Turtle Love

Andi created this little turtle and entered him in the 2009

Sevier County Fair. And she won first place!!!!

Her prize? $3.00!

The turtle now makes his home in Lehi, along with the blue ribbon.

Tatum likes to take his shell off, call him "Naked Turtle" and wrap him up in

a blanket. Why he doesn't just put the shell back on, I don't ask. It's too cute.

Danielle's Bunny

It's my bunny!!! He is well-worn, and definitely well-loved.

This is probably one of my most-treasured gifts from Andi.

He originally came with a little ribbon around his neck, and more whiskers.

It was too hard not to let Tatum love on him.

And the most endearing part - the personalized stitching on back.

Tatum's Library Bag

For a kid who doesn't usually stand still long enough for a 'posed' picture,

he was all grins to show off his specially-made library bag.

Andi tailored this bag to fit the kid with smaller dimensions all around but

most importantly, shorter handles. It's PERFECT!

A special touch: an inside pocket to hold his library card:

And not just any library card... but a personalized
card made by Andi!

Mountain Monkey Man's photo journal

When Andi sent me the mountain monkey, she included this
photo journal of his
latest camping trip, including commentary.

It took me a while to get to Provo, what with all the historical markers to read on the way...

Good thing I'm near-sighted.

What can I do to help stop the spread of noxious weeds?

I used all my expert rock climbing skills to get here.

I did this route on a free climb.

But I still took time to stop and smell the Indian paintbrush.

A typical campsite. I generally look for a flat sleeping bag site
with lots of sites for bouldering after dinner.

A typical dinner. Marshmallows are a key staple in any monkey's diet.

A little accordion music after dinner.

And then marshmallows for dessert.

Sometimes I just like to lie on my back with my hands
behind my head and look at the stars.

Time for some serious shut-eye.

Once I reached the forest, I had to reverse my sleeping
bag so the dew wouldn't get me wet.

My library bag

Andi just sent me this bag and said when she saw the fabric it just screamed my name!

I use this as my library bag and it's just wonderful!!
This has GOT to be the best part!!!

April 2009
Tatum received this lovely
wrapped gift from Andi.
The wrapping paper? Oh yeah,
that'd be wallpaper. Half the fun
of receiving gifts from Andi is
her creative wrapping.
What I want to know is...
why does she have THIS wallpaper?



Tatum and his Easter present (I know what it is!!!)




BEAN BAGS!!! And not just
any ol' bean bags.
These are 12 adorable
bean bags; each one
made from a different print.
Not only that, but they are
filled with different types of
beans to provide a tactile
experience and a developmental
component. And as if that
weren't enough, they come with
their own little basket.

This is how thoughtful and creative

Andi is: She not only makes adorable

bean bags for Tatum to play with, but

helps ME with ideas on HOW to play

with them. Plus, she encourages creativity

to develop new games with the bean bags.

Man, she's beyond cool.

For Christmas 2008, I tried to get a picture of Tatum
surrounded by some Andi-ness.
I learned that trying to pose a 14-month-old
is not that easy.



I haven't posted a pic of my bunny yet,
but he's in the picture (above) as
proof that I have one too!

Below, Tatum is marveling at the bird ornament.



Below is the culmination of my picture-posing attempts:

Proof that Andi's gifts are used and loved. These pics are from when I visited the Mayo family June of 2009. Yes, Colben's apron was too small for him even then, but the aprons were front and center in one of Alexis's kitchen drawers. Trust me... they're used a'plenty!

Below... it's true what Alexis said about Danika taking the red bunny with her!

It's hard to see, but in the picture to the left, Colben is holding a postcard Andi sent, with a sticker of the monkey in his traveling box (before he was sent on his journey to TX.)

Bunny & Monkey just chillin' in TX.

Sweet Dreams, In Style!

Andi sent me a picture of a house-dress she was making and right away, I knew the fabric. She had confiscated my old Eddie Bauer twin sheet set and made herself a comfy lounge dress. I hadn't seen these sheets in years yet my emotional reaction was of despair at first. But when these pillowcases arrived from the postman, it was like seeing an old friend.






















Andi added the contrasting material to the end of each pillowcase. THANK YOU for re-purposing the old sheets into something I can realistically use.

Bagtastic

We take Andi's totes everywhere. This one's a perfect size for everything, from the grocery store, to packing for a day at the lake. She stitched my name on the inside of the pocket.

Andi made this bag for her friend Carolyn. I love this print!

Mom loves taking this one to the farmers market. Great size for vegetables!