Looking Ahead at 2018-2019

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Well, it's been a summer. There was a whole lot of nothing on television, aside from the Bates Family, the Duggar Family, the Roloff Family, and the newer addition to my reality followings - the Busby Family. Technically, there was also Trial & Error, but I'm behind in that because Spectrum is awful and we're on our third DVR box in two months. But, I spent some time last night going through the new shows for the broadcast networks and made some selections. because, you know, there's more to TV life than

ABC came in high, CW isn't even on the board, and FOX tanked. CBS and NBC are surprisingly equal, but we'll see how that pans out. I picked more shows this year than I did last year, but a few of them I really don't think will make it to Thanksgiving, so not much is lost in giving them a try.

What made the cut?
For ABC, I'm going with the soon-to-premiere Single Parents (a bit too much exposure, already, I think), A Million Little Things (it better be better than Friends with Better Lives), plus the farther out The Rookie (Nathan Fillion, anyone?), The Conners, Schooled, and The Kids are Alright (it seems that we're on an every-other-year-there's-a-Catholic-family-show module). As two of those are spin-offs, I'm not really feeling like my ABC selections are as high as they appear.

For FOX, the only thing I'm going to bother with is Rel, which starts tonight. It's about a guy who has to rebuild his life after a divorce, so it'll be a rough start, but Sinbad plays the protagonist's father, so that could be fun.

On NBC, the start dates are mostly soon. In September alone, I'll be checking out New Amsterdam (I'm a sucker for medical shows), I Feel Bad (I need more "mom shows"), and Manifest (it's going to be awful or amazing), plus later on there's Gilded Age (period show!), Abby's (this looks like a hot mess), and The Village (which, really, I'm only in to see Daren Kagasoff act again).

Rounding it out on CBS, there's the crazy (unscripted) Million Dollar Mile, the unlikely-to-work Happy Together, the reboot of Murphy Brown, the too-much-like-Living-Biblically-from-last-season God Friended Me, the is-this-Timeless-again? Blood & Treasure, and the Beth-Behrs-is-back The Neighborhood.

The bigger, scarier thing (if you can believe it) is that I have a TON of returning shows, which I don't think I realized back in Spring!
ABC: Fresh off the Boat, American Housewife, Speechless, The Goldbergs, Black-ish, The Good Doctor [only one new thing from last year remaining]
FOX: Bob's Burgers, The Resident, Last Man Standing (I don't think it'll be that good this time around, though...) [only one new thing from last year remaining]
NBC: This is Us, Superstore, A.P. Bio, Will & Grace, The Good Place (which I discovered online over the summer) [only one new thing from last year remaining]
CBS: Man with a Plan, How to Get Away with Murder, The Big Bang Theory, Young Sheldon [only one new thing from last year remaining]
CW: Jane the Virgin, Dynasty [one old, one from last year]
Other Networks: South Park (Comedy Central), Grown-ish (Freeform), Good Trouble (the Freeform spin-off of The Fosters), plus the aforementioned follow-an-atypical-family shows I enjoy. 

And, at some point, I still do plan to check out The Mick and Good Girls. So... yeah, there's a lot of television entertainment to be enjoyed this year. 

Little People, Big World: New Adventures on the Horizon

I loved that Audrey didn't know which hand to put the ring on, as I went around wearing my engagement ring on my right hand for a couple days before I knew it was wrong! And yes, that's a big ol' spoiler right there - Jeremy and Audrey are engaged! So, much like the latest season of 19 Kids and Counting, this season of Little People, Big World will see a fair bit of wedding planning as well as the event. Both families are very into DIY culture, so who knows what surprises may pop up. Speaking of which, Matt is still thinking up new ideas for things around the farm, and even Amy has decided to branch out from writing a cookbook to running a restaurant!

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Little People, Big World "The Proposal" (S08E01): Matt and Amy have now been separated since November and hadn’t traveled together until it’s time to attend Jeremy’s graduate with a B.A. in Professional Photography from the Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara. [I guess I hadn’t bothered to figure out which school Jeremy had been attending before, as this caught me a little by surprise.] Audrey can't come because she has a track meet, and Molly is spending the semester abroad in Costa Rica. [I wonder what Audrey’s events are in track?]

Amy is worried about her future income. [why not go back to the preschool biz?] She creates a menu for a friend's restaurant, based on pumpkin, and enlists the help of Jeremy, Jacob, and Zach in the kitchen. Matt attends the event as a diner, even though he has to go downtown. [ugh. Why can’t he be excited for something his wife is doing?!?] The commercial kitchen isn't built for Amy's size like her home kitchen is, so they fall behind. Fortunately, her menu of pumpkin soup with spiced toasted pumpkin seeds and a salad pork loin with the pumpkin and peach salsa goes over well. [what did she serve for dessert? And is it really early summer like other events are suggesting? Because that’s totally not when everyone’s adoring pumpkin!]
 
Jeremy tells Zach that he wants to propose to Audrey after almost three years of dating, and he customizes a ring before telling his parents his plan. [Jeremy and Audrey have not been showcased on this series the way Zach and Tori are (Audrey only first appeared during the Wedding Farm season, I believe), so it was interesting to hear the couple had been together that long.] Matt really wants to watch it in action, as Jeremy brings a typewriter on a picnic so he and Audrey can type notes to one another about pillars in their relationship. They go from “I will not always assume that I'm right?” to “Acknowledging each other's point of view in public?” to “Will you marry me?” with Jeremy then down on one knee. [I kinda love their wacky typewriter stories. very cute!]

LPBW: New Year's Eve with Separated Roloffs

The news broke a couple of weeks ago that Matt and Amy Roloff were entering a trial separation, and now there's finally some more information available. In late November, patriarch Matt moved out of the main home and into the small house used for bridal preparations during the summers. When their children came home for Christmas (the three oldest Roloff kids are in college), the holiday was about the same as it always was, but there were definite moments of tension throughout the family. Matt and Amy are coping with the change in different ways, but this special really focuses on how the Roloffs come together to celebrate the ringing in of 2014.

Little People, Big World "New Year, Big Changes" (Special): It's December 29th and Matt suggests the family have a big New Year's party. He tasks Amy and Molly with making a cake, while he and the twins build a confetti cannon, a photo booth, and a light-up ball. The ball proves tougher than expected, and they try several different methods before welding a cage around a disco ball and hanging lights on it. [as per the usual, Jacob isn't really helping anyone.]

