A Day I Will Always Remember by Muriel Curtis (My Mum) c. 1977

My most memorable day was Christmas Eve, 1967. That was the day I arrived home from hospital with my new baby daughter.

I had spent 6 weeks in hospital prior to her birth and longed to be home again with my husband and two other children, Jonathan, just five years old and Sindee, seven and a half.

Because of complications, I knew my baby was going to be born prematurely, so it was no surprise when she was small at birth, weighing four and a half pounds. She was placed in an incubator, and for five days, her life hung in the balance. I could not give up hope, yet, every time the doctor came into the ward, I expected him to tell me the baby had died.

When she was five days old, I was able to go to the special baby unit to see her taken out of the incubator and to hold and feed her for the first time; she was so tiny I was almost afraid to hold her!

I went to feed her every three hours in the baby unit and could see she was beginning to gain weight, but was told I would not be able to take her home until she weighed five pounds.

We decided that because she was so small we would give her a short name. We named her Lisa.

Two days before Christmas Day, I decided I wanted to be at home with my other children. When the doctor came on his rounds that morning, I asked him if I could go home the following morning, which was Christmas Eve. He said I could, but that Lisa must be left in the hospital.

I was happy at the thought of going home after seven weeks, but not about leaving my baby behind.

On the morning of my discharge I was asked to go to see the pediatrician who had come to examine Lisa. After examination, he told me she had overcome her difficulties and, provided she weighed that magical number 5 pounds, I could take her home with me. I held my breath, I could not watch her being weighed, then sister (ward nurse) told me all was well, by baby had reached five pounds and half an ounce.

I was thrilled with the news and telephoned my husband and children at once. Just two hours later the three of them arrived, laden with baby clothes. We all went to the nursery to collect Lisa. Sindee and Jonathan helped the sister to dress the baby; they were thrilled with her. She looked beautiful in all her new white clothes, but everything was far too big for her.

After we arrived home, my children would not leave the site of the pram (baby carriage), they watched her every minute of that day, they even had their meals beside her. I don't think they could believe that at last they had the baby they had waited so long for, but there she lay, just nine days old, weighing five pounds and half an ounce.

It was Christmas Eve and five-year-old Jonathan had just learned his first carols at school. He sang Once in Royal David City as he rocked the pram. They thought that she was the best Christmas present they received that year, and I agreed with them.

When I look at my robust tomboy today, its difficult to believe that she is the same child that caused all the anxiety that Christmas ten years ago.

Christmas Memory

Cadence and I were chatting about Christmas and my memories of when she was little this evening.

We were laughing about one memory, which happened on a very hot day in June 2000 (she was 4 1/2), I promise you that it is Christmas related.

We were visiting the Cougar Mountain Zoo. Cadey was wearing a Barbie Pink Cast on her leg as she'd broken it the month before on our neighbour's trampoline.

(Yes, I was wracked with guilt over this accident. I was less than 2 feet away from her when it happened - she simply fell on the tramp. with one leg tucked underneath her bum - and she broke her tibia, had her leg in cast for 8 weeks, then 2 days after the cast came off, she came down with Chicken Pox .... 2 weeks after that, Curtis came down with the Chicken Pox!!!).

Back to the story ... so, we're looking at the parrots, cougars, etc. then we get to the reindeer. They'd had babies (calfs ... ?) There was a lady Ranger at this viewing area, educating us on reindeer. She was very knowledgeable, explaining their natural habitat compared to WA state. Everybody was interested in the babies - they were so cute! At the end of her lecture, she asked if anybody had any questions.

Cadey raised her hand and she asked:

"Can they fly yet?"

Nobody laughed at her, but everybody sighed and said "Awwwww" I think she melted a few hearts with that question!

Seeing Christmas through the eyes of a child is such a thrill and making memories are even more thrilling! Looks like we may make some snowball fight memories this weekend!

Where's Your Christmas Card ...?

Craig and I sometimes wonder how many Starbucks Gift Cards, spa products and novelty socks one person can actually possess and gain enjoyment from at Christmas-time?

It seems like everywhere I turn, the commercial Christmas theme is trying to sell me $5.00's worth of and $10.00's worth of crap, which I can't live without, or which would be perfect for my friend, a great thank you gift or teacher gift. It's all a bunch of baloney! I feel the same way about Hallmark cards too.

With this in mind, plus a few other reasons like: wanting to simplify Christmas, enjoying our children and remembering the true meaning of Christmas, ie, Christ's birth ... we have decided to make a purchase of a farm animal through World Concern to be given to a family in Africa - for everyone we know who is on the 'card and present worthy' list.

We're going to purchase a goat - they are one of the best sources of milk (which can then made into cheese and yogurt and sold at market) and they eat virtually anything. A goat can turn a family's life around, improving their health and wealth and giving them a hope for the future.

