The Spirit of Christmas

May we remember the true reason for the season. Merry Christmas from the Ashcrafts!

My 26th December Television Interview

This month has been a crazy but good one. Thought I would share my 26th television appearance this month!

Video Courtesy of KSL.com

Remember the Reason for the Season

I love this short clip about the Savior. It ties into my lesson this Sunday on the Signs that will occur before the Savior's Second Coming. Thought it was worth sharing.

The Perfect Day

It has been a long time since I updated our family blog. Life has been a little crazy lately, but I assure you that we are all alive and well. I had to post about our weekend though.


A year ago last October our friends, Jason and Jennifer Mouso and their two boys, were baptized. You can read about what I wrote about their conversion last year here! Their goal from the beginning was to make it to the temple. They wanted to know what was required to get there and did everything they needed to do to get there.

On Friday, Ivan and I were able to escort Jason and Jenn through the Mesa temple where they were able to to receive sacred ordinances and make covenants with God. It was such an amazing experience for us. When they were investigating the church, we shared with them how much we loved the temple and tried to describe the feeling of peace that is felt inside the temple. But describing the peace is as hard as describing what salt taste like. You know how it taste, but it's hard to put it into words. It was so amazing to have them there with us in the temple and able to feel and experience it for themselves! They are already so anxious to go again.

The neatest part for me was seeing so many of our friends from church there in the celestial room to greet Jenn and Jason at the end. The support, love, and joy that all of us felt for them was evident.

Saturday had to be the Perfect Day. We started the day bright and early at the Triathlon and Biathlon in Casa Grande. We had at least 15 people that we knew participating in the festivities! It was Ivan's first Biathlon. He ran a mile and 1/2, biked 10 miles, and ran another 3 miles. He was hoping to do it in an hour and 15 minutes, but he was able to finish in an hour and 10 minutes! He rode his $100 mountain bike that we bought at Shopko while we were at BYU. He had people whizzing by him left and right who were on really nice road bikes, so he had to make up the difference in the running. He placed 9th overall. I think he would have come in 1st in the mountain bike division! :-) Maybe when we pay off the house, we can get him a real bike.

We had a great time cheering on all our friends at the finish line. Eventually I'll email everyone the pictures I took of them crossing the finish line. From the race, we hurried back to the hotel to get ready to head back up to the temple.

It was so neat to be with Jenn in the Bridal Room as she prepared to be married again to Jason. Then, I walked into the chapel and saw the missionaries that taught them the gospel. I can only imagine the joy they felt! The sealing room was completely full when they brought in Jenn and Jason. They were given counsel and were then married for time and all eternity. Then, they brought in Zach and Alex all dressed in white. They were then sealed as a family for time and all eternity. This was a dream come true for us and an experience we would love for all of our friends and family to have! The feeling in the room was indescribable!

After the temple, we relieved my wonderful niece who watched our kids, got a bite to eat with the Mousos and more friends at Sweet Tomatoes, and all hurried back in time to attend Lexi Hartless' baptism. The Spirit was so strong at the baptism. I felt like I was seeing the blessings of gospel ordinances from the beginning to the pinnacle all in one day. It was truly the perfect day!

BYU-TV Latter-day Profiles

It's been a long time since I've posted something on this blog. Life has been so busy.

Last Wednesday I was featured on BYU-TV. I filmed their Latter-day Profiles 30 minute program last July at BYU-Idaho. They have featured Glenn Beck, Dale Murphy (the retired baseball player), and many other people in the past. The show aired 10/14 at 8:30 p.m. AZ time (9:30 p.m. Mountain Standard Time for those of you in Utah or Idaho).

If you missed it, don't worry! They are showing it again on BYU-TV 10/21 (this Wednesday) at 4:30 p.m. AZ time or 5:30 p.m. Utah time.

You can can still watch it online:

http://byutv.org/streaming/

Select 10/14 and scroll down until you see "Stephanie Ashcroft". Yes, it's Ashcraft, but it's commonly misspelled. :-) Click on my name and it will bring up the program.

How Deep is the Corruption in the US?

Biggovernment.com just released their 4th set of undercover video tapes that were taped by some gutsy young people trying to expose the truth of what is happening in the ACORN organization in our nation. The thing that amazes me the most is that not one employee even blinks or acts surprised when the girl reveals she's a prostitute! In fact, in the new video the employee even admits that she used to run a call service! Then, she goes on later on in the tape and tells them how she killed her abusive husband!!!!!!! Where does Acorn find these people?!!

Click here to watch the California Video or here to watch the New York Brooklyn video.

PLEASE, PLEASE Watch these clips. Millions of our tax dollars have gone to fund this organization! I applaud the senate for voting 83-7 in favor of stopping any taxpayer money from going to ACORN, but that's not enough! There needs to be an intense investigation and people need to be help accountable!

After watching the videos please contact your representatives in the House and in the Senate and demand an investigation from the bottom on up! Remind them of the promise they made to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States!


Here is my email to my representatives:

"I'm sure you are aware of the letter that Republican Leader John Boehner (R-OH) sent to the president today requesting that he use his authority to publicly disclose and terminate all federal funding to ACORN and its affiliates. I'm also sure you are aware that the senate voted in favor of the same thing 83-7. Hopefully the congress works quickly to pass something as well.

