A New Addition!

Well folks, Josh and I have some pretty important news to share with you.

Can you guess what our big news is?

We're adding a new member to our family.  And no, the two pictures above have absolutely nothing to do with that addition.  Mwuahaha!  I am NOT pregnant.  (Are you kidding me? My jeans are just barely fitting comfortably after Ava James.  Not ready to wreck my body quite yet, thank you very much.)

We are adding this dapper young fella' to our family for the fall semester!

 

Remember our Switzerland adventure?  After much discussion and planning, begging and reasoning we've all decided that Cole will be joining us.  He will be an amazing companion to Ava and I as Josh figures out law school in a foreign country, and I will teach Cole and make sure he keeps up with his 8th grade peers back here in Norman.  I know it might sound like a strange idea to some of you.  I'm willing to bet this isn't the first thing you've read on our blog that made you scratch your head.  I'll say what I always say when people think we're nuts, "It works for us."  And it does.  We're thrilled!  I cannot believe the peace of mind and relief I've felt since Cole's ticket was purchased.

Can you imagine all the fun we're going to have?

 I sure hope Switzerland is ready for the four of us!

A sincere thanks to Brother Pastor, Pixie, and Tanner for sharing their Cole with us.  We love you Randalls more than words can express, and are humbled by your confidence and trust.

Somebody grab the fries and tots

'Cause I've got a lot of 'ketchup'!

Our anything-but-lazy summer has turned me into a very lazy blogger.  Let's zoom through the past few weeks to catch up, and I'll do my best to blog more often.

Ava and I spend lots of our days at the pool in M's neighborhood.

After a round of swimming lessons and lots of time spent with friends in the pool, Ava is really starting to swim with confidence.

Popsicles by the pool with sweet friends

Floating!  This is huge because she's finally relaxed enough in the water to successfully stay on top of the water.

Ava has enjoyed our backyard birdfeeders.

She started her own little field journal to record the different 'pets' that we see on the feeders.

A few Saturdays ago our outdoor youth activity was moved indoors, due to thousand-degree temperatures.  We decided to make fresh pasta for our families for dinner.

Ava, seasoned soux chef, was a big help.

Mixing

and kneading

Even the boys got in on the pasta-making fun

 HLS makes ladles look good

Scooping out the cut pasta as soon as it floats to the top.  The girls were amazed at how quickly fresh pasta cooks.

While the next batch of pasta was being mixed, we threw together a very basic tomato sauce.

The all-boy pasta making group

Perfect pasta wells

Girls rolling out pasta like old pros

Boys cutting pasta sheets into spaghetti

 Preparing bags of pasta and sauce to send home

Dinner!

100% Ava approved

Mimi, Coach, and Aunt Jaryn came to see us for a few days, and to take Ava back to my parents in Texas.  We were so excited to have Coach on OWC's kids nature walk.

The kiddos hunted for a real and fake bugs hidden along the trail.

Ava and I reuse the fake bugs to hide around the house and terrify HLS.

Cooling off in the shade

Determined to find and catch a squirrel

Ava captured a Coach instead

On Sunday, July 10, I headed with a group of our youth to camp in Brownwood, Texas.

I was so inspired by our bunch the entire week.  Where were these folks when I was in high school?  Their enthusiasm, kindness, and inclusiveness set the tone and pace for our time together.

Through the sweatiest conditions, their high spirits never faltered.

 The more time I spend with the next generation of kiddos the more I know that our futures really are in capable hands.  What an amazing bunch of leaders!