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.

Improvables: Spectrum Academy Show

On Thursday, the Improvables were invited to perform an abbreviated show as part of Spectrum Academy's Night of the Arts. This school is located just a stone's throw from our home in North Salt Lake, so how could I not volunteer to be part of it?

All grades at the school (Kindergarten through high school, as far as I know) were invited to participate, so there were a lot of people running around doing a lot of fun things. But amid the organized chaos—this wasn't my first rodeo of this kind—we found a small audience, and we had a lot of fun together with them.

It had been a minute since I had been part of a remote show to get our troupe's name out into the community! I enjoyed it a great deal. Brady, Jamie, Liz M., and Tyler rounded out the cast, and we put on a fun set of games. (It didn't hurt that a large chunk of the audience consisted of Brady's and Liz M.'s kids and other family members.)

Eight Years

On Saturday, JB and I celebrated our eighth wedding anniversary. It's difficult to believe it's been that long! But it's been a wonderful ride, and it seems to get better with each passing day. She is my ride-or-die, all that and a bag of chips, and every other cliche I might be able to muster.

To commemorate the occasion, we traveled up to the Syracuse temple—our first time at this beautiful House of the Lord—for a sealing session. In doing so, we revisited our covenants and also our  bounteous blessings.

Afterward, we enjoyed lunch together at Red Robin. Then, we returned home to hurkdle-durkle—a Scottish term meaning "to lounge or linger," a phrase that has lately become a favorite of ours (lest I be misunderstood)—together for the remainder of the day. Among other activities, we watched an old favorite, Bedknobs and Broomsticks, which I am legally required by the Disney Corporation to state is now streaming on Disney+.

Easter 2026

Easter weekend this year came and went, as it is wont to, with lots and lots of candy. Also, in our case, a few family gatherings. And, as a bonus, general conference on both Saturday and Sunday. We pretty much had the perfect weekend.

On Saturday, we went out to Grantsville for our two-year-old nephew William's second birthday party. Together with most of JB's side of the family, we enjoyed hamburgers, hot dogs, chips and dip, and a delicious peanut butter and chocolate cake that Nicole made for the occasion.

William received a number of gifts, including a harmonica from us. He was not able (yet) to make music with his new instrument, due to being two years old and not having the lung power to blow into it. But he enjoyed dancing along to the music that came from it. And he also loved playing with the balloons that were there.

On Sunday morning, we awoke to find that the Easter Bunny had visited both JB and me, and he had been generous with his offerings. We then gathered with the Plowman side for general conference breakfast at Biz's and Jeff's home in West Bountiful. There were pancakes, bubble buns, fresh fruit, and myriad breakfast casseroles to choose from.

The conference messages all weekend, and especially Sunday morning, were wonderful. It was a blessing to participate remotely in the solemn assembly, raising the right hand to sustain our new prophet, Dallin H. Oaks, and to receive his counsel from the pulpit.

Later that afternoon, we were joined by JB's parents for Easter dinner at our house. The menu included pork loin roast, Lion House rolls, baked potatoes, and carrot cake for dessert.

"Finding Nemo (Junior)"

On Thursday night, we traveled over to Legacy Preparatory Academy here in North Salt Lake to see our 10-year-old nephew Danny perform in their production of Finding Nemo Jr. I didn't even know that Finding Nemo was a musical ... but now I stand corrected.

Danny played Bruce, the shark, and by all appearances had a great time doing so. It wasn't bad at all for a performance starring only third- and fourth-graders.

Plowman Family Dinner/March 2026

Last night, we—the Plowmans—gathered for monthly family dinner at Steve's and Summer's home in North Salt Lake (which is, luckily, just a block west of us). Dinner on this unseasonably warm spring evening consisted of lasagna, garlic bread, salad, fruits, and veggies, with red velvet cake and chocolate chip cookies for dessert.

We also celebrated March's birthdays, including JB's, Jake's (14), and Katy's (11). The kids played Pass the Parcel, and each walked away with a candy bar as a prize.

"Alice in Wonderland (Junior)"

On Saturday night, I traveled to Reading Elementary in Centerville to see my nine-year-old nephew Graham perform in his school's production of Alice in Wonderland (Junior). Graham obviously had a blast in the role of the Jack of Diamonds/drummer/ensemble.

I was joined in the audience by Graham's dad, Ben; Graham's brother, Christian; and a couple of of the Centerville Plowmans' neighbors. Though it was his fourth time seeing the show that week, Christian still had a good attitude about sitting through it once more.

JB's Birthday 2026, or: Niblings, the Next Generation

Over the weekend, JB celebrated another birthday. It was a busy Saturday for us, but we managed to fill it with a lot of good things with a lot of great people.

Firstly, we journeyed down to South Jordan for my high school buddy Clayton's mother's funeral. It was good to see my old friend, whom I hadn't seen for several years. (He and his family live in Atlanta.) I got to meet all four of their kids for the first time. Another high school buddy, Darren, sat by us for the funeral service, which contained wonderful tributes to a great lady. Clayton's older brother is actually Elder W. Mark Bassett, a General Authority Seventy of the Church, and was, as expected, one of the speakers. Whom we didn't expect to see was Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, who presided and who was the concluding speaker. Elder Renlund offered an Apostolic blessing on the Bassett family, and the Spirit was so strong as he spoke.

From there, we trekked down to Salem in Utah County for our great-nephew Levi's baby blessing. (Yes, we now have two grand-nephews.) Two-month-old Levi's dad, Dallin, performed the ordinance. We took a number of pics of baby Levi, along with his parents, Dallin and Eliza, and several others, but we are also honoring their request not to post any pics of him online. Another kid we got to meet for the first time was six-month-old Beau Nelson, our cousin Madison's and her husband, Wyatt's, baby boy. A number of family members on both sides joined us for this occasion.

