Rollert Family: 2025 Summer Fun!

What a crazy fun couple of months we had! Summer has felt like an ongoing series of one outreach activity after another, with some family adventures mixed in. The weather was very, uh, diverse especially the first part of the summer, so some activities got rained out, and others were enjoyed with lots of wet-weather gear involved.

We took a day to let the kids explore the caves at the Lost River Gorge. It was the first time we had done that particular hike, and while it was COLD that day, we still had a lot of fun! If you're looking for ideas to include in your New Hampshire travel plans, this is a stop we definitely recommend. (No, we don't get a commission for saying that. It was genuinely just very cool.)

It was WINDY! But, thankfully, the rain didn't fully hit until we were all done.

Baking Fun!

In early June the girls in the congregation were invited to participate in a day of baking with a very sweet sister, Lauren! Lauren and her husband, Jonathan, are such awesome people. They live pretty far away, so her offer to make a day of it, bring a bunch of supplies, and have some fun baking with them was generous and very appreciated. One of the other moms, Lobar, was also involved, providing supplies and helping the day go smoothly.

It seemed like everyone had a wonderful time! These efforts to provide edification for the young people in our congregation are so meaningful, and we love that so many people in our church family take a vested interest in connecting with them.

Family Adventures and More Outreach

Just prior to VBS, the Rollert crew had a week of adventures - David took care of the younger two while Keeley took Silas and Olivia to Wyoming to participate in Kamp Koinonia. So thankful we were able to do that! Alexis and Jocelyn enjoyed a couple nights of camping with Daddy, and got some extra playtime with little friends whose families generously invited them over so David could get work done. They also helped Daddy with outreach during the Sanbornton Old Home Day that Saturday, so they were busy little bees most of the week!

So fun seeing old friends and family at Kamp K!

Silas, Olivia, and Keeley thoroughly enjoyed the week at Kamp. For Keeley, it feels like a family reunion. So many wonderful Christians who were very influential in her life still help with this Kamp. Last year was her first time back after a 14 year hiatus, so she's thrilled she gets to be involved again.

Wow, these kids are growing up...

Silas was very excited to be one of the helpers for VBS this year. He had little bit of a hard time deciding if he wanted one more year being a student, or if he wanted to experience it as a helper. It's so hard to believe he's 13 now! He's maturing so much, and it's a joy for us to see him work hard serving the elderly in our congregation, investing cheerfully in outreach endeavors, and helping us whenever we open our home to people.

Here he is helping me keep an eye on a little guy whose family just moved to the area. We've known this family for a few years now and we're thrilled they are moving closer. We all helped them move, and they needed a day to finish up work on the house they were moving out of, so we watched their son. All the kids loved having him there, but this moment seemed particularly sweet. Silas is developing very encouraging leadership skills, and we are thankful for his desire to be helpful in whatever ways he can.

Olivia is turning 12. Like Silas, she is becoming a leader in her own way as well. Some time ago, she asked if she could take on some of the load of teaching Alexis and Jocelyn. It started as a game - they called it, "playing school." But there really wasn't much pretending involved, other than they would sometimes set up dolls or stuffed animals and pretend there were other students in class with them. But she literally makes lesson plans, prepares Bible lessons, corrects work pages and has very literally been helping me teach Jocelyn start to read, spell, and do basic math.

They have so much fun and it's a confidence builder for her, so we're proud of her genuine desire to help in that way. Her own school work is going well, and she is starting to talk about wanting to go into nursing when she grows up.

Alexis is becoming a very industrious little individual. She is a little fireball of energy and has many ways of contributing to running the household. Alexis and Olivia are the primary caretakers of our garden, and Alexis especially is feeling thrilled at each little bit of growth she sees. She is also becoming a tremendous help with our ministry efforts. She really loves helping with littles when we have them come over, and she loves helping prepare for company.

Also, this month she was especially helpful putting lots flyers for the fall events in envelopes, stamping them, and getting them ready to mail out. Jocelyn also helped - she reminded Mommy to actually get them to the post office. #GoTeam

Jocelyn is now 5 and a half, and has so many milestones happening right now. She's actively sight-reading, her imagination is starting to shine, and she's becoming quite brave. She is becoming less shy and feels very in her element now interacting with visiting children, whether at services or events, so VBS was particularly fun for her this year! Now that she is no longer one of the youngest in the congregation (we have two 3-year-olds and a little guy not yet 2) it seems like she's starting to see herself differently. She used to often hide behind Mommy if spoken to unless it was someone she knows really well. Now she is starting to engage grownups in conversation, follow other littles around to mother them a bit and keep them company, and in general just conducts herself like a big girl who doesn't feel so timid anymore.

It's been increasingly challenging to get time to write these updates, but we are thankful our family seems to be entering a season that will making it a bit easier now. Thanks for your continued interest in the goings on here in the northeast. Feel free to reach out and let us know if you plan to be in the area!

In Christ,

The Rollerts

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