'Twas the Night Before Christmas

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house...

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse (thank goodness- because we have all heard the legends);

The stockings (all two of them-- which btw are both empty!) were hung by the chimney with care,

In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,

While visions of Sugar Plums danced in their heads;

When I thought of this legendary poem tonight I thought "how funny how your definitions of these things change!".

I don't know about the writers from locations other than 8 Alondra, but have we had a night! We thought since we had less than 5 (yes FIVE) gifts to wrap, it would be a nice early Christmas Eve. BOY were WE wrong!

It has been a beautiful evening! After enjoying a yummy prime rib dinner (thanks Tiff and Lan and helpers),

(Pics to come)

caroling to the neighbors,

the nativity narrated by Brighton,

Opening our PJs,

and of course finishing the dishes, we all started our posts. Who knew it would take so long? We are now down to the final two. Tiff and I are wrapping up. Dad just finished (it is 2 am). At about 10 he said he would just do it tomorrow because his wasn't done yet. After many tears and laughs- dad finished typing and posting all by himself (with a little help from Spell check and Lani).

I can honestly say I have never been more excited to wake up Christmas morning as I am tonight. We love you and are SO grateful we were sent to each other to live!

Merry Christmas to all... and to all a good night!

Merry Dancing Toes Christmas to Lani!

Lani had mentioned that she often times would visit the senior center across from the church on Lake Dr. to dance with the elderly. Tiffany accompanied me as I went to the Senior Center to serve in a several ways, a few of which were unknown to us before we got there.

As soon as we showed up they flocked to us to see our adorable baby. She was really cute with them and every face brightened up when they saw her. Even people who couldn't speak English very good or at all wanted to come see her and talk to us.

The live senior band was playing and the dance floor was hoppin. I was so far out of my comfort zone that it took me a little while to ask someone to dance. I started talking to a lady next to me and she was very nice so I asked her to dance. She said that her husband that had passed away didn't really like to dance so she didn't really know how. I told her that I didn't really know how either so let's just go have some fun shuffling our feet around. I finally convinced her so we headed out to the middle of the dance floor. While we were dancing I asked her if she came out to those dances often. She responded in the affirmative but also mentioned that she had never actually danced and that this was her first time. I continued to ask those that were left on the side when most of the men had already chosen a partner. It ended up being very fun and I even got a little rumba lesson.

Through out the dance one lady came over to us several times to see our little girl and talk to us. she also gave us some delicious wafers. After talking to her for a little while she mentioned that she was from Brazil! I started to talk to her in Portuguese (of course) and she was blown away. She was so excited to talk to me. We talked about my time in Brazil, Brazilian music and Brazilian food. This led us to exchanging phone numbers so that she can invite us over for a Brazilian meal. She was such a nice lady and this was a wonderful encounter.

I am so excited that we were able to do these acts of service not only to serve each other but it really brought out the true meaning of Christmas. Merry Christmas Lani!!!

They just couldn't resist this cute little face. (I am talking about Brooklyn's just in case you were wondering.)

And she said she couldn't dance.

My Brazilian Friend!!!

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Merry Christmas Charise

Merry Christmas, our darling Char... Note the angel wings (above) that I was given in appreciation for my volunteer work. Your life has turned into one big service project, so I want to give these wings to you.

Remember the saying "I never said it would be easy... only that it would be worth it." This could never be more true than with our Cole.

I had the opportunity to volunteer at Project Cuddle. This is the organization that takes care of California's abandoned babies. One of their employees, who was LDS, heard about Cole and the fact that he was going to be sent to an institution for severely disabled babies. The doctor said that he wouldn't survive such a place, and the only thing that could save him was being part of a loving family.

Project Cuddle was thrilled to have my help. Their storage room was a disaster and they asked if I would mind helping with part of it.

There had been over 1000 pairs of Pajamas donated to Project Cuddle. The sizes were all mixed up, and the PJs were squished into bags. There were other toys that had been donated tossed into the big pile... and noone had time to organize it.

I folded all of the pajamas, sizes 6 to 14, and put them in boxes or hung them on racks.

