From Beijing to Rio

 I remember sitting at the BMV quite a few years back.

I'll bet it was in 2000, because it was time 

to renew my driver's license.

I sat there waiting.  And waiting.  And waiting.  

Which gave me lots of time to think about stuff.

One of the things I remember thinking about was 

what I would be doing four years into the future 

when it was time to renew my license again.

That made me think about what I was doing four years before.

1996

I had a baby girl who was just a couple months from turning one.

Now, here I was in the year 2000 

with a 4-year old and a 2-year old.

My 1996 self didn't see that coming.

I kept on thinking...

2004

Carrie will be 8, and William will be 6.

2008

Carrie will be 12, and William will be 10. 

I think that's when I quit thinking 

and started people-watching instead.

I don't sit at the BMV and think those thoughts anymore.

Now we don't have to renew every four years.

We can do it all online.

Quick as a blink.

No thinking required.

Now what turns my thoughts to "four years from now" 

and "four years prior"are the Olympics.

I was standing at the kitchen sink, washing dishes, yesterday morning when the newscaster reminded me that the next Summer Olympics would be held in 2020 in Tokyo.

But hold up!

I remember the 2012 Olympics!

The Summer Olympics were in London.  

I remember that, because we got the London Olympics Wii game 

and felt like we were really participating with the athletes.

Especially the trampoline athletes and 

the ribbon dancing athletes.  

The kids were so young four years ago.

And how about 2008 when 

the Summer Olympics were held in Beijing?!

Matthew was just months old!

So...you really need to see what time does!

I'm only posting pictures of the kids, 

because age doesn't affect me anymore.

I always look old.

Summer Olympics 2008

Carrie...12 years old

Summer Olympics 2012

Carrie...16 years old

Summer Olympics 2016

Carrie...20 years old

Summer Olympics 2008

William...10 years old

(Seriously?!  He was younger than Josh is now!)

Summer Olympics 2012

William...14 years old

Summer Olympics 2016

William...18 years old

2008 Summer Olympic

Josh...3 years old

Summer Olympics 2012

Josh...7 years old

Summer Olympics 2016

Josh...11 years old

Summer Olympics 2008

Matthew...4 months old

(So you can probably guess that I don't 

remember the Olympics that year.

There were many other things that were a blur too.)

Summer Olympics 2012

Matthew...4 years old

Summer Olympics 2016

Matthew...8 years old

Summer Olympics 2008

Jack

Summer Olympics 2012

Charlie...2 years old

Jack ran away.

Summer Olympics 2016

Charlie...6 years old

 And in four years?

The 2020 Summer Olympics will be held in Tokyo.

The kids will be 24, 20, 15, and 12.

Charlie will be 10.

Paul and me?

Uhhhhh...

We won't go there.