Wow was it so good to see Beverly and her mom again for some very special Hanukkah photos this year. This will be the first holiday season they are without their sweet Gemma, and extra care was taken to make sure she was included in the Hanukkah photos through photos, lovies, and special items. I truly had such a great time with Beverly as we goofed off and played with all the props, and I smiled editing this sneak peek as I can feel the love for Gemma in these pictures.

Beverly has come for Hanukkah pics each year so I was ready with my menorah as well as some other holiday props for her session. She surprised me with her own pink menorah, which was the twin to my blue and white one! And we had fun adding it in along with cupcakes, ornaments that looked like a dreidel, and more.

But the most special of items were those that had belonged to Gemma. Beverly hugged on her sister’s turtle lovie and tucked into her blanket, and we had two photographs that Beverly could hold depicting her sister. We talked about missing her and how much she loves Gemma, and it was a special time to get to bring Gemma into the season and show how much she still remains in our hearts.

After a quick wardrobe change, Beverly and I did some Frozen / Elsa magic and she even sang her favorite song which was obviously “Let It Go!”. I promised her secret Elsa magic would appear in those snowy photos so I can’t wait for her to see how we brought her pictures to life.

It was truly an amazing time with sweet Beverly and it fed my soul to see her happy and so full of joy. I wish this very special family a Happy Hanukkah and will hold you all in my prayers this season as you navigate it with Gemma watching over you.

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