San Diego Family Photographer- Katrinaelizabeth Photography

My dad lost his battle with pancreatic cancer on Friday, Feb. 12th.  I am still processing everything.  No matter how long you think you have to say things, the finality of death is always difficult.  He fought for 18 months, with my step-mother, Cheryl by his side through it all.

Over the past several months, we were able to spend some quality time with my dad, and I will forever be grateful for the time to just be with him… watching my kids interact and soaking up the beautiful sunshine.

The above photo was taken almost 2 years ago, before his diagnosis!  I love how much little Campbelle looks like her grandpa!  The “Bohn- blue eyes” live on, through the next couple of generations.

There are so many things rushing through my mind and heart as we grieve!  I think one of the most disappointing things is that he will not have the opportunity to meet his new grandson who is due in June!

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We are having an informal “Tribute” to my dad on Sunday, February 28th.  If you happen to be a close friend of the family and are interested in attending, please email me so that I can give you the details.

Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers for my family, in this difficult time.

This documentary came out a while ago, but has just recently come to my attention… so I thought I’d pass it on!

I have been thinking about food ALOT lately, with being pregnant and having young kids and my dad having cancer.  I was actually just talking to Mike the other day about food, the environment and their relationship to health overall.  I honestly feel like I’m a fairly healthy person, but I do eat my fair share of processed food and I absolutely LOVE chips… almost any kind of chip will do.  Just give me the salty crunchy goodness of a bag of salt & vinnigar chips and I’ll have a hard time being self-controlled.

I haven’t seen this movie yet, but I’m planning to watch it tonight, because I just found out that it is on Pay Per View with AT&T right now.  I’m hoping I can convince my husband to watch it too!

In general, we as a people, spend less money (proportionately) on food than ever before in history.  One person I heard from recently commented on a few rules about deciding what to eat…

1. don’t eat anything that has ingredients in it that a 3rd grader couldn’t pronounce!

2. don’t eat anything that your great-grandma wouldn’t recognize as food.

3. don’t eat anything that doesn’t die or rot!!

If this doesn’t worry you… it probably should!  Think about it!

So just about every new year, I make a few resolutions.  You know, things that you hope to do better in the next year… but this year I’m over it.

I would like to say that I’ll take better care of myself, but who am I kidding… I’ll have 4 kids to worry about, (ohhh did I mention that I’m having another baby… due in June- SURPRISE!) and I’ll be working full time.

I’d like to say that I’ll start working out… again… no time or energy for that either.

I’d also like to commit more time and energy to my photography… but about 2 shoots a month is my max, and I don’t expect that to change any time soon.  I did get a subscription to a great on-line photography magazine and I have gathered a few inspirational books to read over the next few months, but no BIG changes are in store!

How about eating better… well maybe that one will stick this time, but usually we end up eating junk in our house, because we run out of time to prepare a healthy meal.

The life of a working mom is sooooo not glamourous.  I know that there is a whole generation of women out there who WANT to be “super-moms”.  They want to “have it all”!  But in my experience, that is simply not possible.  When you work, (especially outside the home) you give up time with your kids… you poor energy into other things… outside your home and family.  For some, this isn’t entirely a bad thing.  They have a separate identity… beyond “wife”, “mom”, “cook” and “maid”!! I just know that it is ding-dang hard to try to “have it all!” so I have learned to pick my battles very carefully.  I try to put my life into perspective, and keep priorities straight.  God, family, friends, job!

I plan to pop out this baby… and get back to work in the Fall.  That means, dropping my little 3 month old newborn off… abandoning him/her… into the car of another- 5 days a week!  (Am I a terrible mom?- wait… don’t answer that)

I have had mixed reactions from people that I have told that to.  Some don’t understand or believe that I will actually be able to do that. Then I simply explain that I work because I HAVE to… not because I WANT to!  Honestly, thank God that I have a job… because without my income we could not afford our life.  Sometimes it gets really hard to think about abandoning my new little- still un-named little bundle of joy, but then I give myself a little pep-talk… and remind myself that this child will not even remember being in “day-care”… and that he/she will be in the best care that I can find.  It is the big picture that matters most!  This child will be born into a loving home, with siblings and parents that love him/her.  Sometimes it helps… other times, well… I remind myself that I just have to pick my battles, and do the best that I can.

So back to 2010… there will be not lofty goals here in the V home.  We are praying for a healthy baby, and the energy and wisdom to carefully balance all that is going to be on our plates in this next year!

Finishing this year of teaching, continuing to have a healthy pregnancy, carry the baby to term, have a healthy baby… put together a new nursery, transform our loft into a room for Wesley, get Rylie potty trained, weaned from her pacifier and transitioned into a toddler bed… just to name a few!  These are essential things!  All the great ideas for starting yoga twice a week, and getting the kids into extra curricular activities, are just going to have to wait until next year!

I’ll leave you with a few highlights from Team V from 2009!  It was a great year, and we are looking forward to many new memories and challenges in the new year!

Peace.

This video is inspiring in a time of the year where our kids are really focused on the “gimmie” part of Christmas. I think it is important to remind them that it is better to give than to receive! We are all so very blessed… and everyone has SOMETHING that they can give.

So I post about the sign, warning you of the dangers that lurk just beyond you… then I bla, bla, bla about how I don’t feel like I am currently experiencing adversity. Not even 24 hours later I sit here, on very little sleep, wondering if my identity is safe!

My car was broken into last night in broad daylight in a semi-crowded parking lot, and my cell phone, charger, sunglasses, iPod, diaper bag and purse with all credit/bank cards- was stolen.

We went to dinner, and then took a stroll down the parking lot to Pier1 Imports to goon around and then a cruz through the isles at Barns & Noble. By the time we got back to the car, all of the above listed items had been lifted.

Now I yelled… why?? Why didn’t my husband fix the keyless entry remote that locks, unlocks, and sets the alarm on the car? Why didn’t I just endure the annoyance of my purse sliding down my arm as I wrestle with holding and controlling my 2 year old? Either one of those different decisions could have possibly prevented this violation.

That’s how it feels… like a violation.

We filed a police report, and are thankful that no damage was done to the car… but if I had locked the car with the stinkin’ remote, than the alarm would have sounded when the thieves jimmied the lock open with the slim jim!
I was up until about 1am canceling credit cards, locking down my cell phone, and trying to figure out how our insurance policy is going to deal with us on this issue.

Then, of course, I couldn’t sleep. I just kept wishing that I had not left my purse in the car. The thought kept racing through my head. And then the thought of some terrible person walking into Target, across the street from where my car was broken into, and spending over $800 on both my husband and my debit cards, without the stinkin’ store checking ID… because they were run as credit card transactions. I was so angry! Still am.

So again I say… I wish there were warning signs EVERYWHERE!!

FYI: Women: don’t ever ignore your gut! in this instance, my gut said to take my purse… but my brain, with all of its logic-ing ability said “oh, you don’t need your purse, and it will just be a big pain to deal with it… just hide it behind the diaper bag and leave it safely locked in your car!” LISTEN to your gut, it is like a huge warning sign!!