Christmas 2020

In spite of covid's plans (and a hillion jillion other things that could've gone wrong, this being 2020), we still observed Christmas this year.

Our sister-in-law Alice recently took some pics of JB, Leia, and me at Creekside Park. (In case you happen to be in that neck of the woods, it's a beautiful, still very new little park just south of the Bountiful High School campus). This is how our annual family Christmas card turned out:

There was no in-person Christmas gathering with my in-laws in Grantsville, though we did meet up briefly over Zoom on Christmas Day. We did, however, trek out there Wednesday to spend the afternoon with JB's parents.

Leia was grateful for the extra attention:

On my side of the family, we were still able to get together on Christmas Eve, though we had to make sure everyone sat apart, everyone wore masks, and no food was served or eaten to avoid any possible spread of planet Earth's favorite pandemic.

Biz once again put together the Christmas program, which included a number of well-placed scriptures, Christmas hymns, and a recording of Dad narrating Chapter 2 of the Gospel of St. Luke.

This was followed by presents/pandemonium. Many of Mom's youngest grandkids received Spider-Man pajamas. When they put on their PJs, it looked something like this:

This reminded the grown-ups a little bit of the classic meme of multiple versions of Spider-Man pointing at each other. So, we re-created it with the kids:

The kids were perhaps most excited to spend Christmas Eve with their oldest male cousin Dallin for the first time since 2017 (before he left on his mission). A significant portion of the night passed with Dallin good naturedly wrestling with them, which looked a lot like this at certain intervals:

Then on Saturday (Boxing Day), we had another family Zoom meeting, this time with many of our British cousins in England joining in on the call. It was wonderful to reconnect with so many of them, including Brian, Denis, Linda, Lynn, and their spouses/kids/grandkids.

Thus concluded our celebration of my favorite holiday of the year. Currently, it's 362 days till next Christmas. The countdown has already begun.

Great Conjunction, What's Your Function?

This week, I learned that a "great conjunction" is not just something that happens in the movie The Dark Crystal. As it turns out, you can see one here on Earth. On Monday night, we were able to see the "Star of Bethlehem" in the nighttime sky in the form of an alignment of the planets Jupiter and Saturn.

In my neck of the woods, it looked something like this (first zoomed in, then normal view):

And what a pretty sight it was. Apparently, this is the first time in eight centuries that such a sight has been seen on Earth.

Improvables: Christmas Party 2020

Covid may have postponed or canceled many things throughout 2020, but the annual Improvables Christmas party was not one of them! We met up over a Zoom call last week to play some games online and to open our randomly distributed white elephant gifts—always one of the highlights of the Christmas season for me.

One of my favorite moments was Richard opening JB's contribution, which was a Jane Austen action figure (yes, really):

He then deadpanned (improvisers, amirite?), "I was hoping for one of the Bronte sisters."

I ended up with a brand-new copy of Monopoly: Longest Game Ever (somebody found a way to make Monopoly last even longer, I discovered), while JB obtained this lovely Darth Vader wall ornament:

Altogether, it was a fun evening for everyone involved. I miss seeing and performing with these people, though we are hoping that we will be able to safely return to the stage at some point in 2021.

Lighting the World 2020

In spite of covid being the all-too-real Grinch for everyone and everything this holiday season, the Light the World campaign is happening again this month. We've had numerous opportunities to serve others ... and a few to be served by others, to boot. This past week, these messages and wishes of goodwill were left on our front door by some of Santa's very best helpers:

This was a wonderful surprise to come home to. I'm grateful for these simple but powerful expressions of kindness and love.

Christmas Lights

Even in a world battling covid, we have found that we are still able to venture out and do a few things safely. Like go outside and look at things, which you can do only so much of indoors.

With Temple Square under construction right now (and for the foreseeable future), we still have a few good local options for seeing Christmas lights. Centerville's Founders Park is a good example of one, and it's just a stone's throw from us.

Leia, in particular, enjoyed seeing other people and, of course, their dogs.

Thanksgiving 2020

Thanksgiving this year, like pretty much everything else in 2020, looked a lot different than it has in years past. But still JB and I made the best of things and had a most enjoyable meal between the two us. The menu included turkey breast cooked on our new pellet grill (easily the best turkey I've ever eaten on Thanksgiving), candied yams, mashed potatoes, rolls, cranberries, and JB's award-winning stuffing.

I have many blessings to be grateful for, and it was good to take time out to remember them over the holiday.

Mayflower

Did you know that the Mayflower Compact was signed 400 years ago last week? Well, I didn't. I learned recently from FamilySearch that six ancestors of mine sailed aboard the Mayflower in 1620. I am grateful for these ancestors who, along with others, immigrated to this country in search of religious freedom. Among them was my Danish great-grandfather Christian Jorgensen Plowman who, at age six, crossed the plains with a handcart company in the 1860s to a new home in Utah.

