The Gutierrez Family. 12 January 2021
Instead of the standard rom-com of how two lovers met, I'd much rather watch a "love story" of how two mommy friends meet! That would definitely be more up my alley. If that was the case, Jenny and I would have a script ready for production. In the saturated world of social media and meetup apps, Jenny and I randomly met at the library on base. At the time, I only had one kiddo and I remember seeing Jenny with her three and thinking "Wow, she makes it look so easy!" We exchanged numbers and the rest is history. Jenny is a rockstar mommy, believer, wife, and friend. She is the type of person you want next to you if the world is ending because she will be prepared with separate bags of snacks for everyone and a water bottle with your name on it. We've become close friends, but like all military-life friendships, this one will soon have to change speeds as the Gutierrez family gets ready to move this summer.
Not only have I grown a relationship with Jenny, but I've grown attached to her children as well--Lily, probably the smartest 6 year old you will meet that has read more books than I have in possibly my whole life; Owen, the entertainer of the group that will say the most hilarious things; and Theo, the youngest one that still surprises me with how quickly he is growing, speaking, and learning. As the military has been a huge part of my life, saying goodbye to friends is something that happens so often that one would think it gets easier; it really never gets easier. I would say that as I grow older, the process actually gets harder. So with that, I'm extra thankful I got the opportunity to do this shoot with their family...and that they were willing in 30 degree weather (sorry guys!). Thank you all for trusting me with your memories.
