Dono and Jackie Ashcroft's Fam

Christmas 2011

2011-12-26T22:30:00.000-08:00

We had a great Christmas at the Ashcroft Home. The boys got lots of great gifts but the one we all loved the most was the Wii game "Just Dance". You will see in the pics to come just how awesome dancing can be.

Manger In Joseph City

2011-12-24T20:17:00.001-08:00

Get Posted

2011-04-28T20:09:00.000-07:00

I have only one thing to blame for my lack of posting. Reloading. I am in a stage 3 addiction. That being said here are some great pics of what has gone on in our lives. Reese had a birthday.

Reese got baptized.

Jackie made a great candy table.

Slumber parties were had.

Jackie, the boys and their cousins made dinner cupcakes.

The boys played in the irrigation.

Reese got airborne.

Eligh made a water flower.

Eligh got airborne.

And just lovin life.

Easter with cousins.

That's a naughty wabit.

You rock that bed head.

And it's all just a drop in the bucket.

Family Pics

2010-11-13T13:52:00.000-08:00

Trunk or Treat or Not?

2010-11-01T20:00:00.000-07:00

Eligh decided to be a Zombie Killer this year for Halloween. It was just the two of us all weekend because Jackie and Reese went up north to Jo City. We had a great weekend. We went to the movies on Friday night with Uncle Brian, Saturday we went shooting at Table Mesa and the trunk or treat in Brian's ward and then trick or treating on Sunday. Eligh ended up with a ton of candy. So much that we asked him to share some with Reese. The ward trunk or treat ended up being inside which was a little strange. The weather was so nice outside and so much room for the kids to run and get out all there energy. Eligh got right in and participated the hell out of all the activities. He had so much fun. It was a great Halloween.

Eligh with cousins Kaitlyn and Brooke

"You mess with the best....you die like the rest"!

I guess he thought if he couldn't eat it then he would lick it?

Eligh's smile is great but look at that lady's hair!

Eligh and I had such a great weekend together. I am so proud of him.

Eligh the "Zombie Hunter".

2010-10-31T20:34:00.001-07:00

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Another Mummy if You Please

2010-10-28T16:49:00.000-07:00

Jackie got a great idea online to make these mummified Twinkies. They were dunked in ganache and then laced with white chocolate. The eyes are mini M&M's of coarse. They were fantastic! We gave them out to some of our neighbors.......I only got a bite of Eligh's. Definitely a fun treat for everyone to enjoy.

Just Shootin'

2010-10-28T16:31:00.000-07:00

My Brother Jesse, Grandpa Moore and I went up to the Queen Valley area to do some shooting. It was the first time Jesse had gone shooting since getting home from his mission to Seattle. It was also the first time I shot skeet. I loved it! I am pretty excited to start saving for a 12 guage shotgun now. I already have my eye on a couple. It is so fun to have Jesse home. Since we both love guns I have a feeling that we will be spending some quality time together........I know you feel the same way Jesse! Maybe not quite as excited as me but I will take what I can get. Jesse also had me over to do some reloading. So I have been having lots of fun with guns lately. Thanks Jesse and Grandpa Moore!

For The Love of The Bees

2010-10-26T14:22:00.001-07:00

I was doing some work outside and realized Reese had pulled up a chair next to the bush in our front yard that had lots of yellow flowers on it. I was so impressed when I found out why....

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Goodwill Finds

2010-10-21T11:24:00.000-07:00

Reese has always loved wine glasses, Margareta glasses....anything that fancy and you can drink from it so he asked my to get him some when I went to Goodwill. I really scored with these babies! They are about a foot tall and the boys loved them.

"Baby don't hurt me, don't hurt me no more"

Couldn't resist. Happy Halloween everyone!

Eligh Describes The Perfect BBQ

2010-10-21T10:36:00.000-07:00

Maybe you should try these "Rilly Good Foods" too.

Here's lookin' at You Kid

2010-10-18T15:45:00.000-07:00

First we need to start off by saying that Reese was not beaten for the making of this blog. He was stung by a mosquito and that eye just swelled up on him. We got him some benedryl and the swelling went down. I have to admit that Ol' Mister one eye looked pretty cute.

Jesse's Homecoming

2010-10-17T15:38:00.000-07:00

The Golden Arches

2010-10-10T17:46:00.000-07:00

We got together at McDonalds for Shawntel's birthday and had a great time.

I think Shawntel was happy with her new Pyrex set....."It even has lids".

"The caption must always go down with his ship......but I think my hamburger is getting cold so I am going to go now instead".

Great Pic of Grandma Nancy and Brook

Ahh........Brothers don't shake hands, brothers gotta hug.

Always great to have Grandma and Grandpa Moore and Uncle Steve at a party. I got some good Deer hunting tips from Uncle Steve.

Happy Birthday Shawntel!!! May your birthday MONTH be a good one!!

Reese and the Dragon

2010-10-08T14:29:00.000-07:00

Reese and I found this super funky shirt at Savers for $4.

I think he is planning on attacking someone here with "Air Quotes"!!!

Here is Reese with some of his favorite things on....most of them from thrift stores.

Cousins: Eligh and Kaitlyn

2010-10-08T14:03:00.000-07:00

I think Eligh's expression might be saying, "SOMEBODY PLEASE HELP ME", but nobody did.

