Rothventures

Peru (140 photos), by Carol Roth

2010-11-17T21:58:00.002-06:00

I'd like to share my Walgreens Photo Center photos with you. Once you have checked out my photos you can order prints and upload your own photos to share.

More pictures from Isle Royale!

2010-08-25T20:42:00.004-05:00

Visiting the Browns in Isle Royale National Park, Michigan

2010-08-12T20:46:00.012-05:00

Pictures from Mississippi

2010-07-10T20:56:00.017-05:00

We were the last ones to play on this beach on the Gulf for awhile. That's a puddle of oil Nate's looking at.

Goodbye Grandma!

2010-06-30T21:35:00.005-05:00

Thanks for coming! We'll miss you.

Newest family member

2010-06-30T21:27:00.006-05:00

There's a new Roth in the house. His name is Sir Williamson AKA Willie. Good thing about this one, you only have to feed him once a week, the bad, he eats mice.

Meet our baby albino corn snake.

Centennial Park

2010-06-26T20:56:00.009-05:00

A beautiful day at the park ended in this. Second time in 2 months this has happened. Hit and run in a park parking lot, one of my parents present each time. There seems to be a pattern here. no witnesses this time unfortunately. No more parks with my parents, you'll have to entertain yourselves next time. Tell me if this isn't irony.....when I got home, the check from the first incident was in the mailbox. I would've had a good laugh if my trunk would open and I had a lower deductible. To whomever did this.... I hope you needed those parts you left behind.

Bowling fun with the boys and grandma!

2010-06-24T20:26:00.010-05:00

The ball is a bit too heavy, however, not pictured here is the strike that he got on this throw (without bumper-aid)! Trey has a wicked spin. Nate runs full on but is very aware of the foul line so halts millimeters before and releases with a resounding thud as the ball falls from a 3 foot arc!

Scott thinks this is the best SPORT ever! (aren't those shoes adorable?)

"That's how it's done Scott!"

The big finale at the arcade! These boys aren't hurting for entertainment.

......and boy in a bag.

Hello from home!

2010-06-21T21:25:00.004-05:00

The wait is over Sierra Leone!

2010-06-18T20:23:00.010-05:00

Day Camp and Chuck E Cheese

2010-06-14T16:39:00.016-05:00

Cub Scout Day Camp

Trey's Birthday

Trey got his first pocket knife from dad. Nothing like an 8 year old with a sharp object to make things a little more interesting around here! Thanks Dad! Thankfully, as of Friday at day camp, he's now certified to carry one. In case anyone was curious.

In Samoa we watched Chuck E Cheese commercials on our recorded California cable TV for 4 years. So, since before he knew what Chuck E Cheese was, he's wanted to go where a kid could be a kid and have a real birthday party. This was the year I broke down. It was absolute madness. My head is still ringing a bit. Needless to say, the kids were kids and had a blast, and mom didn't have to do anything but hand out tokens. Great concept really. I did make the cake to eliminate some of the guilt of being the lazy party planner.

The End! Happy Birthday Trey!

Christmas in NC

2009-12-31T21:05:00.008-06:00

Accommodating

Impatience

Intolerance

That's it...WE'RE DONE!!

Christmas was a riot this year. We spent it with Jay's sister Emily and her boys in North Carolina. Rarely was the house not shaking. The noise was taken to another level. Add Wii and you have a potentially dangerous situation. Luckily we all made it through without losing eyes or limbs. We even managed to have a really great time thanks to some superb hosts! Thanks for letting us ravage your kitchen for the week! It was a Christmas to remember, no doubt.

Book group night out!

2009-12-31T20:45:00.011-06:00

Happy Birthday Papa!

2009-12-21T09:15:00.003-06:00

We love you Grandpa. Have a great birthday!

Halloween

2009-10-31T21:40:00.004-05:00

It was our first "traditional" Halloween in 4 years and it would have been perfect if Dad was here with us. We missed you! The kids had a blast of course...how can you not when everywhere you go, people hand you candy. Scott kept up with the big boys trick or treating with a look of sheer amazement most of the night. I think he may have had 20 suckers tonight.They all fit their chipmunk personalities perfectly. Especially Alvin, as you can see... Gotta love him.

