The end of 2021..

I am pretty sure at the end of 2020 my goal was to blog more.  What a joke! I did not follow through.

I am also pretty sure you are not supposed to blog when you are in a mood and a half, but here I am!  Day 13 of no air conditioning in our apartment, 5 days until Christmas and well just feeling overwhelmed with a lot of life right now.  Hard to fully explain when I make my Instagram feed look like I am happy all of the time.  Truth is I feel like in a lot of ways 2021 was harder than 2020 and I am not really looking forward to 2022.  

And I know I have a TON to be so thankful for this year!! I also know I need to reflect on that big time:

I recently did what I do every end of the year... I tidied up my photos so the of the best for 2021 and here is what I am most thankful for this year: 

We started off with a bang..   living our best after vacation, in quarantine lives in Recoleta! 
 

Our sweet birdy that we watched hatch and grow leaves us in February..  I turn 47..  slowly hope returns to a modify return to school for the girls..   

Ever just get together with friends and run around the city trying to solve a made up crime.. it is highly recommended.. and then drink Gin and Tonics afterwards!

These two queens would get to go to school a whole 6 weeks before Argentina shuts down again...   6 weeks of the 10th and 11th grades were in person, the rest online.  To say I am proud of these kiddos is an understatement.  The made it through with good grades, showed massive amounts of resilience and only cried like every OTHER day..  and put up with me..   HUGE accomplishments

In May I received my first dose of the Sputnik vaccine.. I am forever grateful for this countries desire to try and do the best it can for all of those who live here.  

you can't see them, but under those masks the smiles are BIG.. why??  because this is the LAST time we ever have to visit immigrations..  we are officially permanent residents of Argentina until 2036..... AHHHHH..  best feeling ever knowing we can come and go freely!

OK.. so for June and July I have approximately 9,562 photos.. Ill hit you with my top 5 above.  family.. that is all I wanted to see when we returned home.. my mom and my family.. and we were blessed to do that and more.. we spent time with Scott's family, my family and saw friends that we hadn't seen in years!!!  We lucked out this trip big time!

We also got stuck in the USA because Argentina limited flights and the girls were anxious because they were late to school starting.. etc.. etc.. OH and we moved during that time so when we came home we were in a new apartment..  thank god for movers!!   but we were so thankful to be home for a bit to fill up the heart!

August.. yeah.. home.. and this cutie above turned 16!!   and school started.. and like not just 3.5 hours a day.. BUT ALL DAY.. sorta normal life is returning and it's GREAT

What usually happens after I have been home.. I am homesick.. and Nola gets her Senior Sweatshirt and time is marching on!  

My Aunt Pat passes away of lung cancer in September.  Please don't smoke.. she was too young.. and I miss her.   

In October I seem to eat out a lot, spend some quality time with friends and then find some tranquility amongst the busy noise that I felt going on everywhere that month.  

November this kid gets her stuff for college all submitted and a piece of me cries.. but not in front of her.. I am really proud of her and I am so excited to see where she lands!!!!   The world isn't fully ready for how amazing she is!!

December.. what a month.. and it is only the 20th.. the school my girls go to, the parent group, hosts International Day.. LIVE.. the first time on campus as a group since March 2020.. I am filling with happiness.  I find some new friends (which I am not good at) and my sweet baby turns 18..  and now she can legally drink (in Argentina)..  

I also continue to use public transport and since this Christmas tree is much better than my wonky, found in storage, not even my tree, Christmas tree.. it stays

Happy Holidays..  may we all find peace, happiness, hope and love... 

The end of 2020... was it all bad??

 As 2020 comes to a close I keep thinking it was such a “crap” year, but truly was it??

In many ways it was a year that challenged us all, challenged our family unit, took opportunities away that made us sad, angry, depressed, but when I really sit and reflect on it all, 2020 also gave me a lot..  time with my family we normally would not get and as the girls get older I realize every second counts.. but truly.. the year was pretty good..  

January...  an amazing trip to Sri Lanka as a celebration of my finishing my Bachelors degree after 20 years !  I was able to take days with my girls, flying to see friends in Doha along with way, meeting new friends, eating all of the curry and the highlight was bathing an elephant.  I mean that was the start to my 2020..   

January part 2.. take a family trip to Mexico City.  Eating the most delicious foods, seeing the prettiest of cities and well learning that I have some medical issues I have to take care of.  I am always in awe of the care and kindness I received in Mexico City from amazing doctors.  Kindness knows no race, color, language barrier, if we allow ourselves to see each other in the good.  Mexico City is on my bucket list of places to return and enjoy..  (and see my girls Nely and Schonell)

February....  Carnival in Gualeguaychú Argentina on a bus with 55 people to celebrate turning 46.. YES PLEASE..  what a memory.  I am forever grateful to my friends for planning this event for me.  This year the event is cancelled and how happy I am to say that I was there in 2020 loving ever second of being there with people I truly love and some have moved on from Argentina and for me it is now like an extra good memory!  The memory of approaching the bus and hearing all of these amazing peeps sing happy birthday to me..  priceless..  

February..  a family weekend away in Salta. Man nothing beats the empanadas from that area of Argentina.  Our last little trip before Covid..  

March..  well everyone’s world came crashing didn’t it?  On March 14th the girls left school for what we had hoped would be just a few weeks, Scott left the office and life was on hold.   Rappi food delivery was our new friend.  Home was where we stayed..

April..  continued quarantine... 2 weeks at a time..  

May..  I think I started a puzzle..  I also tried making my own bread.. I may have started other thing, who knows.  

