We recently took a trip out to Colorado to enjoy some winter sports spring break. I’m not a fan of cold weather, but there is something about cool mountain air that refreshes my soul. After a few thrilling days in the mountains watching my husband and our four daredevils conquer the ski slopes and tubing hills, it was time to return to Arkansas.
After the long journey home, it was dark when we arrived. All of us were eager to sleep in our own beds. When I woke up the next day, it was like a scene from the Wizard of Oz. The grass was green and several beds of flowers were in bloom. Being gone just one week made all the difference – spring had literally sprung awake.
After an intense day of unpacking and laundry, the kids begged to put up our Easter decorations. I indulged them. We hung colorful wreaths and smiling bunnies. We set out a favorite cross to remind us of Easter’s true meaning. We have one annoying decoration – a white dancing, singing rabbit. He is our youngest son’s favorite thing in all the Easter décor. After listening to the rabbit sing over-and-over, our son announced that he’d love to have a real live bunny. I spit my drink out.
Many years ago, when my husband and I were dating, we went out to a Kansas bunny farm and purchased the fluffiest, softest, sweetest looking bunny for my oldest niece. We went home for Easter and presented him to my then 18-month-old niece. My sister and brother-in-law were not amused. Thumper, as he was named, had to stay up at my parent’s office. My niece visited him daily. He grew and so did his giant evil teeth. He was really no fun at all. Eventually they gave him away.
Years later, our family came home to my parent’s house for Easter. By this time we were married with a couple of toddlers of our own. As a payback for my own shenanigans, our two girls were doubly blessed with two white, soft, fluffy bunnies. It was fun. We enjoyed feeding and petting them. We watched them grow. What I didn’t know was, one was male and one was female. You know what they say about rabbits? They had bunnies only 30 days after we brought them home. Then the bunnies had bunnies. We separated them into individual cages. I cleaned up bunny droppings every day. We fed them. We watered them. Even in separate cages, somehow our bunnies became pregnant and had more bunnies. It was crazy!
By that time, I was pregnant with my third child and my husband realized he had to do something to divest of our fast-growing bunny farm. A local farmer came and took them to his meat rabbit farm and I’m sure they lived happily-ever-after, at least that’s what we told the girls.
Just a few hours after my son announced he wanted a bunny, I told him that wasn’t going to happen. Thankfully my husband wasn’t around to hear him because he’d just texted me a photo of the new bunnies at our local coop. I promptly texted back, no!!!!!
I’m a little bit nervous that a baby bunny may make an appearance at our home this Easter. I do know, rabbit meat is definitely the answer to solving world hunger, neighbor!
