By the time this posts, I will be high above the clouds on my way to HAWAII!! Although I am beyond excited since I have never been, the 30 of us going carry a heavy heart, as this journey, ultimately came about to celebrate the life of a truly great man.  The plans began shortly after my boyfriends father, Bob Smolen passed away this past May when he lost his battle with cancer.  Amongst his many accomplishments when he was a Major General in the United States Air Force, he was an avid scuba diver, his favorite place being Hawaii.  His family and friends were going to carryout his wishes of being cremated and scattered in the Pacific.  Although, in true Smolen style, they wanted to go even further, so Robby (my boyfriend), his sisters Mandy and Emily, and his mother, Adriane all collaborated to come up with a Living Reef Memorial.  I never knew such a thing even existed, it is simply amazing, especially for those who have a love for the sea and marine life.

“The life that is created from the ashes of the departed is in perfect harmony with the circle of life, and leaves a positive footprint that will forever life on.  No other burial option can offer the benefits of a Living Reef Memorial.”

The Smolen Family still wanted more, although the reef would have Bob’s ashes, they wanted it to resemble him.  Robby thought of an old friend from the Art Institute of Pittsburg where they had met.  His name is Leslie Meier, a talented Industrial Designer, whom they commissioned to build a sculpture of Bob, then would work alongside Robert Sarnie, the man behind Living Reef Memorial, who would provide the base.

This was months in the making and was not always easy.  Keep in mind Leslie is in PA, Robert in CA, we are in VA, and both the sculpture and reef needed to get to Hawaii.  It truly is amazing the magic that can happen when talented artists work together.

I can happily report that both have arrived in Hawaii and we all cannot WAIT to see them in person upon our arrival.  30 of Bob’s close friends and family will all be there for his memorial this Monday, Feb 9th, on his Birthday, where most of us will be diving to witness the placement of his living memorial on the sea floor.  We will pin the location so when we go back and visit, we will be able to see what kind of sea life has bloomed!

I plan to keep social media to a minimum, but will be posting some photos on my Instagram, feel free to follow along! Can’t wait to post photos of the trip when I return. Robby and I will also be shooting a Wedding while we’re there too!! Gah!! Dream come true!

© Desjar Photography 2015 | Wedding and Portrait Photographer | Central VA and Destinations Worldwide