Dry Pack

Saturday January 24th Travis, Eoghan and I got up to head over to Theron & Christy's (Travis' brother and sister in law). Our niece Madison watched Eoghan so Barbara (mother in law) , Christy, Travis and I could go do dry pack. We got there a little after 9 am and ended up being there until about 11:30. We got a ton of food storage for us, Theron & Christy and even Jennifer and Bryan (Travis' oldest brother and sister in law). Once we were done with the dry pack we went back to Christy's for lunch and we played games. Later that night we watched a movie. It was a lot of fun hanging out with the family.

Standing Tall

Standing Tall
by Jamie McKenzie
In honor of Martin Luther King

Some kings rule their kingdoms sitting down

Surrounded by luxury, soft cushions and fans

But this King stood strong

stood proud

stood tall
When the driver told Rosa

"Move to the back of the bus!

"When the waiter told students

"We don't serve your kind!

"When the Mayor told voters

"Your vote don't count!

"And when the sheriff told marchers

"Get off our streets!

"using fire hoses, police dogs and cattle prods

to move them along

This King stood strong

stood proud

stood tall

Speaking of peace

of love

and children

hand in hand

free at last

free at last
When some yelled for violence

For angry revenge

An eye for an eye

And a tooth for a tooth

He stood his ground

Preaching peace
And when some spit out hate

He stood there smiling

Spreading love

Until it rolled like the sea across the land

Sweeping away Jim Crow

Breaking down the walls

Ringing the bell

Joyfully

For Freedom
Until

Standing on the mountain top

They shot him

Coldly

Hoping to see him fall

Hoping to put him away

To bring him low
But this King

even in death

even today

stands strong

stands proud

stands tall

And we remember

Me and My M&M's

Me and My M&M's

I have always liked M&M's

The most diverse

multicultural integrated candy in the world.

You have

your

red ones

your

yellow ones

your

blue ones

your

orange ones

your

brown ones

and

your

green ones.

All in one package;all co-existing together.

One color doesn't think that itis superior to the other.

One color doesn't discriminate against the other.

All colors are the samesizeshape

Martin Luther King Jr

Today we honor Dr King

During the 1950s and ’60s, civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr. recognized the power of service to strengthen communities and achieve common goals.Initiated by Congress in 1994, King Day of Service builds on that that legacy that transforming the federal holiday honoring Dr. King into a national day of community service grounded in his teachings of nonviolence and social justice. The aim is to make the holiday a day ON, where people of all ages and backgrounds come together to improve lives, bridge social barriers, and move our nation closer to the “Beloved Community” that Dr. King envisioned.

It took us 15 years to create the federal Martin Luther King, Jr., holiday. Congressman John Conyers (Democrat from Michigan), was the first person to introduced legislation for a commemorative holiday four days after Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated in 1968. At my work (Regence BlueCross BlueShield of Utah) we been having treats, poems, and reflections on Martin Luther King. It has been a wonderful day to reflect on history. It amazes me how we are going to be having the Presidential Inauguration for an African American Barack Obama 2009 .

Reflection on 2008

Happy New Year to you all! I can't believe that it is 2009! Just thought I'd give a reflection of 2008.

January of 2008 was a very exciting month. Travis, Eoghan and I flew out to Washington to visit my side of the family. We spent new years out their and had so much fun seeing all of our family. My nephews have all grown so much! Also my mom had finished her chemo treatments for breast cancer and is now doing wonderful. Her hair is growing back, thicker, fuzzier and curlier than it was before she lost it. In October of 2008 she got breast reconstructive surgery done and seems to be healing nicely from that.

April was pretty exciting for me because my best friend Julie (from Washington) came out to visit Travis, Eoghan and I. When she came in we did the usual shopping, going out to eat, visiting etc... She was here when we got our new car (Toyota Corolla, 2009). It was so much fun to see/visit with her.

In May I went to the Women's Expo with my sister in laws Christy, Jennifer and Jennifer's mom. We got some great deals on Close to my Heart Scrapbooking things. We also bought a new (well new to us) washer and dryer and that was nice because then we didn't have to rent the dryer any more. We also hung out with Theron & Christy's family a lot, which is always fun! Eoghan and I went out with Bryan & Jennifer to look at houses and had a great time.

June we went over to Ann's for a neighborhood/friend BBQ. It was a moving away party for Bryan & Jennifer. They bought a house out in Tooele and were getting ready to move. We had fun and excellent food!

Sister in law Jennifer, Brother in laws Bryan and Theron working on the BBQ

Just a few of the people at the BBQ

July was also a very exciting month for us. Eoghan and I went to Washington to visit with my family! We went out to my parent’s condo in Winthrop Washington and had all my nephews, both my brothers and their wife’s out for the visit. We had a great time as usual. Eoghan and I got to meet up with some of my long time friends. Also it was Eoghan's 1st birthday. It was hard to believe how fast his first year of life went.

L to R- Annette, Julie, Lacey, Chrissy (her son Jonathan)

College friend Colleen & I

Family dinner at the condo

My parents, brother Lincoln , sister in law Allison, nephew Deaken (in front, my other brother Judson's eldest) then nephew Fitch (belongs to Lincoln & Allison)

Eoghan getting his first hair cut at Lee's

Eoghan eating/mashing is birthday cake

August we did Eoghan's family birthday party. It was a safari theme and the kids seemed to have a fun time and Eoghan liked getting his first sweet (his cake). Eoghan got his first hair cut from Lee (barber shop off of 90th in West Jordan). I went and got a Lasik eye surgery done and when I had that done my mom flew out to help with Eoghan.

September Travis and I had our company picnic up at Lagoon. My sister in law Christy was kind enough to watch Eoghan for us so we could go. Eoghan went on his first trip away from us with Christy and Theron. They went up to Idaho to visit Christy’s sister. So Eoghan got to have lots of fun with his aunt, uncle and cousins

October marked the 4 year anniversary of Papa Don’s death (my grandpa). In reflection on him I thought about all the things we did with him and my grandma growing up. I have many fond memories of him and am sad that some of my nephews and my own kids will have never known him other than pictures and memories. Now on to some happier thoughts… Eoghan got to be a frog for Halloween. He was super cute! Eoghan’s daycare does a Halloween parade around the building and employees and or family members get to come and hand out treats to the kids. He was a trooper in trick or treating with his cousins (Theron & Christy’s family and Christy’s nieces and nephews).

Bryan & Luella

November we welcomed a new family member to the Nestripke’s. I signed up to be a Discovery Toys Consultant (more for fun/good quality toys, than money). I also found out that my parents will be joining us for Christmas out here in Salt Lake (very excited!!!). We had a wonderful Thanksgiving out at Jennifer & Bryan’s new house (along with great food)

Eoghan, me & my parents down at Temple Square

Travis with my parents at the Gateway

December I worked on my family calendars for my dad’s side and mom’s side of the family. My parents were to get out here on the 19th but because of all the bad weather out in Burlington Washington they were delayed and didn't get out here until Sunday the 21st. When they were in town we did lots of shopping, going out to eat and watching movies. On the 23rd my dad gave us a scare and we had to call the ambulance to come and take him to St Marks Hospital. He was very dizzy and couldn'tstand up. He was in the hospital for about 5 hours and they ran all sorts of tests and really couldn't’see much wrong with him other than maybe Vertigo. He had been having chest colds off and on and they thought it might be caused due to that. Over all he is healthy and fine. They left on the 28th. New Years Eve we didn’t due much just stayed in and relaxed