Sneak Peak-The Stockings

Last weekend was a busy one for me.  I did FIVE photoshoots.  It was awesome and I loved every minute of it.  Now I am slaving away at my computer trying to edit all of these pictures (probably close to 1000 pictures).  I have now finished 3 of the 5!

How to I describe the Stockings?  Awesome, inspiring, tough, grounded, content, and loveable.  We first met Jason and Robin (and Christopher) at church.  We both started attending the same church around the same time.  Robin stuck out because she carried oxygen with her everywhere and we all wondered what was going on with the lady.  Over the next few years, they captured our hearts.  Robin had Cystic Fibrosis and came to Colorado to get on the waiting list for a double lung transplant.  We all became friends.

A lot has happened since then, and it has been a pleasure living life alongside this family.  Two years ago, Robin lost her battle and is now dancing with Jesus.  We grieved with Jason and Christopher over Robin and have walked a long road with them.  They are amazing.  I have never seen such a happy and content child as Christopher.  Anytime you ask him how he is doing, the response is always "great".  He is quick to smile and is a good boy.  Jason is a great dad and has handled being a widower with grace, spunk and a sense of humor.

I was so happy to go with them to Lair of the Bear Park and snap a few photos of these great guys.  Here is a sneak peak.  (check out my facebook page at LiLo Photography for more pictures)

This is one of those friendships that touches the soul.

An Amazing Mom and Dad

Do you have an amazing mom and dad?  I do!  I got to spend part of the day today at my parent's house.  We haven't hung out there in awhile and I have missed it.  Chris headed out of town today, so I headed to mom's.  Where else do you go when you are tired and need some love (and distraction for the kids)?

My parents have an amazing house.  My friends in high school called it the party palace.  It was always the hangout place.  My parents planned it that way.  The fridge was always stocked with food and drinks and our friends were always welcome.  Brilliant thinking on their part.  They always knew our friends and what we were up to.  They didn't wonder where we were at 1 am on a Saturday night.  We were watching movies in the living room.  I am pretty sure the other parents liked it too (hence the friends being over at 1 am).

My dad (and mom) built the house from land up.  It was a labor of love and it has been 34 years in the making.  Just when you think the house is perfect a new project comes up.  Well guess what....a new project came up.  A few years ago, my nephew started asking Bapa (my dad) for a tree house.  It has been on the back burner for awhile, but an interesting turn of events came about and now.....there is a new project at the Coombs house.  A new neighbor moved in and needed help on his sprinkler system.  Dad offered to help (can't keep him away from a needy sprinkler system).  In return for his help, the bachlor neighbor offered to give Dad the HUGE wooden playset in his backyard.  My dad came home and priced it out.  Let's just say it was worth more than my car.  Within hours, there was a spreadsheet and a CAD drawing (that is how he rolls) of how to incorporate the playset into their existing (awesome) one acre yard.  He found new supports for the playset and even figured out how the tube that you crawl through (aweome) rests exactly on the existing branch of the old maple tree in the back, back, yard.  There is even talk of a crow's nest and a zipline.  I am thinking that we need to have a party when this thing is done!  In true Coombs' fashion....he doesn't mess around and this thing has taken shape in less than two weeks (now you see where Julie and I get the git r dun philosophy). 

Today the boys were "helping" hammer shingles (yes shingles) onto the roof portions. 

Meanwhile, Nana was in the sewing room chained to her sewing machine.  She (and I, mostly she) is making chipmunk costumes.  The boys are going to be Alvin and the Chipmunks this year.  I know.  So cute, right.  Can't wait until they are done and I can show you some pictures.  My mom is amazing with fabric!  She has made the most amazing costumes.  Let's see if I can name all of the costumes she has made for my kids (plus all of my sister's too-which I will not name).  Skunk, tractor, spider, ant, hedgehog, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, parrot, pirate, Crayon, Lego Man, dragon, knight.  Needless to say, I came home tonight covered in chipmunk fur.  My poor mom has been furred for days!

It was a fun day and a nice night.  Here are a few pictures I snapped while I was there.

The new tube

Add caption

The shingles they worked on today

Can't go to Nana's house without a tractor ride!

The work in progress

Timed waterfall shot.  Just playing with camera settings.  Waterfall a project in summer 2005.

Think we might have to make another appearance tomorrow at the party palace to get our chipmunk on!

The Hindes Family

I love the Hindes!  They are our neighbors friends.  I was able to take a little time with them last night to take a few family photos.  We went into Golden, down by Clear Creek and the weather could not have been more perfect.  We had a lovely time walking along the creek and pausing for pictures.  It was controlled chaos, but so much fun.  Between two dogs and two little girls I can't believe we got any pictures.  But they turned out AMAZING!  This is such a beautiful family (inside and out) that I couldn't help but get good pictures.  Here are some of my favorites.

I love how Kristin just glanced at Andy when I snapped this picture.

Seriously cute, right?

You can't even tell how out of breath Andy was from trying to get the dogs into the right position.  And I thought it was hard to take pictures of kids, but dogs bring it to a whole new level!

I am a sucker for leg pictures.  Weird, I know.