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There's a lot of last-minute scramble, and the guests start to help get everything together. [that sort of thing mortifies me, and it happened once, so I can't understand how they'd let it repeatedly occur. the whole no-beverages thing also mystified me.] Matt dresses up as Father Time, but when nobody is excited about it, he changes. [I thought it was cute.] When they plug in the ball at 11:59, the breaker trips, so Jeremy rushes to fix it, before later revealing that he plans to propose to Audrey in 2014. [Amy and Matt not kissing was awkward. also, update since the taping: the two are engaged.] The next day, they have a New Year's Day dinner of homemade pizza. [Jeremy praying was different. Amy does it so often on the televised specials.]

Other included scenes in this installment include the kids visiting Zach's house, where Molly helps him make hamburgers, Matt telling his parents about the rough patch when they come to stay for the party, and Amy sharing the situation with two of her friends over dinner. [deciding not to wear her wedding ring to feel what being divorced would be like was sad.] Matt mentions that the past year was long and tough, and maybe he and Amy stuck together longer than they should have.

Little People, Big World: A Separate Matt & Amy

Regular readers know that we've moved away from doing big stories on little bits of television news, but Matt and Amy Roloff separating is an eye-popping story for us, as longtime fans of the Little People, Big World brand.

the dwarf couple celebrating Amy's birthday in 2011 (TLC)

Although it is not much of a surprise for those who tune into the Roloff family and their series, making the decision to try a separation after 26 years of marriage is a big deal. The couple has been struggling on-air since their now-23-year-old twin sons began growing up and moving out several years ago. Molly, their valedictorian daughter, is currently finishing her second year of college as well. Fortunately for Jacob, the couple's youngest son who still lives at home, Matt will remain on the family's large farm, living in the guesthouse. As the farm is their primary livelihood (though in early seasons, Matt was a salesman and Amy was a preschool teacher), the couple is expected to continue working together.

More information will be available when a new special of Little People, Big World, "Trial Separation," airs on Tuesday, March 25th on TLC.

LPBW: Tied Together, A Rainy Wedding, Pumpkin Season

I hadn't realized that Jacob is a senior in high school! With that, I guess I hadn't realized just how long ago the Roloffs first did a television special... or how long I have been watching families on TLC, as this one was among the first that caught my eye. These episodes that wrap up the first batch of regular episodes in ages are mostly focused on Matt and Amy, rather than the family, and do not touch on the premise of the show at all. Longtime viewers are well aware of the amount of work the Roloffs have done to adapt their home and lifestyles to their small statures, and there's no need to beat a dead horse explaining things (like the Duggars do), but they've really just become yet another reality family. The only aspect of these three installments that even hints at the challenges of little people is Matt having chronic pain that is further aggravated temporarily. I wonder what will happen if this family is brought back for more specials/another season?

Little People, Big World "All Tangled Up" (S07E06): Matt and Amy are working together okay, but Zach challenges them to spend 24 hours linked together by a six-foot rope. If they can do it, Zach has to work 5 hours for free. They immediately argue about what to do, as Matt wants to work on a project and Amy wants to make dinner. Later, Matt just quits because he has more to do than what he can do around Amy. But, he acts like they've been together the whole time when Zach returns. [what the heck?!?] When time is up, they admit that they did take a "break." [but did they actually learn anything from this experience?]

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Tori is working for Roloff Farms, but she's interviewing for a real teaching job an hour away. Zach and Jacob start talking about the pitfalls of long-distance, but Jeremy gives advice, as he's been doing long-distance with his girlfriend of nineteen months, Audrey. [it ain't easy, kids. my now-husband and I lived 330 miles apart for five years, including the first year of our marriage!] Molly tells Zach that he can be "a girl" in his relationships, which catches him off-guard. [while I agree that Zach is more sentimental than most, I don't know that he's really "the girl" of his relationship.]

Little People, Big World "Come Rain or Come Shine" (S07E07): It's late September, and Liz and Mike are the final wedding of the season. [Matt is working on a big obstacle course for pumpkin season, so he tries to make Amy run this wedding solo. what?!?!?] The couple struggled with Mike in Afghanistan for a while, and book the farm without even meeting the Roloffs. [maybe they should have talked to the Roloff kids about the hardships and trials of long-distance relationships!] They want to base the look around the little chapel, but don't plan on doing a lot pre-wedding stuff around the farm. [this really doesn't seem odd to me, as I always look at the uber-involved couples constantly at the farm as the weird ones!] Matt has a great plan for a little "room" with window frames, a couch, chairs, for the couple to have a "first place together," but rain is predicted so they don't want to risk doing it under some trees. They put it inside, which is also what they do with the "candy shoppe" theme that the couple wants. [Matt and Amy butting heads should come as no surprise at this point, guys.]

The couple is committed to getting married outside, regardless of the weather, but wet ground means that the bridesmaids stain the dress when they accidentally drop it. [omg!] It's a three-generation gown, so two hours before the ceremony, the girls ask Amy for help lifting the mud and grass. [I had a bridesmaid who has a story of using Woolite at 3am the morning before her own wedding because of a similar mishap!] She comes to the rescue with club soda, though it probably made little difference as Liz let the train drag across the ground as it poured during their ceremony. Hair dyers are used to warm up the couple and dry their clothes before the reception, while the guests are distracted with ice cream and candy. [Matt being out of commission because of extra pain was rough. but how was Molly still around if it was late September?]

Little People, Big World "Crossroads for the Roloffs" (S07E08): With summer coming to an end, the kids take pictures of themselves around the farm. [but we don't see the parents' reactions?] Jeremy takes off on the 21-hour drive to Santa Barbara, then Molly heads out (in her new SUV), and finally, Zach. This episode actually takes place over a month or more, as the kids haven't started the fall semester yet at the beginning, but pumpkin season is already rolling at the end. Two weeks before pumpkin season begins, Matt has a couple of kids out to act as a focus group for the new play areas. But, when the kids aren't blown away, he's worried because there isn't time to re-think the activities. [how awesome would it be to play-test an obstacle course?? I would have killed for that opportunity as a child!]

The first day of pumpkin season, the internet goes down, so there is no cash registers to take credit cards for a while. But, Matt makes his phone a WiFi hotspot and they get things going again. [smart!] However, the trebuchet throws at an angle and damages itself, and the sound system on the hayrides is also down. Not only does all of this frustrate Matt, but he's also concerned about his future with Amy, as the kids being out of the house constantly tests them.

