Archive for October, 2007

Matt Is Lookin’ Buff!

Kevin October 30th, 2007

It’s not every day that you see Matt with his shirt off, but check him out! He looks great for a guy in his late 40’s. And why not? It only makes sense that when you use your upper body as much as him, you’re bound to be in pretty good shape.

This pic came from Matt’s site, and I can only assume it is from another trip they went on - not Hawaii, but somewhere else tropical because there are other pics of the family and you can tell it’s not the Hawaii trip. Chances are we’ll see it on the show later this season … at least we can hope.

The Roloffs Get A New Hot Tub & Swimming Pool

Kevin October 29th, 2007

What can five days of round-the-clock work, and $75,000 get you? Well, in this case it got the Roloff Family a new hot tub and 16-by-40-foot heated pool. Virginia Beach-based The Pool Guyz Inc. flew out to Hillsborough and did the install, which will be featured on an episode of the show later this season.

Ric Reineke and The Pool Guyz Inc. made a big splash recently at Matt and Amy Roloff’s 34-acre farm, the setting for TLC reality show “Little People, Big World.”

Reineke, president of Virginia Beach-based The Pool Guyz, flew to Hillsborough, Ore., at the request of manufacturer Viking Pools to meet with the Roloffs.

Reineke was joined by Brent White, his vice president of operations, and installation team leader Nakia Shawha n to build the family of six an in-ground pool and spa.

The three men worked in 15-hour stretches alongside the Roloffs’ local electrician and masons an d TLC’s non-stop television film crew.

The team installed a hot tub and 16-by-40-foot heated pool in five days. The project was valued at $75,000.

“They were like a SWAT team, ” Matt Roloff said in a phone interview. “The most powerful part of the experience was their ability to step in at the last minute.”

His physician had prescribed more cardiovascular exercise, which can be difficult for Roloff, a little person who partly relies on mobility assistance from crutches and a scooter.

“Swimming is ideal,” he added. “I’ve increased my lung capacity in two short weeks (since the install). Now I’m swimming the entire length of the pool.”

The Roloffs left most of the design ideas to Reineke and his men. However, they did request customized steps with a shorter rise and plenty of patio room with low-texture, stamped concrete as opposed to the more dramatic, high-texture design that Reineke typically recommends.

Other custom touches included an automatic pool cover and fiber-optic-colored lighting.

Reineke assisted Roloff in incorporating boulders he’d collected into the surrounding landscape. That bonding experience, Reineke said, was one of the highlights.

“What a really, really cool family,” he said. “They’re hard workers and so appreciative. We got to hang out with them for the week, and we had a blast.”

The Pool Guyz, headquartered on Viking Driv e, builds about 130 pools in Hampton Roads each year. It s next cross-country venture takes place on the set of “Extreme Makeover, Home Edition” in Seattle.

Roloff was thrilled with the experience.

“We felt like we had the best in the world out there,” he said. “We’re loving the pool.”

He s aid it’s one thing the whole family gets together for these days.

The project will be featured this fall season, probably mid- to late-November, Roloff said. A schedule has not been set.

[Via HamptonRoads.com]

Video of Roloff Farms Tour

Kevin October 22nd, 2007

I found this fun video over on youtube today of a tour of Roloff Farms. Jeremy guides the tour and answers a few questions along the way. At one point he tells the group that he’s “getting his license the 15th of October”, which was last Monday - the day of the season premiere. He also said it will be covered on the show in about 3 1/2 months.

I’m surprised at how accessible Jeremy is during parts of the video. You can clearly see the film crew from TLC in the background at one point, going about their business. Yet, they don’t seem too worried about people there with camcorders. Then again, I guess it is a reality show, and it makes sense that the crew would be used to filming in those types of situations. I don’t know, I guess for some reason I just imagined there would be some person from the crew going around telling people to turn off their camcorders while they’re working.

