babyjake - Stories

03/05/10 - Cannot believe it is March!!! It's been fairly warm here....so I think I have cabin fever. We are suppose to have snow this weekend....so that's a bummer....I'm done with this weather! Anyway....lifes been good for most of us :) Cassidy got hurt last weekend playing a basketball tourney. While protecting the ball, a player from another team was fighting her for it and pulled her down and landed on her knew. Best case, a sprained MCL....worst case, it may be torn. Not sure at this point if she will be playing spring league........but our fingers are crossed. She is really praying she is going to be playing for Coach Bill - so please keep her in your thoughts and prayers.........

Jake is growing like a weed! He's slowly coming out of his terrible 2's/terrible 3's and becoming quite the little man. Awesome sense of humor......and just a funny little boy.

We are so blessed with our kids. I know I say this so much but I'm just so proud of each of them....for their accomplishments and just for being them. Oh sure....we have our moments with each of them.....but for about 99% of the time....I wouldnt change a thing.

01/30/10 - I still havent gotten used to writing 2010 but we are almost into February......better start sometime huh? Well....everything is going well on this end. As you can see....we are busy with family and basketball. Cassy enjoys playing for the Osseo high school team and we are very proud of her. Jake......is FULLY POTTY TRAINED!! Yahooooooo....sleeps through the night in just underwear!!! We are thrilled. Matt and I are doing well. We went through a company restructure so each of us have different responsibilities....but we are both very excited about them. He will be deep into web designing and working on our Medica.com pages and I have been given all of our Government Programs Customer Service teams. Both situations have put us into very good positions that we are thrilled to be in. We are very blessed.

11/29/09 - Went today and cut down our first real Christmas tree in our house! We had a GREAT time. It was another unusually warm day for end of November here and we decided that it was time to go just in case mother nature decides to catch up with us :)

Cassidy made the 9B Osseo Basketball team. She is THRILLED and we are very proud of her. She works hard every day and games start in a few weeks I guess. We dont have a schedule yet but will share that when we do for those of you here in Minneapolis.

11/15/09 - Wow.....what a fall! Life has been crazy busy but I dont think we would have it any other way! Jake has started potty training! We are thrilled and he is doing a really great job! We are very proud of him! Cassidy is trying out for the Osseo High School basketball team this week! She has three full days of tryouts and we find out on Wednesday if she makes a team or not. She is pretty nervous but she is confident! She will be playing basketball for someone......whether it's OMGBA or the High School teams! Will let you know :)

09/29/09 - wow...another month has come and gone. Just doesnt seem possible. We had a VERY busy weekend! We started off on Friday with Jake's big 3rd birthday! Matt was in a wedding in St Cloud/Sartell so we needed to get up there for rehearsal and grooms dinner by 4:45. Very stressful in getting everything ready and done, but we did and made it. Very nice grooms dinner - casual and relaxing. Then we went and checked into the hotel and had cake and opened Jake's presents! He had a BLAST! Sissy took him swimming and he was so excited, he didnt get to sleep until 11:45 Friday night.

Saturday was a blur. Matt left for the wedding and pictures. The kids and I did a little shopping and then went back to hotel to get ready for the day. Went to the church, witnessed a beautiful wedding.....went to the reception and danced the night away. The kids and I left the reception around midnight so Cassy could get to her game on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. - YIKES...what a night/day. We were all pretty tired by the end of the second game.

09/08/09 - well.....another "first" today. Cassy started 9th grade. I'm happy and sad today. Happy, because she is the best daughter anyone could ever hope for. She's a good kid with a great head on her shoulders. Her sense of humor is outstanding and her heart is HUGE. She doesnt take crap from anyone and see's through the BS in people she lets into her life. I'm blessed! At the same time, I'm sad....because she is growing up. I always thought my folks were just being sentimental when they said that to me all the time "Time flies....Connie you are getting so big! - I remember when you were so little......etc...etc.....I never understood.....until now......until I see her growing...I see her happy and fun! I see her becoming her own person. And that person is someone that she is proud of and it makes me proud to be her momma.

