Michael Hock. AKA Hock. Not H..a..w..k. Hawk would be cool. H..o..c..k. Guess that could be cool too because HOCKEY starts with H..o..c..k. Not as cool but still pretty good. Have to get into his head. Need to be Hock. Need to channel my inner metrosexual. “How does my hair look? I am speed. “

 

Ok, first idea to channel my inner Hock. Play video games. Seriously? For those that don’t know, Hock’s first introduction to the Gates clan by Lani went something like this, “This is my new boyfriend, we almost broke up because he slept through church because he was up too late playing video games.” So I thought, what can I do with video games. This actually turned out great and I want to thank Hock for the inspiration. I started playing Clash of Clans with Connor so that I could understand his love for the game. I have enjoyed talking to my son about different levels, characters, defenses and tactics. So it wasn’t really service, that’s ok. I have 40000 gold coins that I can spend on upgrading my defenses. Good job Mike.

 

Back into Hock’s head. “Do these jeans look tight on me? I am the sexiest man alive.” Some of you don’t know it but Hock is a Vet. Yep, served in the Gulf War. Just ask Lani. She tells people at the DMV that her husband was in the Airforce. Ok, don’t go thanking him next Veterans Day. He didn’t really serve. But that didn’t stop Lani from talking about her 3 star general to random strangers. True story. You will need to ask her about it. So I thought, how can I serve a veteran? Lo and behold, we have a real veteran living with us. I decided to serve him by taking him out for a meal on Veterans Day. My wife and I confirmed that Grandpa would like to go to Olive Garden. Not 5 minutes later, out of nowhere, we get a message from Bill that says Olive Garden is offering free meals to veterans on Veterans Day. It was a Christmas miracle. I still count it as service even though I didn’t pay for his meal.

Back into Hock’s head. “Man, I feel old. Must be because I am a vet. Hey hold on, I am still sexy.” Not sure how many of you know but Hock has an extremely rare genetic disease called progeria. Go ahead, look it up. People with this disorder age quicker than normal. This has hit Hock hard, a 30 year old man in a 75 year old body. It really registered with him how bad it was when he lost to Ed Gates and myself, back to back, in one on one basketball. And he hasn’t beat us since. He suffers from a bad back, aching muscles and arthritis of everything. So, getting in Hock’s head, I thought, I can help a senior citizen. Kids are Music recently performed at a senior center. I volunteered to help with set up and take down. Although I was somewhat late on the front and back end, Bill graciously said he would count it as service.

 

Back into Hock’s head. “What did I say in that last paragraph? I can’t remember things anymore. Am I still sexy? Lani?” Everyone knows that the one advantage to growing old is that age brings wisdom. Behold, another Christmas miracle. A volunteer opportunity came up for parts in the local LDS Nativity pageant.  With few parts left, they were still looking for a rather tall, rugged, handsome man to play a Wiseman. I channeled Hock. I did my best “blue steel” look and jumped at the opportunity to show off my acting chops. “I feel old, I can be wise.” Unfortunately, a couple of missionaries volunteered as well and they couldn’t have a missionary hanging out with Mary so they made me Joseph instead. Oh well, I was still inspired by Hock.

 

And he is an inspiration. He is a great father. He is a loving, caring husband and I have learned to be a better man through watching his example. He has a strong work ethic and will do great things in his new role. Thanks Hock.

On another note.  I wanted to thank someone else for their service. I spoke about this person recently in a church meeting because she is a shining example of Christ-like love. She helps organize this service gift exchange every year so I figured this would be a good opportunity to say thank you. Ever since I married into the Gates family, I have seen her give and give again. She is selfless and is always looking for ways to assist others.  I know she has been an angel to those in need many times in the last several months. I wanted to thank Carrie Collins for her example to me.

Merry Christmas 'Ol Man

For Christmas this year I was given Dad's name.  Ok, Channeling Ed................

Dad...I decided to take a look into dad's past.  I can't think about his past w/o thinking about his mother.  Ione was such an amazing woman.  Raising 12 kids on her own!  There are so many things that would be hard; washing clothes for 12 kids, cleaning up after 12 kids, supporting 12 kids, homework with 12 kids but I can't even imagine feeding 12 kids every day and night!  I decided to take a walk down dad's memory lane and also try to better myself by learning a new skill.  I decided to attempt making grandma's rolls for my neighbors.  OH MY ROLLS!  This recipe made enough to feed the entire ward!!  I just kept on rolling.  The dough just kept on going!  I seriously can't imagine feeding that many people each day!  I also am not very good at making rolls.  They were not light and fluffy.   They were more like hockey pucks.  but they looked pretty.  She is my hero!

