You know...I realized this all too late (about 10-15 years ago). I've been a pest in my family with a camera for years. I started looking at old family photos and it seems that people just don't take pics...even though they have cameras. Take photos of everything. You may lose people in a flash and pics may be the way you can reconnect them to family periodically.
In short...ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS keep the cameras within arm's reach. You'll be glad you did.