Four Years Ago

The World Cup is going on right now. We have some special memories of the last World Cup. We were in Spain at the time. We rejoiced with Spainards when Spain won their game in the round of sixteen at a small restaurant in Madrid. We cheered with Spainards as Spain won their quarter final at a bar in Marbella. And we clapped with Catelonians as Spain won their semifinal game in a bar in Barcelona. (Catelonians don't always consider themselves part of Spain we found out.) It was all very exciting. When we got home we watched Spain win the World Cup! And our lives were never the same again. But not because of the win. Not even because of the trip.

Dan and I wanted to go on this trip for our 30th anniversary in 2010. And we wanted to take our three adult children. We were not together that much as we lived in Colorado, Beth lived in San Francisco, and Becky and Joey lived in L.A. We thought it would be a great way to spend some undivided quality time. I had a premonition that things were going to change soon and if we were ever going to be able to do this it was now! I was pretty sure one of the kids would find a significant other soon and wouldn't want to leave him/her to go on a family trip. Never in my wildest dreams could I have imagined how much our family would change in the next four years and that we would never ever be a family of five again!

At the end of June 2010:

Becky had just started dating Arek.
Joey was friends with Brittany's cousin, but hadn't met Brittany.
Beth knew who Greg was, but he had a girlfriend.
Mia was our foster child named Selene and was supposed to be integrated back into her birth family that summer.
Anna was in her birth mother's womb half a world away.
Avery, Maks, and Ben were enjoying heaven.

But now they are all here and part of our family and we wouldn't want it any other way. We are so blessed!