Blocking their funding is NOT enough! Congress and the Senate must demand an in-depth investigation from the bottom on up! Who is training these people? It seems like they all give similar answers except for the last lady who admitted running a call girl service herself and KILLING her abusive husband! If you haven't seen tape set #4 from California, you can find it along with the other 3 locations on www.biggovernment.com !! Can it get any worse?!! It looks like a 5th set of tapes will be released tomorrow!

As a representative of the people of Arizona, you took a sacred oath to "support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic." Please do so today!

May God Bless You in Standing Up for What is Right!

Sincerely,

Stephanie Ashcraft"

Funny Missionary Video

One of my friends sent me the link to this hilarious music video! Thought I would share it!

I am a victim of racism

Have you ever gotten to the point where you think, " I've had it! I'm not going to take any more!"? Well, I'm there. I am sick and tired of being discriminated against! How? Do you wonder? Have you noticed lately that if you are against any part of any policy that our President and our democratic Congress are supporting there is an immediate cry of Racism?

In watching the news as of late, there are so many guests who instead of debating the issues claim that all the opposition to their views stem from racism. They state that the people at the tea parties or those voicing their concern for health care are doing so because of racism.

Just because I have concerns or issues with 50+ items that were released in the 1018 page H.R. II bill, I was called a racist. I feel strongly that debt is never a solution to money problems personally or for our government, so I must be racist. Because I am concerned about our borders and the thousands of people crossing them illegally on a daily basis, I am called a racist. And now because I am concerned about the corruption and illegal practices that have recently been uncovered in the ACORN organization, I am called a racist.

I am not a racist. I don't care if the person whose supporting or at the tail end of critisism has skin that is red, black, white, or green. I am concerned about the direction our country is heading. Corruption is corruption no matter what the skin color!

I don't disagree that we could use health care reform. I think they should make it possible for there to be interstate competition for insurance companies which would lower premiums for all. I also think Tort Reform and stipulations made to help those who have pre-existing conditions.

Let me tell you why I am so irate about being called a racist. I am not a racist! My dad was in the military when I was young. We lived in both Germany and Japan. I studied in Mexico and served a 18 month mission in Chile. These experiences taught me to look past the color of skin and instilled in me a deep belief that we are all God's children. Thus, we are all brothers and sisters.

I have a sister-in-law from Brazil that I have yet to meet. My brother and she were married a year and a half ago in Brazil. We have been trying to get her here legally ever since. We are hoping they'll be able to be with us for Christmas. Another sister-in-law is black. She is one of the most beautiful women that I know. When I think of either of these women, now my sisters, I feel only love and admiration.

I feel I am a victim of racism. I feel that those charging me with racism see my skin color and immediately think the only reason I could possibly be against any proposed bill or corruption is if I was a racist! Please look past the color of my white skin and see that I love my country and all the people who live in it. For this reason, I stand up and voice my concern!

Please stop calling me a racist!

Email from Gabrielle Giffords

"September 11, 2009


Dear Friend,

Thank you for contacting me with you concerns regarding the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now, more commonly known as ACORN. I appreciate hearing from you.

ACORN is the nation's largest community organization for low and moderate income families and uses neighborhood-based efforts, such as door-to-door canvassing, to fight poverty and other causes. Since it was founded in the 1970's, ACORN has worked on a number of successful campaigns through 850 chapters in over 100 cities across the United States. You are probably most familiar with the massive voter registration drives during the 2008 election.

In 2008, ACORN engaged in a massive effort to register low income and minority voters. However, allegations that up to 30 percent of these applications were fraudulent surfaced during the campaign and later. Please know that I take voter fraud seriously, and I will continue to monitor this situation as more details develop.

Furthermore, ACORN does not apply for nor does it receive any federal grants. However, ACORN does work with nonprofit organizations to perform work on projects that receive federal grant support, such as identifying homeowners facing foreclosure and helping them contact housing counseling and loss mitigation services. But, no project receiving federal grant money has provided funding for voter registration.

In case you are concerned, ACORN will not be going to door-to-door to collect data for the 2010 U.S. Census. On April 23, 2009, Commerce Secretary Gary Locke reiterated to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice and Science that the Census will not be "delegating anything to ACORN." Instead, ACORN will "get the word out" about the Census, along with about 30,000 other groups. To be clear, ACORN staff will not handle personal data collected through the Census.

I always appreciate hearing from constituents, like you, who are informed and interested in the important issues affecting Arizona and the nation. My job as your representative is to help you connect with federal agencies, access services and get your questions answered thoroughly. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future if you require assistance.

To receive regular e-mail updates on my work as your U.S. Representative, visit https://giffordsforms.house.gov/contact/email-updates.shtml to opt-in to my e-newsletter. It allows me to keep Southern Arizonans, like you, informed about the most recent activities in the House of Representatives and upcoming public forums I am sponsoring in the district.

