Beach Day in Viña del Mar

Sunday.  What a better way to spend our last day of our Trading Spaces weekend than on the beach.  The one we could see from our 17th floor patio.  But before hitting the main beach in Viña del Mar we decided we would turn north and head up the coast highway to do a bit of sightseeing.  There are rumors of Sea Lion sightings all along the huge rocks that hug the oceanfront.  We traveled about 6 miles up the road and hit a town called Concón.  There really isn't much to see in town, unless you are looking for some good nightlife or some of the freshest seafood around.  We were looking for neither at 10 am - we were looking for the Sea Lions.  Which, sadly, we did not find.  What we did find was a lot of pelicans.  And the girls were delighted.  Actually, they were charmed by the town and the little wall that they could walk along without our help...

MadHatter brought her camera and found this the perfect place to take pictures.  She is getting pretty good and her little girl view on the world is pretty enchanting...

And I stopped to take some big girl snaps...

And one we finished our bird watching we were off to the ocean.  Well, more like the playground that is on the ocean.  MadHatter saw that there were monkey bars and we couldn't get her off of them.  Especially since they were so different from those that she is used to.  This set went up higher and higher with each bar and was made out of rope.  Which meant it was much more flexible and steep than she was used to.  Which meant we spent over an hour trying to conquer it (and we did at the end).  Nothing like a playground in the sand to make the littles happy.

A swing made out of rope, held by rope and attached to rope.  Makes for a lot of interesting moves...

And then it was time to hit the beach.  My girls didn't care that this part of the Pacific Ocean hadn't seen a sunny day over 70 in 6 months.  They just saw water and waves and wanted to get their feet wet.  And so we did...Well, they did.  I am not that crazy.

Rolling the jeans...

And the littlest changes her mind about that cold, blue ocean...

And then she changes her mind again...she gets in...

Good thing we had an extra pair of pants.  Because she was cold!

And that ended our Trading Spaces adventure.  I would do it again in a heartbeat.

Downtime in Downtown Buffalo

One of the harder parts about being an expat is being so far away from family.  Living here at the bottom of the world makes it even harder because flights home are few and they are very expensive.  So our trips to the U.S. are usually long and multi-locational so that we can make sure to see as many people as we can. Home leave this summer was no exception.  You already know we spent a good four weeks in Texas with my parents, some visitors and my family (and if you don't, you can catch up here, here and here).  Next it was time to head north to visit with B's side of the family. Starting with a trip to Buffalo, NY for his cousins wedding.

The girls and I left a day early because you all know our luck with flying and getting somewhere on time.  This time we were in luck though so we had an entire free day to wander around Buffalo before B's flight arrived in late afternoon.  Luckily we were downtown and there were a lot of little nooks and crannies we could explore on foot as we had no other mode of transportation.  And lucky for us there were a few old churches nearby because MadHatter is obsessed with churches.  The older, the better.  So we toured as many as I could get Stinkerbell to go along with.

Stinkerbell had been about as patient, and as quiet, as she could be.  Churches just aren't her thing.  Probably because you have to be quiet while inside and there is no running allowed.  To her four year old body (and voice) this is just too hard to do for very long.

We headed out into the daylight again, this time in search of some lunch.  Somehow we ran into a piano.  Yep, a piano.  Right off the sidewalk.  Sitting there and begging the girls to play.  So we did.

Turns out it is part of the Pianos in Public, a one man way of getting music out to the people for free.  A pretty cool idea if you ask me.  I know it brought my girls a few giggles and a way to get out some of the wiggles.  But we still needed lunch and we were no closer to finding a spot, so off we went again.  This time, we found a bunch of these...

And we dutifully took our picture with as many of the animals as we could.  Buffalo really takes its Buffalo seriously.  At this point, Stinkerbell had had enough.  She assumed her usual pose not even waiting to eat lunch.  MadHatter and I goofed around a bit and had a light lunch.

