MERRY CHRISTMAS 2012

This year...I wanted to do Christmas a little different.  I am not sending Christmas cards nor a family update.
I am blogging!
So...here goes.

Larry and I have been talking about traditions and how to keep the spirit of Christmas but also de-stressing.  Along with that, we have been discussing finances and how to turn the spirit of Christmas into the spirit of giving.  We have always given to ministries and causes, but this year, we decided to give a little more.  So....instead of sending Christmas cards we will use that money to give towards a new ministry that we haven't given to before.  We are going to sponsor a child.

Since we send cards to family and friends.....You already know what's been going on in our lives.  You see it on Facebook/Twitter/Blogs/Texts and Emails.  Seems silly and redundant to send all of that to the very people who already know it.  So...in this blog...there will be pictures of this year's happenings.

Enjoy!
Merry Christmas from Larry and Debbie
Celebrating the birth of our Savior.

RANDOM ORDER

 Larry and I at the Lakehouse boat dock this summer

 Crab Boil night

 Ethan above at Aundrea's bd night

 Ethan on his church playground.

 I completed the Speed the Light 5 K in October

 Enjoying some homemade cupcakes

 I swam hard for Trey in the Sr Olympics April 2012

 My little Princesses Savannah and Rylie at the Y Princess Camp.  July 2012

 Ethan snoozing in my arms at Bay Springs August 2012

Savannah in her backyard

 Larry's parents finally got a boat ride.  Oct 2012

 Muffins with Rylie at her school

 Couch time with all 3

 I completed the Race for the Cure in Oct 2012

 Savannah at Disney Live Nov 2012

 Gymnast Rylie November 2012

 Halloween night:  Larry's mullet

 I completed the St Jude 5K Dec 2012

 Larry and I on the boat this summer

 Larry and I in our backyard.

 Our Sonic Trip

 Ethan drinking Dr. Pepper and watching Barney

 PBJ's at the Y.  Lunch break from swimming.

 Larry loves fishing on the dock

 Banana break

 Disney on Ice:  Baumer family

 Disney on Ice:  Mills Family

I completed the 5K  Sr Olympics April 2012

Hope you enjoyed our year in the life of the Mills Crew.  

Supper time creation.

Sometimes I am craving an original creation of mine.  And I am always looking for ways to make it low in calories and high in taste.
Tonight....we had quesadillas and english muffin mini pizzas.

Oh...and I also have it presented on my festive Christmas plates.
Quesadillas:  corn tortilla (2)=90 calories/salsa 10/turkey sausage 50/ cheese 20
I cooked them in a non stick skillet with non stick spray.

English muffin mini pizzas;  muffin 80/ turkey sausage 50/salsa  10/lowfat mozz 25

I toasted the muffin litely first....added the ingredients and then put them back in the oven to melt the cheese.
Very tasty.
170 + 165= 335.  Not bad for a tasty and filling main course.  I did add a fresh salad for another 100 calories.

Feel free to try it and let me know what you think.  It's a keeper for me.

EBAY SELLER WOES

I really love shopping on EBAY but this last purchase has been a doozie.  I ordered Chocolate Advent Calendars for my grandkids and the price was reasonable, which included quick shipping.  I was home when my package arrived and I sure was surprised when they arrived in a bubble mailer.  I never expected them to come in an envelope.  I expected them to come in a more durable box with some kind of ice pack or something to prevent the chocolate from melting.
Of course it didn't come that way.  So...when I opened the mailer....the calendars were messed up.  I could hear loose pieces inside and could see some blobs which meant that the chocolate had melted into each other.
I contacted the seller and she said she was NOT responsible for how the postal service delivered them.  I told her it was delivered just as she sent it....she was at fault for how it was packaged.
She offered for me to return them if they were un opened and she would charge me a re-stocking fee and credit me 10% of the account.  I would get a whopping $2.57!  Big deal....it was defective merchandise and she was shirking responsibility.

So....I decided to open them and make pix of the mess.   When I sent her the pix she then said she saw what I meant.  Said she would refund me.  I surrendered and said she won....I didn't want anything from her....TRANSACTION over.  Then, I get an email that she refunded me a partial refund:  she decided to deduct the shipping overage charge to me!  Our transaction was for $4.70 shipping and she said it was actually $7.34 so she deducted the difference.  Well....I know that once a deal is done...it is done.  She can't change the shipping fees.
This girl is just asking for negative feedback.  I am not thrilled with this purchase....I think I will send it to arbitration and  get the rest of my money back.  I was willing to drop it and she kept on.  I really think her attitude and unprofessional business ethics should be reported to EBAY.

Anyway....here are my pix.

 After I opened each calendar, the pieces were all jumbled.  

 The calendar had melted chocolate and it stuck to the package

 More of the melted candy

Another messed up calendar.

Here are the calendars and the bubble mailer

More of the melted blobs.

I think I have a valid case.  Later I will post 2 videos that I made opening the calendars.

Training tips for Life

I went to a training event for the St. Jude Marathon last night at Fleet Feet.  This was #3 of 4 nights.   They are once a month and I have really enjoyed them and learned alot.
Last night was about getting mentally prepared for the race.  I am doing the 5K but these tips were great for me and my head.
Here are some of Coach Kevin's tips'

1.  Expect and Embrace the pain.
2.  Get comfortable with being uncomfortable
3.  Accept pain as a natural result of the marathon
4.  Tell the legs to "shut up" and keep on going
5.  Not gonna be easy but totally worth it.
6.  The PAIN is ERASED by the Finish Line

I was pondering these tips when a light bulb went off in my head.  THESE ARE LIFE TIPS TOO.  WE should expect and embrace pain here on earth....this is a broken world and we live in it and we WILL endure pain at some time.

