Humans of Downey - Fredy

"I would say that my mother is my hero. My mom pretty much raised four kids by herself. When we were young, she struggled a lot. She went out of her way to make sure we were successful, that we accomplished things in life, even though it affected her in a negative way. She never took care of herself, but she always took care of us. In my early teens, I decided school wasn't as important as mom had made it out to be, so when she dropped us off at school, I started to not make it all the way into school. When my mom found out, she was not happy and it came out in the tone and volume of her voice. She let me know what my future would be like if I didn't go to school and tied it back to her own experiences. After that, I decided to always attend school and make her proud.

"My next great adventure is being with Jessie and helping to raise our new baby girl, Robin. She's a girl so I'm a little more concerned. Right now, she's a good baby. People are starting to warn me that she's spoiled already. The next couple of years are going to be interesting and very foundational. I'm hoping to take the values my mom modeled for us and model them for Robin. Jessie will model the values of compassion, caring for others, and a family-centered life to Robin. I'm looking forward to our next great adventure."

~ Fredy

Is it a boy or a girl?

Recently, I was privileged to witness an interesting custom to tell loved ones the sex of an expected child. This couple had the typical doctor's visit, including the ultrasound to determine the sex of the child. But the doctor did not tell them, but instead, wrote the sex on a piece of paper and sealed it in an envelope. The couple then gave this envelope to a friend who then baked a cake with either blue or pink frosting inside.

With family and friends gathered for a revealing party, some wearing pink or blue t-shirts to state which sex they wanted the child to be, the couple cut the cake to reveal the frosting inside. I loved the sign on the table and found out that since they found out that she was pregnant, the couple had been praying this prayer with their two boys.



Their dog, Lady, was biased.

Miracles

The miracle of life and the miracle of science combine to give this mom her first touch with her newborn son, born six weeks early.

Politicians and babies

What is it with politicians and babies! Usually, it just means a photo op during election year.

But in this case, it means City Council Member (and past mayor) Mario Guerra and his new baby grandson, Bennett Mario. Also joining them for lunch at Joseph's Bar and Grill were more of the Guerra family, along with Mayor Fernando Vasquez and Council Member Alex Saab.

This is the kind of photo op I can appreciate!

Population growth

Dear sign makers of Downey,
Please update our signs, we have a new resident in town.

Thank you,
us

Out of desperation, hope

In our local cemetery there is a group of old tombstones depicting very similar pictures such as baby shoes and little angels. Each of these headstones record a birth and a death only a few months apart, all around the late 1940s and a few into the late 1950s. Right around the baby boom period a lot of infants were buried here. I can only assume it was a polio epidemic which ended when the vaccination was discovered. It's so sad to think about, but it really makes me appreciate the scientists working on all the pain in this world.

Ready for Christmas

From lights on the tree to fake snow in the yard, everyone is getting ready for Christmas. Every day at work I see old men with reindeer on their sweaters and little kids with antlers on their head. Well, my cousin Jake, however uninitiated of course, is no different. He is so cute though.

Pumpkin patch photo op

Pumpkin patches are great fun for kids. Those great big orange things, some of them as big as the kids themselves, must seem like wonderful toys. At least, these kids certainly thought so. And this setting makes the perfect family photo op to start off the Halloween season.

There's just no telling

Extending out from Downey seems to be a theme for me now. I wish Downey had more scenic areas for me to shoot family photos but I feel I've used them all up.

Sometimes, you can have all the right props, all the right lighting and ideas, and the subject is just not in the mood. I have learned this happens often with children. I love it though. I love the idea that your initial plan flies out the window and they are controlling the session. The pictures come out completely different than you expected and it reminds me to take life as it is handed. Not as you planned it. But in the end, it is beautiful.

New beginnings

“An optimist stays up until midnight to see the new year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.” Bill Vaughn

I always feel a sense of urgency at the end of every year. I think of all the stuff I didn't get to do, or rather, didn't get around to doing because I put it off. But the new year means new beginnings. A clean slate. A new opportunity. Righting the wrongs and all that optimistic jazz. Like all the cartoons depict the new year as a brand new baby, I thought I could do the same. It's cuter that way.



So I lift my glass to us world, and the chance that this year, we'll get it right.


Also, the Rives mansion updates will begin in the new year. We are taking a short break while we show you the immediate goings on of Downey!

Christmas is just around the corner

As the holiday season rolls around, I'm seeing so many new family photos. My fridge will soon be filled with them. I took this photo for a family at Wilderness Park, which apparently is a favorite spot of mine.