Jutharat Poomulna (aka Ju or Juju). Her hometown is Phichit, Thailand. She grew up on a peaceful farm until moving to Bangkok for her undergraduate program, and remained there until pursuing a Masters in Biomedical Engineering from Newcastle University in the UK.

Ju is a PhD student at UNO. Her field of study is Biomechanics and Kinesiology. She started her program in Omaha in the fall of 2021.

Nick Flaxbeard is a Pipeline Design Engineer at Kinder Morgan since graduating with a degree in Chemical Engineering from UNL. A Nebraskan by birth, he has resided in Houston, Texas since May 2023.

Nick also is a jazz pianist, who has played solo and ensemble for years as a hobby. His greatest musical mentor and best jam partner is his dad, Mike Gurciullo.

Our relationship began its early stages in February of 2022, but was truly solidified by our first trip together to Grand Lake, Colorado in July of 2022. Since then, new trips together have signified new chapters in our time together.

The first time for Ju to meet Nick's parents, Mike and Elaine Gurciullo, was Christmas of 2022. Her sweet demeanor won them over quickly on her first desert trip.

Staying closer to home in Nebraska City, this winter trip to Arbor lodge was the last outing we did before Nick accepted a new position at Kinder Morgan in Houston, TX. Since moving down in May 2023, we have been long distance. This was the time in our relationship that was hardest to know whether it could survive this hardship.

However, after 3 months of long-distance, Nick proposed on a sunny, summer night in Destin, FL solidifying our commitment to our future.

Elaine (Nick's mom) came up with this wonderful maritime concept for a ring holder - a beautiful, blue sea shell. Needless to say - Juju said yes!!!

About two months later (which has been Nick's standard return frequency to Omaha during this long distance), we celebrated Halloween with Nick's beloved younger cousin, Gracie "Subtoe" Flaxbeard. Grace absolutely adores Ju and her love for Ju is a wonderful sight for both Nick and uncle Paul Flaxbeard (Grace's dad) to see.

For Thanksgiving 2023, we returned to Phoenix yet again! This time, Ju got to show the main attraction for Elaine and Mike - her 5 star, "Master Chef" (as Nick likes to call it), cooking. Her cooking is both a treat to eat, but also a reflection of Ju's creativity and resourcefulness in preparing an experience to bring us together.

Ju was able to first come down for an extended period to Houston in December of 2023. During this time, we were able to explore Houston, Austin, and even camp in a cabin at Lake Livingston.

In addition, we were able to enjoy Galveston. Not being much of a water enthusiast, Ju discovered her love for the beach... in Winter! It was a good experience for us both to see some of what is available for us to enjoy in our future together in Texas.

That being said, we are a restless crew! When Ju told Nick it was time to renew her Thai passport in Chicago, he wasn't about to miss out on a good excuse to visit the windy city. Riding the train was a good way to explore the city, and having a friend up there was a real treat - our built-in tour guide, Justin Sleep.

In May of 2024, we started thinking in earnest about wedding planning. Our dear friend, Alex Calderon, has provided us with all the lovely engagement photos you see on this page.

In July 2024, we made it back to Grand Lake, CO, back to our first major destination together. After over a year of surviving long distance, how cathartic it was to be back in the mountain air together, looking for moose (Ju's favorite animal).

In addition, we have found a great mutual love of kayaking and hiking. Although we both enjoy trying new cuisine, seeing new cities and taking all the photos our phones will store, our favorite of all is the solitude of national parks and wild places... so long as they have indoor plumbing!

Although Nick has historically been more of a beach lover, Ju's happy place is clearly in the Rocky Mountains, and we will be back many more times to come.

Thanksgiving 2024 was where our long distance relationship crossed the rubicon - instead of seeming like an endless stretch of surviving, we really could see the end in sight. Enjoying the beauty of Sedona on foot was a wonderful way to celebrate this milestone.

This was also the first trip together since Nick's grandfather, Don, passed away in October. Don loved Ju and she would be a regular visitor with him while Nick mowed the lawn when he was still in Omaha.

Our most recent adventure was perhaps one of the best of them all. Setting out with a full tank of gas, a cooler, some clothes, and a cast iron griddle, we set our course across 10 hours of Texas canyons and hills to Big Bend National Park.

We stayed in a yurt under the dazzling starry skies. Every constellation was in view. We both rode horses on a two hour tour of an abandoned mine, and attempted (with... mixed success) to cook in the cast iron on an open fire.