Last Sneak Peek of 2013!

It's a wrap!  This is my final photo shoot of 2013.  It has been such a wonderful year for LiLo and I want to thank all of my clients and followers.  I am going to do a 2013 wrap up, so stay tuned for that!

But before I move on to 2014, I have to show you one last family!  Our families go way back.  I met Lynne when I was working at D'Evelyn.  She is a wonderful teacher and she befriended me during my time there.  She recognized my last name and we figured out that she was on swim team with Chris and Stacey and even graduated high school with Stacey. 

Lynne contacted me a few weeks ago and wanted to give her mom a photo shoot for Christmas.  What a wonderful idea!  So we scheduled a shoot for 2 days after Christmas while her brother and his daughters were going to be in town.  After Grandma opened her Christmas present, she was able to choose the theme of the session.  She chose a Broncos theme.  I love it!

It was a beautiful Colorado day and we got some great pictures.

The Grandkids

I am looking forward to a few more of just the Hobbs Family when Jason will be in the pictures too.  More to come!

Happy new year and way to go Broncos!  I guess this family and their team spirit helped in the amazing Bronco victory.  For more pictures, check out my website or my Facebook page.

Sneak Peek: Mila

There is nothing like a baby at Christmas time.  It really brings home the whole reason why we celebrate!  A tiny baby born over 2000 years ago.

This little gal was a little older than my usual newborn, and had a ton more hair.  Don't you love all of the dark locks?  It was fun to work with a little lady who could focus on the camera a little more.  She needed a little extra TLC as she didn't want to shut her eyes.  Little Mila was too excited to meet me!  It gave me a great opportunity to get to know her Dad a little more while Mom was filling her belly to try to get her to sleep.  Mark works for cell phone companies installing new towers in some pretty remote areas.  Thank goodness for people like Mark!  We can all use our cell phones in Avon and Breckenridge and other remote places in Colorado and surrounding areas.  The bummer thing for guys like Mark is that they are away from their families Monday through Friday and then they are only home on the weekends.  Brutal!  Especially with a new baby.  I can't imagine how hard that would be.  It was very evident that these guys loved their little girl.

Doesn't she have such a georgous Mom too?  She has such a quiet beauty!  Mila is a lucky girl.

Mark also told me that his grandmother crocheted this yellow blanket for her new great grand baby.  The cool part is that she hadn't crocheted anything in a long time because it was too hard with her arthritis.  However, she came out of retirement to make this blanket for Mila.  After hearing that story, how could I not put it in the pictures?  I love personal touches!

Mark and Amber, enjoy your precious baby and may we all enjoy the baby that we celebrate during this Christmas season! 

For more pictures, visit my Facebook page or my website.

Sneak Peek: The LaChance Family

Jack Frost is nipping at my nose.  And my toes.  And pretty much every part of my body.  It is freezing outside!  Yet the children are playing outside.  They need it.  It has been a little too much inside time for little boys.  They need to get out and run and play.  So I guess if they are having fun in the 9 degree weather I should let them!

As for me, I am snuggled up in the house enjoying myself and finishing up this fun session with the LaChance family.

This family is such a blessing!  They started attending our church a few years ago and it has been fun getting to know them.  I have grown to love them, but even more than that...I have come to highly respect them.  They have such wisdom and it has been fun to watch them grow in the Lord.  You see, they came to know the Lord as adults.  They didn't make commitments to the Lord when they were young and therefore, they had to fully submit themselves to the Lord as adults.  I love that.  I think the older you are, the harder it is to surrender control of your life! 

It was a blast to hang out with this family and with Sherrie's parents.  It was a beautiful November day and I loved capturing this family.  Luke didn't want to show me his pearly whites, but I managed to get him to give me a big smile now and again.  Scott didn't want to smile very big either (like father like son) but he is a police officer, former marine and part of the S.W.A.T. team so he has a rep to protect, right?

 

Sherrie wanted to a photo shoot that included her parents, who were visiting from Arizona.  They are a neat couple and I love to see multiple generations interact.

These kids are so awesome.  Luke is a heck of a baseball player and plays on my nephew's baseball team.  It is always fun to watch them play.  Miranda is one of the sweetest girls I know.  She is always playing with the kids and helping where ever she can.  She is such a joy!  It is fun to watch these twins interact!

Thanks for living life with us LaChance family.  We love you guys!

For more pictures of this family visit my website or my Facebook Page.

Sneak Peek: Nathan & Amanda

Can I just tell you that I am pretty excited that I already have two weddings on the books for next summer!