LPBW: More and More Help on the Farm

Of all the weddings that have occurred at Roloff Farms at this point, I think that this has been the most gorgeous. The theme was still pretty simple, but everything was just beautiful. Of course, whenever the couple takes such a personal interest in the design (in this case, the groom built several structures), it makes a difference. The other major factor was probably the additional employee Roloff Farms hired to assist with the wedding side of things, Heidi. I wasn't a big fan of her, though I feel like the edits made as to what audiences saw of her were fairly extreme. When she wasn't messing up, her work was quite lovely, like the kites flying via balloons. Jeremy, Zach, and Jacob are also all seen assisting around the farm in this episode, so it was most likely the large team effort that really made this particular wedding come together so well.

Little People, Big World "A Bride and a Bulldozer" (S07E05): Matt and Amy decide to hire a wedding assistant, and they argue over who the best candidate for the job is. [rock-paper-scissors? seriously?] They hire Heidi, Amy's choice, but Matt soon takes a shine to her and even teaches her how to use the mules to get around the farm. Unfortunately, after a few weeks, she's made a bunch of mistakes, and Matt doesn't seem too keen on keeping her around. [yeah, those wings WERE weird and inappropriate!]

Kevin and Meredith book the farm as their wedding venue a month in advance. [I'm suspecting Roloff Farms is specializing in short-term weddings at this point, LoL.] He grew up only ten minutes away and visited Roloff Farms when it primarily was known for peaches, so he's thrilled to be married there. As a fireman in San Antonio, he utilized his coworkers for a very special proposal, and the couple also includes Meredith's two dogs in the wedding party, so they are a bit unorthodox. [Amy baking cupcakes for the girls was a nice touch.] Another example of this is Kevin building a head table from wine barrels. He also does an arbor and a chandelier, which crashes almost immediately when the nails the groom's brother used to tie off the rope snap. [how old were those nails?? also, interesting look with the wine bottles and glasses.] They work on it in the shop, and Kevin is actually able to make it even larger than planned. [the new look is AWESOME, and I was glad he removed the bottles from the apparatus.]

Matt decides on the wine cellar as the special "place" for this couple, but because of the dampness and a possibly snake, it takes some work to prepare. [are there also peacocks on the farm??] However, they're able to turn it into a great location for the couple to steal a few private moments together. [but what was with Matt ignoring the wedding still taking place and starting work on his next project??!? seemed rather unprofessional.]

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Jeremy has been spending so much time working on the farm that he has been ignoring his schoolwork, though he claims that everything is fine. [they now have "free-range" chickens?] Jeremy eventually admits that he's backed up and can't help with the wedding, and even asks Molly for assistance with his accounting class. [she has been largely absent from the past few episodes. Then again, she was never one who wanted a lot of time on the camera.]

Little People, Big World: Another Wedding

Awww! They got engaged at the Space Needle! That's where my husband proposed to me (though he did it slightly differently)! And, although I generally don't like "down home country" weddings, I did think what Hannah and RJ did was really cute. Now, enough about me... problematically, this episode also felt it had had enough about the Roloffs! This definitely felt more like Wedding Farm than traditional Little People, Big World, and it showed. Though Jeremy did mention that he could potentially be the first Roloff to be married on the property, why not at least interview any of the other kids... especially Zach, whose girlfriend has been shown prominently over the past couple years?

Little People, Big World "Forever Young" (S07E04): It's the middle of the summer, and some of the vegetables are ready for harvesting. [we're also halfway through this "season."] Hannah and RJ book the farm with five weeks of notice for their nuptials, which forces Matt to settle on a bridal suite quickly. He brings in a simple manufactured home, but he and Amy argue about where to put it. [watching the house be installed and put together was cool!] The foundation cracks, but they get it fixed. The carpet is the wrong color, they don't have water until the day before, but in the end it all worked out.

On the wedding day, Zach takes the guys on a tour of the farm, and they get in some basketball... but so much that they're late getting ready for the actual event! [how does that happen?? did NOBODY have a phone or watch??] But, there are other issues going on as well... the food truck cancels at the last minute, so they call a caterer, who uses vegetables right out of the garden! [the caterer didn't bring food to cook? I'm confused.] After the ceremony, the couple rides Vespas to the schoolhouse (both just graduated from college) in the Western town, where Matt hung up tons of pictures of them. [that layout was absolutely gorgeous!]

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The seats at the reception are adorned with wine glasses full of Hershey's Kisses, thanks to everyone in the family's help!

Also, it seems that Zach will be moving home after a year on his own. He wants to focus on school and not making rent, but let's see if it really only lasts a couple of months.

Little People, Big World: Game Time on the Farm

I've been a fan of the Roloffs for a long time - they were actually one of the first TLC families that I really started following way back in 2006. I was a bit sad when the series was cancelled, but it was really nice following bits and pieces of their lives through the TLC specials. I wasn't the biggest fan of the Wedding Farm spinoff, but I was pretty excited for the family to return to regular installments, even if only "for the summer." However, I'm starting to second-guess myself. The series is definitely having hits and misses, and I don't think trying to recreate the past (both in the "games day" and in the upcoming return of the trebuchet) is doing them any favors.

Little People, Big World "Til Death Do Us Part" (S07E02): Jeremy helps out a lot with the wedding area cleaning, though the other kids are plenty busy with it, too. Three weeks before the wedding, there is still no dwelling for the bride to use, so Matt is thinking of bringing in a pre-fab trailer of sorts. Amy thinks Matt's office might be a good option, but he fights that and they get an RV for the brides to use. [how does his logic work?] Matt wants to turn a 20-year-old wagon into a usable hay ride mobile at the last minute, slamming Jeremy with work. [it wasn't beautiful, but it was a lot better than when he started!]

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Matt has to act as the officiant at the rehearsal dinner, but the wedding day itself is full of kinks, including the bride feeling sick and the tractor not starting! But, after the ceremony, the hay ride is nice, and the couple meets their close friends  at the saloon in the Western Town. [that was a fun surprise!] During the reception, Jeremy prints out the phots that he took all day and posts them into a book of farm photos. [man, he gets the lion's share of the work!] After the wedding, Jeremy takes the family for a ride around the farm, and it's not too long before Rocky passes away.

Little People, Big World "Game On!" (S07E03): The Roloffs are behind on preparing for pumpkin season because they've been working on the weddings, and there's a lot planned for the pumpkin season. There will be a new FunZone with a cornmaze, an obstacle course, and a hay pyramid, plus the trebuchet will be back in business. But, when Zach leads the kids on a tubing adventure instead of assisting around the farm, Matt plans a day of family games to get the kids more interested in helping out. Tori joins the family in the competitions, and the teams change with each event to allow for a single winner.

