Plowman Family Dinner/May 2020

With the recent loosening of social distancing guidelines in Davis County, we resumed holding monthly Plowman family dinners last Sunday. We congregated for May's meeting at Biz's/Jeff's backyard in West Bountiful for a menu that included grilled hot dogs, chicken, and brisket, along with pasta salad and chips and other goodies. JB provided the delicious chocolate/raspberry cake and homemade peach ice cream (that's right, my wife is an amazing cook).

Speaking of whom, she looked pretty comfortable holding six-week-old Sadie Rae:

Meanwhile, we spent a chunk of our time out of doors playing Nine Square, which has become a favorite family game that even the niblings can get into and enjoy:

Memorial Day Weekend 2020

For Memorial Day, the Plowbuckles made the annual trek up to the Smithfield City Cemetery, along with those family members who were also able to attend. It was a pretty chilly day for late May (contrast that with today's balmy, summer weather; the difference in high temps on the Fahrenheit scale is about 50 degrees!).

Dad's tombstone is still there and looking good, modeled here by the lovely Ike:

This was also our first opportunity to see and interact with our newest/youngest niece, six-week-old Sadie, whom we couldn't meet earlier due to coronavirus social distancing restrictions.

Life with Leia

I'm really grateful we brought Leia into our lives when we did. Having a puppy at home has made quarantining and social distancing a lot better and something much more entertaining than it otherwise would have been.

When I come home from a long day of work, this is usually the sight that awaits me when I walk into the kitchen:

Dogs have this incredible, innate ability to make you personally feel like you are the center of their universe. (Jana caught this view and sent it to me.)

Leia also really loves licking things and licking me, in particular. I suppose dogs have their love languages, too, and licking is one of Leia's primary methods. It's not uncommon for her to climb up on the arm of the couch and try to lick my face, head, and hair, which often leaves me looking like this:

We're still working on boundaries.

Mother's Day 2020

COVID-19 didn't cancel Mother's Day this year, fortunately, and the Plowbuckles honored the day the best we could. I got to spend the day with three wonderful women whom I honor on the Mother's Day holiday.

Following church services at home, including a study of the week's Come, Follow Me lesson about the prophet Abinadi, we stopped over in West Bountiful to spend some time with Mom in the backyard on a nice, cool May afternoon. (Leia loves that backyard and had a blast running herself ragged all over the place.)

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We also got to spend some time with my wonderful mother-in-law (and the rest of the in-laws) for another Zoom family dinner and game night.

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I also managed to catch this candid glimpse of my amazing wife, hard at work at her sewing machine; she can often be found working selflessly on blankets, capes (you know, for kids!), quilts, and other creative projects for her loved ones: 

Socially Distant Family BBQ

With warmer weather on the way, BBQ season is also fast approaching. Even with social distancing guidelines in place, the Plowbuckles (JB and I) were still able to gather with Biz and Jeff, Ben and Adi, and their kids Friday night in perfect spring weather for a BBQ in West Bountiful.

We brought Leia along, and she had a great time running around the spacious backyard there. She was also a big hit with the kids (not as big of a hit with Kuma, Ben's and Adi's dog, however) and got in a lot of "Fetch," one of her favorite games.

The kids, likewise, had a great time playing together. Not only are our wonderful nieces and nephews cousins to each other, but they are becoming good friends.

The menu for the evening included hamburgers and cheeseburgers, along with pasta salad, chips, and other goodies. JB provided cookies for the dessert.