We have a very special day here at Iowa Cold Cases. Today, my co-administrator, Nancy Bowers, is celebrating her birthday. And while birthdays are always something to celebrate, I feel we at ICC have just as much to celebrate because back in January, this woman of many, many talents chose to get on “our” bus and contribute those talents to the work we’re trying to accomplish here.

I’ve said it before but I’ll say it again: I honestly don’t know what I did before Nancy came along. From the beginning, she seemed to know exactly what needed done, how it needed done, where it needed done and when it needed done, and she wasn’t afraid to dive in head first and go straight to work making sure it did get done. Nancy has proven to be one of Iowa Cold Cases’ greatest assets, and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank her for all her hard work and for helping make ICC what it is today.

Every year on Nancy’s birthday, her husband Neal — as well as her best friend at the Ames Police Department — go out of their way to do something special for Nancy’s birthday, and this year was no exception. When I got Nancy’s e-mail today with the subject line “You’ve never seen anything like this before!” I knew it had to be something truly remarkable, because at ICC, we see (and hear) a lot of strange, unusual and even unbelievable things. But she was right; the instant I saw the pictures, I knew they were ones I simply had to share here. I’m not sure who gets the photo (or the baking!) credits, but let’s just say the pictures speak for themselves.

For those of you who regularly read the blog, you know how much time and effort Nancy puts into each post to ensure no victim’s cold case “anniversary” goes unnoticed. Sometimes, it’s a “missed birthday” the victim would have celebrated were he/she still with us, and Nancy knows how much those dates mean to the victim’s family members, friends, and the countless others who’ve never forgotten what should have been taking place that day.

Today, though, is Nancy’s day. So please join me in wishing her a Very Happy Birthday and — while you’re here — please feel free to add a little (or a long!) comment to let Nancy know how much we appreciate her efforts and everything she does in behalf of our many lost loved ones.

Happy Birthday, Nancy, and thank you so very much!

Jody