Bernie is 89 years old and drove by himself across the country to visit his family. what's stopping you?
When I saw Paula post in a local Facebook group looking for a photographer for a very special family event, I couldn't resist throwing my name in the hat. I was so honored to be chosen to record their memories!
Here's the story:
Paula's dad, 89-year-old Bernie, lives in Florida. Thanks to the pandemic, he had been pretty isolated from his family, who live all over the country. When the vaccine became available, he received his doses, and then hopped in the car for a cross-country road trip, stopping along the way to visit and stay with various family members, including each of his five children. (As Paula accurately put it, Bernie is really bad*ss!)
Bernie's final stop was here in Colorado, where Paula lives. To celebrate his birthday and this last epic road trip, Paula surprised her dad by flying out all of her siblings and their families which includes Bernie's grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren as well! On this day, they were having a big party to celebrate Bernie's birthday, and their family as a whole.
Their celebration meant even more to this family after everything they have been through in the past few years. In 2018 Paula's part of the family were living in Florida as well, and they lost almost everything when Hurricane Michael hit. Then in 2020, on top of the pandemic, Bernie lost his beloved wife after a long battle with Alzheimer's, and Paula and her siblings lost their mother. In Paula's words, "we are strong, united, and have a lot of love."
That love was glaringly apparent when I met this fun, crazy crew on a warm spring morning! Surrounding Bernie was his beautiful family, his legacy, celebrating all this his life has been, is, and will be - and consequently, all of their lives, which are here because of the love Bernie and his wife shared. Warm sunshine fell upon myriads of laughter, games, delicious food and drink, and games. Past memories were shared, and new memories were made. For an hour, I practically felt like a part of this family as I documented them as a group, and then candidly as they enjoyed one another. I was actually sad when it was time to go! I think the joy this family shared with each other - and with me - is going to stick with me for a very long time.
What's your story? Let's capture your own memories to cherish for generations to come.
Let's connect and plan your next session today! It is truly a pleasure for me to celebrate all that you and your family are through images that will be treasured keepsakes for all time!
