Operation: Love ReUnited

Some details/names have been omitted to protect our service members and families. To share your special OpLove story, visit www.oplove.org and drop us a note!

My name is Lacey, married to Lucas, who is currently serving overseas.  This is his second tour to Iraq.  He is assigned to Fort Hood, TX.  We are both originally from Stevensville, MT.  While planning our vacation this summer back home to visit friends and family before my husband left, a good friend of mine from college mentioned that her husbands cousin lived near our hometown and had recently become a member of Oplove.  I had heard of Oplove before but knew it would be nearly impossible to find a photographer by Fort Hood to do our pictures.  I have always wanted to have them done and had seen the Oplove website and was blown away. I was so excited when I contacted Trina Weingart from VioletRay Photography and she agreed to meet up and do a shoot with us!!

The day of our shoot the weather wasn’t the greatest but Trina was so persistent and wanted to give it a try anyways and it was amazing!

The rain cleared just long enough that day to shoot our pictures.  The location of our shoot had a lot of meaning to my husband and I.  We are high school sweethearts and have been together for almost 14 years.  July 19, 2003 we got married in his parents back yard surrounded by family and friends.  It was honestly the most amazing day of my life, second being his return from Iraq the first time.  To be able to have beautiful family pictures with our 3 precious children had such great meaning to us both, as well as my in laws.  In what short break we had in the rain that day, she used that time to document the love and pride within our young Army family.  My heart skips a beat every time I see our pictures.  Our youngest was only 3 months old when the pictures were taken and Lucas left a few weeks later.  The moments that Trina captured in time with her photos will forever be ours to keep and share with others.  I have had so many people tell me what great emotion they feel when they see the work Trina did that day.  She was so patient and warm to us all.  I can honestly say that I made a wonderful friend that day that has been so supportive of us both during this hard time.  I am so unbelievably honored that we were Trina’s first Oplove shoot.  We cannot make it to Montana during the deployment but I cannot wait to have our return shoot with her when my husband comes back!  I wish I could fly her down here for his welcome home ceremony.  I cannot thank Oplove or Trina enough for this amazing opportunity.  I am so thankful to have such beautiful pictures to cherish during these long 12 months.

God Bless,

Lacey