Sincerely Yours,

Gabrielle Giffords

Member of Congress "

She's right when she said, " ACORN does work with nonprofit organizations to perform work on projects that receive federal grant support." Millions in federal grant support!!! I emailed her back sending her the link for the new videos released today that were just as horrific as yesterdays! I asked her again to request an investigation!

If the 1st video wasn't bad enough, here is the video from the Washington DC Acorn office

I am still spinning from yesterdays videos. Now it appears that they not only went to Baltimore, but apparently they went to several Acorn offices! Here is the video from the DC office! It's just as bad as the Baltimore video!!!!

This should help silence the people who say "it was just one office, and a few bad employees". This establishes the pattern we already knew exists! Sounds like there is more to be released! Insane!!!

PLEASE, PLEASE Watch these clips. Millions of our tax dollars go to fund this organization! There really needs to be a congressional investigation into ACORN. After watching the videos please contact your representatives in the House and in the Senate and demand an investigation!

We live in the greatest country on earth! We can not allow things like this to be happening under our watch! The ABC, NBC, and CBS national media for some reason hasn't picked up this story, so it's up to us the American people to make sure this isn't swept under the rug!

9/11 We Remember

This 9/11 our thoughts turn again to Ivan's friend from high school, Brady Howell, and his family. Brady was killed on September 11th, 2001 when terrorist flew a plane into the pentagon where he worked. We drove up to Idaho to attend his funeral and to mourn his loss with his beautiful wife Liz and to his family.

I found BYU-Idaho's tribute to Brady. I'd like to share it.


Brady Kay Howell

Ricks College alumnus Brady Howell '97 was posthumously presented the Superior Civilian Service Medal, the civilian equivalent of the purple heart, from the Chief of Naval Operations.

Brady was goal oriented and enthused about his internship with Naval Intelligence. It fulfilled a childhood dream. At age nine he had written a letter to the President of the United States offering his service: "My friend and I are detectives, and we will try to come any time you need us."

His promising future was caught in the path of the attack on the Pentagon on September 11, 2001. Initially listed as missing, positive identification came on September 17. Even in death, Brady has touched countless lives. Hundreds attended both the memorial service in Arlington, Virginia, and funeral services in his hometown of Sugar City, Idaho.

Brady, age 26, was the son of Kenneth and Jeanette Howell. He served a mission to the Canary Islands. He married "Liz" Anderson '97 in the Bountiful Temple while both were attending Ricks College. After graduating from Ricks College, Brady received his bachelor's in political science from Utah State University and his master's in public administration at the Maxwell School of Syracuse University.

At the Sugar City service, Governor Dirk Kempthorne praised Brady and his family for high values. Elder F. Melvin Hammond extended condolences from the First Presidency. Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence, Tish Long, read the Navy's citation:

"...Mr. Brady Howell became the first PMI [Presidential Management Intern] assigned to Director of Naval Intelligence Staff where he first worked on the DNI's Executive Board, which sets strategy and policy for the entire Naval Intelligence community. Most recently, he began training as a watch officer for the CNO Intelligence Plot--a position normally reserved for only the most qualified and promising intelligence officers. As an IP watch officer, Mr. Howell provided daily briefings to the Chief of Naval Operations, Secretary of the Navy, and other senior military and civilian decision makers. By his distinctive contributions and inspiring dedication to duty, Mr. Brady Howell reflected great credit upon himself and upheld the highest traditions of the United States Naval Service."

After the Arlington service, classmates and acquaintances gathered to eat and reminisce. Conversation centered around Brady. "As the evening progressed one of the classmates proposed a toast to him, and someone suggested a proper way to honor Brady should include recognition of things important to him," shares his father. "They were fully aware that Brady didn't drink. Although peculiar to them, they respected him for his commitment and integrity. Knowing what was acceptable to him personally, they pushed aside their beverages and drank to his honor and memory from goblets filled with ice water."

Liz was able to pass the Olympic Torch to President Bush before the start of the Salt Lake City 2002 Olympics. She told CNN the following about her experience:

"This experience was beyond description. It was a culmination of so many things. Probably, if I had to sum it up into three feelings I would say pride for the -- for my husband and the ideals that he represented, and for the fallen heroes of September 11. Probably humility for being asked to carry the flame, and in such a remarkable place. And also just sheer excitement for the opportunity to do something like this.

The president is one of the most congenial men. He put his arm around me. He said, I am so sorry for your loss. Then he -- we were standing there, and he leaned over and said, I'm so cold. I told him a little bit about Brady, just shortly. And he said, I know; I know it -- how great he was.

Brady was all-American by every standard of the word. He made me proud. Brady was working as a Navy civilian in the Pentagon in the Naval Command Center. And he was a presidential management intern. He was working as an intelligence officer in the command center, and had just received his top secret clearance a couple of weeks prior. And that was one of his lifelong goals.

Mostly I am sustained by the prayers that have been offered in my behalf, and also the hope -- there's hope that there will be a better and brighter day, and that has been manifest through the aftermath of September 11 -- how countries have come together; how people here in our nation have come to one another's aid. And things are getting better. And it's this knowledge that is keeping me going.

I felt Brady's presence with me before I started the race. And I knew he was looking out for me, and I knew he was proud. He was proud because he was such outstanding man. He was very proud of what was going on today."

