In Memory of Erik and Jesse

In August of this year, we photographed Erik and Casey J's wedding. Erik died Christmas Eve morning while snowmobiling. He was buried in an avalanche while snowmobiling. His friend, Jesse, a young man who went to our church, also died in the avalanche.

Casey and Erik were such a wonderful couple to photograph. And I am so pleased that his family have a beautiful wedding album to cherish and recent photos of this son and husband. I am so very sad for Casey, losing her husband of a few months and the Johnson's losing their son. And at the same time, I am so very grateful for Christmas because it is Christ who made it possible for families to be together forever and knowing that it's not just the birth of Christ, but the atonement of Christ that we really celebrate. This Christmas was a bitter sweet one for me. A few miracles happened amongst the tragedy for which I will be grateful for. My mom made it back on Christmas Eve day from Texas after being with her father who barely survived emergency surgery. And my friends Greg and Erin were able to be with his mom in the hospital for Christmas. They've been through so much. And my brother made it back from NYC and through the snow storm and walked in early afternoon on Christmas day. Tyler and I didn't give each other anything for Christmas, and we tried to focus on Christ more. We watched movies on Christ and read scriptures. We did give gifts to our children and my parents and family. But this Christmas I truly felt the Spirit of Christ.

And this is the final page of Erik and Casey's wedding album. I've never used this quote before and I am sure glad that I put it in Casey and Erik's album.