Today- 5 years ago.

I found this picture in my archives from 12/22/2004.

yes my eyebrows are painted on.

365 Great Days.

One beautiful year (and a couple added pounds) later we find ourselves celebrating our anniversary. Where did the time go?
We have shared so many great experiences together.
We have learned so much about eachother.
We have grown closer together.
We have laughed everyday.
And we are looking forward to many more years (and eternity) together

For Grandma Beverton

Perhaps it's the fact that I am half British, but I really do love Fish n' Chips. I'll get them at even gross places like Denny's- those are the times I usually end up just not eating any. But Spence and I went to a place in Layton,UT that was DIVINE.(my friend Emily told us about it) Spencer was a little confused when the "chips" came out and they were french fries. What a rookie mistake. They had tons of other good looking things on the menu as well. They also have this little store that sells tons of good British candies and chocolates - of course for a fee ($$$$$) So if you are in the North Salt Lake area STOP BY- you won't regret it.

Thank You Jillian Michaels.

Dear Jillian,
  I love your workout video 30 Day Shred. It hasn't been 30 days yet but just as you said, I am becoming "shredded." I am loving my 6 pack....4 pack........stomach.
     Thanks, Sara   (& Spencer- He loves it too, but doesn't want to admit it.)

 P.S. This little Centaur has seen results with the video too!

I Love BYU: Reason #14

I really do enjoy BYU, but I'm not sure if I'm at reason #14. Maybe I'm even beyond 14. The low cost of tuition is by far reason #1. I'll get back to you on reasons 2-13. What brings me to such a likeness today is the fact that someone returned my wallet. With everything in it. Everything. This semester I have lost my BYU ID card, my phone, and just recently my wallet (Not to mention the countless times I have misplaced our keys). All of which have been returned. What a fabulous campus. I carry two bills in my wallet.There is a $100 bill and a $2 bill. One is too big to break and the other is too extraordinary to waste. It's perfect. I don't spend anything! My mind has apparently been else where lately so when I reached for my wallet and found it was missing I went straight to the Lost and Found. There it was. My mustard colored, silver lined wallet--with all the contents. Thank you BYU for the honor code.

Happy Thanksgiving

 

I love this video. I stole it from my friend, MB. I got a little emotional. 
I blame it on being a woman and hormones. 
Enjoy your holiday.

thursday was a good day.

Thursday was a good day because I won front row tickets to the BYU football game doing THIS (CLICK LINK)

"It is a rare sight to see a person playing two recorders through both nostrils, hula hooping and balancing a plate on her head, but one student did all three at the same time. This was one of many acts by those who competed for front row football tickets on Thursday. "

- Daily Universe, Thursday, 11/19/2009

P.S. We sold the tickets for a nice profit.

P.P.S. a video of my pumpkin smashing days can be found HERE

Today is a good day.

This might be the only thing that could make it even better.

It's That Time Again

Tonight we are taking our mustache selves to the BYU season opener. I can't believe it is already that time again. This is our 3rd basketball season together. Even though I always have a secret crush on one of the players, Spencer still takes me and we enjoy watching together.

310th day of the year

November 6 brought Spencer.
I am so grateful for November 6. 

Happy Birthday Spence. I love you.

Smash for Cash

 Our original costume plan fell through so at the last minute we came up with the mummy idea. Maybe next year. 

We've been extremely busy with school, work and other various activities that time to pull our costumes together was cut short. Perhaps it was that Halloween was over shadowed by the fact that I won $411. You read that right.

On campus I smashed a pumpkin with four-hundred and eleven dollars in it.
it was awesome.
We put it towards some of our ever consuming never ending medical bills.

The next day the story appeared on the front cover of the Daily Universe. 2009 might be my best year for publications. We spent the weekend attending assorted Halloween parties and eating too much candy. We can't wait for Halloween 2010.

To Be or Not to Be.

I’ve dressed up as a lot of things through out my lifetime. I love dressing up. Which is one of the reasons I love Halloween, not to mention all the scary things that take place as well. I've been a lumberjack, pioneer, biker (part of the YMCA group), whitetrash, chef, and a bunch of other characters (not necessarily always for Halloween) but this year Spencer and I have been trying to think of things that go together. Things in pairs or twos. Bacon and Eggs Thing 1, Thing 2. I saw one of our neighbors dressed in a cute costume of an oven and a baker (bun in the oven) but I didn't want to give off the wrong message. We are still trying to critique the final ideas about our costume but I'm excited to debut it in just a couple of days.

Bacon Button

Push Button, Receive Bacon.You will never look at a hand dryer the same way.

We're (Kinda) Famous!

A number of months ago my dear Aunt Diane called me to let me know that she and her daughter Audrey, were browsing through a magazine while they waited in the checkout line at a grocery store. After thumbing through the pages they stared at a particular picture thinking it was Spencer and I. Then the caption gave it away. And a few minutes later I received a phone call. We found out about it when we were in Georgia and now that I finally have got my hands on a copy of the magazine I'm blagging (blog bragging) about it.

