The End Has Come

A lot of people have emailed me wondering why I haven't updated my blog in so long. To make a year's worth of trouble really short, people have left my life but are too stupid to realize that Blogger sends a traffic report weekly that lets me know who is accessing my blog and where they are located. It is accurate to the point that it identifies which IP address you are using. You? Not smart!

I have loved sharing my pictures and memories, but I have no desire to satisfy the curiosity of the few who really have no business reading my thoughts or seeing photo blogs of my nieces and nephew.

So good-bye to 2008, you sucked and I won't miss you at all.

To my friends and family who love me and have stuck by me through it all, I will find another outlet to share my memories and photos with you. To the rest of you, get a life. Really. You are beyond pathetic.

Florida: The Lost Weekend

Is there anything better than a long weekend with just the girls? In our current world of crazy lives where we are all spread out across the country, and can mainly only correspond via the telephone and internet, there is nothing better than getting together with your girlfriends for a long weekend of frivolity, hilarity, and a hell of a lot of drinking.

I just got back from Orlando, Fl, where I spent four days with my some of my Girls. We all have very different backgrounds, but one major thing in common; we understand the necessity of having a strong network of women we can count on when the chips are down, and when we just need to laugh so hard we pull something.

There is just something about it that cannot be achieved with a group of guys added into the mix. Maybe it is the fact that we can judge men from a far and mock them for their attempts to pick up on women. Perhaps it is the fact that we don't have to explain ourselves to each other, we are just accepting of who each one of us is. It could just be that women, when in the company of other women who are their intellectual equals, bring out the very best in each other.

We have been there for each other during some of the most horrific things life can throw at you. If you live long enough, the bad stuff is going to get each and every one of us. A solid network of girlfriends is the best thing in the world when you just need to rant, cry, or laugh. It is our own perfect trifecta.

The ranting is key. There are so many things that happen to us on a daily basis, ranging from the mildly annoying to the life altering that you just have to talk to someone about. Husbands, boyfriends, brothers, etc...can all try to help, but they really want to fix it and move on. Girlfriends, the true girlfriends, will listen to your rant, and then, this is key, they will rant back. They will join you in upping the ranting quotient until finally it becomes hilarious and you feel better without even thinking you could feel better in that moment.

So, thanks Girls! I'd post a picture of us in all of our glory, but we really never stopped laughing long enough to pose for a picture together.

I can't wait to see you all in LA!

Happy Holidays!

Happy Holidays to all of our family and friends!

This past year has been both wonderful and difficult. Thanks to the love and support of all of you, we got through it and are looking forward to 2008!

Much love to all of you!
Christine and James

We Remember Tuesday, September 11, 2001

Every September 11th since that horrible one in 2001, I, and, I am sure many of you, cannot help but reflect on the fragility of life and the the evil that still exists among mankind.

Every year, I inundate myself with documentaries because I am afraid I will forget how I felt that day, and, after visiting Dachau in Germany, I have a compulsion to continue to remind myself of history's greatest tragedies. If you haven't already seen it, The Falling Man, which has been airing on Discovery Times, it is a wonderful documentary that makes the point that the photo of the man falling from one of the towers is 9/11's version of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Many have tried to identify this man, and none have done so conclusively.

The point is not who this man is, the point is he is the human face of this great tragedy. We have all watched United 175 fly into the second tower over and over on our TV screens. What is that really? It is steel, concrete, airplane fuel, glass, and many other materials meeting to cause the catastrophic events none of us will forget. It is not, however, a portrait of the humanity behind the day.

The documentary makes the point that, after the first day this photo ran worldwide, there was so much outrage that it was never seen again in print. It was viewed as a private moment showing the horrid decision the man had to make, and should not be printed for the world to see. It was, to many, a moment that should not be shot around the world on the news wires. This photo, that, to me, humanizes the day, was simply erased from the media and thus, our collective minds. I wonder how many of you even know exactly which photo I am referring to when I mention "The Falling Man".

Perhaps I am so drawn to this photo because it reminds me of another one from a tragedy that personally touched me, the Oklahoma City bombing. As most of you know, I was in a macro economics class in Oklahoma City when the bomb went off and I heard it and felt it. The photo that emerged that day that still symbolizes that day for the world was one of a small child, a toddler, really, Baylee, being cradled in the arms of a Firefighter. Baylee was dead. She was one of the children in the daycare center in the Murrah Building that had absolutely no chance of survival. This picture remains in the public consciousness, yet The Falling Man has not been allowed to.

