31/365

 3rd game of the season... another nail biter--several lead changes. Gavin's team lost 23-26. Gav had 6 points today... he played forward & didn't get the ball as much as last game, but it did give some of the other boys a chance to score their first baskets of the season. :) After each game, the team meets in a room for snacks & the coaches talk for a few minutes & hand out little iron-on stars to recognize each player for different things (offense, defense, effort, sportsmanship, etc.). It's a good league!

 Valentine nails (Ellie's idea) & I think we're gonna need a bigger dog bed.

30/365

Morning

29/365

Poor Bella...

28/365

 One of our favorite go-to meals: Pasta with pesto sauce & grape tomatoes (this was leftover from yesterday, & it's just as good cold as it is hot!) Love this salad mix from Costco too--broccoli slaw, kale, cabbage, brussels sprouts, Craisins, pumpkin seeds & it comes with packets of poppy seed dressing.

Settling in to watch the Arizona/Oregon basketball game which started at 8pm--AZ won 90-56. Regardless of the blowout, I could not get Gavin to go to bed until it was over. #diehardfan

27/365

 I love moments like this! They were listening to a read-along CD of the book.

Gavin likes to go out & shoot baskets every day after school... getting in a little extra practice.

26/365

 We've been slow at getting back into our morning scripture reading routine this month... This morning we started again. Gavin was looking for 2nd Nephi in the Bible index & asked, "Is it in the Old Testament or the New Testament?" I gave him a look as I showed him the cover of Ellie's blue "Book of Mormon," and he said, "Oh, ok, 'ANOTHER' Testament." :) The crew at this moment:

 This afternoon I turned on the DVR as I was starting to fold a batch of clothes, to find it full of recorded Superbowls... this is not all! Gavin thinks he'll find the time to watch them. oh boy.

 Ballet class tonight. Ellie missed it 2 weeks ago when she was sick, then last Monday it was Martin Luther King Day, so this is only her second class!

25/365

 Greyson says, "I'm Santa!"

24/365

 Big game today... this one was a nail-biter! Gavin's team lost 34-36, but Gavin made 22 points by himself (& only played half the game!)!!! He was point guard most of the time & did an amazing job.

 After the game we went to lunch at the brand new "Togo's!" We loved this place in CA when we lived there so are excited to get one here!

23/365

We picked up our Bountiful Basket tonight, including not 40, but 80 pounds of apples. The way this kid eats apples, we go though a 40-lb box in about 3 weeks. At $.55/lb, this is the way to go!

22/365

 Always interesting talking to Darin in China...

This afternoon, we decided to take a walk with Bella to meet Gavin at school for the walk home. We haven't taken her on a lot of long walks yet because it's been so cold! But Ellie & Greyson have been dying to go back to the new playgound at Fuller Park, so we went about an hour before Gavin got out of school. Bella did great & the kids loved it. Gavin asked if we could bring Bella to pick him up every day... doubtful. The pond is partially frozen over--see the ducks standing on the ice?

21/365

 The kids had gotten $20 each from Grandma & Grandpa Bishop for Christmas & had been thinking of what they wanted to spend it on. Ellie got the dalmation & Greyson got the Pluto a couple weeks ago at Kohl's, but they were only $3.50 each, so they still had money to spend. Today we went to Kidz Again (a second hand store) where they found just the things! Ellie had wanted a Barbie car ever since Christmas, so she was thrilled to find this Barbie RV there! & Greyson got "Optimus Prime" (a Transformer) that talks & lights up. Thank you Grandma & Grandpa!

20/365

 Bella had an appointment with the vet today for her 2nd round of shots... we had quite a long wait. Grey had a bit of a fever this morning & had fallen asleep before we got here... he continued his nap in the waiting room, & Ellie was quite content to thumb through several issues of "Cat Fancy."

19/365

 First real sun we've seen in awhile... & it got up to 52° today! Greyson chose the Memory game to play for FHE activity... Gav schooled us, but Ellie & Grey held their own!

18/365

17/365

 We were on church-cleaning duty this morning--we did all the chalkboards & glass doors. This afternoon was Gav's first game--this league does it big--for introductions, they run in through a black tunnel to the strobe-lit gym where they're playing "Eye of the Tiger." Very fun! Gavin's team had a tough loss today 20-50, but on the upside, Gavin scored 10 of his team's points!

 I didn't get any other pictures during the game because Ellie had my phone & was busy doing this:

 and this: