# â¢Â°o.O The Tater Tots Family 2011 O.oÂ°â¢



## Nela (Jan 6, 2011)

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[align=center]Hello and welcome to the Tater Tot's Family blog. In this blog you will get to know our family and enjoy the craziness. We hope you join us and share the tears, fears, laughter and overwhelming love experienced in our family. Whether you like to browse through pictures, like to read funny annecdotes, or enjoy more detailed stories about the pets and our personal experiences, I'm sure you can find something here to enjoy. Please leave comments when you can and let us know if we've made you smile at all![/align]

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[align=center]I am Nela, real name Sophie, and I am the one writing this blog. I am 25 years old and I am Canadian. I am originally from Montreal but in May, 2010, I moved to the Netherlands to live with my boyfriend. These days, I am happily staying home to manage the household and my health. I absolutely love animals, music, arts, books, and lots more. I am never bored and I am a very happy person. I'm a bit silly and crazy, to be honest, but who isn't?[/align]

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[align=center]Jeff is my boyfriend. He is 39 years old and a true dutchie. Now, we do share 14 years between us but if you know us, you know that that really doesn't mean anything at all since we are just as silly and crazy as and about one another. He is a software programmer and is currently getting his masters in IT Architecture. We met onlineabout 2 years ago and we hit it off immediately. A few months after meeting online,he came to Montreal to meet me and we hit it off just as well in person. After numerous visits back and forth, I moved to the Netherlands to be with him. We now have our own home and he works while I take care of things around the house. We like to do things such as playing board games, video games, going for walks, and snuggling up and watching movies. We are both pretty quiet and prefer small groups of friends to large crowds. Jeff is the easy, pacific guy whereas I am the hot-headed passionate girl. Together, we appease and enflame each other.[/align]
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[align=center]Houdina is our 3 year-old sweetie. I got her from a pet store while I was in Montreal. I was there to get rabbit food but Houdina had decided she was coming home with me that day. As I was checking out the food, she grabbed my basket and refused to give it back until I gave her a thorough petting. She purred happily and stole my heart. Being that I had rabbits, I was really happy about the fact that she didn't play with her claws and so, I took the plunge and decided to attempt owning a cat.

Houdina was named the day I managed to lose her in a itty bitty bathroom. To this day, I have no idea where she hid, nor how she managed to escape. She is indeed named after the famous Houdini. Since then, Houdina has taught me that she is great at learning to open and escape things. It's a really good thing she wasn't gifted with thumbs!

Houdina is a gentle soul. She was raised with rabbits and adores them. She eagerly rolls about in front of them in order to get their attention. It was also Houdina who alerted me to that horrid day when my Wiggles fell ill and died. Houdina has also nursed abandoned kittens and stays by my side when I am ill. She's a beautiful girl and there isn't anyone who doesn't like her.[/align]
[align=center]She's also the sneaky one of the bunch. Just before moving here, I got the cats collars with bells to warn us of when they are near the doors since we were going in and out constantly. She decided she wasn't a big fan of them and found all sorts of ways to get out of them. Not only does she get out of hers, she also helps Baloo get his off. Once, both cats were missing their collars and I searched the house thoroughly and nearly gave up when I found them both nicely tucked under my pillow. One day, she proceeded to remove her collar and walk away happily with it in her mouth to hide it in her playhouse. When she realized we were watching, she handed me the collar and allowed me to simply put it back on. Just the other day, I noticed she was missing her collar only to be informed by Jeff that he had found the collar outside. Outside?! She doesn't go outside? Yep, Houdina had thrown her collar out the window in the hopes that we wouldn't find it...

That girl![/align]

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[align=center]Baloo... Oh dear what to say about Baloo... Well, let me start off by explaining how I got him in the first place. Baloo was actually found in the trash with his siblings by a passerby. I was fostering and running my own 'rescue & rehoming' thing and was contacted by the veterinary technician that heard of them. The woman could not keep them because her daughter was severely allergic and they could not keep them at the clinic so I took them in. 

They were 3 in total and I must admit, I found the other 2 much cuter at the time. Baloo was the only 'solid' of the 3 and the tiniest. He was really terrified when I got them and he was bossed around by the others. Unlike his siblings, he didn't play at all and preferred to hide in the darkest spot he could find. When the time came to rehome the kittens, I considered keeping one of them thinking Houdina might enjoy the company. That idea was considered more seriously when a young woman asked to adopt to of the kittens. Faced with the decision of which I would rehome, I decided the siblings would be rehomed together as they were much closer with one another.

That was the day I thought Baloo would die on me. Finding himself alone, Baloo not only panicked but he refused to eat or drink. It was a pitiful sound to hear him cry the way he did. Before long, I gave in and cradled him at all hours to bring him comfort. Together, we would fall asleep and if I stayed with him, he'd eat and drink. When I needed to get my house chores done, I simply tucked him into the hood or the pockets of my hoodie where he would sit quietly. I did try to rehome him. I simply could not find anyone I trusted to give him the home he deserved and before long, I was putting up his Christmas stocking with Houdina's. I named him Baloo because he often played on his back with his paws in the air, making him look like a bear cub.

Baloo will always be a scared and sensitive cat. For over a year, he wolfed down food like a maniac from the fear of starving. He has a bad case of separation anxiety and the veterinarian noted just how quickly he stops eating and drinking if left alone. He doesn't trust strangers easily and is especially nervous around men. I was absolutely surprised at how Baloo reacted when he first met Jeff. He simply walked over to him and sat on him, purring as Jeff scratched behind his ears happily. I was extremely nervous about bringing him here from Montreal but leaving him behind was simply not an option. Surprisingly enough, he was perfectly fine. It was Houdina that was more concerning. 

Nowadays, he's getting used to people more and more. With the family coming over often, he now greets people and lets the children play with him. I never would have expected him to play nearly as much as he does now. He's nearly 2 years old now and you'd think he's part dog for how much he loves to play fetch. Baloo can play fetch for several hours a day. Every morning when we wake, we are greeted by Baloo holding a toy of his in his mouth, looking at us wide-eyed, eager to play. It should also be noted that we often wake under a pile of toys as well. You should also know that if ever you come over and open a closet only to find yourself confronted with a bunch of toys neatly piled up in the centre, it was Baloo's doing. 

He is definitely the family brat. He loves to drive us and especially Houdina up the wall. I sometimes call him a Tasmanian devil. He's also one of the squeakiest and most vocal cats out there as well. If ever you call me on the phone and wonder what those strange noises are in the back, please know that I am not strangling a mouse, it's merely Baloo seeking attention. By the way, Baloo has grown to be one of the most gorgeous black cats out there. We always get comments about his physique. His slender yet muscular body, shiny black coat, and kitten eyes (which have a bluish tint) always turn heads. [/align]

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[align=center]Maybelle is exactly what I didn't think she'd be.I was looking at local ads and Ijust loved the pictures I saw posted by a breeder. She is a blue-eyed white german lop, andweighs about8 lbs. I was expecting to get a sweet/gentle/delicate/girly bun... Maybelle is a character. She sure has bunnitude! Wow! This girl will thump at you if you even look at her. She gives us the butt more than anything, and just adores flicking us off with her back paws. She's really adorable though and she has the most gorgeous blue eyes. Her attitude really makes us laugh and we have learned to not offend the poor thing by touching her or looking at her.[/align]

[align=center]Maybelle lives as a free-range outdoor bunny. She has the whole yard to herself during the day and sleeps and naps in the shed. During the day, you can find her happily binkying around the yard andterrorizing neighborhood cats.This feisty girl is a riot and I'm really glad we have her.
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[align=center]Rolo is an'oopsie'.



I have kept Smores and Giggles (since rehomed with familydue to severe allergies)separate from the very start, being careful not to allow them to get together until our boy was old enough to be neutered. However, Giggles absolutely adores Smores and she's a completely different bunny with him around. She just comes to life when she is around him. So what I had been doing was using a double playpen and splitting it in the middle with extra panels to keep each of them on one side with the panels in between them. We had never had any problems until...

One day, I brought both Smores and Giggles in and set up the playpen as usual. The one thing that was different was that one of the panels I used in the middle was actually the gate so it had a door. Now, neither Jeff nor I thought twice about this and just left it as is. He and I snuggled on the couch not even 3ft away while they played. As usual, Smores and Giggles proceeded to their usual binky antics, trying to wow the other with their abilities. Smores and Giggles have always had a very strong bond, despite having a fence between them at all times. They would lie side by side, groom each other, and put on a show for each other...

At one point however, Jeff bolted from the couch and headed straight for the playpen. I looked up and just as he reached the bunnies, he turned to look at me for a second. Whilst he did this, Smores (the ever so cheeky bun that he is) hopped back over to his side and pretended to be interested in a particular corner of the newspaper. Giggles instantly flopped and acted as though she had been there all along. Problem is, 2 pairs of eyes had seen them and the open gate in the middle told a different story. Jeff shut the gate and shrugged, thinking we probably hadn't closed it properly when we had set it up.

We had.

Jeff and I resumed our snuggling and watching our movie, happy to have prevented a potential 'situation'. I started dozing off as I was under the effects of Benadryl but I clearly remember watching a talking dolphin when Jeff bolted to the bunnies again. This time, there was no doubt in our minds that that gate had been closed...

Jeff stood there for about 5-10 minutes, watching the bunnies while they both pretended to ignore each other. Jeff turned around and headed for the couch while I watched them. Nothing. The instant, and I mean, the instant that Jeff's tush touched the couch, it happened. Smores, with his newly discovered gate-opening mastery (and I am sure a hidden pair of opposable thumbs), yanked the gate open, hopped over to Giggles and proceeded to binky like a fool.

This time, Jeff had had it. He dumped Smores back on his side and proceeded to chain the gate shut. Yes, chained. Smores was terribly unhappy and boxed at the chain angrily. Giggles threw a fit and tried opening the gate from her end. It was no use. We had succeeded. Or so we thought...

A few weeks later, I commented to Jeff how Giggles was eating more than usual. I was happy... Until it dawned on me. Oh no, no no no! Please? All was quiet for a while. I felt nothing. I checked her everyday. Then one day, I opened her hutch only to find a nice and tidy nest. Oh dear! Could it still be a pseudo pregnancy? I sure hoped so...

Then I felt the babies moving...

Now, as much as I was terrified, and as much as we didn't want babies, I loved them from that moment on. Some told me I should have aborted them right then and there. How could I? How could I deny precious babies the right to live? Some said I should never have put them in the split playpen. Possibly. However, if you'd see them together, even with the fence between them, you might understand why I did what I did. The fact of the matter is, what happened happened and I could only act on the present. I could choose to abandon my rabbit in a time of need: risk her life, risk the lives of the babies, or choose to give them all a fighting chance. There was no doubt in my mind which I would choose.

At 28 days, I was ready. I did not sleep that night. Jeff set up a webcam so I could view her from inside without disturbing her. Nothing. On day 29, I knew she was ready and expected babies that evening. At around 6:30pm on October 19th, Giggles gave birth to two babies. One was a stillborn but the other was strong, very strong. We spent the night awake again, watching her on webcam incase there were any others. I held the baby to move him from the nest she built into the more sheltered nest Jeff built and at that moment, he curled up into my hand and I knew I had done the right thing.

His name is Rolo and he is product of love...[/align]

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[align=center]Twizzler is a lil guinea pig I adoptedat the end ofAugust. I have had guinea pigs since I was about 3 years old and I have always loved them. Unfortunately, my father was terribly allergic so we were never able to keep them. That's actually how I ended up with bunnies. However, being that I have terrible allergies when it comes to the bunnies, I wanted to rekindle my love of guinea pigs and see how much I could tolerate them. I ended up bringing this little guy home after a long day at school. He was my veryfirst purchase on my own in the Netherlands. LOL. [/align]

[align=center]Twizzler is not the friendliest guy. He's pretty high strung and nervous. He's a funny piggie though and I just love him. He was terribly shy but once we got him a buddy, he came around a bit more. He still will not try anything new unless he sees Jelly Bean trying it first. It makes us laugh. [/align]

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[align=center]Jelly Bean was gotten as a companion for Twizzler. Unlike Twizzler, Jelly Bean was much more socialized when we got him so he settled in very nicely. Jelly or Mr. Bean as I like to call him, is very laid back and loves to snuggle. He's quite the suck up and will call me at the slightest ruffling of a bag in the hopes that he will get treats. He's a very silly lil guy and he's even escaped his cage twice, trying to explore the house. He loves to snuggle in people's clothes and necks. Jelly Bean is adventurous and will try anything. Because of this, Twizzler has come out of his shell a lot more and they get along nicely.[/align]

[align=center]That is our family currently. Because of health issues, we will not be adding anyone to the family any time soon. Everyone gets along great though and I think we have a very nice balance at the present time.[/align]

[align=center]If you are interested in seeing more pictures and reading more stories from last year's blog, you can find it here:[/align]

[align=center]http://www.rabbitsonline.net/view_topic.php?id=59470&forum_id=6&page=1[/align]

[align=center]We hope you will enjoy your time reading our blog. Remember to leave comments and let us know if we made you smile![/align]

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## Nela (Jan 6, 2011)

[align=center]Yesterday was another good day. [/align]
[align=center]I had my first appointment at the hospital with my new pulmonologist in the afternoon. I must admit that I was quite apprehensive. I'm always nervous when meeting doctors for the first time. Of course, Jeff was with me so that helped. [/align]
[align=center]The first thing I noticed was that the hospital didn't look like a hospital. It certainly didn't look like any hospital I have ever soon. :shock:The first thing you walked into was a very spacious lobby with a recption desk in the center, a waiting area on the left, and a cafe area on the right. From the lobby, I could see some rooms on the 2nd floor that had a large window overlooking the lobby.It felt more like a hotel of some sort to be honest. It was extremely clean, and not hospital-y. Lol. It didn't have that smell... There were colors... It was quite nicely decorated actually. While Jeff spoke to the receptionist, I looked around, like a kid seeing something for the first time. Lol. Had I had my camera, I would have had to resist the urge to snap up some pics to show you.[/align]
[align=center]The next thing I noticed was that each section had it's own reception and waiting area. It was quite nice, and quiet. I have never known a hospital to be quiet really. :expressionlessThe seats looked like wooden benches but it turned out that they were foam and quite comfy. On the walls, they had leave patterns painted and while I was looking around, I saw what appeared to be a spot where light was being reflected. I kept staring at it, only to realize that it was a mouse or a rat being projected on the wall. At first I thought I was going nuts so I nudged Jeff and I got worried when he didn't see it at first. Then he spotted it and was as interested as I was. We looked around but couldn't tell where it was coming from. In fact, it looked like a radioactive mouse glowing right through the wall. LOL! Jeff and I kept staring and talking about it, enough so that the women sitting under it were wondering what in the world we were on about. They didn't see it. Frmo the looks we were getting, they seemed tothink we were absolutely insane. Lol.[/align]
[align=center]Soon after, my doctor greeted us, shook our hands, and led us to his office. Doctors do that here, they always shake your hand. In Montreal, they find it unsanitary. Lol. The appointment went really rare. Considering the amount of medications I have, he classifies me as having serious asthma. On the other hand, like I told him, I have never been hospitalized for it so it's really not as bad as it could be.[/align]
[align=center]He began by asking simplequestions like where I am from, how I came to Holland, etc.He asked about the home we are living in and if we have carpets, if it was a new build etc. He was very happy with the answers.The funny part was when I told him I normally have no problems in the home. He got a little confused and asked where I have problems then.I muttered "The shed." Of course, he asked was in the shed. Lol. I told him we had rabbits there. So he looked at Jeff and said "Oooh so you have rabbits?" Jeff got all agitated, pointed at me and said "No no SHEhas rabbits! SHE'S the one who is allergic and wants them!" Lol. I told the doctor not to listen to him and that they are really his rabbits. Hehehehe. The doctor didn't say anything about them since they aren't in the house. Of course, I didn't once mention anything about a cat, or two... Nor a guinea pig. Or two...[/align]
[align=center]I ended up getting a new inhaler after all. It's the purple one. I believe it is Pulmicort? Seretide the generic name? Not 100% sure as I have not gotten it yet. I have to use it as well as the Spiriva and Salbutamol. :expressionlessAnyway, he checked my saturation, pulse, and breathing... Breathing was normal, saturation was just a tad under my normal levels, and my heart was too fast despite being on the beta-blocker. I'm actually happy about that. That means he's seen it being too fast from doing nothing. That helps them understand the necessity of the beta-blocker.[/align]
[align=center]In the end, I got the meds prescribed, and a bunch of blood tests. He's going to screen for all sorts of stuff. I told him to knock himself out. He might as well get them done all at once. The less needles, the better. Lol. He'll be screening for food allergies and intolerances, something I haven't had done before actually. I doubt he'll find anything though. So aside from that, I have to go back on the 28th. Already. He wants to see how I am doing then. If things aren't better, he'll most likely be giving me a nebulizer machine. I also have to do the lung function tests. He mentionned the histamine provocation test but decided against it for the same reasons as my last doctor. I got my blood test done right away so we will know on the 28th if there is anything abnormal.[/align]
[align=center]Now, I also had my course yesterday evening. Our new teacher is very nice. She is turkish and pregnant so unfortunately we will only have her until April. Ah well. I tried to do my work but, as usual, the computer programs weren't working. I ended up putting my earphones on and listening to music while I did grammar exercises in my book. The teacher came to see why I wasn't working on the computer so I demonstrated how the program glitches and she let me keep working in my books. [/align]
[align=center]The fun thing is, I met an American in my class :biggrin2:His name is Matt and he is from Illinois. We seemed to click right away so it was nice to pair up with him during the class. He's got a sense of humor like mine so it was quite nice. There were more people yesterday as well and it was a pretty good lesson. I am hoping the rest of the lessons will go as smoothly [/align]


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## Bunny parents (Jan 6, 2011)

Nela's new blog and I'm the first one. BOOYAY !!! inkbouce: Great pictures you have, Nela.  I like your hair, wanted to do curly myself but it ended up I spent so much money for one night curly, yeah, that was painful memory  
It's so nice that Jeff is always there for you. You're a very lucky woman  By the way, in his pic, can't really tell who is more handsome  hehehe just kidding. They both look gorgeous. It's so good for you to have such a hospital. It reminds me of one movie about a doctor who wants to build a nice hospital which really gives care for patients. Darn :X I can't remember the name of this movie. 
I hope your health will be better soon.  Since you have a hospital with a great environment  Best wishes for you, my friend. 
 Oh your class is going great.  I'm really happy for you. It seems new year starts perfectly awesome for you !  It'll be the best year for health and everything. 

Hugs !


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## Bunny parents (Jan 6, 2011)

Oh PS PS : Rolo got big !!! :shock: Wow ! I didn't see his pics for some time and now he's a big boy  hehehe. 
Take care.


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## MiniLopHop (Jan 6, 2011)

I had not heard Rolo's story, that is so sweet! Love can over come any obsticle, even a gate and not having thumbs!
:love:


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## tristaw. (Jan 6, 2011)

It all sounds so positive! the hospital (WOW) they certainly aren't like that here! and your class and a new friend etc. so loving all this for you! it totally rocks  I'm so glad it's all going well. It feels good to be in the hands of a good doctor doesn't it?

:hugsquish:


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## tristaw. (Jan 6, 2011)

Btw, you are GORGEOUS!!!!


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## JadeIcing (Jan 6, 2011)

Love Love your blog!


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## Nela (Jan 7, 2011)

[align=center]:big kiss:[/align]

[align=center]Awww shucks! You all make me feel so loved :biggrin2:Hehehe. What a pleasant thread to come in and read![/align]
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[align=center]Vircia, my friend, I am so happy to hear from you! I'm afraid to tell you this, in fear that you will no longer like me, but I curl naturally. Lol It's is one thing I cannot complain about. I curl - a lot. I love wearing it straight too and Jeff got me a great straightener a while backthat gets the job done very quickly - and it's pink. Hehehe. :biggrin:On the other hand though, back in high school, my hair was soooooooooooooo thick! I looked like a bichon. :expressionlessIt took years of layering to get it to a normal thickness. It's all good now. I just play with the color as my natural color is dull. [/align]

[align=center]Lol I think Jeff is a great guy and I think he looks great as well. That's just an added bonus :biggrin2:Of course, seeing him handling the furbabies just makes me love him that much more! The hospital surprised me quite a bit myself. I had heard that they had good healthcare here but I really couldn't imagine. The dutch are pretty artistic and you can find quite a few nice looking buildings around. As for the movie, the only one I can think of is Patch Adams with Robin Williams. Lol. I don't think that's the one?The class is really going well too. I'm glad I decided to try again. The quality of the program is definitely not there but we also do not pay for it so I am not as bothered anymore. I have my own course I can do to improve on it. Two evenings a week is much more convenient than the 4 afternoons a week I was doing before.[/align]

[align=center]Rolo IS big! :shock:It makes me laugh to see him bigger than his mom already. Sheesh! His father isn't huge either. I guess maybe it has to do with him being an only baby? No idea :expressionlessLol.[/align]

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[align=center]MiniLopHop, you are so very right about love overcoming things. I mean, I am still not happy that it happened but it did. We were very lucky that she only had the one. It didn't change anything for us really. Unfortunately, I did choose to rehome Smores and Giggles with Jeff's sister but that is something that would have happened with or without Rolo. Now, I just get to keep 2 rabbits instead of just Maybelle. With Maybelle being more free range than anything though, Rolo makes no difference. I'm really happy that we gave Giggles a chance. I mean, he's adorableno? :biggrin2:[/align]

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[align=center]Trist,I admit, I am very happy. I've been very happy for 2 years now, but things just are so comfy since I am with Jeff. Having good medical care is a definite plus. I havea lot of bad days due to health so proper management is really important. It seems that I will getthat here though. I'm trying to see the positive in everything though. It helps a lot that I have slowed down and enjoy the littlest things in life most. It's really made things more pleasant for me. :biggrin2:As for 'gorgeous' hmm ok thanks That's the proper thing to say right? Lol![/align]

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[align=center]Ali, I'm always happy to see you commenting on the blog. I've always liked reading yours and with all your pets I'm glad you can still enjoy mine Hehehe. I am hoping this blog will bring you many smiles this year :biggrin2:*Muah*[/align]

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[align=center]As for me... I lied. (bah ok insert blushingsmiley here - emoticons aren't loading)I am looking into a possible future addition to our family as I type this... Lol. I'm not saying what it is yet. All I will say is: It's not furry, and It wouldn't be until late spring/summer.[/align]

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## irishbunny (Jan 7, 2011)

Nice start to your blog!


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## JadeIcing (Jan 7, 2011)

Can't wait to see what it is. I think it should be a gecko. I think you would be an awesome gecko owner.

Your blog always makes me smile.


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## tristaw. (Jan 7, 2011)

a hairless kitty??!! ooh I can't wait to know!


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## MiniLopHop (Jan 7, 2011)

nakid mole rat? now they have a PR problem! LOL


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## Bunny parents (Jan 8, 2011)

LOL. You're right, Nela. I envy you for natural curly hair you have.  it looks really nice on you.  I stopped thinking of curly hair for myself. Yep, scared that I will spend money for nothing again. It seems like my hair is not that easy to be curled up. :X So yeah it's straight ahead to the bottom, hahaha. Yes yes ! That's the movie I mentioned about. Thanks for reminding me  hehe. I like that movie. It's a touchy one. Watching it makes me want to become a doc. But then again... did I ever tell you ? I'm scared of needles... yeah but I love sewing. How weird is that ? LOL  
New member of tator tot family ?  Wow wow ! Hmmm let me think... It's not furry ??? Can it be....hmmmm a baby ???? :big wink: This pops up in my mind at first place.  hehehe. 

Take care, my friend. :hug2:


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## Nela (Jan 8, 2011)