Lastly, we traveled to Provo to meet up with our niece, Olivia, and her husband, Caleb, who are BYU students, for JB's birthday dinner, featuring sushi and pho, at Saida's on University Ave. It was a great end to a great day.

Christmas 2025

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day this year were both wonderful for the Plowbuckles! We are grateful to have spent time with family members on both sides.

On Christmas Eve, we joined with most of the rest of the Plowmans (and Woods) over at Biz's and Jeff's home in West Bountiful for family dinner. The only ones not present were Dallin, Eliza, and ... ta-da! ... new baby Levi Brent, born on Tuesday, December 23. (Sharing your birthday with Joseph Smith is a pretty great thing!)

Our dinner included ham, mac and cheese, a crackers and cheese plate, salad, fruit, and veggies, and everything was delicious.

Ten-year-old Danny was anxious to show off a newfound skill: solving a Rubik's cube. (I was anxious to see him do it, because it's something I haven't yet learned how to do. And I lived through the 1980s.)

Games played included the Cup Game (not sure what else to call it; it's a bit of "Simon Says" mixed with having good reflexes) and this Tic-Tac-Toe game, also involving cups:

After dinner, the kids dressed up for our annual Christmas pageant, including narration-from-beyond by both Dad and Mom and the singing of various Christmas hymns:

Following that, we proceeded on to the opening of Christmas gifts between siblings and cousins. The way this works is that the Mike and Jana, JB and I, Dave and Jessica, Ben and Adi, Steve and Summer, and Biz and Jeff each give a gift to one of the other couples, while the niblings draw a name and each give each other a present. Jeff and Biz gave us a Megaplex gift card, which we will make sure is put to good use.

The cousin exchange is the highlight of my night. I love to observe these kids giving each other something truly meaningful—often something they have worked and saved for themselves, through allowances or chores—and to see the hugs that follow.

Seventeen-year-old Jackson walked away with this knife:

On Christmas morning, JB and I awoke to find that Santa Claus had visited us and filled our stockings with numerous chocolates and candies. My wife was, once again, incredibly generous with the presents she gave me. I got an electric toothbrush (my dentist recently recommended I get one), a Utah Mammoth t-shirt, a Salt Lake Bees cap, and a few books off my want-to-read list. My good friend Pepe also got me a few more of those books.

After breakfasting, we hopped in JB's car and drove out to Grantsville to spend time with her parents at their home. While we were there, Nicole & Spencer and Danielle & Tyson and kids stopped by, as well. We enjoyed ham, pasta salad, baked potatoes, and rolls, and we also contributed a Peruvian paneton to the meal.

JB's mom gave a thumbs-up on the dessert.

Improvables: Christmas Party 2025

The members of the Improvables troupe, plus accompanying family members, congregated on Saturday, December 20, for our annual Christmas party and white elephant gift exchange. This year, we gathered at Nickelmania in West Jordan, which was already one of JB's and my favorite hangouts, so we were more than happy to join in on the fun.

For dinner, we enjoyed Costco pizza (only the best stuff for our guys), salad, muffins, and few other sides. After we ate, it was another feverish white elephant exchange. JB ended up with this Nightmare before Christmas karaoke microphone:

I ended up with a mobile alarm clock—really an ingenious device and one that I could really use going forward. Other prized items included a Chuck Norris beach towel, a boxed set of the Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark books, and a little statue made up of bent forks and spoons.

Since we were at Nickelmania, well, the rest of the evening was made up of (you guessed it) playing arcade games. We are just like little kids at heart.

Our Day Out with Ike 2025, Part 2

Our nephew Ike turned eight years old in October. We were finally able to catch up with him in order to go on this year's birthday outing this past Friday, November 28.

Ike chose to go to Nickelmania in West Jordan, which is a choice we can always get behind. For added fun, his 10-year-old sister, Katy, accompanied us. Katy spent a lot of her time on the ticket-producing strategy games, while Ike was more interested in the racing games.

Once we tallied up our combined tickets, Ike chose a green ninja sword, while Katy opted for a ... whoopee cushion. (Unexpected, but still a great pick!) We then adjourned for treats at Swig.

Thanksgiving 2025

This being an odd-numbered year, we did not gather with a large group of family on either side on Thanksgiving Thursday. We did, however, make a few alternate arrangements.

Our first Thanksgiving occurred simultaneously with Plowman monthly family dinner on Sunday, November 23. We met up at Steve's and Summer's home in North Salt Lake, where all of the fixings were there: turkey, ham, rolls, bean salad, Yorkshire pudding, fresh fruit, cranberry sauce, JB's award-winning stuffing, and (my favorite) Talin's sweet potato casserole. We also had pumpkin, apple, and chocolate pies. What more could you ask for?

Well, people, I suppose. Fortunately, we did get to see most of the family:

We had football on the TV. Everyone was happy and full of stomach.

Second Thanksgiving, as a hobbit might call it, fell on Thanksgiving Thursday, November 27. With numerous family members spending time with in-laws, we nevertheless welcomed JB's parents at our home for dinnner. JB prepared many of the main and side dishes, while her mom brought the pies. (Yes, I helped, too. I did a lot of the cleaning. I helped with some of the food stuff JB allowed me to. I also frequently stood in front of the door or drawer she needed to open at the moment she needed to open it.)

We once again enjoyed a delicious meal. And ... I didn't get any pics from that day. 😖However, I was successful at getting Mom and Dad to watch football after the meal. Like, pretty much a whole game (Kansas City vs. Dallas). I almost couldn't believe it. My in-laws are not quite the sports fanatics like the family I grew up with. But they also go with the flow and didn't really want to watch any Christmas or other shows.