At the same time I learned this, I came across an article that explained just how pivotal and important the Mayflower Compact was in American and world history: “Before this mixed group stepped ashore, they signed an agreement, which we now call the Mayflower Compact. In that document, they set aside their deep divisions and voluntarily joined together to govern themselves with ‘just and equal laws.’ This was the very beginning of principled self-government among European settlers in the New World. The Mayflower Compact is not quite 200 words long, but those words pack almost as much meaning as Thomas Jefferson distilled into the Declaration of Independence 156 years later, or Abraham Lincoln in 1863 condensed into the Gettysburg Address.”

Our Day Out with Graham

Our nephew Graham turned four years old on April 1, but due to covid and social distancing restrictions, we had to reschedule our birthday outing with the April Fool's Kid for this past weekend.

Graham chose Blacksmith ice cream, a new favorite of ours, for a treat.

Afterward, we took him back to our house for video games and snacks. He's a great kid, and we are lucky to be his favorite (you guessed it) Fun Aunt and Uncle.

Dallin's Homecoming

And just like that ... two years have come and gone.

Our missionary, Elder Plowman, returned home Friday. Due to social distancing measures during this time of coronavirus spikes, we had to make an appointment to go up to Layton and see him yesterday (which was a very good idea). Since Dallin had encountered a number of strangers on his flights home, we all wore masks the entire visit.

My oldest nephew is so grown up! He also seems very happy, and he should be; he's done very good work in the New Hampshire Manchester Mission. JB and he had a lot to talk about, as they now know many of the same people and places in that area.

He delivered his homecoming talk earlier today. Under the circumstances, we were not able to attend in person but watched via YouTube.

Halloween 2020

We didn't have an improv show nor any other Halloween parties to attend this year (thanks, coronavirus), but I wouldn't let that stop me from dressing up for one of my favorite holidays. On Friday, I went to work dressed up as Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid:

Naturally, I had to dress up Leia in a costume, since she (cough cough) is a member of the family who will actually take part in Halloween along with me. I found this Chewbacca harness for her (which turned out to be a little bit big):

No regerts!

Plowman Family Dinner/October 2020

We met up for monthly family dinner Sunday at Mike's and Jana's home in Layton. Soups were on the menu, along with salad, rolls, and other goodies.

This happy kid's third birthday happened to be that very day:

We celebrated his birthday, along with the other five October birthdays (Kira, Jana, Steve, Ben, and yours truly). JB baked two delicious cakes (cookies and cream, and funfetti).

10/10, would definitely recommend.

Our Baking Day with Kate

Our five-year-old niece Kate has a birthday in March. For birthdays, we give our niblings the option of us getting them a gift, or us doing an activity with them/taking them somewhere fun to do something fun. Because Fun Aunt and Uncle.

Kate chose the latter, but covid got in the way this year. We postponed our birthday outing with her until this past weekend, when she had a baking day at our house, with JB leading the way making brownies with her. (I am always available to help sample the wares, so don't think I'm not involved, as well.)

After they finished baking, Kate introduced us to the very funny (and very good!) kids show "Bluey" on Disney+. We liked it a lot.

We had a lot of fun, all told. A few other birthday outings got postponed earlier this year, so we'll work on those at some point in the near future.

Wind Storm

On September 7 and 8, we experienced one of the strongest wind storms in recent memory. Gusts reached as high as 100 mph in some places along the Wasatch Front. Here in Bountiful, the storm downed many trees throughout the city and knocked out electrical power for a number of days in a few parts. (Mom stayed with us for a few days while power was restored to her home.)

Here at our house, we lost a few sections of fence and some slats:

One of the joys of being part of an HOA is waiting on the board to approve repairs. But I get it. Landscaping and cleanup companies have been hard at work dealing with the damage in the weeks since then. Our yard will be looking like new again soonish.

Are You Ready for Some Tee Ball?!

Last week, we went up to the baseball fields at Mueller Park Jr. High to watch Kate and Graham play tee ball with their team. Because why not? This is the kind of thing your resident Fun Aunt and Uncle do with regularity.

Kate's and Graham's team just happens to be the Cubs---an MLB franchise I've been a fan of for decades. I already had the team hat, so I wore it to the game. Also, it was wonderful to see any kind of live sports in person for the first time in months.

Did the Cubs win their game? I honestly don't know. I don't think score was kept. The kids hit and ran the bases a lot and didn't do too much fielding, but they had a great time playing. When you're four and five years old, I guess competition really isn't that big of a deal.

Surprise Birthday Party

I had another birthday this weekend. In spite of my best efforts, they keep happening each year. Such is life.

Anyhow, my wonderful wife organized a surprise party for me when I returned home from work Friday night. She had invited my mom and siblings and their spouses over for a karaoke party, something I've wanted to do since the Karaoke Cafe closed a few years ago (the place where my birthday parties used to be held, and also, not coincidentally, the site of JB's and my first date).

In addition to inviting the guests and providing the refreshments, JB also baked us a chocolate and peanut butter cake for everyone to enjoy together (one of my favorite creations of hers).

I got to spend the rest of the weekend being instructed by the living prophets, seers, and revelators of the Church at another amazing general conference. Earlier today, we went out to Grantsville to watch the Sunday afternoon session with JB's parents and some of her siblings/niblings, for which she made us even more cake.

I'm enormously blessed with great people in my life, and as cruddy as the year 2020 has been, I'm looking forward to what the next year may bring.

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.