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[align=center]My nerves are shot![/align]
[align=center]This morning started off really nicely. I woke up late and realized that Jeff was already up and about. I was feeling a little silly so I called his cell which was on his nightstand, thinking he would come up if he heard it. He didn't hear it. Bah lol. I got up, showered and dressed. When I came downstairs, Jeff had been up and cleaning. He had emptied the dishwasher, cleaned the sink, taken out the garbage, fed the bunnies, and he was off to clean the litterboxes... onder:Well okay, I wasn't going to get in his way I was happily tidying some things up in the kitchen and was looking out the window to spot Maybelle. I didn't see her so I figured she was still in the shed... I kept tidying and looking out when I spotted some movement.[/align]
[align=center]This is what was going through my head...[/align]
[align=center]Oh look, a bunny! Is that Megan (the neighbor's bunny)? Didn't she have white? Must be a new...[/align]
[align=center]And then it dawned on me...[/align]
[align=center]"Jeff?! Did you let Rolo ouuuut?!"[/align]
[align=center]"Um no???"[/align]
[align=center]"!#@$#!"[/align]
[align=center]Next thing I knew, I was out in the yard, running after the lil pipsqueak. Thank goodness the yard is well-closed. :expressionlessYou know those stupid cheap heart-shaped doorknobs on the store-bought hutches??? That's what we have. And if you turn them the wrong way, they get loose... Turns out they managed to pop the front door open and hop out.[/align]
[align=center]Now, I was expecting to simply pop him into his hutch after scolding him for scaring me (he's too little to be outside alone!) but when I got to the hutch, Giggles was missing. Meanwhile, I look around and Maybelle is sitting on the shed floor, free to go where she pleases. My first thoughts were "Please tell me Maybelle didn't eat Giggles, please pleaaaase..." Luckily, I found Giggles hiding behind the hutch, grabbed her and put her back in.[/align]
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[align=center]That could have been really really nasty. If Maybelle hadn't eaten either of them, maybe they'd have been lost (Giggles can definitely fit through the fence, maybe even Rolo), or a cat could have gotten them... [/align]
[align=center]:expressionless[/align]
[align=center]I'll definitely be installing proper latches in the very near future.[/align]
[align=center]After all this, we got ready and headed off to shop. Yay. :expressionlessI had to buy a stupid bra. That's always fun right? Especially for a guy...Mumble grumble grumble...Luckily, Jeff is easy about stuff like that and even helped. Lol. You wouldn't catch my father ever doing so! Anyway, after some help from the lady at the store, we bought one. It wasn't so cheap, and standard looking but ok. Jeff suggested we look online for another so that's what we will do. After that, we went to a few more stores and got the groceries done. We came home and unpacked the groceries...[/align]
[align=center]Now...[/align]
[align=center]You'd think everything has gone back to normal now. No more stupid things happening. But no.[/align]
[align=center]Jeff was off to the bathroom or something and I continued unpacking the groceries. At some point, I hear a cry. I don't know how I managed to know, but it didn't sound like a normal cry to me. There was something about it that made me need to investigate. I wasn't sure what it was at first. Maybe it was a neighbor's child... Then I heard it again and thought it was most likely a kitten. It might be hurt or lost or something... I went out to look.[/align]
[align=center]While I unlocked the back door, I looked around in the yard and saw nothing. When I stepped out however, I found the source. A cat was sitting in the gutter on the roof and crying. Thing is, when the cat spotted me, it became more frantic.[/align]
[align=center]The cat knew me.[/align]
[align=center]It was HOUDINA.[/align]
[align=center][email protected]#$%^@![/align]
[align=center]:shock:[/align]
[align=center]What the? How the??? Turns out Jeff accidentally left the attic window open (he opened it to air out after cleaning the boxes) and Houdina must have leapt from the banister, through the window, onto the roof. :expressionlessMy poor girl was sitting in the gutter, being rained on, and crying out for us. I freaked out. Luckily, she wasn't too high up so I climbed the fence and managed to grab her. Coming down was a bit more complicated though... Lol. Anyway, I made it back with her and squished her tightly against me. She was fine once inside. :expressionlessShe just wanted to go back to her cat business. Meanwhile I was still pretty shaken.What if I hadn't heard her? She was definitely not very loud... What if I had ignored it?[/align]
[align=center]Bleh.[/align]
[align=center]Poor Jeff too. He felt pretty bad. We'll be looking into child safety locks for the windows now... Bleh. It's an attic window too... Slanted... Nothing behind it... You'd think a cat would not want to jump into the unknown... :expressionless[/align]
[align=center]So, that was our day. I'm keeping a close eye on the guinea pigs now...[/align]
[align=center]:expressionless[/align]
[align=center]_______________________________[/align]
[align=center]Grace, thanks! I am glad you enjoy it. :biggrin2:I saw that you started yours up again so I will have to go peek right after this. [/align]
[align=center]***[/align]
[align=center]Hehehe Ali, I do miss my gecko. However, I'm not thinking of getting another. To be honest, I'm just not a huge fan of having crickets in the house. Buying them regularly is annoying, and so I would prefer to raise them myself but they get stinky, and noisy. Especially when one escapes into the bathroom... How do you do it? I am enjoying geckos through you right now :biggrin2:[/align]
[align=center]***[/align]
[align=center]LOL Trist! Ummm no. Lol No offense to the cats nor the people who like them, but I think they are pretty scary looking. Hehehe.[/align]
[align=center]***[/align]
[align=center]MiniLopHop, rofl! A naked mole rat... Now that would be something I'm sure that neighbors would just love me having one. Lol. That's even scarier than the naked kitty though. :biggrin2:[/align]
[align=center]***[/align]
[align=center]Vircia, awww it's too bad that it doesn't take. :expressionlessDid you try that many years ago? I wonder if they've improved things enough that you might have success with it now... Bah either way, I am sure you look stunning with your straight hair [/align]
[align=center]I love Patch Adams by the way! That's a movie I love to watch on rainy days. :biggrin2:Hehehe I am scared of needles too! :expressionlessI have to prick my fingertips often though for my sugar levels and I've gotten it for asthma attacks too. Loads of bloodtests. I've only gotten one IV and it was in my arm so that was ok. I'm quite scared of the IV in the hand to be honest. Lol. But yeah, needles... Beurk! :yuck[/align]
[align=center][/align]


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## irishbunny (Jan 8, 2011)

I think it's fish?


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## JadeIcing (Jan 8, 2011)

*Nela wrote: *


> [align=center]:faint:[/align]
> 
> [align=center]My nerves are shot!
> [/align]
> ...






After all that it is no surprise.

I buy them as needed and let them eat a bit before they are fed. I also feed mealworms and superworms.


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## Nela (Jan 9, 2011)

Lol, nope, not fish Grace. 

Yeah Ali. :expressionlessThe worst thing is Houdina kept patting and mewing at the cabinet after. I thought I had acidentally locked Baloo in there. Luckily, he was just upstairs sleeping on the bed. Lol. Ah yeah, I remember you telling me about the crickets now. 

___________________

It's a beautiful day today. I'm gonna go let the Divabelle out :biggrin2:I'm gonna clean the shed and sort out some things. I think I am going to start working on the landscape designas well.


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## Nela (Jan 9, 2011)

[align=center]Beware, the New Year's Resolution buster....[/align]
[align=center]



[/align]
[align=center]



[/align]
[align=center]



[/align]
[align=center]It's the yummy,ooey, gooeybanana goodness filled beignet. :inlove: I ate it this morning. It's typical dutch and these things are found at Oliebollen karts parked at shoppingareasaround the country. They are found during the holidays as it is a holiday treat. Yesterday, when we went shopping, I couldn't resist buying some as it should be gone soon. Mmmm the banana is my favorite. They have other kinds: standard oliebollen, some with raisins, cherry beignets, apple cinammon, custard, pineapple, etc.[/align]
[align=center]Yummy! [/align]
[align=center]Ok so my camera battery is charging and I am backing up my memory card so I thought I'd share about the beignet... Lol. I promise more interesting pictures soon. [/align]
[align=center][/align]


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## Nela (Jan 9, 2011)

[align=center]Oh I forgot to add this picture...[/align]
[align=center]Here is a picture of the hospital lobby:[/align]
[align=center]



[/align]
[align=center]The large windows upstairs are the hospital rooms I was talking about. The hospitals I have seen looked nothing like this at all. Lol. Yes, it really was this clean looking in person as well. Very modern. [/align]


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## Bunny parents (Jan 9, 2011)

Nom nom nom..your pics make me hungry :eats: Wow ! what a nice hospital. It doesn't look like hospital at all, more like hotel, a nice airport or so  hehe. Lucky you, Nela. 
About curly hair, it was last year. I used to have curly hair once, long time ago, it might caused this, I don't know.  Now I'm happy to stick with straight hair. I need to let my hair get rest  
Can't wait to know whom is gonna be the new member of your family !


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## Nela (Jan 9, 2011)

[align=center]Vircia, hehehe it really is yummy! I need to get you some stroopwaffels. :biggrin2:I understand what you mean about letting your hair rest. It's good that you do. Lol I like Hello Kitty so Hello Kimi caught my eye. Hehehe.[/align]

[align=center]______________________________[/align]

[align=center]Well, cleaning the shed and hutches took a few hours and the bunnies wouldn't stay still so it was not possible to get any pictures of them. I did take a few pictures though. [/align]

[align=center]Who here likes Maybelle? Who here thinks she is a sweet girl? Anyone want her?[/align]

[align=center]This is what she did to our shed... Yes it was all HER.[/align]

[align=center]




[/align]

[align=center]



[/align]

[align=center]She even tried to eat her way through the others' hutch:[/align]

[align=center]



[/align]

[align=center]Several hours later, we got it looking good again (though the hutches were not yet clean here):[/align]

[align=center]



[/align]

[align=center]Giggles and Rolo are in that hutch at the moment. Maybelle has no hutch. We'll be getting a cat litterbox for her in the near future. She'll remain free range like this as long as she doesn't eat my bike She's simply too big a bunny to stick in a small hutch. Plus, she's rather good with her litter habits in general and she loves being out. [/align]

[align=center]This is a picture of our roof...[/align]

[align=center]



[/align]

[align=center]As you can see, the window way up onthe right is the attic window. That's the window Houdina got out of. :expressionlessShe was in the gutter on the left. I climbed onto the fence there (beside the hedge is a fence)to grab her. I shiver every time I look at this picture. Oh what could have happen... :nerves1Luckily, aside from some broken claws, she is ok. I do expect her eyes and nose to act up this week though. Stress always exacerbates her herpes virus.[/align]

[align=center][/align]


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## Bunny parents (Jan 10, 2011)

hehehe lovely Maybelle. yep, Nela. I still think of Maybelle as a pretty Diva girl  hehe. She just redecorated the place in " Maybelle " style. I bet when you walked into there, maybelle screamed, " Voila, momma ! May I present you... Maybelle Kingdom, tat ta da da ~~~ !!!" :roflmao:
Glad to hear Houdina is ok, but broken claws ?? Ouch ! Wishing her a real quick recovery.


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## Nela (Jan 10, 2011)

Lol, I love Maybelle's attitude. She's more the type to go "Ooooooooooh is this yours?" and then break it. Lol. Like the evill sibling in the rabbit family. She was rather funny yesterday though and 'helped' as we cleaned by making sure to be in our way or attacking the broom. I swear, the minute you lay a finger on that broom she'll come running at it, and charge it, grunting and boxing at it angrily. Lol. She keeps us entertainedand reminds me daily that I am indeed the rabbit slave.


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## JadeIcing (Jan 10, 2011)

My kind of rabbit.


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## Momto3boys (Jan 10, 2011)

I just love your new blog, Nela!!

YOu have such a way with words :hugsquish: Maybelle is too funny!
I'm glad Houdina is safe and sound, you guys sure had a hectic day that day, lol thy're always keeping you on your toes, that's for sure!!