I will not post The Falling Man photo here as I believe we all have the right and responsibility to remember all those who died so senselessly in whatever way we choose. I choose to watch many documentaries every year, you may choose to take a moment of silence. I choose to embrace The Falling Man as the photo that illustrates the people involved in a horrible decision making process that played out before our eyes.

Whatever you do, please, don't forget. Never forget how you felt on that day, and never forget the thousands of lives that were extinguished and their friends and family who continue to cope with the aftermath of that horrible day.

I will never allow myself to forget you, even though I didn't know any of you personally. Godspeed.

My Paul Potts Obsession

If you haven't heard of Paul Potts by now you are living under a pop culture rock. This is addressed to you. Click on the link above to go to his website, and then select the videos section of the site. The videos you simply must watch are at the bottom of the page and are listed as Audition, Semi-finals, and Final.

Paul Potts appeared on this season's Britain's Got Talent. He is a shy, soft-spoken mobile phone salesman with a gigantic talent. When he walked onto the stage for the first time, series judges Piers, Amanda, and Simon all had differing degrees of skepticism on their faces. When he opened his mouth to sing, he stunned the world.

I love stories of the underdog coming out on top, and this is truly spectacular.

Take a moment to watch the three video clips. Trust me, it is amazing.

I wish Paul Potts many years of success and hope he visits Dallas to perform live.

Time To Say Good-Bye...sniff

So Long...Farewell. I love you and will miss you all.

Oh my goodness...so much has happened in the time I have been here, that I almost don't know where to begin! I have been in San Jose for a while, so I have seen some amazing things, been blessed to get to spend so much time with my little Ruby and Ford, and spend a lot of great quality time with Annie and Bobby.

I should preface this post by saying that this in no way is the entire collection of the wonderful photos and videos that will come. This is another teaser.

There have been so many firsts. First pairs of shoes (plural only because we have two babies, not because eleven month old babies need multiple pairs!); Ruby learned to crawl (Ford has been crawling since around Christmas, I am told); first solid foods,with not even the tiniest of puree involved (broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, sweet potatoes, bagels, chicken, animal crackers and so many more I am forgetting right now; Ruby and Ford both have eight (!) teeth; Ruby and Ford are "cruising", holding onto things like the coffee table and walking along while holding on, with just about anything they can pull themselves up on; Ruby has taken her first TWO steps in a row without holding onto anything! She can also stand up straight not holding onto anything for quite an impressive amount of time; Ford has taken his first step, but he is less motivated than his sister to walk because his crawling is so fast that we all have to chase after him at almost a run to catch up.

Ruby has said her first word, "dog", which she can also accompany with the American Sign Language sign for "dog" thanks to a video called "Baby Signing Time", we are still holding out for confirmation of Ford's first word, although there have been plenty of sounds we would love to attribute to him. Ann asked him the other night if he was "all done" after his dinner and she and I both clearly heard him say "all done", but we think it was more of a mimic than a real attempt to talk. It did not stop our jaws from hitting the ground, however! Both Ruby and Ford say, "mom, mom, mom" when they are angry or sad. It means save me, hug me, kiss me, entertain me, etc...

*Aside: Baby Signing Time is great for teaching the signs for useful things like eat, drink, water, juice, diaper and many other words that could help a baby communicate what they want.

However, on behalf of myself, Auntie Kate, and Uncle Charlie I feel obligated to lodge a complaint. There is an entire section for teaching the signs for mom, dad, grandma, and grandpa. Nowhere do aunties and uncles get a mention. Here's the gist of the song for your enjoyment:

Mom has a mom and she's my grandma
She's another mother who loves me
Mom has a dad and he's my grandpa
He's another father who loves me

Dad has a mom and she's my grandma
She's another mother who loves me
Dad has dad and he's my grandpa
He's another father who loves me

So many moms
So many dads
There are many, many people who love me

I ask you; do you see any mention of an auntie or an uncle who loves baby? We are part of the "many, many people who love [them]".Yeah, I am disgruntled. Auntie Kate, Uncle Charlie, Uncle Eddy, Aunt Christine Caroline and I need to mount a campaign to get the aunties and uncles who love babies included! End aside.*

