HI, EVERYBODY! I’M HERE!

I WAS BORN WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2000, AT 3:44PM IN POPLAR BLUFF, MISSOURI AND I WEIGHED 9 LBS. 1.3 OUNCES AND I’M 20 INCHES LONG. MY MOMMY AND DADDY ARE RUSS AND SUZANNE COLLIER.

YOU CAN SEE MY MOMMY AND DADDY HERE AT THE HOSPITAL….THEY WERE ANXIOUSLY AWAITING MY ARRIVAL BUT I JUST WASN’T READY TO COME HERE YET!

SEE… THEY’RE STILL WAITING FOR ME, BUT I HAD AN APPOINTMENT I HAD TO KEEP!

IT’S LIKE THIS…. MY GRANDDAD GAYLAN GOT A CALL FROM JESUS AND HE WAS ON HIS WAY TO HEAVEN AS I WAS COMING HERE AND WE JUST HAD TO STOP AND VISIT FOR AWHILE.

HE TOLD ME LOTS OF NEAT THINGS AND GAVE ME LOTS OF HUGS AND KISSES AND SAID HE LOVED ME VERY MUCH AND HE WOULD ALWAYS BE KEEPIN’ HIS EYE ON ME AND THAT THERE WERE LOTS OF FAMILY AND FRIENDS WAITIN’ ON ME!

HE SAID MY NAME, GARRISON, MEANT FORTRESS AND THAT I WAS GOING TO BE STRONG AND BE A BLESSING TO EVERYBODY HERE AND FOR ME TO REMIND EVERYBODY THAT HE WAS IN THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE AND THAT WE WOULD ALL BE TOGETHER SOMEDAY IF WE ALL ACCEPTED JESUS AS OUR LORD AND SAVIOUR.

WELL….. GRANDDAD SAID IT WAS TIME FOR ME TO GO SEE MOMMY AND DADDY, BECAUSE HE HAD TO GO SEE HIS MOM AND POP WHO WERE IN HEAVEN WAITIN’ ON HIM. WE SURE HAD LOTS OF FUN AND SHARED A BUNCH OF LOVE IN THAT SHORT TIME….ENOUGH TO LAST A LIFETIME!

WOW! MY MOMMY JUST GAVE A BIG PUSH AND HERE I AM!

BOY, MY DADDY SURE IS A BIG GUY! HE’S HOLDING ME REAL TIGHT BUT IT’S STILL A LITTLE SCARY HERE….I’VE JUST GOT TO CRY A LITTLE!

GEE, THIS MUST BE MY GRANDMOTHER LINDA TRYING TO SEE MY FACE! GRANDDAD TOLD ME SHE ALWAYS HAD A CAMERA AND WOULD BE TAKIN’ MY PICTURE ALL THE TIME!

PLEASE EXCUSE ME….I’VE JUST GOT TO HAVE A BIG CRY. IT’S GOOD FOR MY LUNGS, YA KNOW.

OH WOW! WHAT ARE THEY DOIN’ TO ME NOW…IT’S COLD OUT HERE!

I THINK THEY SAID THEY HAD TO WEIGH ME AND SEE HOW LONG I WAS AND HOW BIG MY FEET WERE. I HEARD THEM WHISPER, “OH, THEY’RE JUST LIKE HIS DADDY’S!”

WELL FINALLY I GET TO SEE MY MOMMY AGAIN AND LET HER HOLD ME WHILE DADDY AND GREAT-GRANDMOTHER LONG LOOK AT ME. GRANDDAD TOLD ME THAT GREAT GRANDMOTHER WOULD BE COOKING FOR ME AND THAT SHE COULD SURE IRON SHIRTS REAL GOOD!

I SURE DO FEEL GOOD WHEN MY MOMMY HOLDS ME. GRANDDAD SAID SHE COULD REALLY SING PRETTY AND I TOLD HIM I KNEW THAT ‘CAUSE I’D BEEN LISTENING TO HER FOR AROUND NINE MONTHS!

THIS IS MY SECOND DAY HERE AND MOMMY SAYS THERE ARE LOTS OF FAMILY COMING TO SEE ME.

MY UNCLE JERRY AND AUNT PAM ARE HERE. GRANDDAD TOLD ME UNCLE JERRY COULD TEACH ME ALL ABOUT GOLF AND HE SAID AUNT PAM KNEW HOW TO MAKE GOOD BIRTHDAY CAKES!

HEY, HERE IS MY COUSIN MORGAN. GRANDDAD SAID SHE KNEW ALL ABOUT GRUNTIN’ HUGS ‘CAUSE HE GAVE ‘EM TO HER ALL THE TIME!

GEE, THERE’S A LOT OF PEOPLE HERE! MY COUSIN ALEX REALLY HOLDS ME GOOD. HE KNOWS A BUNCH ABOUT ANIMALS AND POKEMON TOO…..GRANDDAD SAID SO! HE ALSO SAID ALEX WAS HIS LITTLE BUDDY!

TAKE A GOOD LOOK AT MY COUSIN REBECCA! ISN’T SHE BEAUTIFUL? SHE LOOKS JUST LIKE GRANDDAD SAID! SHE’S GOT PRETTY ‘DOE EYES’ TOO! HEY, SHE EVEN LIKES WILD CRITTERS…EVEN IF SHE IS A GIRL!

EXCUSE ME A MINUTE, WHILE I TAKE A QUICK NAP! THIS PICTURE-TAKIN’ IS WEARING ME OUT!

I’M RESTED NOW! HERE I GO AGAIN!

HEY, GUYS! MY UNCLE SHANNON IS HERE NOW! GRANDDAD TOLD ME HE COULD TEACH ME JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING I NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT HUNTIN’ AND FISHIN’! I CAN HARDLY WAIT!

YA KNOW, I THINK IT’S GOIN’ TO BE PRETTY FUN DOWN HERE! THESE PEOPLE ALL SEEM REAL NICE AND SAY THEY LOVE ME BUNCHES!

GUESS WHAT, FOLKS! THEY JUST TOLD ME THERE’S LOTS MORE PEOPLE COMING!

MY OTHER GRANDPARENTS, CHARLES AND CAROLYN HARRIS, AND MY UNCLE CHRIS, AND OF COURSE, MY AUNT CANDY. GRANDDAD TOLD ME SHE’S HIS ‘BABYDOLL’!

OH, YES! MY AUNT EVELYN TOO! GRANDDAD SAID SHE WAS VERY SPECIAL. SHE’S ALWAYS ON TIME…GRANDDAD SAID SHE EVEN BOUGHT HIM AN ALARM CLOCK ONCE, ‘CAUSE SOMETIMES HE WAS LATE!

WELL, BE SURE AND CHECK BACK WITH ME REAL SOON! IF MY GRANDMOTHER LINDA IS ANYTHING LIKE MY GRANDDAD SAID, SHE’LL HAVE PICTURES OF ALL THOSE OTHER PEOPLE HERE REAL SOON!

THEY SURE DO LIKE TO LOOK AT ME AND KISS ME AND HUG ME! I KINDA LIKE IT TOO! GRANDDAD SAID I WOULD!

Read about the late Gaylan Collier, our ‘Encourager’ and the co-owner and co- founder of the former Collier Co. Realty!

Isn’t our Garrison beautiful?!? Call us or you can call Mom and Dad at 573-624-1824!