I realized something this week: my blog is like a time capsule unto itself that captures so many wonderful memories through the years. What was I doing 9 years ago? I just clicked on my blog’s archives and found this gem when I was already lamenting the kids were growing up too fast during one of our most memorable hikes ever. If I was worried about their fleeting childhood then, how much worse is it now? And four years from now?
On Leap Day 2012, we pulled together a Time Capsule to be opened Leap Day 2016. And then I stashed it away and promptly forgot about it. Thank goodness I purged our entire house in January and stumbled upon it. The kids have been waiting with great anticipation to see what was worthy of being stashed away for four years, practically a lifetime for them! It’s sobering to think when we open our next time capsule, Hadley will be turning 16 and almost driving and dating while Bode will be a cute pimply-faced 13-year-old. 
Our Time Capsule did not disappoint. It was a mix of mementos, fond memories, a glimpse of how much had changed (the kids) and what had barely changed at all (the parents).
A few gems:
Hadley was turning 7 while Bode was 5. There were beautiful drawings by Hadley and not-so beautiful scribbles by Bode:
There are a shot of our wonderful home.
Bode was a cute kindergartner (featured with his long-term sub Mrs. Cannon) and Hadley was soon turning 8 and had been invited to her first event for the Activity Day Girls at church. Attached in a scroll was this Princess Manifesto I’d been commissioned to write for the occasion.
We had just learned Hadley had been admitted to our Waldorf school the following year and we were filled with excitement. Too bad it didn’t last!
Our questionnaires were the most revealing.
Hadley loved Timbits, friends were Alex (current bestie) and Jaida, her favorite subject was art, she loved to swim, she had no idea what she wanted to be when she grew up and she was most looking forward to getting baptized. It was particularly fun to read her response to what she thought she’d be doing in four years. She wrote “getting ready to be in Young Women’s,” which is exactly what is happening! (When kids turn 12 in our church, it’s a big rite-of-passage as they leave the children’s organization and move to our awesome youth program).
Bode loved peanut butter, his friends were Nicky (current bestie), Sean, Tim and Andy. His favorite subject was computer lab and he loved to play soccer and Kirby on the Wii. He was most excited to go to Canada that summer, had no idea what he’d be doing in four years but one thing was for sure: he knew he wanted to be the ice cream man when he grew up. Jamie is still lamenting the shift in career ambitions.
Jamie and I basically haven’t changed at all in our interests and friends as Stacey, Jenn, Eva and Lisa remain my dearest today.For favorite foods I listed mangoes and avocados, both of which I had for lunch that day. The biggest shift was that I had just celebrated my 40th birthday at Evergreen Lake with oodles of friends and my first column had been printed in The Denver Post. Ahhhh, those were the glory years!
Jamie. Of course, pumpkins were a big theme even though he has not attained his goal of a state record. The good news: He predicted he’d be on life support in four years and we’re clearly not there. Though we’re a few weeks removed from his snowmobiling accident and he’s still limping around like he has one foot in the grave.
Some things never change. Bur I can’t wait to see what is revealed four years from now.
I'm a Canadian-born mom of two, former Denver Post columnist, family travel writer, editor of MileHighMamas.com and 9News contributor. Expert on all things Utah, Denver, family and travel. Lover of laughter and life. Happily married to a man obsessed with growing The Great Pumpkin. 