Embracing Suburbia

2009-06-29T20:57:00.004-05:00

If you would have told me 7 years ago I would be driving an Odyssey and carting the kids to soccer and swimming and gymnastics, I would have had a good laugh. That was never going to be me. Well, it seems that is the path more traveled with the modern American family. I so miss the island life. I do appreciate the conveniences so much more these days but I miss our life of leisure and our friends.
I hesitate to post because our daily life seems so unremarkable. We've set our standards way to high for life adventure. For you "Lost" followers out there, Jay inadvertently quoted Jack when he said " we have to get back to the island". It is so hard to look at life the same way again once you've been there. Lost takes on a whole new meaning.
So enough of the philosophizing. The boys are doing well. Scott is finally trying to talk he says ball and book and cat and car all of which sound pretty much the same. He has redecorated the house with markers. Everytime his brothers let one go he has is it on the wall. Taupe is boring. Scribble is the latest thing, haven't you heard?
Nate has decided he likes swimming. He is still the cautious one but is finally going under. We just got him some shiny new goggles that he is very proud of and they seem to make him much more brave. He's still the life of the house with the comedy and dancing.
Trey, being the fish that he, is competed in his first swim meet of the season last week and swam away with a couple blue ribbons. He just had his 7th b-day and is losing teeth left and right. When you're 7, missing teeth is the coolest thing in the world. Not so much when you're 37.
And that's what's happening here for the moment. Pictures next time!

Back online...for the moment anyway

2009-03-11T21:18:00.020-05:00

Don't think we've gone and forgot about you Samoa. I just got out of the blogging habit and time got away from me and that's the only excuse I have so it'll have to do. So, to all of the friends we left behind, we miss you and hope everyone is doing well.

As for us, where to start? We moved in to our house in the Nashville suburbs December 2 and have been and are still unpacking boxes. Just in case your curious what 3 months on the dock in Samoa does to your stuff...there's not enough Lysol and Febreeze in Tennessee to get the smell out. So, we have Samoa with us still, not only in our memories.

Home sweet home

a view from the back door

Here are the first graders at Trey's school who were recognized this week for reading accomplishments (Trey is in the far right corner). He is loving his new school and teacher. It was a big change that he handled quite well. He has started gymnastics which he loves and will start soccer this week with Jay as one of his coaches. We'll see if we can get him to kick the ball this year.
Trey's big news is he gets to learn hockey from the Nashville Predators, our own NHL team. It's a free month long clinic for aspiring hockey stars. He and his dad are beside themselves with excitement.
Last week we took the kids to Playhouse Disney Live. They unfortunately didn't get to hang out and get pictures with Mickey and the gang but it was a good time. The most priceless moment was seeing Nate's face when Tigger came out. He's a fellow bouncer.

If you've followed my blog at all you probably know one of my biggest complaints about Samoa was it's lack of decent parks for kids, well, we are in park heaven now. They almost make up for our lack of beaches. Can't have it all can you? Unless you live in Hawaii.

Scott's big brothers love helping him.
......but sometimes, he just wants to do it himself! That's almost always the case these days. His most recent feat was climbing the back rungs of a dining room chair and balancing there patiently until I rescued him. He is very quiet and entertains himself and is into everything. He hasn't said anything intelligible but is working on it. He picking up sign language rather quickly. I don't know why I didn't try it with the other kids. Third time's a charm right? And is he ever.......

Nate is in preschool 3 days a week and is starting gymnastics. He's definitely the Roth family clown. He loves making everyone laugh and constantly asks the question.."are you happy?" followed up with.."I'll give you a kiss" He's the Have-a-good-day policeman.
Jay's been running a lot. He just did a half-marathon and is planning to run the Country Music marathon next month. In true Nashville style, there's a country music concert every other mile or something crazy.So that's us in a nutshell. I'm just managing the madness and that keeps me busy enough. I do find a little time to myself at the YMCA where I've discovered Zumba. It's not Veronica's Polynesian dance class but it's a good hip-shakin substitute.

Hey Y'all!!

2008-11-23T09:24:00.003-06:00

It's been a very long month. We moved into a hotel October 25 and are currently still in a hotel. The next facility I check into may be a mental one. We did make it to Nashville 2 weeks ago and managed to buy a car, a house, 5 new wardrobes, and enroll the boys in schools. We are starting the Relocate the Roths collection fund to afford this move if you're interested in donating. We are hoping all goes well with closing and we'll be in our new house on Graceland Ct. the first week in December. This was taken in one of the 3 atriums of the Opryland Resort where we stayed the first week we were here. It was like an indoor Samoa (papaya and banana trees included), where not a single person was wearing flip flops or shorts and t-shirts. It was something else. Stay in touch for more on the move.