Finally it was time.  Papa and the cousins were arriving and we were heading out for some real Buffalo wings (of course we did) at a place called Bada Bings (of course that was its name).  All in all a great day in Buffalo - and we had to rest up because tomorrow was the big day.  We were off to Niagara Falls and then the wedding!

So happy to see Papa after 4 weeks!

47 days

 We have been stateside for 46 days now.  We will end that streak at 47.

Tomorrow night we catch the red eye for home. And I have so much to tell you about those 47 days we spent with family and friends.  But I can't.  Not just now.  Not because I don't have the time (I don't) but I also don't have the heart.  I can't sum it all up while I feel I am still in the midst of it.  Maybe next week, when I have some distance and when I have some clarity, I will be able to start dissecting it all.  Piece by piece.  But until then...

It has been a vacation jam packed.  Full of fun, laughs, love and heartache.  We have caught up with friends, both new and old.  We have attended a wedding and a funeral.  We have laughed, we have cried and we have lived. It has been 46 days that I will never forget. 

And I promise I will tell you all about it.  But like I said before, not just now.  I don't have the energy, or the words, right now.  

So I will leave you with a Wordless Wednesday post.  

There are 46 pictures here.  Each taken with my iPhone and posted on Instagram.  Each summing up one day of our vacation.  They can't possibly tell the whole story (that is up to me in the next few posts) but they can hold you over until then.

Until then...

June 8 - Leaving, on a Jet plane...

June 9 - A Dallas welcome

June 10 -  1st swim

June 11 - 1st Lake day

June 12 - Stinkerbell learns to pedal forward!

June 13 - Taking care of business.  The dentist.

June 14 - Safari tour.

June 15 - Another pool day.  Damn.

June 16 - Homemade Pina Colada's with fresh shaved coconut.  I am never coming home.

June 17 - Second piercing in that ear...and only that ear.  The first time it was done she was only 4 months old and it was done poorly.  It had to be done.  But there were no tears, no cries and a big smile after this moment (I captured the worst of it).

June 18 - Swings!  Nana and Grampa hav the best yard ever!

June 19 - She misses her Papa!

June 20 - Rough life.

June 21 - Taking a ride in Grampa's car.  AND Happy Birthday Papa!

June 22 - Oh to be a kid again!

June 23 - Best Friends together again.

June 24 - Off to see Monsters University.

June 25 - Pool side relaxation.

June 26 - A bit of learning, without knowing it, at the Austin Children's Museum.

June 27 - Showing them what Texas BBQ is all about at Opie's.

June 28  - My baby turns 4!!!

June 29 - half of this crowd is headed home! 

June 30 - Too many reptiles and too little water.

July 1 - Our daily ritual.

July 2 - Seeing the Austin Bats take flight.

July 3 - Choices, choices.  Firework selection for tomorrow.

July 4 - Happy 4th everyone!

July 5 - 5k and BBQ!  Does it get any better?

July 6 - Spike and MadHatter on a ride.  She has waited a year for this!

July 7 - Tie Dye!

July 8 - Another house full.  This time 11 kids and 8 adults!

July 9 - Spa time!

July 10 - Contemplating the silence!

July 11 - Happy Half Birthday Baby girl!  In Buffalo!

July 12 - Papa!!!!

July 13 - Niagara Falls!!!

July 14 - Crossing over to the other side!

July 15 - All dressed an ready to remember a live well lived and a man well loved!

July 16 (maybe 17) - Happy birthday to me.

July 17 - Family pool day.

July 18 - Safari park elephant ride.

July 19 - Cheers.  Wine tasting in Niagara.

July 20 - starting our journey home.  Back to Austin we go.

July 21 - Sleepy kids.  

July 22 - Turbo...Movie 3 in 5 weeks. 

July 23 - trying something new.

July 24 - Movie night with Tio Clavo.

I will add July 25th tomorrow.  After the fact.  All it will be is a picture of a bunch of suitcases in my parents front hall.  Suitcases that are full of our things.  Things.  Not our memories.  Those we will carry with us.

Forever.