Still in Shock that this could possibly happen in America!

I watched these videos from biggovernment.com earlier today, and I am still in shock hours later. PLEASE, PLEASE Watch these clips. Millions of our tax dollars go to fund this organization! There really needs to be a congressional investigation into ACORN. After watching the videos please contact your representatives in the House and in the Senate and demand an investigation!

We live in the greatest country on earth! We can not allow things like this to be happening under our watch! The ABC, NBC, and CBS national media for some reason hasn't picked up this story, so it's up to us the American people to make sure this isn't swept under the rug!

August Update

We are all alive and doing well. Here are our list of happenings from August.

1. The kids started school August 3rd. They all like their teachers and seem to be doing well. Getting back into the homework routine has been difficult, but we will survive! :-)

2. In August I started working (without pay) as KVOA's Savvy Savings Contributor. I film 2 small stories with me acting as the actual reporter. In August, I did Birthday Freebies for Kids and Birthday Freebies for adults. I go into the studio to be live on the 4 p.m. news twice a month. I am learning a lot and count it as free tuition and hands on experience that could possibly help me to become a Home and Family Life Reporter when I grow up.

3. I am officially an alternate on the Police Citizens Advisory Commission for the town of Marana. I was confirmed by the town council in August and took the oath of office on Tuesday after the monthly commission meeting. It will be nice to be a voice for young families in Marana.

4. I am now wearing contacts when I'm not home in pajamas that is. :-) I'm really enjoying them!

5. Devan received his Arrow of Light from Cub Scouts on the 27th of August with two of his best friends- Tyler and Zach! The activity included the largest slip N slide that I have ever seen topped off with the 3 boys shooting flaming arrows. Devan is excited to be an 11 year old scout with Brother Esplin and Julie Mills brother-in-law.

6. I really have the dream calling at church now! I was so excited to be a ward missionary, but now I get to still be a ward missionary and teach the Sunday School class (Gospel Essentials) for people who are just learning about our church or who are new. I am so excited. The teacher before me was able to do it for 5 years. Maybe I'll be that lucky! :-)

7. I've been working at building up our family's food storage. I think I've gone a little overboard. We've had some huge sales lately where I could get cereal from .39- $1 with my coupons. I now have 189 boxes of cereal! We go through approximately 20 boxes a month. Luckily I have a huge walk in pantry. I have boxes stacked according to their expiration dates, so we know which boxes to use in what order. If my calculation is correct, I have a 9 month supply! :-) My kids love to show off our cereal to whoever comes to visit, so you have fair warning!

8. We had an amazing super Saturday in August. I actually felt a little crafty after making 15 Christmas Ornaments, etching our name on 10 of my pyrex pans, making a Look What I Made sign to hang the kids art from, and more. I, as usually, signed up for more than was humanly possible to do. I was saved by Sister Knight and Francine Riggan who hadn't signed up for much and volunteered to help me! Thanks, ladies!!! It was an awesome activity!

9. We had a great church BBQ this month at Ora Mae Park. It was fun to visit with so many people. The best part was watching them load this cannon type machine that fired candy everywhere. The kids all loved it!

10. Ivan and I were able to go up to Mesa when our friends, the Nelsons, went for their first time. The next day I went back up to be there for their sealing. After the parents made their marriage covenants, they brought in the 3 boys dressed in white. Little Tyler was beaming with joy from ear to ear. I don't think there was a dry eye in the room. I love baptisms and the amazing feeling that comes with each one, but this experience topped even that. It was truly amazing!

My KVOA Birthday Freebie Segment

For those of you who missed it, here is the clip from my appearance on KVOA's 4 p.m. news! Huge thanks to Paul, the amazing cameraman who helped me film the first of the clip! I also have to say that Kristi Tedesco is as nice behind the scenes as she looks on camera. What a sweet heart! I look forward to working with the team at KVOA in the future. Next appearance will be Friday, August 28th on KVOA's 4 p.m. news!

Ten Ways to Save Money at the Grocery Store

1. Have a weekly meal plan. Go through the store ads and plan your meals accordingly. If chicken is on sale, plan 2 meals that week that include chicken that week. Remember all store ads can be found online.
2. Make a shopping list according to your weekly plan. Stick to the list. I allow myself 1 indulgence purchase per trip. If you stick to the list with 1 variation, you will save lots of money!
3. Track prices of items that you buy regularly and stock up when they hit their lowest prices. For example, I stock up on my favorite name brand spaghetti sauces when their price hits $ .99. I know they only are sold at that price 3 or 4 times per year.
4. Know the regular price on your favorite food items for the 3 stores you shop at most. You can find a printable tracking sheet at GrocerySavingsTips.com. To the side note the lowest sales price that you generally see on the item. Link at http://www.grocerysavingtips.com/printgrocerypricelog.htm
5. Try to limit your shopping to only one day a week. You would be amazed how much the little trips to the store add up! Also remember that most Walmarts price match when you bring the ad in to their store!
   