Fagatele Bay by boat

2008-10-13T08:29:00.012-05:00

Some of you readers out there may think we have it rough here in the tropics; the mosquitoes, the hazardous marine life, the cockroaches, the rats, the heat and humidity. Well, I'm here today to let you know weren't not doing so bad. We also have whales, dolphins, and great friends to go diving with. A couple weeks ago, we chartered a boat to take us to Fagatele Bay, a national marine sanctuary on the island. It was phenomenal, mainly because in between our two dives, we were entertained by a young humpback whale and a pod of spinner dolphins. Unfortunately, I was enjoying the show between severe sea sickness episodes and didn't have the strength or desire to get the camera out. The whale breached a number of times relatively close to the boat. He was definitely showing off. Marine mammals are truly a wonder of nature. It was absolutely beyond words, an experience to treasure forever. There are some great pictures of humpback whales Paul took on one of his whale expeditions posted on his site.

The seas were particularly unkind to me this day though, I spent most of my time over the side of the boat and the entire ride back nearly dead on the floor. The diving was awesome despite the trouble with my equilibrium. Here are just a few of the pictures from our day at sea.

Carol and Deepa

Parrot fish

Anenome and skunk clown fish

Pyramid butterfly fish

Brushtail tangs (and some others)

Giant clam

Infested waters: Scott's battle with the Portuguese Man of War

2008-09-05T03:52:00.009-05:00

Some people think I'm crazy letting my babies crawl around at the beach. I used to laugh and say, "how much damage can eating sand really do?"We've been going to the beach pretty much every weekend for 4 years and haven't had a problem. Well, apparently there are other dangers at the beach that I learned about the hard way last weekend. 'Tis the season of the Portuguese Man of War. They are washing up on beaches everywhere here. Scott discovered one in his sand exploration at Coconut Point. Now, before you call CPS, hear me out. He was at my feet when the waling began. It was the mom's-worst-nightmare scream. I saw what it was almost instantly. A little blue blob stuck to his leg. I was just talking to someone who had spotted one up the beach a bit.
Thanks to everyone knowing everyone on the island and our frequent get-togethers, we had 2 ER docs, a marine biologist and all my wonderful friends on hand to help. Thank you all very much. It was a terrifying experience that I would not have managed well alone. We got him to loaded him up with Benadryl, soaked him in warm water, alcohol and vinegar, even shaved him and got him to the ER, where he was his happy playful self again of course. So if you chance to come upon one of these little guys, steer clear. The pain is excruciating. For the proper course of action in case of contact visit Hazardous Marine Life and webMD . Wear your shoes out there and don't let your babies loose on the beach!

West of here: part LUA

2008-09-04T02:44:00.010-05:00

Unfortunately, due to it's size and lack of usable land, American Samoa doesn't have the produce you would imagine a tropical island would. Western Samoa does however, and much of it can be purchased at bargain prices at Maketi Fou.

Trey didn't appreciate the market as much as we did.

the Flea Market

We stopped at a couple waterfalls on our journey around the island. The grandeur isn't quite captured in the photos of course.

Trey practices a little Samoa rhythm

Nate poses with random stranger walking down the road carrying coconuts

Hibiscus

Bird of Paradise

Dinner

West of Here

2008-09-03T02:13:00.024-05:00

For those of you readers out there who don't know, there are 2 Samoas. American Samoa, where we call home, is a territory of the U.S., hence the name. Western or Independent Samoa, is west of here and is an independent island nation (crazy how that name says it all). While there's a lot of similarity between the 2 cultures, anyone whose visited both countries will tell you there are striking differences. I won't go into all those, you'll have to come and see for yourself.

When my Dad came to visit over a month ago now, we took a 3 day trip to Western. We had a great time and here are just some of the photos to prove it. It's almost as beautiful at Tutuila. Although, the beaches here pale in comparison.

Here's the puddle jumper we took. It sat maybe 11 on a full flight, no beverage service, no flight attendants for that matter. The terrifying turbulent experience took about 45 minutes. See no evil! This one is for you Mema!

We stayed in Le Manumea near the Robert Louis Stevenson Plantation (Vailima) and across the street from the best Indian food in the Pacific...okay the only Indian food I've had in the Pacific.

The Outhouse

Vailima (the Robert Louis Stevenson Plantation)

We think Scott was having a good time, either that or he's got a great fake smile!

Lalomanu is the beach we visited and is a popular tourist spot in Samoa, understandably so. It was nothing short of phenomenal. The snorkeling was awesome, there was sand (which is precious if you know where I'm coming from), the list goes on, let's just say it was a good beach day!

Family at the Festival

2008-08-14T16:55:00.003-05:00

The Festival is over and it's back to the typical slow, uneventful Samoan days but we have our memories and about 1000 more pictures!

