All Is Calm, All Is Bright

Christmas was last week. Perhaps you've heard of this holiday.

I am a week (and also a year, depending on your point-of-view) late in posting photos of our family shindig, but suffice me to say that we had a good one together. I was down and out with strep throat though I was on antibiotics, and the family was good enough not to shun me from spending time with them and observing the many goings-on.

Our annual family Christmas Eve program was very well put together, as it always is, by my sister. Kira enjoyed playing the part of Mary, while Luke was one of the three wise men:

Dad grew out his annual holiday beard for the occasion and gave Kuma a good scratch on the head as he looked on.

Gifts were also exchanged, and among the many given and received, I must say that my family knows me well enough to get me gift certificates for Dee's:

I hope the rest of you out there in blogging land, likewise, had a good Christmas holiday and that the year 2014 is a good year for one and all.

Walking the Dog

At Monday night's family FHE at the Pack Pumpkin Patch, Jackson took the leash from Ben and took Kuma for a short walk.

Then, at 10 seconds into this video, Kuma took Jackson for a walk.

Basket Case

The other day, Jackson locked himself (and Neala) in Neala's dog kennel, where they proceeded to wrestle.

Today, I found Jackson hiding out in my laundry basket:

It's just another (fun) day with Jackson.

Day 363: S'more, the Hamster

For Christmas, Santa Claus brought McKenna a hamster, making it the second pet in the household and the fourth total new pet added to the family this year (and first non-dog).

Everybody got that?

She has named her hamtster S'more, after the campfire treat. Speaking of food, do you know that I've actually eaten hamster on two occasions? In Peru, hamster is considered to be a delicacy, and when you're in the mission field, you eat what is served on your plate - unless, of course, there are direct Word of Wisdom issues.

 Nevertheless, I've assured Kenna that her hamster is safe with me around.

Day 362: Christmas Aftermath

Mom and Dad slept over Christmas Eve, and the kids woke us up bright and early Christmas morning to open up their presents. The inevitable sleepiness that began to set in by breakfast time certainly took place thereafter, as you can see by the look here on Jackson's face:

Kylee, however, took a nap right in the kitchen.

Day 343: One Week with Neala

As of today, Neala has been with us for one week.

Kylee is most definitely in favor of keeping her.

Day 336: Neala

Mike, Jana, and the kids picked up a new family puppy today. She's a 10-month-old beagle (?), and the name they picked out is Neala, which means something like "warrior princess" in a foreign language.

Day 303: Kuma and Saru Dress Up

One of the most pleasant surprises about yesterday's family dinner was seeing Ben's and Adi's puppies, Kuma and Saru - in their costumes.

Kuma's costume is a lion, while Saru's is a hippo. It's their first Halloween as a family, and they're definitely enjoying things.

Day 267: Kuma, the Golden Doodle

Over the weekend, Ben and Adi added another new member to their family by adopting another dog, whom they have named Kuma. The word kuma is Japanese, meaning "bear."

Kuma is a "golden doodle," which is a mixture (I think) of a golden retriever, a labrador, and a poodle. She actually looks quite like a rather curly haired version of Rolley, the golden retriever our family  owned between 1993 and 2007 and whom, sadly, had to be put to sleep after 14 long years (which is, I'm told, quite a lifespan for a dog that size). She is also quite mellow, calm, and friendly, much like Rolley became in her later years. She's the polar opposite of Saru, Ben's and Adi's other, more-energetic puppy.

Speaking of which, Kuma and Adi have already become pretty good friends. Jackson poses with them both here:

Day 256: Saru's Dinner

Ben invited me over for dinner at his new house last night, while Adi and some of her friends had a girls' night out and went to see a movie. We enjoyed a good meal together before I had to skedaddle off to Institute.

Saru, meanwhile, attempted to dine on my shoes. She's looking pretty sharp with her new haircut.

Day 243: Ben, Adi, and Saru Move In

Just after they adopted Saru, but just before they took off for their recent European adventure, Ben and Adi purchased and moved into this new home in northern Centerville:


Lucky for us as a family, all of the Plowmans still remain in various locations throughout and in Davis County.

Day 233: They Grow Up Fast

This photo, taken at our most-recent family get-together, features both of the two newest members of our clan: five-and-a-half-month-old Jacob, sitting on Jana's lap, and Ben's and Adi's puppy Saru, who had grown twice her size since the last time I had seen her.


They sure do grow up fast, don't they?

Day 211: Puppy Sitting

I don't know if you've read about this or not, but the 2012 Olympic Summer Games are now underway in London, England.

Ben and Adi are currently across the pond, where they will be attending a few Olympic events, as well as visiting our British relatives and also doing some tourism on the side.

Not that I am bitter that I can't be there, too.

At any rate, when Ben and Adi departed, they left their "baby," Saru, in the care of Mike, Jana, and their kids, and, from what I gather, they are enjoying having the little monkey around the house. Saru was present for the latest family dinner and had a good time playing with the kids, running around in the backyard, and chewing on her toy groundhog.

Kylee was particularly proud of this photo she snapped of Saru:

I must admit that it is, indeed, a great shot.

