Arbuckle Family Dinner/October 2026

On Sunday, October 11, it was our turn to host family dinner for JB's side of the family. Nobody was happier to have visitors than our Leia.

 

Wynnie, however, was another story. She doesn't do well with groups of more than a few people and was actually shaking due to social anxiety at one point. Still, she made it through the evening okay and received a lot of sympathy attention.

JB prepared roast beef and roasted vegetables (mainly potatoes and carrots) as the main dish. We also enjoyed salad, rolls, and apple crumble for dessert.

We had The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers on the TV, and others played board games. In other words, a pretty standard, enjoyable family dinner for us.

Jana J.'s Murder Mystery Birthday Party

On Saturday, October 10, JB and I attended a surprise birthday party/murder mystery for our sister-in-law Jana J., who hit a milestone birthday on that day. It may not be my place to divulge the exact number, but suffice to say I am one year and one week older than her.

(Incidentally, yes, I had a birthday last week. Didn't need to post about it this year, though JB definitely spoiled me with a trip out for sushi and a few gifts. I spent much of the day and the weekend watching general conference on TV. It was wonderful, as always.)

Jana J.'s daughters, Kylee and McKenna, put everything together for the murder mystery: the invitations, the plot and character assignments, the props, the snacks, etc. We assembled at The Barn, a Jackson family favorite location in Layton, for this special occasion. Most of the invitees were the birthday girl's siblings and spouses, along with her parents and a few close friends.

The theme for this murder mystery was "Murder at the Juice Joint," and it was set at a speakeasy in Chicago in the Prohibition era/1920s. We all dressed up accordingly and tried to act out our characters as well, accents and all.

It had been many years since either JB or I had participated in a murder mystery event, and we were grateful to be included. I was assigned to play private detective P.I. Pinkerton, while JB assumed the role of celebrity filmmaker Harper Hollywood.

The rest of the cast was rounded out by crooked and quirky politicans, officers of the law, employees of the Juice Joint, and of course gangsters, among others.

Kylee and McKenna were pretty clever with the props. For example, this ashtray and cigarettes (when in Rome—or Chicago, I guess?) were actually broken up Oreo cookies and pretzel sticks dipped in vanilla chocolate:

Sadly, the money, used for bribes and such, was also fake.

Toward the end of the evening, the real killer was revealed. We also voted on best actor and favorite costume (Summer), and there was also an award for the person who accumulated the most (fake) cash (our 18-year-old nephew Jackson).

We had wonderful evening together, but most importantly, Jana J. had a great birthday. We'll have to do it again next year, or another time very soon.

Plowman Family Dinner/September 2026

The whole famn damily on the Plowman side—well, nearly all of them—gathered at our house on Sunday, September 27, for monthly family dinner. In addition to hosting, we provided the main dish, which was pasta and spaghetti sauce. Other attendees brought fresh fruit and vegetables, breadsticks, brownies, and apple crumble to round out the evening's menu.

We celebrated three September birthdays: my sister, Biz's, as well as those of four-year-old Sam and nine-year-old Tanner. Here are the birthday kids, being sung to and then blowing out the candles on their cake:

Sam, who of late is obsessed with dinosaurs, was beyond grateful for his Tyrannosaurus rex skeleton costume and said he'd likely be wearing it on our upcoming Halloween:

Plowman Family Dinner/August 2026

On Sunday, August 23, JB and I hosted monthly family dinner for the Plowman side at our home in North Salt Lake. Nearly 30 people turned out, making our house noisy but fun for this warm summer evening. We were perhaps most surprised and pleased to see, among those who attended, our niece Jenna, who recently graduated from BYU-Idaho and who just moved to Provo to start a new job there. (At least, I hadn't seen her since last Christmas Eve.)

Poor Wynnie was a bit overwhelmed by the number of people who turned up, and she stuck pretty closely by my and JB's side throughout the evening.

The evening's menu consisted of various types of enchiladas as the main dish, all provided by Dave and Jessica. The complementing side dishes included watermelon, strawberries, a veggie tray, and potato chips. JB prepared the dessert options, which included peach cobbler with vanilla ice cream and this delicious banana pudding:

Eight-year-old Ike (successfully) campaigned for those gathered to play several rounds of Mario Kart on the Switch, while others played outside or at the park next door.

The kids also played "Pass the Parcel," a family tradition, and that was followed by the singing of "Happy Birthday to You" by all for our lone August birthday: 11-year-old Danny.

Staycation

Rather than embarking on a family trip up to Bear Lake this summer, we decided to do something different (and a little less expensive) and opted for a "staycation" instead. Said staycation would include local outings and activities we could do together as a family, and then we could separately return to our homes at night and sleep in our own beds. Not a bad deal, huh?

Well, I was sold on the idea from the start. Our collective staycation began on Thursday, July 16, and this first day consisted of a trip up to the Pineview Reservoir in Ogden for swimming and other aquatic fun. Someone (OK, it was me) had a couple of doctor's appointments at that same time, keeping the Plowbuckles away from this event.

