Grandpa Frank

So my Grandpa Frank Cope passed away last night-  so glad I visited him on Saturday with Millie and Ellis (and that for our visit he was chatty, awake and alert).  I wish I had a digital pic to post- here are some good memories of him (although thinking back, every memory I have of Grandpa Frank is a good one- that's probably a good goal to have in life):

• Swimming.  He love to swim (which seemed to be passed down to all of his grandchildren- and great grand children as well).  In fact, on our last visit he reminded me of the time we went to Seven Peaks and I lost my glasses in the wave pool- he dove down to the bottom of the pool to retrieve them.  I did not remind him that was also the trip where I lost my retainer.  And my mom made me go back to Seven Peaks and look through the trash for it.  I also remember that for a long time he would go on slides at Seven Peaks that the rest of us were afraid of. 
• I remember summer nights sleeping in his back yard with my cousins.  We would sneak in and steal toilet paper, go do some random neighbors house, our aunt Margaret would come out and have us move it to someone else's yard.  I remember the backyard because Grandpa had cherry trees and we would pick them with him.
• I remember long, late night battles of Mario Brothers and Duck Hunt on Grandpa's Nintendo.  He had a Nintendo before anyone else I know- and he was better at Mario than us.
• Although I know plays weren't his "thing", he came to see me in my high school shows (Damn Yankees seems to stand out).  I also think he came to some college shows at BYU as well.
• Grandpa Frank loved movies- I remember going to movies at the Scera with him (and the outdoor pool next door- where he would squirt us in the eyes with water by squeezing his thumb and fingers).  I also remember going to the Scera Drive In with him when I was little (and how Amy and I almost didn't get to go to The Great Mouse Detective because we watched our very first Rated R movie at Grandpa's house.  To be fair, it was Prince's Purple Rain and it was Joanne's movie- not Grandpa's...)
• He was generous.  He basically funded mine and Jackie's honeymoon as a wedding present for us.
• He would let me come over and do my laundry when I was at BYU.
• I will always remember the road trip that Margaret, Joanne and Grandpa Frank and I took to Nebraska one summer when I was in high school.  I remember all of our pit stops (and Grandpa's choice of music making Margaret, Joanne and myself roll our eyes)- I also remember Grandpa cataloging the miles as we went.  That was a fun trip.
• I remember Jackie interviewing Grandpa and encouraging him to participate in the Utah Senior Games in St. George- where Grandpa medaled in swimming events.
• Games at Grandpa's.  He always had soda (or was that Margaret and Joanne's soda- I think the Apple and Cherry Beer was his...) but family gatherings were about Pictionary, Risk and other games played in the kitchen.
• Grandpa Frank was always kind and ready to play with all of his grandchildren.  I think we all definitely knew that he loved us- and we all loved him a lot back.
• Were you a honker or a critter?

Come See

So next weekend (April 27-30th) come see the fantastic musical Working by Stephen Schwartz and Lin Manuel Miranda.  Based on a book by Studs Terkel,  this musical features all 25 MDT students portraying real life people sharing their feelings about their professions through monologues and songs.  There's a great mix of funny and touching stories- and you'll get to hear me play the piano for the show.
Tickets are only $6.00 and are available at the door (seating is limited and up close on stage).  Come see this show!

I Love This

Words cannot describe how much I love this show and song:

Excited for

I really like Sutton Foster (Broadway star) and this is from her TV show (created by the same creator as Gilmore Girls). Looks like a fun summer show:

Spring Break 2012

So the last time we went on a road trip to San Diego (with a brief stop over in Vegas), this happened (Jackie had a broken elbow, I spilled baby food on someone at a show in Seaworld, Jackie fell down in the shower, etc.

This go around, we are driving our van (instead of my parents), Jackie is in the middle of a PhD program (fun!) and my parents are meeting us. We shall see what happens.