A note from the family.

I don’t know if we will ever fully be able to put into words what Big Sky Bravery has meant to our family. This has been, without question, the hardest year of our lives. After years of living within the demands of the Special Operations community, we found ourselves at a breaking point. We were exhausted, bitter, burnt out, and quite frankly, defeated. We had given so much of ourselves to this life for so long, and somewhere along the way, we had lost pieces of ourselves in the process.

Then Big Sky Bravery showed up. From my husband’s winter task force, to my spouse task force, to the incredible people we’ve come to know through supporting their mission, we have felt lifted up and cared for in ways that are incredibly difficult to put into words.

There is something profoundly humbling about having people who were once complete strangers care enough to truly get to know you. To see the exhaustion behind the smiles, to recognize the weight you’ve been carrying, and to sit with you in some of the hardest moments of your life. Not because they have to, not because they owe you anything, but simply because they believe your family is worth caring for.

I don’t think they can fully understand what that alone has done for us. After so many years of sacrifice that often felt invisible, simply being seen has been healing in ways we didn’t even realize we needed.

And then, this summer, they gave us something we never could have imagined. An entire week together as a family in the incredible beauty of Big Sky, Montana.

We whitewater rafted, explored the mountains on side-by-sides, stood at the top of the highest mountain in Big Sky, and ventured down into the valleys of Yellowstone. We experienced a part of this country so vast and breathtaking that it almost forces you to forget everything else for a while; and for the first time in what felt like forever, we did.

We disconnected, laughed, and explored. We were present with each other without the constant weight of the SF military life we’ve been navigating for well over a decade and over 20 years of active duty. There were no deployments to prepare for, no demands pulling us in different directions, no looming uncertainty consuming our thoughts. Just the four of us, making memories together in one of the most beautiful places we’ve ever been.

But perhaps the part that means the most to me is what this experience gave our children. Our kids have never known anything outside of the Special Operations world. The relentless operational tempo, the absences, the uncertainty, the sacrifices. That has always been their normal. They have grown up among the silent ranks, quietly carrying the weight of a life they never chose, often without anyone recognizing just how much is asked of them.

Big Sky Bravery recognized that. They didn’t just see the soldier. They didn’t just see the spouse. They saw our children. They saw our FAMILY.

They understood that service and sacrifice don’t begin and end with the person wearing the uniform. They reach into our homes, our marriages, our childhoods, and every corner of our lives. And they understood that when a family has spent years carrying that weight together, sometimes the whole family needs a chance to heal together, too. That is exactly what this trip gave us.

I wish every person who has ever donated to or supported Big Sky Bravery could understand what their generosity has meant to our family. You didn’t simply give us a vacation. You gave us room to breathe when we felt like we were drowning. You gave our children memories of their family together, completely present and happy. You gave us a chance to reconnect with each other outside of the life that has demanded so much from us. And perhaps most importantly, you reminded us that we weren’t forgotten.

We have spent so many years being asked to give, to endure, to understand, and to keep going. To have someone turn around and say, through their actions, that we matter too has been one of the most humbling experiences of our lives.

We will carry the memories of that week forever, but we will carry the feeling of being seen, loved, and supported by Big Sky Bravery for even longer.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for seeing all four of us. Thank you for caring about the parts of military service that so often go unnoticed. Thank you for showing up for our family during a year when we needed it more than we could have ever admitted.

You have given us so much more than experiences. You have helped us find pieces of ourselves again. And we will never, ever forget that.

And now, we’re hooked. Not just on the beauty of Montana or the incredible experiences we’ve been given, but on the people, the mission, and the heart behind Big Sky Bravery. We want so badly to return, this time to be on the giving side of what we’ve been so fortunate to receive. To volunteer, to support, and to continue giving back to an organization that has given our family more than we could ever repay. We know firsthand what this kind of love and generosity can do for a family, and there would be no greater privilege than getting to be even a small part of giving that same feeling to someone else.

Thank you ALL for everything.