OpLove: {Homecoming}

in Family, Op-Love, Sessions by admin — June 10, 2010 at 21:38 | 1 comment

Love Reunited…

Being a part of OpLove has been very humbling to me. I am former military, I was a military wife, I’ve been through the long deployments, it’s not easy, and it’s not easy when your spouse is at war. So after having a beautiful session with Natasha the day before, ready to enjoy my Memorial Weekend with the family… early Sunday morning I check my email and find a message from Tasha, “He’s coming home, can you photograph his arrival?” With a quick approval from the family, I called her back and said “YES!”.

I have to laugh at this part, because when I called Tasha, she was in the middle of cleaning the car. I remember this all so well. We, as military wives, have what seems like forever to clean the house, wash the car, keep our lives functioning while our husband is deployed… it really does feel like forever, but when you get word that he’s coming home, all of sudden – NOTHING IS DONE! And the time between you finding out he’s coming home to his actual arrival is so short. Thisshort. No space. No time! So it becomes this mad rush to get the house tidy, the car cleaned, the KIDS CLEANED! It’s worth the chaos, but it can be comical sometimes.

So she gives me the details of his arrival and tells me where I need to be and when. She’s concerned that it’s late at night, around 9pm and I’m fine with that. It’s a holiday, I can sleep in on Monday. I wouldn’t miss this for the world. My day seems to drag, but I’m sure on her end, with also the arrival of her in-laws, there just wasn’t enough time… then she called me later in the afternoon and said “his flight was delayed to 11pm, can I still photograph the event?” I’m thinking, I’m really going to get to sleep in!

I arrive to Ft. Carson in Colorado Springs late in the evening and walk into the Rec Center to where they will arrive. The Rec. Center is crowded with bleachers with other families waiting for their loved ones return. I meet Tasha and her adorable daughters and in-laws. We have an hour till her husband’s (Captain Brandon) arrival. I ask how has this deployment been, their first military separation and she thought she had done pretty well. She kept busy with the girls and was active with other wives on the base. I talked with the girls and asked what the first words would they say to daddy, and there was no thinking on this “I Love You Daddy!”

Then at 11:00, the music “I’m Proud to be an American” starts to play – and the crowd goes wild. Minutes later, an officer walks out alone and walks to the center of the room and the crowd goes even crazier with screams and shouts. I’m told that this is the Commanding Officer of the group and so we know they are here… and seconds later with a puff of fog, rows and rows and rows of our finest military marched into the room. Trying to capture Tasha, the Girls and the in-laws and get the military walking in is just amazing, even through my own tears.

Waiting for Daddy to arrive – it’s 10:30 pm, well past the girls bedtime – so a power nap was in order.

Waiting for the military to arrive – the song ‘I’m Proud to be an American’ had just played, it was time to open the doors…
the buses had dropped them off, they were on the other side, they were lining up in information

and with a wooosh of fog – the doors open and a stream of 4 lines – in formation they marched through the doors..

Mom was really cool all up to that moment. She told me later that she kept thinking she was taking it ok, but the minute the doors open – and she saw him walk in, she teared up… and then so did I.

When the military saluted – so did the little one.

And there he was. How he was able to maintain that cool look seeing his family across the stands…

The Commanding Officer with the troops

Grandpa, Grandma and the oldest looking on at daddy.

Daddy is home!

Welcome home Brandon – I am so happy that you came home safe and thank you for your service to our country.

Tasha – thank you for letting me photograph your wonderful moment.

Your Life Photographer -
Susan B.