So 2 weeks ago we took the kids to the beach for a long weekend (which was really needed and wonderful--thank you Gram and Pop) and my parents took Tanner (thank you Lady and Poppy). When we got back from the beach we noticed so many rabbits in our backyard--it was weird. Well, Tanner ended up staying at my parents house for a week because well, mostly because I'm pregnant and lazy. So on the first day that she was back, her and Tucker were playing in the backyard and Tanner disappeared behind the garage. I asked Tucker what she was doing back there and about that time I heard something squeaking loudly and Tanner rounds the bend with a baby bunny in her mouth. Tanner immediatly dropped the bunny when she saw me. It was a few minutes of chaos as Tucker was running around screaming, I'm screaming, the baby bunnies screaming, Gigi is upstairs in her crib screaming--yada, yada, yada. So I get some gloves pick up the bunny and walk into the back of the yard to find a tiny hole in the ground with 3 other baby bunnies. They're soooo cute---by this time Tucker has his face 2 inches from the hole screaming--"AWWWW, hey baby bunnies, I love you". So I put the wounded soldier back in the hole and start trying to devise a plan for the bunnies. Of course Bryce was out of town for the night so I just sort of left them and didn't let Tanner out unsupervised. I kept checking to see if it looked like the mom was coming back and as far as I can tell she is still "mothering" them. **Sidenote--I would now describe myself as a mother, wife, and wild bunny expert.** We ("we" being the expert panel that I put together including myself, Bryce and Tucker) decided that we would move the nest outside of the fence so Tanner couldn't get them. GREAT PLAN So Saturday morning after breakfast we moved the nest right outside the fence. The whole process of moving the nest was extremely dramatic, you would have thought we were moving baby Orca whales from their tanks at Seaworld to the ocean. So, we get them all moved and settled in and we pray over them and went on about our Saturday. When the kids got up from there afternoon nap we decided to take them for a ride (this is not unusual for us on a weekend to ride around aimlessly burning up gas and talking about why Gigi screams so much in the car--I'm digressing) I decided that I would go check on the bunnies and make sure they were alright. I walked down the fenceline and turned the corner to see a big animal over the hole--it was a big CAT!!!! I mean I'm pregnant, emotional and I just immediatley started crying--not crying SOBBING. I chased the cat off and found one of the baby bunnies, it was too late for him but the other three were fine and still in their hole. I cannot imagine how I looked when I came walking up to the car but I think that was the point that Bryce had visions of us in the bed with three baby bunnies. I was soooo upset. So he helped me move them back to their original hole and we got in the car and just started driving , as we were riding we started devising yet another plan for Bryce to build an enclosure around them so that the mother bunny could still get under the fence but Tanner couldn't get to them. So, Bryce pull's into the Ace Hardware to get some "supplies", he must have been in there for 45 minutes--I mean it was long enough for Gigi to scream her own little opera. When he finally emerges the look on his face was priceless, he gets in the car and says, you are never going to believe what happen...so the woman helping Bryce has raised wild/domesticated bunnies her whole life! How weird is that...how weird is this whole story...how long is this whole story is probably what you're asking yourself. So she was able to give us some pointers. Bryce told me it would probably take about 30 minutes and should only cost us about $15 to build the enclosure...fast forward to 24 hours and $75 later the enclosure is done! We had a whole ceremony as we presented the enclosure to the bunny hole. This was when Tucker announced to us that he was their Daddy and that the bunnies were "his boys". The bunnies seem to be doing well and I told Bryce that I know in about 6 months we're going to be out in the backyard and have a whole big dramatic reunion with the bunnies, like the men on youtube with the lion. So I will be updating about our bunnies and all of the adventures surrounding having 2 children and a Jack Russel Terrier who don't understand why they can't pick up and play with the bunnies. It should be interesting... Bryce thinks that I'm obsessed with the bunnies, and I have to admit that I do have a special place in my heart for them! :)
Moving them from hole to hole. Very professional gloves.
Oh Tan Tan--this picture cracks me up.
Bunny enclosure builder...
Tucker with his "boys"!!!