Dad is a master carpenter!  He is so talented at what he does.  He does his job with such skill and perfection.  He is very detailed oriented.  (Except when putting up the crown molding in the kitchen.)  This year for Christmas, I decided to do something that would hopefully bring more meaning of Christmas to people as well as channel my inner dad by using my woodworking talents.  We painted wooden nativity sets for my neighbors.  I made little cards to go with each piece and gave one each night for the 12 days of Christmas.  I really liked this because I felt like it gave me a chance to think about each person's (or animal's) role in the nativity. I even enlisted one of dad's biggest fan's to help me!  It was a fun little project to work on with Grandpa while thinking of Dad.

Dad to me is a spiritual giant.  He is such a great example of faith even thru endurance and trials.  Growing up my parents went to the temple once a month.  For a while dad even worked in the temple.  This year I decided to focus on making sure I did my temple service once a month.  This was easy back when we worked in the temple laundry last year.  But this time I had to make sure it happened on my own with out some one else requiring me to make it. I not only went, but I tried to really focus on what I could learn each time.  I wanted to "get" something that I didn't get before.  It also helped me stay awake!  Iv'e tried to make my prayers more meaningful and I've tried to really listen back after saying prayers.  I had no idea how important this would be in my life until the week of Ryan's funeral.  I am so glad I had been channeling my inner Dad for months.  It helped me keep a good hold on the gospel when I needed it most. 

I love you so much Daddy!  Thanks for being such an amazing example to me and my children.  We love you and we are so proud of you.  Merry Christmas!

PS Dad, I sent you an email as well, check your email. :)

To Mom from Hock

This year it has been my privilege to do service on behalf of Mom.  While thinking about my service for Mom, I decided I needed to channel my inner Kriss Gates in order to think of a service that would really have meaning for her.

When I think of Mom, I think of someone who is an amazing organizer of people, and someone who really loves the people of Africa.  I was really tempted to start a children's singing group featuring children from Africa.

But decided instead to do something that would help African refugees.  I found a local Non-Profit that helps refugees, many of whom are from Africa, to acclimate to life in the U.S. and find employment.  In helping the refugees acclimate to life in the U.S. the United States Committee for Refugees and Immigrants USCRI provides refugees with beds, clothes, computers, and other household items.

I decided that in order for it to be a Kriss Gates service project, I needed to organize a group effort.  So I decided to reach out to members of my ward and neighborhood to let them know about our family service tradition, and to ask them if they had any old beds, clothes, computers, and other household items that they would be willing to donate to local refugees.

The response was great.  I had several families donate beds, dishes, a microwave, and lots of clothes.  I borrowed the Johnson’s truck and went around to my neighbors to collect the donated items.  I decided that to really do this service in honor of Mom that I needed to dress like her, so I wore a few of her trademarks while collecting my items. 

Overall the collection was a great success.  I ended up with multiple car loads of stuff. In fact, I still have some things that I will need to deliver after Christmas. 

Overall this service has been a really great experience.  It has really helped me to feel closer to Mom and has taught me a valuable lesson...  Being Kriss Gates is exhausting!

Thank you Mom for your great example.  I am so grateful to have you as a second mother.  I have learned a great deal from talking with you and observing you.  I love you very much.  Merry Christmas Mom!!

"Supporting" the homeless and beyond...

This year I was assigned Amy. Growing up, people often told me I reminded them of Amy. Looking back- I wonder if I really did have those similarities or maybe just found myself admiring Amy and wanting to be more like her and thus I came to have similarities. I guess we will never know, but I am always grateful for the compliment of being compared to Amy.

Some of our similarities were out of our hands and came biologically. One of the biological burdens... I mean biological traits... we shared was passed down from our wonderful Grandma Ione-  ... being top heavy.  We both shared years of back pain and having to have special bras made for us. Thanks to wonderful parents, insurance, and extreme back pain- we are both happy to no longer suffer from that pain but I know that I still value the importance of a good bra!

