Happy Birthday Jude May!

We have had Jude in our family for two years! Everyone who interacts with her absolutely loves her! She is such a sweet, friendly, loving Bun, and so easy to fall in love with. We're so thankful for our Jude!

Holly passed away

Holly is in the middle, eating strawberries.

Today was Holly's birthday, marking four years since we adopted her. It is also the day that we said goodbye.

Two weeks ago, I noticed that Holly's eye looked cloudy. We rushed her to the vet and were told that she had an eye infection. We immediately started her on antibiotics and pain meds and brought her home.

A few days later, I left to Texas for a week for my little brother's High School graduation. Huz stayed and took care of Holly and the other buns. He gave her meds and cuddled her and monitored her.

When I got back last week, we noticed that she wasn't eating and her eye wasn't improving. We took her back to the vet, who recommended that we schedule her for surgery and have the eye removed. We were worried she would lose more weight and get weaker if we didn't. We were also concerned about the pain she was experiencing. We would love our Bun whether she had one eye or a million, and just wanted her to be as comfortable and healthy as possible.

We took her in for surgery this morning. Huz got a call from the vet saying that Holly had been a trooper through surgery, and had done great, but just wouldn't wake up from the anesthesia. They tried to warm her up and bring her heart rate back up, but it kept dropping until it stopped completely. She died peacefully in her sleep. We got to see her and pet her and tell her we love her one last time. She will be buried on a farm in Napa, surrounded by grapes (which were her favorite treat).

I am heartbroken. I just can't believe that just four years ago on a sunny summer day we brought home our sweet, nervous bunny, and today, on a cold and rainy day, she left us. I know we gave her a good life and that she always felt loved and taken care of. We did the best we could for her, and I treasure every day I got to spend with my sweet Holly Heart. It just sucks and I really really really wish she was still alive.

Huz is really sad too, I know, but he tries to be strong for me. I think Hef and Jude know something is wrong because it seems like they keep looking for Holly. They check her favorite hiding spot and come to the front of the hutch as if to ask us, "When is she coming home?". I'm so sorry guys. This morning she was here, and now she's not. It's going to take time for all of us to get used to it. I love you and I am so sorry.

I'm not looking forward to tomorrow morning when I'll wake up and most likely forget, and have to remember all over again that I won't see her anymore. I'll have to remember that I have two bunnies now, not three. And when we pull our Christmas stuff out in December and I see her stocking- yeah, that's gunna suck too.

But I'll face that eventually. Today I'll think fondly of my Holly, and wish her a Happy Birthday and Goodnight.

Thank you Lord for blessing my life with Holly, and for allowing me to be her Mama. She was a joy to have, and I'm better because I love her. I don't understand why she's not with me anymore. I don't understand it, and I don't like it, but I accept it. I know her life had a purpose. She was a precious gift wrapped in fur, and I am thankful that she was mine.

God is not a White Man

God is Love (1 John 4:8) and He loves everyone (John 3:16)

s'more cupcakes

I'm not sure if I already shared this. These are s'more cupcakes I made a few weeks ago (this pic was also taken a few weeks ago.... I didn't snap a pic of week-old cupcakes, promise!). They were pretty easy. I used a graham cracker cupcake recipe from here and baked those. I filled them with the simple chocolate ganache (found on that same site), topped with mini marshmallows, and put them in the broiler for about 30 seconds (just enough for them to get a little melty and brown). Then, I topped with pieces of a hershey chocolate bar. They're really good and have all the s'morey elements. Yum!

Happy Birthday Holly!

Today we celebrated my Holly Heart's 3rd "birthday". It's actually the day we adopted her and brought her home from the shelter. She was there for a while, so we don't know *exactly* when her birthday is. We celebrate the wonderful day that we brought home a round little ball of fur and nerves, our first little girl bunny. Poor baby was completely frightened and was tense for so long. She and Hef fell in love literally overnight, and our Bunny Addiction grew.

Holly can sometimes be grumpy and lazy and bossy, but I'm thankful that she is comfortable enough to be those things. It means she really is at home here. And, she can also be sweet and loving and silly and so fun! She can still be that nervous furball, but I know that she knows she is loved by everyone (and everyBun) in this house.

Happy Birthday Holly! I love you!

Quick Update!

Yikes, it's been a long time! School has been crazy, and we've been really busy around here, so I haven't had time to update. Here's a quick one.

1. Birthday Camping! For my birthday, Huz and I went on a fabulous little camping trip at our favorite spot. It was really fun, but super duper cold. Huz whittled, played his harmonica, and read. I painted, knitted, and lounged. It was great! I love that we're total old people.

