It seemed LIGHT YEARS away. But, in fact, we blinked three times and twitched our noses and somehow, two years had passed and it was time to enter the lottery for Olympic tickets. So we did! It wouldn't be until a year later, summer of 2011, that we would learn we'd actually been allotted tickets for athletics (track and field) and the trip was suddenly official. Mamie was three by then and the idea of the trip started to feel more and more real, all the time. It was time for Lesli's favorite part: planning!
The London portion of the trip did not come together easily. The Olympic Committee had put blocks on all the major hotels in the city and by the time I got serious about booking our flights, I still hadn't been able to secure any accommodation for the London portion of the trip. Dean and I got nervous about that whole part of the trip and decided it felt too chaotic to try to make it work. We very reluctantly scrapped the whole London portion and resolved to sell our Olympic tickets once we had them in hand. We would go forward with the trip as an Ireland/Northern Ireland-only trip, which was still exciting, but a little disappointing, considering all the prep work I had put in for the Olympics, yearS in advance.
And then something lovely happened. About two months prior to our trip, a smattering of hotel rooms started popping up in central London, as if to say, "Well, we thought we were all sold out, but just kidding! We found a few more!" Because of the timing of our event, we were able to add two nights onto the end of the trip and attend the Olympics after all. The trip finally felt complete! What a truly special, once-in-a-lifetime thing to get to do as a family. The night was pure magic and the kids were so caught up in the patriotism and electricity of the crowd--it was just a huge gift. Team USA, we were cheering our little hearts out for you!!
Hey, stranger man. Hope you don't mind if I hover while you plink away at words with friends.
Walking the rather long (20 min.) path from the West Ham tube stop to the Olympic Park and Stadium. Good thing Dean was practically speed-walking like those dudes in the 20K and I had blisters from my flip-flops by the time we got there. I would've had to run to keep up, so we can all know that didn't happen. This picture was the closest I ever got to him and this was taken with a big, fat zoom lens.
What a happy sight!! Flip flops, don't fail me now.
Gorgeous, multi-colored wildflower plantings across huge sections of lawn as we got nearer to the stadium.
Team USA, baby! We are here!!
Coming into the stadium for the first time. Beautiful place!!
View of one of two big screens at either end of the stadium and the cauldron. So awesome.
Ready to cheer, DECKED in some red, white and blue!
Genius little remote-controlled minis that went back and forth during the shot put competition to get the thrown discs and return them to the front! Ha.
Our big moment on the live camera shots! Love Dean taking the pic of the screen while we waved.
Sanya Richards Ross winning her heat in the 400 semifinals. Yes!!
Former University of Tennessee track star, Dee Dee Trotter, running in her heat for the 400. She would ultimately get a bronze medal in the final for this race! Go, Dee Dee!!
Dee Dee Trotter on the big screen. Fierce!! Go, girl!
Lovin' this little yankee doodle dandy!
British heptathlete, Jessica Ennis, who would take home gold for Team GB. The crowd went WILD for her. It was such an awesome moment for Great Britain. They normally don't rack up the medals at the Olympics, but this year, they've done amazingly well. Go, Jess!! P.S., these women have zero body fat. Zero.
Saturday night at track and field, Great Britain scored three gold medals and the evening was hailed the next morning in the British media as possibly the greatest night in the history of British athletics. It was so so energizing to be in the home crowd on a night like this--completely heartwarming and infectious.
We came to cheer for the USA, but there was no way we couldn't shout and celebrate with these happy people. It felt so good to be a part of something so special for them--and really, for us, as spectators, to be able to cheer for humans--regardless of nationality--was a gift to us. Just the overall triumph of the whole thing was exhilarating!
Men's 10,000 meters final. Crowd favorite for Team GB, Mo Farah (in 4th position here), starts to make his move up to the front. Running beside him with the blond hair was USA's Galen Rupp. This race was unbelievable. I don't know all the stats, but no one from Great Britain has ever even come close to winning this race. The electricity in the crowd during this race was physically felt.
One of the last few laps. I'm no math major, but these guys basically run around the track like a million times and at a pace that looks to be two shades under a sprint. AH-mazing. See the Kenyan and the two Ethiopians out front? They are used to winning this thing. Guess what? They're not winning it tonight.
Gold and silver finish, GB and USA!! Ahhhhhh ((and the crowd goes WILDDDDD))!!
Farah came over to the US and trained in Oregon for a while WITH Rupp. These two guys, who have trained together, under some famous marathoner coach (don't ask me his name), taking gold and silver at the freaking Olympics, right beside each other. It was a beauty-FULL sports moment (from someone who does not consider herself to be very sporty).
Praising God that this 4-year old was able to transcend her whining from earlier in the day to allow us all to revel in this magical night. No small thing at 10 p.m.
Last event of the evening: women's 100 meter final. Gimme some US women in this final!! 3 out of 8 spots! Carmelita Jeter, Alyson Felix, and Tianna Madison. C'mon, girls!!!
Big screen shot of Felix during her heat of the semi-finals. She was so strong. I was bursting with pride and we don't even know each other.
Taking OFF!! Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce would take gold here (lane 6) for Jamaica, but what an awesome sight to witness such beauty and POWER. Makes me teary just thinking about it.
My honey, 'tis of thee.
Almost forgot the beret!! We are shameless!!
The boys were loving it--they cheered so loudly for Team USA. This is Walker thinking something Truman did or said was hilarious--a new stage in their friendship as brothers.
Truman being super brotherly and loving, giving Mamie a piggyback ride on our way out of the stadium. Olympic fever has its benefits!
So long, Olympic Stadium, and a bunch of extremely fit, superhuman athletes. What a night. We will remember it for a lifetime! And until we meet again, dear London--I LOVE YOU.
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