First, there is a race around the farm in a mule, with stops to do certain things like pick cherries, pick up shirts, take a picture, and make a basketball shot. Matt & Molly go first and finish in 7:11, with no big slow-downs anywhere. Amy & Tori finish in 9:33, with Tori having issues shooting a basketball and collecting cherries. [how did she not understand how to use her shirt as a bowl??] The brothers finish in 6:26, but Zach took off a few times without waiting for the passengers to put on their seatblets, and Jeremy took his off as soon as they finished, almost getting them disqualified. Plus, when Amy hears about the shortcuts others did to save time, she thinks it isn't fair, but they let them stand.

The next event is the Minefield Competition, where there's an obstacle course, and one teammate must give verbal directions so the other (blindfolded) can get through it. [I thought that the layout was pretty interesting, and would be troublesome for the non-soccer oriented, LoL.] Each team must do both parts, which showcases some of the weaknesses the family members have. Molly, Tori, and Zach finish in 1:33, with Zach being the most detailed. Jeremy and Jacob finish in :58, but only thanks to Jeremy's directions, as Jacob barely verbalized commands. Matt and Amy struggle, and complete the course in 2:30. 

The next round is a cooking competition where Amy judges rather than competes. Three areas can earn 5 points each: taste, presentation, and time. Teams get 5 minutes to plan and 30 minutes to make the meal. Zach and Tori go first, making cheesy spaghetti with salad. Zach didn't have a lot of energy in the challenge, and they finish just on time, earning 12/15 points. [Zach has been living on his own for a while now... what does he eat??] Jeremy and Jacob do a stuffed omelet and a smoothie, but they don't know what seasonings to do for a burger omelet, and almost forget to put all of the ingredients in. [hilarious that Jacob thought Jeremy was good at omelets!] They turn it into a burrito to try to salvage the burned part, but also struggle with the blender. Add to that a made-up story about their ingredients, and Amy awards them 9/15. Last is Molly and Matt, who do fish tacos with rice & beans, and peach salsa. Molly knew what to do and just gave Matt orders, and although they finish just in time, they get a perfect score. [I generally dislike fish tacos, but those looked pretty good... just no cheese for me!] 

Then, there's family & farm trivia. Everyone writes some questions, and Tori moderates Matt, Zach, and Jeremy against Amy, Molly, and Jacob. We learn that, besides pumpkins, the farm's first produce to be sold were peaches. There are some controversial answers because they're subjective questions. [I would have gone with Matt's 3, not Amy's 4. also, it's weird to hear the kids call their parents by their first names!] Amy's team wins.

The final event is a soccer game - Jeremy, Molly, and Tori. vs Zach, Jacob, and Amy. [Matt as referee when it's pretty much the short people against the tall people... interesting.] Jeremy's team wins.

The final places: #7 - Amy  #6 - Tori  #5 - Matt  #4 - Zach  #3 - Molly  #2 - Jacob  #1 - Jeremy. [the three bottom places each missed a competition, so OF COURSE they'll have less points!]

The next morning, everyone works on the trebuchet together, so Matt considers his ploy a success.

RETURNING: Little People, Big World: Fire on the Farm

This series has only been seen in "specials" over the past three years, but will now run eight episodes in a "seventh season," about the events that took place over the summer, and into pumpkin season. From the start, it appears that there will be some tension (as always) between Matt and Amy, some sibling rivalry now that the Roloff kids are growing up, and big changes around the farm. Add in the potential loss of a beloved family pet, and there's a lot to showcase. I think it was interesting how Matt talks about the "Wedding Farm" idea as if it was a big financial loss without exactly saying so. Amongst the kids, it appears as if Zach will, once again, be the most interesting character to follow. Agree?

Little People, Big World "Playing with Fire" (S07E01): The Roloffs start preparing for the new wedding season, and realize they need more upgrades than their budget will allow. Matt wants to torch the bridal suite building and start over, but Amy doesn't agree with the plan, so he sends her on a long errand so she won't be there. [this was low!] But, she returns before they're done, and there's a huge mess when the firemen leave. [OF COURSE Matt didn't plan for that, haha!]

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Matt thinks about doing a recreation from Gone with the Wind, but Amy disapproves of that as well. Still, they do manage to book a wedding six weeks away for Eric and Burgandy. [I have no idea why they bought the Roloff sell on this one! unless they just wanted the small bit of fame of having their wedding seen on TLC?]

All the kids are home for the summer, which leaves Jeremy in the guest room, as Jacob has taken over the twins' old room. [what about Jacob's old room?] Jeremy's chair at the dinner table is taken by Molly, so he's really feeling a bit left out. The kids have various goals for the summer, like Molly wanting to buy a car that she can take back to college and Zach taking school more seriously. Jeremy has a year left of his Bachelor's, and Zach will finish his Associate's at the same time. [yikes! Zach really fell behind there, huh?] Tori has her Bachelor's in education now and works at the farm over the summer. [I hope she's able to find a job teaching!] Zach gets the family to help him on his final project for a literature class.

Rocky isn't doing well, and it turns out that he has a malignant tumor in his pelvic area. He doesn't have much longer to live.

Little People, Big World: Around the Farm and in Costa Rica

When Little People, Big World premiered ages ago, the episodes spent a lot of time showcasing how the Roloffs manage to do everything that others do. After a while, however, it became more like every other reality family. "Welcome to the Jungle" brought the series back to its roots, however, as it depicted how emotional it can be when Matt just isn't as able-bodied as the rest of the family. Another aspect which really came out on vacation is how Amy's role has changed as a mother since the family first came on the scene back in 2005. In both episodes, she struggles with the fact that she's not as needed as she once was, and although she's still there to provide love and support, she has time to work on her own projects once more, including returning to the workforce. However, although the focuses on parenting and ability were once a great focus for the Roloffs, these specials had very little time devoted to the Jeremy, Zach, and Molly, which left audiences a little unbalanced.

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Little People, Big World "Breaking Down the Walls" (Special): Amy tries hard to get Jacob to talk about his life, dreams, schooling, and more. He doesn't have much in the way of aspirations, so Matt challenges him to maintain a B average to be eligible to get his driver's license. He does raise his physics grade, and he is able to start driving. [his attitude toward Amy on the way to the DMV made me sad.]
 
Matt builds a wine cellar with a tasting room on the farm, and wants Amy to help with this and other projects he has for the property. She would rather return to teaching however, and we see her interview at an alternative school, where she pitches a diversity class. [lots of "ums" but I thought the questions were fair.] She's told to go write up a more formal proposal for the course, and she is very excited to be offered the job. [as much as I love to teach about diversity, throwing "what does diversity mean to you?" at middle schoolers is a bit much.]