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## Nela (Jan 12, 2011)

[align=center]:grumpy:

So the very next morning, I went into the shed to let Divabelle out so she could enjoy the sun. :shock: Guess what? Lil Miss had grabbed her litter corner and dumped ALL of its contents onto the newly cleaned floor. Lil Miss was not statisfied with just dumping it there, nooooo, Maybelle decided she was going to spread it as much as she possibly could to get the maximum effect. So it is EVERYWHERE. Whilst I was standing there, mouth and eyes wide open, the lil brat ran right past me, into the yard and binkied away happily.

:grumpy:

When Jeff got home, I told him she made a mess of the shed by emptying her litterbox contents. He grunted in disapproval. However, it's really when he SAW the mess that he realized how much of a mess one rabbit can possibly make with a small amount of litter. He just stood there, looking much like I did when I saw it... :shock:

I had been considering getting her one of those open cat boxes but after seeing this, I think we will go with a closed one. Of course, I had given her a sandbox in the yard to play in but she didn't find that neeeeeeearly as interesting as tearing up the sandbag right in the shed and spreading it all over. The sandbox has been completely ignored.

:expressionless

By the way...

Rolo is acting very much like Maybelle. "GET YOUR FILTHY HANDS OFF ME!"*Thump!* Hmmm 'he' is grunting and growling and putting up as much of a fuss as Maybelle. I'm starting to wonder if 'he' isn't really a 'she'. I don't remember any of my boys ever grunting like that. Lol. Must be that 'terrible 2' type phase. 'He' just wants to run out and explore now. It ain't happening. Nah uh, no way. Not until 'he' gets a bigger butt at least.  Rolo won't be able to pass through the fence with a big butt.

Smores is going to the vet's today. I *believe* he is being neutered today but I am not 100% sure. Giggles will be able to go in a few weeks  I am working on her these days. She's gotten quite scrawny again. :expressionless I don't know what it is with that girl but I don't like it. I do not like her physique, muscle tone, bone density, etc. She's beautiful and I love her, don't get me wrong. The thing is, I am sooo afraid that she'll just break :expressionless Her feet are so scrawny, I'm afraid looking at them wrong would cause her to break a leg. Bleh. I'm so glad we took her from the breeder. On the other hand, Rolo definitely doesn't have that problem so I am glad it wasn't passed down. 

Houdina. Yeah Houdina... That girl... :expressionless She really has a good name. I'm still quite freaked out about what happened on Saturday. With a roof that angled... Bleh. I know they say cats land on their feet, but surely she could have injured herself. I've been checking her ever since for any signs of pain at all. Making sure there is no pulled muscles, sprains, aches, breaks, anything really. You wanna know something really funny? The darn cat can't even jump up on the window sill in my bedroom without failing horribly! :expressionless The curtains are closed and she can't seem to process how to work them. They split in the middle but it's as if she is afraid she'll bump into something hard so she always hesitates. Anyway, usually you will hear the classic *toom toom toom toom (paw steps) Voom (jump) and eeeeeee-eeee-eeeeeeeeeee (Houdina slowly sliding down, paws and claws screeching against the radiator as she slides) and Boom (butt lands on the floor). :laugh: She's really smart, but ooooh so stupid. 

Seconds later, Baloo - having heard the commotion and wanting to show off- will leap from the bed onto the window sill with the ever so gentle "oof" because that is a sound he makes WHENEVER he jumps. Lol. 

She may be silly as heck but Houdina is my baby girl. She and I have a special bond. Houdina ALWAYS races me up the stairs and shares my nightly routine of going to the bathroom, changing, brushing teeth etc. I guess she considers it 'our' time. Baloo tried to enter once and she punched the daylights out of him, leaving him sitting on the other side of the door, trying to break in and crying frantically ever since. :confused2: Lol. As soon as we get in, she throws herself on the bathroom carpet at my feet and rolls around uttering that playful "pwree" as she does. I usually scratch her ears, pet her belly etc. and then open the tap for her to play in the water whilst I do whatever I need to do which I believe I need not describe.  Meanwhile, Jeff is yelling at Baloo to shush because he is crying like a starving kitten abandoned by his mother. When I get out, Baloo greets me with his incessant yapping about how I should never leave him again and Houdina goes to snack. Once Baloo has checked that Jeff and I are indeed in bed, he goes down, fights with Houdina and sends her running upstairs while he proceeds to snack LOUDLY. It's usually at this time that we hear Houdina's classic windowsill fail. Once he is done eating, he will pace up and down the stairs and whine, oh and I do mean whine, until I tell him to shut up and come to bed. At that moment, we are met by total silence until we hear Baloo land on our bed and then he proceeds to stretching out on top of me or between my knees. He is snoring shortly after. Houdina is usually found snoring on the windowsill. 

If (these days 'when' would be a more appropriate choice) I do get up during the night, you better believe Houdina will be waiting for me when I get back. Once I settle back into bed, she'll jump on over, lick me and then snuggle right by my head until I get sleepy enough that she can leave without me resuming any petting. 

That is how our nights go. Every night is the same routine. And if things haven't happened as such, it is because we've accidentally closed the door on Houdina because she was too sound asleep on the kitchen chair to hear us head upstairs in time to race me. When this happens, I usually ask the standard question "Have you seen Houdina?" At which time, we hear the muffled mew and door banging so Jeff opens the door and she lets out an irritated and insulted "MEW!" then runs up, sighs deeply and proceeds to completing whatever routine step we are at.

That is the life we live. :biggrin2:

Alrighty now, so I am off to check on the buns, let the brat out, and take down the Christmas tree decorations. Hopefully, my migraine will stay 'dormant' until I am done. I've had the stupid migraine since Monday morning. I hate migraines. Oh, and yes, I still go on the laptop. Can we say ADDICTED? 

Have a great day!

______________________________


Lol Ali, I know you like bunnies with loads of rabbitude. :biggrin2: She keeps us on our toes. I really enjoy it. She's so independent... To be honest, she's the type of rabbit that works better for me as I am not able to cuddle and kiss a bunny as I'd wish. She hates it and would eat me for doing so so I don't have the irresistible urge to even attempt it  She is definitely happy with the way things are now, and seeing her happy makes me happy. 


*** 

Aww Brandy, you always make me smile! Really? You think so? Many people have told me that I write well but I have always found it hard to convey things to people correctly. I read many other's posts and often wish I could write like that. Well, you've made my day now. If I can make you laugh, smile, and tear up then I am doing what I wanted to be doing with this blog :biggrin2: They are a silly bunch, my lovable bunch. :biggrin2:
[/align]


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## JadeIcing (Jan 12, 2011)

HAHAHA she is such a DIVA! I am so in love with her.


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## Bunny parents (Jan 12, 2011)

Oh Nela, I know exactly how it looks like. A room fulled with bunny's bedding. I put one litter box in our living room. Kimiko loves to spend day time and night time around us and since this room is the room where we all stay most of the day. So I decided to put some of her stuffs there, including litter box made from cardboard box. I don't give her plastic litter box here 'cause she doesn't like it. We'll look for something more bigger and with the shape she likes later. For now she's willing to use this cardboard one. Anyway, I have to put couple sheets of newspaper on its bottom to prevent the pee leaking out onto our carpet. Kimiko loves tearing up newspaper and guess what ? She found them in her litter box last night. So she digged out her bedding and started tearing newspapers. I was in the kitchen and hubby reached her too late. Our carpet already covered with bunny bedding. I guess we're having same situation here, LOL. 
How's your health ?  Take care.


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## tristaw. (Jan 12, 2011)

It must be in the air.. phineas has gone mad. i swear it.
He destroys every room he is in and he is not bored. he makes his own entertainment and is loved/sooked to death but my nerves are shot LOL

This morning I put him in the bathroom during his normally sleepy time. well he got onto the top of the toilet and sink knocking over everything. The ceramic thingies holding the toothbrushes and the soap SMASH on ceramic tile, the toilet paper was unravelled and shredded.

He went into the tub and knocked over all the shampoo on the shelves.

Laid back Flemish Giants my patootie LOLOL 
bunny badness , I can so sympathize lol..

That pastry had my mouth drooling btw.. YUMMMMMY and the hospital too AMAZING!!!!


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## MiniLopHop (Jan 12, 2011)

That Maybelle is one baaaadddddd bun! LOL I like bunnitude too. When I picked Becky out one of the things I liked about her is that she hopped around her cage to tell me she owned the place and then kicked the shelter tech's butt for trying to pick her up. She has become more snugly, but still hates to be picked up. I knew she could hold her own with the cats.
So will your new pet have feathers rather than fur? I'm dying of curiosity. How much longer are you going to keep us in suspense?
Good luck with the spay/neuters. I hope your migraine stays away, they are horrible.


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## tristaw. (Jan 12, 2011)

yes, sophie I agree, tell us about the new addition!!!!
and migraines are the worst. I've had many. hugs xoxo


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## MiniLopHop (Jan 12, 2011)

I'm going to start to think it is a baby.....:whistling


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## Bunny parents (Jan 13, 2011)

*MiniLopHop wrote: *


> I'm going to start to think it is a baby.....:whistling


:yeahthat: Yepe, Me too ! I can't think of anything else. I'm dying to know here !  Sophieeeeeeeee !  hehe.


