Staycation

Rather than embarking on a family trip up to Bear Lake this summer, we decided to do something different (and a little less expensive) and opted for a "staycation" instead. Said staycation would include local outings and activities we could do together as a family, and then we could separately return to our homes at night and sleep in our own beds. Not a bad deal, huh?

Well, I was sold on the idea from the start. Our collective staycation began on Thursday, July 16, and this first day consisted of a trip up to the Pineview Reservoir in Ogden for swimming and other aquatic fun. Someone (OK, it was me) had a couple of doctor's appointments at that same time, keeping the Plowbuckles away from this event.

We were, however, there for everything on Day 2. Friday, July 17, found us up at Boondocks in Kaysville, where we first ate lunch together. Our meal consisted of pizza, chicken fingers, and other goodies. Three-year-old Sam kept us all entertained with his impromptu karaoke performance of Benson Boone's "Beautiful Things."

After lunch, we bought our respective four-hour passes and started off with a variety of outdoor activities. JB, my siblings, and a number of the niblings played on the water boats while I watched and statyed relatively dry. Ben broke a bat in the batting cages. There was also a rope course that looked pretty daunting from the ground below.

JB and I completed a course of mini golf, and we also joined Jana 1, Sadie, and Graham for a session on the go karts. In this pic, I'm not looking at JB's phone because I was too busy trying to get untangled from my seatbelt and arm belts and was seeking the aid of the ride operator:

Our afternoon together concluded with a massive game (over 25 people) of Laser Tag, something I hadn't played in years; my tally sheet at the end attested to this. Eighteen-year-old Jackson blew everyone away with his laser-shooting prowess—literally and figuratively, I guess?

In the evening, we congregated at Ben's and Adi's home in Centerville for a barbecue, which included Steve's custom-made fat burgers, fresh watermelon, and other delicious treats. After eating, we set up a screen for an outdoor movie, the family-friendly new release Sheep Detectives.

Day 3 fell on Saturday, July 18, and it brought us up to Syracuse, where we rented out a private swimming pool and pickleball court. Due to my sore right foot (see the boot I'm wearing in the pics below), I didn't get in the water nor did I play any pickleball. But everyone who did had a great time, and I was content to watch on the sidelines and eat lunch (a sandwich and other snacks).

This "pickleswim," as it came to be called, was a great success. (It was JB who discovered this wonderful location and got us interested in going there in the first place.)

Our staycation was capped off later that evening at Steve's and Summer's home in North Salt Lake, featuring food and games. Yours truly was dealing with a migraine and stayed home, but JB went and had a good time with the whole gang.

All told, I'd give the staycation concept 9.5 out of 10 stars. The activities were fun, and the company was even better. Perhaps we will do another one next summer?

Arbuckle Family Dinner/August 2025

August's family dinner with JB's side of the family took us down to beautiful Memorial Park in Provo on a beautiful (and unusually cool, mid-80s) summer day. Olivia and Caleb, who live nearby in BYU student housing, hosted our little picnic. Our menu included build-your-own sandwiches with all of the trimmings, fresh watermelon, and Costco cheesecake for dessert.

Our afternoon also included a spiritual thought and short lesson by Livvy:

I had never really spent much (or any?) time in this park previously, though it was just a stone's throw from the ComedySportz (now Comedy Box) club I used to perform improv in with my sister. We enjoyed spending some time there. While we were there, I had to get a picture next to the big cannon:

Weekend at Bear Lake 2024

Last weekend featured the annual family trip up to beautiful Bear Lake, along the Utah/Idaho border. It was good to get away for a few days and to enjoy some 15-to-20-degree cooler temperatures to escape another long, hot summer, to boot.

A house filled with 26 of us running around was sometimes-chaotic, but it was  never boring. We had the Summer Olympic Games from Paris keeping us glued to the TV much of the time. There were card and board games frequently taking place. Some of us also spent some time at the beach ... go figure. (When in Garden City. ...)

Like last year's trip, "Jack Box" games kept us entertained on more than one night. (I'm not sure who drew the cartoon of Donald Trump on this T-shirt during "Tee K-O," but it amazed us all.)

Vacation time always means more time with the nieces and nephews, and Fun Aunt and Uncle were there for it. The nieces especially love JB.

I need to brag a bit more here about JB, because she captured this phenomenal sunset on one of our nights up at the lake:

My siblings and I took turns providing the meals for everyone. JB and I (let's be honest, she does most of the work, like always; my job is standing in front of whichever cabinet or drawer she currently needs access to) provided the ingredients for tacos and taco salads. We also had pizza, sandwiches, pasta, and assorted breakfast items.

This was our first annual trip without Mom. We felt her absence. But we also know she was with us in spirit and would've wanted the family fun times to continue.

Olivia's & Caleb's Wedding

Last week, our niece Olivia was sealed to her husband, Caleb, in the beautiful Taylorsville temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Of course, you know that Fun Aunt and Uncle were there for the occasion and for the festivities that followed.

It was a beautiful ceremony on a beautiful summer day in a beautiful place. Both bride and groom looked so happy all day long.

The reception was held later that evening at the Bountiful Central Stake pavilion, adjacent to Bountiful High School. We were greeted by a railing lined with photos and other memorabilia charting the happy couple's relationship over the years.

There was also this quilt, which attendees were invited to write an entry on. JB, whom I'll admit has much better handwriting, wrote something for the both of us. Presumably, this quilt would then be made into an actual quilt and given to the newlyweds.

