Hello from Cassi!

Hello family,
I have heard so much about this family blog thing I figured I better add something to it rather then just browsing other's postings. I have been back at school for about 3 weeks and everything is wonderful. The first two weeks were filled with sorority recruitment and little sleep. After the process was over, we started right into classes and a normal social life. My friends and I are enjoying fun-filled days and weekends before school life gets too difficult. I currently live with five other girls in a house of 85. It sounds crazy but I absolutely love it! This weekend we had a back-to-school party and the theme was USA (which explains the picture).
But I just wanted to say hello and make my first post. I will be home for the Neb. vs. KU football game. I am sure I will see a lot of you there!
Hope everyone is well!

Love, Cassidy Noelle Stamp
:)

Details from Des Moines (Kelly)

I realized when reviewing the previous posts that I have not posted since I became an official, licensed pharmacist. I passed my board exams in early July and got the actual license in the mail just a week ago or so. Thus far, I have truly enjoyed my job. Everyday is different and I just never know what kind of customers I will deal with each day. My first weekend working alone as a pharmacist I had my license threatened (with no validity) by an angry customer who was seeking cold medicine to be transferred to another store, it's a long story but we got it sorted out and I still have my license and hope never to deal with that customer again.
I am finally feeling settled in my apartment and really enjoy the area where I'm living. I'm right across from the local library and have 2 grocery stores, several restaurants, my bank and a gas station within walking distance. I decided to check out the neighborhood walking/biking paths on my rollerblades tonight and ended up face planting into the dirt after losing my bearings down a hill and a curve so I might stick to running from now on. We also have a good park district that offers adult programs and I am signing up for ballroom dance lessons with my boyfriend Paul (who is a little reluctant to learn but has agreed to attend with me).
That's about all of my news but I will be in attendance at the Bull family reunion over Labor Day weekend and look forward to seeing you all then.
With love,
Kelly

Hello everyone

Hi all! I just wanted to quickly post and update you about school and work. Most of you don't know this, but I have accepted a job at the Hastings Regional Center. I am working in the HJCDP unit. That stands for the Hastings Juvenile Chemical Dependency Program. I really like it and am over with orientation on the 25th. I was in three days of lecture about policies and procedures and am now on the unit shadowing. I will work 24 hours one week and 16 hours the next week to get my 40 hr pay period. I am working from 8-12 on the days and every other weekend. I will be at the school helping the youth with their homework and making sure that they stay on task. I really like it and it's a fun job.

I also have enrolled at Doane College in Grand Island. I have switched to Human Relations as a major. I really like it there. The courses I'm in this semester are Statistics and Interpersonal Communications. I have oodles of statistics to do tonight. Ugh, I hate that class. Plus I hate math. But what can I say? At least we do our homework in groups :). But I really like Interpersonal Communications because it will teach me how to better communicate with people. I was telling my mom that I'm really glad that I made the switch because I can drain Psychology courses for my electives at Doane and not declare a minor in it. At UNK, there was no way I could take all the Psychology classes without minoring in it. Plus I'm not in college for the "college life experience". I'm in it for getting a degree so I can get out and get a job :).

I might or might not be at the family reunion. Grandma wants me to go and I have figured out that I won't be working that weekend. But who knows if I'm coming or not. I might instead try to hit the state fair and hit the midway. Or I might just stay home and do some stupid statistics. Unfortunately Labor Day falls on the following Monday, so I can't use that for an excuse ;) :P. But really, I might go. It depends on what I feel like that day.

Well, I just wanted to tell you all about my new job and school. If anyone wants to do my statistics, give me a hollar and I'll let you do it!! Hehehe. Talk to you all later :).

Suz

Post Disney World (from Niki)

...it's a small world after all...it's a small world after all...
What they say is true: beware, that song gets stuck in your head for eternity. As my mom mentioned, I'm back from sunny (and hot and sticky and sweaty) Florida. We had such a great time! Both Matt and I had been to Disney World and Disneyland several times with family, school and softball, but this was our first time together. I couldn't believe how much new stuff they've added even in the last few years. We stayed for a week (highly recommend), stayed on the resort (highly highly recommend), and managed to survive the August heat (highly don't recommend). The first few days were spent on the big rides, but by the end, we were rubbing elbows with the kids for a picture with Mickey and riding the spinning tea cups. I guess Disney really does bring out the kid in everyone.

Summer school came to a merciful end, and after a too-short summer break, I'm back at it next week. Some days it seems like it's going by quickly, and other times next December seems like forever. I'm taking a marketing branding class this semester that should be really interesting, so I'm looking forward to that.

Otherwise, life at home has been pretty relaxed. We're going out to dinner with my mom and dad tomorrow to celebrate their 31st anniversary with dinner, cake, and vacation pictures. If you can't torture your parents with over 150 vacation pictures (yay for digital cameras!), who can you torture, right?

I'm pretty sure Matt and I will make it to the big picnic in a few weeks, so I'll see you all there.

Back to School Picture from Suki

Hello,
Just a quick note to say hi and to share this "back to school" picture taken last week of our two college juniors before they're off to school again. This picture was taken at Cheeseburger in Paradise, where the Stamps and Warrens held this dinner ritual for the third year in a row. How time flies. Niki and Matt have been at Disneyworld in Orlando since Tuesday. I'll feel much better when they're back in Omaha on Monday. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone at Debbie's on the 3rd. Stay cool! (I mean that literally, too).

suki

Family Picnic, etc.

For anybody wondering - Yes we will be hosting the Family Picnic and we are planning at this time for Sunday, Sept. 3 at our house. Proper invitations will be coming, but feel free to pass the word along to anyone who won't see this.

Owen is done playing baseball so our life is more our own again, but that means we can no longer avoid thinking about getting a new roof, painting the exterior (or hiring it done but I hate to think about how much that would cost,) and other mundane joys of home ownership.

Owen enjoyed playing Legion ball again, but there were only two other carry overs from the team last year, and most of the players were 2 years younger than him. He pitched well, but the team wasn't as strong so he didn't get as many wins and they didn't make it to the State Tourney. I think we were all ready for a break however, and managed to not be very disappointed. We know it's getting rather late, but Owen is still undecided about whether he will go back to Independence Junior College or not. If he doesn't, he will probably end up at Wesleyan, play ball there, and get an excellent education in the process, which of course in the long run is much more important.

It's getting late, that's all for now. One of these days I'll get more into the habit of keeping up with everyone's news and contributing more often.
Debbie