Here’s the rest of what we were up to in August:

There was lots of playing in the front yard with neighbors. Here’s Avery with Liam & Aaron

Park  hopping

We do a lot of bike rides. On this particular ride, I was jogging with Silas behind the boys. Kieron got quite a ways ahead on the trail, and went slightly out of my view. Then I heard him scream and shout what sounded like “Bear! Bear!” I nearly had a heart attack as I sprinted for him. When I rounded the bend, I saw the deer and Kieron riding back in a panic and snapped this picture. According to Avery, who was between us, Kieron nearly hit the deer before he stopped and turned around. Not sure how close he actually got, but it sure gave him (and us) a fright! Bambi stuck around for a while we watched him snack on the local vegetation.

Potty training is a team effort. Silas enjoys sitting on the potty, but still hasn’t put anything in it. Sigh.

We sat there so long, Kieron had to go. Here he is modeling proper form.

They are so darn cute when they’re sleeping!

This was the summer of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. By the end of summer, me, Avery, and Jonathan had all done it and donated. It was fun to see the videos pop up on Facebook. Friends and family who follow our blog and participated in the challenge, what you probably don’t know is that Silas in particular really enjoyed viewing these videos. In fact, many mornings, the first thing he asked at breakfast was “I want ice bucket!” So Jonathan and I would oblige and show him video after video of our friends, family, and celebrities doing the challenge. It never got old for him. And each time, right before the ice was dumped, Silas would brace himself and exclaim “doh!” Then he laughed and laughed. Sometimes he still asks for the videos. Thank you for all the entertainment!

Kieron and his buddy, Louis

Picnics in the tree fort

Visiting the farm

Home Depot builder workshop

We visited Grammy and Papa in August. They flew out with me and the boys, and Jonathan joined us a few days later. We spent the majority of our time in the pool horsing around. We also did a little baking, put a number of puzzles together, and played a lot of Mille Bornes (the boys’ favorite game).

Here’s us at the airport

On the plane

First order of business: hit the pool!

“This is the life!”

Baking cookies with Grammy

Relaxing after a rough day of swimming

Meanwhile, back at home, Jonathan went for an early morning hike at Mt. Si

And to a Mariner’s game with James

Look out, David Hasselhoff!

Jonathan and I celebrated our 11th anniversary with a dinner date in Dallas.

Dealey Plaza

We had too much tact to take a picture on the X on the road, but we did take a selfie in front of the grassy knoll.

Then we got a drink and enjoyed the view from this fun rooftop bar. We were tempted to go swimming, but there was plenty of time for that during the day.

Synchronized jumps

Check out Kieron’s form! Toes are gripping the edge of the pool!

Goggle eyes

Daddy’s main job when he’s in the pool:

A few shots of the boys with Grammy and Papa