The Saturday Morning Post - Late July Edition

Well it can't get much later in July than this.

Greetings friends, just a quick update on things. I'll have a lengthier post next Saturday morning.

In the baby department, Jordan Carlos will be here on Monday. We know this because Laura's C-Section is scheduled for that morning. We have been preparing for some time now around the house. Jordan's space will be in our bedroom. His bassinet, crib, and dresser/changing table have all been assembled and decorated. Laura has been very busy preparing for our new arrival, particularly since she's been off of work these past 3 weeks.

The domino effect from the changes to our bedroom is that (1.) my dresser is now in the garage, and (2.) the large office desk on which the family computer rests is now in the living room. These, in turn, have created other space/functionality issues.

My co-workers threw me a surprise baby shower. Here are a few pictures:
Laura posted these and other pictures on her Facebook page. One of her friends commented "tooo cute, didn't know guys had it in them...bravo..." I didn't have the heart to reply to that comment that my co-workers are all women. (the only other male in the department is our boss).

In the dog department, Jordy had an acute reaction to over-the-counter flea medication, and had to be taken to a pet emergency clinic. He had to stay the night, and after much attention from the medical staff, was returned to us the following morning a healthier dog.

In the older children's departments, Brady has been doing his cheer thing, Nina has not been doing much of anything. I don't have a picture of Brady doing cheer stuff, but I do have this recent picture of him wearing a cheer shirt while reading a book to Jordy.
And here's a picture of Nina and one of her school friends who came to spend a day (and a night) with her for play time and fun.

Until next Saturday morning -

The Saturday Morning Post - April

Greetings.

Things have been so busy for me lately that I haven't had the time to post, read posts, or spend much time on Facebook. (Yes, I know this is Blogger, but I'm on Facebook more than Blogger) I haven't even been checking my personal e-mail account as regularly as I should. The last time I let that go too long I had over 100 new e-mails. So let me update you on the highlights of my life.

The Baby

We picked his first name: Jordan. We haven't decided on a middle name yet. I was actually surprised when my wife Laura suggested Jordan. Jordan, you see, is also the name we picked for the baby that Laura lost nearly two years ago. One of the reasons we picked it then was because we knew it would work as either a boy's name or a girl's name. Laura suffered the miscarriage before we knew the gender of that baby. Laura is 5 months along now, and as of the last ultrasound, all is well.

Brady

He and his cheer squad continue practicing for the world championship in Florida. This event begins Friday April 23. Just last weekend, he had a competition nearby in Anaheim (literally across the street from Disneyland). I didn't get to see him perform, but Laura did. That particular competition was not their best performance. They did better in Dallas and in Palm Springs during February.

Nina

She has a new best friend (Marley), and has enjoyed multiple play dates, and a sleep over. She was also recently awarded student of the month in her class, and was recognized at the 4th grade assembly in front of all her classmates. Mom and dad were in attendance too!

Jordy

He and I walk nearly every morning before I leave for work. Well, he runs down the street with me in tow. We move at a slightly slower pace as we return up the opposite side of the street. He stops and smells everything, and when he urinates against a tree, he usually hikes the wrong leg.

Laura and I have discussed the possibility of the confusion that may occur after the baby is born because of the names Jordan and Jordy being so similar. Time will tell if that happens, but confusion is no stranger to this household.

The Mustang

My mom found a buyer for my dad's 1966 Mustang. An old friend / band member from high school, Steve Howe. Steve actually graduated the year before my older sister, Diana, which means he was a senior when I was a freshman. Anyway, he was in to Mustangs then, and my mom feels much better about the car going to someone she personally knows. Steve will also take good care of the car.

My Finger

Two Saturday's ago, while working in the yard trimming the hedge, I nearly severed my finger. Okay, well I'm exaggerating. I seriously cut the tip of the finger. This was the most painful injury I have ever incurred. I have always said (to close family and friends) that I have a high tolerance for pain, so when I say this was the most painful injury, I assure you it hurt like a mofo. I actually felt faint, not because of the blood loss - I controlled that quickly - but from the sight of the blood (more than I am used to). I'm better now, but I will probably have a scar forever.

