This is Bruna with her little Brother, Pedro.... He is 1 and a half... He is so cute!!

7 years later....

Today, 7 years ago, I married my best friend, Cody. In 7 years we have accomplished so much. We have a beautiful family together, a home, 2 dogs, a minivan and a car, and 7 years later we are a TEAM.. Over the years, I have learned so much about this man. I can not tell you how much more I love him today!! He is such a great dad to the kids. He goes outside and helps them with sports, he helps with homework, he helps with bed time routine and most of all he is there for all the love and support. I look around my life today and I see a home that is built on the foundation that he and I have made. I am so very lucky this man chose me as his frind, his lover and his wife. Our lives our simple but we are so happy with where we are that I could never ask for anything more. I just wanted to give a shout out to the man I LOVE with all my heart. Happy anniversary Cody. I love you so much!!

Time flies...

I got on my blog and looked at my last post date... where did the time go?? WOW!! Anyways we have been super busy around here...

Katelyn and Austin are back in school, 3rd and 1st grade. I can not believe how excited they come home every day after school.. They got the best teachers ever!!! Austin is in football right now, he is so amazing to watch. He is a running back and I can not tell you how much that kid amazes me.. He is so fast. Katelyn is doing cheerleading and she is loving it!! She makes a perfect one too cause she is so loud. :)...

I am enjoying my time with Bryce... He is so different when the siblings arent around... He cracks me up everyday!!

The last month has been a medical nightmare for me!! I was admitted to the hospital with a kidney infection, and come to find out I have kidney stones on the left and right side. Also multiple gall stones so my gall bladder has to come out in the next month. They went and took the left side kidney stone out last week and I have a stent in for a week.... UGH... It is very uncomfortable!! The right kidney stone is going to go through some shock waves to see if they can be broke up so I don't have to get that one surgical removed. It makes me realize how lucky I really am when I am not sick and down. I can get so much done and I am crazy active!!

School for me is still going strong.... less than 7 months left!!! YEAH!! I am in a radiology class right now and I am really enjoying it!! I have been exploring my options to my future and I am not quite sure of where I want to take my career yet!!

Cody has been really good!! He has been really busy at work and then he comes home and does such an amazing job with our family. He is always doing something with the kids with sports or taking care of me!! I don't know what I would do without him!!

The last name of our family is almost complete with all the members of this family!! We are going through the adoption process right now as well for Katelyn. She is very excited to have the same last name as all the of us. At school she is still my maiden name and that does bug her A lot!! We are gonna have a large party after it is complete to make it OFFICIAL!! This is exciting because it has been 7 years of a thought and now it is coming to reality that we are all HERRMANNs. Cody is such an amazing dad to her!! He has never looked at her any different than our boys and I love how much this experience has brought them closer!!

Last but not least, our other exciting news is we had our home visit last night and got to look through all the girl foreign exchange students. Ours will be here in January and she will be here for the year!! We are so excited because she matches our family perfectly. She sounds so much like a little of each of us... She loves food and accessories like Katelyn, she likes volleyball and is adventurous like me. Her mother and father both are bankers, similar to Cody. She has a little 1 year old brother so kids won't be anything new for her!!! She is from Brazil and we are so excited to share our home with her and learn a new culture!! As soon as I get to start talking to her I will ask to post pics of her so you can all see her!!!

So we have been busy but we are so excited to the new adventures, good and bad, that is in store for us!! the health issue is just a little bump in the road but I have learned so much from it, especially when it comes to drinking pop, which is a NO NO.. and eating with my diet!! I actually eat salad!!!

I will post again soon!! I am terrible with getting pictures off my camera so as soon as I do I will post the kids going to school and some newer pictures!!

Fun

Now that summer is upon us there are lots of activities being planned. Tons of sports camps, swimming lessons, vacation, and tons of camping and family outings. We are really excited for this summer because everyday is filled with something fun. The kids also are doing the reading program at the library and daily lessons to get ready for 3rd, 1st and pre kindergarten. I am always looking for some fun new activities for the age groups. let me know if you have any!! Also, with spring behimd us and all the busy sports we had I thought I would share a few pictures of the fun we had...

Showing off the baseball jerseys!!

Bryce playing soccer

Austin got 2nd place in State Wrestling!! Way to go Buddy!!

Katelyn had her 8th birthday!! She got tons of Jonas Brother stuff including concert tickets which we will be going too on this Friday!! It will be her first concert and she is very excited!!

A long time

Oh It has been forever since I have wrote on my blog... I just finished a class so that puts me to have only 6 months left at school.... It has gone by so fast and I am really proud of my family for all the support and the way they have all handled the last 15 months. Everyone has adjusted better than I thought and I am so happy that our family is approaching new territory. Cody is doing great in his job and he reports he is number 1 on the stats right now. He does so much for our family with so many stresses on him, he handles all of it so well. Katelyn took a month off of gymastics due to our grandpa in the hospital, now for a month and she also went to Cody's family for a week. It was really good for her to get away but I was so happy to get her back!! Austin is ready for first grade. We had a great kindergarten celebration and then we had a good party afterwards. He is enjoying playing outside with his dad all day. He is super excited for flag football. He lost his front tooth today, and he looks so dang cute!! Bryce is writing his name alittle better and he loves following Austin and Katelyn. He loves going to the library and feeling like a big boy with his own library card!!

We are planning a 4th of July trip to silverwood theme park. We are super ready for a break from all the stress of life. We have had alot on us lately. There are alot of changes in our life.

Oh did I mention--- We are looking for our home to BUY!! I am so excited and not in a hurry at all!! I have seen some good ones but nothing says I have to have it!! I am def. ready for a home to paint and have it be our own. We have worked so hard to get here, so wish us LUCK!!! Anyways, That is a recap of the Herrmann Crew..

And I have just hit my "100" pound wieght loss. It has taken a little over a year and with 25 pounds more to go I feel better than I have in a long time!!