6. Avoid crisis shopping especially when hungry. It's 5 p.m. and you are starving, you run into the store to just grab some things. Those are generally the most dangerous events on your pocketbook. Eat before you ever step into a grocery store.
7. Coupons! Coupons! Coupons! Safeway, Bashas, and Frys double coupons taking up to $1 off. Pair coupons with sales items to get amazing deals. PinchingYourPennies.com is a free site that lists the Arizona Free/Cheap weekly deals using coupons. Using this resource and my coupons, I get free or next to free food, toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, etc...
8. There are many ways to find coupons. The Arizona Daily Star offers their Saturday and Sunday with coupon papers delivered to your home for $5 per month or $60 per year. Coupons.com offers free printable coupons right from your own computer. You can print each coupon you like twice. Sign up for store mailings. I get coupons every couple months mailed to me from Frys. Most food companies have websites where you can print off coupons as well.
9. When your coupons come, do not cut them until you are ready to go to the store. Place them in a file folder noting the date they arrived and the coupon insert initials. SS stands for Smart Source. RP stands for Red Plum. Pinching your pennies lists the deals telling you which insert and which Sunday it was delivered. I copy and paste what deals I want to take use into a document. Then, I cut the coupons and place them into an envelope labeled with the store where I plan to shop.
10. Don't forget about CVS and Walgreens freebies using coupons, Extra Care, Bucks, and Register Rewards. I list the coupon deals for each week on my Savvy Savings Tucson blog. Click here for information on how to get started saving at CVS.

If you live in the Tucson area, I list all the grocery deals on Savvy Savings Tucson!

Summer Fun- Part One

You may have noticed a lack in my posting over the summer! These 4 kiddos and keeping them anxiously engaged this summer preoccupied most of my time. But now that school is back in session and I'm down to one during the day, you should hopefully hear a little more from me!

One of our favorite activities this summer was attending all the fun events at our tiny little library. The kids were able to meet Ronald McDonald, see animals from the zoo, and learn how to make pizzas all this summer at our local library.

Our neighbors and good friends, the Deggingers, moved to Alabama this summer. We have been taking care of their pool since they moved and have had lots of fun this summer swimming. It's been fun to see how much my kids swimming abilities have improved this summer.


I implemented Julie Mills' kids list this summer including chores and fun things. Liz was my multi-tasker! Here you see her playing Suduko and hula hooping for exercise all at the same time. What a woman!


Then there were the 3 birthdays blogged about below. Devan had a fun water party! He was so excited to have all his friends together. I was pretty happy about all the Lego toys he received as well.

We were also able to attend so many wonderful baptisms this summer. Danielle Westra, Donna Capman's daughter, was baptized in June. We enjoyed attending both her baptism and the celebration at Donna's. We were so happy for her.

Once I download the rest of our summer pictures, I'll post some more!

Happy Birthday, Spencer!

If you've been thinking you've seen lots of birthdays on my blog, it's because you have! Our little family has 5 birthdays between June 1st and July 26th. It's a little daunting and exhausting. Poor Emma must feel a little left out having a Christmas time birthday!

Spencer just turned 6. It's hard to believe it has been 6 years since Spencer's miracle birth. He was our only baby who almost died during delivery. He gave us a huge scare, but Heavenly Father must have had a mission for him to accomplish here on earth. He let him stay and bless our lives.

Spencer the day he was born

Spencer is a hard worker. He has had so many setbacks with his speech and motor delays, but he never quits. He keeps trying his best even when it's hard. He is an example to me that we can do hard things. Every step with Spencer has meant so much to us because we would watch him struggle to accomplish each challenge in his development. He has truly been a joy to have in our family.

Spencer is a kid with no fear. He has always been our adventuresome child. If there is a mud puddle anywhere, he is the one to find it. When he was little, he would put on his superman cape. He thought he was invincible if he had the cape on. I finally had to hide the cape.

Spencer on one of his many escapades

Spencer is one of the most loving kids I know. He is quick to say "I love you." He is definitely his mommy's boy. He loves cuddling with mom. He has the largest heart.

Here are some of my favorite pictures of Spencer:

Spencer at 3 months

Spencer at 9 Months

Self Sufficient Spencer at 17 months helping himself to cereal from the 2nd shelf!

Halloween 2008

Disney World October 2008

We love you, Spencer!!

Happy Birthday, Lizzie!

Liz at age 3

Elizabeth turned 9 while we were on our trip to Utah and Idaho. I can't believe she can possibly be that old!

10 Things I Love About My Lizzie

1. Liz is my biggest helper. She is always helping me around the house-picking things up, tidying up her room, and cleaning the bathrooms!

2. She is quick to obey. Generally, you need to ask only once to do something. I need to be more like she is.

3. She's a good friend and an amazing missionary. Look at the previous post for an example!

4. She loves to go shopping with me. My boys and husband are all allergic to the stores! It's nice to have a daughter who likes to run errands with me!

5. She loves Panda Express. I really appreciate that she loves to go somewhere other than McDonalds! :-) She's my child who is brave when it comes to trying new things.

6. Lizzie is an amazing big sister. Emma adores her and always wants to be right by her playing. Lizzie is quick to incorporate Emma into her play. Emma always has someone to play with if Elizabeth is home.

Lizzie shows Emma the San Diego Temple.