You can see this picture

In this magazine

Our picture (and my little quote) can be seen on page 103. The magazine has been on the racks since January 2009, and will remain till Decemember 31, 2009. So get your hands on one and Spencer and I will be more than pleased to sign your copy. (They make great Christmas gifts)

Today was our sweet little baby's intended due date. Did you know that only 2% of babies are born on their actual due date? So in that aspect I am actually quite normal for once. This whole experience has been very inspiring and spiritual. I now have a constant reminder of Celestial glory and have inspiration each and every day to achieve it. I am trying to be more understanding, more forgiving and more loving to those around me. Our second bedroom holds some of the things we received in preparation for our baby but now the closet seems quiet and surreal. The cute dresses and clothes hang there as a reminder of what could have been around this time. However, they also hang as motivation for being a better person, to have the opportunity to raise our baby girl later. We pray that we will be blessed with another miracle soon. We are so grateful for the cards, letters, and packages that have been sent around this time from those of you sharing your love and letting us know that you are thinking about us. Thank you.

surplus

I just saw a girl wearing three CTR rings. She's really serious about choosing the right (with both her left and right hand)

People of Walmart

As I look out the window I see Mt. Timpanogos with a nice sheen blanket of snow on the top. Despite the reality of the winter months approaching I have been blessed with something to lighten my spirits on this cold and windy day. My dear friend Alana sent me an email a few weeks ago and I feel so inclined to pass it on to all of you in hopes that you can get a laugh or two out of it. For those of you in sunnier parts of the world today (Aaron and Stacey) disregard this post and go find joy in the beach, the icecream man, and tan lines.

Just in case you had the urge...

Nothing says sanitary like a parrot in the produce isle.

This website is awesome. You can win a $100 gift certificate for having the best picture of the month. Fabulous. I love Walmart, an now I love it even more. So remember to take your camera next time you go.

I Spy: BYU Edition

Maybe it's because we are only a few weeks into fall semester but I feel that I have been a lot more alert and wide-eyed lately and have noticed a lot more things because of it. I've been able to take a few pictures with my phone (hence the poor quality) of things I've seen around campus.

Mark your calendars. Something you'll only see at BYU.
I had to snap a picture of this boy perched on a rock reading his scriptures. Maybe he's trying to get closer to God? I mean by reading his scriptures-- not by climbing on top of some 8 foot stone to sit in some awkward position...Let's just say hopefully they got a call back.

Post-Edit: I love attending BYU. I don't want people to get the wrong idea. Also, I will be most likely attending that seminar.... hopefully no one was offended by the "The things seen around BYU"- there will be more to come. I guarantee it.

Go Cougars!

We snagged some great tickets to the game on Saturday from Spencer's Grandma who is a life long member of BYU sporting events and gets two tickets to every football and basketball game-- for LIFE. However, as if losing wasn't bad enough, we had some raging fan behind us. I suppose it could have been worse. He could have been for the Seminoles.

(Don't mind the double chin-- its the angle, I swear.)

Dear Neighbors,

Hello! We are the Ortons. We just moved in to our apartment this week. We might live underneath you, or to the right or left of you. We really enjoy our place. We both attend BYU as full-time students. You may be wondering why we vacuum our apartment around 10:00pm each night. The truth is, that loud noise you might hear waking up your sleeping babies, is actually our Snow Cone maker. Sorry for the inconvenience.
- Your New Neighbors.

9/9/09

I almost forgot to celebrate today until my little art history professor asked us to name and date a sheet of paper in preparatory for our quiz.
HOW COULD I CONCENTRATE WHEN I JUST REALIZED TODAY WAS 9/9/09?!?
(Needless to say I scored 9/9 actually 10/10 but isn't 9/9 just so fitting...)

I posted something about this date a little while ago. And our friends in the far east did not disappoint.
you mathematicians out there have probably had a field day on 09/09/09

The date falls on a Wednesday in September, both of which have 9 letters.

September 9 also is the 252nd day of the year. 2+5+2=9

In addition, if you multiply a single-digit number by 9, the resulting two digits add up to 9. Consider: 4x9=36; 3+6=9
(more from this article can be found on cnn.com)

I'm wondering how many pregnant women due around this time are trying to get induced on this day. Maybe that will be something I'll be blessed to consider around 10/10/10.

There are great deals all over the web today celebrating 9/9/09. Hotels.com is offering $99 hotels. Restaurant.com is offering 90% off of gift cards! As well, the Beatles albums have all been digitally remastered and have been released today.

September 9, 2009. What a great day.