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## Nela (Jan 13, 2011)

[align=center]Bleh, been fighting with the stupid migraine since Monday morning. I didn't go to school yesterday cause I was so pooped from the dozen meds. It hit pretty badly during the night so I was pretty comatose this morning since I decided to take my stronger med. Jeff decided to work from home so we watched Toy Story. I am doing better but just feeling 'heavy' from the med and have an upset stomach. 

Maybelle spent the day running around. She's taken a liking to running around our feet in circles and humming. She does like Jeff quite a bit. I guess that's a good thing. Lol. 

Our Christmas tree is gone. I miss it. I miss the pretty lights. Lol. Is it Christmas yet? 

Btw... I missed a funny moment on Monday evening while I was at school. Jeff went to his mother's before picking me up to bring back her laptop. Well anyway, they got to talking and he was explaining to her that my teacher was preggy and that I will not have her after April. Somehow, she understood that I was the pregnant one. LOL! She was quite excited. Awww lol. At least now we know how she feels about it. I'm curious to know how Jeff really reacted. Hehehe. 

No. I am not. Sillies.



I seriously promise more pictures soon. I did get a few of the cats and a video of Houdina playing with a bag so maybe I will share that soon. Oh and the piggies... Maybe I will be able to post a few then.

______________________________

Lol Ali, I might mail her to you once in a while so you can bunsit when she's bad. You know how parents often play around and say "S/he is your kid!"when a kid misbehaves? Maybe we can do the same with her. She'd be at your place quite a bit then. Lol.  Nah seriously, I love how she has enslaved us. I must be a masochist at heart. 

Btw, I didn't put away the rabbit you sent. I kept it out because I find it too cute. It's hanging on my desk now. :biggrin2:

***

Oh Vircia, nooo not Kimi? Surely, your little princess never makes a mess? I am shocked! I thought she'd love things neat and tidy. Hehehe :biggrin2: They do LOVE cardboard and paper don't they? Isn't it amazing just how much of a mess they can make with that? :shock: I love giving the pets a box of cardboard filled with shredded strips of paper. Smores used to particularly love it.  Divabelle? Not impressed. Of course. :rollseyes

Healthwise, not too bad. I have a lot of medication to take but I am used to it. I'm not sure how many thousands I've spent on meds over the past 5 years or so and I do not want to know. Lol. Luckily, I seem to have found some very nice doctors here so that will make all the difference. We had to postpone my appointment by a week so that is annoying. I hate having to wait for results. Lol. I'm curious to know if anything new was found in my bloodtests. I really cannot complain though as things have been much better since I am not working. I just take it in steps. I can rest when needed and that's what I do. 

***

Lol Trist! Laid back flemmies. Hehehehe. I'll remember that if I ever consider one in the future.  Ouch about the ceramics. Your hubby must be oh so happy. Lol. Didn't you know you had gotten yourself a puppy and not a bunny? Still feel bad about a dog crate? Hehehe.

That pastry is just sinful. I just love that banana one. It's really something! Cool eh the hospital? Best thing, no waiting. Lol :biggrin:

***

MiniLopHop, lol rabittude is awesome. It's just pure attitude I tell you. Hehehe. Call me evil, but there is something particularly entertaining in watching a small prey animal boss around a bigger predator one.  May terrorizes the neighborhood cats. I swear, I haven't seen any in the yard for weeks. :expressionless LOL.

No not feathery either. I do admit I considered it. Maybe some small finches or diamond doves. Thought of a quail too  But no, no birds. As for how long? Probably until it's home. IF we get it. Hehehe.

Migraines suck. :expressionless

***

Lol Trist, but I have told you about considering a new addition. 

***

Mini and Vircia, err nope. No baby :expressionless Lol. It makes me laugh, it's probably not as exciting as you people are hoping for in the first place 
[/align]


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## tristaw. (Jan 13, 2011)

Omg Sophie... you're torturing me.. new addition.. going through my memory banks.. I don't think you TOLD me what it IS!!!!!!! I realllly want to know.


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## Momto3boys (Jan 13, 2011)

A new addition?? I don't think it's a bunny, maybe it's a reptile?? Ohhhhhh what is it?? haha

I hope your migraine goes away soon :heartbeat:


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## irishbunny (Jan 13, 2011)

I love Toy Story! It came out when I was younger and I thought I was so cool with my limited edition Buzz Light year


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## Nela (Jan 14, 2011)

[align=center]I have some videos to share today. [/align]
[align=center]The first is of Maybelle playing outside. You can see a bit of her personality from this video. Hehehe. We have worked on the yard last weekend when we cleaned the shed and still have more to do but it'll get there eventually. Here is the video:[/align]
[align=center]

[/align]
[align=center]The next video is one of Houdina, Baloo, and the piggies. There are a few things I would like to note beforehand:[/align]
[align=center]- Yes, I ask a lot of questions. I was trying to get them to 'answer'like they usually do but, of course, they saw the camera...[/align]
[align=center]- Yes, I was being sarcastic about Baloo joining us. It's hard to get anything done when they want to play [/align]
[align=center]- Houdina is usually a lot funnier with the bag. She likes to run and charge at it and slide across the floor while being in the bag. Lol. Unfortunately, it's impossible to sneak up on them with the camera.[/align]
[align=center]- Prior to starting the camera, Houdina had been stealing ornaments and running off with them as I had been taking them out of the tree.[/align]
[align=center]- Please excuse the messy floors, it was cleaning day and, with taking down the tree, I knew I would have another mess to clean.[/align]
[align=center]- We had a problem with the piggies' bottle falling off so the water went all over their bedding on and offfor a few days. Jeff fixed it by sticking it to MDF and sticking the MDF to the wall rather than sticking the bottle directly to the wall. Anyway, that was fixed and the cage was sorted after that. PS: If you want an angry Jelly Bean, take away his giant fuzzy slipper to clean it. :expressionless[/align]
[align=center]- They got carrot tops and a carrot. [/align]
[align=center]Here is the video:[/align]
[align=center]

[/align]
[align=center]Aaaand last is a video of Houdina and I in the bathroom (just playing no worries ) while Baloo is on the other side crying so you will need your volume up for this one. He was actually pretty good so he wasn't as frantic as usual. Though the urge is to run out and cuddle him to death, we are actually trying to work on him and his worries. Jeff is always in the bedroom (right beside the bathroom), trying to distract him and get him to forget that I have 'gone'. Lol. He's not nearly as bad as he was. He used to start shaking and sometimes even make himself sick. :expressionlessPoor lil kiddo.[/align]
[align=center]

[/align]
[align=center]It's pretty ugly outside so I am not sure that I will let MayMay out. I probably will not get pictures of them today if I cannot leave the shed doors open. [/align]
[align=center]________________________________[/align]
[align=center]*Snickers at Trist and Brandy* Alright alright, I'll tell you...[/align]
[align=center]It's a [/align]
[align=center]It's aaa[/align]
[align=center]It's aaaaaaaaaaaaa[/align]
[align=center]Aaaaaaaaaaaachoo![/align]
[align=center]Nope, don't remember [/align]
[align=center]***[/align]
[align=center]Lol Grace! Hehehe I could just imagine you with your Buzz. I love Toy Story as well. Actually, the one and only time so far that Jeff and I had a movie theatre date was to see Toy Story 3. So worth it! LOL.[/align]


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## MiniLopHop (Jan 14, 2011)

Evil! You are just taunting us!!!!! :brat:


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## tristaw. (Jan 14, 2011)

SOPHIE!!!! lol grrrrrrrrrrrr


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## JadeIcing (Jan 14, 2011)

How long do we have to wait?


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## Nela (Jan 14, 2011)

OMG y'all are too funny. I really didn't think it would generate much interest. :expressionlessLol. I was *considering* adding a land turtle I just thought it could be nice because they can be kept outdoors. I really want to bring life in that yard. I am researching now though because I wouldn't want to do anything stupid again. Lol.


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## MiniLopHop (Jan 14, 2011)

Nela, Turtles are WONDERFUL! I have 2 three-toed turtles that I love. There's a great discussion board "turtle times" that you can get all kinds of information for care and the types. They also have rescue societies all over. Please do not buy from a pet store because they are mostly wild caught and very ill. Turtles are like rabbits, they hide illness.

I'm planning on getting some pictures of the turtles and rabbit together, recreating the tortise and the hare! LOL

Here is Kate and Leopold


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## Nela (Jan 14, 2011)

[align=center]Hahaha MiniLopHop, that's what I was aiming for. Only I wanted to let them recreate it themselves. I would love to adopt one. I am currently trying to locate any shelters that might have one. We're planning a yard re-model so I thought we can make it animal friendly for them. Being that they can handle the outdoors, I am very much interested. I do however want to be sure that it is the proper climate for them. I do not want to subject any poor creature to a bad life. On the other hand, if there are some here in need of a home, I would gladly provide one with a home. Jeff is not entirely convinced of it yet. I've been showing him a ton of puppy pictures and there's been a lot of baby talk around him lately so maybe he will jump at the turtle in the end. *Looks innocent* I thank you for the forum info. I will definitely look that up. :rose:[/align]


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## SOOOSKA (Jan 14, 2011)

Great Blog Nela. 

