The Church's New Online Radio Station

At the end of April, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints launched a wonderful online radio station! They even have programs for kids!

Here is the information from the site:

"The Mormon Channel is the official radio station of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The channel originates from Temple Square in Salt Lake City, Utah and broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Content for the station comes from the vast archives of the Church, along with several new series created specifically for this station. The Mormon Channel also features great programming from various partner organizations, including Deseret Book, Bonneville, the Deseret News, LDS Business College, and the campuses of Brigham Young University.

You can listen to the Mormon Channel live online anytime at radio.lds.org. There are also downloads and podcasts of content available at the same address."

Click here to visit radio.lds.org!

A Tribute to My Grandma Woertz Who Passed Away Yesterday

Have you ever met a true "Super Woman"? I was blessed to have one as my grandmother. My grandma, Margery Woertz, passed away last night after a short fight with cancer. She was 91, and we prayed that she wouldn't have to suffer. Our prayers were answered and she passed away in her sleep about a month after she was diagnosed.

My grandma was truly amazing. As a child and teenager, I could barely keep up with her. She was always busy doing good whenever and wherever she could. She did everything from driving the tracker, to handling the cows, to canning their home grown produce and to serving others in whatever way she was able. She raised 4 pretty amazing kids, one of which was my mother.

My grandma and me in her farmhouse kitchen that I adored!

My grandma loved amusement parks. She could out ride me on all the rides until she was about 75. She especially loved the spinning rides. I'd be ready to lose my lunch, and she'd say, "Let's go again!!!" It's kind of ironic that I was at the Knotts Berry Farm amusement park when I got the call letting me know she had passed away. We were going to ride a spinning roller coaster and I had been thinking how much she would have loved this ride!

My grandma was an amazing cook! She loved to make food for others and in her later years she loved to feed the missionaries. It wasn't uncommon to hear that she had 8-10 missionaries out to her house for dinner. She loved the missionaries! She also loved having the family at her home for dinners for holiday and regular occasions! We all loved her Pudding Lush which will be published in my soon to be released 101 Things To Do With Pudding.


My grandma loved the Lord. She was a Methodist for 65 years, going to church every Sunday and even teaching Sunday School. One day, two sister missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints stopped by her home. She said one reminded her of me and the other reminded her of my sister who at that time was serving a mission in Budapest, Hungary. She knew she needed to listen. Grandma FINALLY read the Book of Mormon and felt the sweet truth and power that comes from its pages. She had lots of opposition in joining the church. She worried about her kids reaction. When she called me to tell me that she was getting baptized, she said "I know it's true. God knows I know it is true. I know he'll hold me accountable." She knew in a matter of years she would see her Savior again, and she wanted to be able to say that she had been obedient and followed what she knew to be true. She was baptized at the age of 82!

My mom, my grandma, Devan, and I at my Grandma's Baptism
in Peoria, Illinois.

Grandma was so funny after she was baptized. She wanted so much to share what she had found with others! She couldn't understand how everyone couldn't see how true the gospel was. She thought if everyone would just read the Book of Mormon that they all would be baptized! I'd have to remind her how long it took her to find out for herself that it was true and to just be patient.

A year after her baptism we made a special trip to the Chicago temple with my grandma. She was able to receive her endowment and was able to be sealed to my grandpa and to my mom for not just time but for all eternity! She practically skipped out of the temple. She was so happy and so excited! That binding ordinance has me bound to her as well for all eternity as long as I can keep the commandments and the covenants that I have made with my Heavenly Father! How blessed am I!

This picture was taken the day my parents were sealed and I was sealed
to my parents in 1974 in the Oakland California temple.
I will be eternally grateful for the sacrifices made by my grandma and my parents!

Our 12th Anniversary

I can't believe it's been 12 years! I've been married for 1/3 of my life! It just seems so crazy how fast the last 12 years have gone. Ivan and I have shared the good, the bad, the happiness, the hard, and mainly the joy.

When I was a teenager, my young women's president counseled us that when the time came that we were looking for that someone to marry that we needed to find someone who made us want to be a better person. I followed that counsel and my life has definitely been blessed for it. My husband is pretty soft spoken, but he is a spiritual giant who loves the Lord and the scriptures and who truly loves and cares for others. He is always the first to volunteer to help someone in need. He is truly good and makes me want to do and be better. He is a great husband and father. I have truly been blessed. I'm so grateful to know that our marriage will not end with death because of the covenants we made when we were sealed in the temple! Our family can be together forever as long as we can remain faithful in keeping the commandments and following the Savior!

Here's our wedding announcement!

This was the funniest picture taken at our wedding reception.
This is my little brother Troy planting a huge kiss on my grandma
after he put the veil on her head! Her expression is classic!
If you click on the picture, you can see the picture better!

MOTHERS

Real Mothers don't eat quiche;
They don't have time to make it..

Real Mothers know that their kitchen utensils
Are probably in the sandbox..

Real Mothers often have sticky floors,
Filthy ovens and happy kids.

