Thankful November 3rd: Wonderful Parents

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  M&D

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  D&M at the cabin

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  Great-grandpa loves C

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My parents are wonderful. My childhood was somewhat amazing. We didn’t have much money (my dad was an elementary school teacher when I was younger and finally retired from the United States Department of Agriculture; my mom was an office manager), but we always had enough. My mom and grandmother made a lot of our clothes, and friends would ask me where I got many of those clothes. My father was a hard worker. When he quit teaching, he took whatever he could find to support his family before getting a job with the USDA Arial Photography Field Office. I had more than one friend tell me that they wished they had grown up in my family.

But more than just providing for our physical needs, my parents instilled in each of their five children a love for family. When we could afford to travel, we drove across America seeing amazing things, learning crazy travel songs, and playing every travel game you can think of (license plates, alphabet match, I see). My parents also loved each other fiercely. They loved holding hands, sitting next to each other, and sharing a quick kiss no matter who was watching.

When my father was at the end of his life, my mother did everything she could so that he could stay at home and not have to go to assisted living. When it got to be too much for just her, hospice came in the mornings to help, and we took turns helping her at night. Dad didn’t always remember which of his kids was there helping, but he always knew when my mom was near him.

Thanks, Mom and Dad, for a wonderful example of selfless love and devotion.

A Photo a Week Challenge: Open Topic

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Sorry for the very late posting for this challenge, but it’s been one of those weeks. In fact, I’m cheating just a little. This week’s challenge is for you to pick any photo you choose, just please tell us why you chose that photo. This photo is one I took this last summer up at our family cabin. One of our daughters loves For-Get-Me-Nots. I knew that they grew near the cabin, so I went in search and found these lovely blooms. Very small and delicate, but worth the hunt.

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO (OR TWO OR THREE) OF YOUR CHOOSING.

Everyone is welcome to participate, even if your blog isn’t about photography.

Here’s how it works:

1. Each week, I’ll come up with a theme and post a photo that I think fits. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog (a new post!) anytime before the following Thursday, when the next photo theme will be announced.
2. To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “A Photo a Week Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use the “postaday″ tag.
3. Come back here and post a link to your image in the comments for this challenge.
4. Follow nancy merrill photography so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements.

A Photo a Week Challenge: Hands

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I love photographing hands, especially family hands. The last time I did a hands challenge, this little family had just had their second child. Now they have three. Our hands tell stories about our lives now and what we’ve been through. I have several scars on my hands that tell of an active childhood. Do you bite your nails? Have you lost a finger (or two)? Do you live in a climate that is friendly or harsh on your hands? What stories do your hands tell?

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO (OR TWO OR THREE) THAT FEATURES HANDS.

Everyone is welcome to participate, even if your blog isn’t about photography.

Here’s how it works:

1. Each week, I’ll come up with a theme and post a photo that I think fits. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog (a new post!) anytime before the following Thursday, when the next photo theme will be announced.
2. To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “A Photo a Week Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use the “postaday″ tag.
3. Come back here and post a link to your image in the comments for this challenge.
4. Follow nancy merrill photography so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements.

A Photo a Week Challenge: Grandparents

We all know and understand the importance of parents in a child’s life. I sometimes wonder if we forget how important grandparents are, too. Bot of my grandfathers passed away before I was born, but I’m heard stories about both of them. My grandmothers were both very present in my life and both were great influences in molding my character. My mother’s mother taught me how to cook and take care of roses and other garden flowers. My father’s mother taught me to play the piano (I now have a degree in music from University) and to love African violets. Both of my grandmothers were models of perseverance in the face of daunting obstacles. My maternal grandmother lost two sons as babies. My paternal grandmother lost her husband when she was only 33 years old at the end of the Great Depression (she never remarried). They were amazing women, and I miss them now that they are no longer with us.

I love being a grandmother myself. We have two fun and crazy grandsons. Our daughter has asked me to not post pictures of them online, and I honor her request. Instead, here is a picture of my brother with his second grandson. He is also a wonderful grandfather.

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO FEATURING GRANDPARENTS OF ANY KIND.

Everyone is welcome to participate, even if your blog isn’t about photography.