My Montage 9/28/10 at OneTrueMedia.com

2010-09-28T22:07:00.001-07:00

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Reese's 2nd Grade Progress Report

2010-09-28T15:57:00.000-07:00

Reese did a fantastic job this time with his grades. This is his best report yet! His teacher said that they are doing a lot of learning with their hands and Reese is responding to it very well. He has always been great with his hands. We are so proud of him.

Thrifty Ties R Us

2010-09-26T15:02:00.000-07:00

Cool dude said what????

We have always called Reese our little elephant because he remembers everything so when I saw this elephant tie in Savers I couldn't pass it up.

This one for Eligh is a 100% polyester clip on tie.....Sweetness.

I think it makes him happy?!?.....Or is it that Mom cracked a pretty good joke?

I think that Eligh and Reese will be inheriting my tie pretty fast as it was about 8 inches too short. Still a pretty good polyester tie.

We got all 3 ties at Savers for about $6 total.

"I am definitely too sexy for this tie"

Great Pic of Eligh at Dawn

2010-09-22T19:42:00.000-07:00

Eligh is doing great in school and has a teacher that he really loves this year. He is starting to get interested in girls a little but not enough to distract him from playing with his friends yet. He just got the new Lego Harry Potter video game for the Wii and plays it almost everyday with his friend Andrew. He loves to play hard outside also and never backs down from a challenge. We love having Eligh in our family.

Jackie and Her Parents

2010-09-22T19:12:00.000-07:00

Hey SEXY MOMMA what you got cookin'!!!!!!

The Reesonator

2010-09-22T19:04:00.000-07:00

I had to add this one of Reese. He just looks so "special". He was student of the month at school and has a best friend named Courtney who he has a lot of fun with. He just got a new Nerf football and it is his favorite thing right now.

Christmas Dinner Plates in August

2010-08-29T16:28:00.000-07:00

I asked Reese to set the table as I was finishing Dinner and I wasn't really paying much attention and the next thing I know he had pulled out the Christmas plates. It was a fun change and we had a nice stir-fry dinner in a merry kinda way. Thanks Reese.

Master Reese: Jedi Warrior

2010-08-29T16:19:00.000-07:00

Ready for you the battle is, young master!

Dono's Birthday Party Part II

2010-08-24T17:17:00.001-07:00

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Eligh's Popsicle Pine Wood Derby

2010-08-24T16:52:00.001-07:00

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Some of the Boys First Casts

2010-08-24T15:07:00.001-07:00

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Twins!

2010-08-24T15:04:00.000-07:00

Reese and I have always been told that we look a lot alike so we made it official in this picture. I think this was when Reese was 5. Brings a tear to a glass eye.

Crazy Bacon Sandwich Time

2010-08-24T11:37:00.001-07:00

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Reese's 1st Grade Program

2010-08-24T11:11:00.001-07:00

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I finally figured out how to load videos on Blogger so I will be uploading more. This is Reese in his Kindergarden program. He did a pretty nice job with the air guitar.

Boys and Pigs

2010-08-18T12:03:00.000-07:00

It has been 7 months since we got our Guinea Pigs and I have to admit they have been great pets. We thought that the boys would lose interest after a couple months but they still play with them everyday. I asked Reese if he loved me more than his guinea pig the other day and he told me that he loved me the same. They really have become little members of our family. The boys wanted me to take these pictures so we could have them printed and they can take them to school for show and tell on Friday. Thanks goodness for Costco.com Photo.

Happy Birthday Cake for Joel

2010-08-13T13:37:00.000-07:00

Jackie and the boys made a Germain Chocolate Cake for Jackie's brother Joel on his birthday. It was super delicious with pudding filling!

Dono's B-Day

2010-08-11T14:21:00.000-07:00

As you can see from the candle I have just turned 5 this year. It has been the only candle we have had for a while now so no one really ages at our house. My birthday isn't until the 21st but we did a little party while my Mom was in town.

I am glad everyone helped me blow out the candle so we could all share everyone's spit.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Muddy Fun on Tucker's B-Day

2010-08-11T14:06:00.000-07:00

We had tons of cousins over at our house this weekend to celebrate Tucker Johnson's birthday. As you can see things got a little muddy when they decided the house value could be greatly improved by the addition of a pool.

Then we decided that mud and Popsicles would go great together.

Happy Birthday Tucker!

Carly loves her mani-pedi (sp).

Eligh just needed some alone time in the pool.

I don't think this pool water is up to specs!

Aunt Jackie made a great rocket cake with strawberries and chocolate mousse filling.

Happy Birthday Dear Tucker!

Our 4th of July Weekend Fun

2010-07-04T20:55:00.000-07:00

This weekend Jackie and Eligh went up to Joseph City while Reese and I stayed home and had a great time. We started by going to Cabela's, Bass Pro Shop and Sportsman's Warehouse. I did have an item I was looking for but it was also a lot of fun to hit all three in one day. Then we hit Native New Yorker for some wings and at night we went to "Night Splash" at Sunsplash from 7:30 to 10:30. It was so much fun. The thing is that I weigh a lot more than I used to at 290 lbs so I go a lot faster down the slides. I was pretty scared at some points. The ride that Reese and I both got freaked out on was the "half pipe". OMG! I thought I was going to die.....for reals folks. Anyway I would totally recommend it, I mean Night Splash, not that half pipe thing that the devil made. The next day we went to see Furry Vengance with Brendan Frazer. Reese loved it and there were some funny parts but definately save your money and rent it. We had such a great time together. Reese is such a great kid and everything is so much better when he is around.

