Our Beach Vacation -and- Why The Photos Don't Tell The Whole Story

Ah, the beautiful, sunny beach.

 

Well, it was beautiful. But not sunny.

 

 

Happy children posed angelically as they enjoyed the surf and sand.

 

No, actually a worn out little girl played too hard

 

 

And a teething, cranky infant had moments of delight

Mixed with many more moments of displeasure

(Despite what the photos say).

 

But the camera rarely gets grabbed during the tough stuff.

 

 

Because life, in all of its glory and splendor and muck and mess, has these rare moments of awe and wonder that make us stop for a moment and breathe it all in.

 

 

 

We can't get caught up in the grime. After all, it rinses off.

 



 

And we make more time for monkeying around.

 



 

It's okay if the seas get a little rough. As long as we're together.

 



 

 The sun finally comes out, the days eventually brighten, and the big blue eyes light up again.

 

 

 Sometimes, though, I do wonder if, in order to tell the whole story, I need more photos like this one:

 

 

But I've always been partial to the idyllic.

 



 

Maybe it doesn't matter what we choose to capture because it's all part of the story. Besides, the good stuff is supposed to be hard. That's how we know it's worth it.