December 22, 2009--A Boy, his Dog, a Grandmother, and a Christmas song

Jimi Hoff's First Visit to the Caverns

December 30, 2008--Grandson Jimi's first visit to Carlsbad Caverns.














Jimi sprinting toward photographer, Grandpa Bob

Working at the caverns gift shop/ bookshop is Uncle Jose
Campos, Victoria's brother. Jimi making a sharp turn.










Hoff family boards inter-Chihuahuan
Desert caverns "transporter."











(Below) Uncle Jeff holding Jimi













Jimi, Uncle Jeff, Grandpa Bob, and Dad Darren













Photograph somewhere in the Big Room










What's up, Dad?












Father and Son in the caverns

Uncle Bo Ramirez, Park Ranger Interpreter,

explains to Jimi the geological theories
of how the caverns came to be. Jimi responds

by asking Bo if the caverns sells Skittles.
(This section of the blog is fiction,

although Bo is a real uncle)












Most of us, including Jimi, got tuckered walking
in the Big Room. Of course, we took the elevator
down, saving the Natural Entrance and the
Main Corridor for later trips.

I had planned to spellbind the group with a
treasure trove of personal caverns memories
but I was so far behind I got to the elevator
lobby about an hour and fifteen minutes after
my family did. :=)

Like everywhere else we take Jimi Victorino
Campos Hoff, the trip to the caverns was a
delight with him.

Thanks, Vick !

Grandpa Bob

Originally written 3/8/09, but unpublished then due to

problems with Google Blogger. BH

September 14, 2008--Jimi Takes Grandma and Grandpa Hoff to the Library ("sort of")

Signs in the Children's Section of the Library

Left picture I took of Chris and right picture Jimi took of me. Not bad for a 3-year old photographer, no? He does use voice instructions from me on how to hold and point the camera and where to keep his fingers. He also wears the strap loop around his right wrist iin case the camera gets away from him, which it did the other day, but it stayed swinging on his arm; my heart attack was "minor."

He is a good photographer, as you can see. I handle his "bad results" the way I handle mine: I delete them immediately

I said above that Jimi took us to the library "sort of" because we had to blackmail him to get him to go. Once he got there, he was a perfect gentleman and seemed to enjoy it, having Chris find and check out books for him and reading to him. Later, he would not admit that he had enjoyed himself, as MAIN his passion is in the realm of video game playing.

We are hoping to convert some of that passion to reading and books and the joy of libraries (and Gramp's favorite buying books). When you see Jimi playingvideo games, he is pretty darn amazing and skillful (he plays adults on the Internet; I don't think they know he is three).

We want him to find time for reading, as well as discovering the joy that it can bring. It really can and does bring joy, joy even deeper I can imagine than the joy of "shooting the bad guys").

Jimi gave Aunt Olga who works at the library a big old bear hug before we left.

Happy Third Birthday, Mr. Jimi Victorino Campos Hoff

Jimi and his posse with Spiderman pinata. Like most kids his age, Jimi admires many heroes, uses their brands of clothes and weapons, and emulate them. When I was a bit older than Jimi, I wore a Superman T-shirt that I got from a cereal company for a couple boxtops and a piddly amount of cash. I loyally wore that shirt until the real Superman heard about it and made me take it off. (Superjerk)











Lexie, Ryan, and Jimi. Ryan and Jimi's fathers were friends when they were youngsters as well, still are friends, and have worked as co-workers.











I missed the top of Daddy Darren's head because he recently turned 24 and is taller than I remember.











Jimi getting into the swing of the party. This was before he and other little aqua-pranksters were throwing water-filled balloons at human targets.










































When Jimi saw that the blue birthday card had a "J" on it, he said, "I got mail."












Grandma Carol Campos organized the bestowing of presents on the birthday boy. Ryan, Jimi's four-year old friend provided top-notch party security, having only to arrest and transport three adults and a lookout frog for attempted birthday gift filching.












Grandpa and Chef Abel Campos cancelled all his cooking engagements in Paris for the weekend so that he could barbecue his world famous cheeseburgers and hot dogs for the famished cluster of humans. After eating, they hummed gentle tunes while swaying back and forth on the balls of their feet. Snapping a shot to the right is my favorite photographer in the world, the lovely and always focused Grandma Chris Hoff. Years ago when I asked her to marry me, she took her camera out of her purse and said, "why yes. Let's see what develops,"















Uncle Erik Hoff to left and Uncle Jose Campos to left in the picture to the right. Jimi still in the present-receiving mode.

















Aunt Veronica (Ronnie) Campos in the blue and Jimi's posse. Ronnie's son is 4-year old Mark-- Jimi's cousin and friend.Mark and Jimi both have orange shirts on. Mark is the slugger of the posse who beat the daylights, tar, and turkey spam out of Spiderman pinata





















Jimi's great grandmother Sabina Campos in the right hand corner of the picture.
















Dad Darren holding the pinata rope for Jimi's cousin Mark.























At the end of the party, while Dad Darren loaded up his vehicle with the wonderful presents from everyone, Jimi began to bike off into the sunset, with Ryan scooting beind him as fast as his short legs would carry him.