small group at the park

 I had fun playing with my camera this evening, as our small group played at the playground. I don't take my camera with me as often as I should, but was feeling like I should take pictures of these great friends we've made. ;) We've met *almost* weekly with our Bible study group from church for nearly 11 years! Sometimes it's the most routine events that are the least photographed. That's definitely the case here. I'm glad I did bring my camera, cause the sky was pretty dramatic & the lighting was fun! Also, there are way more photos of Elsa, since I was mostly following her to keep an eye on her. ;) And I didn't get a good photo of everyone, but that's how it goes... :]

 I heard Macey tell another girl at the playground Elsa's name. The girl was clearly impressed & Macey responded "Yup! That's why she's wearing an Elsa shirt." It was sweet. :) We get a lot of impressed reactions from little girls when they find out Elsa's name, since the movie "Frozen" is so very popular. :P

 Emmett

 Eli, Finley, Cedar & Ethan

 We all brought our own picnic dinners.

 Maddie

 I think she was inspired. ;)

 Ominous clouds, but the sun stayed out.

 Tired Cedar.

 Super Emmett!

 How many boys does it take to take Matt down...or some version of the game. :P

 Macey

 Brock

elsa turned two

 We could hardly wait for Elsa to wake up, on the morning of her birthday. She took her time & woke up at 10:00 am! She's really been taking advantage of the summer schedule. ;) We all went in & sang "happy birthday" to her, which she loved! Then let her open her presents before all going out for donuts. It was her first time going to the actual donut store & she's been talking about it ever since! She quickly decided on the one with rainbow sprinkles & called it a "baby donut". She gently licked it before devouring it in a crumby mess. :P We pretty much stuck around the house for the rest of the day, as some of our family members have been dealing with tummy issues. I'm sure the donuts didn't help, but we had to do something in honor of our sweet littlest turning two years old! 

She's such a blessing to our family. She's bright & caring, silly & serious. She loves her brothers & is independent too. She surprises us every day (potty trained herself, climbs out of her crib, opens her door, climbs to the top bunk bed) with her strength, love, & cleverness. We can't thank God enough for bringing her sweetness to our family. Happy 2nd birthday, Elsa Roedel. 

the goss' going away party under the pergola

These really should be divided into two separate posts, but my after pictures are mostly from the first party under the pergola, so a combo post this shall be...

Nothing like hosting a backyard party (that includes many people who've never been to our home) to light a fire under our booties to tackle a project that's been on our to do list for a long time. Our back patio has always been kind of blah & over the years we've dreamed of different ways to make a stronger impact. Last year, our friend Jesse hooked us up with some free, reclaimed wood from a building that had been torn down. We've been holding onto it, planning different ways to use it in the backyard. Our summer break & the Goss' upcoming party made the perfect timing to make something happen.

 Patio before:

Kenton planned it out over the course of about a week & was able to have everything in place to assemble the frame in one afternoon, with the help of Brian, Aaron & Kevin.

Two hours before the party started, Kenton was screwing the top boards in place to finish the pergola! Phew! I was amazed it came together in time & super impressed with the final product. 

Let the party begin!

 We had plenty of food contributed from friends & family! The party was from 5:30-7:30 pm, so I was relieved that people could get their fill of delicious treats.

 I quizzed my friend Jincy (who throws an amazing wine & cheese party) to find out how to put together a tasty meat & cheese platter. We had more than we needed, but Kenton & I polished off the leftovers later. ;)

A couple of pergola after photos:

We wished we were throwing a stay-here party instead of a going away party. :( I offered to throw another party if they decided to stay! Almost worked... ;)

It's gonna be sad to not see some of my favorite people everyday at work. And to not get together for weekly dinners. It's going to be different, but we do look forward to vacationing in Bend more often. :] I guess I'll look on the bright side...if I must. ;) We'll miss you terribly, Stu, Jacque & Edison!!!