Today marks 9 years since the murders of Daniel Smith (my father), Michael Hockensmith, and Angela Hockensmith. So much has changed for both of our families. We have celebrated graduations, the Hockensmith children have grown tremendously (Andrew celebrated his 18th birthday this year), my dad would be a great-grandpa of 10 (they were all born after his death), my sisters have both gotten married, and countless other events. Despite all of the changes, one thing has stayed the same – we still miss them. Over the past 3 years, I have tried to write a post about a topic other READ MORE
“Gold, Guns & God”
Yesterday was the 6th anniversary of my dad’s death. When I wrote my last post over a year ago, I never dreamed it would take me so long to write about the newly published documentary concerning his murder. This has been my toughest blog post to write, and I really can’t say that it is my best. However, it is very transparent and lengthy, so thank you for taking the time to read it. *Warning – May not be suitable for young readers* Broken Trust In September 2017, I participated in a show taped for the Investigation Discovery channel concerning READ MORE
It Finally Airs Tonight
Although I was hoping to craft a cheery blog post after my two-month writing hiatus, it didn’t work out that way. Instead, I need to update you, as promised in a previous post, about a project I mentioned last fall. In October, I wrote a blog entry (Lights, Camera, Action!) about my participation in an episode for the Investigation Discovery channel’s new program, Broken Trust. The show, Gold, Guns & God, tells the story of how Daniel Smith (my dad), Michael Hockensmith, and Angela Hockensmith were murdered by someone they knew. For my readers who are interested in watching the READ MORE
Perfect Timing
Last summer, my husband, Chris, and I began working on yard improvements in preparation for putting our house up for sale. As we surveyed our backyard projects, we noticed our above-ground pool required several costly repairs. After spending a few days weighing the pros and cons of keeping the pool, we decided to remove it. Chris and our 21-year-old daughter made the pool removal look easy. Within one week, they had broken it down and hauled it from the yard. The hard part would be filling the large, crater-type, hole in our sloped backyard. Even if we could find massive READ MORE
Our Story of Forgiveness
For Valentine’s Day this year, my husband, Chris, and I decided to go to dinner and then see a movie. The theater was playing only one romantic film, LD Entertainment’s Forever My Girl. Surprisingly, Chris was interested in going to see it, and despite having watched it twice with two of my friends, I was happy to go with him. Forever My Girl, based on the book by author Heidi McLaughlin, is a heart-warming film about Liam Paige, a small-town boy turned country music star, who returns home after 8 years of running from his past. When he arrives, he discovers he READ MORE