What's the relation of genes to proteins? Can't grasp it for some reason

basically to produce a protein you need two steps: Transcription and Translation.

I think if you understood WHY each step happens it would be clear for you.

Translation MUST OCCUR IN THE CYTOPLASM.

Transcription is the process involving the DNA  DIRECTLY where a copy of DNA is made, called mRNA. The main reason for this step is that DNA can't easily pass(they might pass but not easily) to the cytoplasm thru the nuclear envelope. Therefore the cell makes mRNA the proxy for DNA because mRNA can easily pass thru the nuclear envelope as opposed to DNA.

At the level of translation, which must occur in the cytoplasm, DNA is INVOLVED INDIRECTLY thru its representative the mRNA. All what is the mRNA is a copy of one strand of DNA so you can treat it as DNA itself. tRNA fit amino acids in sequence according to the reading of the mRNA( the copy of the DNA).

All in all, the DNA seems to come only once in the whole  process but in fact it is there always, directly and indirectly. Indirectly as the form of mRNA in the cytoplasm.

Answering your question, Genes(DNA) fit into the process of protein creation after transcription by its identical copy : the mRNA. don't let the "RNA" trick you into thinking its not the genes anymore. its just a photocopy of the genes needed because you can't get the initial genes out to the cytoplasm.

Oh my gosh, thank you so much!  I've been studying it all day and can talk about transcription and translation in my sleep, draw diagrams, etc haha...I've got that down.  But for some reason I could NOT understand how genes fit into the picture but kept hearing that genes create the protein.

It's so simple...thank you for setting me straight.  I can now go to sleep feeling complete.