Today's Featured charity is Operation Love Reunited (or OP LOVE as we call it). If you know me, you know why this one is important to me. Being a military wife, I know how important photos are when your loved one is deployed. Actually, while I have had a love for photography my entire life, my husband's first deployment was the push I needed to go for it. We had 2 small children when he left and I didn't want him to miss any of it. I couldn't imagine missing it myself. I even utilized OP LOVE when he came home from his 2nd tour in Iraq. The reunion photos are some of my absolute favorite to do, but I wanted something that showed my WHOLE family... without me missing. It was a great experience and it made me realized just how important what we do actually is.  You can visit the Op Love site to be paired with a photographer in your area HERE.  We cover sessions of the entire family before your loved one leaves, during R&R, or just those of you left home during the deployment, or homecoming. You can receive 2 of those sessions per deployment ... one of the first 3 options and the homecoming. (Don't miss the homecoming! Those photos are amazing, and it's such a whirlwind!) If you utilize any of the first 3 options, your photos are sent in an album overseas to the deployed soldier, all free of charge to you, then the homecoming photos will be given to you on disk shortly after the session.

Here are a few of my favorite Op Love photos :) Enjoy, and share with anyone you know who could utilize this wonderful organization! :)

Had a Great session the weekend of Sept 11th with this family who is eagerly awaiting the return of their daddy/husband from overseas. The kids were very sweet and entertaining and I had a wonderful time photographing them! Can't wait to do the homecoming if at all possible!

 

It sure takes me forever to get my own shoots done! haha.
I am making shirts with this top image on them to wear at his deployment ceremonies and things... and whenever we're missing him:) Each of the kids' has a different picture in the clip (well the boys' is the same). This one is mine. If you click on the image you can see it larger. I don't always allow this on here, but this one definitely needs to be seen bigger :)





Then these are just a few of the kids wearing his dogtags:)