Eligh had so much fun with his cousins in Joseph City. They played in the wash with walkie-talkies and on the rope swing for hours, ate lots of cake, played dance dance revolution and went to chevlon (sp) where he jumped of a 13 feet cliff into the river. Eligh is so much fun and is a great help.

Eligh's Swim Meet

2010-06-24T23:53:00.000-07:00

Eligh is on the swim team this summer and is doing great. We are so proud of him.

Fathers Day

2010-06-21T17:25:00.000-07:00

Reese made this for me on Fathers Day. I am not sure why there are five people in our family in his picture and I am also not sure why the unknown person has fallen and we seam to be dragging him through the green mud.

Thanks to Eligh I was able to see things in a new light with a new pair of specticles.

I am so grateful for my wonderful family. They made my fathers day wonderful. Jackie made me a bacon, egg and potatoes o'brien breakfast, we had a fish fry for dinner and cheese cake for dessert. That's some good grub. For my present I got some targets online that should be here tomorrow.

Letters to Grandma's

2010-06-21T17:12:00.000-07:00

We took some time today to write letters to my Mom and my Grandma. Eligh wrote to Great Grandma Demarse and Reese wrote to my mom.

Licking the Bowls and Beaters

2010-06-11T23:49:00.000-07:00

My niece Brook enjoying some left over brownie batter.....but she looks more like she wants to beat me up.

Kaitlyn and Brianna weren't about to let any goodness go to waste. You go girls.

Reese Mopping

2010-06-11T23:35:00.000-07:00

We got a Shark Steam Mop and Costco and the boys both love it......and that means less mopping for me. Wahahahhaahhaha........(as I pet my fat cat).

The Good Brothers

2010-06-11T23:20:00.000-07:00

The boys just couldn't go to sleep and kept ruff-housing around then after a while things got real quiet so we went in and this is what we found. They have never gotten into bed with each other so this was pretty fun. Eligh really needs his space to sleep so he usually doesn't let anyone go to bed with him but Reese loves someone to lay by him while he goes to sleep.

Me and my brother. Still best friends after all these years. I hope my boys can have the love that my brother and I have for each other

My Sister Alisa and Jesse's Wedding Dinner

2010-06-07T18:23:00.000-07:00

Jesse and Alisa Westbrook

Brian in his cool new glasses.

Grandma and Grandpa Ashcroft. Grandpa always has the best shirts.

Eligh found his peeps and got his eat on ya'll.

Cousins together again. Reese, Kaitlyn, and Brianna

Kevin is planning his next move on the

"race track", or what we call Greenfield Road.

My cousin Natalia's daughter. I had to get a pic because she is so cute.

Some of Alisa's new inlaws.

Big Eyes! My beautiful wife Jackie.

Alisa's mom Nancy.

I think I just got mad dogged! Kidding! These are Alisa's mother and father in law. Great people.

My aunt Rachel's grandson. Such a cute little chunk of goodness.

Foxy momma say what?

Dragon master will cut you real deep in the hour of your weakness!

Watching the wedding video.

You know cousin lovin' is allowed at receptions and such.

More of the same.

Father daughter dance time. This was before everyone showed up.

Thanks Alisa and Jesse for a great experience at your wedding.

Welcome Baby Jacob Downs!

2010-05-17T22:21:00.000-07:00

Crazy Hair Day

2010-05-15T00:24:00.000-07:00

Tramp Fun

2010-05-15T00:16:00.000-07:00

A new kid moved in across the street and the boys have been having so much fun with him (Andrew). Now the it is getting warmer it is time to break out the hose.

Keep those britches up big brother!

Some Burros!

2010-05-15T00:05:00.000-07:00

We bought some monster burritos from Ranch Market. The boys had a great time eating them. They have eggs, fried potatoes, bacon, cheese, and fried onions. We love them!

Note: This burrito is not being eaten sideways

Jackie's Cake

2010-05-14T23:56:00.000-07:00

Here is the beautiful cake that Jackie made for a shower. Jackie is doing great in school and work. She is the anchor of our family and I love and appreciate her so much.

Trampoline Time With Grandma

2010-04-19T13:48:00.000-07:00

Eligh working on his flip.

The Weasel won't pop!

Good times with Grandma.

Pop goes the Weasel!!

Bad Hair Day

2010-04-08T14:49:00.000-07:00

He looks a bit like Robert Patterson but didn't pay a stylist to get the look. This hair came fresh out of the bed first thing in the morning!

I think Reese just messed his hair up on purpose to get a "bad hair day" photo opp.

Family picnic with the Johnsons

2010-04-08T14:35:00.000-07:00

Rojo Diablo's

Reese's Cell Phone Skills

2010-02-07T23:46:00.000-08:00

Reese called me on my cell phone tonight and started to talk to me but the reception got bad and he couldn't hear me. First he said, "I am losing contract with you", then "I am breaking up with you". Of course the first was supposed to be I am losing contact with you and the second one was you are breaking up. I think it is great that he is still pretty innocent and we can enjoy him being our little boy a while longer.

