Jordan, the problem with your pics was the overall size. They were huge, somewhere along 18″ wide. That adds to the file size. Sometimes, digital cameras take pics where the resolution is the issue. Yours were at a resolution of 72, which is about perfect. I have mine set to take pics at 300, which allows them to be enlarged.
To alleviate the problems you encountered, you may want to change the settings in your camera or download some photo editting software so you can reduce the overall size of your pics. Cropping them helps but the case of the pics you had, it wouldn’t have done much.