Little People, Big World "Welcome to the Jungle" (Special): It's March, and Matt wants a big family trip. Because Molly is studying Spanish, Amy suggests a Spanish-speaking country, and they settle on Costa Rica. It'll be Matt and Amy, their four kids, plus Tori and Audrey, Jeremy's girlfriend of 19 months. [I love watching people rush to take off for trips! it's some sort of morbid pleasure I guess.]

The first adventure is kayaking, but Matt is late getting to the van and then has issues sitting in the kayak for very long, forcing him to get into a boat instead. They see mangroves and iguanas on the outing. They next day, the plan is to hike in Manuel Antonio National Park. Matt tries to do it, as it's only about 3 miles long, but he can't keep up and gives up after a while, waiting for the family and enjoying some coconut. They see monkeys, rodents, and more iguanas. They have a beach picnic, and then Matt takes the boys fishing while the girls go shopping. [and Molly gets a random haircut?] That night, Zach and Jeremy take their girlfriends for a romantic dinner while Matt and Amy do the same.

Next on the agenda is donating a bunch of stuff to a school and playing with kids, as part of a service project. Then, it's on to a jungle adventure, with jeeps, ziplines, ropes to cross, waterfalls to rappel, and even some plunging. [I looked up this activity, as it seemed pretty neat to me. I'm nearly certain this is it, and it seems very reasonable and safe.] Matt makes an effort to follow the family, but it just becomes too steep and he has to turn back. On the bright side, he is able to do some off-road driving and watch the group finish the adventure. [above picture.] The final activity is horseback riding, for which Matt has a custom saddle. [he's never ridden a horse but had a saddle made? seems a bit strange.]

Little People, Big World: Matt & Amy Dating?

First, I find it amusing that Zach's girlfriend, Tori, is now pictured with the family in an official photo.

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She was only in one scene of the episode, where she and Zach have dinner with Matt and Amy, and Zach suggests that his parents focus more on their own relationship that what's going on with the kids. It didn't feel forced to be included, but it did set the stage for most of the "action" of the episode. It seems that the producers really like Zach (maybe in the same way that the folks over at 19 Kids and Counting like Josh?), as he appeared a second time, attempting to spend more time with younger brother Jacob. Part of that felt like it came out of nowhere, but otherwise it just seemed sweet that Zach would take the time to hang out with his younger sibling. Of course, it just made the thirty seconds with Molly and Jeremy seem shorter, but I suspect that a holiday special was expected but nothing exciting came about and it was scrapped.

Little People, Big World "Separation Anxiety" (Special): Matt is still brainstorming more projects around the property, but Amy thinks that her husband needs to chill. Without building more, he'd still like to change the carpet and various other things in the main house, but he gets upset that Amy isn't bothered by clutter. [we have this problem in my house a little bit, too. having three purses near the coat rack doesn't seem excessive to me, but I can agree that it's cluttered when my purses all have a place to live in another room.] When the kids are home for winter break, the family decides to get rid of some of the packrat junk around the house, and then Matt hires a cleaning person and gets new carpet. [Amy's reaction to the new carpet was strange.]

At Zach's suggestion, Matt and Amy try dating again, but they don't have a lot in common. He doesn't like line dancing or bowling like she does, she gets annoyed when he spends time on his phone at dinner or complains about the menu. They both admit they think of "calling it quits," and Matt turns to his friends for advice. They try a weekend retreat to Mount Shasta, complete with a ride on a caterpillar-type-vehicle up a ski hill, but it doesn't really solve anything after they return. [hmmm...]

Little People, Big World: Climbing Mount St. Helens

Longtime readers know that I'm a big fan of the Roloff family. I've enjoyed many of their episodes and specials, and, without being cheesy, I can honestly say that they HAVE affected the way I think about ableness and judgment. However, I thought that this installment fell a little flat. Maybe because Molly, Jeremy, and Jacob weren't in it, and maybe because all Matt did was build yet another structure for the farm. The hour-long update really just focused on Amy looking for a goal and then achieving it. While it was cool to see someone actually climb Mount St. Helens (I didn't know you could), I don't think it was the best use of an hour. Maybe Amy could have at least talked about the campfire food and how she'd improve it, now that she has a cookbook (Short and Simple Family Recipes) and all? Or perhaps Zach could have shared more about ANYTHING ELSE going on in his life besides doing this climb with his mother?

Little People, Big World "Conquering Mount St. Helens" (Special): Now that three of the kids are out of the house, Amy decides to step up her training and do a mountain climb on Mt. St. Helens for two days. [props to her - that's ambitious!] Zach decides to join in on the 8,000+ ft hike, though Matt doesn't think it's a good idea. Amy even wears a weighted backpack around the farm to train. She and Zach also do some park trails for practice, and Amy continues to push herself. On the big day, they get started at 1pm with a little over two miles to hike. They break at 1.5 miles to have a snack, and Amy worries that she won't be able to make it. [weird little "I don't know but I've been told" thing Amy was chanting.]

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They build their tents around 5pm, then work on a little practice part of the boulders. Her knees begin to bother her, and Zach starts to worry about his mother. They cook over a fire and have dehydrated food for dinner, then bed by 8pm so they're ready for a 6:30am breakfast. [they seriously showed Zach pulling up his pants zipper??] At 12:30pm they have 1200 feet left to climb, but it's through the boulders and ash. They finish and love the view. [it's nice that they didn't have to carry their large packs all the way up!] Matt is still in disbelief when they return. [that was odd to me.]

Matt wants to fill the hole where the old church was before it was moved to the wedding part of the property. He thinks that a little red schoolhouse would be a good idea, as Amy used to love teaching preschool. The big problem is moving it from their toolhouse, as it's taller than the doorway. They have to re-shingle a little, and then add a working bell tower, but in the end, Amy really likes it, feeling like she's on Little House on the Prairie. [I was smiling, too.]

Wedding Farm: Wrapping Up a New Series

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

Will this series continue? I'm not sure. It partially depends on how many more brides will have their weddings at Roloff Farms, and how many of those will agree to be recorded. It also relies on whether the family will decide to keep up with that new enterprise - it seems to be much tougher than Matt originally anticipated. Still, it was nice to round things out with a nice episode focused on the family. It actually made me hopeful to get more updates on the kids - three out of four are now out of the home, so time's are a-changin'! What did you think of the series - should it continue?

