The Magic of a Photograph

Tomorrow is our last full day of vacation here in beautiful Southern California.  It has been a nonstop week of activity, and it has been such a great trip so far.  Easter egg hunts, Passover dinner, my parents party where I was able to catch up with a few old dear friends I haven’t seen in many years, swimming, etc.  Just a wonderful (and exhausting) trip.

I always took tons of photographs before Hannah.  I think part of the reason I started taking so many photos once we brought Ethan home was partly out of guilt (since we missed his first 14 months) and partly because my memory really sucks.  Friends and family mention stories that I was involved with and say “don’t you remember when…?”  Honestly, sometimes I don’t.  At least with pictures, I have a “hard copy” of that moment in time and will always be able to relive it and remember it.

I think I have taken over 250 pictures this trip so far, and we still have Disneyland left to go tomorrow, our last full day here.  Of course, about half of those will be junked pictures.  You know, back of someone’s head because they moved, blurry, etc.  But I will have dozens of wonderful photos of this trip with all three kids. 

It’s funny.  Well, “funny” is not quite the term I mean.  But I find it very ironic that I am so determined to get these pictures with me included in them even though I am at my “least attractiveness” in terms of how I feel about myself, especially my weight since I am at my highest weight ever.  I look at all those pictures, and I have two feelings about them.  1]  At least I was a part of that moment and that my kids can see who I was, and 2] OMG, do I really look that huge!  It is like a double-edged sword, you know?

After looking through the pictures on the camera tonight, I realized what wonderful memories I collected just from this trip.  Memories I hope never to lose, good or bad.  Even photos to motivate me to take care of myself better.  I can’t wait to download them and share (most of) them!