*New aside* If Ann, Bobby, and I ever have to tell a hearing impaired person that we need to potty or want a bird we are SO in business. Not to mention we can ask for our diaper to be changed.
Here, Ruby is demonstrating that she can hold her sippy cup all by herself and drink out of it without an assistant tipping it up for her. Forder has also mastered the sippy cup. This has a large margin for error. Fortunately, their Baby Bjorn bibs have moats to catch the overflow. Unfortunately, Ruby and Ford quickly discovered the moats, so there is a lot of play involved with the moats. It is especially fun when the moat has caught a mixture of water, yogurt, vegetables, and meat...all at the same time.
Litttle Boo is on her Dora the Explorer push car that plays music, which she and Forder love to dance to. Mommy, Daddy, and Auntie get stuck on the songs for days on end. Allow me to share, it has a Caribbean sound to it. Play along at home, please:

Dunt Dunt Dunt Dunt Dunt Dunt Dunt Dunt Dunt, Dunt;
Dunt Dunt Dunt Dunt Dunt Dunt Dunt, Dunt;
Dunt Dunt Dunt Dunt Dunt Dunt Dunt Dunt Dunt, Dunt;
Dunt Dunt Dunt Dunt Dunt Dunt Dunt, Dunt;

Are you stuck on it? We are. Every single second of every day.

Take special note of the front of the car. It is like the Small World ride at Disneyland, complete with animatronics.

It has not been uncommon to hear a "fantastica" blurted out by one of us from across the house, or in the supermarket, or at the park. You know, all the places where one looks crazy shouting out Spanish words at random. You see, Dora not only speaks English, she shares with us in Spanish, as well. It is...a bit annoying, but Ruby and Ford love it, so what are you going to do?
This is Ford Patrick's "Home Depot Big Digger". It is pretty cool, but has one little feature that causes adults to jump in fear. There is a button that makes the EXACT same noise as the one trucks, and apparently farm equipment, make while backing up. Ann, Bobby, and I have all been caught looking around in panic and fear for the truck backing up in the middle of the living room. Imagine our shock if one of these times there really is a cement mixer backing up in the living room. I sort of feel like I should throw myself over the babies to protect them when the "Big Digger" starts beeping!
Here, Boo Boo is demonstrating how you push the button that makes the back up beeping noise. Notice, she has picked up some debris along the way. She comes from Minnesota farm implement stock, so I think she is channeling her Stimmler and Johnson roots. Bobby and my Grandpa Johnson sold farm implements in Wheaton, MN and Ann's Grandpa Stimmler sold farm implements in Morris, MN., don'tcha know!

Fun fact, our Grandparents knew each other from approximately the 1950's on! They both sold International Harvester implements and went to the same conventions year after year. It's a small world after all. Are you sensing a theme yet?
This is one of my favorite pictures that I have ever taken in my life. This is the face of pure mischief. Ford Patrick is "sneaking" to take my glasses or camera.

This is the face he gets every time he is stalking his prey, not unlike a cat, which is usually a camera or the glasses off of ones face. He even gets eerily still and quiet as he assesses what his next move will be. He is his own little National Geographic special. I can hear the dialog now. "Observe the animal in his native land as he crouches down and becomes still, waiting for his prey to let its guard down."

Birds beware! He out to get you; part baby, part feline. Maybe we should attach a bell to him like we did to our cats when Bobby, Eddy, and I were growing up to give the birds a fighting chance.

Notice the barely contained smile or giggle when he is trying SO HARD not to give away his master plan. I adore mischievous Ford. It cracks me up every single time.
Really, is there anything sweeter than snuggling up to a baby who is just out of the bath, sleepy, and about to go to bed? Boo Boo loves her Daddy to snuggle her just a little more before she shuts her peepers and says good-bye to the day.
Mommy is no dummy and she is quick to join the sweet, sleepy baby and Daddy before she puts Ruby to bed. Ann is the one who rocks them down every night, not because she thinks Bobby is incompetent, but because she nurses them to sleep. It has to be the most rewarding time of the day for her!
Grandma and Grandpa, I swear I had nothing to do with Ruby and Ford's fascination with dirt. I know it looks suspicious after the incident where I filled the hole the willow tree's roots had vacated with water and then convinced Bobby and Eddy to jump in, but I am innocent. Innocent I tell you!
Yum, dirt! I am sure Auntie Christine has nothing to do with this mischief. I was simply there to document the moment...Does talking about myself in the third person make me sound even more guilty? Hmm.
Boo Boo had to munch on quite a large plant before she got down to the delicacy that is dirt. Again, I am not responsible at all.
Park! Ford decided one day, completely out of the blue, that he wanted to climb to the top of the slide. It was a toddler slide, so it had very deep, short, shallow steps that curved around. Still, he scampered up them on all fours like he had been doing it forever. It was one of the craziest things I have ever seen. As far as I know, he has never really even seen stairs or paid them any interest.

