Welcome Home! {an OpLove Homecoming}

As always with OpLove Homecomings & Sessions, nametapes and names have been blurred on this blog post to protect privacy. All Homecomings are shot documentary-style, and  select images from the Ceremony are posted unedited so that family & friends may share in the excitement of their Soldier's homecoming without delay. For more information on OpLove please contact Missie Jurick Photography or visit the OpLove Website & Blog.

{Operation:Love ReUnited offical disclaimer - "The photos and other content of this publication do not constitute or imply any endorsement or recommendation by the Department of Defense."}

***

It was an absolutely GORGEOUS day yesterday, completely fitting for the celebratory mood for many Fort Bragg families who finally got the chance to welcome home their Soldiers from Afghanistan.

It was a photo-finish for me to get to Green Ramp to capture these priceless moments for the M family. As with all redeployments, you just never know when that plane is going to land...

 all day it looked like this one was going to be right on schedule; Perfect, because I was spending the afternoon photographing another family, and was going to have just enough time to meet these two sweet girls & their beautiful Mom. As it turns out, the plane arrived a half hour early!  Thankfully I just happened to be running a little early from my session (and happen to have a bit of a lead foot....shhhhh, don't tell the MPs!). I pulled into the parking lot just as they announced 15 minutes until the plane's arrival. Sweet!

 Miss T was asleep when I got there, but the Band started playing and the excitment in the air built quickly so that nap didn't last long. We all scurried outside, signs & flag in tow, and anxiously looked towards the sky for Daddy's plane to arrive. Just like that, there it was!! And not too long after, the Patriot Guards were lining up, hundreds of Soldiers were departing the plane, and we were all scooting back inside to grab a spot for the Ceremony...

The Soldiers marched in to cheers & applause, and after a few brief remarks, the Army Song, and a prayer it was the moment everyone had been waiting for....

(Ever wonder what "anxious & excited" looks like? These two Wives demonstrated it perfectly!)

C's sign for her Soldier had some specific orders for him. And any Soldier knows the real commander is his Wife. Something tells me he was more than happy to follow these orders....

I just love that huge smile on her face...and I wish I could truly tell you how long she stayed swooped up in her Soldier's embrace; it was the longest, most intense hug I've seen!

There were still plenty of Hugs & Kisses to go around for Miss T and Miss E ... and even a few little presents for them, too. I could have posted a hundred photos from this Homecoming...so sweet...

 WELCOME HOME!!! M family, I am so glad I was able to witness these moments. Congratulations and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!!!!  XOXO

Homecoming

The past two weeks have been so wonderful getting to celebrate Christmas with my Hubby home safe & sound. I am incredibly blessed that my soldier has returned from Iraq 3 times now, without so much as a scratch. I will never stop thanking my lucky stars for that, nor will I ever forget the sacrifices so many others have made...

As part of OpLove I have had the honor of photographing other families together; this time I got to turn the lens on my own family. And I am incredibly grateful that they had their cameras as well so that when the time came I could drop my camera and run to my Soldier...those hugs & kisses were much needed in deed!

Above is the plane carrying my soldier coming in for the landing. As soon as those wheels touched the ground the crowd broke out into a huge cheer. Moments like that you will never forget....the breath you've been holding for the entire deployment just finally lets go, and for the first time you can allow yourself to believe your Soldier is really there...and that you'll soon be reunited.

Below is one of my favorite captures from the homecoming....after I got my hugs & kisses in I was able to grab my camera in time to catch my Soldier getting a welcome home hug from his Uncle, who happens to be a retired Army Veteran himself. Knowing the bond that they share is more than just one of a typical Uncle & Nephew makes this photo priceless to me. It is one I will always cherish.

Below are the moments after the plane landed, when we all stood patiently as the Soldiers exited the plane and got into formation. The Patriot Guard  was there to line the walk they would pass through as they entered the hangar for the ceremony.

Families arrived about an hour or so before the plane landed, and we were all glad to see that Santa himself was there to make sure our special deliveries arrived on time. I think the kiddos especially loved the little treats he handed out...helped make the time tick by a little quicker before all the Mommys and Daddys finally arrived!  Below that is my Mom & Dad with the welcome home signs they each made for my hubby. My Dad wanted to make a sign that he knew would stick out in the crowd; one Mike would see and know for sure it was meant just for him....so as only a true Mountaineer fan would want to see, Mike was greeted with the traditional WVU anti-Pitt slogan. Priceless.

These memories below were all captured by our awesome cousin, Melody, who was part of the crowd there to honor Mike. This is the first homecoming where we've lived close enough to family that some of them were able to get here on such last-minute notice to help celebrate the homecoming. It meant the world to us to get to share that moment ... and I'm so thankful for having these memories to share with our friends and family.

It goes without saying that hopefully we will never have to face another deployment again, but knowing that we have such amazing friends & family to help us through those long months apart makes is bearable. We are truly blessed....

To all the Men & Women who are serving our Country - Thank You for all you do, and I wish all of you Safe & Joyous Homecomings. XOXO

Harley & Her People {OpLove Photography}

{OpLove disclaimer}

 "The photos and other content of this publication do not constitute or imply any endorsement or recommendation by the Department of Defense." 

 

Say "hello" to Harley and her two favorite People. I was lucky enough to spend part of Sunday morning with the three of them down at Linear Park here in Fayetteville. Between the adorable little puppy head tilts & kisses from Harley and the sweet adoring glances at eachother from this fabulous couple, I just couldn't get enough...

These two are just sweet beyond words, and seeing how in love they are just has kept me smiling all weekend. I loved going through their images as I was creating their gallery; almost every shot included them just all doe-eyed towards one another, and just like this one above they all just radiated with warm gushy feelings. Them having an incredibly well-behaved and uber adorable puppy just almost made it unfair...I mean c'mon! Since when do puppies just cozy up on a lap and tilt their heads just so like a photographer hopes they will? I was totally loving it! {And I have to brag a bit....this was the SECOND shot of the day. I could've just melted with happiness}

It's always my pleasure and honor to photograph an OpLove session.This couple was just so warm and easy-going; I truly hope I can be there to capture them reuniting when this deployment is over...

 

To "P" and "A": Thank you for this opportunity. Your personalities and love are infectious - you're both so wonderful to be around. I hope for you that this year flys by; stay safe & keep those smiles in your hearts...and may your Skype calls be clear & crisp without any awkward delays & video freezes {seriously!} 

XOXO Missie