Amy Dittbrenner, Come on down!

Amy Dittbrenner, Come on down!


That’s right folks, I am doing service in the name of Game Show Great, Amy Dittbrenner.

So I thought to myself, what kind of service can I do for Amy that I can somehow tie into a game? And then I thought, what kind of service can I make others do, so that I can take credit for doing service, which is somehow tied into a game? Voila, born is the November Challenge.

So I sent out a “test” a couple of months ago. Thank you all for participating in the service challenge. I thoroughly enjoyed serving my fellow man vicariously through each one of you. I have to say, some of you answered the test weakly, but that is ok. I know you were busy doing your own service project. And some of you were busy taking BMW drivers down a notch or two.

Just a reminder, I did give a full month to participate, no complaints.

The November test questions were weighted and I did accept bribes. Winners are announced below.

I have explained the intent of the questions below. I also copied some of the best answers. I apologize for the length of this but it is about you guys so I am sure you won’t mind reading it. And Amy will enjoy it because it is all service in her name.

1.Do you have a log-in for familytree.org?

Well, the intent here was to have everyone sign up on the new church web site. However, this question got flagged from the get go. Does anyone know what Mitzi’s calling is in our ward? She is the genealogy specialist but you wouldn’t know it by this question she wrote…apparently there is no familytree.org associated with the church. Char realized this and was convinced the rest of the test was all trick questions. Everyone got a point. Moving on.

2. Between Oct 28th 2012 and now, did you do an unexpected service for your spouse? If so, what?

You should have read this and said to yourself, “self, I should do an unexpected service.”

The best answer goes to Lani and Hock with this sickly sweet service: I put love notes in his lunch each day, took bath duty, ironed shirts…..awwwwww

And Kriss and Ed (bonus point to Tiff and Ryan): He hung my medicine cabinets & I got all the Christmas decorating down from the attic and decorated with Ryan’s help.

3. Did you give out a pass along card or do any missionary work?

As we know, the field is white, already to harvest, so thrust in your sickle. Kriss and Tiffany need to duke it out on who can really claim Hector.

4. Out of college, Grandpa's first boss in construction was very kind to him. Why?

First, for those of you who said “trick question, Grandpa didn’t go to college.” Well, he did not graduate from college but he did complete 2 years before starting a job in construction. Now, had you picked up your phone and dialed 801.472.3545, and posed this question to the gentleman who answered, you may have come up with the right answer. Big Bucks, no whammies to those who answered that Grandpa’s mother nursed his boss when he was an infant.

5. How many FHEs have you held since Oct 28th?

Well, the intent here was to give you just a little more encouragement to have FHE.

6. Who was Canada's first prime minster? What was his formal name?

Alex, I’ll take “Former leaders of the greatest countries in the world” for $1000. Who is “Sir John A MacDonald.”

7. How many days did you hold family scripture study since Oct 28th?

See #5.

8. For the Dads--did you do a one on one date with one of your children since Oct 28th?

Easy, you could have claimed a trip to McDonalds if you needed to. Too late to revise your answers.

9. How did you magnify your calling this month?

Absolutely, the number one best answer goes to Bill Johnson who answered, “got to know more of my scout’s names.” Magnification of calling by at least 100X.

Runners up Chuck and Ashley answered with: Chuck went grocery shopping for a family. Having done this yesterday, I really admire a man who can shop for a whole family.

Other runners up, Lani and Hock answered with: Stalked a less active YW despite risking my life because she has a crazy untrained dog that wanted to eat me alive... But at least I got her cell number out of it ;)

10. Did you sing to someone outside of family and church members since Oct 28th?

Char and Bill really needed a gimme at this point because Char thought every question was a trick question. What is interesting is that neither one of them mentioned Kids Are Music. Char gets points for the following: I volunteer in Cole's school class and I go in to read a story about a special characteristic every month. Last month it was commitment and follow through. The book was Horton Hears a Who. Thanks to Seussical, I SANG THE ENTIRE BOOK! It was a hit!

