Love and Victory | Welcome Home, Marine! | San Diego Homecoming Photographer | Camp Pendleton Homecoming Photographer | Alicia Q. Photography

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True love is timeless.  It is never-ending.  It is patient, strong, and it can kick any deployment’s butt.  Maybe not in those exact words, but every military spouse has repeated that mantra probably a thousand times in her head.  It’s like  an athlete pumping himself full of affirmations before the big game, or an actor envisioning a standing ovation even before the curtains open.  If we think we can, then we know we can.  And a deployment is the perfect opportunity to test your strength as a wife, a mom, a partner– as a woman.  Getting through it is one hell of a mental challenge, but the sense of accomplishment at the end is like no other.  Sometimes I think having your husband home is the consolation prize.  Realizing you are super woman– now, that’s the stuff blue ribbons are made out of 🙂

Photographing homecomings allows me to meet all kinds of amazing women.  In each one of them I witness a confidence and fortitude so unique to military spouses.  Yessica was most certainly one of those women.  She defined class, sophistication and femininity.  I watched her interact with her son with a gentle touch and kind, soft words.  She was so nurturing, and yet I could tell by just looking in her eyes that she was a tough cookie.  The kind of cookie that not even Afghanistan could make crumble.

Yessica waited alongside her mother-in-law and her husband’s Godmother, all the while keeping her toddler entertained.  As soon as the buses arrived, the crowd erupted into a victorious cheer, but we were forced to wait a little while longer as the Marines headed to the armory to turn in their weapons.  I sneaked over to the buses in an attempt to get the first glimpse of Yessica’s husband, but I had no such luck.  Just moments after I made it back to the parade deck, the Marines started walking towards the crowd, trickling in one by one.  As soon as I saw that big smile headed our way, I looked over to Yessica’s face for confirmation.  Yep, this was the man she had been waiting for so anxiously.  What followed was a sweet, endearing exchange of hugs and kisses and tears– and a father/son reunion I can only describe with these photos.  It was emotional and genuine– exactly what you’d expect to see in a movie.

O’Connor family, here is your homecoming story as told through my eyes.  Enjoy!