Moving my Blog....

Hello all...just a brief update. I'm no longer blogging on this site. You can now follow me at www.ingridbolanos.wordpress.com.  Ciao!

Back again...

Time just zipped by in the blink of an eye. Instead of writing about my daily happenings and sharing my creative side with a picture or two, I've been spending wayyy too much time on Facebook and YouTube. I guess you can say I have an addiction of sorts..LOL!  But also I've been hanging with family and just being mom to my two girls and wife to my sweet husband.

The school year will be wrapping up soon in June which will be a welcome break for us all.  Not sure what Lindsey's summer schedule will be like yet. She hopes to volunteer at the hospital where I work and will also be taking a summer class so we know she'll be busy  at times. Ernie and I have been talking about possibly taking the kids camping but those plans aren't firm yet until we know more about Lindsey's summer schedule. I miss the days when we'd just plan something and do it. No worries or hassles about checking with anyone's schedule,  just put it on the calendar.  Lindsey is almost 16 and learning how to drive now and I know at some time I'll need to step back and watch her spread her wings of independence and let her make some of her own choices. Ugh..it's dang hard I tell ya.  Nikki is my strong-willed, spirited child who just lives to test my parenting skills..lol! At 11 she sure knows how to push my buttons. She knows what to say or not say, when to say it and how to say it. She's always thinking, planning, and plotting. But she's a LOT of fun. Oh how I love my kids to pieces. I look at Ernie sometimes and realize how truly blessed I am to have such a patient and loving father to our kids. I know a lot of times he wants to run and hide when his girls (including me) are having an off day or feeling hormonal but  he just sticks it out and rides the wave as best he can, bless his heart.

This brief update wasn't as detailed as I would like it to be but given the fact that it is way past my bedtime and tomorrow is Monday, I need to get myself to bed. Hope to blog on a more daily basis but the reality is that life can get in the way so you might just hear from whenever I get the chance. Might even through in a pic or two and maybe some fun recipes I've been finding on Facebook. Night everyone!




 

Back to my cards...

Its been several weeks since I last posted some projects. I made these cards a few weeks ago and would have posted them sooner but I've been a bit lazy with the editing piece.  I'm still learning a great deal and trying to figure out how to get my pictures to have that sharp crisp look. Still working on it. For now here are some of my recent designs. As hard as I try to create something different I always seem to gravitate towards butterflies. They are so mysterious yet graceful.  I just love them. Can you tell?

 

Mom

The worries never end. There is always something to stress or worry about whether its work, family, or health. These days its been health related. My mom who is 78 years young and is a 4 year breast cancer survivor will be having surgery in a few weeks. A couple months ago she bumped herself on her mastectomy side and developed some bruising. Her doctor examined her and said it was just bruising and that it would go away. Well it hasn't. In fact a lump developed. Long story short she had a mammogram done and a cyst was found. The radiologist drained the fluid and said that it was probably fluid build up from the bump and told my mom to return in a couple weeks for a follow up. She returned last week and had to have more fluid drained but the cyst didn't collapse completely so the next step was a biopsy. It came back as atypical papilllary cells. She was referred to her surgeon who performed her mastectomy years ago and was told today that it appears that she has a "complex" cyst that is presenting abnormal cells. The doctor feels strongly that while it may be nothing serious it would be wise to remove it. She did say it was not caused by being bumped but did note that it was kind of a good thing she did bump herself because it alerted her and her doctors that there was something that needed to be checked. The doctor said its not cancer but they need to err on the side of caution and be completely certain. Surgery is in a couple weeks and she will go in as an outpatient. My mother is the strongest woman I know and has had to deal with numerous health issues over the last couple decades. Our faith is strong and solid. But we are human. The fear and worry can creep up at any time and it can wear down the spirit. I know I must remember that God is in control of things and He can see things we cannot. So I pray for wisdom and understanding and hope that these next few weeks come and go quickly as I can't bear to see my mother worry.  If anyone is reading this please keep my precious mother in your prayers. I love her more than words can say and I hate that she has yet another procedure to deal with. She's had so many over the years and it has taken a toll on her emotionally.

Chocolate Pancakes

It's no secret that my efforts to get Nikki to eat something I've made with my own hands can sometimes prove challenging. She's extremely picky. She likes eating rice and beans but I need to get the healthy stuff like greens, carrots and fiber rich foods in her. It can be an all around battle. Since having some health challenges almost 6 years ago I try really hard to cook healthy and cut back on some of the bad stuff. Not an easy task when you have a meat loving husband and a child who only likes pizza and In n' Out burgers.  I love these foods too but there is a limit. Lindsey is pretty open to just about anything and will eat anything I make for her. Bless her heart. Years ago after taking a cancer prevention cooking class I turned vegan for a short period and tried desperately to get my family to follow suit.  But I learned quick that you can't change people's eating habits over night. My intentions were good and they still are.  After a couple of months I switched to vegetarianism and stayed that way for three or four months then fell off the wagon completely...lol. Ernie and the kids were elated to say the least. Still, even though I'll eat chicken and fish and occasionally red meat, I keep it in moderation. There's cancer on both sides of my family as well as diabetes so this mama is determined to get the family eating right.

Now about those chocolate pancakes...lol. Nikki is not much of a breakfast eater unless of course we're going to IHOP or Polly's Pies. She doesn't like oatmeal unless I pack it with sugar which I refuse to do. She gets bored of cereal, scrambled eggs and pancakes. So this morning I asked her what SHE wanted (instead of trying to feed her what I wanted). I couldn't help but smile when she asked for chocolate pancakes. I'm thinking...okay..I can do this. I had some unsweetened cocoa powder from Trader Joes that I could mix in with the pancake batter. It came out pretty good.  Then I thought it'd be fun to "dress" it up a little and somehow get her to eat some fruit at the same time. This is what I came up with. I swear I heard the angels sing when I noticed she cleaned her plate...hahahaha. Oh the little things that make this proud mama jump for joy!

Disneyland

Disneyland is so much fun. Happy we got annual passes this year. You just can't get tired of this place ever.

There was heavy foot traffic when all of sudden everyone came to a screeching halt to let this mama duck and her little ducklings cross over to the other side. So cute.

Crystal Cove

Ever since I was a little girl I've always loved the beach. The sound of the waves crashing, children splashing, the warmth of the sun, and the smell of the ocean water. Even the annoying seagulls that are always hovering over us trying to find scraps of food. I grew up in Long Beach and while the beach here is not quite "litter free" you still can get that nice relaxing feel amid the plastic bags and other debris that can occasionally wash up. It's not as bad as it once was mainly due to the community getting involved in the clean up process and clean up crews (mostly high school students) doing their part in keeping our beaches clean. On this particular day we decided to head over to Crystal Cove in Newport Beach. It was just pure heaven. Its clean and not that crowded, at least not on the day we went. The kids loved it. My mother-in-law Gilma and I spent most of our time under the umbrella just chatting away and snapping pictures of everyone. The kids and their uncle Kelvin tried body boarding but the water was just to dang cold. Still they were brave enough to get up to their waste.

Anywho..enjoy the pictures of our day at the beach. Ciao!