Laura's Girls

Tomorrow would have been Laura's 43rd birthday. Although she is no longer with us, I see her everyday when I look into our girl's eyes. I think Laura was able to spend enough time with the girls to shape the development of their personalities. They are definitely "strong women" and have a high level of emotional intensity and intelligence that they certainly didn't get from me! Not sure where I would be now if it wasn't for Francesca and Juliana to keep me busy and focused. Although they miss their Mom, I think they are enjoying their adventure in Samoa and learning that they can still be happy and enjoy life. They have an adventurous spirit and love of life, just as Laura did...

Pacific Horizon's Christmas Concert:

The girls school gave a Christmas concert for the parents. Your looking at the entire student body - preK through high school.

Frankie in her lava lava .

Frankie and some of her girlfriends. From left to right Maria, Allison, and Jade.

waiting for the concert to start

getting ready to sing

pre-performance butterflies

J-bear getting ready

Juliana and her friend Julia

J-bear and class in their lava lavas

getting ready for jingle bells

Swim Club:

Frankie and Juliana are in the swim club. Frankie is doing well and can go out snorkeling w/ me now. They recently had a swim meet at the trade winds hotel - the only pool big enough on the island to hold the races. some photos from the meet...

Ready for racing

Frankie getting ready to race

Frankie giving everything she got

Frankie with her second place ribbon

After the meet. Juliana and Julia

Members of Tutuila swim club

Frankie and Maria

Laura I am keeping my promise.

We miss you. Love Roger, Juliana, and Francesca

Hello again from the ring of fire

Well we have had an exciting couple of months here on the island. I am not going to say much about the earthquake/tsunami other than I hope it was the last one I ever experience. We were lucky and others weren't as fortunate. Some villages were wiped off the map and people lost everything. It will take years for these areas to fully recover. A few photos of the aftermath in Pago Pago ...

The first floor of the DMWR office building was flooded and the surge pushed around our vehicles and boats. Luckily I wasn't at the office. The earthquake happened around 7am so I was still at home getting the girls ready for school.

There used to be a functional playground here that I liked to take the girls to.

Vehicle in wall. Nick in the foreground. Gives you an idea of the height and force of the wave.

Boat pushed up onto the dock

Boat on road

The tsunami was also hard on the local wildlife.

Vehicle in ditch. Much more but rather move on to more pleasant things

Random Shots of Life on Tutuila

We are looking forward to Rosie and Rocky's visit next week. The girls are excited to see their Grandparents and to have our FIRST visitors. I am hoping that some of the photos that I post will persuade some of you to come out for a visit.....

Sunset on north coast of Tutuila near Sailele

village of Sailele

Nice rainbow in the front yard at Coconut pt

Easter bunny found us in Samoa

Documented evidence that the easter bunny is real

Walking to Airport Beach w views of Coconut Pt from across the Pala Lagoon. Airport beach is one of the better places to snorkel on Tutuila

path to airport beach along the Pala Lagoon

Snorkeling at Airport Beach - good place to see turtles and black-tip sharks

Birthday at Larsens Cove

Treasure hunt

Playing in the rain

Swim meet number two. This time Juliana entered the races but still won't let go of the swim coach.

Pretty sleeping -this is so weird.

Full moon at Coconut Point

Cute

whatever Dad...