day 23 - collage day

Today's photo collage began here:

Where we met Brian, Melanie, and little Matthew for lunch:

(Aubrey, I'm loving these clothes!)

Then we drove back home through Tacoma, saw some neat old buildings:

Then found the house my parents almost bought:

This afternoon was another sweltering one, but mom and I still walked Buckwheat down to the park. Who else loves how ivy looks?

Though Buckwheat can't be taken off the leash anymore, he could still conquer the tires, thanks to a little help from my mom:

It's a pretty old park, but nice and clean, with an old neighborhood charm:

My mom has always loved to place flowers on things... including little boy dogs named Buckwheat:

Why do potentially great pictures turn out blurry?? Probably didn't help that I was behind a window... but still!

Some inspiration for my Uncle:

Sunset, through a window (made it look even darker):

It got so windy tonight!! After years of hating, and despising the wind, tonight I decided I like it when it is blowing in a storm in the evening. I love stormy evenings!

day 22 - dog day of summer

Buckwheat got a lot of fun in today. After 5 bowls of cereal (is THAT how you gain baby weight? yes. oops.), we headed here to Owen Beach:

My mom 'saddled him up' and I walked him down to meet and greet the water. 

He won't get in a bath tub, but he'll get in big bodies of water. Here he's sniffing around.

•this is one of the cute shirts Aubrey gave me. I love it!

I'm so sad these pictures turned out blurry. We tossed stones 

into the water so he'd think there's something he could catch:

Although you can't see it, he has the cutest swimming face. 

He looks like a little sea-otter:

We'll have to try this over to get some better shots:

When we got home, my mom gave him the dreaded bath. 

He escaped when I opened the laundry room door, and we had

to coax him out from under my parents bed

with a ring of the doorbell. The oldest trick in our book! 

We went to Anthony's for lunch. This time I ordered Cod Fish and Chips.

My WTE emails say Cod, Trout and certain other fish 

have high levels of DHA, which is important for 

brain development this last trimester.

Apparently. 

Lucky for me they were delicious! 

Anthony's has some fun lights (a jellyfish!):

After lunch at Anthony's, we drove around town:

across from the gas pump:

Then crossed the bridge into Gig Harbor. We drove around looking at all sorts of fun houses both in Gig Harbor and in Tacoma and Ruston. I'm hoping to go back to get some pictures. We were going just barely too fast to get any:

Then tonight, while I watched Sailboats:

Buckwheat watched for the neighbor's grey cat:

Mark took some pictures:

And we watched the sunset with my parents:

It was one hot day here!! But it was beautiful, and fun, and filled with family. We still miss having Tessa here with us. But we got to talk to her today and laugh at her funny stories. Happy June 3rd!

day 21 - Tacoma Boys and Mariner Boys

Next to my parents house is a fenced in park, and we have been able to take Buckwheat there off leash before the doggie-police put up signs that say "no unleashed dogs." We only let him run around if there is NO one else there. He loves chasing the birds.. (my camera died right after this shot this morning, so action shots maybe tomorrow.. we'll see!):

At 9:00am we went to Tacoma Boys again! Jordan you'll have to check this place out! Try the dark tortilla chips with the black bean salsa samplers. SO divine. 

Cute kiwis:

Freshest of the fresh produce. Feels like a locally owned Whole Foods Market:

I don't use garlic, but I will take pictures of it:

I don't drink wine, but I'll take pictures of it! I have always loved how wine bottles look.. 

weird? so be it:

wood ... anyone know what for? I liked the twine bows:

Wall of candy/snacks:

Cherries for Aubrey: :)

Asparagus. This is my favorite part of the vegetable. 

Some say it's bitter, but to me it tastes better than the stalk! Anyone else? : 

Saw these beauties in the nursery on the way out:

For dinner, my blogging friend Aubrey had us over on her 

BUSIEST day! She had prepared the most yummy picnic.