I look at her with love, with understanding but most of all pride. She's incredible! I know in my heart G'ma and G'pa Kragerud would be very proud...proud of her.....and proud of me for being a good parent......like they taught me all those years when they thought I wasnt listening......

08/15/09 - finally had some time to sit and download the pictures from "Day out with Thomas the Tank Engine"......What a wonderful day. All of us had a really good time! Jake was sooooo excited that he is still telling everyone he meets that "I rode on Thomas!!".......I think he will remember for a very long time.......

08/03/09 - it was quite a weekend! Last week I was diagnosed with kidney stones. Passed two of them so I should be on the mend :) We had all sorts of plans - but the one that ended up happening was the most relaxing and fun with my daughter we have had in a long time! Matt was at a cabin weekend and Jake was at Auntie/Uncle Guderjohns. Cassy was going to her dads and I was to head to a bridal shower/bachelorette party. With the attack of kidney stones, Cassy decided to stay with me and we would just "chill". Well....we talked on Friday and I said "if it's nice out, lets do a road trip!". It was nice when we woke up on Saturday so we packed two back packs with overnight clothes and off we went. No real destination....no real deadline to be anywhere! It was awesome. Shortly after getting in the car we said...."lets head south! -we always go north!"......our only rules were no main freeways and no chain resteraunts to eat in. We held up to that rule! Cassy was an awesome map reader....we went through every little town heading south and ended up in Mankato, MN. It just so happened that the MN Vikings began their training camp for the season. We paid $5.00 to park and got to watch the MN Vikings practice......we walked around Vikings Village, met cheerleaders.....ate pizza and laughed......we laughed alot! It was the best time!

We decided we just may do that every summer. Just momma and Cassy......these years and opportunities pass by too fast....I'm going to enjoy every minute I can :)

07/14/09 - well....my baby girl turned 14 years old this past Saturday. I just cant believe it. We had a really fun party at her dad's house. Friends swam until dark :) Matt and I took turns with Jake in the pool as this was his first time really experiencing Joe's (Cassy's dads) big backyard bathtub! Jake even tried to talk Joe into taking him into the pool. Joe was all ready and then Jake changed his mind and went in with one of Cassidy's basketball friends! We really had fun and it was a great weekend.

Not much else going on. I know this will be hard to believe but we have an extremely busy July and August. My class reunion, Matt in a wedding.....Cassy getting ready for 9th grade and Jake...well....he's just along for the ride and making it fun and difficult all at the same time!

06/27/09 - nothing much more to report other than we have been having a really busy summer. Many outdoor activities that include fishing and boating which has been really fun with both kids! We are actively discussing the plans for Cassidy's birthday party in which she is turning 14!.... yep....14 ....I cant believe our baby girl is growing into such a wonderful young lady. Every day, she makes us more proud of her with her actions, sense of humor and just all around general wonderful attitude. I tell people that we are so blessed with her and they always tell me back that it's good parenting! :) I guess that's a compliment I will take. Joe and I always put her first, no matter what and I guess it's showing. With the extended family situation, I fully believe we all work very well together in making sure that we are on the same page with decisions on her and our direction and parenting of her.

She's a really good kid....she has a wonderful and loving dad, a supportive and loving stepdad and me :) I believe we are a parenting trio and support her together as a family - no matter what has happened in the past. To top it off......we are all friends :)

If you take away one thing from my soap box writing is....put your kids first....no matter what is happening within your family. They are learning from you every day....learning to love, to grow, to care.....if they dont see or feel that from you........they wont experience it to become a strong and loving adult.

06/15/09 - MAN has it been a busy May and June! Our first cabin trip happened in May at Matt's families cabin in Pequot Lakes. There, Jake had his first real fishing trip and Cassy and her friend Nicole spent 2 hours fishing off the dock. We went with our friends, Dan, Kristy and Annika Beaulieu. It was a great trip and relaxing. Then on June 13 we held our HUGE Alsaker Family reunion. We had approximately 220 relatives attend. It was WONDERFUL! I was the main coordinator however I could have never done it our pulled it off without the help of many other relatives. It was truly fun!!!! There, we stayed at Hunts Resort on Lake Minnewaska in Glenwood, MN. It was one of the best relaxing (before and after the reunion) weekends I have had in a long time. We went fishing, we had a campfire.....we just enjoyed our time with family.