2. The Bunnies are Bonded! It's totally official! We are a three-bonded-bunny family! All three Buns are in the same pen together, and getting along fantastically. They cuddle, lay around, and play. It's such a huge accomplishment, and I'm really proud of our little family for working hard and getting here together. It feels so great to know that we have peace and happiness in our home. Yippee!

3. Prince! Oh my goodness! We found out last week that Prince was coming to town! We bought tickets for a show that was literally just days later. We bought cheapie nose-bleed seats, and I was so excited to go! We got there, and immediately got upgrated to.. get this... the 7th row! Yeah, I know, crazy! We had amazing seats. And it was the most incredible concert of my life! We've seen some amazing shows, like Paul McCartney, Santana, BB King, and Third Day (at this one we were right in front of the stage, and met the band after. Awesome!) but I think this was my favorite concert ever. I was dancing the whole time, sang along to every song, and had so much fun. Prince did such a wonderful job, and has the most talented team with him. It was an experience I will never forget, and I'm so glad we got to go!

So that's two more on my 30 before 30, which is so cool!

4. Sewing- my cousin came over tonight and showed me how to use my sewing machine. I seriously didn't even know how to turn it on when we started, and now, I am so excited to practice everything she taught me. I think I'm really going to have a great time! And I can't wait to cross it off the list!

5. Cake Pops! Our church is doing this incredible young adults service called The Journey. I absolutely love it! I got Bakerella's book for by birthday, and was so eager to try my hand at them, so I decided to bake some for our service. They were really fun to make! And, I really liked the display Huz thought of. The theme of The Journey is "Finding God, Finding Yourself, and Finding Purpose". Huz thought it would be really cool if we could display the cake pops in a suitcase or trunk. We bought a cheapie suitcase in the right size from Ross. I covered some styrofoam with scrapbook paper that looks like an old map, and poked holes for the cake pops to fit in.

I love that my Huz is so creative and came up with the concept, and then worked with me and helped me carry it out. This isn't the best picture ever of the display, but here's a little look. They went over pretty well, and I can't wait to make them again this week!



Tomorrow I'm going to see Glee Live! I am way too excited! :D

I guess that's it for now. More soon!

Osama Bin Laden is dead

I'm still watching the news and getting more info, but this seems like a historic day. I just wanted to have it written down. I may come back and edit it after I finish watching the news.

Monday Bunday: Sanctimommy- Bunny Edition

Sanctimommy
Definition: a mother who points out perceived faults in the parenting of others

I was judged by a mom today. I was asked questions, and I could tell in her eyes that she was just waiting for me to give the wrong answers. I'm sure she thought she was just being chatty, but I could feel the judgment radiating off of her. And the weird thing is, I don't even have kids!

I took the Buns to a SaveABunny event. They got their nails trimmed, and I got to talk to one of my fellow Crazy Bunny Lady friends. Her name is D, and she watches the Buns for us when we're out of town. We get our hay from her too. She is a Bunny Jedi, I swear! She is amazing.

Anyway, at this event, there was another Bunny loving lady. When I came in with my three buns, she walked over to me and started chatting me up. At first, it was fine. She asked if all the bunnies were mine, what their names are, how long I've had them. But then I noticed that she would narrow her eyes at me, and seemed to wait for me to answer just so she could pounce on me and ask more questions. "Are they all bonded? Are your rabbits fixed? How old are they? What do they eat? How often do they go to the vet?Do they live inside or outside? Did you adopt or buy? Do you live in an apartment or house? Do they go outside?" etc.

It quickly became obvious that she was not just curious. She was totally waiting for me to say something that she could judge and feel superior about! It was so funny to me that I couldn't even be upset. I felt the need to look around and see if we were at a local playground and I had forgotten my fair-trade, organic, locally and sustainably grown (or better yet, organic, home grown with all natural, bunny poop fertilzer), hemp wrapped cilantro and carrot-top snacks for my babies. It's absolutely hilarious, and pretty weird that there was an attempt to pull me into that crazy, judgy, mommy world, and I'm not even a parent! If that's just a little taste of what it's like, then maybe the whole taking care of a living human thing may not be the most nerve-racking part. Those other parents are certainly pretty scary too!

I do the best I can for my bunnies. I really do love them, and they are part of our family. It makes me so happy to have them in our lives. But I really don't have a need to feel superior to other bunny parents. And I reeeeeally don't want anyone using me to feel superior.

And with that, I'm off to play "Your Bunny Can Read" for Hef, Holly and Jude. Oh wait... I can't allow them to watch TV... we'll just have to listen to Bunny Mozart again instead. ::wink::