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.

Hasta Luego, Presidente

Over the weekend, I learned the sad news that my mission president, Carlos A. Cuba Quintana, had passed away from complications due to COVID-19.

(This is me on May 9, 1995, at my welcome-to-the-mission dinner, along with the Cuba family; Elder and Hna. Silva, our family history missionaries from Texas; and Elders Urbano, Rodríguez, and Rodríguez [yes, two Rodríguezes], from Peru:)

It's hard to find the words, in either English or Spanish, to pay tribute to the good man we have lost. Nevertheless, I will try.

Presidente Cuba loved his missionaries; he called us his hijos (sons) and hijas (daughters). He treated us like a second father away from home. He was not perfect; he sometimes lost his temper, and he was sometimes strict—and there were times when he needed to be, including with me personally. Still, we knew that loved us. I will remember his good nature, his love of the gospel and of people, his good humor, and his showing me how a good husband and father in the way he treated his wife and five daughters.

He loved missionary work, and he dedicated three years of his life (among many other callings he served in throughout his life) to helping his missionaries learn to love it and preach its message well. It wasn't unusual to attend a multi-zone missionary conference with Pdte. Cuba speaking well into 9 or 10 in the evening. I spent four months of my service as his personal secretary in the mission office, one of the most-rewarding experiences of my time in Peru. It was a season in which I got to see up close just how tirelessly he worked on behalf of his missionaries and how dedicated he was to magnifying his calling.

This picture of Hna. and Pdte. Cuba was taken just a few months ago in front of the still-relatively new Arequipa temple, in southeastern Peru:

Pdte. Cuba, again serving under the title of president, was a member of the temple presidency at the time of his passing.

As one of my fellow missionaries pointed out in a social media post (Pdte. Cuba's hijos have been talking to each other a lot this week), this is not goodbye; this is just an hasta luego. We look forward in faith to the day when we are reunited with all of our lost loved ones through the grace and Atonement of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Hasta vernos con el Rey.

Sadie's Blessing

On Wednesday night, we gathered together as a family to give my three-month-old niece Sadie Rae her name and blessing, per the guidelines of the ordinance of the LDS Church. Steve, her dad, was voice, and all of these other guys took part in the circle:

I forget why I am the only person wearing my mask in this pic, but that is just the weirdness you get on a regular basis with me. (We all wore masks in the circle, per social distancing guidelines.)

The weather was perfect for a summer day, and we enjoyed some delicious goodies with great company afterward.