Arts Festival Dancing

2008-08-14T15:48:00.004-05:00

Solomon Islands

Tonga

Tahiti

Papua New Guinea

Cook Islands

Papua New Guinea

New Zealand

Rapa Nui (Easter Island)

Samoan Umu at the Festival

2008-08-14T14:54:00.006-05:00

I think the best part of any culture is the food. Everyday at the Arts Festival a different island had food demonstrations. Samoa just happened to be the only one we caught on camera. So here is how traditional umu is played out, as interpreted by a palagi.

Step one: The preparation
Heat the rocks, peel the taro and breadfruit, make the coconut cream, make the palusami (taro leaves, coconut cream), oh yes, the pig...kill it, clean out the insides, burn the hair off. Don't forget the fish, octopus, crab, lobster whatever else was found in the ocean that morning. Add coconut cream to everything (almost)....

Step 2: Cook
Remove all rocks from the fire with coconut frond tongs, throw all of the above into the fire, cover with hot rocks, then banana leaves. Leave to check your head for any remaining hair.

Step 3: Uncover and enjoy!
Remove all leaves, rock and food. Eat!

It's very good that Samoan families are so big, it'd take a week for one person to do all this. It took about 15-20 people to do this in 4 hours. This is something that is done by many families here every Sunday.

Samoan Umu

2008-08-14T14:25:00.002-05:00

10th Festival of the Pacific Arts

2008-08-01T03:08:00.009-05:00

Every 4 years a participating Pacific island hosts one of the most amazing events I've ever had the priveledge of attending. American Samoa just so happened to be that host this year. Lucky us! It's a gathering of culture and tradition from all over the the world's largest ocean! 26 Pacific island nations were represented. (Can you name 3?.... I couldn't before I moved here either) Now, not only do I know most of them, I've seen them dance, I know what the eat, how they dress, and what they sell to gullible tourists. Who knew the Pacific was so diverse?

This part in the blog series is the Festival Village, where all the islands had a fale (Samoan house) to give demonstrations and information on their culture and traditions.
There was everything from New Zealand tattooing, Solomon Island and basketweaving and wood carving,
Aboriginal basketweaving,
poi making in Hawaii, weapon making in Tonga,
to the bamboo band from Taiwan. A lot of the villagers had dancing in the middle of the village as well. Pictured here are some of the people of Papua New Guinea.
The cultural experience was phenomenal. Shopping was pretty good too.

New Arrival

2008-07-11T13:51:00.004-05:00

There's a new girl in town! Introducing my niece Layla Rae. Congratulations Bryan and Melissa!

Superbaby

2008-07-08T18:53:00.003-05:00

I'm not one to brag but this cannot go unmentioned. Scott let us know who was in charge from day one and he continues to keep us in awe. Around his 6 month mark, he pulled himself up on the couch. Not long after, he started crawling (he was previously propelling himself forward with his knees.) No place is sacred anymore, he pulled up on the toilet the other day. I'm hoping he'll peak early and be an easy toddler, but I won't hold my breath.

I suppose he's just trying to keep up with the rest of them!

Returning to the Mainland

2008-07-05T04:09:00.002-05:00

November is the official start date. I'm not sure yet what's harder to believe; that we're going back or that we're going to Nashville.

Music City, USA

2008-07-03T02:51:00.004-05:00

It's official. We are leaving American Samoa in October to further our cultural experience of the world and moving to the epicenter of all things country... Nashville, Tennessee. I'm having trouble believing it myself. I have never been nor do I really know anything about the place but it seems, from what I've read, like a fascinating city. We'll find out soon enough. I'd welcome any information on relocating to Tennessee you may have.

Larsen's Cove

2008-06-30T21:24:00.005-05:00

Just another day in the South Pacific!

Saturday was another beautiful day in Samoa. We got our weekends' fill of sun, sand and surf at Larsen's cove. Anyone want to come for a visit? The clock's tickin!

Six years and six months

2008-06-26T03:10:00.005-05:00

There was much to celebrate this past week. Trey had his 6th birthday and Scott turned 6 months. We celebrated Trey's day of birth multiple times because dad missed the first one. The "fun" party was at the bowling alley though. The fun came when someone actually hit a pin, no cheating with lane bumpers in Samoa. Luckily for us though, our kids don't know any different. Bowling was followed up by the ever popular McDonald's. Another birthday party down! How many more is that?
Then on Sunday, I decided to shoot Scott's 6th month photos myself with my fancy new Nikon that I know how to auto focus. How'd I do?
He does actually smile constantly, but I couldn't get a single one out of him on this particular day.

