It IS A Good Life!: December 2005

Dec 30, 2005

Ending The Year of 2005

As we finish out the next day of 2005....

there is a time of mixed-emotions.

All of the excitement of Christmas is still surrounding us

yet we know that we will have to 'let go' and move on to

a completely New Year.

We really have no choice in the matter...

WE HAVE TO....LET GO!

Our faith kicks in and tells us that.....

next year will be....EVEN BETTER!!!

Does this mean that we will not have problems, pain,

hard decisions and choices?

Absolutely NOT!

You can bet we will....and maybe even things will happen

that we can not now....even imagine!

Yet I expect the year of 2006 to be a good and wonderful year

for me and my family.....

even better than 2005....

Simply because we continue to learn and grow every single day

in our life's experiences.

Yes, some people must learn...'the hard way'....

but learn we will as long as we breathe on planet earth!

Our choice is to decide if we will live life with.....

a good attitude or.....a bad attitude.

Whichever we choose....will deternime our outcome...

I choose....The Good Life for 2006.....and More to Come!

I also pray, that you, too, welcome The Good Life for 2006!

Be Blessed is my prayer for....Y O U and all those you hold dear!!!!

Dec 26, 2005

Merry Christmas to you All....

and a HAPPY New Year! (click on picture)

Britt on Christmas Eve reading story to Joshua...

Dec 22, 2005

Ho, Ho, Ho.....here comes our latest gift!

Joshua wants to hold his lil cuz...

but baby Chuckie just likes to 'grab noses'.....

these two little ones make....Christmas Fun!

Yep, he got it this time!

Chad and 'Lil Chuck' say.....can we open presents now?

Dec 21, 2005

Merry Christmas....EVERYONE!

Life is on....fast forward!
So much is happening...so fast...around me that I have to stop to catch my breath...in order to breathe!
Many of you know our dear friend Jane....(pictures on my previous blogs) and her fight with cancer.
Yesterday Cindy and I went to see Jane and in essence said our 'good-byes' in our heart......knowing that God can at any moment bring that Miracle that everyone is praying for.
Jane is so blessed with so many people that love her and are 'flocking' to her side in order to express that love again and again....
She receives it all....in 'Jane style'....and often is heard to say, "I need my space!"....Cindy and I came home worn out from trying to give Jane our energy and strength through our heart, mind and soul.
My dear husband, prepared me food which blessed me.
Then I received a phone call (i.e.medicine therapy)from my friend, Melissa, and after listening to her wild and crazy escapades, I found myself laughing and laughing and laughing....
Can you believe that Pammy's pig, Charlotte, gets so excited upon seeing her buddy, Roxy, the dog, that she falls over with a stroke or heart attack?
Honest to God...a real live vet in Indiana swears this breed is famous for 'too much excitement' death syndrome.... The pig survived but now has a 'bad leg'....
Then imagine if you will.....two beautiful, BUSY, women painting for two days in a empty house....and then using the vast amount of money earned by the sweat of their brow....not to buy 'diamonds' for themselves....but to indulge family members with gifts like boat trifles, teen-age iPods, and even other things called 'crap' by some family member.....
So it goes in the family saga of the...Collins family!
Surely needed to hear all the zany things happening to others...
Life is a present.....who needs anything else?
Merry "Jesus Loves You and So Do I" Christmas!

Dec 15, 2005

Today is Brittney's 22nd Birthday..holding 'Lil Chuck' along with Melissa Jo and Carla, we all meet at P.F. Chang's for a special time of celebration....Britt, your family loves you!

Celebration with Melissa Jo, Britt and Carla....
and 'Great Wall of Chocolate' cake...

Happy 22nd Birthday, Sweet Britt

Is this for bed...or street?

Crazy card....from Carla/Molly

Mother & Daughter...special moment.

Cousins....Matt & Molly/Carla

Part of the family celebrates Britt's birthday at P.F. Changs...

+++Click on pictures to enlarge...

Merry Christmas from Jane....and to Jane....

We love you, dear one!

Dec 11, 2005

The Cat-Lady....

The 'gift' of Life....

A family Christmas Miracle has happened.....our sister, Shyrl, was in ICU and on respirators and body function machines....Shyrl has been very ill and has had near death experiences for years now....This time by all medical facts....she was in a coma and her body was not functioning except with the aid of 'machines'....In the last week she had been taken off the machines a couple of times but could not breathe on her own and was reconnected.

Shyrl's daughter, Susie, was told to make some decision about 'pulling the plug' by Thursday of this week....as it seemed that even her brain was not working...Prayers, prayers and more prayers were prayed by all family members, their churches, etc...

Lo and behold, on Wed. afternoon the nurse called and said that 'she was showing some fighting back signs'.....within 4 hours, Shyrl awoke, spoke to nurses, then her daughter. The machines were removed, she started breathing on her own, became very alert and asked for...'mashed potatoes'....The ICU nurses named her 'Cat-Lady' but said she had more than 'nine lives'.....

A Miracle happened in that room.....the medical facts were correct at the time...BUT FOR GOD.....who even has authority over.....death!

Merry Christmas, Shyrl!

Dec 8, 2005

Carla Maria says, "Merry Christmas' and "Happy Birthday Britt"....sharing a fun day with the girls was my early Christmas gift!

My Carla is soooo much taller...plus she wears 'stacks'....

Southern Belle's....cousins who are devoted to each other....always!

My girls, Britt & Carla, as we celebrate Britt's 22nd Birthday at LaTeresita...

Britt and Carla at Britt's office...

Carla Maria....the family 'runner' keeps in shape....eating right, no smoking, and a good attitude of life!

Carla...my shopping partner...says good-bye in parking lot mall....

and a good time was had by all....

Dec 5, 2005

Chad reading 'special words' at his business partner,

Jeff Miller's Wedding to Jen on Sunday...

The setting was the beautiful Don CeSar Hotel on St. Pete Beach....

The Don CeSar Hotel, referred to as the pink castle on Florida's Gulf Coast...

was a beautiful place to have a Florida Wedding....

The Don CeSar Beach Club Resort and Spa is now listed on the

National Register of Historic Places and has had a

Four Diamond rating for 25 years

while serving delectable “Floribbean cuisine”.

***Note...refer to my Nov. 18, 2002 blog link on left for the

history of the awesome Don CeSar Hotel....

Wedding Party on beach at Don CeSar

Chad, a member of the wedding party says, "It IS a Good Life"....

Florida Wedding at its best...Jen & Jeff and wedding party in St. Pete beach surf

Bride and Groom, Jen and Jeff, living their 'Dream Come True, wedding day...

Tropical Sunset on Wedding Beach...

Family tradition of lighting Advent Candle each Sunday before Christmas goes to youngest family member this year, with a little help from his Dad....

Carlos M. Fernandez III, & IV