I love reading your stories and looking at all your pictures.

Are you sure your "Honey" doesn't have a nice Uncle somewhere?:biggrin:

Susan


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## Bunny parents (Jan 15, 2011)

Ahhh turtles  Hehehe. I was about to make a list of non-fur animals, LOL  I kept asking my husband, " Tell me a name of an animal which doesn't have fur ".  
Nive video  Our Divabelle is totally cute.


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## Nela (Jan 15, 2011)

[align=center]Susan,[/align]
[align=center]I hope to have lots more pictures very soon! :biggrin2:I just asked Jeff about the uncle (last time you asked about a brother )but he can't seem to think of any ones available. Hehehe. [/align]
[align=center]Vircia, [/align]
[align=center]Lol. Well, no need for a list now I'm glad you enjoyed the video. Divabelle is always like that. Hehehe. You can touch her, on her own terms. I'm just about to let her out actually. She loves to binky in the yard. She does binky a heck of a lot now. :biggrin:[/align]


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## Nela (Jan 24, 2011)

[align=center]Been going through a bit of arough patch lately so I haven't updated but I don't think it's been noticed anyway so I'll just update it so that when things do take off normally again we'll all be at the same place.[/align]
[align=center]A few weeks ago, Jeff and I had a good discussion. There comes a time in a young woman's life when she is faced with her biological clock. I guess my time has come. It's odd because for a few years now, I thought I had settled on the idea of now having children. When I met Jeff, we had discussed them (before getting involved) and he wasn't really into the idea of having any at the time either. Of course, if it would have happened, we'd have welcomed it but we took precautions. Anyway, recently, the instinct to have some kicked in - quite badly. I was quite worried at that point because I kept in mind that Jeff wasn't really thrilled at the idea and suddenly I wasn't sure if I could handle the thought of never having a child.[/align]
[align=center]Anyway, we talked and the words 'wedding' and 'kids' came up and it turns out that we are on the same page. We've decided not to get a turtle and instead look into making the yard proper for both the rabbit and kids. Meanwhile, I'll be able to prepare myself and learn some important things from my course. I still think learning to drive would be quite helpful so I think that is something I would have to look into as well.[/align]
[align=center]These days, I'm feeling a little bit too homebound. Don't get me wrong, I love things the way they are but I do wish I would get out of the house a bit more. We have a lake 5 minutes away but yet I never go. I just hate going out alone. I cannot stand it. I get too self-conscious. I feel like everyone is looking at me, judging, laughing... It's also quite boring. Lol. So... I want a dog. I really do. I've wanted one since before we moved in. Conditions were never quite ideal though. Jeff is not a big dog person either and so I sort of dropped the idea early on but it's always stayed on my mind.[/align]
[align=center]Here in the Netherlands, it's really ideal for a dog. People are very dog friendly here and you can take your dog most places. Of course, we only have a small yard so I would not have a big dog. We also have quite a few pets already and I would not want to mess up the balance we have now. I'm not sure how Baloo would take to a dog to be honest. It could go both ways I guess... He could either be really scared of jealous and take a long time to warm up to him or he could be thrilled to have a buddy to play with and bond quite well. [/align]
[align=center]I've never had a dog so I would need a dog that has a good temperament to start off with. I would need a dog that is intelligent and that I could train but also a dog that is family-oriented and loves to play. Our pets would definitely all be staying soour dog would have to learn to live with them. I also would strongly dislike a very yappy dog (as adorable as they are). I have been reading up on breeds and I think the breed I would be interested in is the King Charles Cavalier Spaniel.[/align]
[align=center]I so see myself packing up a picnic basket and taking the dog out by the lake to play...[/align]
[align=center]Jeff doesn't want a dog though. He thinks we'd be getting a bit crammed and says we'd always have to think of the dog. I'm not sure how that aspect differs to having a kid but he doesn't seem as happy about the thought of a dog. I respect his decision but it also makes it quite hard for me right now. I have no one here really. Nowhere to go, no one to see. There's not really anything around either so it's not likeI could easily just join a club of some sort. Ah well... [/align]
[align=center]My parents had been telling me for a while now that they wanted to come visit. My mother is on vacation for two weeks and she said that they would look into their passports while she was on vacation but said she wasn't sure they could afford them. Anyway, turns out they've gone and spent a nice amount on other things (new expensive computer and games) so I guess they will not be coming. It's been like this for years. My grad ring and grad ceremony were lost to some console or something (I blocked it out). My college education was replaced by a fancy spa and gazebo. My going away party was replaced by a new PS3.... Just a few examples. I really don't know why I had ever hoped it would have been different this time around. I'm not sure if I am more annoyed with them, or if I'm more annoyed with myself for having hoped. [/align]
[align=center]Yesterday, it was a cold gloomy day but I decided to take Giggles and Rolo to the lake. I have two cat harnesses that fit but were just a tad loose so I made them 'sweaters' out of socks to keep them snug. I have used these in the past and actually prefer to use them as I like the extra security (or at least sense of security)that they provide. Jeff decided to come along so after I fixed their sweaters, we put them in the kennel and drove to the lake. Rolo was quite happy to explore but Giggles just sat there and munched on some grass. Lol. Sometimes, Rolo would just run off without warning so I had to run with him to allow him to get further. We did get quite a lot of attention. Lol. The dutchies love animals. Just before leaving, Rolo decided he wanted to say hi to a lil girl on the swing. Hehehe. Unfortunately, I was stupid enough to leave the memory card in my laptop so I couldn't take pictures at the lake but I took a few when we got home...[/align]
[align=center](Pics in next post)[/align]


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## Nela (Jan 24, 2011)

[align=center]Sorry about the low quality pictures. The light was terrible. [/align]
[align=center]Rolo:[/align]
[align=center]



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[/align]
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[/align]
[align=center]Giggles:[/align]
[align=center]Oh yes, she's just *thrilled* with the harness and sweater[/align]
[align=center]



[/align]
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[/align]
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[/align]
[align=center]Momma and Babe:[/align]
[align=center]



[/align]
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[/align]
[align=center]MayMay (who would run as soon as she'd hear the shutter sound, making it terribly difficult to take pictures of her):[/align]
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[align=center]Baloo:[/align]
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[align=center]Houdina (who was so not up to being on pictures at that moment):[/align]
[align=center]



[/align]
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[/align]
[align=center]Jelly Beannie:[/align]
[align=center]



[/align]
[align=center]looks like he is reading the box here...[/align]
[align=center]



[/align]
[align=center]and Twizzler:[/align]
[align=center]



[/align]
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[/align]


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## JadeIcing (Jan 24, 2011)

Awesome pictures. 

The update... Well I can relate a little to much. *hugs* We will make it.


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## tristaw. (Jan 24, 2011)

I can relate to your update too..the parents part. my father always put expensive gadjets first and it was very disheartening. very.

I was going to move to the netherlands about 12 years ago with a wonderful guy I was involved with. I loved the kid friendly atmosphere and all the beauty but I felt like I would be isolated so I didn't even try. You were gutsy enough to do it and you're such a sweet person, I bet with time things will smooth themselves out and you will find the people you need in your life.

How long have you been there? Maybe it will just take a bit more time than you thought.

When we were looking into getting a dog, I fell in love with King Charles spaniels too! We didn't end up getting one but they sound like they have wonderful personalities and they are so cute!!!

Your pictures are beautiful!! Baloo looks almost exactly like my Manu! eery.

I wish the best for you Sophie! You so deserve everything your heart desires. I wish I had some inspiring words to say but know that I'm here if you ever need to talk. 