First bath sitting up!

Scott has eyes only for Ona. Isn't she precious?

Swim Meet

2008-06-07T04:12:00.005-05:00

2 Weeks ago Trey participated in his first swim meet. He was a little hesitant at first, I believe his exact words were,"but what if I don't win a trophy"? He got past his first fear of failure, had a great time, and got a few ribbons as well.

He placed 2nd in the 20 yard freestyle and 20 yard kickboard. He also placed 4th in the dogpaddle (a very technical stroke indeed)

We hope to start olympic training in the fall.

Reflection

2008-06-07T03:56:00.002-05:00

Wow,we live here. Sometimes I have to stop a minute and think about that. It's easy to take for granted when it's what you see day and after day. I drive on the same road, the only road, and I forget to look around. It really is a beautiful place and though I miss eating at good restaurants, driving without dodging potholes, customer service, shopping in one store for ingredients for one meal, shopping.....I really do love it here. It's a good life.

That's my boy!

2008-06-02T21:54:00.007-05:00

I think he got Mommy's eyes. Hard to say though.

That's Mommy---------------------->

Where does the time go?

2008-05-20T20:00:00.005-05:00

My dear friend Emma wanted to know why I didn't write on my blog anymore... this one's for you Emma! There's just not enough time in the day. Here's the latest, Scott is 5 months old and ready to crawl. He's a very active child, I beginning to think it's genetic.

Nate's 2 year old personality has blossomed these past few months. I won't go into too much detail but let's just say, there have been accidents of numerous varieties. No ER visits yet, knocking on wood! I would love to post some of the pictures of him at his best but he's naked in all of them. We can't keep clothes on that kid.

Trey has become the easy one in the family...Who would have guessed. He's still in Tae Kwon Do and has recently received his orange belt in the Little Dragons class. He's also in swimming and music and doing well in both. He lost his first tooth 2 weeks ago. Recently at a Pacific Arts Festival put on by his school, his kindergarten class represented the island of Fiji and performed a traditional warrior dance.

Jay and I just are just trying to maintain sanity and order around here. It goes well some days. We haven't made any plans for what happens after American Samoa but we will most likely have some prospects soon. I'll let you know on my next blog, in 2 or 3 months.

Two months and many tears later....

2008-03-17T03:50:00.004-05:00

Here are a couple pictures from our favorite beach, Nate with buddy Kavi and Scott getting a kick out of the trees overhead. Trey never stops long enough to be photographed anymore. The Roth clan has been reunited in American Samoa for over a month now and things are just starting to become routine, not sane by any means but routine. Scott is almost 3 months old and has calmed down dramatically. He established his dominance in the house quickly and with emphasis. Nate doesn't appreciate the attention being taken away and so as soon as Scott cries, he runs interference, either to my arms or Scott's face. He has thankfully only caused bodily harm to him on 3 occasions, all of which teeth and digits were involved. Overall I think he's taken the adjustment very well. Trey continues to do well in school. He's reading very well now and is showing great interest in math. He's still in Tae Kwon Do and now has his yellow belt. This week is spring break and we hope to be spending a lot of time in the water.

Greetings 2008!

2008-01-09T10:18:00.000-06:00

Still just hanging out in Silver City, adjusting to the new little one. Looking forward to getting back home to Samoa. (We're taking Grandpa with us)

Trey's creativity at it's best! Some of the candy actually made it on to the house.

The boys with Uncle Dave and Aunt Miriam

Nate's not the baby anymore and is handling being a big brother better than expected. His favorite things to say now are "I hold it?" and "I kiss him?"

We have to get creative to keep the kids entertained here.

Scott's after-bath fro. I thought it only happened in cartoons.

Sweet dreams!

The latest photo shoot

2007-12-27T22:12:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-26T01:30:00.000-06:00

Jay's dream come true.....a house full of boys.

We celebrated Christmas a few days early so because Jay had a flight to catch on Sunday. It was the first time the whole family had been together for Christmas in many years so it was a special day for all. Today Trey's uncles and Grandpa took him up the mountain in search of snow for some New Mexico style tubing. They had a great time, so I hear. I opted for the warmth of the fire.

Scott Isaac December 18, 2007

2007-12-22T14:39:00.000-06:00

Here's some pictures from Scott's birthday!
He was born December 18th at 1:42 am after a 4 hour uneventful labor. He weighed 7 pounds 4 ounces and was 20 1/2 inches long. He's doing very well and his brothers can't get enough of him. We are so thankful all went well and we have this healthy, beautiful new boy in our family.