Sisters.  Love it.  Reminds me of my sister.

Love those eyes.

I'll just say what you all are thinking.....awe.  I love how Maddy just cuddled up to her Daddy.

The Lucas Family

Two posts in one day!  Wow, I am on top of things.  

On Sunday, I caught up with the Lucas family.  I took pictures of baby Braylon when he was two weeks old and on Sunday, I did family pictures.  Braylon was a super cute newborn, but now at almost 5 months....he is downright adorable.  I put some pictures up on my facebook page, but there were so many good ones that I had to share more here.   These three are the same picture, with just different looks.  Which one is your favorite?

Color

Vintage

Black and White

It is hard to pick, right?

Hubba Hubba

I love how the sunlight is playing off her hair.

Candid

I am a sucker for the candid shots.  I love how Lauren crinkled her nose on this one.

Another candid.  Lauren just lifted Braylon up and I snapped a picture!

This family was a pleasure to shoot!  Want me to shoot your family too?

Too Many Balls in the Air

Sorry for my absence.  I have totally become the blogger that I used to get annoyed with.  I have a few blogs that I follow and I get mad when they go for more than a week with no posts.  I want to hear what they have to say.  So for those who have been annoyed that I haven't been blogging, I am sorry.  For the rest of you, I'm just glad you are sticking with me.

Things have been a little hectic around my house.  I am just constantly overwhelmed.  I keep telling myself, why I am so overwhelmed?  Then I start thinking about it......I am a wife, mother, photographer, substitute teacher, tutor, room mom, women's ministry servant, worship team member, house cleaner, cook...you get the picture.  I have too many balls in the air.  I am not complaining.  I love my life, but right now it seems a bit daunting.  I wake up with a huge to-do list, work constantly throughout the day and end up with a to-do list that is just a long.  A little frustrating.  

So instead of working on the to-do list, I am blogging.  Good use of my time?  I think so.  It is a good way to vent, let loose (and cross one thing off my list).

What else have we been up to?  Saturday we went to the cabin for a work day.  It was so fun.  The Burge family joined with my sister and her family and my parents for a SUPER productive day up there.  It was one of those rare days that went by at a nice slow pace.  Not the kind that is annoyingly slow, but one where you look at your watch swearing it must be lunch time and it is only 10:30.  It was so much fun to enjoy the beautiful mountains, let the kids play outside with their cousins and friends, and get some much needed things done at the cabin.  Julie, my dad and Stephen rocked the wood pile and totally demolished it.

Just one of the three wood piles we made on Saturday

Now we have plenty of wood for both wood stoves and plenty of kindling.  They worked so hard!  Jessica and I primed and painted the hand-made entertainment center for the bunkhouse.  Time consuming, but it looks so nice now and makes it look that much more finished in there.  Chris installed 6 surround speakers in the bunkhouse.  He set us up!  My mom had the lame, but really important job of getting sheets washed, lunch made, kids watched, floors swept, etc.    All of that happened before 4 pm on Saturday. 

Sunday was full of church, baseball tryouts, family pictures (for us), a photo shoot for me and then some family hang out time.  Are you tired?  I was.  I needed a weekend from my weekend.  The last two days has been editing pictures, working on Halloween costumes, tutoring, swim lessons, so on, so on.

I am entering a new era in life.  It is just busy, busy, busy.  When the kids were little, they required constant attention and care.  Now they require constant food, driving, homework help, school activities, and keeping their little lives going.  Different kind of constant attention.  They can dress themselves and feed themselves, but man....they are still high maintenance.  And I wouldn't have it any other way.  It is a new phase of life, but I am loving it.

Do I miss these days?

Yes, yes I do.  So Lauren, treasure your time with little Braylon, but look forward to all of the stages of their lives.  They are so fun when they can interact with you and tell you knock-knock jokes (even if they don't really make sense).

Want to see more pictures of little Braylon and the Lucas family?  Head over to my facebook page at LiLo Photography.

I already feel better and that my load is a little lighter.  Thanks for listening.

The Eye for Editing?

I love taking pictures of families.  I love to see the way the interact.  I love the chaos of little children (most of the time) and then I pray that I get at least one picture where everyone is looking at the camera.  Take a look of my favorite "chaos" shot from this last Sunday.   I was trying to get a picture of the awesome and super photogenic couple when their cute little two year old walked right in front of the camera.  So cute.  Usually these are the pictures that are deleted, but I thought this was so cute.

You also get quite a few of these:

Before you get this:

But it is worth it!

Here is another dilemma.  Once I take the pictures, I come home and have to sort through them all and find the best ones (see above) and then decide if I am going to add any effects in Photoshop.  For example, check out this super cute picture of the kids (SOOC-Straight out of camera).

Here is the same picture with a little editing.

Here it is with a little different look.

It is so hard to pick which one.  Everyone has different taste!  Which do you like?

Stay tuned for more pictures of this super cute family!

Favorite Pic of the Day

I met up with my bestest girl today and her family.  I got SO many great pictures.  But upon first glance, this one is my favorite.   More to come, Summer, more to come.