7. She loves to read! I never have to ask her to read. Though once in a while, I have to ask her to put down a book. She is self motivated when it comes to school. I never have to ask her to do her homework. She just does it and never complains!

8. Lizzie always goes the extra mile. This summer when we made the check list, she kept asking if she could add jobs to her list that she wanted to do. Can't say no to a kid who wants to take out the trash!

9. She loves the Savior! She actively tries to follow him. She loves the gospel.

10. She brings so much joy and happiness to our family. I can't imagine life without Lizzie. She brings me so many smiles each day!


Here are some of my favorite pictures of Lizzie through the years:

Elizabeth at 3 months

Lizzie at 9 months

Devan (3) and Elizabeth (1)


Elizabeth at age 3

Liz at age 5
Elizabeth at age 6

Ivan and Elizabeth (8) on her baptism day!

Elizabeth right before she turned 9

Happy Birthday, Elizabeth!!

Children: Natural Missionaries

Sometimes I wish sharing the gospel could be as easy for me as it is for my children. Yesterday, Jasmine, a neighbor girl, was over playing with Elizabeth.

Here was their basic conversation.

Jasmine: Where were you guys yesterday?

Liz: We were at church! Let me show you what I got yesterday. (Lizzie pulls out her scriptures and shows her the beautiful scripture sticker she got in class on Sunday. They read the scripture together too.) Lizzie continues, "We have extra Books of Mormon. I bet you can have one. Then, we can see if you can come to church with us. (When you bring your scriptures on Sunday, you get a sticker.) You can bring your scriptures and get your own sticker.

Jasmine was ecstatic!

I know these special scripture stickers are pretty pricey. I wonder if her teachers planned on her inviting all her friends in the neighborhood to partake in the program. :-)

I've decided that I need to be as confident in inviting people to church as my kids are! What an example.

God's Words Never Cease

I loved this video of Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. So grateful that God's Words Never Cease!

Good Things Utah

On Friday, I went on Good Things Utah promoting my newest cookbook release, 101 Things to Do With Meatballs. Here is the clip for anyone who would like to see it.

10 Things You Might Not Know About Stephanie Ashcraft

In preparing for my shooting with Latter-day Profiles on BYU-TV. I gathered the following information. I just thought I would post it for fun.

1. I have a degree in Family Science from BYU. After finishing, I prayed about whether I should work or stay home with our baby. I got my answer and even had to turn down my dream job of leading one of BYU's student teaching programs in Mexico. I started teaching cooking classes for Macey's grocery stores when my colicky baby was 4 months old. My husband encouraged me to find something I could do one night a week without costing money. I started attending the free cooking classes and started teaching people how to use cake mixes a couple months after that.

2. I put the first version of the 101 Things To Do With A Cake Mix book together as a class project at BYU for a teaching math class. I tried to justify that it was a way to teach kids measurement. I got a B+ because the teacher felt it wasn't relevant to teaching math. After teaching the cake mix class, my husband mentioned that if I finished the book that we could use it as Christmas presents. He's the youngest of 9 and I'm the oldest of 8. We had ink in the printer and paper. My true motivation for finishing the book was the money we would save on gifts that year!

3. We self published the book in our 2 bedroom 1 bathroom apartment at BYU. We printed the book in our bedroom and assembled them in the living room. When we got huge orders, we sometimes got help from a copy center south of campus. We made 7,000 copies before the book went nationwide. 101 Things To Do With A Cake Mix hit the New York Times Best Sellers list a few weeks after it was released with no real publicity. It was truly a miracle. I remember when my editor called to tell me the news. I had the distinct impression that the Lord had a reason for it. My name is listed in the Self Publishing Hall of Fame. Our neighbors in BYU Married Student Housing loved to tell people that their neighbor was a NY Times Best Selling Author.

4. Shortly there after, my husband and I were able to return to my mission in Santiago, Chile. Going back to my mission had been a huge dream! I was interviewed on local and national radio while I was there. They loved the fact that they had a New York Times best Selling author who had served as a Mormon missionary in their country. The majority of the interviews were focused on my mission, the church and what it did for women, and my feelings about Chile. I prayed hard before each interview and miraculously my spanish would return as soon as the on air light turned on and it left as soon as the light went off. I was also able to speak at a multi-stake Relief Society fireside that packed an entire stake center. I felt like Heavenly Father had given me another glorious opportunity to proclaim the gospel in Chile! I felt the good we did on that trip was part of the reason that my book had hit the list.

5. I just celebrated my 12th wedding anniversary. Ivan and I met as temple workers in the Provo temple after our missions. I remember telling roommates that I wouldn't marry a farm boy especially one from Idaho. I ate those words! My husband is amazing. He has always encouraged and supported me in everything I do from books to church callings. He received the National Science Foundation Fellowship which helped pay for his PhD in Electrical Engineering at BYU. I married my rocket scientist and best friend. He is a wonderful father and provider. With the fellowship and help of the books, we made it through graduate school with no debt or student loans and 3 kids! A huge miracle. We were so blessed.