We were, however, there for everything on Day 2. Friday, July 17, found us up at Boondocks in Kaysville, where we first ate lunch together. Our meal consisted of pizza, chicken fingers, and other goodies. Three-year-old Sam kept us all entertained with his impromptu karaoke performance of Benson Boone's "Beautiful Things."

After lunch, we bought our respective four-hour passes and started off with a variety of outdoor activities. JB, my siblings, and a number of the niblings played on the water boats while I watched and statyed relatively dry. Ben broke a bat in the batting cages. There was also a rope course that looked pretty daunting from the ground below.

JB and I completed a course of mini golf, and we also joined Jana 1, Sadie, and Graham for a session on the go karts. In this pic, I'm not looking at JB's phone because I was too busy trying to get untangled from my seatbelt and arm belts and was seeking the aid of the ride operator:

Our afternoon together concluded with a massive game (over 25 people) of Laser Tag, something I hadn't played in years; my tally sheet at the end attested to this. Eighteen-year-old Jackson blew everyone away with his laser-shooting prowess—literally and figuratively, I guess?

In the evening, we congregated at Ben's and Adi's home in Centerville for a barbecue, which included Steve's custom-made fat burgers, fresh watermelon, and other delicious treats. After eating, we set up a screen for an outdoor movie, the family-friendly new release Sheep Detectives.

Day 3 fell on Saturday, July 18, and it brought us up to Syracuse, where we rented out a private swimming pool and pickleball court. Due to my sore right foot (see the boot I'm wearing in the pics below), I didn't get in the water nor did I play any pickleball. But everyone who did had a great time, and I was content to watch on the sidelines and eat lunch (a sandwich and other snacks).

This "pickleswim," as it came to be called, was a great success. (It was JB who discovered this wonderful location and got us interested in going there in the first place.)

Our staycation was capped off later that evening at Steve's and Summer's home in North Salt Lake, featuring food and games. Yours truly was dealing with a migraine and stayed home, but JB went and had a good time with the whole gang.

All told, I'd give the staycation concept 9.5 out of 10 stars. The activities were fun, and the company was even better. Perhaps we will do another one next summer?

Independence Day 2026

This year, Independence Day got off to a bad start. Like, a really awful, painful one. Specifically, the culprit was kidney stones, the likes of which I had been through previously a few years ago.

It began on Friday night, July 3. That old feeling of being kicked in the groin came back and stayed for an uncomfortably long while, making minutes feel like hours and hours feel like a day. Bless her heart, my sleep-deprived, longsuffering wife took me to the ER at 2 a.m. to get checked out. The doctor and the CT scan confirmed a kidney stone that was, thankfully, on the way out of my poor, tired body.

0 of 10 stars, would not recommend.

So, after declaring my independence from that kind of discomfort, I was released to go home. Under the circumstances, JB and I decided it best to stay home from the family Cul-de-Sac of Fire and BBQ down at our cousins' home in Lehi while I recuperated. We instead watched a few patriotic favorites on TV—Rocky IV and Independence Day among others—while I kicked back and rested. We were sad to miss out on the family gathering but were also glad to be home with our dogs while a few random fireworks went off.

Speaking of which, the state of Utah had banned the use of private fireworks this year due to extreme drought conditions and the prevalance of a number of wildfires being fought across the state. So when I mention that a few random fireworks still went off, they weren't really supposed to.

Anyhow, I was feeling slightly better the next day, Sunday the 5th, and so JB and I made it out to Biz's and Jeff's home in West Bountiful for June family dinner with the Plowmans. (June's family dinner had been delayed a week because of number of the families were out of town or had previous commitments the week before.)

The food was delicious, and the company was great. To fulfill our food assignment, JB made these American Flag Jell-O jigglers for dessert:

Our Day Out with Christian & Graham 2026

On Monday, June 22, Fun Aunt and Uncle were out on the town for another birthday outing, this time with 10-year-old Graham and 13-year-old Christian. They picked Fly High, the trampoline park (?) that we earlier took Danny and Tanner to for their birthday outing last year. Because their cousins Arthur and Lauren were visiting from Rhode Island for the week, they and Adi joined with us.

The kids had a great time. Certain parts of me, like my back and knees, ached to see them moving around so easily, but the important thing is that they had a great time.

After our session ended, we went to Handel's for ice cream.

Our Day Out with Sadie

On Saturday, June 20, everyone's favorite Fun Aunt and Uncle picked up six-year-old Sadie for her annual birthday out on the town. She chose to go to Bountiful Nails for a pedicure.

We were more than happy to get pedicures ourselves, as it is one of our favorite "treat yo self" activities. JB and Sadie both chose to get their toenails painted with patriotic colors for the coming Independence Day holiday.

Following this activity, we capped off our excursion by stopping at McDonald's for ice cream cones. (Fortunately, their ice cream machine was working.)

Another Golden Anniversary

On Sunday, June 14, we gathered for family dinner on JB's side of the aisle at Jeremy's and Alice's home in Centerville. Not only was this monthly family dinner, but we also celebrated Mom A.'s and Dad A.'s 50th wedding anniversary, which occurred earlier in the same week (June 10).