Credit: TLC

Little People, Big World: Wedding Farm "Matt and Amy's 25th Anniversary" (S01E06): As per their usual, Matt and Amy need to compromise on the size and level of formality for their 25th anniversary celebration. [I was kinda put off that Matt didn't help much with the planning the first time!] While they're arguing and taking pictures and whatnot, Jeremy and Molly come home for a weekend to make a video for their parents. [was it really that short?] Amy tries on her wedding dress and wonders why she chose puffy sleeves. [haha!] We get a review of the couple's courtship: met in March, engaged within a few months, and married in September. [I laughed at how Matt talks about Amy's good cooking won him over.]

Matt comes up with a rap for Amy which Jacob and Zach think is ridiculous, but she finds it funny. Amy attaches tons of photos to some panels. Zach and Jeremy bake a cake but they don't wait for it to cool before frosting it. [I have to worry about people in their twenties who have never baked a cake... that's an easy lesson there.] Jeremy brings his girlfriend, Audrey, to the celebration, which Molly misses. After watching the video, they play the Newlywed Game. The kids give them a branding iron with their initials. [I thought that was expected, just as Zach pointed out they've been giving them to the newlywed couples all summer.] 

Celebration aside, Zach, Tori, Matt, Amy, and Jacob visited Molly for the weekend. [she is crazy fortunate to have a mixer at college, but how often will she really use it??] She shows them around and Matt reminisces. [lol, a baby on a tractor??]

Wedding Farm: Hawaiian Wedding; Zach's Announcement

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

I was surprised when I heard that this episode would feature the final wedding of the season for the Roloffs, but I'm sure that not all brides want to be filmed for television, so no big surprise there. I wonder how bookings for the next season are going - if they even decide to continue!  I had mixed feelings when I saw the preview for the next episode, featuring Matt and Amy's 25th wedding anniversary event, because you just know they're going to butt heads! Speaking of which, I thought that their attitudes toward Zach deciding to move out were interesting... it seems that he's kinda been directionless for some time now, especially if he's really stopped taking classes. I hope that this is just the step he needs to make some decisions about what he wants to do and he doesn't come running home before long. Besides, some coverage of how the three oldest Roloffs are doing off the farm could be cool, although I don't see Molly really giving the public much of a view of her life. I guess we'll have to wait and see!

http://tlc.howstuffworks.com
I didn't see any episode-specific images available for this one so I thought I'd share a map of the farm.

Little People, Big World: Wedding Farm "Matt Versus the Volcano" (S01E05): Matt has been trying to get Zach or Jacob to help around the farm but neither is really interested, especially Zach, who admits to his father that he's not really planning to make his life the property. [kudos to Zach for being honest.] In fact, Zach takes his parents to lunch to tell them that he wants to move in with some friends. Matt is surprised that Zach is willing to make a one-year commitment and Amy asks if he's planning to re-enroll in school. Privately, both wonder if Zach's ready to move out, with Amy figuring he'll return in six months and Matt thinking Zach's just wasting money. [you know what the family hasn't talked about in a long time now? Those LPA conferences. I wonder if they go and they're not filmed or if they've just been busy with other things. Maybe it could be helpful to Zach to see what other LPs are doing without his parents hovering.] 

Anyway, on with the wedding! A bride named Shannon wants a Hawaiian-themed wedding because her plans to marry in the Aloha State fell apart. The couple has been together for about seven years and have a six-year-old daughter together, though they've only been engaged for about a year. They want to invite 125 but the event is in just ten days so they estimate that only 80 or so will show. [that's crazy short notice!] Matt books a fire dancer and wants to build a beach, though he's thinking bigger than is needed. [as always, LoL!] He also wants to build a volcano, which Amy is okay with until he wants to add napalm to make a "boom." [I can't blame her!] He also wants more than baking soda and water, though the "lava" doesn't really end up working so they stick to fire and a fog machine instead. [I thought it was pretty neat, though I'm not sure it was as impressive in real life as it was on television.]

The big day-of struggles for this wedding includes kicking out a photographer whom wouldn't confirm with the couple in advance and the bride's gown being MIA for a while, causing the ceremony to start late. [I'm not sure how any period of time went by without someone realizing the dress wasn't there... either a bad wedding planner or bad bridesmaids, LoL! and what was with those leafy suspenders??]

Wedding Farm: Chickens, Crashers, Rain...

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

I'm not really sold on this show. I love the Roloffs and seeing what they're doing these days, but watching them host weddings on their property isn't that exciting. The formula for the past couple of episodes has basically been the same - a couple books with Roloff Farms, Matt & Co. try to spruce up the grounds to fit the bill, the big day comes and there's some issue, everything works out in the end. If the next episode is exactly the same, I'll probably stop covering it here, though I'll still watch for the family updates. What do you think about this show? Does it have a future? Is it seriously procedural or am I making it out to be harsher than it is?

Little People, Big World: Wedding Farm "Big Wedding, Big Problems" (S01E04): Matt wants to draw a big wedding from Craigslist so they can get a bigger profit, figuring they can handle 250 guests. [that's pretty large! I was surprised that Amy thought they could handle 300!] Couple Mike and Bri want a rustic/romantic outdoor wedding and specifically want a barn setting, a field, and a chandelier. They invite 350 people, which is more than the barn will hold, prompting both Matt and Amy to suggest having tents to accommodate the party, but the couple declines. [I don't understand why... Oregon isn't the sunniest state. was it a budget concern??] Their event will be in nine weeks, just after Amy's charity foundation's fourth annual fundraiser at the farm. [[are Matt and Amy considering accepting bookings for NEXT summer? or are they worried this won't work out and they'll be doing something different by then? also, sixty volunteers is a lot!] Mike wants to build a trellis so he goes through Matt's wood collection, asking for some "rare" pieces. [I'm no carpenter so I was lost as to what "rare wood" would be!] Matt would have used those beams differently, but Matt likes his finished product. [I guess that's good. did they take it with them or is it part of the farm's "props" now?]

Amy's event goes well, except that she has to shut down the band early when neighbors complain about the noise. The day of the wedding, however, a lot manages to go wrong. First, the girls lost power in the bridal suite and find several roosters in a closet while looking for the circuit breaker. Fortunately, the girls are willing to help Matt catch the chickens. [um. if this happened at the condo where my bridesmaids and I stayed the night before my wedding, I can guarantee you we would not have been so cooperative!]