Here’s how it works:

1. Each week, I’ll come up with a theme and post a photo that I think fits. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog (a new post!) anytime before the following Thursday, when the next photo theme will be announced.
2. To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “A Photo a Week Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use the “postaday″ and “Photo a Week” tags.
3. Come back here and post a link to your image in the comments for this challenge.
4. Follow nancy merrill photography so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements.

Trevor Carpenter PhotoChallenge 2019 Week 23: Joy

We were in Hawaii in November taking photos for a friend’s wedding. His nephew asked me to take pictures of him proposing to his girlfriend after a skydiving group activity. (It was the day after the ceremony.) Although they had been talking about getting engaged for a while, she was completely surprised by the timing. I think the tightness of her hug says it all.

For more about this challenge, visit the Trevor Carpenter PhotoChallenge Week 23: Joy.

A Photo a Week Challenge: Endings

Life is full of beginnings and endings. Each experience has high points and low points. This month, we experienced quite the milestone. Our youngest child graduated from college. We are now truly empty-nesters. We are so excited to see what the future holds for our young man, but it will be strange to no longer have a reason to travel to Cedar City frequently or field calls about long-distance car repairs. As he moves on to the next chapter in his life, we will be looking about in a new way, too. No matter what the future brings, this one thing remains true: time moves more quickly than I like.

(This picture has all of our kids but one. Our oldest was wrangling our two adorable grandkids.)

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO (OR MORE) THAT SHOW ENDINGS OF ANY KIND.

Everyone is welcome to participate, even if your blog isn’t about photography.

Here’s how it works:

1. Each week, I’ll come up with a theme and post a photo that I think fits. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog (a new post!) anytime before the following Thursday, when the next photo theme will be announced.
2. To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “A Photo a Week Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use the “postaday″ tag.
3. Come back here and post a link to your image in the comments for this challenge.
4. Follow nancy merrill photography so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements.

Cee’s Black & White Challenge: From the Side

On our last day in Budapest, we were walking back to our boat when we passed a wedding party heading to another boat for the reception. The bride and groom lead the group (we think from the Cathedral, which was within easy walking distance). They stopped just before entering their gangplank for a quick conference with some of their family, and I was able grab this quick side shot of them.

For more from this challenge, visit Cee’s Black & White Photo Challenge: From the Side.

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Eyes

I just can’t get enough of these eyes. I’m also including a slideshow of previously posted eye images.

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For more from this challenge, visit Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Eyes.

Trevor Carpenter PhotoChallenge: Black & White Portrait

It’s been a while since I participated in this challenge, but I really like their challenges and helps. For more, check out the Trevor Carpenter PhotoChallenge: Black & White Portrait.

A Photo a Week Challenge: The Things that Matter Most

PSA: Before I begin writing this post, I would like to apologize for the lateness of this post. Christmas is a such a busy time that I’ve found myself getting behind with a lot of things. I am planning on continuing with the challenge, but for the next few weeks, posts might be later than usual. Thank you for your patience.

As Christmas approaches and the New Year rolls around, I like to take time to reflect on the things that matter most to me. Family, friends, beliefs, home. These are the things that I cherish the most. The image above is from our recent trip to Europe. On the grounds of Melk Abby is this lovely, lush grove of trees. As much as I love the trees, I truly love the man looking at me with so much love in his eyes. Our life together is what holds me in place every day. The slideshow below contains a lot of photos (over 60) of the other people in my life that mean the most to me: family. Feel free to watch as long you like.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO OF THINGS THAT MEAN THE MOST TO YOU.

Everyone is welcome to participate, even if your blog isn’t about photography.

Here’s how it works:

1. Each week, I’ll come up with a theme and post a photo that I think fits. You take photographs based on your interpretation of the theme, and post them on your blog (a new post!) anytime before the following Thursday, when the next photo theme will be announced.
2. To make it easy for others to check out your photos, title your blog post “A Photo a Week Challenge: (theme of the week)” and be sure to use the “postaday″ tag.
3. Come back here and post a link to your image in the comments for this challenge.
4. Follow nancy merrill photography so that you don’t miss out on weekly challenge announcements.