They were amazed when they came to check on me, and I had organized all of them. There were twice as many boxes as you see here, when I was finished. It was an honor to work with them.
Thank you Char for teaching us to have the Christmas spirit year round... You are truly an angel! I love you so much! Mom

The Miracle on 8 Alondra

When many of you were much younger and maybe to young to realise that a true miracle happened at our home. It wouldn't be till many yrs. later just how much of a miracle it was.

I was given our youngest daughter Tiffany Sunshine as the one that I would do service for.

Tiffany was 2 yrs. old at the time, Lani (6) Mitzi (10) Chuck (12) Amy (15) Char (17). now maybe these ages are close but not exactly, but for this purpose they will have to do.

I am sure that some of you will have a different version and I guess that is what is so great about this blog thing is, that you can and I hope any of you that have any thing to add will do so.

It was a Sunday afternoon and Mom and I were in our room taking a nap, well maybe more mom than me. All of a sudden I heard a frantic distress call for Dad and mom.Mom was way more into the nap than I was so I responded as quickly as Long John Silver.At the top of the stairs I looked down and I do not recall who was holding our Little girl in there arms, but at this point I am sure some one out there in blog land will fill us in.I think I took two steps down the stairs to get to her to see just what was wrong. there was some silly story that she had just bounced out the window and really no one really saw her go.The window that she went out of just happened to be on the 2nd floor.

As I recall I was having a hard time getting her to stay awake and look at me. I kept calling to her to stay awake. I don't remember just when Mom came in but I recall that as what normally happens with mom is these kind of thing is she seems to fry, freeze,or just plane lose control. I yelled to some one to call 911.all of this was going on as I am carrying her around ton see I can find out just what happened. With tiff in my arms I went out the front door , walk a short few steps down the walk and I see the screen laying on the ground. I still did not fathom the she had knocked it out and fell to ground from the window above, till I saw the blood in the flower bed and realised that in fact she had.

Now once I REALISED THAT,YES we had problem it seemed that the ambulance was taking for ever to get to us.Now this seems as I write this that this was a long time but it really wasn't. I told some one to run over to Br. Bollards and ask him come quick to help me give her a blessing,because , ........... pause........ I have not told this in this manner except at the time,but I was told by someone not of our sphere to do it and do it quickly.Bill came,and quickly he anointed her and together we gave her a blessing.It was not a long sermon type,but very to the point. I asked my Father in Heaven not to take our Sunshine away from us.

The ambulance came almost as we said amen. They asked what had happened and as I told them that she had fallen out of that window up there, (we were sitting at the spot she had landed).The para medic immediately took out his little light and looked in her eyes and that is when it really hit me. It was in the Lords hands as he turned to the next guy just coming up the walk and said in so many words we need to go now !!and it will be code red.

We went with full sirens blowing even went down Irvine blvd south on the wrong side of the street becuase they did not want to take any extra time to go out and around. From the time we got in the ambulance they were on the radio to find the nearest trauma room that was not full as time would be very crucial.This is where I believe the miracle started to unfold before our very eyes.The doctors that was on duty at this particular hospital was one of the very best.We had Kaiser insurance and should have gone to a kaiser facility but they decided not to take the extra time that it would take to get there so we went to Mission Viejo.

For the next 4, 5 hrs we were on pins and needles and stress to the max. we had to wait for the cat scan to be read and then wait more for the bleeding to stop as you see, she had bleeding into the brain.When that young man looked into her eyes he saw that he knew that was very very bad.

Tiffany only spent a little over a week in the hospital. The doctors had a hard time believing us that she really had fallen out of the 2nd floor window.

I was in the bishopbric at the time and I had to write the message for our wards news letter that month. I recall how I wrote how miracles happen so fast,that if we don't take a moment to ponder and realise what just happened we miss it.

Ten yrs. or so later we had a Kaiser doctor in our ward who confided with us that she had looked at Tiffany's file and she told us that Tiff should have died that day because of the fall.

We also found out more things that the fall had changed in Tiff .Things at the time we could not figure out.With the help of medicine it could help her control some of these things that the bump on her head done .