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Then, there are issues with the water pump. So, while Zach and Tori help the caterers, Matt figures out what's going on with the plumbing. Then, thanks to a different wedding in the same area, they have crashers at the wrong event. [holy cow! how does this happen?? They didn't put up signs that said "Smith-Jones Wedding"??] PLUS, thunder starts rolling and it ends up raining throughout the ceremony. Of course, this causes a mad dash for the barn, quickly violating fire code. The event planner won't kick people out of there, so Amy announces that they need to leave. Furthermore, Matt and Amy then need to patrol the grounds because people were wandering all over the place. [this has got to be the worst event yet for the Roloffs! Who would have thought that the guests would just find it okay to go gallivanting around the venue's property??]

Wedding Farm: Erica & Kristen

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

I'm still a bit confused as to what made Matt decide to use the extra land for a wedding venture. But, I'm glad that the brides have seemed happy with their events. I know that those weddings were not the type of soiree I would have wanted (my wedding was more of a semi-formal affair), and I certainly would have thumbed-down portable toilets for the guests. Still, there's a reasonable amount of "conflict" in the episodes, with something going wrong amongst the staff or with the venue. I did like Amy telling Matt that he should text her if "all hell is breaking loose." I find it a bid odd and off-putting that the couple is talking so much about their children's future weddings. I mean, I understand that they desire for the kids to marry on their estate, but Zach is the only one even close to such a milestone, and I'd hate for him to be pushed into it before he's ready. Am I reading too much into it?

Little People, Big World: Wedding Farm "A Matrimonial Mess" (S01E02): They're over-budget and behind schedule on making the farm wedding-worthy when the first bride signs on for the venue. Erica's original choice became unavailable five weeks before the date, but her "rustic" theme will fit well on Roloff Farms. [I have a lot of respect for people who have complete DY weddings. the best thing I ever did for my obsessive-compulsive self was hire a wedding planner and only have to make final decisions rather than combing through oodles of information and weed out individual services myself.] Amy offers Jeremy's videographer services, so he brings along a friend to help with that. Matt thought that Zach would help host, but he'd rather do something behind-the-scenes. Jacob will be directing parking for the wedding.

Amy is increasingly paranoid that they won't finish in time as Matt keeps adding personal touches. They get lucky and the grass comes in the morning of the big day, but there are other concerns, like hornets and wind gusts. [the "country chic doors" were a little odd, I thought. hay bales for seating during the reception??] Plus, the couple receives a branding iron made with their initials as a gift from the Roloffs. [interesting, but really more of an ornamental gift than a practical one.]

Little People, Big World: Wedding Farm "Molly Moves Out" (S01E03): The grounds were a little more torn-up after the first wedding than they expected, so Matt creates a loading dock so trucks don't drive all over the lawn again. If you thought that five weeks was a short time to prepare for a wedding, meet Kristen, who has a country-western wedding for 160 people on just two weeks of notice. See, the groom is in the military and barely has time to get married, so Matt wants to make everything extra-special by using the stagecoach to transport the couple to the Western Town to take photos.

TLC

In preparation for the big day, one of Matt's handymen (Sven) points out that Matt is not an ideal manager, but it soon blows over. A big concern is whether the stagecoach will actually be able to be pulled by horses, as it had never been tried in the past. That works out okay, allowing everyone to focus on the bigger problem: the bride-and-groom cake tumbled upon arrival and Zach and Tori rush out to pick up a replacement. [Kristen had some long nails!] But, the 16" is too large, so the couple race to get another one just in time. [I don't understand why so much time elapsed between the incident and when the first cake was picked up...] 

This episode also offered some extra drama, as Molly left for college (I believe she's attending Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington) the same day as the wedding. First, we saw her, Zach, and some friends go to the beach and try a skimboard. Then, Amy takes her golfing. Everyone keeps questioning what she is choosing not to bring with her, but she's got bigger worries, like whether or not to double-major in Accounting and Spanish. 

NEW SHOW: Little People, Big World: Wedding Farm

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

I sometimes don't 100% understand why the Roloffs left/returned. Things were getting tense in that house, but not all that much has changed. Because of the semi-annual specials, we've been kept up-to-date with Jeremy down in Santa Barbara, Zach's relationship with Tori, Molly's growing up, and Jacob's rebellion. I was content in those hour-long catch-ups, especially since they continued to feature pumpkin season at the farm. I'm not sure how this "wedding farm" venture is going to go for Matt and Amy... it's clear that they don't know what they're doing and have undertaken quite a bit in a very short period of time. Still, because it's being called a "series," I imagine that at least a few brides have decided to set their momentous occasions there. What I really wonder about is how Matt sold the idea that this would work to TLC... but maybe we'll get a glimpse of that as time moves forward...

Little People, Big World: Wedding Farm "A New Chapter" (S01E01): Matt needs to make the new property (which they first started considering a LONG time ago) work for the farm, so he wants to start a wedding business. A landscape architect comes out and they work with a surveyor to design some plans. [Matt's office is now in a different building?] There's a very old barn that needs renovating, but things get going very quickly (they have to, "wedding season" is only a few months away) and Matt doesn't take budget into consideration. [he never does, I don't know why Amy hasn't just accepted that at this point!] Amy wants some basics to happen now and wait for the rest, but he doesn't think brides will book without seeing a finished product. [isn't Oregon pretty rainy? do that many people have outdoor weddings there?] They level the area where the ceremony will be by moving gravel from one area of the farm to another, and Matt decides to "up" the landscape plan in an all-or-nothing move, which Amy doesn't like. They also move the chapel from Western Town over to this area, and it suffers a stress fracture along the way. They have an open house for local wedding planners and answer various questions. There are no toilets (that type of plumbing isn't available out there), but the planners want to know about tables and chairs (not included) and tent stakes (not yet decided). [perhaps I'd be pretty caught off-guard by those questions... but at the same time you know you'd be faced with some basics... right?] No wedding planners call them back and they have zero brides booked by the close of the episode.

TLC

Other things taking place for the family include shooting a commercial to promote Roloff Farms for pumpkin season, which Jeremy comes up to watch. And, Molly graduated from high school. Matt and Amy buy her watch (arguing about what kind along the way and making Jacob try them on) and Jeremy comes home to be at graduation. She cries when she gives her "thank yous" and tells everyone she'll miss them when she's off at college (in Spokane).

Little People, Big World: Australia Time!

