It was a chicken an' pastry kinda day.

I know, I know. I'm doing a post about comfort food right after I talk about losing weight.

I'm just looney like that, I guess.

BUT, hold on a sec and let me explain! There's just something about a pot of chicken an' pastry simmering away on an overcast day that makes me smile. Without even thinking, I had snagged the soup pot and defrosted the chicken, well on my way to making a batch of this homey goodness.

My brain, the occasionally logical thing that it is, started to send out warnings. Is this pot of pastry, while yummy, going to totally sabotage my efforts to be healthier? Am I ever going to be able to eat this yummo comfort food again?!!

My whiney self let out a truly girly scream of, "NOOOOOO!"

Okay, calm down and get a grip, girl. Take a deep breath......now let it out, releasing all the bad-- Oh, for heavens sake, just look at the ingredients you're using. Geez.

Boneless/Skinless Chicken Breasts

Frozen pastry that has no fat or cholestorol (but is still good!)

Celery/Carrots

Other seasonings

Water (or fat free chicken broth if I've got it)

Hmmmm....no big worries there! *Big Sigh* Thank heavens.

Now I have to keep my portion within legal limits!

I just want to get something off my chest....

And my waist, thighs and rotund tushy. That something is unhealthy weight and I want to get it off and keep it off.

I'm feeling a new sense of urgency to be healthier and lose weight. I'm trying to wrap my head around the concept that being healthy, and taking the time/effort to be so, isn't detrimental to my family's well-being, it's edifying. How can I be there for my husband and boys if I'm not healthy for them? When I became a wife and mother I lost myself in the duties and roles that came along with those two titles. Did anyone impose this way of being on me or teach me that this was the "right" way to be? No. I simply thought that denying myself the right to be fit was one way to prove how much I valued my family and their needs. I placed them above me in my way of thinking. Silly, isn't it? Yes, they are supposed to be important to me and because they are important, I owe it to them and myself to be as healthy as I can be.

Can I get an amen? This is me preachin' to myself but feel free to join in on the amen corner if you feel so moved to!

I've watched my Mom and other members of my family (both sides) struggle with obesity for years and I'm all too aware of the health problems that come with it. I'm beginning to be at risk for a couple of biggies - no pun intended....I swear!

I don't want a temporary fix that, well, doesn't really "fix" anything at all. The more I think about it, what I'm aiming for is a life change and a new way of thinking when it comes to food, being active and just being healthy in general. This ain't about getting into a special outfit for an event, bein' hot for bikini season or trying to please my Hubby (he loves me just the way I am thankyaverymuch). This is about quality of life, m'dears. My family's and mine.

Will I fall along the way towards meeting my goals? You betcha. I need to go ahead and acknowledge that I will stumble along the way and that I'm not perfect. The prospect of failure has always been a big hurdle for me. After all, nobody has higher expectations for me than I do. As the Hubs tells me, I'm my own worst critic.

As my life's journey begins to take a healthier turn, I know that there will be a few sacrifices and dips in the road. Yet, I know that as I experience the weight loss I'll be gaining in other ways - joy, less pain-filled days, more energy to play with the boys and my Hubby will have a healthy support. I think it's worth a try, don't you?

A first for me~

I had my first pedicure this past Friday, y'all! I feel all girly-girl. It was deee-vine! The Hubs got me a plush gift card to a local day spa for Mother's Day this year and this is the first chance I've had to use it. Believe me, after my fun experience Friday, I'll be trying to squeeze every treatment I can out of that little pink card.

The lady who worked on my tootsies was a hoot and, amazingly enough, is related to me by marriage. Well for me, not so amazing as it is funny. Where we live, I can't go to the grocery store without seeing someone I'm related to in some way. Anyway, she and I ended up having so much fun that another technician had to shut the door to the room that we were in 'cause we were laughing so much. Oops! By the way, the name of that polish color is (I think) "I'm not just a waitress" by O.P.I.

...I think I hear the baby. Gotta go!

Happy Independence Day~

We hope that you all have a safe and fun-filled weekend as you celebrate our country's independence!

"Hi, my name is Anna and I'm a Scifi nut."

I've always been a bit fascinated by fantasy or science fiction. I grew up watching Star Trek (the Piccard years) with Mom and I've been watching or reading scifi stuff ever since.

My new addiction is Primeval on the BBC America network, pictured on your left. The Hubs got hooked on to the Doctor Who series after he started watching it with me.

Among my other fave shows to watch are Firefly, Stargate SG-1/Atlantis, Sanctuary and Farscape.

Slowly, but surely, the Hubs is joining in the mania with me. Now I'm not a "Trekkie" or one of those people who stay up at night dreaming of going to the next Comic Con. I just enjoy the fun of escaping into another world an hour at a time. It's neat to see what worlds and cultures some of these show creators come up with. I get the same thing when I read a book where the author has created new societies and even new languages.

I didn't realize that my scifi fascination had reached this height until the Hubs and I started talking about all the shows that we watch. Um, let's just say that if the Scifi channel went off the air, I'd be a mite upset.

Even though I may not be so nutty that I dress up in a fave character's costume, I am that person who keeps an eye out for sales on seasons of the shows we watch. Amazon knows where we live.

So there you have it. My not-so-secret, silly obsession is out. What's your silly obsession? Are you brave enough to share? Huh? *big grin*

And he didn't even join a hair club...

Bless his heart, E-man's hair is growin' in. None of us can resist rubbing this new downy bit of fuzziness and, as a result, he's got a kind of baby faux hawk goin' on. You can't really tell in this picture, though....oops!

He's three months old as of this past Sunday. There have been sleepless nights, frantic runs to the store to get formula and dipes at the last minute, many adjustments to our routines and habits, sad times when I would reach for the phone to tell Mom about a new cute thing only to realize she's not there and even a few moments when the Hubs and I were stumped as to why we had a wailing baby on our hands. On the flip side, there's been much needed laughter, wonder and delight at each new ability and discovery as the E-man grows and the Bubs learns about being a big bro. Good times, y'all.

I'm baa-aaack!

It's quite alright if you didn't even know that I was gone. After all, y'all have busy lives!

Where am I back from, you ask?

We just got back from a week's visit with Hubby's family. The Bubs and E-man were both loved on and oohed over. Bubs had a blast with his Gammy's new dog, a four year old lab named Casey, right up until he was laid out with a major allergy attack. Thankfully, we were able to enjoy a full day of fun at a local indoor water park before this happened.

The car ride was interesting with E-man needing to be fed and burped every couple of hours. The Hubs and I took turns being squished between the boys' carseats, but we managed to be able to stand upright by the end of the ride....well, almost.

I hear E-man on the baby monitor so I'll just leave you with a few pics.