The kids are doing well as you can see.........and after being with the Alsaker's (my moms family side), we truly feel lucky to come from such a great family line. What wonderful family ties we all have that should never be broken.

It was a lot of work.......but looking back....it was worth every penny and every minute!

05/23/09 - We spent today doing our tour of the cemeteries as we do every Memorial weekend. I feel it's important for my kids to understand how critical it is to take care of the graves of the loved ones who have passed. Cassidy enjoys going on Memorial weekend. She does a GREAT job of cleaning and placing the flowers. This year was harder as it was our first memorial weekend visiting my great nephew Ryan's grave. He passed away last October. Another one added to our yearly tour. As crazy as this sounds, we had a great day. It was a beautiful spring/summer day in Minnesota and Glenwood was gorgeous as always. I made sandwiches and brought chips/watermelon and other fun snacks. Before we went to the Glenwood cemetery, we sat by Lake Minnewaska and had a picnic lunch in the park. It was wonderful! I love it there......it's my happy place.......

I hope this finds you well and enjoying your weekend. Please don't forget to think about your lost loved ones, especially those in the military. We will be spending Monday at Fort Snelling , visiting Matt's dad's grave - those pictures to follow on Monday. For me, that is another place that is truly touching and I am always in awe when I leave there. My heart is saddened.....but thankful for what those soldiers did for us and America . They gave the ultimate sacrifice.

05/06/09 - Things are pretty much the same....crazy as ever.....will probably slow down here in the month or so as basketball is winding down for the season. Cassy is thinking about attending 2 basketball camps this summer, one through Totino Grace and one through Osseo. Jake will be busy exploring, collecting sticks, eatin dirt, collecting bugs and tasting leaves. I'm sure I will find some wonderful things in his pockets this summer. Matt and I are both busy with the kids and work. Seems like things just never slow down but we couldnt be happier with life. The kids are great.....we love them like crazy and are very proud of both of them with each level in life they go through.

03/22/09 - It's seems like forever since I've had the time to sit down and write or download pictures. We are all doing really great! No complaints on this end. We are just busy keeping up with the kids as much as possible. Basketball pretty much every weekend! Matt and I were talking this past weekend when we had a few minutes of downtime. It was funny.....as busy as we are...and as much time as we "don't" have.....we both agreed we wouldnt want our lives any other way. Seeing our kids grow and being such a huge part of their lives is truly a blessing and we feel lucky every day we have this time with them. To see them develop and learn, get excited about things they do and achieve - what a rush! I'm not sure there is anything better in life. God gave us them for a reason - He chose us to be their parents.....and we are going to cherish every minute..........

As you can see....life is going well :) My hope is that it is for you as well and this pictures bring a smile....... :)

01/29/09 - Well....done with January huh? It's been so cold that I'm kinda glad to see it go! Things are still the same - February is proving to be as busy if not busier than January...but we would be bored if it werent busy right? Hmmm....relax? What's that!?

All is good on this end. Jake was just fitted for his orthotics and ankle braces for his flat feet and turning in ankles. We pick them up on 2/6/09 so we will see how he does. He will always need something but these two things will hopefully make things not so bad as he grows and gets bigger.

We just had mid tri reports for Cass and she is all A's and B's. We couldnt be more proud of her!!! She's just awesome!

Hope this finds you excited about winter coming to an end and spring on it's way! We are!!!!

01/17/09 - Happy New Year!!!! Cant believe we are half way through January! Cassy is playing for two Basketball Teams this year - OMGBA and MYAS. Two different coaches and soon be two different sets of practices. With juggling that, confirmation and a 13 year olds "social" life....can you say BUSY?

