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We use quantitative metrics to characterize the variation of C iv λ1549 broad absorption lines (BALs) over 3-6 (rest-frame) years in a sample of 13 quasars at 1.7\leq z\leq 2.8 and compare the results to previous studies of BAL variability on shorter timescales. The strong BALs in our study change in complex ways over 3-6 yr. Variation occurs in discrete regions only a few thousand kilometers per second wide, and the distribution of the change in absorption equivalent width broadens over time. We constrain the typical C iv BAL lifetime to be at least a few decades. While we do not find evidence to support a scenario in which the variation is primarily driven by photoionization on multiyear timescales, there is some indication that the variation is produced by changes in outflow geometry. We do not observe significant changes in the BAL onset velocity, indicating that the absorber is either far from the source or is being …