the winter games: how things have changed

As the 2014 Olympics draw near, I can't help but feel a little sentimental about where we were in life when we watched the last winter games.  For one thing, they took place in Vancouver and we had recently visited there during our Alaskan cruise.  Watching the games brought back so many memories of that special trip.

Babies. We were just babies!

Zip-lining in Icy Strait Point.

Capilano Suspension Bridge Park - Vancouver

Got sidetracked...but it's fun looking back at our old photos.  Anyway.... I love the winter games.  I remember sitting on the couch in our old house watching the games all day, all weekend on DVR -- and feeling absolutely miserable!  Because I was 8+ months pregnant with baby Theo.  Thinking back, life was so unbelievably different then.  I could lay down and nap whenever I felt tired.  Ryan and I could enjoy a quiet dinner at a restaurant.  We could even eat our food at our own pace, and while it was still hot. What!?  We even had extra money for trips, new clothes, or going to the movies.  We were expectant parents.

Feb 2010

We had no clue what we were getting ourselves into but we were ready to dive in headfirst.  I remember that time in our lives fondly. So much anticipation and excitement.  Expectations and questions.  We didn't know how to take care of a baby, but we sure trusted ourselves and each other to figure it out. And that we did.  

Little did we know that 15 months later we'd have TWO babies.  Little did we know that a brown haired, brown eyed boy and a blonde haired blue eyed boy would consume our hearts and lives.  We didn't understand that eating a quiet, hot dinner at a restaurant was an absolute luxury. Or a full night's sleep, for that matter. We didn't know what exhaustion was.  Or how full our hearts could feel or how big they could grow. 

I look at this picture and see a girl.  She looks young and naive and hopeful.  I look at baby pictures of the boys and think about how quickly their babyhood has flown by.  At the start of the 2010 winter games, I had 0 children.  Now I have two kids.  Not even babies anymore.  Over the weekend we sold their double stroller and gave away several other baby gear items.  Our house is looking less and less like a place where babies live. Legos and puzzles and books have replaced swings and bottle warmers and rattles.  The girl in the picture only ever imagined holding a sweet baby and having heart to heart conversations with her teenage son.  She didn't realize that there's so much in between.  That she'd pull her hair out and cry out of frustration sometimes.  She didn't realize that by the time the next winter games rolled around, her babies wouldn't be babies anymore.

That's me in the picture, but it's not.  The boys will be old enough to understand and enjoy parts of the winter games this time around.  It's mind-boggling and exciting.  We're moving into such a good stage with our kids right now.  They are still little, I'm acutely aware of this, yet they are growing more independent. They can entertain themselves and each other.  We don't have to worry about their safety every second that they are out of our sight anymore.  It's just interesting to me - time has this way of constantly blowing my mind. 

xo,
~C~