My first wedding is Amanda and Nathan's.  Amanda's mom (Jannon, isn't that such a cool name?) is the sister of (Paula) the financial guru of SPELC (where all my kids have gone to preschool).  Are you confused yet?  Jannon is also a co-worker of my friend, Jessica.  I love how all of those connections come together for a wedding booking!

This cute couple is getting married in July up at Mt. Vernon Event Center.  I can't wait to help them celebrate their Big Day! 

I met with Jannon to discuss details and to cover wedding details, but I had yet to meet the Bride-to-be as she is living in Arizona.  I was excited when they wanted to do engagement pictures over Thanksgiving break when they were home.  Engagement pictures are so wonderful because it gets the bride (and more importantly the groom) more comfortable with having their pictures taken.  It also allows me to get to know them a little more so that I can better capture them on the day of the wedding.  It is almost like a little photo rehearsal.  It is so important, especially in cases like this when I am mostly meeting with the mother of the bride to discuss details.  If I had only met bride and groom on the day of the wedding, it might take us a bit to get into the groove.  Now, we can just jump right into pictures on the wedding day and we will be comfortable with each other and with the poses I am asking them to do!

This couple is cute and young and fresh.  They are a bit quiet and shy, but they came out of their shell by the end of the session.  I can't wait to see them all dressed up in July.  Enjoy your engagement and enjoy the weather in Arizona.  It is freezing here in Colorado!  Good thing the cold front didn't come through a week later.  That would have made for a freezing photo shoot!

Sneak Peek: Landon

Okay, last one for awhile.  I promise.  I am under the gun and trying to get all of my work done before we leave on vacation TOMORROW!  I haven't packed a thing (or even made a packing list yet which VERY strange).  I just didn't want these families to have to wait an extra week to get their pictures.

Especially this family.  They are wanting to get Christmas cards out at the beginning of December (I am seriously impressed).  And people, I hate to tell you this...but December is sneaking up on us quickly.

Landon was one of my first "Baby's First Year" babies.  It has been a joy to see him three times this year and see how much he has changed.  I was shocked when we got together on Sunday.  He looks like a little man now.  I love all of his hair and his cute expressions.

They really wanted Christmasy looking pictures, but that proved to be hard 10 days before Thanksgiving in a thus far mild winter.  No snow, no decorations....disappointing.  But we made do!  Thankfully they were dressed festively and that is 3/4 of the battle!

I just love the expression on Landon's face when we plopped him down in front of this blue wall.

I titled this one "Blue Christmas"

I can't wait for our last session right around his first birthday.  Merry Christmas Landon (even if it is still 37 days away).

For more pictures of this family and others, visit my website or my Facebook page.

Sneak Peek: Sawyer

Ashley found me through a "What to Expect When You are Expecting" blog.  How cool is that?  I didn't even know that I had been given glowing reviews on that blog.  How exciting!

She contacted me from the hospital just after giving birth to her second baby.  She apologized for being so behind schedule!  I was thinking that she was pretty on top of things!  You are only behind when you contact me for newborn pictures when your baby is 4-6 weeks old.  And even then, we can still make newborn pictures work.  They are just a little trickier.

I got to meet Sawyer when he was only 6 days old.  I am pretty sure that is my youngest to date.  He was a sweet little thing and even though big brother had some pretty noisy toys (as all big brothers should have) he did remarkably well.  It took us awhile to get Sawyer to get into a deep sleep, but once he was out....it was go time.  

 I got so many great pictures of this little guy.  Including using some props that I had been saving for awhile.  Somehow lately I have been doing a lot of little girls and I was excited to get my hands on a little boy again.  He was so good that he didn't even pee or poop on my or any of my blankets.  That is a miracle!

Don't you love this random flannel quilt I made?  Thanks Pinterest.  Also reversible with girl colors on the back!

Love this little bucket.  Especially because he baby #2.

I love being able to interact with the whole family when I am working with a newborn and I was won over by big brother, Dawson.  He wanted to show me all of his toys and was eager to chat with me.  I loved every minute!  I even saw some toys that my 5 year old would go crazy for (might even make it to the Christmas list).

Don't you love the one of him counting his brother's toes?

Thanks for inviting me into your lives Rieple family.  And for trusting me with your little men!  I enjoyed every minute.

For more pictures of this family and others, visit my website or my Facebook page.

Sneak Peek: The McKelvey Family

I love this little family!  I have been lucky enough to take pictures of this family every six months for the last two years.  It has been such a joy to watch little Aidan grow up.  He is all boy and loves to run around (which can make for difficult pictures sometimes).  He is getting so chatty and smart and it was fun to hear him jabbering throughout our session.