*Update: Bobby has confirmed this was Forder's first experience with stairs.*
This is the very slide Ford Patrick climbed up. He was rewarded with a trip down the slide being held by his very proud Daddy while Mommy and Auntie Christine cheered his accomplishment.
Ruby Lee and Daddy sharing a little down time at the park. Ruby's favorite thing to do at the park is swing. She is a swinging maniac. She laughs and laughs at the babies swinging next to her on the toddler swings. It is hilarious.
Don't look now, but Monkey Man learned how to climb up onto the dishwasher's door and play with clean dishes. You know, because the best toys are the ones you aren't supposed to have!
This is Ford's triumphant face. Have you ever seen anything so sweet in your whole life? Please don't ask me where this script and the underlining came from, Blogger apparently has a bug and occasionally drives me crazy by pulling this nonsense.
Boo Boo watched her brother's adventure and the next thing we knew...

Ta Da!

Before morning naps, Ruby and Ford go for a walk with Mommy. How adorable are their "snow suits"? They are irresistable.

People never cease to amaze me. I am the sister of twin brothers and I have heard pretty much all of the ridiculous questions strangers ask when confronted with twins." Are they identical?" "Do they have the Super Twin powers?" Okay, that last one might be made up, I will never tell!

The fact that we can take them out in their snow suits and have people ask if they are boys or girls astounds me. People, don't make yourself look stupid. One is in purple and one is in blue. Do the math and work it out!

This rant is completely ignoring the fact that Ruby looks so much like a baby girl and Ford looks so much like a baby boy that I think we could dress them in the opposing colors and you still would be able to tell Ruby is a girl and Ford is a boy. No wonder Uncle Eddy wrote his college entrance essay on the downside of being a twin. I have been asked my entire life how I can tell Bobby and Eddy apart, and they look nothing alike. Plus, Eddy is three inches taller for Pete's sake. People are crazy!
After they go for a walk, they watch Baby Signing Time or Baby Einstein Mozart. Usually they are in their swing or exersaucer to watch their sleepy time videos, but they were so excited by this one they had to hold on to the TV's baby gate. Little bottoms are so cute!
After they have watched their sleepy time video, Mommy rocks the babies to sleep. I am so jealous of this time she has with them. They only want Mommy when it is time for a nap, not surprisingly.
Little sleeping Ford Patrick. He is so precious that you just want to kiss him! He is irresistable.
Baby Forder finally asleep in his crib. Note the cutest ear curls ever!
Not to be outdone in the cuteness department, little Ruby has her hair in an adorable pony tail. It looks just like an antenna. She may be picking up radio signals!
Awake and ready to play! This is the coolest toy ever. They can walk behind it like a stroller, there is a place to put Sweet Pea (shown) and their Pooh Bear, and it is even a shape sorter. You can see where the shapes go in right under Sweet Pea. The shapes stick with magnets to the side of the stroller when not in use. The opposite site has a maze where they can move wooden shapes through the maze. It is really cool. Mommy and Auntie Christine put it together and it required a lot of wood glue and very few screws, so we are a little afraid of it, but it seems really sturdy so far. There are wheels to attach when they start being able to walk faster. Ann put felt on the bottom for now.

