Mark & Erin's Wedding Weekend Coming Up!!

Such a busy week, preparing for all the festivities surrounding the upcoming big Wedding on
July 19th, for Mark and Erin at the Dover Chapel on campus at Gardner-Webb University! It
will be a fabulous weekend, and I currently am busy making "goodies" for the Wedding Brunch we have scheduled for the Wedding Party & our big family at our home! Some of our company
will be arriving today---including the now famous, Jeff Houser, (flying from Germany),brother of the groom! Also, another brother, Ron Houser, Youth Minister for the summer at Beaver Dam Baptist Church,
in Roseboro, NC will be arriving, along with another outstanding brother, Scott L. Houser, from
Burlington, Vermont. A cousin Tina Falco Rendon, with her hubby, Gilbert, and their two precious sons will be driving in from Wilmington, Delaware--so our home will begin to fill up soon! Also, coming from Florida will be our son, Garry & his wife, Maxine, parents of the groom,
and Pam Falco(our daughter) & her husband Al, & their daughter, Mary. From Atlanta, Susie,
another daughter, & her husband Kim and their two precious ones, Hannah & Eli will be here Friday, as well as our son from Charlotte, Bruce & his wife Cindy, and their three lively ones, Jake,Carson and
Caitie!! So, you can see we have a large family, and can't wait to begin the big celebration for
this very special Wedding weekend!

There's the Rehearsal Friday, then the big Rehearsal Party at the Fellowship Hall, then on
Saturday A.M. the "Wedding Brunch" at 11 A.M. at our home, then the Wedding at 2 P.M. at
Dover Chapel, then the beautiful Wedding Reception following at Lake Houser Club-House!! We are
gearing up---it will be great fun! Will post more after all the festivities are over, and the
delightful and happy couple are off on their much anticipated "Honeymoon"!!

Wishing them a lifetime of true happiness and blessings!!

Hilton Head Island - Paradise Found

It was a glorious, bright sunshine day without a cloud in the sky as we crossed the bridge to Hilton Head Island to the Italian Villa in Palmetto Dunes at the Atlantic Ocean. Such excitement
as we were anxious to meet our son, Bruce and his precious family for fun times at the beach.
They had invited us to join them for some fun and relaxation on this beautiful island, one of our
favorites! The developers preserved as many palm trees, angel oaks, and huge pine trees as possible in this beautiful paradise. The mysterious Spanish Moss was arrayed in long layers, all over those trees. The legend states that two young lovers were running through the thick forest, when all of a sudden, the young man was hit in the heart with a sharp arrow shot by an
Indian warrior. The young lady had long hair and keep drying her tears, with her hair, over the loss of her precious lover. She finally climbed high into an angel oak, and accidentally slid down as her thick
hair caught in the branches, thus she was was killed by hanging from her thick beautiful hair. On
a foggy morning, it is quite mysterious to see the Spanish Moss blowing in the breeze, as you
recall the young lovers legend.

We loved riding those huge ocean waves, watching the dolphins jump and play, picking up
beautiful sea-shells, basking in the sun, riding bikes, swimming in the large pool, eating out at
the Crazy Crab at Harbourtown, and delicious seafood at The Oyster Factory, watching all the
patrons enjoying their "time in Paradise"! We also browsed some of the shops at South Beach, & sipped cool drinks at The Salty Dog Cafe. If you have the chance, plan to visit this
grand ole' island sometime this year-- as you will have the time of your life, and return again and
again to this famous paradise! Oh yes, we witnessed a sea-side Wedding too, at sunset, and the
groom carried his bride to a villa nearby for their honeymoon in Paradise! Plan to visit this
famous island soon--You will be glad you did!!

Mark & Erin's Upcoming Wedding

Well, it won't be long Jeff, until you will be leaving Germany, and make that flight over the big
pond to come home to North Carolina! In fact, you need to talk with your Dad right away--as
Papaw made a tentative reservation for you(Delta airlines) & gave a copy of it to your Dad Garry to see if that
schedule was O.K. with you! Actually, it was the only seat left in July---before the Wedding!!
Please let Papaw know as soon as possible, as the ticket expires this Wednesday on tentative
status!! The only problem was the flight ends at Greensboro, NC,--- as no seats were available all
the way to Charlotte, and we could come over to get you in Greensboro---or if you have a good
friend that would like to meet you and hear all about your "German escapades",etc. --it might
work out O.K. Either way--talk to your Dad SOON, and let Papaw know about confirming the
airline ticket! It's late to book anything now, as time is getting short--so respond quickly!

Oh, also I LOVED all the informative blog info. on your outstanding plays, and I especially
loved hearing about the colorful, exciting parade that displayed so many cultures of the world!
Sounds like you did the parade in style too. I truly LOVE parades! Thanks so much for your wonderful descriptions
of your travels around the German countryside there--I loved hearing about Munich too--we've been
there, and I thought it was so unique! Can't wait to see you in person, and hear more about
all that you've seen and done way over there! Also, do take a photo of your new place you
are living now, and your new host family too!