Day 202: Europe Bound

The entire family is somewhat jealous of Ben and Adi, who are on a flight to London as I type this post. For the next two weeks, they will be traveling all over the United Kingdom, including Ireland, Scotland, and Wales, as well as Denmark, the land of our Plowman ancestors. They will get to visit many of our British relatives, and they will also get to attend a couple of events at the Olympic Summer Games in London, to boot.

Not that I am bitter that I'm not going.

At any rate, while they're gone and are having the time of their lives, Mike and Jana and their clan will be watching over Saru, seen here playing with Kylee and Kenna at the latest family dinner:

Day 167: Ben's and Adi's Family Expands

After just more than four months of marriage, Ben and Adi have already expanded their family. Following tonight's Improvables performance, they were giddy with excitement as they introduced me to her:

They have named her Saru, which, if I spelled that right and if I understand correctly, is Japanese for "monkey."

Day 162: Ozzy's "Crazy Train"

Mike's and Jana's dog Ozzy - mentioned in yesterday's post - has been somewhat of a comfort for me to have around the house. I've missed having a dog ever since our faithful golden retriever, 14-year-old Rolley, had to be put to sleep a few years ago.

Like he Rolley used to do, he, likewise, enjoys chewing on my shoelaces.

Day 161: Jackson's Fortress of Solitude

The other night, Jana and Jackson were having a little fun outside with Ozzy, the family dog, swinging water tubes (floaties? umm . . . water wings? I honestly don't know what they're called) at his direction as he tried to bite onto them and chew off a piece or two in what became a game of Tug-o'-War.

Eventually, Jackson began to gather up some of the blue pieces, which he called his "crystals,"almost as if he were Superman and were beginning construction on his own Fortress of Solitude.

Day 12: Training Ozzy

When I visited Mike and Jana's place earlier this week, it was also second time for me meeting their new dog, Ozzy, who has been under their roof for just a short time now. As you can see (hopefully), he's a mix of a few different breeds, and he's a very enthusiastic and friendly puppy.


In today's photo, Dallin attempts to teach to teach Ozzy to "sit."

Goodbye, Xena

Mike and Jana's dog Xena (I'll give you three guesses as to whom she was named after, and the first two don't count) has been a part of their family for approximately the past 13 years. She's been with them through the birth of all four of their children as well as moves to Colorado, Florida, and back again to Utah.

On Sunday, she suffered a stroke. It left her with permanent damage, and she was suffering a great deal. Having already lost of most of her hearing, her problems were only compounded. Her owners made the difficult decision to have her put to sleep, which finally took place yesterday.

Before this happened, however, Ben and I traveled up to Layton to see her one last time after the conclusion of Monday's FHE. Though she was not doing very well, Xena nevertheless visited with us in her usual, friendly way. I am glad we had the chance to say goodbye.


Though she was Mike and Jana's dog, Xena was very much a part of the rest of the Plowmans' lives, as well. Whenever we came over to visit, she was most always the first one to greet us and was never less than ecstatic to do so.

I've said it before, and I may say it again: Dogs are more "human" than many people are. They may bark at the wrong times, drool, and emit unpleasant odors, but they have never said a cross word to me or hurt my feelings. They are the best of companions a person could have. Somehow, they always know when you need them there. They're never too busy to spend time with you, and all they ask in return is regular meals and an occasional scratch behind the ears or on the belly.

In the film Marley and Me, John Grogan (Owen Wilson) says: "A dog has no use for fancy cars, big homes, or designer clothes. A water log stick will do just fine. A dog doesn't care if your rich or poor, clever or dull, smart or dumb. Give him your heart, and he'll give you his. How many people can you say that about? How many people can make you feel rare and pure and special? How many people can make you feel extraordinary?"

Like our golden retriever, Rolley, who lived to be 14 and passed away two years ago, Xena was definitely this kind of dog, and we will miss her.

So Deer to My Heart

Over the years, the members of my family and I have cared for many kinds of pets, including dogs, cats, and birds (the llama thing is still a dream, though I really would like to own one someday). On Friday, we got to look after a new kind of pet for a day: a baby deer.

As far as we can tell, it was left next to our front yard by its mother shortly after being born, after which the mother (for some reason) took off. The fawn then wandered into a grove of trees and stayed there for the rest of the day.

Friday (June 5) was already the day of my mom's and my niece McKenna's birthdays, so it seemed like a fitting occasion for a new birth.

Shortly after the fawn appeared, we called animal control to see if they had any advice for us on caring for it. They told us that mother deer will typically disown their babies if they pick up any trace of human odor, so it was important that we not touch or get too close to the baby.


The little fawn didn't do much but sleep or look around for most of the time, but it was a pretty cute little thing to look at. Jessica, Jenna, and Luke came over to look at it, as did a few of our neighbors. Biz named it "Petey" if it was a boy, and "Lilly" if it was a girl. We never did find out the fawn's gender, but the more important issue is that you never disagree with Biz, ever. Jeff will back me up here.

By approximately 9:30 p.m., under cover of darkness, we found that Petey was gone. Presumably, its mother returned to retrieve it.