If you're like us - you see the need in the world, you see the hunger in the world and you feel overwhelmed by it all ... wondering how your small donation can help these desperate families.

We have figured out that by not buying Christmas Cards, little insignificant token gifts and paying for the postage that we can use the money we would usually spend to do this instead!

Good warm, fuzzy feelings are what Christmas is all about! We hope that you feel this way about learning why you haven't received a card from us this year.

So, Merry Christmas! And please ... if you feel inspired to do the same ... we won't miss your card either! www.worldvisiongifts.org

With much love at Christmas-time,
Lisa, Craig, Curtis & Cadence xoxo

Happy 13th Birthday Cadence!

Happy Birthday, Sweetpea!

I love you, and I'm so glad that you have had a wonderful day,

Mum xx

A Dream come True

Between the ages of 10 and 15, I had an obsession. Nope, it wasn't with pop music, cutesy teen singers, soccer players or movie stars - oddly enough, it was owls!

My bedroom walls were covered with pictures of owls, paintings of owls, and my own artwork. I researched them, learned all their Latin names, their calls and what area of the world each specific owl lived in.

I had a collection of ornaments, friends and relatives always knew what to buy me for my birthday and Christmas. I still have some of these ornaments, although now they're tucked away in a box someplace safe.

I had a fascination with nature at large at that age. I loved working in the yard, growing plants from seed, loved being outdoors in general and I LOVED owls.

I remember once, my Dad took me to collect owl pellets (Mum was totally repulsed) - we found some, brought them home and soaked them in bleach, then investigated what the owl had regurgitated (bones and skin). It was such an adventure for me!

I've seen owls from a distance, mainly at night - just out of sight of vehicles headlights. I've seen them at the zoo - perched oh so tamely in the raptor exhibit.

But last night, (as I let Meg out for her bedtime pee), on our birdbath - 25 ft away from me - was an owl, startled by us, taking flight, coming towards me!

I just stood there in awe! It flew above my head, then over and into a tree ... in complete silence!

My memory of those couple of seconds were of wonderment, trying to drink in this birds beauty, its size, its feathers, its eyes ... its silence. That was eerie - its true - their feathers do not make a sound AT ALL.

I knew that there were owls in the neighbourhood - I've heard their calls over the years. I feel so lucky, I'm still on a high from this encounter ... I'll be on the lookout again tonight. I think it was a Barred Owl ... I think ...

Meg was as bewildered as me for a moment, then proceeded to go potty and sniff around the birdbath for a few minutes - no big deal to her! I think I need to check her breed characteristics - I thought she was a retriever, gun dog, (bird dog) - but she's turned out to be a plain old sofa dog!

Hearts not Lips

Every day, I receive an email devotional.  This is today's - and I found it worthy
of posting it upon my blog, especially as we enter into Thanksgiving. Enjoy!

"These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They
worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men" (Matthew 15:8,
9).

You've heard people say:

"Talk is cheap."

"He's just giving lip-service."

"Put your money where your mouth is."

These sayings are all just ways to express that the words you speak have little
value if they are not followed up with action.

Even more than your fellow citizens, God is interested in the attitude of your
heart rather than your words.

God sees our hearts; He knows our thoughts; He discerns the attitudes and
motivations behind our actions.

When we say we love God, but haven't surrendered our will to Him, we are just like the Pharisees He
addressed in these verses from Matthew (also in Mark 7:6, 7
(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Mark%207:6,%207;&version=31;)).

The Pharisees had become caught up in the rules they had created for daily life.
Their worship of God became an opportunity to show everyone how well they
followed the rules.   Thus, rather than worshipping God, they were merely
glorifying themselves. By focusing on external conduct they forgot that unlike
men, God looks at the heart:

"The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward
appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart" (1 Samuel 16:7
(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Samuel%2016:7;&version=31;)).

"God does not judge by external appearance" (Galatians 2:6
(http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Galatians%202:6;&version=31;)).

Let us be mindful of the fact that our words are meaningless to God if they
don't reflect a heart that is seeking Him.

God, I want my heart to be near to You. Thank you for this reminder that You are
more concerned with my thoughts and motivation than You are with my words.
Forgive me for trying to look good while harboring wrong attitudes in my heart.
Amen.

Questions: When you consider the frustration you have experienced when people
say what they think you want to hear without meaning it, how do you think God
feels toward us when we do the same thing?

STRIPPED

It is not until it is stripped of its leaves that you can see the peculiar characteristics of each individual tree: the massive and generous bough structure of the beech, the majesty of the oak, the straightness of the larch and the grace of the birch. And so it is with our friends. It is not until we have shared some great experience that we see one another as we really are. It is when the winters come and the big winds blow that superficialities and pretences are stripped away revealing the bare bones of true affection in all their strength and beauty.

~Patience Strong