11. Do your neighbors enjoy warm out of the oven treats? How do you know?

Hmmm, I don’t know. Well, how about I bake some brownies, take ‘em to the neighbors and kick some butt on this test by signing off on #3 (missionary work), #9 (magnify your calling—aren’t we all member missionaries), #11 and why not throw in #10 for good measure (because you sing the warm brownie song).

12. Where was Grandpa first stationed overseas? What was the first car he owned?

Survey says: Dial 801.472.3545. New Guinea was the number one answer. Model T.

13. Did you vote? Who did you vote for? Warning: This is a pass/fail question.

Well of course, the intent here was to encourage you to do your civic duty and vote. Bill failed this question because he pled the 5th on who he voted for. Almost threw out his test. And the rest of the country failed as well. Oh well.

14. Where did Grandpa and Grandma go on their first date?

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“ Pat, I’d like to buy a vowel please.”

“I”.

“There is one I”.

_ _ _ _ I _ _ _ _ _ _.

“THE CIDER HOP.”

Brilliant, you must be related to Game Show Amy.



Note: The following 5 questions are from a Ken Jennings quiz. He is perhaps the only other Mormon Game Show Great on par with Amy.

15. Beethoven's Eroica was his third and Haydn's Surprise was his 94th of what type of musical composition?

Survey says: Symphony

16. What Nevada county, home to the city of Las Vegas, shares its name with a famous Western explorer?

Alex, What is “Clark?”

Game Show Great showing why she is great with this extended answer:

More info: Due to the large amount of gold mining in Arizona and Nevada, Senator William A. Clark built a railroad line in the area. With this he also brought a large amount of money to the area. One of the stops along his rail line was the Small village of Las Vegas. Because of his improvements and money he was bestowed with the honor of having the soon to be county named after him. And that is how Clark county Nevada was named.

17. Last month, where did the Curiosity rover gather soil samples near the foothills of Mount Sharp?

Big Bucks, no whammies….Mars

18. What's the feline name of the club where Liza Minnelli performs in the movie Cabaret?

Survey says: Kit Kat club

19. The fourth chapter of what classic novel is titled "The Shoulder of Athos, the Baldric of Pathos, and the Handkerchief of Aramis"?

Three Musketeers.

I am sorry, that is incorrect. The correct answer needs to be phrased in a question, What is “Three Musketeers”

And you killed yourself on the daily double.

20. What do the answers to the questions 15-19 have in common?

They are all chocolate bars but half points to Char and Kriss for these answers:

Char: Wikipedia / 15 and 19, both "take place" in the 1700's—so that takes care of what half the answers have in common—unfortunately, you did not get half points.

Kriss: Shows that I have lots to learn and can find most everything on the internet.

21. What is the favorite dessert of the youngest member of your home teaching family?

The intent here was that you would say to yourself, “self, I don’t know what the answer to this is. I should go do my home teaching and find out.”

22. What is the favorite dessert of the youngest member of your visiting teaching family?

See 21.

23. Who really owned Radar?

Ok, we have it writing, never to be disputed again. This really proves how good Game Show Amy is and what sacrifices she is willing to make to be Game Show Amy.

Amy answered: “Mitzi”...you can tell if I am admitting this that I really want to win!

So it is settled. But no, Char leaves some doubt with this answer: Amy owned Radar the original, short lived bunny. Mitzi owned the more popular 2.0 version that we had for a long time

24. Favorite flavor of Ice cream for Ryan, Hock, Ashley, Mike, Wayne, Bill, Ed?

Ryan- PB cup or cookie dough

Hock- strawberry

Ash- mint chocolate chip

Mike- chocolate

Wayne- vanilla

Bill- rocky road

Dad- mint moose tracks

Tiffany gets bonus points for guessing and getting the majority correct. She guessed Moose Tracks for me due to my Canadian heritage…I let this one slide…”A” for effort. Others went to the source and got the correct answers.

I admire Amy Dittbrenner. She is an extremely hard worker, great mother and always seems to be encouraging others. In fact, she would have done a much better job at getting everyone to participate in this challenge than I did.

