Commemorating

As I designed this little creation for our Easter fund raiser at the ranch, I thought of the little mother and daddy rabbit that first inspired the fund.  New life is what Easter is all about, because of the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross, we are able to have new life in Him.  What a delightful little surprise when we found the new baby bunnies.   Jet came in after feeding them, and told me about finding 5 baby bunnies in the rabbit hutch.  I had gotten the two rabbits last summer when our grand-children were visiting with us, and the mother rabbit had a really big scare on the fourth of July.  While we were out shooting off fire works late that night, a large rat snake had gotten in the rabbit hutch and wrapped around her and was slowly suffocating her.  We discovered this when the other rabbits began making squealing sounds.  We were able to get the snake to release her by beating on the bottom of the cage, and then Brian shot the snake with the 410.  She recovered nicely, and the two rabbits have been living happily ever after ever since.  They have such gentle personalities, and love being petted and given treats.  I didn't know that I had a female and male, and so I was surprised when the kits were found.  They had been hidden away in the back of the hutch  

  

Often a buck rabbit will kill the young, but not this daddy rabbit.  He and the doe both are so attentive to their young, even after the second birthing of seven more little kits.  When I open the top of the hutch, which is 10 feet long, both the mama and daddy rabbit now run to gather up all their young, in a defensive way.  Now, they have always enjoyed being petted, and looked forward to the treats I brought them.  They are both very cautious now, carefully tending the little baby bunnies.  They lick and clean them, and the daddy has even pulled some of his fur as well as the mama has in order to make their hutch soft and warm for their babies.  They are delightful to watch.

                                       

Another gift in my life I wanted to commemorate was one I received from my mother.  She grew up during the Great Depression, and she never had many toys to play with.  As a result she cultivated a wonderful imagination.  When I was growing up, she could turn pebbles, sticks, leaves, dirt, and empty tin cans into a wonderful bakery for my sister and I to spend days playing in making "dirt cakes and cookies."  Old square dancing skirts, a gift from Mr. Jack and Mrs. Oma next door, became the costumes of so many of my mother's inspired, and our own imaginative games.  My mother played with us when we were small, she played with our children too as they were growing up, and she has played with our grand-children, imparting to each generation the wonderful gift of imaginative play.  

She would have so much fun with this 36 inch tall mama and daddy rabbit, and the five little baby rabbits I sent with them in two baskets, one for the mama rabbit to carry, and one for the daddy rabbit to carry.  I wrapped each baby bunny in it's own fuzzy blanket, and supplied each with a "carrot bottle."  

I made mama rabbit an Easter hat and added a veil and flowers to it.  Pearls around her neck completed her "Easter" outfit.  Daddy rabbit is wearing a smart bow tie, and the small Bible he is holding is not included in the the purchase of this Easter creation, because it was a gift to Randy in Afghanistan as he served there with the Army.  So this little rabbit family with all its' accessories would turn into magic with the child, or children, who received it for an Easter gift if they had opportunity to spend time with my mother in play.

If you are interested in purchasing our "Rabbit Family," they are yours for $99.99, and you must supply your own imagination...