Real Mothers know that dried play dough
Doesn't come out of carpets.

Real Mothers don't want to know what
The vacuum just sucked up..

Real Mothers sometimes ask 'Why me?'
And get their answer when a little
Voice says, 'Because I love you best.'

Real Mothers know that a child's growth Is not measured by height or years or grade....
It is marked by the progression of Mommy to Mom to Mother...

The Images of Mother

4 YEARS OF AGE - My Mommy can do anything!

8 YEARS OF AGE - My Mom knows a lot! A whole lot!

12 YEARS OF AGE - My Mother doesn't really know quite everything.

14 YEARS OF AGE - Naturally, Mother doesn't know that, either.

16 YEARS OF AGE - Mother? She's hopelessly old-fashioned.

18 YEARS OF AGE - That old woman? She's way out of date!

25 YEARS OF AGE - Well, she might know a little bit about it!

35 YEARS OF AGE - Before we decide, let's get Mom's opinion.

45 YEARS OF AGE - Wonder what Mom would have thought about it?

65 YEARS OF AGE - Wish I could talk it over with Mom.

The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure she carries, or the way she combs her hair.

The beauty of a woman must be seen from in her eyes,
Because that is the doorway to her heart,
The place where love resides.
The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole,
But true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul..
It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she
Shows, and the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows!

Create

I really liked this short (less than 2 minute) clip on the ability to create. So many times in my life, I have almost talked my self out of doing things due to the critics (mainly in my own mind). I can't tell you how many times while I was working on my book 101 Things To Do With A Cake Mix, I pushed away the thought that "No one would be interested in this book." It went on to become a New York Times Best Seller.

We have each been given a limitless potential to do good and to create what we may. Sometimes I think we just need to be reminded of what we can truly become especially with the Lord's help.

5/8 KVOA News Story

Tracking down the best deal

By: Sandy Rathbun

Published May 8, 2009

"In Stephanie Ashcraft’s home everything has a story. As she plays air hockey, she says, “This is the activity table that we were able to get for a screaming deal. They’re usually over $1,000 for a nice one, and this one we were able to pick up for just over $500.”

Across the room, she says, “We got our $2,300 sofa set for 1,000 bucks.”

“I have to find the deal,” she says. “If it’s not 50 percent off or more I hardly look at it at all.”

How does she do it?

Ashcraft says, “Tip number one is use cash and don’t be afraid to walk away.”

She says that’s how she and her husband bought a $200 dollar keyboard for their four young children.

Ashcraft explains, “They had a floor model left at one of the warehouse stores. We asked the manager, we have 100 bucks, that’s all we have. Are you willing to take that with the tax and everything?” And he was.

Her tip number two is “Be willing to ask for a deal.”

That’s how she bought a wooden organizer for her hobby room. She says, “My scrapbook organizing system never [goes] on sale. [So] I just contacted the owner and I said is there any way you can give me a 25 percent discount if I just pay you in full? And she said yes, we’ll do it, so don’t be afraid to ask. The worst they can say is no.”

Ashcraft’s tip three is to research prices.

She says, “The Internet is one of the best money saving tools out there right now. Within minutes you can have the lowest price on pretty much about anything.”

For example she pulled up prices for a cookbook she wrote called “101 Things To Do With A Salad.”

She demonstrated, “You look it up on pricerate.com or bizrate.com. The lowest price is $5.91. That includes the shipping.”

Suddenly she proclaims, “That’s cheaper than I can get it as the author.”"

New Cooking with Mrs. 101 Blog

I decided I'm going to chronicle my cooking escapades! On the website, I'll share news and recipes from my 101 cookbook series. My specialty is quick and easy, so gourmet cooks need not apply!

Click here to visit Cooking With Mrs. 101!

Ashcraft Update

I promise that I am still alive. I finished 101 Things To Do With Pudding and spent the rest of last week playing catch up on laundry and other projects that I had put on the waiting list.

On Saturday, our church (Avra Valley Ward of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints) threw an amazing Preparedness Fair! I can't believe all the volunteer hours that went into putting this together! They had tons of information on storing it, making your own cleaning supplies, growing your own food, out door cooking, how much should you have, 72 hour kits, planning your 3 months meals for food storage, how to grind and use wheat, and how to cook with your food storage! It was one of the best information fairs that I've ever been seen. I wish I could have spent time at each table. I grabbed all the handouts and tried all the yummy food samples, but I spent a lot of time manning my table on using coupons to save money on food storage. A huge thanks to all the people who put this together! Truly amazing!


Life is good, busy but good! My other grandma who lives with my parents was diagnosed with cancer the week my other grandma passed away. They gave her 6 months to a year, but she's going down hill pretty quickly. She has always been my hero! She spent her 91 years trying to be like the Savior and serving his children however she could. She has all the ordinances that she needed to receive in this life. She was actually baptized at the age of 82! A year later we went to through the temple with her and saw her sealed to my grandpa who passed away while I was on my mission for time and all eternity! I think the reunion of my grandpa and grandma will be very sweet!