*Eloise

I hate to write this, but would rather just get it out there so you friends know... I haven't wanted to talk about it much. Last week Eloise was taken from her hutch by what was probably raccoons, though there were also coyote tracks. Matty had caught some checking her out the day before, and it just makes me sick and so sorry that I let this happen. She did spend that night inside, but then was out again during the day. I should have brought her in in the late afternoon, but just forgot and we think it happened in the early evening. Thankfully there was no trace of her and nothing to really clean up, except her destroyed cage.

We are all pretty devastated - this is the first family pet we've lost and I'm sure you know how incredibly special she was to Vera, and all of us. It's definitely been a teaching moment about life and death and grief, and we're thankful that this first experience was with "just" a pet. It is such a sad and horrible thing to have to break news like that to your child. It brought so many memories of my own bunnies who I loved dearly and who mostly died tragic deaths as well. I know it's not necessarily Biblical, but I don't mind telling Vera that Eloise is in bunny heaven hopping around with my Louie and Muffy. The whole thing really brought more understanding to her little soul about death, and she expressed herself that she wants heaven with Jesus "where there is no more dying or being sad." A combination of a genuine care for sweet, much-loved Eloise, hormones and a terrible cold have made me a mess too. Edie of course has no idea what it really means that Eloise died and talks about it with such bluntness - we just ignore her :)

 Anyway, that's our sad news.