18 months to 2 years old is the hardest time to get pictures (in my opinion).  The kids are on the go and don't want to stop and smile.  They are also hard to reason with and don't quite understand the concept of bribery.  Even though it is a hard age, if you follow them around long enough and have a few tricks up your sleeves you can still get some great shots....so don't shy away from having pictures done at this age.  You might not get as many "posed shots", but it is fun to have record of how busy they were and all of the cute and funny expressions they make.

Note: This is why I take so many pictures during a young family session.  Someone is always making a funny face, blinking or in this case making the "word up" sign.  Taking 3-4 shots ensures that I indeed get the "money shot".

Becky has also been one of my biggest cheerleaders and advocates.  She is always recommending me to her family and friends and she has really helped me grow my business.  So THANK YOU Becky!  I really appreciate all you have done for LiLo!  I can't wait to continue to watch Aidan grown and perhaps maybe someday meet even more little McKelveys.

For more pictures of this amazing family visit my website or my Facebook page.

Sneak Peek: Baby Bell

Oh how I love babies.  I love that my job allows me to snuggle precious little babies.  This little gal was only 10 days old.  She was as sweet as can be and even smiled on command.

We have gotten to know this extended family through some of our neighbors.  They are very close family friends.  2 years ago Chris hooked up with these families to do the Wild West Relay: a 200 mile relay race from Ft. Collins to Steamboat Springs.  The last two years Chris (and I) have bonded with the Bell family.  So when it came time for the Bells to give Jeff and Melissa a baby gift for the upcoming birth of their baby, they reached out to me.  They got the new family a newborn photo session gift certificate.  What a wonderful gift!

So as soon as baby Lydia made her entrance, Jeff contacted me to come over to take pictures of their new precious gift.

She was AMAZING!  She was content to sleep right through the whole session.  She even smiled when I said "how about a little smile?".  So compliant.  I hope she continues to be mellow and sweet.

Jeff and Melissa were also perfect.  They were so laid back and loving with their little girl.  And Melissa even had some hand crocheted head bands and hats that she had made.  I love personal touches during a photo session, especially with newborns!  We had so much fun snuggling with Lydia and getting some great pictures.  They are also lucky enough to both be off of work until after the new year.  That is a gift in and of itself.  What a wonderful way to bring your baby into the world!

Thanks for having me Bell family.  Enjoy your little sweetie!  And thanks to the extended Bells for thinking of such a wonderful gift!

For more pictures of this little gal and other families, visit my website or my Facebook page.

Sneak Peek: Carlson Family

I did pictures of this family 2 years ago.  It is so fun to have repeat customers and see how much the little kiddos grow in 2 years.

Sara lost her dad in May of this year and wondered if I could come out to Franktown to her childhood home to do pictures before they sell it.  Way to tug at the heart strings!  Of course I drove out to Franktown.  It was a beautiful drive and when I pulled up there was a huge herd of deer on their property.  Of course we had to watch for deer droppings as we walked around doing pictures, but that's what you get with 10 acres in Franktown.

You can tell that kids love this place.  They had a great time running around and playing at Mimi's house!  I can see why Sara is sad that she is selling it.  I will be so sad the day my parents sell our childhood home.

The other cool "prop" we used was the old red truck.  Sara's dad bought the truck near the end of his life and was only able to drive it once before he passed away.  Shawn was a little nervous that the truck wouldn't start (it hadn't been driven since June).  He said it didn't even turn over until Cameron hopped in.  Then it started right up.  It just need a grandson in the front seat.

Just at the end of our time together, I asked if Mimi wanted a few pictures in the truck.  She teared up a bit (which made me tear up a little bit) and said "I would really like that".  So she hopped in the cab of her man's truck and I snapped a few pictures.  I gotta be honest.  This picture is one of my favorite of all time.  Perhaps I am still feeling a bit misty about the whole thing, but I love the way she looks in this truck and the feeling of the story behind the truck.  Isn't that a lot of what makes a good picture?  The story?

Here are a few others of her with the old red truck.

While we were taking pictures she was taunting us saying that she was about to go in and make home made biscuits dripping with butter.  I am not going to lie.  I was really tempted to cancel my next photo shoot and stick around for that.  There is nothing like a southern woman's home made biscuits.

Sara and Shawn, it was so fun to take a glimpse into your life and capture some beautiful memories for your family.

For more pictures of this family and others, visit my website or my Facebook page.

Attitude of Gratitude (and a Sneak Peek)

I have been looking forward to writing this blog post for awhile now.

