Plowman Family Dinner/September 2020

On Sunday, we gathered for Plowman family dinner in West Bountiful. JB and I were in charge of the menu, and we decided on a barbecue---likely the last of the season as we move into cooler weather in autumn. We cooked hamburgers and hot dogs for everyone, and we also provided the condiments.

It was Tanner's third birthday, so we celebrated that along with my sister Biz's (our two September birthdays). Costco/Kirkland cheesecake is always a good choice for a birthday cake.

Some of the kids createdsome chalk art during the afternoon. I was most impressed with Kylee's drawing of Meeko from the Disney movie Pocahontas.

The Prophet and the Proclamation

The Family: A Proclamation to the World was first introduced 25 years ago this week. I am grateful for the eternal truths contained in this wonderful document. I was serving as a missionary in Lima, Peru, when it was announced; and after our mission president encouraged us to share copies of the document in our everyday work, we saw many doors open to us, both figuratively and literally.

In Sheri Dew's biography of our current prophet, President Russell M. Nelson---an excellent book that I read not too long ago--she tells the story of how the proclamation came about.

In 1994, the brethren of the Church were concerned by the erosion of the family unit and numerous trends that were troubling. President Nelson, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, explains in the book:

"The Twelve reviewed both doctrine and policies, considering those things that could not be changed---doctrine---and those things that could possibly be---policies. They discussed issues they saw coming, including an intensified societal push for gay marriage and transgender rights. 'But that was not the end of what we saw,' Elder Nelson explained. 'We could see the efforts of various communities to do away with all standards and limitations on sexual activity. We saw the confusion of genders. We could see it all coming.'

"This extended discussion, along with others over a period of time, led to the conclusion that the Twelve should prepare a document, perhaps even a proclamation, outlining the Church's stand on the family to present to the First Presidency for consideration. ...

"As an outgrowth of these discussions, a committee consisting of Elders Faust, Maxwell, and Nelson was appointed to draft a document."

Over the course of more than a year, these three brethren worked with the First Presidency to bring the document to its current status ... (and it was) introduced by Pres. Hinckley in the general Relief Society meeting September 23, 1995."

This idea was well accepted. "For many, the proclamation seemed to be little more than a restatement of well-understood, time-honored principles about marriage, family, and gender identity. In 1995, marriage between a man and a woman was a given. ...

"'But we could see what was coming,' said Elder Nelson some years later. 'What seemed so obvious in 1995 is now a standard, really, for the entire world. Over the years, I've given many copies of the proclamation to many governmental leaders not of our faith who've been grateful.'" ...

"In a relative few years, dozens of countries, including the United States, legalized gay marriage. Transgender issues came to the fore, with celebrities and other influencers popularizing the notion that gender was a matter of choice rather than a divinely directed reality. Criticism of the Church's doctrinal position as well as policies associated with that doctrine came from both outside and inside the Church. Society increasingly hurled cries of bigotry toward anyone who opposed gay marriage on religious or moral grounds."

"'There are those who label us bigots,' said Elder Nelson, 'but the bigots are those who don't allow us to feel as we feel but want us to allow them to feel as they feel. Our stand ultimately boils down to the law of chastity. The Ten Commandments are still valid. They've never been revoked. ... That powerful message is our stand. We cannot change it. We welcome people of different attitudes into the Church, but it is not our prerogative to change laws that God has decreed.'"

Reading this story made me especially grateful for the seer role of our prophets, seers, and revelators.

Here we are, 25 years after the proclamation's release, and we are exactly where the prophets warned us we'd be. Much has changed in the world, but the proclamation's teachings remain the same.

I look forward learning more from our prophets, seers, and revelators at this coming weekend's general conference.

Arbuckle Family Dinner/September 2020

Monthly dinners with the in-laws resumed this past Sunday after we took off a few months due to coronavirus concerns. It was a beautiful day out in Grantsville, where a potato bar + all of the fixins were on the menu.

We also celebrated this kid's (Tatum's) seventh birthday:

Nicole provided the delicious cake.

Weekend at Bear Lake 2020

Last week featured the annual family trip up to Bear Lake for a few days' worth of rest and relaxation. Mom again rented out a house for three days and three nights, this time in Garden City (the past two years were spent at a different house in nearby Laketown). It was a great location, featuring a nice breeze coming in from the lake and a good amount of shade in the afternoons and early evenings.