Several years ago, we took a family cruise together. This was just after the big win on Deal or No Deal and Amy and Wayne generously donated some funds to the family’s shore excursions. I wanted to repay that and this service challenge gave me the opportunity. Here is how the families ranked in the service challenge:

1. Hocks (10 points)

2. Dittbrenners (8 points)

3. Johnsons (7 points)

4. Eddie Gates (6 points)

5. Tie--Conley and Chuck Gates (4 points each)

I will be sending out a link to the GE rewards site. You have the amount of points listed beside your family name to spend at the store. Merry Christmas.

Amy, you are the Game Show Great and it really is just a reflection of the way you live. Thanks for being a great example.

Love ya

Mike

To Hock - Love Amy

One thing that I love about my brother Hock is how great of a Dad he is.  He is always up for playing with his kids.  I will never forget playing kick ball with him last year at the family reunion (and not just because he knocked his son out of his shoes).

I know that Hock is the kind of guy that will get down on Christmas morning and play with his kids toys.  With that in mind, this year I wanted to do something related to toys.  I chose to help with the "Toy 'n' Joy" program from the Salvation Army.  When people donate toys to the Salvation Army they are sorted and put out for those that are less fortunate to come and "Shop" for their kids.  This may sound simple but think of 1000's of toys.  Someone needs to sort them.  Alaska Airlines is a sponsor of the Salvation Army.  They were asking for volunteers to come and help.  I was on it!

It was a fun experience that had me teared up from the beginning.  We went to the Seahawks Stadium because they needed a space large enough for all the toys.  Trucks kept coming for 4 hours and dropping of huge amounts of toys.  It was so neat.  My job was to tally what was coming in and sort into age and gender groups.  I loved it!

Another note: this year on our employee website they asked if anyone wanted to share a family traditon.  I shared ours and it was chosen as one of the top and featured on our homepage. 

Love you Hock...play on!

To Bill, Love Amy

When I found out that I had Bill I thought of what a Rock Star of a Dad he is. There are so many things I could have chosen.

One of my favorite Bill stories was when he and Char went to go see Cole for the first time. Here was a baby Boy that 13 (I think) adoptive parents came and saw what it would take to be a parent to this little boy and they turned around and left. What did Bill say when he saw this little Boy? He went to the nurse and asked for a diaper, “My son needs a diaper change.” The nurses cried because they knew someone would take good care of this little boy who need much attention.

As I thought of Bill and Cole for some reason my thoughts kept returning to “Make a Wish”. This is a program that grants wishes to terminally ill kids. When Bill brought Cole home, he could have qualified for this program. But now with the love, attention, and miracles that Bill and Char have given Cole, he no longer qualifies.

So Bill, in honor of the fact that because of you, Cole doesn’t need “Make a Wish” I chose to do something with them. They have a program called ribbon and bows. It is for people like us who want to help even if it is in a smaller way. It puts on some finishing touches to a childs wish.

I contacted the director of the NW Make a Wish and gave her a link to our web site. She loved it! I chose to put together some backpacks of things to help kids when they went on the airplane for their wish. I am a Mom that knows what is good to pack on a trip that requires airline travel. I got back packs full of fun things that make the trip better.

Here is what was in each pack:

• Backpack
• Disney Crayons
• Disney Card Game
• Disney Coloring Book
• Sunscreen
• Pirates Booty
• Cups of Noodles
• Chicken Salad in a Can with Crackers
• Granola Bars
• Corn Nuts
• Beef Jerky
• Hot Coco
• Hawaiian Punch Singles for Water Bottles
• Oatmeal
• Gum
• And my favorite to travel with, Flips

Here is the info I was given. We helped two “Make a Wish” kids, and each one had a sibling, so 4 in total.