Back to School

Rendezvous in Old Nauvoo

755 miles into our 2,050 mile journey we stopped in Nauvoo, Illinois. A quaint town on the edge of the Mississippi River that has some important historical sites pertaining to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Nauvoo was a refuge to the Saints between 1839 and 1846, however, difficulties increased forcing the Saints to flee their homes and start their trek westward to the Great Salt Lake.
Spencer and I loved walking around the quiet town and taking a look at all the historic homes. The weather was absolutely perfect. (I visited Nauvoo in 2002 for the temple open house when the heat and humidity were unbearable) We attended the temple and loved looking at the dark hardwood and intricate details replicated of the work the Saints did before it was destroyed. We were able to see the cemetery of the final resting place for the Prophet Joseph Smith, Emma Hale Smith, Hyrum Smith, Joseph Sr, and Lucy Mack Smith, as well as many other Smith family members. We toured Carthage Jail (22 miles away) where Joseph and Hyrum Smith were martyred June 27, 1844. We walked down Parely Street "Street of Tears" where the Saints on February 4, 1846 said farewell to their beautiful city and homes and crossed, in that bitter cold winter, the frozen Mississippi River. It was such an amazing experience to see where these events took place that we as members of the church read and hear so much about. We spent two nights there and took off early the next morning to continue on our own personal trek the other 1,296 miles.

Botox VS. Dysport

First things first.

Hyperhidrosis is a medical condition in which a person sweats excessively and unpredictably. People with hyperhidrosis may sweat even when it is cool or when they are at rest.

You could say that I have a mild condition of Hyperhidrosis. Palmar Hyperhidrosis to be exact.

Upon my departure from my fabulous job at the Dermatologist office, Dr. Hamilton offered the option of once again puncturing my hands with many painful needles to decrease the amount of sweating. What a nice little going-away-gift. (A previous story about a similar experience can be found HERE) I of course agreed to the torture, and seated my self in the patients chair. I had some numbing cream, but don't think it worked much. The procedure is done starting in the middle of the palm going in an outward spiral until each little digit is injected. A couple pricks down each finger (the tips hurting the most containing the most nerves clustered together in the body) and then you're done.
With one hand that is. Previously I have had this procedure done with a product known as BOTOX. As many of you know, whether users or not, BOTOX is a prescription medicine that is injected into muscles used to temporarily freeze and improve the look of frown lines and wrinkles. However, many of you don't know that Dysport (pronounced 'DISS-port') -a very similar product approved by the FDA April 30, 2009- is now available in the United States. Which brings me to the very reason I was seated in the patient chair that slowly reclined to a laying position as my palms sweat and sweat and sweat (their last chance for a long time I might add). The last time I had painful palm injections the results lasted well over 9 months and wore off very slowly maximizing my results to almost 18 months* I would say. The question is: HOW LONG WILL THE DYSPORT LAST? Only time will tell. It is one week today and the results have been fabulous. Some research has shown Dysport lasting even longer than Botox- and better yet- It is a cheaper product.


*results not typical.

Cafeteria La Oaxaquena

We drove out to Smyrna, GA so that Spencer could enjoy some authentic Oaxacan style of food. (Oaxaca is the state of Mexico that Spencer served in.) The restaurant it self was clean and the food was rather inexpensive but I didn't really know that "real" Mexican food didn't come with all the usual (yummy) toppings. i.e. cheese, guacamole, sourcream, salsa. God Bless American versions of food... Chinese, Italian, Mexican. Spencer on the other hand thoroughly enjoyed it and thought that it was the best post-mission "REAL" Mexican he has had.

8 is Great.

No, this is not a post about an 8 year old getting baptized.

Eight is considered to be a lucky number in Asian cultures. It is said to mean fortune and wealth. Maybe those rules don't apply to Spencer and I because we aren't Asian. I'll let you know if that luck starts rolling in.

One year ago, [August 8th, 2008- luck x3?] I was busy getting this little treat on my finger.
I had no idea it was coming and didn't even have the chance to do any ring shopping with Spencer but he did a really good job on choosing it all by himself.
This is me in a state of shock."Lucky I'm in love with my best friend......Lucky we're in love in every way"More details on this event can be read HERE or HERE

After the proposal we went home and ate Chinese food and enjoyed the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics in Beijing that began on 8/8/08 at 8 seconds and 8 minutes past 8:00pm. On August 8th, 2008 some 9,000 Chinese couples tied the knot... But let's just think about this for a second. A nation of over 1.3 billion people, on one of the luckiest days in their cultures history and they only got 9,000 married? Pathetic if you ask me. Perhaps 9/9/09 will bring better results. No matter how many people didn't get married that day in China, it will always be a special day for Spencer and I to remember.

Post Script: I just realized I was born 3/3/88. Three is also a lucky number in Chinese Culture- Shouldn't I be the luckiest person alive?

Post Post Script: Happy One Year Anniversary to my dear cousin Amanda who got married on 8/8/08.