It was a sort-of surprise party in that JB's parents were expecting family dinner but were not aware of an anniversary party per se. (It's the thought that counts, I guess?)

To celebrate the occasion, we roasted hot dogs and bratwurst over the fire for our dinner, followed by s'mores later on in the evening. JB also prepared Sunday Chocolate Pie, an Arbuckle family favorite, for dessert.

Chalk Art Festival 2026

This year's Bountiful Chalk Art Festival, held the first week of June, was yet another showcase of the immense artistic talent in our community. Naturally—and biased though we might be—we gravitated specifically toward the chalk art pieces created by our family members who participated.

On Friday, June 5, we found birthday girl McKenna hard at work finishing her fish picture:

On the same row as her creation, we also saw my sister, Biz's, Harry Otter, along with our 11-year-old niece Katy's Zazu rendering:

The talent apple doesn't fall too far from the tree, at least for these three!

Memorial Day Weekend 2026

Last weekend, JB and I paid a (belated) visit to Mom and Dad up in Smithfield at their final resting place. The Smithfield Cemetery is always peaceful and picturesque.

We took a peek at the forthcoming Smithfield temple site, and it is looking gorgeous. We can't wait for the open house and dedication.

Naturally, we had to stop at Gossner's for squeaky cheese and other goodies while we passed through Logan. And, as an added bonus, we stopped for a late lunch at the Maddox Ranch House in Brigham City on our return trip.

Our Day Out with Katy 2026

On Saturday, your favorite Fun Aunt and Uncle picked up our 11-year-old niece Katy for her annual birthday outing with us. She chose togo to Target to pick up a LEGO Friends set, and she found one that she really liked.

After that, we went to Swig for drinks and other treats. We then took her back home and helped her build the LEGO set:

... by which I mean that we mostly watch her build it, while we occasionally handed her the LEGO piece she was looking for. She's getting better and better at these builds as the years go by and is basically an old pro now.

We capped off the afternoon playing Mario Kart 8 with Katy and her brother, Ike. These races went on for some time, and we were grateful to spend another hour with these wonderful niblings of ours.

"The Lion King (Junior)"

On Friday, May 8, Fun Aunt and Uncle traveled to West Bountiful Elementary School to see our 11-year-old niece Katy perform in their production of The Lion King (Junior). Katy played one of the lionesses and did a wonderful job. (We might be a little biased, but so be it.)

Given that this was a Disney production, I am legally required to state that this was the greatest elementary school production of any musical of theirs, ever.

But seriously, though, this was my first time seeing any version of The Lion King musical on any stage, and I found it to be one of the better (Junior) productions I've seen carried out. The costumes, assuming they were made on an elementary school budget, were phenomenal. Much of the dialogue and music were familiar, but it also featured additional tunes previously unfamiliar to me, including the beautiful "Shadowland," which stays in your head afterward (in a good way).

Hakuna matata!

"The Pirates of Penzance"

Last Wednesday night, JB and I ventured over to nearby Woods Cross High School to see our 17-year-old niece Kira perform in WXHS's production of The Pirates of Penzance. And I think it is honestly the most fun I have had seeing that particular classic Gilbert and Sullivan operetta. (I think this was the fourth time? Including once at Deer Valley.) This wonderful performance was also directed by my Improvables colleague and WXHS drama instructor Liz Christensen, with whom I had performed improv five nights previously in the reunion show. (See my previous post. ... I know you will stop and now look it up.)

Anyhow, the kids were obviously having a blast, as you could see by the looks on their faces and in their acting and singing, and the audience had a ball right along with them.

The narrator for "Music and the Spoken Word" was there, and he'll vouch for me.

Kira played one of the Major-General's daughters, and can I just say that this girl has pipes? Meaning, she can sing—and I didn't know just how well until this show. She had been holding out on us before this night. She had not one but multiple solos, and she blew us away. Meaning, not like TNT, but figuratively. She also had a few lines of dialogue.

Improvables: Seventeenth Anniversary Show

On Friday night, the Improvables carried out our annual reunion/anniversary show at Backstage Performing Arts in Centerville. Former troupe members Ian, Liz Christensen, and Ryan, along with my siblings Biz and Steve, came out of retirement for an evening and joined Parker, Ricky, Scott, and yours truly on stage for this fun-filled event.

We had Scott, as the Karate Kid, teaching Ryan and Parker how to hula in "Party Quirks":

Liz C., Biz, and Steve put on the Shakespearean play "Are You My Mother?" in "Pieces of Shakespeare":

Parker and Steve played conjoined twins in "Meanwhile ... Elsewhere":

And Ricky pulled classic Ricky faces all night:

It was so good to get the old gang back together on stage, and it felt like old times at Rodgers Memorial Theatre, when we first started out in 2008. We are getting old and are getting arthritis and epilepsy and other not-so-fun things, but improv still brings out laughter and brings us together once a year.