We should get comfortable with being uncomfortable.  Jesus told his disciples that the world would hate His followers because the world hates HIM.  That does make for an uncomfortable feeling.

Pain is a result of the race.  We are to run the race and finish it....not run halfway and quit because it gets a little tough and painful.

Tell the legs to shut up....mine is to tell satan to shut up and keep my mind moving on towards what God has called me to.

Not gonna be easy but totally worth it.....well...Jesus said that He is going to prepare a place for me ....if I endure.....that place He prepared is gonna be totally worth it.

Pain is erased by the Finish Line:  YES YES.....there will be no more pain when we cross that Finish Line....God said that He will wipe away all tears and that there will be no more pain.....

I am now running my spiritual race with new motivation.  Just like I need things to motivate me for the physical race.....MY Spiritual Race is the most important race on the planet and I need to stay motivated for the BIG FINISH LINE....so I can hear my Savior say:  well done my good and faithful servant.

NOW....hope I can remember these things and not let them evaporate from my thoughts.

Feeling blue? Bake cookies

Today....Tues....10-2 12....feeling kinda down about my ongoing knee pain.  I have been seeing my doctor on and off for the last 2 weeks.  I kept having to have fluid drained off of my knee and nothing was cutting the knee pain under the cap and behind the knee.  I went for an MRI yesterday and figured it would not show anything and that I would be back to square 1 again and still have pain.
This morning, I finally gave in and put on my knee brace.  It did give me some relief and support and helps me to be able to walk without a silly limp.

This will be my new accessory now for awhile until I hear from the MRI results.

So....I was feeling like I should do something besides sit on the couch and mope.....so I got up and decided to bake some cookies.  CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES.  No carob ones either....hahahah

I managed to make more than the batch said so I cut the caloric count down to 128 calories per cookie.  Yippee.....now....I will see how many fit into my daily calorie count.

AND....I received a call from my dr as these were cooling and I have results!   I have a torn meniscus!
I am excited because now I know that the pain is real and there is a real cause behind it.   It is not my imagination.   Besides....I can't manufacture fluid inside my knee.....This is good news to me.  So now I wait to hear when my surgeon appt is scheduled and then I will know what my options are.
Thanks for reading and enjoy a cookie on me!!!!

Weird Things to eat on the lake!

Larry and I were just recently at Greers Ferry Lake and we always enjoy relaxing on floats when the water and air temps are just right.

This time we were hungry and needed a snack....so we multitasked and floated and ate.

This is a delicious McDonald's fruit parfait.

Larry and his banana!

Day 30: Final post of 30 DAYS OF KEITH

I can't believe Keith is 30 nor that I have been a mother for that many years.  It was a wonderful trip down memory lane, looking through photo albums and thinking about those awesome years.  From the moment he was born even through today, my love for him has grown so much.

I really love this precious family and how my son grew up to be a Godly husband, great daddy, and wonderful son. God gets all of the credit for that.   I see Savannah in the corner of this picture and I love her too.  This was this passed Christmas of 2011.

We had such a good time in March of this year doing the big family Disney trip.  We created many memories and have the pictures and autographs to show for them.

Here we are at Easter of this year.  Keith is fixing a toy that Ethan was given for Easter.  He always enjoyed putting things together and he still does.

Rylie's Pre K graduation in May really drove home how grown she was and how grown my baby Keith was
.

This is Ethan's 2 year old bd in June.  It is like deja vu with Keith.  I am so grateful to be seeing/experiencing  his kids growing  up and to be in town to be a part of their lives.  Like I said......hard to really believe it's been 30 years!

Here is Mommy, Daddy, and baby Keith!  My baby is a MAN!!!!  
Sometimes I wonder if he knows just how much and how deeply I love him.  But, I think he does because I can see it in his eyes/actions when he is with his own children.  I am so proud of him and grateful to God for putting him in my life.

Now....this is a real turn of events!   My strong son can now hold me!   I guess it's only fair since I held him on his BIRTH day now he holds me on his birthday.
Happy 30 years , Keith.  Hope I am around to see another 30 years.  Love you, Son.

Day 29

Moving through the years....this post will be about the birth of Keith's kids and his Master's graduation.
His first child, Rylie McKenzie Mills was born on April 16, 2007.  She was 7lbs. 1 0z and 19" long.  It was our first grandchild so we were snapping pictures right and left.  It was hard to decide what to choose for this blog, but I finally picked some out.

This was at Rylie's house and I was so excited to get this one with her eyes opened.

This was Keith and Rylie at our house for American Idol Night.  Such a proud Daddy!

This was Keith , Aundrea, and Rylie at Rylie's baby dedication in May.  Precious little family.

November of 2009, we made fall family pictures.  Rylie changed from dark hair to blonde.  She has her mom's beautiful mouth/lips and blue eyes.

Then, in 2010, along came a bouncing baby boy:  Ethan Cole Mills.  Born June 2, 2010.  He weighed in at 6lbs. 6 oz.  He was 19 1/2 " long.   He was early but he was ready to see the world.

Rylie was so proud of her new baby brother.  She was a great big sister and loved to hold him.  She was so gentle and careful with him too.

I made a picture of Keith holding Ethan just like he was holding Rylie and what are the odds that he is wearing the same polo?

Just no ball cap!

Then.....they made another family photo of the family of 4..

In May of 2011, Keith walked for his graduation with a Master's.  That was another proud moment .  He earned this degree from University of Arkansas.

So proud of my boy.