Reese and His Piggy

2010-01-31T19:14:00.000-08:00

Reese and "Mr. Snuggles" have formed quite a bond since last month when we got our Guinea Pigs from the store. Reese just holds him while he watches TV or just whenever he has a break. We clean out there homes once a week and make sure there food and water are full. They are pretty low maintenance. Not as good as a dog but they will do for now.

Hopefully he will have great memories of the time he has with "Mr Snuggles" when he grows up.

Pinewood Derby

2010-01-28T20:46:00.000-08:00

It was Pinewood Derby time again. Reese came up with the idea, for Eligh's car, to do a Rootbeer Popsicle instead of all the usual race cars. It really came out great and we got a lot of complements. The top also has a "bite" taken out of it with the "cream" showing inside.

The poor kid in the middle is blind so we just told him he won every time. Kidding!! He can see just fine he just looks funny in this pic while he was blinking!

Eligh is pretending to eat his popsicle. We had to put some weights on his car so we taped some drill bits on top. I wish I would have been more prepared and drilled some weights into the car. Eligh ended up getting 3rd place. We were both pretty happy knowing that we would have WON IT ALL if the races hadn't been TOTALLY RIGGED! Kidding! Or am I?

Photo Finish! This is how close the race was for second place.

I also made a car for Reese but he launched it off the tall end of the track and busted the wheel off. He was still pretty proud of himself.

Eligh's Soccer: Season 3 Game 2

2010-01-26T19:26:00.000-08:00

Eligh had a great game 2 of this season. He stopped tons of shots at goalie but the game ended up tied at 1. It was so exciting that I would forget to take pictures.

Eligh just goes out and takes the ball away from the kids that try to score. There was even one parent from the other team trying to distract Eligh so his team could score.

Just liked this pic of Eligh.

This bigger boy came in and just rammed into Eligh so he could try to take him out and score. Eligh didn't budge but he was a little hurt after. I was proud of him for standing his ground.

Nice save Eligh!

Tuna Fish Cookie

2010-01-26T19:09:00.000-08:00

I can't believe some of the things that kids will eat especially when you consider all of the really good things they won't eat. Here Eligh is digging into a tuna fish dipped chocolate chip cookie........his own idea. Reese had to try it also but also added a Ritz cracker to the whole thing.

Fishing at Cezar Chavez Park Lake

2010-01-18T19:39:00.000-08:00

The boys got some fishing poles from their uncle Steve for Christmas so we went fishing at the lake in Cezar Chavez park. We didn't catch anything but the boys still had a great experience and learned how to cast and bait their lines.

I was just glad we got home without having to remove a hook from someones ear!

Eligh was trying so hard to catch a fish. He kept trying different places and seeing if different baits would work.

Reese was just happy the Geese didn't get him.

Maybe next time we'll have better luck.

Our New Pets

2010-01-18T16:55:00.000-08:00

We decided that it would be good for the boys to have "pets" and wanted something small and cheap to take care of so we got some Guinea pigs. This is Reese with Mr. Snuggles.

This is Eligh with Coco. Coco died the second night at our house it is was a very tragic experience for Eligh. He was truly in love with him and it broke his heart to lose Coco. We spent most of one day and the next consoling and holding Eligh trying to help him work through the grief process. It sounds a little corny for just a guinea pig but it was very real for Eligh.

We went back to the pet store and they gave us another Guinea pig. This time Eligh chose a black one and he named it Shadow. It has been almost 2 weeks now and they are both doing great and for the most part they are really good pets for the boys. They are learning how to take care of them, clean out their cages and make sure they have every thing they need.

Eligh's Soccer: Season 3 Game 1

2010-01-18T16:31:00.000-08:00

This was Eligh's first game of the Spring season and it was his best game ever. We won 1-0 but Eligh had about 15 to 20 saves at goalie and really saved the game because the other team was at our end almost the whole game. At the end of the game Coach Ochoa said, "Eligh has no fear".

This one was hilarious to watch. This girl shot the ball and Eligh tried to grab it but it went past his hands and bounced off his face. Part I

Part II: After the ball bounces away Eligh apparently thinks that he must stop the girl that shot the ball also.

Eligh wasn't the goalie in this one but still makes a great save.

This kid was the best on his team. Eligh was giving him a run for his money. Check out Eligh's knees.

Oh my gosh! Look at the attitude this little girl is giving Eligh after he stopped her ball. OH NO SHE DIDN'T!!!

Awesome game Eligh! We are so proud of you!

Pure Wisdom

2010-01-14T13:23:00.000-08:00

We were coming back from my Grandma's house in beautiful Holbrook and Reese was saying some things that were making me laugh so I told him that he was "fantastic". Without pausing Reese said one of the most beautiful things that I have ever heard him say, "Everyone is Fantastic". Sometimes I get so frustrated with other people and I am sure I have made other people frustrated with me but It seemed that my loving, kind 6 year old boy still had the innocence and the belief that "everyone is fantastic". I can't say that I have changed my life since then but I find myself giving people a little more benefit of a doubt and showing a little extra kindness and patience. I hope we can all learn from Reese as this new year begins.