3-year-old Jennifer is going to Disneyland with her mom and dad and 5 year old brother! She is so excited to be going on an adventure with her family. She is hoping to meet the Princesses (it has been arranged that she will have a Princess lunch, but that is a surprise). Jennifer has been battling rhabdomyosarcoma, a type of cancer. She has had chemo, radiation and surgery, and she is such a little fighter. No one is more deserving of a perfect get-away than little Jennifer. Thank you for helping make her trip perfect.

Isaac is going to Disney World in Florida! He will also visit Animal Adventure and Universal Studios. He is staying at Give Kids the World, a villa as remarkable for our wish kids as Disney World. All of the children who stay there must medically qualify with an illness and all of their facilities are accessible to everyone! There are unlimited train rides around the campus, an ice cream parlor open 24 hours a day, two restaurants and everything is complementary. Isaac has heard about Give Kids the World from his hospital friends and he can’t wait! Isaac loves animals – he is looking forward to visiting with the Disney animal characters. Isaac is 7 years old and has had congenital heart disease his whole life. Thank you for helping him have the trip of a lifetime!

Side Note: When I saw Aunt Lanae (our Startup Aunt) at David’s funeral I told her about what I was doing. She loved it and said it would have been so nice to have that. Carole Joy also stayed at “Give Kids the World” and she said it was amazing!

I will be getting photos back from both families that I will do a follow up posting after their trip.

I love and admire you greatly Bill! Love, Amy

PS…doesn’t that first photo look a bit like our Coley?

Merry Christmas Amy - 2010 Elder Gates

Well, another year has come for us all to post our Christmas present for whose name we were given. Six months ago I was given the call to serve as a Missionary and I finally landed in a place that has become one great big Service project, so I have decided to a post some of the things where I have done service. Many times, I have thought of the person's whose name I have. She is one of the busiest girls I know... and now I am extremely busy serving. In my mind, I have had thrill getting closer to her and thinking just a lot more in depth of what she is doing and what she has become, as I have dedicated my life to serving others. As I have been involved in doing the many service projects, I have thought many times of how I could fit a project to this person that I am doing my Christmas project for.

I will start with our Helping Hands project with one of our branches. We went to the prision (French for prison) and spent the day cleaning weeds and junk out of what we hope will some day be class rooms for those in prision who want to learn and can attend classes. We also cleaned out all of the cell's which were very small. I was asked by our Branch Pres if I would donate 2 bags of rice and cooking oil for the prision. They don't get much food there. So, Dear Amy... as to my knowledge you haven't been in prison yet, so I tried to figure out a different way to fit this first major project into your life. I decided that it reminded me of what a special little worker you were, and you always cheerfully supported our spring garden weeding and planting.

We have moved every set of our elders since we have been here. This project fits you, because of the trauma you have had in moving so much in the past year or so. I am so very proud of you that you have made it a fun adventure for your family, instead of a burden. Some, or should I say two, of the elders are a great help. Here we are moving this huge piece of furniture in.
I will not get another 2nd floor apartment if I can avoid it. I did not chose this one but spent a lot of time fixing things here. We found a much better apartment for these elders, so 2 weeks ago we moved the furniture "beast" out.

As we worked at the maternity hospital, I thought of your 4 beautiful children that you have and now we realize how blessed we are that you were able to receive them.
The last one that I will mention is how proud I am of you for all your service at church through the years. I decided that this was my main service to you. You have thrown yourself into many church activities, including dinners and major productions. I decided to help make sure that the sisters in our branch, who were called to be the Relief Society Presidency last Sunday, were able to provide dinner for over 200 people the following Saturday, which was Christmas day. I dedicated my Christmas Eve and most of Christmas Day, (After our white Christmas baptism) to helping them to their food, prepare it and transport it to the church, because they don't have cars. They would have had to do it all in taxis. We had 17 people plus the food, when we finally drove them to the church.

These are a few photos of what my day went like.
This is cooking chicken African Style. By the way, I baptized this Sister about 3 months ago. She is now the Secretary of our Relief Society.

The reason I have gone into these details is that I know how busy you are... but you are still always trying to help. You would jump on a plane and fly across the country, all night, just to help your sister by transporting kids back across the country... so she could go and enjoy a vacation with her husband. You are one in a million and continually give your time unselfishly. I am so very proud of you and I love you very much for developing that trait.

Love, Dad

Love you my talented sister, Tiffany!

When I found out that I had Tiffany I knew exactly what I wanted to do. Alaska Airlines is a sponsor of the “Make A Wish” foundation. They grant wishes to terminally ill kids. www.wish.org About once a week there is a family that is going to Disneyland or Disneyworld that are our “Wish” families. I wanted to make plane packs for the families with family friendly snacks like oatmeal, cup o soup, crackers and summer sausage. Those are my favorite things to travel with as they don’t require refrigeration or anything other than hot water that you can find on any flight or airport. I called the Make a Wish organization and told them what I wanted to do and they said that they can’t take the liability. So I needed to find a plan “B”.


Plan “B”
There is a brother in our ward, name Brother Montgomery. He is so great. The first week that we were at our new ward he came and introduced himself and went to go and memorize all our names, including our kids. He is so great and outgoing! He reminded me of Uncle Denny but if Uncle Denny chose the path of righteous living. He is our ward music chairman and he serves our ward with such gusto! He asked us, “When are the Dittbrenner-von-trapps singing in church?” I decided that I would learn one song on the piano in honor of Tiffany and her great talent. I would get my kids to sing and I would play the piano and do it in church. The next day another gal in our ward, Rose, came and asked, “I know you played the flute, can you play for our relief society Christmas dinner? They place where we are having our program doesn’t have a piano. We need another way to have musical numbers and accompaniment. Would you be willing to play the flute?” I have not played the flute in 25 years! I told her that. She said, “I can help you. I have a master’s degree in flute performance.” Ummm…..I haven’t played since Jr. High. I figured that instead of the piano, I would try the flute as this was a need for our ward. I practiced my guts out! Some days I practiced over an hour! I found out after not playing the flute for 25 years, I have a musical talent. I am so blessed that I had Tiffany this year to recognize my talent.

Love you my talented sister, Tiffany!
~Amy

To Mitzi, Love Amy

Enjoy a night off!

This year my family is doing service projects instead of gift giving.

We are all assigned a sibling and with them in mind, we are to do a service in their name.

I have been assigned my sister Mitzi. She had 3 kids under the age of 3.
She barely gets time to breath let alone date night.
In my sisters, honor, I would like to take your kids for an evening:
Thursday, December 17th
4:00-9:00 pm
Dinner, games, crafts, and movies for the kids

All ages welcome (even babies)

For those of you who don’t know me, we are new to the ward (about 6 months now). We moved from Las Vegas. I have 4 kids, Darcy age 12, Dixie age 10, Dillon age 7, and Denim age 5. I work for Alaska Airlines and unfortunately I work often on Sundays. My husband is the Ward Mission leader and I served in the Primary Presidency for a few months before I got my Sunday work assignment.

Please RSVP so I can make sure I have enough food and activities for your child(ren). Make sure you give me your child’s name and age. I will have my 2 daughters there to help.

Please make sure to pick up your child by 9:00 pm as it is a school night.

What can you do? Temple, Christmas Shopping, Date Night, read the Ensign without being interrupted, take a bubble bath, scrapbook, UFO (Un-Finished Objects), basically anything that is hard to get done with little hands and eyes about.

I sent this out as an email to all the ladies in my ward and handed out flyers one Sunday. I ended up with 13 kids (NOT counting my 4). I had 1 – 7 year old, 1 – 6 year old, 2 – 5 year olds, and 9 – under 5 years old! It was crazy! I was so tired after that night. Now keeping Mitzi in mind, I didn’t want to just watch TV with the kids. I made play dough (from the Bodell Bistro, also thinking of Mit) and the kids played with play dough and they decorated sugar cookies. I made signs that each had a letter of Merry Christmas Mitzi, but you can’t see it too well and it was too hard to get all 13 + my 4 together so we did it in groups. I am so thankful I don’t have 13 kids...Mit you are a great Mom! Love, Amy