Take care, and I will post more info. next time! Remember to let us know promptly about
the tentative airline reservation through Delta---as it expires on this Wednesday!!

Sending love from us at Lake Houser!

EXCITEMENT IN THE DELIVERY ROOM

We had driven to see our grandaughter in Bear, Delaware, in mid-February, 2008-- to Tina and Gilbert's home --to see their little 4 year old boy Landon too, and be on hand when the new little boy arrived as well!
It was also Landon's 4th birthday party, so we were excited to see him open all his birthday gifts
as well! He got a new Nascar Race Set, and he wanted Wayne, his "Papaw" to race the cars with him lots of the time there!

We also saw some beautiful snowflakes coming down as it snowed twice during the week we
were in Delaware. We did attend church with Tina's precious family, and those folks are so very
friendly and invited us to come back to visit often. They had also given Tina a fabulous baby
shower for the expected little boy, and about 45 folks(all ages) came to the church-shower for Tina, loaded with gifts for the new little one!

Finally, nature was running its course for the new baby's arrival---and Tina and Gilbert put
their luggage in the car, along with the new baby's clothes to wear home from the hospital, and
headed off to the hospital's "birthing room", to prepare for the grand delivery of a precious
little boy!

We could hardly wait to be there for this special "blessed event". Tina was so gracious to
allow her Mother, and also me, (the grand-mother) to come in the delivery room to witness
this beautiful addition to our big loving family. My excitement was running full-speed ahead!

Tina's special Doctor came into the room with that important black bag, full of the needed items
for the coming little precious life, and made everything just exactly right for the big event. She
had a special nurse to assist with all of the events as they took place in this birthing room!

The date was February 20, 2008, and we heard Tina's Doctor encouraging her to push as
hard as she could, as she could see the baby's head already! Tina was doing a grand job of
getting that baby here, as she grabbed her husband's hands and pushed that beautiful boy
right into our world---tears of joy were running down my face, as well as my daughter's Pam's
face too! There was this handsome and beautiful bundle of joy---with such a sweet face, and lots of black hair down over his little ears! What a miracle, to witness the birth of my great-grand-child, Nathan Caleb around 3:20P.M. on this georgeous snowy day!! He weighed in at
eight pounds & eleven ounces, and was twenty-one inches long!! What a treasured moment
to see this birth, live and in person, and a grand addition to our big wonderful family!! After Gilbert (Nathan's Dad) cut the baby's nutritional cord, and the nurse cleaned him properly, put drops in his eyes, etc., then our turn came to finally hold this precious new little miracle!!
I cannot find the words to describe the complete joy and wonder I felt, being able to hold this
precious new addition to our loving family! God is so good and we are so thankful for this
new little life, a great addition to our family, and a big, hearty welcome to "Nathan Caleb"!!

SPRING IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER

I truly love and adore the change of seasons, and spring is one of my favorites! The grass
begins to turn a beautiful green, the jonquils, and tulips push their way up through the earth to
give us such beauty to enjoy! The redbirds, bluebirds and sparrows return to sing their merry
tunes, which adds much to a beautiful spring day! The crocus also arrives to show their beauty
in early spring as well.

It is such a joy to see the trees getting the first sprigs of greenery, and knowing soon, they
also will be aglow with sweeping green beauty to please the beholder. I am partial to the pink and
white azaleas, with their hearty blooms, which brightens up our front driveway and heralds
the arrival of spring with full outstanding beauty. Also, those pretty buttercups add a dash
of vivid color to our flower bed at the side entrance. When I behold the beauty of nature,
I just want to thank Our Heavenly Father, who created all things, as He just made them
perfect in His time.

Also, spring-time means we celebrate EASTER, the wondrous resurrection of our Lord and
Saviour, Jesus Christ! He did conquer death, and made a way for us to come to him direct,
to worship Him freely, plus he gave us the gift of The Holy Spirit, which is our comfort and
strength at all times! It is truly a majestic thing to know that The Holy Spirit dwells within
our earthly bodies, our helper during any time of day! We have much to Praise Him for, our
wonderful King, Our Master, Our Holy Guide throughout life. The Holy Bible teaches us that
God knows all about us, he created us in His own image, and he even knows the number of
hairs on our heads---such an awesome God! He is our Protector, Our Defender, Our Mighty
King, Lord of Lords---We should praise Him forever more.

So as Easter season approaches, this would be a good time to give thanks to The Holy One,
as he is Our God, and we know he is in all places at all times. If He knows when a tiny sparrow
falls to the ground, then he surely cares and knows what is happening in our personal lives!

HAPPY EASTER!! HAPPY SPRING!!