I sound like an infommercial. This AMAZING toy is available at Target for approximately $11.00 for a limited time. Okay, I made the limited time part up. Act fast and we will throw in a set of steak knives ABSOLUTELY FREE!
Freaking underlining is back and it has brought its friend bold with it...Anyway, one of the fantastic things about visiting Bobby and Ann has been the amazing food we have been cooking at home. We have become quite the gourmets! Here, Bobby is warming up to cut the awesome mushroom/feta pizza we made with his new toy, just like the pizza parlors have! It is important to stretch before attempting this tricky manuever.
Next, Bobby checks for sharpness and shape to make sure that his new toy is properly crafted. There is nothing worse than ending up with a dull, warped pizza cutter, I always say.
Annie gets in on the action. Her pieces were more uniform, but don't tell Bobby!
Beautiful pizza. Please note the piece in the upper right corner. SOMEONE couldn't wait for Auntie Christine to snap the money shot before taking a bite. Hmmm...I wonder who?
This morning. My last to snuggle Ford right after he woke up which is the best time to snuggle with him as he just wants to be cuddled and kissed on. Ford is the cuddliest baby I have ever met. He will crawl over and get in your lap in the middle of playing just to get a snuggle. Ruby is a not quite as big a snuggler, but she, too, has her moments. I love them both so very much and leaving them is horrible. I will see Bobby, Ann, Ruby, and Ford in four months, which seems like forever!

I am off to L.A. to see Grandma, Eddy, Christine, and Astrid so that is all for this post. Believe me, with the amount of pictures I have taken, there will be more to come soon!

Weekend Trip to Napa Teaser

We had a lovely trip to Napa Valley this past weekend. Ruby and Ford were the hit of every winery, per usual. We has a fantastic time, I think. Some of it may be a little fuzzy...



Last winery of the day was actually Mumm which has amazing California sparkling wine. I wouldn't want to call it champagne and get the French more riled up than usual.
A wonderful day was had by all. We decided in lieu of a drunk adult driver, Ruby should drive us home. She was very excited at this prospect and her inebriated father taught her the finer points of driving when we stopped at a gas station.

Considering he had more to drink than Ann and I combined, it may have been a better idea for one of us to give Boo Boo a crash course on driving.

*DISCLAIMER* Ann Marie Stimmler Johnson was the designated driver. She did not drink and we returned home safely thanks to her. No babies were harmed in the making of this blog.

Astrid's Teaser

Astrid turned two January 4, and she embarked on the birthday tour. This is party number 2! She is so popular, one party simply isn't enough. She had a little party in L.A. for her GG and Auntie Christine with chocolate cupcakes and a party in San Jose at Bobby and Ann's house with her Auntie's and Uncle Bobby, as well as one of Christine's friends from Wellesley and her daughter who is about Astrid's age. This party featured white cupcakes. I think we all learned our lesson from chocolate cupcakes! Some of the cutest pictures ever to come!
Can you believe how big she is? She is absolutely the cutest two year old to ever exist. Nothing pulls at your heart strings quite like your first niece calling you Auntie Christine for the first time. Of course, it comes out more like Tee, but it is completely adorable. More Astrid updating to come! You know I had to tease you!

It's a twin teaser!

For those of you who remember a tiny toddler named Christine, you might recall a picture similar to this complete with Fritos and Oshkosh B'Gosh overalls. Boo Boo is channeling Auntie in this picture. Or, Auntie put Boo Boo in the overalls and gave her prop Fritos and posed her. Hmmm, I wonder which scenario is true?
Auntie has been hard at work teaching Forder how to drive. He hasn't quite mastered 10 and 2, but he is very close, as you can see.

That's it, folks! You will just have to wait for the rest with baited breath. Believe me, the twins have done an extremely thorough job in wrapping Auntie Christine around their respective precious little finger. There will be many, many more pictures to come, including Astrid, the most gorgeous two-year old ever!

Visit to Santa or Torture? You be the judge!

Ahh, the rites of passage of childhood! It’s okay, Ruby, Auntie Christine didn’t have her picture taken with Santa until she was about 20 years old! Look at Ford just chilling out wondering what the fuss is about! So cute! I think this picture sums up childhood nicely. Their cousin, Astrid, didn’t want to have anything to do with Santa either. Boo, Scary Santa!

Ruby and Ford's First Thanksgiving

I think I speak for everyone when I say, there are a whole lot of Harkers, Johnsons, and Stimmlers that are thankful for Ruby and Ford this year. Look how fast they are growing up! I can't believe my eyes. I had no idea that babies could eat solids this soon. Yeah, I know, I am clueless. They are so gorgeous!

Picture of the Day: A Smile That is Not Deceiving