Puppy Sitting 2021

For the past week, we've had a guest staying over at our house. Dave's and Jessica's Maltipoo Millie has been here while her owners have been out of town on a family vacation. (This week has also been spring break for the Davis County public schools, so there you go.)

Leia and Millie get along very well, generally speaking, but we've learned that sometimes they can get on each other's nerves. They like to run around and sometimes rassle, and really that is pretty much all dog buddies need for a good time.

As you can see by these pics of Millie in action, she likes to lounge around the house and hang out. Ergo, we get along just great.

Plowman Family Dinner/March 2021

A sufficient number of the adults had been fully vaccinated that we decided to resume monthly family dinners (at least on my side of the family) this past Sunday. We met at Biz's and Jeff's backyard in West Bountiful for pulled pork, fresh fruit and veggies, and other goodies. JB provided the Oreo-flavored cake and did a great job with it.

The kids got together for some chalk art. Pictured here are Kate, Kylee, Jackson, and Ike:

Jackson wowed us all with his drawing of this pirate:

Our recently returned RM Dallin is very good with his little cousins, and they all look up to him. He could often be found playing with them, like this:

We celebrated our March birthdays, which included JB's and Jake's (on the 7th) and Kate's, which happens to be today (the 31st).

The Mish: Blossoming as the Rose

Twenty-five years and several pounds ago this month, I was serving as a missionary in Peru. I was transfered to a new assignment to labor in the city of Cusco, which as it turns out is real and not a fictional place from The Emperor's New Groove. In that area, my companion, Elder Quispe, and I taught and baptized brother and sister Ever and Kelly Cárdenas, whose mother was returning to activity in the Church after an absence.

Sunday, March 17, 1996, looked like this:

You may not recognize that skinny kid, but that was me. The Cuzco Ward was one of my favorite areas with one of my favorite companions, and it included many memorable experiences enjoyed with unforgettable people.

Fast-forward to just a few days ago when now-thirtysomething Kelly searched for and found me on Facebook. In her message, she said her own eight-year-old child (Kelly is now a mother of four) had been baptized that week, and it inspired her to find the missionary who baptized her all those years ago. She remains active in the Church and is trying to keep her family on the straight and narrow.

Talking to Kelly again after not knowing anything about her or her family for many years was a great blessing for me. It was a reminder that planting seeds, nurturing them, watching them grow, and seeing the fruits blossom are all part of the process.

I have, and will always have, a great love for the children of Lehi in Peru. My association with the Lamanites and seeing them "blossom as the rose" (D&C 49:24) keeps bringing dividends and great blessings as the years go by.

Our Day Out with Christian

We caught up with another pandemic-delayed birthday outing today, this time with our seven-year-old nephew Christian. Better late than never ... amirite?

The birthday boy chose to go to Fiiz for a treat, and that was followed by board and video games with JB and me at our house. I'll own up to being beaten at Connect Four by a seven-year-old.

Christian is four months away from his next birthday, so I'm glad we got this birthday taken care of before the next one arrives. All in all, it was an afternoon well spent.