never has 17 looked better

This weekend was the best. It was so much fun to be with family on Thanksgiving, but I sure as heck missed my gram. I am trying really hard to be brave, but I just can't stop the tears from coming. Tomorrow is the big day when we find out about her course of treatment and what can be expected.

There were two cute young lads who put a big smile on my face, though! I love babies. Ever since I was little, I just can't get enough of them. We played pass the baby during Thanksgiving, but I finally couldn't handle holding just one any longer and tricked my brother into giving me both! He he. Aren't these little guys the cutest? I walked around with one in each arm and am hoping it's foreshadowing for the years to come. Please, oh please, let me have twins!

Another huge highlight was the game! Holy cow, do I love the Utes or what! I knew we would pull off a win. 17-16. Splendid! The rivalry is my favorite, and I am over the moon that I was able to snag a ticket on ksl. I wouldn't have missed this game for the world.

We just about froze our bums off. I am pretty sure I was a lovely shade of blue by the end of the game, but it was worth it a million times over. I can't wait for the bowl game and season tickets next year. I bleed red! Go Utes!

thrifty thursday + happy thanksgiving

Today's feature isn't Pyrex, or retro, for that matter.

But it is delicious. And thrifty ($1.69!). And I'm obsessed.

Behold! The Dan's cake wedge decked out in butter cream frosting & sprinkles.

Have you ever seen anything more mouth watering or delightful? I may or may not have at least one a week. I know it's full of artificial mumbo jumbo, but I can honestly say that I enjoy every bite without regret. You have got to try one.

Let me just tell you a little story about my beloved cake. A few weeks ago I had been dreaming about a cake wedge for a whole day. When I have a craving, it just simply won't go away. (That poor husband of mine better watch out when I'm pregnant!) I had to get some groceries and specifically chose to go to Dan's knowing that I could get my hot little hands on this goody.

So imagine my disappointment when I showed up to the bakery.

cake wedges = gone. julia = devastated.

I took my sad self up to the counter and started talking to the cute lady decorating cakes. I told her of my plight and how I just had to have one of them. She told me to come back in five minutes and she'd have one whipped up especially for me.

What? Are you serious? Heaven help me, it was my lucky day! And get this - she even let me choose the sprinkles! When it comes to frosting & sprinkles, my belief is that there is no such thing as too much. The more, the better!

I am thinking that I need to write a thank you note to the bakery lady who saved me - what a woman for showering me with such kindness!

With Thanksgiving celebrations today, I have really been thinking about how blessed I am. Sometimes instead of being filled with gratitude, I tend to feel sorry for myself. It's a little embarrassing when I think about all that I have. When I first found out about my gram's diagnosis, I was completely crushed. I remember going out and running errands the next day and thinking that my world fell apart the day before and why didn't everyone else's world fall apart with mine? It just wasn't fair.

I remember coming home and sitting at the computer, just feeling so sad. I turned my head and looked out the window to see this gift:

Our tree's leaves changing color. And not just any color. But yellow, my gram's favorite.

And then it hit me like a ton of bricks. I am not alone. I am never alone. Life goes on, and we're all in it together. There is never a shortage of support, prayers, or miracles. People are always so willing to lend a helping hand. That's really what this whole experience is about.

This Thanksgiving I am really grateful for that reminder. I don't think I'll ever look at our tree the same again.

sad & happy

On Saturday we found out my gram's test results, and it wasn't what we wanted. I was really hoping Saturday was opposite day. Gee whiz, wouldn't that have been nice.

Cancer is lame.

The doctors are pretty sure the lymphoma has spread to part of her stomach and lungs. Which likely means that she'll have to go through chemo and the whole shebang. It's so unfair. I just sobbed on Saturday. A lack of tear flow is not one of my shortcomings these days.

I told my mom that all I wanted for Christmas was for my gram to come back and live with us. It wouldn't make the diagnosis better, but it would sure be easier to go through this with her here. I miss that cute lady!

I talked to her on Saturday and she said to me, "they tell me I'm sick but I feel just fine! I'm sewing up a storm today". I was so happy to hear that. I really hope I get to see her soon.

So that was the sad part of my week, but there were some happy parts, too:

-sewing with friends

-working, babysitting, taking care of Margaret

-eating Taco Bell x 2. whoops!

-a "pig out" day with my mom. We ate Tony Burgers and treats & watched Kit Kettredge (it is adorable, one of my new favorites!)

-learning how to drive a manual transmission and laughing my pants off when I stalled in the middle of State Street for what seemed like an eternity

-eating dinner at Cowboy Grub with Margaret and MarRissa

-wandering around Provo and going to the MTC

-the Utes pulling off a win. thank heavens!

-snuggling with a sleeping g baby and watching Hallmark movies with my cousins

-reading a whole bunch

-going to the temple

-MarRissa's farewell. She's leaving on a mission to San Jose in a week and a half. I am so excited for her, but she will surely be missed!

thrifty thursday

I have seriously been experiencing a Pyrex drought lately. I haven't found any new pieces in over a month - yikes! And so sad! So today I'll show you something else.

Milk glass.

Isn't it lovely? This piece is an imitation I am sure, but I still think it's pretty darn cute. I have seen some really beautiful milk glass out there, but I need to take things one collection at a time.

And right now Pyrex has my heart.