February -- The "Lovers" Valentine Month!!

Hey, long time no post, but the reason is: I've been so busy making valentine's for ALL my favorite folks, (chuckle)! If you did not receive your valentine yet, it must be lost in the U.S. mail!! You know how overloaded the postmen are in this beautiful "heart month". Suffice it to
say, you already know you have won my heart, so do not fret about whether or not the valentine
made it to your special p.o. box! You are definitely counted among my favorite people!

This year, my sweet husband and I decided to celebrate Valentine's Day at one of our favorite restaurants close
to our home: The Italian Garden, with such delights, and heavenly treats for the palate, each time we visit! It is really a grand taste of Italian food, with those famous Italian paintings on the walls,
and service is outstanding, as the wait-staff must surely have been trained in Tuscanny, Italy! Tuscanny is definitely where ALL the chefs are trained for The Olive Garden restaurants, and that too is another
favorite restaurant of ours, no matter what "special occasion we happen to be celebrating"! Once we went there to celebrate "really living in these special times"!!

My husband and I decided to be "creative" in our valentine's to each other! We took pen in
hand, and worked very hard to create just the special prose, to let each other know just how
much we love and appreciate our "mate for life"! I think back on many other Valentine celebrations, and how we spent those special times! Sometimes, we celebrated at the grand
strand of Myrtle Beach, S.C.; other times in those beautiful and serene "Great Smoky Mountains" of N.C. bordering Tennessee. No matter where we happen to be on Valentine's Day, you can rest assured, we are thankful for our marriage, the stability of our mate; and the special
love that we share, come rain or shine.

When one of us feels sad, the other cheers us up! When
one if hurt, even bleeding, the other binds the wounds, gives us hugs and kisses to smooth the
way! If I burn the toast(once in a long while), he forgives me, and we just toast again. We've
been through many critical times in our marriage, but somehow we have learned that
each is not perfect, although try as we might--so we have learned to accept the "less than perfect", and be happy and thankful for what we have. We have become "soul mates", and
even sometimes, we know just what the other is planning to say!! Well, "Happy Valentine's to
all my friends out there! Enjoy your year, and remember to "Stop, and smell the roses"!!

Our Friends, the Spice of Life!

Here we are in this brand New Year, and just feeling so thankful for all our grand, and loving
friends, who always share so much in our lives, giving that "extra glow" that comes from caring
and sharing with others! I was thinking about how much love and adventure we have shared
through the years with our old and new friends, as they have given that extra spark and laughter, that just brightened up our days! What would this world be, without good and
faithful friends to share our lives with, and add zest and adventure to our days!

I recall one adventure in childhood with one of my dear friends, as we were playing --"riding our beloved bikes straight toward each other, until one of us yelled out "chicken"! We were both bull-headed and stubborn, each trying to outdo the other in all our games. All of a sudden we
crashed, hitting each other head-on, (as neither of us wanted to yell "chicken")--thus she went flying over her
handlebars, & I was thrown off to the side of the road! I didn't break anything, but my good
friend was laying on the ground, shaking so hard, & said; " I think I've broken my collar bone!! " "Oh no, I yelled, I am so sorry!" About that time, our neighbor came along & called the ambulance. She actually
did suffer a painful broken collar-bone, and I felt so very guilty, taking her flowers, and wishing
it had been me instead of her! She did forgive me, but we never played that "chicken" bike
game again! We are still friends to this day, and we spent many nights at each other's homes, as we were growing up, and playing more civilized board games, watching movies together, eating popcorn, and sharing so much together, as good friends do.

Often, I think about just how much our summer-time fun was enhanced by our enduring and
warm-hearted friendships! Going swimming, eating all that delicious picnic food, going to the
famous "county fair" together, cheering on our favorite ball-teams, going on trips with our
parents and friends---grand and glorious times to cherish with our friends and families!

I recall the words of the author, Henry James; "This was the perfect middle of a splendid summer afternoon, part of the afternoon had waned, but much of it was left, and what was left, was of the finest and rarest quality"! So many times during summer, we would take walks in the beautiful woods behind my dear grandfather's big victorian home, and just sit beside the mossy banks, which surrounding the seven springs, & small pond, and "dream our dreams" of our exciting future life! We named that place "Camelot", and hoped someday our
handsome prince would come riding into our lives, taking us away to live happily everafter!
We dearly loved watching those beautiful, inspiring sunsets, as our summer days waned, and
our families expected us home for supper around that time. AH-h-h-h, the beauty and
wonder of childhood friends, carries over into adulthood, thus the enduring friendships
continue to enhance our days, and enrich our lives.

So take some time to talk with your friends, or make new ones, as the old saying goes:
"Friends are the spice of life", so make many of them as you go along life's pathway, and
you will be happy as the days flow by! Enjoy your special friends, and stay happy!