6. My favorite scripture is Doctrine and Covenants 82:10. " I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise." Whenever we have tried to live a gospel principle, we have been blessed. I have a huge testimony of the blessings that come from paying our tithing and fast offerings from those days as poor college students. I remember attending an education week class at BYU and hearing a quote by Marion G. Romney, "“If we will /double/ our fast offerings we shall increase our prosperity, both spiritually and temporally.” I went home and told my husband what I had heard and that I felt like we needed to double our fast offerings. We were barely keeping our heads above the water financially. We doubled our fast offerings within 2 months my book hit the New York Times Best Sellers list. I knew the Lord was blessing us for obedience to this simple principle.

7. In the last 11 years, I have had 4 children (each a miracle of their own) and written 14 cookbooks. During that time, I have served as Young Women's President, Primary President, counselor in Relief Society, teacher, camp director, ward activities chair, nursery leader, and ward missionary. My hardest calling- 3 1/4 years as Primary President (65 children regularly attending nursery) and 130 kids in my primary. My favorite calling- Ward Missionary. Nothing beats seeing people's lives change and the joy that comes from entering the waters of baptism. We've probably attended at least 100 baptisms (8 year olds and convert baptisms) in the 4 years that we've lived in Tucson. It has been the best part of living in Tucson! I cried the most when my husband baptized our good friends and neighbors, the Mousos, last October. Nothing compares with seeing the gospel bless the lives of people you love. I can't wait to go to the temple with them in November!

8. My full-time job is that of being a mother. I think it is the hardest yet most rewarding job there is. My cookbooks are just a hobby gone out of control. It's been nice to have something that stretches me mentally. Years ago I remember feeling so inadequate. I felt that I must have forgotten to get in line when talents were handed out in heaven. I would look at the women around me. They could sew. They could play the piano. They grew beautiful gardens. I could make cinnamon rolls from a cake mix. It just didn't seem to compare. Then, one day it hit me! Why was I comparing what I couldn't do with what they could do? I realized that Heavenly Father gave each of us different gifts to bless and help grow the kingdom. My ability to make cookies from a cake mix has blessed the lives of thousands of mothers trying to save time in the kitchen! My gift was the ability to simplify.

9. What I am doing now- I'm starting my 15th cookbook. I discovered blogging over the last year and love it. I started a blog called Savvy Savings Tucson where I list online deals, deals around town, and grocery deals using coupons each week. I've gone from shooting cooking segments to sharing how people can save money on the news. People are often surprised by how frugal we are. After pinching pennies for so many years while my husband was in school, I can't handle paying full price for anything. I still scour the grocery ads each week for items to stock up on for food storage and plan our menus around fresh produce that is on sale. We are racing our oldest son. We want to have the house paid off before he leaves on his mission!

I am also an alternate for the town of Marana's Police Citizens Advisory Commission. After getting involved after a poorly worded ordinance was passed, I helped initiate getting the media involved and the community involved in getting it changed. I was able to help the mayor reword the ordinance to do what it was intended to do. The mayor and other town council members encouraged me to apply for the volunteer position.


10. I am the daughter of converts. Missionaries found my parents shortly after they were married in California tracting in their apartment complex. My dad had always felt that the Savior's church had to be on the earth. He was searching and received an immediate answer that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was the answer he had been searching for. My mom thought he was crazy. She started reading the Book of Mormon and got to the end of 2 Nephi and knew it was true. I think she read the Book of Mormon all the way through in just a couple of weeks. They were baptized. When I was 3 weeks old, I was able to be sealed to my parents in the Oakland temple. I have seen the gospel bless my life and the life of my parents. That's probably why I feel so anxious to share it.

Happy Birthday Devan!

I'm a day late in doing this because I spent the day yesterday helping Devan celebrate!

Eleven years ago my life was permanently altered with the birth of our son, Devan. Being a wife and mother had been my life long dream. Our sweet boy had horrific colic for the first several months of his life. My dream quickly turned into a sleep deprived nightmare. Luckily that time passed quickly and he metamorphosed into one of the most loving kids that I have ever known. Being a mom is a tough job, but having a son like Devan makes it completely worth it!




Little known facts about Devan:

1. He loves Herbie! He has since he was 2 and could point at the slug bugs in Provo. He owns every Herbie movie ever released (new and old). He wants a love bug to drive when he gets his license. We've told him that they no longer are making the old ones, so he may have to settle for a used newer version.

2. He is a natural missionary. I don't think Jenn Mouso would remember this. Devan was 7 when we first moved to Marana. Alex Mouso must have been 8 or 9. The kids were playing on the playground. Alex told Devan how old he was and Devan commented how lucky he was that he was old enough to get baptized. Three years later we were able to see Alex and the rest of his family get baptized. Devan was so excited for his friends!

Devan was so excited to be baptized when he turned 8!

3. He is a natural engineer. He must get it from his dad. He loves to build things! Forget video games- He lives for Legos. Several of his teachers figured out quickly that the way to motivate him to get his work done quickly was lego time. The other day he was suggesting ways that we could put an elevator from the garage to his bedroom closet using pulley and rope system. :-)

4. He likes to ride his bike and swim. He's had so much fun this summer swimming in Debbie's pool especially when friends swim with us.

5. He has a strong sense of what is right and what is wrong. It has been a joy for us as his parents to see him trying to choose what is right.

