Ugly Sweater Party

James and I hosted the best party of the century (thanks to the Hopkins for the idea). We had a total of 32 guests. There was so much laughter, everyone's cheeks hurt by the end of the night. We played name that Christmas tune, Pictionary (girls against guys--Mele Kilikimaka was a riot), and had a white elephant gift exchange. The funniest gift was a picture of one of our guests who had signed his own picture, "Your #1 Fan, Cody."

Looking so hot.

Check out those shoulder pads!

James' sweater featured lights that flashed, "HO."

Best "over all" male sweater.

Female winner

Electric train set.

You'll shoot your eye out!

Most of the girls.

A favorite white elephant.

Christmas Tree Hunt

This was our first year for a real tree. Please pretend we don't look like we just rolled out of bed. (As it happens, it had been a very productive day but hygiene just wasn't a priority.)

Warming up by the fire while we wait for the hayride.
The chair behind Grace cracked us up.


Loaded and ready!
This is the one!

You'll notice there's plenty of space for presents...

Tessa sawing the tree.

Daddy's gloves are warm.

James tying the tree to the car.

The finished product.
Decorations feature homemade popcorn garlands and dehydrated orange rounds.

Cute Kids

Ben and Grace doing their own hair.

And I used to wonder how so much hairspray gets on the mirror!

You'll notice Ben never goes anywhere without a sword. Just like a man and his wallet.

Marie crocheting.
Why did the sewing skill in the Guthrie family skip my generation?

Turkey Day

Allie's lemon meringue made Martha look like an amateur.

Trying out one of Papa Randy's free X Box games.

You can never have too much Ranch.

Melissa whipping potatoes.

Blackberry Pie

Glad Grandma Jane is back.

Say, "Cheese!"

Marie helps chop veggies.

Seth and James discussing quantum physics.

Ben munching on a carrot.

Tess bouncing on Papa Randy's knee.

Playing with Bryson's new Lego table.

Gretel VonTrapp

Aunt Molly dolled up for dinner. (Yes, guys, she's single...)

Over-due Halloween Post

Allie (#3) waves to the ward crowd trying to guess who is which mummy.

Grandma Lori made cute Raggedy Ann costumes. Here is Tessa eating breakfast before school.

Marie packing her lunch.

The pumpkins we grew from our garden. Nothing fancy this year.

This post is for Lori, Staci and Jane. I know it is sad that I didn't even take pictures of the younger two kids. (In fact, I didn't take any. If it hadn't been for James, there would be no pictures at all.) Ben was a knight and Grace a princess, of course. Maybe one day when I am a hymn-book collector I'll have more time to document our lives. But for now, blogger is giving me fits. No wonder I don't post more.

Business Trip

I'm stuck for most of the week in a place called Ko Olina on Oahu. What a bummer.


This is the view from my hotel room. I slept with the window open last night so I could hear the ocean (the noise from the luau died down not long after dark).


The hotel has a private lagoon. This is the view from my window. There are four of these man-made lagoons in a row. I'm not a runner, but I took a jog this morning along the path that connects them.


This is the lagoon from the running path at ground level. Early in the morning, there were mongoose hopping around like squirrels. Apparently, they were introduced to kill off the non-native snakes, but they find the native flightless birds easier prey.


The Marriott Ihilani Hotel. I'm on the 9th floor right above the pool.


I'm not sure if these are available for the taking. I haven't had a chance to swim across the lagoon yet. I'm here to work, after all.


I ended the day with a few laps in the pool and a dip in the spa.


This garden surrounds the hotel. The pond is full of tropical fish.


And hammerhead sharks. The longest one is about three feet.

Buena Vista, CO Autumn Color Run

(Update: They just posted the race results. It turns out I came in at 1:55:59. I was in 64th place of 226 total runners, 30th place of 150 women, or 12th place of the 50 women in my age division.)

A few weeks ago a girlfriend from an old ward invited me to join a group of friends to do a half marathon. When I asked James if he thought I could run 13 miles cold, he said,"Probably." We both laughed at the lunacy of the situation. The fact that I'd consider doing something like that without training suggests I have at least one screw loose... All the colors made me want to hunt down a Thanksgiving turkey right then and there. (Although, I did leave one cooking in the oven for James when he got home.)

View while driving the course the night before.

A road trip with 7 girls will cure most problems...


Out to dinner at the worst restaurant on the planet.

Just before loading the buses. It was a pretty chilly morning. Two of us didn't feel like spending an extra $20 just to be matchy-matchy. (For the record, Staci, I was wearing shorts under those pants!)

Over the all, it was a tough race. The first five or six miles ran along dirt road in a mountain canyon. Simply stated, it was a broken ankle waiting to happen. There were very few aid stations, so I was glad I had brought my water belt. I finished in 2 hours, 59 seconds. Considering the rugged terrain, an ankle injury that I sustained two weeks ago, and the fact that I hadn't trained, I was pleased with a 9-minute per mile average. I came in first of my friends (also not too shabby).

Thanks, ladies, for the memories. And thank you, James, for giving me the time off.