Trash Clean up and Hiking

2010-01-05T16:35:00.000-08:00

We were on our way to go hiking in South Mountain and Reese had a great idea to clean up some trash while we were there. I was so proud of him for coming up with the idea all by himself. I was also very proud of Eligh for jumping in and doing a great job helping out but I think there must have been something stinky in the trash because look at the face he is making.

This table had bees in some of the cups. They managed to get the trash without being stung. What good boys they are!

Eligh is a stud!

Reese has some cold sores right now so around his mouth is a little red. The boys love for me to cut up apples for them while we hike. Having a trusty pocket knife always comes in handy.

"Dogs" and "Pigs"

2010-01-05T16:19:00.000-08:00

Before I married Jackie I never knew that "Dogs" were your feet and "Pigs" were your toes. Maybe I just wasn't in the loop but now that I am I hope I can help all the rest of you learn the true names of the animals pictured above. After all "pigs" and "dogs" are precious and I hope you enjoy a picture of Reese's and Eligh's.

Gingerbread Houses

2010-01-05T16:11:00.000-08:00

For the first time our family made Gingerbread houses this year. It was a lot of fun. The one on the back left had it's roof totally fall in so we just filled it up with frosting. The houses were all so small. There was supposed to be five houses in the set but somehow we only turned out having four. Still it was great and hopefully we will make it a holiday tradition.

To Grandma's House We Go!

2010-01-05T15:30:00.000-08:00

After Christmas we headed up to visit my Grandma and Aunt Karen in Holbrook. There was some great snow in the mountains so we stopped to play for a while.

Ahh....brothers don't shake hands, brothers gotta hug.

Then brothers have to wage war on each other.

Thanks for all the great times at your house Grandma DeMarse! We love you!

Mr Grinch

2010-01-04T20:03:00.000-08:00

I promise that I was excited about Christmas morning.....I just couldn't wake up enough to show it!

Reese's letter to Santa

2009-12-22T15:57:00.000-08:00

"I hav bin good".

Laveen Elementary Christmas Party

2009-12-21T19:46:00.000-08:00

These are some photos from the Chrismas get together at the boys' school. This is Reese's kindergarden teacher Miss Fluto.

This is Mrs. Kramer. She was Eligh's first grade teacher and now she is Reese's teacher.

This is Eligh's third grade teacher Miss Rogers.

Principal Roselle. He does a great job.

Eligh loves the camera.

Reese's Sandwich

2009-12-21T19:22:00.000-08:00

9 WORDS: TURKEY, CHEESE, CHIPS, AND PINK AND GREEN MARSHMALLOW SANDWICH.

THE END.

Student of the Month

2009-12-21T19:17:00.000-08:00

Eligh was named Student of the Month last month. We are super proud of him. He gets awesome grades also has a lot of fun in school. His best friend is Andy and they love to battle with there pocemon. He loves hot chocolate like it is going out of style and can read pretty much any book including most of the Harry Potter books. He also loves to do a art project to pass the time. Soccor is his game. He is signed up to play again this spring. He wants to go to Egypt when he turns 12 with his Grandma Greer. Eligh is an all around great kid and we love having him be part of our family.

Hiking in Lost Dutchman Park

2009-12-21T18:58:00.000-08:00

With the boys out of school for Christmas break we definitely needed an activity that would wear them down and be fun also. We had never hiked in the Lost Dutchman Park area so we drove from the west valley all the way over to the other side of the world to get there. We need to fill our "tanks" with quality fuel so we hit In-N-Out burger on the way...."Animal style Please"!

Great family photo!

Eligh wasn't smiling in the photo because he had just wiped out trying to race Reese to the gate. He fell and kind of did a barrel roll and bounced right back up on his feet again. I guess it still hurt though.

I love Arizona!

love my boys!

Family Pic and South Mountain

2009-12-13T17:21:00.000-08:00

Our family picture in South Mountain Park overlooking the city.

We have all had so much fun having Jackie around more this weekend. The boys couldn't get enough of her.

This leap wasn't as scary as some Eligh has made. This boy doesn't have much fear.

Cool pic of Eligh as the sun goes down.

Temple Lights

2009-12-12T12:41:00.000-08:00

Jackie got the day off on her birthday so we got to spend all day with her. We hadn't been to the Temple lights in a few years so we made the trip to Mesa. We had a great time. The boys had to go in the visitors center and watch a "movie" and we saw the nativity display as well. Reese was really impressed with the "bathroom trailer" that they have been using for years. Some people collect "things", Reese collects memories of the places he has gone to the bathroom.

Both of our boys are at an age that they have to make a silly face when they are in a picture.

Christmas Tree

2009-12-09T17:13:00.000-08:00

We have always had a lot of fun decorating the Christmas Tree. This year my mom was here so that was a nice treat and since she lives in Utah we got to open up our Christmas presents from her a "little early".

My mom has always looked much younger than her age.

One day Eligh and I were driving around doing shopping and things and it was quiet for a while. Out of nowhere he asked me, "Do you like information"? I felt like a salesperson had just given me a pitch for his new "information 2000" machine and wanted to reel me in. I was totally blown away by this question so I asked him why he wanted to know. He told me he just wanted to know because he really loved information and wanted to know if I shared his enthusiasm. That is why my Mom got this book for Eligh for Christmas.