Family photos

2007-12-14T14:08:00.001-06:00

As you may have gathered from the picture, I'm still holding on. I was hoping to be a little lighter by now but, so is every other woman due at Christmas. Hope to have some news soon.

to be continued........

Update

2007-12-09T22:10:00.000-06:00

Hey there Samoa!
We're still waiting. In the meantime, we spend our days doing a whole lot of nothing. Jay arrives soon and we hope to have some good news shortly thereafter. Sorry to disappoint those who were expecting something a little more newsworthy.

We miss you!

The Lighted Christmas Parade

2007-11-25T22:15:00.000-06:00

One of the things that makes Silver City the attractive small town that it is is the annual Lighted Christmas parade. Being the coldest day of this season, naturally we dressed up and walked downtown to the big event with our thermos of hot cocoa. Nate, in about 6 layers was still shivering but he seemed to enjoy the show, with the exception of the Harley brigade, for which he buried his head in my jacket and said "scared". There were even fireworks this year, which Trey thoroughly enjoyed of course. These are some of the things I've missed the most around the Christmas season in Samoa. It's hard to get in the spirit in the tropics. That must be why they have to line up 300 plastic Santas and Christmas Poo Bears on the churches, to make sure that spirit gets spread to all.

Nothing like an over-sized down jacket to flatter the already voluminous features of a 9 month pregnant woman.

A few of the things I've come to appreciate

2007-11-25T21:29:00.000-06:00

After living in Samoa for 3 years, I've come to appreciate a lot. Wal-mart for example, being able to get everything you need in one place. Sam Walton must have lived in Samoa or somewhere similar. I've spent a little too much time there, I'm trying to stay away (sorry Jay) but it's like Disneyland. In Silver City it's also the one and only place to catch up with old friends.

I've also come to appreciate the seemingly endless expanse of land. My Dad and I posed for some pictures outside of Silver because I forgot how beautiful NM was. We were on our way to a George Jones concert at a casino near Santa Fe. (For all of you rednecks who actually know who I'm talking about, yes he's still alive and singing)

We met my brother and his wife, who were celebrating their first anniversary there.

I know I've mentioned this before but we've also had a shortage of playgrounds in Samoa, so we've been making up for lost time. The weather is starting to change and my poor island boys have to contend with the frigid air but it doesn't slow them down too much. I'm more than happy to sit in the cold and watch. I just think about the heat and humidity I'm missing and I'm okay. Because I'm not getting any smaller, I assure you.

Note Nate not wearing shoes. Every chance he gets he's taking them off, it's quite a hassle. In fact the whole dressing multiple children in multiple layers takes too much of my precious time. So Samoa does have its pros after all.

Silver City, New Mexico

2007-11-16T16:54:00.000-06:00

I'm back in my hometown after a 3 day journey across approximately 6000 miles, alone, with a 5 and 2 year old, oh yes, and 8 1/2 months pregnant. Sound pleasant? Actually, it wasn't too bad, all things considered. Bending over to reach everything that fell under the seat in the airplane was my biggest complaint, because I couldn't. Trey was an awesome help for a 5 year old. He pushed his brother in the stroller for me wherever we went and wouldn't let me have the job once, even when my hands were empty. Nate's biggest complaint was having to be strapped in on board the airplane. So most of the time I didn't and waited to be reprimanded, but I wasn't. I guess we did well at not drawing too much attention to ourselves.

Trey started Kindergarten today at the elementary school I attended. It was surreal being there as an adult with children. Everything looked so much smaller than I remember but the memories are vivid nonetheless. His classroom was the same one I was in for first grade. There was no apprehension when he walked in today. I was expecting at least one or two tears. It's been 5 days with nothing but Mom and little brother, I think he was ready for some peer interaction.

I'll be here for the next 2 months and hope to add a new Roth to the clan sometime in that period. I'll do my best to keep you posted. I miss you American Samoa but you can keep the weather. I'll take 68 degrees with 5 percent humidity any day!.....and all the Mexican food I can eat!

Pictures to follow....check back soon.

Halloween

2007-11-04T14:57:00.000-06:00

Being an American island, we've tried adopting some of the traditional holidays. It's remains quite different from the Halloweens I knew in my youth, for one, trick or treating consists of fighting the hordes of kids who bombard the "palagi" neighborhoods. Most of those families who have spent one Halloween handing out candy are smart enough to run the other direction when trick or treaters start knocking. We did take the kids out for the experience anyway. We also went to some carnivals leading up the the big night, it was a week-long candy fest! Nate didn't care about anything but the candy of course, but he was the cutest ninja on island.

