Spring is Here! from Suki

Hi All,

I hope the nice weather brings everyone outside and on the blog again. I'm as guilty as the next for not posting lately, especially when I have things to say. So, I will begin here.

I believe Steve and I are the hosts for this year's Bull Family Picnic. If we're not, let me know because we're trying to combine the picnic with a wedding shower for Elissa. After checking with Elissa and Janice, we decided the date of Saturday, July 7th will work best for them. Please "save this date" if you can as we'd love to see everyone there. More details will follow as we head toward summer.

Niki, Cassi and I had our annual spring pedicures last weekend before Cassi headed back to KU after spring break. The Jayhawks losing was a tough loss indeed, but I think we're over it now. Cassi went to Chicago to watch the first two games and had a great time. She invited Steve and I to come to Lawrence for one of their games in February. It was Steve's first and we had a great, great weekend. Niki is training for the Lincoln Half Marathon (maybe she'll post more details) and is lining up her golf lessons because she got new clubs from Santa. How fun to have another golf buddy!

Steve is still working with the cows. It was a particularly tough time for the new calvies when they were being born in the 12" of cold, wet snow earlier this month. At last count I believe they lost five newborns. How sad! Last weekend he went to a cattle sale and bought a new bull. I buy a new sweater, he buys a bull.

Wow, enough babbling. I'm all for the Football 101 again. I haven't heard from Sue yet, but it's a day off from work, hanging with the cuzzes and all for a great cause, right? We'll let you know.

Take care and keep in touch,

Suki

Football 101? Nancy

So, are the cousins going to sign up for Football 101 again this year? I've gotten a personal email :) from Coach Callahan reminding me of the upcoming event on June 1. I want to go again and wonder how many of you will join me.
Nancy

Report from Omaha...Sue

Good morning everyone... The men are in bed...John has worked nights the past few days because some years ago the State decreed that those in the Engineering dept. would have to come in to help with snow removal. He managed to get himself taken off the snow plowing crews, but now they call him to come in and sit and answer phones, which according to him, seldom ring.. If the wind doesn't stop blowing, he'll probably have to go back again tonight. And Joe... he just couldn't stand to be at his own house and not have access to a snow blower and shovel, so he bumped and plowed his way to our house on Thursday evening.

I don't have very impressive pictures...Thursday was really terrible though when the blizzard arrived. It started here just late enough that everyone was already on their way to work and didn't realize how bad it was going to be. I haven't had my car out of the garage since Wed.. I had John take me to work these last couple days because he was just getting home about then. The streets are still not in very good shape because everything packed down so quickly, before the plows could get to it. The sun is shining brightly this morning, but the wind is still pretty gusty. This weekend will help a lot when there's not as much traffic and people stay off the streets...and I think it's supposed to get to 40-something tomorrow. And I'm hearing a bird singing outside my window as I type, so can Spring be far off?

So, in the midst of all the cold and snow, i wanted to show you my Christmas Cactus, which is finally blooming! Apparently i didn't give it enough dark hours in time for it to bloom for Christmas...I'm calling it my Easter Cactus now!

Joe is heading to Las Vegas next week for Spring Break. UNO thinks Spring Break starts the following Monday, but Joe and friends are going on Thursday already.. I've probably mentioned this before....he lives with the two Odorisio brothers, Vince, who owns the house, and Marcus, who is Joe's age. Their grandmother is Uncle Winfred's Aunt Minnie's daughter..does that make sense? I can't think of her name just now, but she has a house in Las Vegas where these guys will all stay...so it really just cost them airfare. Marcus and Vince are the most well-connected people I know..they always know someone.. who knows someone.. who.....

ok..i've put off housework long enough, time to get busy...

Blizzard in Des Moines

Here's a picture of the 5 foot snow drift currently outside a friend's house. Granted she does live in the country, but it has been wild here with the snow the past couple of days. I am currently snowed in at Paul's house in Ankeny. My new pharmacy job is in Ankeney and with our storms the past couple of days, I have been unable to make it home. After watching the news and checking roads online I tried to brave it and get back to my apartment today but ended up stuck in a snow drift right outside Paul's house. After having a couple neighbors push/dig me out, I decided to stay and wait for Paul to get back from work, it should ease up more by then and he's offered to chauffer me this weekend with his snow tires. I can't hardly believe he even had work today since every school in practically the whole state has been cancelled and even all the county court houses have shut down (along with stretches of the interstate). Fortunately these storms have not wiped out the power at all. The electricity and heat are still on. We did not get nearly as much ice with this storm as the last but there is just so much drifting that it's impossible for me to get around. I have heard reports of several people still without power from our ice/snow storm last week. Andrew really wasn't exaggerating with how bad it's been. I am grateful to still have warm showers and not have to eat breakfast wearing mittens like Mary Jo and family:) This kind of weather almost makes me consider a move to a warmer climate like Arizona...I'm wishing I was at least on vacation this week. Hope everyone else is staying warm, I heard the Omaha area got hit really bad and the whole city practially shut down on Thursday. Does everyone there still have power or did that get wiped out too? That's all the news from here!

Mary Jo sympathizes with all who are snowed in

Hello from the windy midsection of Nebraska, BUT AT LEAST WE HAVE NO SNOW...OR ICE. We can't say we didn't have winter this year, can we.....and I'll bet Janice, who was wishing for a little snow a few posts back has seen enough of it now. Were you without electricity at all last week Kelly? Our son, Andrew, works for an Electrical and Security company in Marshalltown now and two ice storms in less than a week have given him enough excitement for awhile. He was going on with his tales of woe so I called up the Des Moines Register on line, and he really was not exaggerating!

Enough weather, what else is going on with all of you? I hear Debbie is going to Bolivia on a Mission Trip with her church??? I'm sure we'd all like to hear about that.

Keep warm...and keep in touch.