Sorry, the photo didn't seem to upload. Will keep working on it.

Look at some semi solid stains will change color but still let wood show through. I found this guy named Kevin Strader on houzz pro he has a site that makes a mock up of ur house with different colors etc. it's creative visual concepts. Really reasonable starts at $25. Saves from making costly mistakes.. This is what he did for me. Before and after

Thanks! In a different area, I might go with stain , but this is a suburban neighborhood. The house also faces the west so it gets pretty beat up by the sun. I think we want to go lighter if possible. Thanks for the referral to Kevin. I'll give him a shot as well.