Trey went with the old superhero standby and faithfully wore his costume for an entire day of school and 2 carnivals. Did I mention it's hot here? Those polyester costumes are not made for the tropics. Jay was curious why I decided not to dress up this year. I laughed, he's hysterical. And the cute little witch in the photo is my friends daughter. (no that's not her true hair color)

We actually got a shipment of pumpkins that didn't cost 10 dollars a pound so we got to carve a pumpkin for the first time in 4 years. It was quite a treat. Trey designed Jack this year but Jay insisted on cutting it, he doesn't think it's safe to let a 5 year old have that job for some reason.

Just another week.

2007-10-15T14:21:00.000-05:00

I finally got a few pictures from Trey's Tae Kwon Do class and some from our latest beach trip. Just another week in Samoa. Nate has turned into a chatterbox this past week. It's like having a parrot around all the time. You really have to watch what you say around him.

This (Failolo) is not one of our regular beach spots. We opted for a little change in scenery and what scenery it was. It was a beautiful sunny day, meanwhile pouring on the other side of the island. It's amazing how different the weather can be just 5 miles apart here in the tropics. The water was crystal clear and the bottom was sandy, something you don't see here too often. The only thing lacking was shade and that is something I never thought I'd look for in a beach but, well, when you spend so much time so close to the sun, it gets old.

Have a great week!

Columbus Day at 2 Dollar Beach

2007-10-09T18:46:00.000-05:00

Here's what a normal weekend day looks like for us here in the South Pacific. Not too bad eh? We make do with what we have, as little as it might be. It most often makes up for the fact that we don't have playgrounds or waterslides or indoor plumbing.

Just kidding about the plumbing.

Lazy Sunday

2007-10-08T04:25:00.000-05:00

It's so rare that we ever stay home to find entertainment. The beach is much more appealing. However, we hung out in the yard today, which turned out to be a wise choice considering the torrential downpours that were to come. Jay and the boys opened some coconuts for a mid-morning snack. Stripe, our boony dog, gnawed on the husk (a fine alternative to shoes).

Trey was explaining photosynthesis and the purpose of the root system in plants to me in this one. What exactly are they teaching him in kindergarten?

Nate poses with a new banana tree.

Trey and Nate let me interupt play briefly to take a picture, a habit of mine they are quickly growing to despise.

For all of you out there who are dying to know just how big I am now, here it is. And yes, I have 10 weeks left!

Where are they now?

2007-10-01T14:35:00.000-05:00

Okay now that I got the vacation out of the way, I can keep this more up to date. So you may wonder what we are doing now? Well, I'll tell you. We fill the days with nothing too exciting but they are full nonetheless. Nate is the busiest of the clan. Playgroup, Toddler Tales, and swimming and Dora keep him going. Trey has started kindergarten this year and is doing very well. We're told he's the one of the top readers in his class. He has started Tae Kwon Do which he is actually enjoying more than expected. (we tried baseball and soccer this summer and they didn't do much for him). Still, his favorite thing to do is spend his weekend days at the beach snorkeling and digging. As for us, we're boring so I won't go there. We are defined by our children.

Playgroup

Toddler Tales

First Day of Kindergarten

The End: Back in Samoa

2007-09-26T19:21:00.000-05:00

We spent our 16 hour layover in Western Samoa at Aggie Grey's Beach Resort and Lagoon. Nate was on the mend but Trey was getting what became tonsillitis. He made the best of the day though. He's a Roth, what can we say.

Melbourne in a nutshell

2007-09-26T18:47:00.000-05:00

We slowed down significantly by the time we got to Melbourne. 2 weeks is a long vacation with 2 little ones and we sufficiently wore them out. We did our best to see the city though. Nate was sick at this point too, in fact we spent our last day in the clinic getting him checked out for an ear infection. He's a tropical boy, not used to the seasons yet. But here are some pictures of Melborne. The Melborne Museum and playground were a big hit. This is the abbreviated version of our stay in Melbourne.

We visited the veterans memorial near our hotel and got some great views of the city.

The Queen Victoria Markets were my favorite. An entire city block was devoted to meat and produce venders, souvenier venders and any other possible vender you could imagine. I could have spent days there (all our money too!)

This about sums up the whole trip. Nate finally gave up the battle with sleep and sat in this corner of our room and crashed sitting up. It was too cute.

Ninety Mile Beach and the end of the road trip

2007-09-26T14:33:00.000-05:00

This was such a change from 100 yard beach in A.Samoa. This beach, as one can deduct from the name, was quite long. Roughly 4 Tutuilas (the name of the island we call home). That's a lot of sand.