It was so nice to meet her husband Paul and her new little baby. 

Not only did I leave with a nice full belly, but I left with:

-2 way cute shirts

-1 pregnancy yoga DVD

-salted caramels!! mmm

-chocolate chip cookies

-an adorable baby card

-one good picture:

and

-a stem from a bleeding heart bush, courtesy of Ava

Thank you, Aubrey and Paul!! It was a perfect picnic.

Then it was off to the Mariners v. Orioles game. Uncle Kirt gave us great seats.

So close, in fact, that there were these warning stickers

on every chair back:

Ken Griffey, Jr.:

"Buy me some cotton candy" needs to be added to 

the famous baseball song. Don't you think? 

I guess it wouldn't rhyme...:

The lights:

RUN:

One inning before we left... Mariner's were sure to win. 

Go Mariners!

Only a few days left of this trip!! I better start relaxing!

day 20 - flowers and Captain Mark!

Another stop at Hello, Cupcake for Mark. Hello, sweet lemon:

After sweet things for breakfast, I took pictures of 

some of my mom and dad's garden flowers. 

I love these little metal signs people have here 

(including my mom); they write the flower

name in with graphite pencils. So nice and simple looking:

Not sure of this flower's name, 

but it smells so nice and looks like a starburst:

Irises:

Then Mom called me to the back yard; 

there was a deer staring at us. A young buck:

Snapdragons:

I know, 2nd picture of this movie within a week. What's wrong with me?

But take a look at the violet, which is the center one on the right:

Does it not look like this flower?! 

Just give it a singing expression and voila!

California Poppy:

Mint:

Horton Hears a Who flower

(real name? who knows?! Maybe the Whos do):

Then tonight was a surprise BBQ for our good friend Brian Willis. He was surprised by not only a BBQ, but also by us even showing up! It was a lot of fun, and Melanie did such an awesome job! The food and company was so fantastic. Congrats to our new captains!!

don't you love the little last-minute add-on sign? Ha ha. 

Melanie wanted Mark to be a part of the party too; so sweet!

day 19 - migraine and planes

Today marks the first day in "Jayci History" that I have ever experienced a migraine. I was lucky because there wasn't too much pain. When I was blow drying my hair I noticed a flashy spot in the middle of my vision where I was trying to focus. I just thought, "weird. I must have looked at the light bulbs and not have realized it!" So I kept doing my thing (that was JUST what it was like - like I had looked at a bright bulb or something). 

Then it got bigger. and bigger. Then I asked my sister (who has had some very bad bad bad migraines) if she'd ever heard of that. She had heard of it. 

The flashy, blurry thing got bigger and bigger until it was just a ring around the outside of my vision. Then it was gone. (this took about 35 minutes for it to go away - during which I was making Mark do internet searches to make sure I wasn't permanently losing my vision!)

About 1/2 hour later, I got really fuzzy-headed and a little dizzy. 

Calling my mom calmed me down a bit because she has the SAME type of migraine! like, exACtly. When I got off the phone with her, I took two extra strength tylenols. 

I got comfortable on the couch and was knocked out for nearly 3 hours! It was really strange. When I woke up it felt just like a normal headache for the rest of the day (more painful with coughing and sneezing, though... ouch).

Does anyone else have these types of migraines?! I really hope it's only because I'm pregnant and not that this is a turning point in my headache's life history. I'm just thankful I didn't have to go to the ER or that it wasn't something more serious, or even just that it wasn't more painful than it was! 

Mark and I caught a flight back to Seattle tonight and are now back with my parents, and already comfortable (Mark's already asleep, poor guy! - still trying to catch up on his rest from his last trip to the other side of the world). Buckwheat has been living the good life with walks, rides, and TONS of treats from mom and dad. 

I miss the Reeders though and wish lots of times that we lived closer to family. But these visits are wonderful fixes to living our lives far from our families. 

Sorry no pictures. I think it will be the last one on this trip with no pictures!