June.. I officially donate a puzzle, with over 1500 pieces that were just white, to someone else who maybe likes that type of torture.  I also let my bread starter die.  I feel no remorse over either.

July..  packing for the move to Recoleta..  the heart of the city as Scott job shifts from Campana to Caba.  so different than our closed barrio life in the suburbs had been.  I am pretty sure no one else but me is super excited by it.  

August..   hey..  want to know what you should do during a global pandemic and over 150 days of quarantine??? You should definitely  move from a house in the country to an apartment in the heart of the city!!!  (Insert sarcasm) August 4th school with distance learning starts in a whole new way and place..  I may have severely underestimated how much the change would impact us all.  

September..   I am not going to lie here.. I spent this month being mad at the world and I may have taken it out on people I later had to say I am sorry to.  For everyone who showed me grace and kindness, thank you.  I am fairly certain I was not worthy

October... spring break plans are dashed.. any chance of going home to see grandmas is gone, but we explore slowly our new “hood” and find things are pretty neat.  The organic market knows us by name.. same with the local Starbucks.. 

November..  We give thanks for school allowing the kids on campus 2x for 90 minutes to reconnect with friends...  Saturday activities start..  slowly we are starting back..  I give thanks to all of my kids teachers doing their best..  giving so much of themselves.  I give thanks to friends near and far, missing the ones who have left this year..  give thanks that I know we will see each other again one day..  

December..  we escape for Playa Del Carmen, Mexico for Christmas and spend time disconnected from reality.   I realize how thankful I am for the extra time with my girls I have been gifted this year.  Only 18 more months I am reminded until Nola heads to university...  The trip is amazing, just what we needed and I head home happy.

What does January 2021 hold.. who the heck knows..  I can say I have plans, but what 2020 has taught me is that it is best to have no plans, to go with the flow and relax and remember life is good.  I struggle with this but am trying to remember the best parts of the year as a reminder.  

I am going to post some favorites photos as a reminder.. mostly to me..  2020 was a decent year Stacey..  try and remember that..   these are in no order.. because well why would they be

Happy 2021.  

August 31st.. day 171 of quarantine... also.. Cora's Birthday.. so whats up??

So tomorrow my baby Cora turns 15 years old.. how this has happened??  well I blinked..  on day 171 of quarantine.. one of the longest in the world, August 31st brings me happiness anyway..  a day to celebrate Cora... she is funny, bright, sassy, stubborn, determined, caring and wicked smart... 

Tomorrow is also 171 day of quaratine here in Argentina..  and sadly the numbers of cases continue to increase dispite the best of intentions by everyone trying to stay safe with social distancing, masks, many shops still closed.. It is so hard to see the country I love suffer so..   

Two of the hardest parts of quarnatine for me have been not seeing friends, who I adore, off properly as they leave this country for their next journey and not see my mom this past school break.. I am anxiously waiting for borders to open and to fly to NYC and grab the biggest hug from my mom!  of course after that happens I am lucky to say I have so many new countries to visit!!  for proper hugs of those who left!!  

Tomorrow is also just about 1 month of us living in our new apartment in the city... yes.. we traded our suburb life for city life!  We moved down to the heart of the city.. just two blocks from one of my all time favorite spots in the city, the Recoleta Cemetary!!  I can't wait to spend time wandering in their once it is again open to visitors!!     I have enjoyed exploring the area.. getting to know where thing are and the 972 resturants on Rappi.

While we knew the change was coming, it is really so much harder than I anticipated..  I guess I didn't realized how deeply settled we were in our home..  6 years.. it was a blink of any eye for me, but for the girls it was where they grew up.. where they expected to continue to live while we were here.. change..   it is not always easy..  

so in typical fashion.. let me show you what we have been up to the past 80 days since I last blogged.. 

I am just going to start with this gem from YEARS ago... My mommy and my baby.... just cause.. Cora was almost 5 here.. right before Kindergarten..                    

so I just want to admit.. my puzzle of quarantine.. it broke me.. I made it this far into this puzzle and then gave up..  the sky of all white did me in..  I offically hate puzzles.. not really.. but I passed this one on.  

6 years ago, July 5th, 2014... we were so blessed with this home...

July 31, 2020..  thank you for the memories... 

so sometimes you have an amazing friend who makes you a shirt that pretty much makes you feel like the queen of quarantine.. even when you are not.. just as my family

I made them take the traditional first day of school photo.. though they are starting with Distance Learning.. they are happily in 10th and 11th grades.  Nola is taking full IB and Cora is happily on Student Council and continuing her time at Model United Nations!!  happy and busy girls

Again.. I have the most amazing friends.. friends who have gotten me through 171 days of quarantine.. with laughter, listening to my tears, celebrating the highs and the lows of it all..  I am blessed and if quarantine taught me anything is to value those people in my life!  

This one.. living her best qurantine life in the city!

I love alllll of these people pictured.. and the one not pictured...  these calls, these connections keep my soul filled up... and can we seriously talk about how damn cute that baby is!!

Rocking her Pop Pop's sunnies on the first day of 11th grade.. 

Another hard part of quarantine is missing my time with my Texas family...  goodness I love them.. and I miss them.. 

Thankful that after 171 days we are all still standing.. all still smiling and only about 10% of the time we want to run away!!

my new view from my kitchen sink.. where the dishes never stop coming.. 

friends.. I can't even explain the hole in my heart I will experience when Sept. 6th when this friend flies to India to begin their next journey.  Some friendships are so precious and I am so blessed to feel such sadness...  it is hard because I have felt this before.. I just need to remember I am blessed..  through the tears I am blessed.  

Well lets end with this one.. 15 tomorrow.. be still my heart..