I could go on and on with this list, but my time is short. We feel so blessed to have Devan as a member of our family! We love him so much!

Here are some of my favorite pictures of Devan:

Devan at 9 months!

Devan has always been a great big brother!

Devan Age 4

Devan, Big Brother Twice, at age 5

Turning 7 in Idaho!

Devan as Big Brother for the third time at the age of 8!

Fun Summer List Ideas

This week we had a fun enrichment meeting at church. One of the classes provided me a life line for this summer. It was on what to do with the kids over the summer. I admit I thought we'd get a list of cool places and activities to do with the kids, but what I got was much better than that. An important lesson on teaching my kids to work! Our kids are expected to help and do daily jobs already, but no where did I hadn't thought about putting it in list form until this class.

Julie Mills taught the class. Her mom was a school teacher, and they had 6 kids. For 2 weeks of the summer the kids got to do what they wanted, but the moment one of them uttered the words "I'm bored!", the lists would start. Julie said if they went pretty quickly they could get everything done in 5 hours, but most days it took them longer. I'm aiming at 3 hours. Her mom had them practice the violin and the piano an hour each! Devan should count his 30 minutes as a blessing! :-) We lowered it to 20 minutes because we were adding more for him to do and he was "dying"! Once he gets used to the list, I'll raise it back up again.

We have a Saturday job list that includes taking out the trash upstairs and downstairs, mopping, sweeping, cleaning mirrors, cleaning toilets, cleaning rest of bathroom, etc... We pull out the list each Saturday and divide the jobs per family member. We all divide and conquer.

Her mom gave each kid $ .40 for every day they got everything done. Our kids get so many cents per year of their age. Then I have a list of $1 jobs they can do for extra money. $1 for cleaning out the van. $1 for vacuuming out the van. $1 for vacuuming all the bedrooms (an hour job). I'm still working on that list. Devan has an expensive lego set that he really wants, and he needs more income to get it. His current allowance would take him @ 2 years to get it, so we're trying to help him out a little.

Here are items that Julie's mom had on the list:
Fold Laundry (I added wash to that. Devan (10) and Lizzie (8) have just recently become responsible for their own laundry.)
Clean Room
Empty Dishwasher
Sweep Floor/ Vacuum
Dust
Clean Bathrooms
Make Bed
Do a craft
Do flashcards
Article of Faith practice
Piano Practice
Violin Practice
Brush Teeth
Get Dressed
Bike 1 mile
100 trampoline jumps
Shoot 15 baskets
Read a chapter
Make a birthday card
Read Scriptures
Homework Sheet (Her mom was a teacher and had boxes of worksheets.)
Crochet/Quilt
Play a game
Write name 5 times
Jump rope for 10 minutes
Play catch with sibling
Pick 10 weeds
Paint a picture
Play computer games
Yard or Garden Work

I made the lists individualized per child and age.

Here is Spencer's (almost 6 years) List:
Make Bed
Get Dressed
Put dirty clothes in hamper
Breakfast/Wash Dish and put in dishwasher
Brush teeth Morning
Read 2 books with someone
Do 3 pages from Hooked on Phonics Workbook
Write name 5 times
Pick up 20 toys
30 minutes educational games on computer
Kid Writing (Draw and write story)
50 jumps on the trampoline
Family Scriptures

Elizabeth's (almost 9) List:
Note: She keeps adding things to do to the list. She's my overachiever! Bolded items are things she added herself!
Make bed/Dirty Clothes in Hamper
Set table/Breakfast/Wash dish and put in dishwasher
Brush teeth and Get dressed
20 minutes piano
Read a Chapter
Practice 1 article of faith
Pick 10 weeds
Put shoes away and clean room and closet
Play suduko or math game
Read a book to Emma
Play a game
Laundry (Saturday)
Family 5K (Monday)
Toilets (Monday)
Take out trash (Tuesday)
15 minutes educational games on computer
Clean playroom
Hola Hoop 5 minutes
50 jumps on trampoline
Family Scriptures

Devan's (almost 11) List:
Note: Devan is my minimalist perfectionist. He complained that he would never be able to get it all done. I figure once he gets this down, we'll slowly add more tasks. But this is where he is starting. He already thought I was the meanest mom before the list even started. :-) See the comedy post below!
Make Bed
Put Dirty Clothes in Hamper
Breakfast/Wash Dish and put in dishwasher
Brush teeth Morning and Get Dressed
Read a chapter
20 minutes piano
Practice 1 Article of faith
Pick 10 weeds
Clean Room (This takes hours!!)
Play Suduko or Timez Attack
Laundry (Friday)
Family 5 K (Monday)

To make it fair, I started a list for me as well of what I do in a day. My list is bigger than theirs, so if they complain I can point to the list and ask them if they'd like one of my jobs added to their list. :-)

Day 1 went amazingly well. I didn't have to harp. I'd just ask to see where they were on their list and would praise them for how much they had gotten done. There is no swimming, Boomerang or movies until the list is done.



Julie gave us each the above paper to track the lists. The jobs are listed in the left column with the days of the week on the top. You can click on the image and print it to fit the page. Only 52 days left of summer!