And a little update on my gram: we're waiting for some test results that will determine if the cancer has spread or if it is just isolated in the one spot. We are praying hard and keeping our fingers crossed for good news.

I called every temple in Utah today and put her name on the prayer roll. But if you don't mind keeping the prayers coming, I would sure appreciate it!

monkey see, monkey do

I can't get enough of these little guys!

Beth and I wanted to work on a project today so we decided on sock monkeys. Finding good socks is no easy feat though, especially since we have now entered the winter season with blah colors. Luckily, Beth spotted these socks and they were perfect. We went for the classic sock monkey look.

It is so fun to watch as the socks transform and a cute monkey emerges.

This duo is so us. Similar, yet different & complementary. I love it. Thanks for a lovely afternoon, Beth! I can't wait for other fun projects (which includes bringing more sock monkeys into this world!)

thrifty thursday + a challenge

This Thrifty Thursday post is two-fold.

1) To show off something retro, of course! Isn't this golden hearts Pyrex adorable? One of my dear friends brought it back for me from a thrift store in Montana. I love it!

The picture kind of throws off the size perception of this dish. It is huge and will be perfect for so many different things!

2) I also wanted to talk about something I'm participating in. It is a challenge to read the Book of Mormon in its entirety by New Year's. I know it seems daunting at 531 pages, but I promise you can do it. We started on Monday and will finish on December 31st by reading just 10 pages per day. I can't think of a better blessing in my life than going into the new year armed with the knowledge and truths that come from this book.

I finished the Book of Mormon this summer and am ashamed to say that I haven't been awesome at keeping up with daily scripture study since then. I have definitely noticed a difference in the days that I read and the days that I don't. When I found this challenge, I knew it was an answer to my prayers. I have already felt such a change over the past few days. Reading these verses will invite the spirit into your life and will allow you to receive a testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel.

Participating in the challenge with a group of people (who I don't know) is a great experience. It's empowering to know that we are all reading the same verses on the same day and being blessed. I love the church. I know the Book of Mormon is true. I can testify that it has changed my life and can change your life, too.

So please, join us! It is never too late to start, and you can never read the Book of Mormon too many times!

To visit the group blog, click here.

And if anyone needs a Book of Mormon, let me know and I will get you one.

i heart you

You may or may not have noticed that I didn't have a Thrifty Thursday post this week. Missing things like that just about kills me - I am really determined and like maintaining a routine.

But this Thursday I had way more important things to worry about than what I found at the thrift store.

Namely, my gram.

See what I wrote on November 4th? Worst day ever. And it was. After coming home from work, my mom called and I knew immediately it wasn't good news. We've all been worrying about my gram and her latest health issues (an annoying blood clot and an undiagnosed mass in her groin).

It turns out that lousy mass is cancer.

I crumbled like a bad cookie when I found out. All I could do was sob and state over and over that it wasn't fair & it wasn't what I wanted.

I was so looking forward to her coming home and picking up right where we left off. With sewing lessons, errands around town, chit chats, and me walking into the bathroom to see her in her tighty whiteys in the morning (am I terrible or what, but she is just so darn cute - I have to soak up every opportunity!)

We just don't have time for bothersome things like cancer.

I've had a lot of really big cries over the past few days. And I've felt really sorry for my gram and bummed over the situation. But my family keeps telling me we have to stay positive so that gram can be positive, too.

I decided the best way I could help myself feel distracted was to put together a little care package for her. I knew it had to include a treat, a silly book, and something I made.

My sister and I had been talking about sock monkeys and I thought that would be just the thing gram needed. I had a total ball making this little guy. What a classic, fun & cheerful toy. His name is Spunk, because my gram has a lot of it.

See the heart button? That's where the mass is - in her left groin. We'll just send the mass packing and replace it with a heart band-aid.

I petitioned my Facebook friends to share the funniest children's book they knew of. I got so many good suggestions, but after searching online for a little while, I found one that couldn't have been more perfect. If there ever was a book written just for gram, this is the one.

So imagine my delight when I found The Gas We Pass. It is downright hilarious. (I always tease gram about how she passes gas, and it increases exponentially when she is around fabric because she gets so excited). I called every bookstore in the city and no one had any in stock. I found a copy at the library and basically told them that I was going to "lose" the book and pay the fine. But luckily I stumbled upon the only copy available for purchase in Salt Lake City. It was a win-win because now the library kids won't miss out on this gem and my gram will get a good laugh.

Gram is only 85 and her blood runs thick with German strength. She has way too much life left and I have a list that will take us at least 20 years to get through, so we're set that way. I am looking forward to all the fun memories coming our way - passing gas and all.

gram

My cute gram is under the weather, and I am just so sad about it. She has a blood clot and some other undiagnosed issues.

She is basically tired and not herself. And I am a mess because of it.

You see, gram is more than just a grandma. She's one of my very best friends. Because she has lived with us for half the year almost my entire life, we have a unique relationship. She is supposed to come back on December 6.

I don't know what I'm going to do if she isn't on a plane making her way back to Salt Lake in a month.

I need her to be here for fabric shopping, quilt shows, Jamba Juice, and Jeopardy. She's my best car passenger, my going-out-to-lunch buddy, and my favorite person in the world.

I know she has it in her to make a speedy recovery. But I would really appreciate it if you could say two, or three, or a thousand extra prayers for her. I know it would help her spirits and bring her comfort.

Get feeling better, gram! I am anxiously waiting to see you real soon!