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.

Fitting it in!

I was lucky, I was raised in an active family and as result, I have always understood the importance of a healthy lifestyle. It has always been important, but it hasn't always been easy. In University I had other priorities, after my knee surgery it wasn't possible, for 6 months while pregnant and recovering from baby #1’s c-section it wasn't advised . . .then baby #2, then there was baby #3! It has been a struggle to find time to get out running through the years, but I kept at it, started over many times, and now I am a proud Mom with healthy active kids!

I have the same busy life all moms do with kids, a husband who travels and a work from home office with a great view, but no child care! Getting out my front door without kids is very tricky. Over the years I have gotten quite creative! I will run to my child’s soccer game while the rest of the family goes in the van, when I drop a kid at a birthday party I run around the neighbourhood until I can pick her up again. On days I used to work in an office, I would run on my lunch hour and then sit at my desk a little sweaty all afternoon! Any alone time I saw in my schedule, I put on my running shoes! My husband & I hire a babysitter for an hour so we can bike or run together. My running happens because it has always been my priority. I find as moms with long to do lists, we tend to put the workout at the bottom. We have to make our health a priority to find windows of time in our busy days.

Three of my proudest achievements after the birth of my 3 children, is crossing a ½ marathon finish line with my husband and each of our daughters in a jogging stroller when they were just 8 months old!!

We signed up for the Virginia Beach Rock N Roll ½ Marathon happening 7 hours away and just 8 months after the birth of our first daughter. I did whatever I had to to get in those runs. I started with the run/walk with her in the jogging stroller for 3km and once I could run 3km without stopping, I added 5 minutes every weekend. Within a few months I was running 2hrs and ready to try my first ½ marathon. Race day was not the funnest 2 1/2 hrs in the rain, but we did it and my baby has a finish line photo and medal on display in our house.

12 months later I had my 2^nd baby girl and my elaborate training program started again! This time it was a bit trickier to fit in runs as I was not a double stroller kind of girl!! Eight months later my husband and I crossed the finish line at the Ottawa ½ marathon and she too has a finish line photo and medal hanging in our house.

Then we had baby #3 . . when the heck would I ever run again?! We committed to the Quebec ½ marathon just 8 months after her birth. I got up early, I ran in the cold, I ran when I was tired and I ran when I would have rather sat and had breakfast with my family. I took my babies to the local YMCA and put them in programs and babysitting so I could run on a treadmill. We crossed that finish line in our best time yet with our 3^rd daughter and she too has a medal and finish line photo.

I proudly display my babies photos and medals and talk to them often about how great they were in those races. I want my daughters to see the rewards of setting a goal and following through and to understand that it takes dedication and effort. My kids are 5, 7 and 9 and have already done their first triathlon and two family 5km runs . . . we are a truly an active family!

It is a priority to be a healthy mom, a healthy role model for my girls and to raise healthy kids . . . I am committed to it, even if it means I have to run to swimming lessons!

How do you fit in exercise?

Sprint to the Finish!

I am not ashamed to admit that both my kids beat me across the finish line at our very first 5 km Moon in June race last weekend!

I trained with my two older daughters for weeks ahead of time (see blog post on that here!), I taught them how to pace, to stretch, to drink water, and we bonded so much preparing for this race. Race day comes, and because it was a night run (meant for older kids & adults not 7 & 9 year olds!), we had the girls take a nap in the afternoon and filled them with pasta at lunch. They were ready to run!

Our 5 year old did her 1km run with Dad . . she loves that run!! Her little legs were non stop! Medal and freeze in hand, she settled in to watch her two older sisters run the 5km with me.

My older kids were barely visible among the 790 tall adult runners ready for the 5km challenge! They were never once intimidated by the people, the distance or the time of day. They were so excited when that starting gun went off at 9:15pm . . yes, it was a late one and yes, we would be doing our first 5km race together in the dark! The race was on!

After the pack thinned a little, the kids were thrilled to literally "run into" their school Vice Principle, Music teacher and Kindergarten teacher . . .each was impressed that the other was out running a 5k!! The kids and I chatted as we ran along on the road, they loved the encouragement from the other runners as they passed us by, loved the police officers directing traffic at the turning points and couldn't believe the kids and well wishers on the front lawns as we ran through sub divisions.

They saw the km route markers and the negotiations started . . ."we will run until we see 2km and them we will have a rest and walk . . . I think."

Turns out they passed the 2km mark and the 2.5km mark and experienced their first water station at 3km and after a brief sip of water, kept running. We made it all the way to the 4km sign before we stopped for a photo op and a walk to drink some water.

Be now they knew the finish line wasn't far and were eager to get back to running. After I finished texting their Dad to tell him we were coming in (yes I can text & run!), we headed for the end. They got more excited as they got closer and begged me to let them start running faster. I held them back til I knew we were close enough and no one would get hurt or too tired to finish.

Well, when I said "OK go for it" . . .they were GONE! I honestly could not catch my 9 year old as she sprinted across that finish line.

Proud does not even begin to describe how they feel about themselves! They experienced what setting a goal, working towards a goal and accomplishing a goal feels like. They talk about it almost everyday. I know they are reliving those moments in their head and how it felt to cross that finish line. They cannot wait until next year.

As for me? I am going to make sure I have a head start next time before the sprinting starts!!

Fun Run to the Finish Line!

Since they were weeks old my kids have been running! It’s my form of exercise, my me time and my required ‘must do’ if I want to fit in to last years pair of jeans! So soon after birth, my babies were put into jogging strollers and off we went.

When each of my 3 girls were 8 months old, my husband and I completed a ½ marathon WITH our newest addition in the jogger. They each have their own finish line photos and medals proudly displayed in our hallway. Medal bearing babies!!

Now that they are 5,7 and 9 and way too heavy to push in jogging strollers, I usually get a babysitter so we can fit in our weekly runs . . .but last year decided to enter the family in the 1km Fun run at the Moon in June sponsored by our IronKids Gummy Vitamins. My parents took my brother and I on family runs when we were about my kids ages and we both run now as adults. I was hopeful if we started them young, they would enjoy it and it would help them stay healthy and active as adults.

Their first 1km fun run was a big success and the older two excitedly committed to running More next year and entering the 5km run. Well here we are at next year, and I asked them at Easter if they were serious about running 5km and indeed they were.

I recognize that 5km is a little far to ‘just run’ without a little practicing and a little education on running safe. So for the past 6 weeks I have been taking them out on 2 runs a week for 35 minutes. We run the first half with no stops and then negotiate all the way back how far we will run before we stop to walk and have some water! They have done awesome and some unexpected perks have come out this training!

First, they have never complained or once said they didn’t want to go. They are excited to get out there even after a full day of school or looming rain showers. Second, we talk. We have 35 minutes to just talk. I teach them a little bit about setting a pace, not taking off from the starting line, drinking enough water, the importance of tying your shoes properly (7 year old learned that one the hard way) and about school, friends, summer plans, homework, music. .everything. When its done I high five them and tell them how proud they should be of themselves for finishing, and we learn about stretching and talk some more about how great it feels to exercise.

Our first 5km race is next Saturday and I can’t wait to see how they do when we run with hundreds of other people and their Dad and little sister watching from the sidelines. I can’t wait to cross that finish line . . . this time with my kids running beside me.

Do you run or do other sports as an adult? Did this love come from your own parents? Will you encourage your kids to stay active?