Why You Shouldn't Delete the "Bad" Pictures

For some reason this year, I did not delete "bad" vacation pictures from our camera while we were on vacation.  Well, there was the one time I took a series of burst pictures of Brad and Alex racing on the downhill racer.  And when Brad and Alex got to the bottom, to the sounds of me "WOOOHOOO"ing, I realized it was not Brad and Alex.  So I deleted those.

But I decided to just edit them out when I got home and could see them on the computer.  And I'm so glad I did!  We had some good laughs over the pictures I would normally delete.  One of my big regrets of my scrapbooking years is how many pictures I "cropped" thinking I was enhancing them.  I wonder now how much that seemed to be background noise at the time would be precious to see.  I digress...

Anyway, we looked through these pictures and I realized quickly how much I would have missed:

I would not have captured the goofy look of a boy who just finished a 10-mile run of hills by eating a family-sized serving of cereal and a glass of chocolate milk.  Silly boy.

I would have missed learning the crazy obsession one child has with zooming.

I would have missed looking just one more time at the beautiful sand.  I want to dig my toes in that so badly.  While drinking an iced coffee and reading my book.

I would have missed seeing a picture like this and remembering how my mom could not seem to keep heads into a frame.  Most pictures she took came back with someone's head cut off.

Another example of my genetic disposition to cutting the subject out of the shot.

And, for whatever crazy reason, this picture just makes me smile with memories of splashing water and FUN!

And I would have missed the opportunity to show Brad why I don't race downhill in the lane next to him.  See all that spray he creates?  Yeah, right in my face too many times.

And this?  I would have missed showing my children that anytime you take a vacation that results in you looking like this when you start the drive home means that you've been truly blessed with a fabulous vacation.