Seriously Slackin, but not really :)

So my blog has been seriously slacking, but life definitely has not been. Hard to even comprehend all that's gone on since my last post, August, yikes. Ben got promoted to Manager over the flight line, we found out we're expecting #7 (woo hoo), I got a new calling at church (boo hoo).. they took me from Primary and made me 2nd counselor over Relief Society, but at least that means I get to do fun activities for the women now :) We've had tons of holidays since then, maybe I'll get around to post pics if we're lucky, and I've been crafting away. I'll have to update Olive Oily to show that fun stuff. Life is good and moving quickly!

Backtracking to Halloween 2010... we LOVE Halloween, any ideas for next year's theme?Christmas PJs

The whole family at Christmas 2010
Our trip last weekend to check out the Verde River.. come summer we'll have to come back swimming here, there were some great spots... anyone wanna join us?

Quiet Book Begun

I was sitting behind a little boy in church a couple weeks ago and saw him playing with an old-school quiet book, literally out of the 70's, and it brought back so many memories I had to make one... that and the fact that all my kids were hanging over the bench to look at it :) So after google and etsy spying I have a list of about 30 different pages I could/want to do. Here are my first two pages I actually completed and the kids LOVE them.



The flowers come un-buttoned and can be switched around, and the pot is a pocket.


I found this awesome chunky yarn at hobby lobby, originally I had planned on having the bows tied by the kids but it was in the way too much so I just glued on cute bows. Eventually these will all go in a fabric cover with rings. Keep watching for more to come... next is my I-spy rocket ship and a pumpkin.

Back in the Saddle

After almost 4 years I did my first drape job. It was fun to do but with twice the kids it took me 4 times as long as it should have and made me realize how much I missed Wendy's help with the kids and the sewing!

Re-usable Lunch Bags & Stockings

A friend asked me if I made re-usable lunch bags and at first I told her no, and I didn't really want to and then the next week I was noticing how many plastic bags I was throwing away and I realized I should. So after shopping on etsy and browsing google I made sandwich wraps and snack bags to match my kids lunch bags. They're all wrinkly in the picture because I've washed them a few times, and I'm happy to say they are working great, keeping food fresh, and holding up well.

To make the sandwich wrap cut 2 squares of fabric 13" x 13". One from a cute cotton and the other from a food-safe water repellent type fabric. (I used rip-stop nylon, like you'd use for a kite or a windsock). Sew it like you would a pillow, right sides together leaving an opening to flip it inside out. Trim corners, turn, then top-stitch around the whole thing. Attach a 2-3" strip of velcro. I did a different one that is an octagon, not sure which I like better though.

To make the snack bags I cut 2 pieces 6" x 9 1/2" and did the sewed the same way to make a finished rectangle then attached velcro tabs, fold up bottom flap and stitch sides. (I also did ones without velcro, just the flip over kind, I like the velcro better though.)

I wipe clean or for the extra messes I throw them in the washer. Lay flat or machine dry.


Next project... with Christmas around the corner and a new little boy in our family it's time to make his stocking. The primitive stitch is all done, all I have to do now is sew in the liner, toe and cuff... I have amazing fabric luck... we had 4 kids when I first made all our stockings, and I just figured I could always get more fabric, well, when Anabelle was born and I went to make hers I realized I was short and the fabric was DISCONTINUED!!! Here's where my luck came into play, I looked online and found the last few yards and ordered them all... now I have enough to make a dozen more, not that I ever hope to have that many more kids, but in case I just may need it :) Now couple of my friend's are making the same type of stockings, just send me a note if any of you want patterns. We have the nativity, santa, angel and a christmas tree. I thought a gingerbread man and a nutcracker would be cute ones too.

One more First

This week we had our first set of stitches! Poor Anabelle and our tile floor did not get along. So I was trying to stay calm while I was freaking out about this deep cut she now had. A friend met me at the hospital to take the other kids. Anabelle was so calm and collected... all until the aid came in and they had to put her arms straight jacket style and wrap her like a burrito. I'm just hoping she doesn't get a big nasty scar from it :( Vitamin E here we come.


Sorry to the squeamish... this picture is really for Nate, because he'll think it's cool :)

Back to School... and then there were 3!

3 at school, 3 at home, yet even with only 3 at the store with me I still get asked if they are all mine and told that I have my hands full :) It's so nice to have a change though. I've been craving schedules and routines!

The lineup, minus Ryan... Tally was crying when we tried to tell her that just because she has a backpack doesn't mean she gets to go to school too :)


All decked out in their new backpacks and ready to go!

First day of Kindergarten... she may have been all smiles before, but it took a little convincing to get her to get in line. Here she comes!
Less than thrilled... but when I picked her up after school she was all smiles.

End of Summer

You know it's been a good summer when there's been no time to blog! We have played so hard, worked so hard (at least Ben has :), visited family and friends. It's been so good... we came back from vacation and put the kids to work.... 6 hours of weeding the first day, my momma would be proud! Can't let them get too spoiled, at least we're trying not to. I'm so thankful to not be moving again! I think this is only our 2nd time being over a year in a house... knock on wood. Life is good, not much more to say.

One of our AMAZING AZ sunsets... one thing the desert does really well!



Kids and cousins playing at the Discovery park in PG, Utah.


So it's become a tradition for all the de Hoyos married couples (oh and Tori & Blu too) to go out for sushi when we all get together. Not Ben's fave, but it's actually one of the types of foods he can eat out and not cause him pain (no dairy no gluten... fun). So this place was the Shabu Shabu House... kind of a hot pot place but a little different. Yummy and good times!



Visiting Tooele and the chickens... the kids even got little tractor rides at Travis' stompin' grounds. I'm still a little bummed though, because we were within eye-sight of the salt flats, which I've never been too, and we didn't have enough time to go see them.


Meanwhile Ryan is growing like our weeds... 7 months and 16 pounds... he better slow down or we're going to have to get a new car sooner than we thought... when he goes front facing we're in trouble.
And we have a thumb sucker... it's cute now but I am not liking the upcoming battles.