It was a dark Christmas Eve, and off in the distance we could see the red blinking light. It seemed like it moved through the sky as we drove down the road. My brothers and I stared in awe and wonder. We believed that blinking light was Rudolph leading Santa's sleigh. It was a magical sight, a magical feeling. As I grew older, I learned that the blinking light wasn't Rudolph at all, but a tower on the horizon. I also began to realize the magic in Christmas wasn't about flying reindeer or a man who delivers gifts all over the world in one night. Instead, it's about the truth of the savior being born, the celebrations and joy that comes with being with family, and showing love to one another. Presents are cool, but I've learned that presence is better.

A few weeks ago a friend reached out to me about some Christmas minis that were being held by an organization called the Purple Peace Foundation. He connected me with Stacey, who was organizing the event. They happened to be looking for another photographer. I was unable to host my own minis this year, and this seemed like a great opportunity to get more people in front of my camera and to help what seemed to be a pretty incredible organization. So I said yes. I had an opportunity to bless these families and capture some beautiful images for them to celebrate Christmas, to celebrate family, and to celebrate love.

I met and photographed seven incredible families that day, and it was a blast. I've included images from two of the families I had the pleasure of meeting with. One was Deb and her service dog, Mango. Deb is amazing and so open about her story. She is hearing impaired, and Mango helps her with everyday tasks that those of us without hearing loss take for granted. She has had Mango for a few years, and shared about the organization that gifted Mango to her. Mango was incredibly smart and sweet, and so well behaved! Capturing photos of them was wonderful. The other family is the McGlaughlin family. They had four children, all who were so kind and sweet. The three older kids cared for the youngest with such love and compassion, and it was a privilege to be able to capture their photos. You can check out some of my favorites below!