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

I always get excited when I hear about another special coming to TLC about the Roloffs. I know that there are plenty of people out there who try so hard to make sure everyone is aware of the mistakes that various family members have made in the past, but I think that the family's television specials are still pretty neat. I think that this one was a little different, in that there were only a couple of moments that highlights how this trip was different for little people than it would be for any other family... primarily when Zach struggled with all of the steps on the Sydney Harbour Bridge because of their size. And, speaking of Zach, part of me wondered if he'd be proposing to Tori on this trip... I know they haven't been together all that long (she was kinda introduced last pumpkin season), but he looks at her so endearingly. Plus, it was her birthday. Of course, when he mentioned on-camera that he's still getting used to holding hands in public, it was a red flag that no engagement ring was in the works... yet. And I'm fine with that... this family is large enough that I don't get bored with them, though small enough so that everyone gets some screentime on these specials. I'd still like to hear more from Molly, as she's so different from her brothers, but it was nice to hear quite a bit from Jacob for a change, even if it was mostly about the dangers down under!

Little People, Big World "Down Under" (Special): Matt has decided to take the family on a whirlwind trip to Australia. It'll only be a week long, so they have to plan a tight schedule. [that is CRAZYSHORT for a trip that far away!] Amy (who has a speaking engagement right before the trip) and Jeremy (who has now been in Santa Barbara about a year) will meet the rest of the family in Los Angeles to fly to Sydney, but the more surprising trip component is Zach's request that Tori be allowed to tag along. [hmmm... I wonder how the logistics of that worked... the Roloffs don't exactly do things in the most frugal way...] Amy immediately wonders if the girl can handle the Roloff family for that long, but they decide to allow it, even celebrating the sweet girl's birthday on the vacation. [Molly's hair is so different! sitting in the back row of an airplane for that long would drive me crazy!]

The trip starts with the kids climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge while the parents took a water taxi to watch. It's 1600 steps to the top! Then, they meet up with an old LP friend of Matt and Amy's who married an average-height woman. [Zach seemed happy to receive some encouragement about his "mixed" relationship.] Jeremy brought a small photo printer and did a scrapbook as they went along! With stickers and everything!

http://tlc.howstuffworks.com/tv/little-people-big-world/
australia-scrapbook-pictures1.htm

The next day they headed to the Outback, in the Uluru area. They see the Uluru rock, which reminded Amy of Utah. ["majestic," Jeremy? odd choice... who are you trying to sound smart for? I agree with Amy, though... the red rocks in Utah are pretty distinct.] They woke up early to see the sunrise on camels! Matt was pretty afraid of the heights, so he rode with a guide. This was followed by a breakfast of vegemite and toast, of which nobody was really a fan. [I can't blame them! Right after I finished college I had a coworker from Australia who brought vegemite for us to try and I found it gross!]

Then it was on to the Great Barrier Reef area, which was the part of the trip that really got Jacob nervous, because of the dangerous animals in the water. Before the reef, however, they go to the Cairns Tropical Zoo and feed kangaroos and hold koalas! [anyone else wonder if TLC has a hookup with that zoo? I mean, was it the same one the Gosselins visited?] The next day, they take a boat ride to the Reef, don "stinger suits" (because there are jellyfish the size of your fingernails!), and go snorkeling. Well, Matt hesitates because of fear, then winds up jumping into the water without a suit! [they didn't mention how dangerous that might have been OR if he got any "stings."] Zach, Jeremy, and Matt also take a helicopter ride over the Reef, and the trip ends with a barbecue at the beach. [Jacob didn't feel left out?] 

Little People, Big World: Amy Turns 50

by Amy K. Bredemeyer

I didn't remember that Matt and Amy were so close in age, so I was a little surprised to see Amy's birthday being another special for Little People, Big World. Overall, I was thoroughly impressed with how much Matt did for Amy - it seemed like a really thoughtful trip, and I hope that my husband does such a creative thing for me someday. :)  One thing that stuck out to me - is Matt getting around better now? We only saw him using his scooter in San Francisco, so that was either kinda encouraging, or we just saw rare moments on-camera. We saw a teeny bit of the kids, which included a visit to Jeremy's, and the other kids hanging around and looking for their dog, Rocky. Overall, it was a nice special, but I hope that the next one involves the whole family. What did you think? If you were Amy, would you have been overwhelmed with the surprises along the way?

Little People, Big World "Amy's 50th Birthday" (Special): Matt wants to take Amy on a road trip for her birthday (and for their 25th anniversary), and Molly and Zach tell him that it's gotta be an adventurous trip. He wants to combine a walk down memory lane as well, though, as they were on a road trip when he proposed. She doesn't want a re-creation of the original, though, because it'll lead to disappointment. They're both worried they won't get along for a week in a vehicle. [yeah, I could TOTALLY see that!] The arguing starts early, as they bicker over who should drive. [haha!] They go to Solvang, which is a Danish Village in California. [I'd go check it out in a heartbeat, but it's kinda far so I'll have to plan ahead on that one.] They stay at a bed-and-breakfast, where Matt has arranged for Amy to be Innkeeper for a day - she gets an apron for the kitchen and a cell phone to be the night-time call, and does all sorts of things for the ten-room place. The next morning, she's working at 6am to make the pancake ball delicacy, Æbleskiver. While that goes well, she spends about an hour making up each room, when it needs to be like 15 minutes.[oops.]

Then, it's on to Jeremy's, where. Matt talks about how it smells. [LoL!] Amy has always wanted to perform, so Matt set her up to do some improv and a workshop show at the Unitarian Parish Hall. The next stop is hang-gliding at Elings Park, which she enjoys. Then, to San Francisco, where they go to the Golden Gate, which they visited when they were dating. They ride the cable cars, hit Lombard Street, get crab cocktail at Fisherman's Wharf, and see Alamo Square.

Credit: TLC

We learn (or are reminded) that the Roloffs only dated about two weeks before they got engaged. They head to Carmel, where they honeymooned. They stayed at the same room at the Green Lantern Inn. [that's cute!] Matt had sent ahead framed photos of the two of them and they were all over the room. [awww! but that "give me a passionate kiss" "what for?" thing was awkward.] Amy has always wanted to get some professional cooking lessons, so she gets to assist at Casanova Restaurant's kitchen. They have abalone, and they both love it. It's rainy weather but Matt wants to try recreating cooking out on the beach, which Amy tolerates. They head home after that. 

Meanwhile, at home, Rocky has left the farm, and Zach, Molly, and Jacob have all searched all over for him. Zach mentions that he might even call animal control to see if Rocky's been turned in. After the boys do some "planking" they put up posters of their dog around town. [why is there a "J" cut into Zach's head?? and DRILLING IN the signs? that's intense.] Jacob has his permit now, so he drives with Zach and Molly. [wow. these kids are really growing up!] Rocky finds his way home, though, and the kids eventually try all of the rooms in the house and find him. [odd.]