As the weeks and months go on, it gets harder on families who cannot visit their loved ones living in a long-term care facility.

It may be even harder on those who actually live there. It takes something special to bring out the joy, excitement, and smiles, but yet that's exactly what one organization did, capturing it all along the way.

At Samaritan Keep Home in Watertown, it was the kind of day just about everyone needed. The nearly two dozen military spouses living in the facility got dressed up for a photoshoot.

"Oftentimes, you don't have an opportunity at this stage in your life to have professional photographs taken of you, to get dolled up and have joy and excitement and moments to capture," Adopt a Grandparent: Veterans Edition founder Melissa Johnson said.

It's all part of the Adopt a Grandparent: Veterans Edition program, which aims to show appreciation and give back to those military families that came before us.

Two local photography professionals volunteered their time for the day. Even the social distancing challenge of shooting through a window didn't dampen the fun or emotion.

"I think that there is a beauty in everything and that you can find joy even in the smallest of things, even when times are crazy," local photographer Denise Kopatz said.

"It means more than what I can put into words," Johnson added. "Yeah. To see them just beaming with happiness. To think that someone is taking time out of their day for them, to honor them, is pretty special."

Those smiles came right back on the day the photos were delivered to the women. Not only because they have this keepsake, but also because they know the ones they love, the ones they cannot see right now, were given and are now holding the same picture.