iheartfaces Photo Challenge|Winter Wonderland

The man behind the post is usually the man behind the camera.  He's the man who bought me my first (and second) Nikon.  He's the man who taught me, mentored me and encouraged me to take better pictures.  He's the man who made sure that each and every year we had a family Christmas photo card.  The man in this week's photo is my dad.  

My dad grew up in Minnesota, the first born son of an immigrant Norwegian father and a Finnish mother.  Early in his life, he developed a love for photography.  He put himself through engineering school by photographing weddings, reunions and portraits.  He won photo contests.  He documented our lives.  When  my parents took me and my brother on family vacations he would supply us with seemingly endless rolls of film.  We would then tour the national parks where he would show us God's beautiful creation and teach us the art of composition.

In our family, we thought it was completely normal to spend the first half hour of a Christmas gathering lining everyone up for the annual family photo.  We thought nothing of the hot spotlights that enabled him to record on video our gift openings, birthdays and more.

And so, at 74 years of age, my dad willingly tromped through the Minnesota snow, halfway around the lake on which he and my mother live, so that I could snap a picture for this week's photo theme, Winter Wonderland.

Like the post he stands behind, my dad is always supportive, solid, straight and true.

I am forever grateful to be blessed with a dad like this.

Thanks, Dad!  I love you!

For more Winter Wonderland photos, visit iheartfaces!