Remembering :: 9.11 ::

This morning I had the opportunity to join with individuals from all over the country at Red Rocks for the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb hosted by West Metro Fire Rescue.  Over 3,000 people came out to climb 9 times around the amphitheathre - equating to the height of the World Trade Center twin towers - and support the fallen 9/11 heroes and their surviving families. It was moving, to say the least. Here's a small clip from this morning.

To learn more about this and other West Metro Fire Rescue 9/11 memorial events...visit WMFR Stair Climb.

America runs on Dunkin.

I know, bad joke. But when you give an east coaster a clear opportunity to reference Dunkin Donuts - she's gonna run with it. ;)

Another special day at Fort Carson and in the lives of many families - homecoming day! Today I was honored to capture Cpt. Richard Dunkin's reunion with his beautiful family....just wait until you see Abigail and Rich's son Ethan......you're heart will just melt.

Welcome home Rich! Thank you for your amazing sacrifice and service to our country.

welcome home.

I met Meghan and Evan's mom this morning at 8am in Colorado Springs for Evan's homecoming....and I still have chills.  Literally.  The Fort Carson visitor's center was busting at the seams with absolute joy, wrenching anticipation and more pride than you will ever see in one room. The cheers when they announced that the buses had entered the gates - amazing.  I had chills before anything even happened, when Meghan's friend was describing how the homecoming was going to go - especially when she did her super accurate rendition of the Toby Keith song they'd play as the soldiers walk in!

Meghan - thank you so much for having me there this morning to capture this moment. Evan - thank you for your courageous service to our country....and welcome home!!! You have a wonderful family and was happy to meet some of them today!

 Pretty sure Evan asked in this text if he could go to a bar tomorrow and watch the USA vs Mexico Game.... :)

 I overheard Evan say, "killer boots." He's right, they totally are!

 Evan's dad got held up at the airport and missed the events but finally made it to Fort Carson....

Operation Love :: the Mares family ::

Every weekday when my alarm buzzes, excuse me, blares oppressively with our local country music station, I clearly would like to continue sleeping beneath my cozy worn Anthropologie quilts atop the California king Tempurpedic cloud...for the remainder of the morning.  How can you blame me!? Doesn't that sound amazing? But eventually I stop pressing snooze, lace up the sneakers, exercise for a whopping 60 minutes three times a week and go to work a super non stressful 9-5er and help contribute to my health, family and future. Ohhh the intense sacrifices I make. 

These are puny (not a huge fan of this word-reminds me of something an elementary school meany would say, like scrawny, but it works here) sacrifices compared to extraordinary sacrifices that our service men and women make on a daily basis for our country, our freedom, our families and our day-to-day creature comforts. I believe we owe a lot to these brave individuals. I believe that it takes an awesome amount of commitment, strength (physically, emotionally and spiritually), and courage to do what our soldiers do and stand for.  I can hardly make it two hours without coffee or part ways with my bed each morning! Never mind living and eating in the field or boarding an airplane for Afghanistan or Iraq waving goodbye to loved ones for 7+ months at a time.

And the families of our soldiers, they are blessed individuals as well.  I tear up thinking about my mother-in-law's facebook post a few weeks ago when my brother-in-law came back from his deployment to Afghanistan...

"Got a huge bear hug a little bit ago! El is finally with us!"

And I could listen over and over to my step mom Maureen's reenactment of her grandson Jayden (cutest kid EVER) when he got a surprise visit from his dad, Jeff, over R&R...

Jeff's friend: "Who's that?" 

[insert Jayden's shocked face and wide eyes] 

Jayden: "That's my dad!" 

Gets.me.every.time. And I wasn't even there! The support, love and strength of these families is unending.

Though there is really no way for me to fully express my huge appreciation to our military members, I have recently found one small way to give back through photography.  This year I joined the Operation: Love Reunited organization - a large and growing group of photographers across the country who provide patriotic photographic services to our soldiers and their loved ones. My goal through this - to help show support, gratitude and patriotism and hopefully spread a little joy and comfort to our military members and their families.

Here are just a few of my favorites from my latest OpLove session...enjoy.