Day 1: We made the drive up through Sardine and Logan canyons just in time for check-in at 4:00 p.m. We had Papa Murphy's pizza for dinner and played a few games of cribbage (something JB and I recently started playing) that evening.

Day 2: Our first full day at the lake included boating for those who went out on the water and kayaking for those staying closer to the shore. I did some reading while watching the Jazz vs. Nuggets playoff game in the main gathering room. JB, Ben, Adi, and I prepared the fixings for tacos/nachos for dinner that evening.

Biz captured this candid shot of me cutting up black olives:

After a run downtown for raspberry shakes (when in Rome and all that), we also provided the ingredients for s'mores around the fire pit.

Four-month-old Sadie (not too surprisingly) was the object of many people's attention throughout our trip.

Day 3: I got outside a little more for some additional reading (Judy Blume and Beverly Cleary marathon---yes, really) to observe more of the fun had by those playing in the water. On this day, we had access to both jetskis and a water trampoline. JB and I made a run to Zipz for Dole whips and raspberry shakes.

Pulled pork sandwiches and corn on the cob were on the menu for dinner. Afterward, we posed for family photos in our matching green shirts Mom had printed up for the occasion.

Steve and Summer prepared a number of "Minute to Win It" challenges for the final group activity of the week. I enjoyed partnering up on a team with Biz, (sister-in-law) Jana, Jake, and Luke; we took second place out of four teams.

One of our favorite events was the sticky note challenge, during which we had a minute to place as many sticky notes as we could onto our faces. JB took first place with 17 sticky notes; I was second and was able to keep 13 on my face.

I had a bit of insomnia later on, but fortunately one of the TV channels was showing a "Parks and Recreation" marathon while I pored over more Beverly Cleary.

Day 4: After a breakfast of yogurt and fruit, we packed up and were on our way home before our 10:00 a.m. checkout time. We headed back through Logan Canyon into Logan, where some jumped up to Smithfield to visit Dad's grave, and others stopped at Gossner's for squeaky cheese and other goodies.

All in all, it was another enjoyable family summer vacation, and we look forward to Bear Lake again in 2021.

Plowman Family Dinner/July 2020

We gathered for Plowman family dinner Sunday evening on a pleasant summer evening at Ben's and Adi's backyard in Centerville. This month's menu included sloppy joes as the main dish, along with hot dogs, salad, chips, homemade strawberry ice cream, and such.

Jackson demonstrated a skill that I never learned at his age (nor anytime since)---the ability to solve a Rubik's cube in basically no time flat:

The niblings participated in "Pass the Parcel," everyone's favorite family dinner game where everyone is a winner:

Arbuckle Family Dinner/July 2020

We were short on numbers, with more than one family member concerned about possible covid exposure (those tests, fortunately, later turned out negative). Still, we met up for monthly family dinner last Sunday at JB's parents' home in Grantsville. JB prepared brisket and roasted potatoes, which contributed to a delicious meal that also included corn on the cob, cupcakes, and ice cream.

It turns out that Leia is a very big fan of corn on the cob:

We also spent part of the weekend with Millie (the WX Plowmans' maltipoo dog) at our home while her owners were out of town. She and Leia are good friends. Pictured here is the moment she plopped down on my chest while I was working on my laptop at home:

Independence Day 2020

Oh yeah---we also had a holiday last weekend. The irony of social distancing guidelines in place when we are celebrating Independence Day was not lost on me, but I believe what we are doing for the time being is for the good of our neighbors and for society as a whole.

Our gathering was limited to family members. Sadie was again a big hit, as she always is, seen here with Claudia (she, Scott, and Eden made the trek up from Lehi to join in on the festivities):

Danny, Jana, Ike, Tanner, and many others enjoyed snacking on some fresh cotton candy (which Adi made):

After enjoying a delicious variety of Fourth of July foods (hamburgers, hot dogs, chips, and the like), we went out to the front yard for some fireworks.

The last time I got excited about seeing fireworks was probably when I was about 10 or 11 years old. But the kids love them, and that's good enough for me.

After sparklers and a few others of the more tame kind of fireworks, all heck broke loose. Two consecutive Roman candles went defective and shot sideways (JB said she heard something bounce off one of our cars) and, for an encore, also ignited a small fire on the lawn of the neighbor across the street. It was at this point we decided it was probably better to put a stop to the evening's fireworks.

Anyhow, it's always good to get together with family on such an important holiday.