So... you might be wondering why I just shared random... pretty personal...information. Well- to honor Amy this year I decided to help "Support the Homeless". :)

In selling skirts I have made friends with a "Bra Lady" that reminds me so much of our lady we use to get bras from. She was doing a Bra drive in October for Breast Cancer Awareness month to donate bras to women in homeless shelters. I joined the cause and started collecting bras from anyone I could think of. It was kind of funny to have women slipping me brown bags full of "donations" in the chapel and me opening them during the meeting to see what had been slipped up to my pew or to see Houston's face as he kept discovering more and more bras around the house.

 I was grateful to find and be a part of such a unique program (The Bra Recyclers). I felt great helping other women find the "support" they needed :) Here is an article about where the bras went.

As December rolled around- I felt myself not feeling like it was Christmas because I wasn't working on my Christmas service any more. So I kept my eyes open for something else that might be a good fit for Amy. It kept me thinking about service opportunities and Amy all season.

I found out about a family (Operation Santa) trying to make a Christmas miracle happen for a family in Arizona with a dad who is a returned veteran struggling to deal with PTSD and is recently unemployed. They wanted to send an anonymous donation from each state in the US. I might have made this up but I feel like early on in Amy's Alaska Airlines days- they set the goal of visiting every state in the US. With that, mixed with her love and respect for patriotism and our veterans, I thought this would be a fun one to be a part of. I was going to do it in Amy's name but they already had many from Utah. So you will see the "Hocks" in NC representing the Dittbrenners in UT.

I have felt really close to Amy these past 6 months- even though we live so far away this year because I have gone back to work. It has helped me appreciate her even more as a working mother. I try to remember when I come home from work tired and exhausted- that I am not alone and that Amy works even harder and yet still manages to do it.

Amy- I'm grateful for your example in so many things. I'm grateful to be your sister. I'm grateful- each time that someone says I remind them of you! What a wonderful compliment! I love you and Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, my sweet sister Mitzi

My gift of service was for my sweet sister Mitzi. Mitzi has always wanted to be a mother. When she was a little girl, she loved her baby dolls. I remember when the "quints" toy came out, she wanted them so bad. She got them, and I know she kept them for a long time. I remember her keeping them in a "Ruby's" car from a kids meal from the restaurant. The last I saw them was in her Las Vegas house. I don't know if she still has them in her possession, but I will always remember Mitzi saying she would love to have quintuplets. 

After Mitzi was married, Mitzi had some infertility issues. We were all so sad and worried for sweet young married woman who had always dreamed about being a mom and that she might not be able to have children of her own. There were years of tears and longing and heartbreak without children. After finding out she had endometriosis, she underwent surgery. After this, all she could do was wait. 

We were so overjoyed and thrilled when she was pregnant with Connor, her miracle baby. I remember being in the hospital when Connor was born. Mom and Dad and I were in the hallway and we could hear the doctor say he was here, and Mitzi crying and sobbing and saying "My boy, my baby boy is here, i finally get to meet you." The 3 of us out in the hallway were sobbing such happy, happy tears. Mitzi had finally done what she dreamed of becoming... a mom. That is what she was made to do. She is a wonderful, loving, and caring mother who does such amazing things for her children. 

This year in honor of Mitzi, I was able to serve those moms (and dads and families) who lost a young child. Every year, on December 6th, at Ryan's cemetery (and cemeteries around the nation), there is an "Angel of Hope" Candlelight Memorial. The morning of the vigil, a young LDS mom (who is my age and lost her 7 month old baby 2 years ago) and is in my stake and in my grief group (I also ran in a10K in January that supports The Ruby Jane Foundation), she set up a service project where we spent the morning cleaning and polishing all the markers in the "children's area", and we finished them off with a flower on each grave. We wanted to make sure every child's grave was in perfect shape for that night. I was going to take both the girls to the service project as well, but Brooklyn came down with the stomach flu the night before. So my mother in law was able to watch the girls while I spent 2 hours at the cemetery with other sweet moms and kids having a wonderful time serving. 

Cleaning the markers and finishing them off with a flower. 

There were such sweet little spirits there in these children who wanted to do something for others. The spirit was so strong with all of us there.

I was so grateful for this opportunity to do my service so close to Ryan's grave and felt like he was there with me cleaning and polishing. Mitzi, I am so glad you are a mother. I am so grateful that your Heavenly Father sent you your wonderful and special children. You were made to be a mother, and you are a wonderful and amazing one. I was so grateful to serve other mothers in hoping to make this special memorial vigil a special day and that they felt like their children were remembered and cared about.

Love you Mitzi, so much, forever and ever.

Love Tiff