And here are some signs you won't see on many other continents. Wombat and kangaroo crossing. I never did get to see the wombat cross but there were plenty kangaroo.

On the road again: Pambula Beach

2007-09-26T12:10:00.000-05:00

This was one of our favorite stops on the trip. It was an all inclusive family resort with endless activities for Trey and Nate and about 200 resident kangaroos. It was right on a beautiful beach which would have been great if it weren't 40 degrees. The kangaroos you see were right behind our cabin. In one picture, Trey was having a peek inside the pouch to see if there really was a joey in there. Fortunately, it didn't get offended. The best was the giant bouncing pillow. I tried it out myself, just to make sure it was safe, of course. Playgrounds that aren't broken are very popular with us, as we have none in American Samoa.

Wollongong and beyond

2007-09-20T21:43:00.000-05:00

This pagoda was part of the largest Buddhist Monastery in the Southern Hemisphere.

And here are the cutest boys in both hemispheres.

What's a trip to Australia without kangaroos?

2007-09-20T21:28:00.001-05:00

South of Sydney

2007-09-20T21:09:00.000-05:00

After we had seen every kid friendly site in Sydney, we got in a very small car and headed south, staying in Holiday parks along the way. We thought we were taking the "coastal highway" hoping to take in some scenery along the way. As it turns out you had to drive a little further out of the way to see the coast. We ended up seeing a lot of cows anyway. It was much like driving in the western US, only without an interstate and on the wrong side of the road. We did manage to find some pretty amazing sites and get some great wildlife footage. Enjoy the pictures.

2007-09-19T19:36:00.000-05:00

Jay and Trey share an octopus from the barbie. He'll eat octopus but nothing his mother cooks. I guess I need to get out and do some fishing.

If you're reading this from Samoa, you can appreciate the beauty of this one.

Here is Trey at home in the sand, no matter where it is. This happens to be at Bondi Beach.

More of Sydney

2007-09-19T19:21:00.000-05:00

Here are some more pictures from Sydney.

Carol and Nate overlooking Bondi Beach.

Nate and Trey at the Powerhouse Museum playground.

Sydney continued

2007-09-19T18:20:00.000-05:00

Nate admires a sting ray at the Sydney Aquarium.

Here we are again at Bondi. Quite different being in warm clothes at the beach. It was a nice change from Samoa.

Sydney

2007-09-18T15:32:00.000-05:00

Carol and Nate and a beautiful panoramic of Sydney from the Zoo.

The must-have photo on Circular Quay in front of the world famous opera house.

Nate spent most of his naps being strolled. Couldn't waste any good tourist time.

Jay and the boys pose for another shot of the Sydney skyline.

Here is the first of many pictures with the native wildlife, taken at the Taronga Zoo, Sydney.

Trey checks out the Quokkas.

Australia August 2007

2007-09-18T15:09:00.000-05:00

We took our family vacation down under this year. Starting in the great city of Sydney, where we spent 5 days, we traveled south along the coastal highway to Melbourne, completing our trek in 2 weeks. There was no shortage of kangaroo sightings. Jay even got attacked by one. It was truly a sight to behold. I was laughing so hard I missed the good footage. Trey's highlight was feeding the wild parrots and grey kangaroos and Nate was just content taking it all in, being constantly entertained by his big brother. I'll spare you all of the details and let you look at some of the photos.

Life in Samoa

2007-03-30T19:04:00.000-05:00

I'm jumping on the bandwagon and starting a blog. It seems like a good way to keep every interested party up to date on what's going on with the Roths. As we wrap up March this year, we have little excitement going on. Trey is in preschool at a private school called Pacific Horizons. He loves school but hates that he has to take a nap everyday. He's very much looking forward to kindergarten because naptime will be abolished. Nate keeps me busy at home. His favorite passtimes are dancing and climbing. He's a man of little words at 19 months. He's more of a point and grunt kind of guy. He's got playgroups twice a week, at which there are plenty of kids about his age. Both of the boys are in swimming lessons. Trey is a fish, Nate hasn't quite taken to large bodies of water yet, however, he has plenty of fun in our Samoan bathtub (Much like the washtubs of the old days but red and plastic) Most houses only have showers here, and you're lucky if you get one inside. Jay is settling into the routine of his new title with the Public Health Service. He is the territory's epidemiology field officer. He dives and runs in his free time, of which he would like to have more. We spend most of our weekend time outside battling the elements (heat and rain) and we love it most days. Adaptation to island life has been gradual but I think we can honestly say we have adjusted.