I think Reese is saying, "Peace on Earth.....bro"!

Here he is wishin' his Jamaican brothers Merry Chrismas.

I bet you can't tell our tree is fake.

Deer in the headlights.

You can hardly see it but in the ball is a picture of Reese when he was about 1 year old.

Good times! I am so grateful for our Family. My mom has always been so good with our boys and she has helped our family so much.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Do you want to have some crab?

2009-12-07T21:42:00.000-08:00

Ever since Eligh was five he has liked seafood. One of my favorite foods ever is King Crab. So when Eligh started to eat crab with me it was very fun for both of us and I was very proud of him. It is a bonding time when we have our "Crab Nights". We stay up late after Reese and Jackie go to bed and then let the feast begin. The other night I had found some Crab on sale and asked Eligh, "Do you want to have some Crab tonight"? Eligh said, "Do we have to have that tonight"? I was a little confused so I tried to clarify, "You really don't want to have any Crab tonight"? He said no so I said, " Eligh, you love Crab"! Well it turns out that because he was in the back seat of the car he couldn't hear me very good and every time I said Crab he thought I was saying "crap".

After School Picnic at The Park

2009-12-02T20:37:00.000-08:00

We had a great picnic today at the park by our house. I had it all ready and in the car when I picked up the boys from school so we went right to the park and dug in. The boys were so fired up because they have been wanting to do this forever. Some of the neighbors came out and they played alligator until they we all tired. Good times.

Lost in The Crack!

2009-11-29T22:45:00.000-08:00

I was laying with Reese tonight and I went to get up and startled him a little in the process. I had already gotten out of bed when he realized that I wasn't where I had been next to him in bed. He got the most worried look on his face and quickly rolled over to the side of the bed right next to the wall with only a small crack of space between the bed and wall and yelled, "Dad, Dad" into the crack. After comforting him I asked him if he thought I was in the crack and he admitted that he really thought I had fallen into the crack. It is nice to think that someone thinks I could fit into a crack and it is also awesome that Reese was brave enough to save me.

Holbert Trail at South Mountain

2009-11-29T15:12:00.000-08:00

We went to the Holbert Trail today in South Mountain. As you will see in the pictures we didn't stay much on the trail.

Eligh has always been our little billy goat. If there is a way to climb something he will find it.

Yes, the big man can climb a little also.

Love Jackie's smile. These are some Petroglyphs that were pretty easy to find and see. " Within the 16,000 acres of the South Mountain Preserve are hidden hundreds of petroglyphs created by Hohokam who inhabited the Salt River Valley thousands of years ago. The signs and figures that cover rock faces in the canyons of this mountain range attest to the reality of a former, vibrant society." http://www.arizonaheritagetraveler.com/templates/content-view.php?nid=2&sid=207

This rock was kind of freaky because it looked like it should just roll down the mountain......so of coarse we all had to get on top of it.................

Peekaboo!

Bye, bye everyone!

Thanksgiving in Jo City with the Downs Fam

2009-11-28T11:03:00.000-08:00

Jackie got Thanksgiving day off so we went up to Jo City to Jackie's sister's family.

Jessica had an online chemistry test that her dad helped her with.

Derrick and Robert helped in the kitchen the whole time we were there. I didn't know teenage boys did that!?

I have to remember to turn down my flash when I take pictures of Eligh because he is so white! This sweater was from a teddy bear but a lot of us ended up wearing it.

Jackie got to cuddle into her Mom and Dad's bed where she spend many nights trying to wiggle in as a kid.

The boys had lots of fun playing with their cousins. There was never a dull moment with them.

Sandy and I needed something to warm our bald heads..........

I guess Reese wanted to warm his head also.

We got to go shoot a .22 rifle. It was the first time the boys got to shoot anything other than a bb gun. The stock was too long so they had to put it over their shoulder. Eligh was still pretty good. I was really proud of him.

Reese just liked to pull the trigger.

We had a great time with the Downs family. We are so thankful for all the time and effort they put into the awesome Thanksgiving Dinner we shared with them.

Thanksgiving Holidinner

2009-11-22T18:50:00.000-08:00

We are planning on heading up to Joseph City for Thanksgiving with Jackie's sister so I decided that it would be fun to have our own Thanksgiving dinner. Instead of a turkey I got a Rib Eye roast. The one I got was normally $45 but it was on a great sale so I saved $20.

It was great to spend the "Holidinner" with my awesome family.

Tell big daddy that ain't beautiful! I am already thinking about the sandwich I am going to make tomorrow with it.

We had the Roast, gravy, grean bean casserole with French onions on top, yams with marshmallows on top and cranberry sauce with whole cranberries.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!

Kiwanis Trail

2009-11-21T16:58:00.000-08:00

Today me and the boys went up "Kiwanis" trail in South Mountain Park. It was such a beautiful day we couldn't pass it up. Jackie would have gone but she had worked all night and needed some well deserved rest. It is also good when I can take the kids and do something while she is sleeping so the house is nice and quiet. I am so grateful for Jackie and all that she does for our family. Working and going to school full time is no easy task. She also finds time to make each of us feel loved. She just has a way of bringing a feeling of security into our home.