Angels Flight

I found the picture below at my mom's house. I've recently been going in to downtown Los Angeles for business, and I saw the Angels Flight where it currently operates (not where it's pictured here). I have no idea when this picture was taken, but I would guess it was in the late 1960's. In it, you can barely see the top of the 3rd St. tunnel. Today, in this very spot, you can hardly see any ground; it's all buildings. I'll post a picture at a later date so you can see it as it presently looks.

Thanks for stopping by, and I hope you visit back on another fine Saturday morning . . .

The Saturday Morning Post - Vol. 7 - Family Pictures

This Saturday morning, I thought I would share some pictures of my family. After all, the name of my blog is Danny & Family. My wife Laura is the keeper of the pictures. That is to say she has the digital images on our family computer under her login, and she set up folders to categorize them. She also has a box of photos in our closet taken from our older camera - the one that used film. I don't have the time to look through the box and pick out any, and don't really want to scan them and put them on the computer. There are plenty to choose from on the computer right now. So below are some fairly recent ones.

I'll begin with a few taken on my Birthday back in January. Laura and I, along with our daughter Nina, went to Disneyland. Disney has this offer where the person celebrating their birthday gets in free. My birthday also happened to have fallen on Martin Luther King's birthday, so due to the holiday and so many people being off of work and school, the Magic Kingdom was quite crowded that day.

I don't remember why our son Brady didn't join us at Disneyland, but he did go to dinner with us at the Olive Garden. Here I am getting ready to blow out my candle on a piece of chocolate cheesecake I was given, and Brady decided to be a goof.

Next stop on our picture tour is right next door. Literally. Our next door neighbors are my wife's grandparents, Bertha and Gil. On Easter Sunday, we also celebrated Gil's 80th birthday. Here's the birthday boy, and his lovely wife:

Also taken on Easter at Gil's party; Laura with her sister Sara and her brother Sean:

Pictured here are four generations: Bertha, Tina, Laura and baby Olivia.

Here's a better picture of Olivia:

And finally a picture taken about a week ago. Laura e-mailed it to me at work, and the subject line said "Our Kids"

Well that's it for this week. See you next Saturday morning.

The Saturday Morning Post - Vol. 5 - Jordy the Puppy

Introducing Jordy the Puppy. Earlier this year, we were blessed with a new puppy - Jordy. My wife Laura has wanted a small dog for some time now. Small enough that the dog can sit on her lap. She finally got her wish by getting this cute little guy. Here he is in one of the earliest pictures we have of him.

In mid February, we went out to the desert to do some off-road riding in our quads. This was Jordy's first road trip. Here he is next to my quad in the cargo area of our trailer.

On the trip home, he slept on the counsel between the two front seats of our truck. That's my sexy right elbow pictured.

Jordy is in a litter with 2 other males, and one female. Here he is with his two brothers, Toby and Dusty. Jordy is on the left being held by my daughter Nina. I don't know which one is Toby, and which is Dusty.

A couple of months ago, Laura took Jordy out for a series of pictures in the back yard. It took quite some time for Jordy to settle down and have his picture taken. He loves to run around - mostly in large circles around the lawn. Here he is taking a break.

Aren't all puppy's curious? If I had to guess, I'd say he's thinking 'Why do you keep pointing that thing at me?'

Here he is napping in one of his favorite spots - where the hallway meets the entryway. This spot is in the center of our house, and when the front door and back doors are open, a cross-breeze is created keeping Jordy cool on these late hot afternoon summer days. That fluffy little thing behind him is his favorite toy - a lamb.

That last picture makes me want to take a nap. I hope you enjoyed our pride and joy. See you next Saturday morning.