There was also an ice cream bar—the perfect recipe for one of the many hot Utah summer days we've been passing through.

All told, it was a wonderful day spent with a wonderful couple and many of our family members and friends.

Harvest

UPDATE: We have been checking in on Mom's garden (the very same one we helped her plant back in May) throughout the summer. We picked some veggies the other day, and we have been pleased with the fruit of our labors . . . so to speak.

Summer Work Party

Since neither of my workplaces hold summer shindigs (ones I'm invited to, anyhow; not that I am bitter), we at least got to attend JB's work party a couple of Saturdays ago. It was a beautiful evening for a BBQ, minus the bees, which, with the changing season just around the corner, will soon be banished back to that hell that spawned them.

OK then! We journeyed up to Syracuse to the home of one of JB's co-workers. I got to meet her boss, as well as several co-workers and their families, and they are wonderful people. One of the kids present was one-year-old Madison, who stuck her fingers inside JB's mouth like this:

I am tempted to do the same to JB with my own fingers nearly every day, so it's not really that unusual. (Tom Jones said so.)

Following dinner, we cooked woofums, which I swear is a real word, or at least I now understand is an actual thing that people cook. Basically, you stick some dough on the end of one of these tiki torch-like sticks, as goofball JB demonstrates here:

. . . and then you roast it over an open fire:

After all of this has been accomplished, you put jelly, jam, or cream filling on the now-cooked bread, roll it up like a pie, and eat it.

I'm certainly not great at it, this being my first time making woofums (what a fun word to both say and type), but we enjoyed the process nonetheless. The company was enjoyable, too.

Independence Day, Part 1

This year's Independence Day festivities included two family parties, held (respectively) on the 3rd and 4th of July.

Sometimes, I have to pinch myself to remember on a daily basis that my family now includes a wife, parents-in-law, three brothers-in-law, three sisters-in-law, and seven additional nieces and nephews (niblings). And each one of them is a pretty amazing person.

On the 3rd, we assembled together at the parents-in-laws' home in West Bountiful for a BBQ and something I'd never tried before: axe throwing. Tyson showed us all how it was done:

. . . after which JB showed off her stuff and reminded me once again to never mess with her to the point of ever getting frustrated enough to throw an axe in my direction.

As for my own efforts, of which JB snapped some photos, I'll say that axe throwing is somewhat harder to do than it looks. But it's also a lot of fun. I found that the two-handed method works a lot better for me than trying to throw an axe right handed only. It helps explain why I woke up the next morning barely above to move because my muscles were so sore from the attempt.

To close out the evening, Spencer set up a movie screen in the backyard, and we watched the recent Spielberg movie Ready Player One in the Great Outdoors, with only the mosquitoes to keep us company.

Danny's Other First Birthday Party

Today was Daniel's actual first birthday, so in addition to the family party we held for him a couple of weeks ago, Summer arranged an additional gathering at the nearby North Foxboro park, adjacent to the splash pad.

It was a pleasant evening for an outdoor gathering, as far as summer nights go. We enjoyed cupcakes, but mostly we enjoyed each other's company.

Sunday in the Park with Jana

Last night, those family members who could attend went to see Jana and an ensemble cast called the Kenley Revue Company perform a selection of Disney musical favorites at the Ed Kenley Amphitheater in Layton. It was a a warm evening to be outside, but that's July in Utah for you. Songs from Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, The Lion King, Mary Poppins, Newsies, and Tarzan were presented.

Jana also made the Zazu puppet she is holding in the photo. It was used for "I Just Can't Wait to Be King."

Feelin' Hot, Hot, Hot

It sure is hot out there right now, isn't it?

Yep. That's summertime for you.

August Family Dinner

How do we spend our family dinners together on a warm summer evening?

A lot like this, with the s'mores on the menu and good times all around.

Jedi for Hire

I am more than a month late in posting this (said event took place in late July), but here goes.

Sometimes—as in, this was the first time this has happened—my friends hire me to dress up like a Jedi and to come to their children's Disney-themed birthday party to teach these kids and their many friends about the ways of the Force and to lead them in a simulated Jedi light saber battle. It's really fun (sarcasm; it's not) to get dressed in those warm Jedi robes on a hot summer night.

Yes, this really happened. And I have pictures to prove it.

Whom better to ask, right? Plus, they sealed the deal by feeding me barbecued hot dogs and topped it off with pineapple whip (sp?) treats to end the evening.

The idea was that I would talk briefly about the ways of the Force, so I spent at least a half-hour on Wookieepedia boning up on Jedi knowledge. I got about 10 seconds into my summary of this topic before I had lost all of the kids' collective attention spans.

Then, we put the kids on a plank and had them face off with foam "light sabers," this idea being that they "winner" would be the one who knocked the other kid off of the "board." This quickly devolved into the kids attacking especially me with the foam sabers, then using some of the very large cucumbers in this backyard to also pelt me for several minutes.

Do I sound in any way like this was a negative experience for me? Though it was chaotic at times, it wasn't negative in the least. I got to catch up with some old friends, the Lee clan, and meet their kids. Though I left with a few bruises, both from the cucumbers and to my ego, I enjoyed myself immensely when all was said and done.

Next time I'm hired out like this, though, I better get 15,000 credits when we get to Alderaan.

Summer Breeze

Following tonight's bi-monthly family dinner, I got to kick back for an hour and hang out with these two puppies on the back porch while enjoying a cool summer breeze. All in all, it was a relaxing summer evening.

Well, except for the mosquitoes. I didn't care for them much.