I think both of our boys are loving the attention they get from the camera. Eligh is looking extra studderific in this photo.

It wouldn't be an Ashcroft Family activity without food. I made some sandwiches so we could have a picnic on the trail.

This is where we are supposed to end up when we hike this trail. Reese calls it "The Bakery". I don't know why. We have gotten very close but never all the way there. It really isn't that far, but I guess it is for a big old bald dude.

Dinner with the Brooks Fam.

2009-11-20T20:45:00.000-08:00

I couldn't pass up an opportunity to share a picture of my best friend Jared and his family when they came over for dinner. Jared and I have been friends for almost two decades now. I couldn't ask for a better friend.

What a guy!

2009-11-19T22:12:00.000-08:00

Reese has always been my little mini-me. He loves to go where I go and do what I do. Even when he was just a toddler people always commented that he looked just like me. Most nights Jackie or I read two books to him before he goes to sleep. Tonight he fell asleep within a couple minutes of reading to him so I laid with him and cuddled for a few minutes. Sometimes I just don't want him to grow anymore. I just want him to stay my little boy forever but I know better and I know he will grow to be a great man someday.

My Mom's Visit

2009-11-17T19:02:00.000-08:00

My mom lives in Salt Lake City and usually comes once a month for a couple days to visit us. For the last couple months she has been traveling all over the world visiting my brother in Holland and then on a 6 week excursion in southeast Asia. She works for the airlines so she can fly for free with her husband. If they would have had to pay for the tickets to Asia they would have cost $15,000 each. We like to think that she got the job so she could come and see her children and grandchildren but she but she loves to see the world also. She puts all her travel experiences on her website: http://www.twittertravel.com. This pic is where we were celebrating my mom's birthday and she got to get her presents out of the "birthday cooler". I invented it because I am not a big fan of wrapping presents so I have my kids reach into the "birthday cooler" with their eyes closed and pick out one present at a time. They love it and it sure saves me a lot of time and wrapping paper.

We got my mom the "Snuggie" blanket. It was really stuck in the plastic so they really had to fight to get it out.

Eligh and my Mom have always had a special bond. Looks like Eligh is in hog heaven.

The boys wanted to have Grandma go down the "19ave bike ramp" so we made it down there with the last few hours we had with Grandma. When I was growing up my mom would take my brother and I on 3 day long bike rides to places like the Hoover dam. I have some great memories of those rides and I am so grateful she took the time with all the difficulties she had being a single mom and working full time and going to school to spend quality time with us.

Eligh's Soccer Pics

2009-11-14T18:10:00.000-08:00

The fall soccer season has come to an end and I just wanted to compile some of the best pics from Eligh's game. I think he is trying to stop the ball here but it looks more like he just wants to kill it. The tall kid with the dark hair and Eligh went at it the whole game. You will see him in almost all the pics.

These next two shots made me laugh. Now you see it.......

Now you don't! I think the little guy just took a minute to be grateful Eligh's kick didn't go any further.

Eligh has gotten a lot better at dribbling the ball instead of just kicking it as hard as he could.

Sweet shot of a corner kick.

I don't know why this girl was so terrified of Eligh, and I also don't know why it makes me laugh so hard.

I can't remember if Eligh had just kicked this or the other way around.

David and Goliath at it again............

down goes Goliath, but I think he fell on David. This proves there is more than one way to stop the ball. The girl running behind them is just glad Eligh didn't come after her again.

The 19th Ave Bike Ramp

2009-11-12T17:00:00.000-08:00

The boys have been trying to get me to bring them up to the top of 19th Ave and let them ride their bikes back down. They had the whole day off on Veterans day so we finally made the trip.

You go Reese! Watch out Calvin Klein, eat your hearts out ladies!

Down they go! Reese was a little scared at first but I told him he could go faster and he took off.

Eligh has no problem going fast. He has always had "NO FEAR"!

Keep your hands and feet on the vehicle at all times!

I think the words to describe this are: Pure Joy.

A view of the hill from the bottom.

Added bonus: fresh water clams from the canal. I think this made them just as happy as going down the hill.

Look at the top of Eligh's helmet.

Riding Bikes at Tempe Town Lake.

2009-11-09T20:06:00.000-08:00

We used our bike rack to go down to Tempe Town Lake for a ride around the lake.

We rode from the park off of Mill Ave down to Scottdale Rd and then over the bridge and around the other side to Mill again. My odometer freaked out or I would have recorded how long it was but it was a great ride for me and the kids.

We tried to get a second when people weren't coming over the bridge to get a picture in. There was an ASU football game and it was very busy.

We found these stones over by the marina. I had never been over in the north side of the lake.

I promise I did not tell Reese to Pose this way!

Looks like it was a good day judging by the smiles on their faces. I carried the food all the way around the lake so we could stop and eat right next to our van. Jackie's sandwiches never tasted so good!

Eligh's Birthday 9-9-09

2009-11-06T21:00:00.000-08:00

Eligh had a great birthday this year. I think the thing he wanted most was to try Sushi. Jackie and I were kind of worried about the raw fish part of it and getting sick but Eligh has always had such adult taste(one of his favorite dishes when he was 5 was shrimp scampi) so we let him do it. I had also never tried sushi as well so it was a fun experience for me too.

