We’re skipping day 8. Day 8 asks that we post a picture that make us angry/sad — we really don’t have any of those. Other than pictures in the news from oil spills, natural disasters, orphanages, war, etc. All of those pictures create angry/sad emotions. But we see those on cnn.com enough, so we’re moving on to day 9.

Day 9: Photo that you took

Erick: I took this picture in November of 2002 in Graeagle, CA while visiting my aunt and uncle. It was kind of the last time the family was going to see my aunt alive (she was terminal with ovarian cancer). There was just something about this lake and the little floating dock out in the middle, forgotten during the cold snowy weather, that really captured how I was feeling while we were there. Cold, alone, and almost forgotten. But at the same time absolutely beautiful, serene, calm. I also loved how the lake created an almost perfect mirrored image of the mountains in the background.

Courtney: This picture is from my youngest brother’s senior year in high school (Caleb’s in the top row, 2nd from the right.) I was the unofficial photographer for their hockey games that year, and this was their last home game together. They won too — they beat River Falls which had been a rival of theirs since they were five. It was also one of the best games I’d ever seen Caleb play — he’s a stud. I have two younger brothers already, but sometimes I feel like I have more.