More Roloff Farms Pictures

Kevin October 22nd, 2007

Pumpkin season is in full swing at Roloff Farms, and thanks to some fans who brought their camera’s along, we can all get a glimpse of what it’s like to visit the pumpkin patch. I gotta say, Matt looks like quite the rock star in a few of these pics, with a swarm of people around him. Go Matt!!

If you missed the first gallery of farm pics we posted, you can see it here.

[Show picture list]

[Via MattRoloff.com, Flickr, Flickr, and Flickr]

Season 4 Is Here!

Kevin October 16th, 2007

I just got done watching the season premiere, and it was awesome! My favorite scene of the night? It had to be the part where they are camped at the RV campground and Matt tells Zach to go throw out his trash, so Zach just goes and tosses it in the fire pit in front of Amy. Our whole family, and especially my wife, was laughing when Amy goes in and chews out Matt. Let’s just say we could definitely relate to being on vacation and in similar types of situations.

Zach throwing his trash in the fire pit actually reminded me of a prior episode where the boys come back from their camping trip and Matt tells Zach to get rid of some old milk, so Zach just goes and pours it out into a flower planter on their porch. I sometimes think Zach doesn’t quite think things through when he’s disposing of trash.

It was fun seeing the spot Matt proposed to Amy. He said it was 20 years ago, so who knows … maybe they’ll do something cool on the show for their 20th anniversary.

Finally, was it me, or did anyone else think Zach was a poor sport when the kid playing goalie stopped his goal at the high school party? After he gets stopped, he punches the kid, then kicks him. I like Zach, but I thought that was pretty lame and uncalled for.

Matt, Zach, and Molly in Paducah

Kevin October 15th, 2007

I stumbled across this video today made by a couple fans that shows Matt, Zach, and Molly on their visit to Paducah, KY back in August ‘07. Watch as Matt tells the audience that Molly’s favorite show is “Hannah Banana” (mistaken for Hannah Montana), and also reveals that his all-time favorite episode is the camping trip where Zach knocks himself on his keaster shooting the shotgun.

Matt & Amy Interviewed By Rachael Ray

Kevin October 14th, 2007

Last Friday (October 12th), Matt & Amy were guests on the Rachael Ray Show. They discussed topics from how doing the show has actually helped them be better parents, to Matt’s DUI. From Rachael’s website:

Matt and Amy Roloff, stars of the reality show Little People Big World, tell Rachael that sometimes it’s an advantage having cameras around 24-7. “We just previewed an episode the other day,” Matt says, “where [son] Jeremy is on the phone with his girlfriend all the time. I’m thinking, as soon as I get home from this trip I’m going to talk to him about how often he’s on the phone with his girlfriend, because we don’t see it.” Amy agrees. “Mom usually knows a lot, but I’m realizing I don’t know everything!”

Rach wants to know if the show will deal with Matt’s DUI case. “We put everything else out there so we don’t want to hide anything,” he says. “It makes what the show is all about. I think there are still pieces of it that are all being put together, but it’s been a great experience being able to do a show where we can show the good, the bad, the ugly — our successes and our failures.”

It should be interesting to see what Matt has to say about the DUI when they cover it on the show - and you know they will. Like Matt said, the show is about the good, the bad, and the ugly … not to mention a topic like that is bound to bring in the viewers and raise the show ratings.

Roloff Farms Pictures - Fall 2007

Kevin October 14th, 2007

Over on Matt’s official site, some fans have a thread going which features some cool pics of Roloff Farms. I gathered some of favorites and included them below. Is it me, or does Jeremy look noticeably older in these pics?

New Season Starts October 15th

Kevin October 1st, 2007

So I’ve been seeing a bunch of commercials for Season 3 of the show. I’ve gotta say it looks really good. I especially like the preview where it shows Amy get a soccer ball to the head, and Jacob and Zach fighting. It just reminds me what a normal family the Roloffs are, and why I like the show so much.

Anyway, everyone make sure to set your Tivo to record the show. What could be more fun than watching the Roloffs take a road trip in a huge RV?