We got 5 different kinds of sushi: shrimp, Albacore tuna, Mahi Mahi tuna, Salmon, and Red Snapper. Eligh said the shrimp was his favorite. He also says that he would do it again.

I went to Eligh's school lunch to give him balloons and some homemade soup that I made that mourning. Of coarse his favorite part was the brownie that I got from the store!

Eligh's best friend this year is Andy. They play and trade Pokemon almost everyday. They are also both doing really well in class and help each other to be good students.

After sushi we came home and had cake and opened presents. Eligh requested a Boston Creme pie for his birthday cake and since Jackie works in the bakery she had them put double creme in it. It was awesome!

Eligh got a new bike, this lego ship, and a compass. This was our first big lego project together and I really liked it. I hope Eligh liked it as much as I did!

Happy Birthday Eligh! We Love You!

Hiking at South Mountain

2009-11-04T20:06:00.000-08:00

We have been doing some hiking in South Mountain Park since we moved to Laveen. It is only 10 min away from our house so it is real easy to just jump over there after school with the boys and do an hour hike. Another great thing is that there are quite a few different trails to chose from. We just tried this new trail off of
19th ave and it had a great view of downtown Phoenix. It had a pretty good incline and Reese was getting tired (at least that was the excuse I used) so we didn't get too far but it was just good to get out and do something active for my diabetes and the boys.

I don't know if Reese was giving Eligh loves or trying to push him down the mountain.

I love Phoenix in the winter time!!

Halloween 2009 "The Creepy Reepers"

2009-11-02T13:07:00.000-08:00

Halloween was great this year. Both boys ended up being "Reepers". Even though Eligh corrected everyone telling them he was a "skeleton with a cloak" because that is what the label said. We decorated the front entryway with a huge spider as you can see in the pics and the boys both helped carve pumpkins. I think Halloween could be my favorite holiday because you don't have to go broke to celebrate it and it is so much fun. It is also good to see people from the community and neighborhood getting out and doing something for the kids.

The boys got a lot of complements on their costumes but the thing that people loved most was that "skeleton bag hand" that Eligh is holding up. People couldn't stop asking about them and wanting to touch them.

Jackie and I each took turns going out with the boys while the other took care of answering the door and giving out candy. We had a huge witches kettle full of candy and it was gone by 7:30. The boys were tired and ready to relax so we celebrated the rest of the night by watching a movie (Hotel for Dogs) and having pizza.

Soccer Saturday 2

2009-10-31T15:14:00.000-07:00

Most of the good shots I got this week were of Reese. For some reason I was never there at the right time to get a good picture of Eligh. This is Reese's one shot he had at making a goal. It didn't happen but it was real exciting for us!

Reese also had a big save at goalie. I don't quite know how he stopped this ball with his hands waving in the air but he pulled it off.

Halftime is team talk time. I think Reese was probably thinking about how fast he could send one of his cars off a ramp.

Eligh's team played the team that tied them last time. They had a really good game and won by two. Eligh is really good at being goalie but has such a good team that he doesn't have much to do.

Well alls well that ends well right.....bottoms up!

Peppersauce Caves

2009-10-29T19:55:00.000-07:00

I had been to Peppersauce caves as a teenager with our youth group and loved it so I wanted to take my boys. It turns out my memory was a little fuzzy about how hard it was to get around in those caves.....or maybe it was the fact that I have put on some pounds since last going in. My boys are 6 and 9 so it wasn't too bad for them but I was dripping with sweat the whole time I was in there.

This is the entrance to the cave and it just gets worse. There are 1.5 miles of caves down there and most of the areas are muddy and slippery. All of us had times when we slipped and landed flat on our backs....luckily not on anything too hard. We were in the caves for about 2 1/2 hours and I was ready to see the light again. My flash light kept cutting out making it even harder.

Eligh does a victory dance at the end of our journey.

Be careful! The "Peppersauce Prowler" has infected Reese and he has gone MAD!!!

Flagstaff trip

2009-10-26T12:32:00.000-07:00

We headed up to Flagstaff on Oct 9th for some R & R and a little site seeing.

These pics are in Walnut Canyon, a national park where ancient Indian cliff dwellings are being preserved.

And the boys favorite part of the trip is......swimming in the pool at the hotel!!!

Pumpkins 2009

2009-10-25T22:16:00.000-07:00

Jackie had worked all night before the day we were going to carve the pumpkins and while she was sleeping Reese (6) made this note all by himself. Translation: Today we are going to carve the pumpkin after mom wake up. These are the times when we are really proud to be parents.

Family time with the Ashcrofts usually doesn't involve getting this messy....but everyone is digging in.

Pumpkins took a different turn this year when we found an article online that added gourds and Indian corn to the mix.

Eligh's pumpkin had a gourd cigar.

Saturday Soccer

2009-10-25T15:16:00.000-07:00

For the last few weeks Eligh and Reese have been playing soccer games on Saturdays. They are both on undefeated teams and have played really hard.

Reese really plays his heart out. The little big man

can really move.

Eligh is a great defensive back and makes many key stops when the pressure is on. Notice how the girl in the pic is very calm and collected as Eligh works with sweat and determination to get the ball from her. In the last two games Eligh's team has won 15-0 and 9-0.