Jake is keeping us crazed for the most part. He is learning his way and is very strong willed. He is ALL boy and loves all sorts of things. But at the end of the day, he is a snuggler and a lover.....and that's all we can ask for. He's a good little boy who is 2 and we need to keep telling ourselves that :)

Matt and I are still at Medica. Matt is a Senior Communications Specialist working on their Member transformation teams and writings. I am the Director of the State Public Programs Customer Operations teams. This is a crazy hectic time of year for us. We are putting in long, long days plus juggling the kids stuff to make sure we are with them as much as possible. I keep telling myself...this two shall pass. And it will.

We all started a transformation ourselves. We have decided that we need to be healthier. I have lost 20 pounds since beginning of December and Matt is muscle strengthening like crazy. Cass is going to the gym with her dad and then working out with Matt when she is with us. Jake "dances" and I do aerobics here - I also do Yoga at Medica. It's become a family thing which we are very excited about! Nothing like being healthy and knowing you are doing everything for yourself you can to be around as long as you can for your family and kids.

12/15/08 - we are actively getting ready for Christmas! Jake was so good when he saw Santa and Cassy is doing the AWESOME big sister stuff to make sure he keeps excited about Santa :)

Cass has started basketball and is doing very well. She's one of the tallest on her team. It takes awhile for them to get used to playing together but she's really fun to watch. Jake is talking and learning every day. Sings his ABC's and loves to dance......we are very blessed with both being great kids.

Matt and I are both still working at Medica. Very lucky to have jobs and working very hard at keeping it that way. We will see what 2009 brings........

Love and stuff to everyone and if I dont talk with you personally....Merry Christmas!

11/23/08 - Happy Thanksgiving everyone! We just had our first of 3 Thanksgivings....can you say YAHOOOO!!! Love spending time with family!! Making lefse at my nephew Mikes tomorrow night~ that will be fun. Need to have the family together to try and make it through the next few months during our grieving. I hate to put things that way...I dont know how else to describe it. I can only speak for me but I dont "grieve" every day for Ry.....I just think about the memories every once and awhile....just certain things that normally wouldnt have been thought about if it werent the holidays (if that makes sense). My number one goal to help get through these next months is to try and help my family with them getting through. Whether its helping his wife, his mom, his grandparents, his siblings.......in hopes that will help me. That's how I am. I'm learning that that's how I grieve. If you dont know what I'm talking about - please visit www.ryanorsburne.com - it tells you a little about what's going on with my family and what tragically happened in October.

Anyway.....life with the Minnesota Nelson's is going well. Cassy has started basketball - practicing twice a week with games every weekend........or just about. She has mastered her 8th grade classes and is coming in with a very strong low A/ high B honor roll average.....struggling a little with Economics.....but says she's catching on ...so it will all work out. Jake...well...lets just say he's learning so much every day! He's talking like crazy! I mean...really saying words and sentences. It's wonderful. He can count to 10 and with a little help, can get through the alphabet. After the holidays....it's potty training time! He sings, he dances......he acts out movies.....he's crabby....he's happy.......hey....people say he's a normal 26 month old........Some days are crazy...others are a blessing........perfectly normal life right :)

11/01/08 - Well...November is here! As you can see, Jake was Thomas the Tank Engine for Halloween (his favorite) and Cassy just went "walking around" with her friends. Of course, like a really good kid, she came home to have pictures taken with her little brother! Isnt that GREAT! She makes me so proud! Jake and Matt went to a few houses but it got pretty chilly when the sun went down so they came home after about 1/2 hour or so. The neighbors said he was so cute that he got TWO pieces of candy from some of the houses :)

Not much more going on.......just hanging out......being a family! Not much could be better than that!

10/21/08 - wow......what a crazy few months! We have been busy and the time has just flown by. We are still trying to recover from the death of my great nephew Ryan....just has left an emptiness that we can't explain. The kids are doing really great. Growing like weeds! Jake absolutely has an awesome attitude with a great mixture of both Matt and I. Cassy is doing wonderfully in school and just an all around great kid! A and B honor roll all the way! We are very proud of her. Matt and I are enjoying working together again and really like the change that we have at Medica. We miss everyone horribly from our past life....but as they say "it goes on". We stay in touch with those we can...and hope we reconnect soon with those we havent.

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