February's basketball highs and one low

February was full of basketball -- Junior Jazz for James and high school JV and Varsity games for Ben. Highland High won almost every game and went all the way to the final game for the state championship before losing to rival Olympus. 

We loved being there in the Huntsman Center, watching Ben warm up on a college floor. And he got in for the end of the quarter final game.

He's number 24 in these pictures below from the final on Feb. 28.

Here are pictures from the two nights for the semi-final game on Feb. 27 and quarter-final game on Feb. 25, where we sat right behind the bench each time.

A teammates' shoelace broke and Ben quickly gave him his. Then JB took the other shoelace and fixed it and laced up Ben's shoe again. Here's the shoe toss back to him.

Prayer before the game.

Millie watching intently.

Walking in to the Huntsman Center.

I'm going backwards here, and on Feb. 14 they were declared Region Champs and got to cut down the nets at Highland. JB took photos and here's Ben's turn.

With his good friend Tommy and their pieces of the net.

During a Monday afternoon game at West High, Max was calling for his P-day phone call home and got to talk to Ben really fast during the warmup.

Then Ben went out for the tip.

Here we are after that win.

We were sitting close.

Here we are at a home game cheering him on on Feb. 7.

Millie brings toys, like to this game on Feb. 4.

We love getting photos of Ben during the tipoff, like in this game vs Brighton on Feb. 11.

Now to James in Jr Jazz! Here's a Saturday game on Feb. 8.

And the last game on Saturday March 1.

Being a part of Jr Jazz meant a free Jazz game for James and JB on Feb. 13.

Ben has since been playing constantly in the driveway and at the church gym and in spring league games. He'll travel to play in June as well.

January's snow, basketball and a new deacon

In January, our family and the Church got a new deacon! James turns 12 this year and so he joined the Young Men program and was ordained on Sunday, January 12.

He now passes the sacrament every Sunday and is getting better and better at it. JB took him to the temple for baptisms.

During the school winter break, Ben took James to see "Sonic the Hedgehog 3" as his Christmas gift.

Ben played lots of basketball. JB and I always tried to catch the tipoffs on camera, where Ben almost always got the ball.

Our favorite spots to sit were right behind the bench. Though often JB was at the scorers' table for JV games.

Millie also came to many games.

One game was at East High School, and we were so happy to have cousins and Nona and Papa come.

 We also had to search for the sites from the High School Musical movies that were filmed there.

During the month, Andrew helped James make a T-rex jaw for his science fair.

We were asked to sing in sacrament meeting and two people sent us these photos.

James did a Junior Jazz season.

I was invited onto Studio 5 to talk about movies and shows to watch now that Hallmark Christmas movies were over.

Random breakfast picture. Ben would love to have the newspaper come every morning. It comes Wednesdays and Fridays in the afternoon mail.

It snowed a bunch!

We took Millie with us to a wedding reception in Lindon on a Wednesday night when the boys had Young Men activities.

JB and Ben now have matching black vests.

Millie made a First Vision scene in a shoebox from an activity in the Friend magazine.

JB took the boys to a Utah Hockey Club game.

And here is one of the photos of our missionary! Gosh we miss him!