I want you all to know that We had a miracle on 8 Alondra that day. I am so humbled by how close we are to our Father in Heaven. I am so thankful that I did not have to wait that day to call someone else to give Tiffany Sunshine Gates A blessing. For some reason I was blessed to be worthy to call upon our father in Heaven and ask Please Please don't take her!

Each night that Mom and I pray together one of the things that we are very very thankful for is that all of our Children and our Son's and Daughter in laws are close to our father In Heaven.

Brethern please be prepared to be able to do as I did and be WORTHY to excercise your priesthood,

I testify to you that Tiff is with us today because God granted us "A MIRACLE."

PS. I love you Tiff and I am soooothankful Father In Heaven gave us you and I know that you are going to be a great Mother. Merry Christmas.

For this reason I have chosen High Hopes Head Injury Program as a place to give my service in behalf of Tiffany. I'm sorry I have not completed my service as you will see they are closed for Christmas. I have made an appointment, a good friend of Charise and Bill, to come in and view the program and see how I can serve on the behalf of Tiffany. Picture and story to follow soon. Please check out the website.

This is the same foundation that helped Corbin who lived down the street from us when he had his head injury. One of the programs that they offer is a golf tournament that is hosted by Pat Boone.

Merry Christmas Ashley!

I was excited to find out that I got Ashley. Even though I have probably seen her the least out of all the family, I have always had a special place for Ashley in my heart. When Lani and I were dating, I came out for Ryan and Tiff's wedding, and as most of you know when I was dating Lani I hadn't really reached the same level of progression that Lani had. She was working on her masters degree, and I wasn't close to finishing my undergraduate degree, not only that I was only going to school part time, and had no idea what I wanted to do with my life.

When I came out for the wedding I was really self conscientious because I didn't feel worthy of Lani at all. I remember thinking "these people have got to be just waiting for her to dump me and so she can find someone more worthy of her". I felt this stress around the whole family, but when I met Ashley she made me feel really comfortable. I don't remember exactly what she said, but I remember feeling so relieved because she seemed to almost understand how I felt (I never told her anything that would make her know how I felt). I'll always love Ashley for that, and she will always hold a special place in my heart for how she put me at ease when we first met.

Upon finding out my assignment, I went back to look at what Ashley suggested for service. First, donate your hair. I sat back and imagined growing my hair out 10 inches. I thought back to a couple years ago when I grew my hair out a bit...I then thought how in the world am I going to look like professional MBA student with long hair? I sat back and remembered....Upon recollection, I recalled I didn't think the Pat Riley meets Larry Bird rat tail was very becoming on me. After about 2 minutes of these pictures running through my head I decided that growing out my hair would not be my best option.

I then moved to the next thing on Ashley's list...Make blankets for the Children's Hospital. This seemed to have more potential. I did some research on the Childrens hospitals in Spokane to find out what they might need.
I looked at several different places that offer help to kids like the Boys and Girls Club, and a couple of different children's hospitals. I was a little frustrated because most of the places I looked at only gave the option of a cash donation. I finally found one I liked, Holy Cross Children's Hospital in Spokane, and called to find out if I could offer a non-cash donation.
They had a wish list of items requested by kids at the hospital. So off we went.

Lani and Houston and I headed off to our friendly neighborhood dollar store to load up on presents that the children had requested. We stocked up on play dough, crayons, flash cards, and coloring books. They even had a 3-D Pirates coloring book!

As I was walking through the hospital with Lani, and Houston, I reflected a bit on how cool it is that all of us are doing something to make the world better at Christmas this year. I thought about how neat it is that one day I will be able to show Houston this picture of us at the hospital and tell him about what we were doing and how it helped other kids not much older than him. I decided that I want my own little branch of the Gates family to do something like this every year and let our kids help choose a way to serve and then do it.

I'm really glad we decided to do this this year instead of presents. I'm a guy who has always loved opening presents on Christmas morning but I can honestly say that I am anticipating seeing what everyone did for their service much more than I would be to open gifts. I know that the gift I gave is a little thing, but I could tell it meant a lot to the people we did it for. I'm grateful that we did this this year.

So Merry Christmas Ashley!