The Ultimate Family Photo!

 If your kids are like mine, they cringed when I announce we are going for family photo's. Sometimes I am convinced they sabotage the session on purpose thinking I'll cancel it, when in reality it just makes the fun go on for much longer than anyone likes!

I am a huge fan of family photo's.  We take them at Christmas, in the Summer, in the Fall, at birthdays, on the ski slopes, at the beach, at the park. . . you get the idea.  My kids roll their eyes, grumble under their breath and eventually smile pretty for gorgeous memories I am positive they will thank me for one day!

However, at our most recent photo shoot, I did not need to beg smiles out of them.  They were all over the family photo shoot when I told them their props would included climbing ropes, our warehouse, ski's, pretty dance costume and a goofy expression!

You see, you have not had an ultimate family photo until you have met Justin Van Leeuwen! I was introduced to Justins work via another very unique family photo of Julie Coles family of 8. Thinking my family wasn't large enough to qualify (only 5) I starting chatting with Justin on Facebook and Twitter.  I was in the market for not just any family photo, but one that showed the real us.  No pretty clothes and cute matching shoes, no studio, no fake smiles. The criteria was: it had to show our family, our personalities, our business and tell our story.

Justin was the perfect photographer for the job.  It began innocently with me sending Justin photos of our business space, links to our websites, blog post about our family, and a few shots of the kids to help him get to know us.  Then Julie Cole visited our office and sent a silly tweet about how great a photo would be of the kids climbing the racks of IronKids & Adult Essentials Gummy Vitamins in our back warehouse.  Justin's light bulbs started firing and The Lowther Race to the Finish photo was born.

It took only 6 hours of shooting which included 2 hours of arranging vitamins, 1 hour of wardrobe changes, 30 minutes of suspending one child by ropes and harness, 20 minutes of fan blowing, 1 finish line, 1 bike, 1 pair of running shoes, 1 pair of ski's, 1 pair of skates, 1 fork lift, 1 amazing assistant and a few hundred photos.

I hope you love our new family photo as much as we do.  I don't think it needs explanation.  It is us. Our family, our business, our story, our passions, our fun side.

Here are my photos of shooting day. Below is the amazing finish product.  What do you think?

For the photographers own summary of our amazing day, visit jvlphoto.com

Our Family 2011

For more on our family business, visit our Iron-Kids website.

My First Triathlon . . .at 43!

I’ve have been active all my life. I got a bike when I was 3 and it was my mode of transportation before I could drive. I took swimming lessons forever and was a lifeguard throughout High School and University. I grew up in an active family and I’ve been running since I was 10. After the birth of all 3 of my babies, my husband and I ran a ½ marathon in a different city with baby in the jogging stroller when they were only 8 months old. It seems only natural that I would eventually do a triathlon . . . but I never had! Last spring my husband and I trained for and did our first sprint duathlon – run 2km, biking 20km and run another 5km . . .and now it was time to move up to a triathlon – a swim, then bike, then run.

We trained the weekend before to practice the transitions. Running in your bathing suit is not always comfortable and there is a talent to setting out your towel, your socks, and shoes beside your bike. Then there is remembering that your shirt fits better if you put it on BEFORE your bike helmet. . . something that warrants mentioning! The swim was easy . . .we are naturals here. The bike was easy too, but remembering that this is a race and not a joy ride ups the pressure just a bit. Then the run. The legs feel funny! We carry on with minimal complaining, this is just too much fun to stop! After we are done we reviewed what was harder than we thought and what was the fun part . . .everyone agreed, it was a bit of a challenge!

The day before race day was orientation . . . always a good idea to know where you are going beforehand as race day can be a bit blurry with so many people around and cones all over the course. We studied the maps, we drove the bike course, we scoped out the pool and we reviewed the running route. We were ready!

With the training under our belt, we woke up early on the big day! The sun was shining and the first race was at 8:30am . . .bikes had to be in transition area by 8. We picked a prime position and got our numbers written on our arms & legs with MARKERS! How fun, we are never allowed to write on ourselves with markers!!

The excitement mounts as we run into friend after friend who is there to do their first triathlon too!! We can’t wait for the first wave to start!! And then it was time. Our 5 year old was up first. . . . yup, my first triathlon was actually for my kids!

Helping them prepare, taking a zillion pictures, encouraging them from the sidelines and setting them up for a lifetime of loving individual sports . . . that was our role that day. It took me 43 years to get this close to a triathlon and I learned, that for my husband and I, it was an honour to be the parents on the sidelines rather than the athletes in the race this time.

All three kids were so excited. They didn’t know they were supposed to be nervous . . .this was all brand new to them but they approached it like pros. My 5 year old flew through the course with me by her side. Proud as punch she climbed out of the pool and sat on her bike with wet shorts and raced faster than I could keep up running beside her. Then took off for the run before we even saw where the volunteers had taken her bike!!

Our 7 and 9 year old daughters could barely contain themselves as they had to wait before their age group was up. They were eager to do their longer race on their own they said! The happiness and excitement in these three kids that day was contagious. The determination in the transition area to do up those shoe laces and buckle that helmet and the smiles as they raced by us on their bikes will forever be remembered. But what I cherish the most is the looks of pure joy on their faces as they emerged from the transition area for the run to the finish line.

At 43, I can finally say “I have done my first triathlon.” It’s not important that it was my kids that crossed the finish line. Our family did this one together.