Today I have been remembering the man who gave me this,
The day we met my dad had taken me to lunch, and there sat Herm Franks alone in the corner. My dad recognized him instantly and began to tell me everything about him. How he was a catcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Cardinals. He was a well know scout, coach, and manager. Herman Franks coached big names like Willie Mays. He is also supposed to have been a key player in legendary sign stealing scandal in 1951. He was a coach for the New York Giants at the time. It has be said that he was in the center field clubhouse during the games, with a telescope giving him a clear view of the Dodgers pitching coach and the signs he was making to his players, and would signal his team to let them know what pitch was coming. Of course throwing a game isn't what you want to remembered for, but without a doubt he was part of a baseball legend.
I was lost in my dads stories soaking them up when Herm Frank approached our table.
"Are you going to finish that?"
No introduction, he just pointed at my half eaten piece of pie and asked if I was going to finish it. I replied something like No sir I think, I was kind of nervous. He sat down at our table, pulled my plate in front of him and started to finish my pie. My dad asked him questions and between bites Herm Franks told us about the first time he saw Willie Mays play ball.
We ran into Herman Franks a couple times after that. We would eat pie and talk baseball. I finally worked up the courage to ask him if he had actually stolen the pitching signs. I remember how he put down his fork, looked me in the eye, got very serious and said, "That's what they say" then he smiled and went back to his pie.
The last time I saw him he pulled out that baseball card. It was from his days as a catcher. He signed To Jess in blue ink, and then his pen died. We could only find a black pen, so his name is signed in black.
When we go back to that place where I sat with Herm Franks, I always take a moment to remember the kind man who lived for baseball, and finished my pie.
Once a year the good old ACC hosts the Valentines Sweetheart Ball. And once a year my mom sends out an invitation to all of us girls asking us to join her and my dad for a night of dinner and dancing. Once a year, we all go. It may be because the food is so good, it is nice to get together as adults, or because it is fun to have a fancy night out for Valentines day, but every year we all go. And I am glad we do!
Horrible picture quality it was bad lighting and we only had iPhones but.... here is my dad with all the girls.
My parent are the best, they could dance all night long.
So glad we could make it! Parker and I joke that it is like prom for adults, but we really enjoy it.
Do you ever have weekends that feel a little wasted?? When you are too tired, or there is too much cleaning to be done, or you have extra work, so your big weekend plans consist of watching a movie..... And then it's Monday again.
Thanks to the negative temperatures and horrible smog we have had a few of those recently.
We needed an electric shock to our weekend routine, and this weekend provided the perfected opportunity. It was jam packed and we had so much fun I just had to share.
First we had visitors up here in Logan. My sister Jill and her family came up Friday. We hung out, the kids did clay projects, we ate yummy food, and we swam and swam and swam!!
Colter and Landon are such great swimmers. They also have a weird love of belly flopping. They think it is so funny... and it kind of is!
Tayla is giggling now. Awww. Her hair got so curly just being near the water. I watched it turn into a fro.
And on Saturday afternoon we all headed to Alpine together. A group of 17 of us went to Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner, and I am such a fan! There was a lot of Ultimate Fighting playing, the whole place was packed with crazy fans, which made for a fun new experience. I had no idea there was such a big fan base in the U.C. for those fights.
Then we all headed back to mom and dads to set up for the Super Bowl. Set up meaning decorate. Because when you have a family of five girls you decorate for big parties.... Even if that party is the Super Bowl.
Sunday was so much fun. All of us were together for the first time in a while.We had a Pig Skin themed dinner. EVERYTHING had pork in it. We (Parker) made pork tacos that were a huge hit. We had pulled pork sandwiches, pork ribs, peanut butter chocolate chip BACON cookies, bacon flavored pop corn, and on and on.
I was cheering for San Francisco.
1. Because I had a SF t-shirt
2. Because head coach Jim Harbaugh, is the younger brother in that brother rivalry
3. The last fan base to win both the World Series and the Super Bowl in the same year was the New England Patriots and the Boston Red Sox and I am over that!
4. Mostly because Cullen Little said they would win. Dang it Cullen.
Most of the kids were cheering for Baltimore because they have a few players from BYU. Annnd because they have 5 Mormons on their team which is the highest number of Mormons on any NFL team! (I haven't fact checked it yet..... )
At least it ended up being close game. Although my favorite part of the whole night might have been the power outage.