I am grateful for the Concilio Family.  They are awesome.  I have known them now for about 6 years but I have come to appreciate and love them even more in the last 6 months.  A few months ago, I was looking for a running partner.  Someone to help keep me accountable and get my crack out of the sack in the mornings to get some exercise done.  I mentioned it to Erica and she was excited about it.  So about 6 months ago we started meeting at 6 am and walking/running (okay mostly walking, but we walk pretty fast).  It is so nice to have someone to share struggles, triumphs and swap stories.  We encourage each other, let one another vent and give helpful advise to each other.  Everyone needs a walking partner.  Some weeks we walk 3 times together, some weeks we only meet once (or not at all) but more often than not, if you are in our neck of the woods around 6 am, you will see us plugging along.   I may not like getting out of bed at 5:45 in the morning, but I do look forward to our time together.

A few weeks ago while we were walking Erica challenged my thinking.  I was lamenting about how "busy" I was.  She explained how she had been challenged not to use the word "busy".  Whenever someone would ask how she was doing and she used the word "busy" it wasn't kind to the person she was talking to.  It was almost as if she was saying she was too busy for them.  GUILTY.  So often in the last few months when someone would ask me how I was doing, I would say "busy".  She was right.  We are all busy.  But it is almost a state of mind.  The last few weeks (even though I have never been more busy) I have tried not to tell people how busy I am.  I am so blessed to have so many things and to have such a full life.  It has changed my whole view.  By forcing myself not to tell everyone how "busy" my life it, it feels a little less overwhelming.  And hopefully, the people I am talking to feel important and that I am not too busy for them.  It has been a challenge and I have had to re-prioritize my thinking and my schedule.  It has forced me to say yes to people a little more and make them feel like a priority and not a burden!  So thanks Erica!

Not only is Erica amazing, but her kids are darling.

Her husband is also pretty cool and does a lot for our church, which we really appreciate!

 Erica is also pretty inspiring because she chose to turn down a "safe" corporate job so that she can stay home with her kids and grow her home business of Arbonne.  What a leap of faith!  This also means that I have a personal Arbonne consultant.  And the best part....I got some Arbonne products that I was out of in return for family pictures.  I love a good barter.  If you are interested in a barter for your family pictures, just ask!  And if you need some wonderful facial (and other) products, then contact Erica.  She will hook you up with a party (and probably some free products for hosting).

Thanks for your love, friendship and service Concilios!  For more pictures of this family, visit my website or my Facebook page.

Sneak Peek: The Evans Family

I met this family last week for a fun family shoot.  I had never met them before and they got my name from someone I don't even know.  How cool is that!  I am so thankful that my business is growing and becoming even more successful.

This family was one of the easiest I have worked with this year.  The girls were super sweet and very cooperative (thanks to some good parenting/bribery ahead of time).  We were "done" with all of the must have shots after about 40 minutes, so we just played around after that and I got some really good ones at the end when everyone was relaxed and having fun.

My only downfall with this session is that I kept calling their oldest daughter by the wrong name.  Her name is Kaylee and I kept calling her Kylie.  Oops (I probably just added insult to injury by spelling it wrong too).  She kept quiet at the beginning and then finally started correcting me (which is good because otherwise I would have called her the wrong name the entire session).  Hopefully she will forgive me when she sees her beautiful face in the pictures!  Their other daughter's name was much easier to remember: Ireland.  How awesome is that name?  Love it!

Jen, it was so nice to meet you and your wonderful family.  Maybe next time I will forget Ireland's name instead just so she doesn't feel left out!

For more pictures of this family, and others visit my website or my LiLo Photography Facebook page.

Sneak Peek: Snyder Boys

So thankful for this family (perhaps this can be Attitude of Gratitude: Day 13 because I am way behind)!  Not only are they the glue of Tanner's baseball team, they are good friends and kindred spirits.  They would do anything for you and Amy has always been one of the biggest cheerleaders for my business.  I really appreciate that.  She almost exclusively calls me LiLo (one of the few) and I LOVE it.  She is always spreading my name around and referring me to her friends (and even the random lady at Children's Place while shopping for clothes for pictures).  Thanks Amy.  You make a great cheerleader!

I love these boys.  I have a soft spot for cute little red heads.  These boys have the color of hair that ladies KILL for (and spend thousands of dollars to try to get).  It is a beautiful rusty color.

Once again, childhood strikes again and the night before the pictures Jackson got a rug burn on the bridge of his nose.  LiLo to the rescue.  I had to retouch every single picture, but it is worth it for this family!

I had a great time tagging along with these boys and catching their cute little faces.  Next time I will get Bill and Amy behind the lens, but this year it was fun to focus on the boys.

Love you guys and we are so thankful for you!

For more pictures of this family and others visit my website or my Facebook Page.