:hugsquish:


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## Nela (Jan 24, 2011)

[align=center]I had class this evening andI really didn't feel like going. I was moping around all day really and couldn't care to go. Jeff stayed home today but I kept to myself mostly. I spent all day watching youtube videos about surprises such as puppies as christmas presents, kitties for birthdays, soldiers coming home, etc. In the end though, I did end up going to class and I am glad I did.[/align]
[align=center]My computer program wasn't working as usual so I worked on another that is online. One thing that makes work easier is music. So, I had my cellphone and put music on through that and wore one earphone in my left ear. I wore the computer headset over it so I could hear both my music and dutch pronounciation at the same time. Meanwhile I copied the words in my notebook and typed up the answers when required. That's what I like. Lol. [/align]
[align=center]During our break,I sat at a table alone as usual. It's not that others have been mean or anything but I just don't have that openness to just invite myself. The others are in their own cliques, mostly divided by country of origin. Well, a classmate sat down in front of me and announced that she was going to sit with me. Lol. I quickly put away my cellphone and we got to chatting. It turns out that she teaches a women's scrapbooking group and is very much into arts and crafts and calligraphy. :biggrin2:Well well well... How interesting is that? Anyway, she gave me her e-mail and website so I will definitely check it out. It's supposed to be closeby and there should be classes on several days so maybe it's something I could do. [/align]
[align=center]I told Jeff he paid her to tell me this so I wouldn't keep bugging about a puppy [/align]
[align=center]Aside from that, the other half of the class was a lot of fun. We really have a great teacher. She made 2 guys in the class roleplay so basically one guy just moved into a new house and his friend was coming over for coffee for the first time. What ensued was simply hilarious... Of course, keep in mind that we are all still pretty shy, self-conscious, and have a limited dutch vocabulary... Anyway, she told one guy to go out and knock and told the other to go open. He sat down and she asked him why he wasn't answering the door. He said the other guy hadn't knocked yet. Lol. Once the other knocked, he opened the door and the conversation went something like this:[/align]
[align=center]"Hi. Come."[/align]
[align=center]"Okay."[/align]
[align=center]*Walks in, both sit.*[/align]
[align=center]"Hi."[/align]
[align=center]"Hello."[/align]
[align=center]"How are you?"[/align]
[align=center]"Yeah."[/align]
[align=center]"Coffee?"[/align]
[align=center]"No, milk."[/align]
[align=center]"No milk."[/align]
[align=center]*Teacher tells him to offer something else.*[/align]
[align=center]"Um... Water?"[/align]
[align=center]"No, coffee."[/align]
[align=center]"Okay."[/align]
[align=center]*Guy looks at teacher*[/align]
[align=center]"But if he can give me coffe he could give me milk!"[/align]
[align=center]*Teacher explains that he most likely only has coffee milk*[/align]
[align=center]"So..."[/align]
[align=center]"Yeah."[/align]
[align=center]"Nice house."[/align]
[align=center]"Yeah. Oh thanks."[/align]
[align=center]"Close to the bus stop."[/align]
[align=center]"Yeah."[/align]
[align=center]*Looks at teacher* [/align]
[align=center]"Ok finished."[/align]
[align=center]*Teacher pushes them to go on*[/align]
[align=center]"Cookie?"[/align]
[align=center]"No."[/align]
[align=center]"Are you finished your coffe yet?" (As in, are you leaving yet?)[/align]
[align=center]"No."[/align]
[align=center]"Okay."[/align]
[align=center]"Nice table..."[/align]
[align=center]"Yeah. Are you finished now?"[/align]
[align=center]*At this point we were all dying of laughter so the teacher ended it then proceeded to tell us not to have coffee at so and so's house as he was a bad host.* [/align]
[align=center][/align]
[align=center]It really was funny...[/align]
[align=center][/align]
[align=center][/align]
[align=center][/align]


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## Nela (Jan 24, 2011)

Thank you Ali. *Big hugs* 

Thanks Trist. Oh it's quite alright here but I am very shy and quite anxious when meeting people so I don't make friends too too easily. We live in a sort of suburb so it's not too big a place and there isn't too much to do really. Well, then again, I just don't have a mode of transportation to get really far in any case. I still have to learn how to use the bus. Lol. I moved here in May so not been here very long really.

I'm really loving what I am reading about the King Charles. I've been watching videos as well and really like them. I have always found them cute. We don't have space for a big dog so if we did get a small dog, I really would want it to be intelligent and trainable. I think I would love to do some obedience training, tricks, and agility. Jeff still doesn't want one but I sooooo do. *Sigh* I have to be good though. I wouldn't want him just doing something to make me happy if he doesn't want it. 

Is Manu as crazy as Baloo? I tease and say that lack of oxygen got to him. He really is an oddball when he wants to be. 

Thank you for your friendship. It means a lot. :rose:


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## slavetoabunny (Jan 24, 2011)

It's good when the teacher can make the class fun!


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## tristaw. (Jan 24, 2011)

I LOVED the class story LOL 
I found Dutch the most difficult language to pronounce everrrrr.. ( I love languages) the only things I remember are..

ik hou van jou ( because I heard it a lot sighhhhh 
ik mis je ( same reason)
and something I won't even write in dutch (blush)because I heard it a lot too  muhahaha

and Manu is the weirdest cat everrrr.. I call her the " drooling diva" when she is happy and completely blissed out and I'm patting her as she lays her humungous self on me, she starts to drool.

So, when I see her coming I have a towel all ready to put on me before she jumps up for her nightly 2 hour cuddle LOL a person can get soaked in two hours with a drooling kitty.

I'm glad you had a good time tonight, Sophie  xo


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## myheart (Jan 24, 2011)

I love all of the new pics!! Could you please package up Jelly Bean and send him to me? I just want to smoochie his ears a bit. I'll send him back, I promise.... 

Sorry to hear about your parents not "finding the money" to visit with you. Maybe they are reallyafraid of the travel (?). Just a thought.... Do you get to talk with them on the phone enough?

I wish I could be there to help you find some new peeps to hang out with. I used to be very shy until I opened my own business. I had no choice but to talk with people. All you are able to do is be yourself. If you don't mesh with someone else's personality, then all you do is say, "Hi" and let it be.Think of all the people you could get along with, have conversation with, or go walking to the lake with because you don't say anything. If people are very pet-friendly there, you probably already have something in common. I know it's difficult to find other women to be best friends with, but it's so worth it when you do find someone fun to hang out with and share secrets. I would be your BFF if I were there... 

Your class sounds like a hoot!! Nice to have ice-breakers like that. Can't you wait for your turn to role-play?!!

Oh those darn biological clocks!!! Congrats on you decision/desire for children. I am sure it will be some time out before this happens for you. Getting a dog is not a bad thing, but I am able to see Jeff's point in not being able to be gone _all_ day because adog requires potty-time. But, then again, a dog would be a great walking partner for you. All you could really do is visit with a few pups and get more information on temperament, especially around kids and other furries. Do you have a shelter near where you live? They might even test the dogs with cats and kids to even make them eligible for adoption.

Good to see you back... 

myheart


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## Bunny parents (Jan 25, 2011)

Hahahahaha, your class seems fun, Nela  
Low quality, high quality. There's nothing can block their cuteness away. They're so lovely !
Is that......:shock::shock::shock::shock: is that Rolo ????? OMG, Rolo is this big now !!! Hehehe, I can't believe it. Rolo is almost as the same size as mommy Giggles. They both are lovely, Nela.  I like the way Rolo's color pattern is opposite of Giggles ( giggles' balck stripe in on her right, Rolo's in on the left ) Super cute ! 
Divabelle, oh boy isn't she lovely...:hearts
And Jelly Bean... hahaha yep. it did look like he was reading morning news.  

How's your health now ? I hope you don't mind I ask.  Take care your health, nela. Super huge hug for you and your Tater tot team !


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## Nela (Jan 25, 2011)

[align=center]Patti:[/align]
[align=center]I agree. I highly respect teachers who love their jobs and are good at it. A proper teacher makes all the difference. I like that she corrects us and makes it more interactive. She really pushes us out of our comfort zone, slowly and gently. That's something I need. (Although a swift kick in the butt might be better)[/align]
[align=center]***[/align]
[align=center]Trist:[/align]
[align=center]Lol. I don't find dutch too too hard. I think the worst is identifying certain sounds. Foreigners tend to pronounce the 'w'as a 'v' like they would in German but it is not the correct way so I have been pretty stuck on that. Hehehehe. The more I advance in my grammar and writing, the better I am getting the pronounciation. I think that is the good thing about Dutch. The other thing that really helps is my french. A lot of the sounds are found in the french language, especially the 'u'. There's only two of us that can pronounce it correctly at this time. What I really don't underestand right now is the sentence structure. :expressionlessI think that will take a bit more time. Lol. [/align]
[align=center]And...[/align]
[align=center]LOL @ the naughty dutch. Ewww drooling kitty. Lol. I can imagine how a towel comes in handy... Baloo has a very runny nose. I believe it has to do with his tearducts. He's always had it. It always makes me feel like he is wiping his runny snotty on me when he presses his nose against me for attention. Ick! [/align]
[align=center]***[/align]
[align=center]Janet:[/align]
[align=center]I am glad you enjoyed the pictures. I was disappointed with them. Lol. Hmm I suppose I *could* let you smooch Jelly Bean but I get this odd feeling that you cannot be trusted to return him to me. There's just something about you... LOL.[/align]
[align=center]Nah, my parents have always been like that. They'd probably tell me they cannot afford to come to my wedding (when it happens) but then buy themselves a new car. Lol. It's how it is.[/align]
[align=center]Hehe I appreciate your kindness. I've always been quite terrible at approaching people. However, I am friendly once I know you are interested. Lol. I am still quite reserved and quite defensive. I seem to still think everyone has a personal vendetta against me so I try to work on that. I hate people making me feel like I am a bad person. That is my biggest problem. I've had too much experience in that department. Problem is, not everyone really is trying to make me feel that way. Lol. I am very careful with women. I rarely get along with women. I do much better with guys. Lol.[/align]
[align=center]Um... I can definitely wait for my turn? It's especially hard since teachers always like me and tend to call on me a lot in class because it's just easy. Ugh :expressionlessI'd try my hand at goofing off and making it harder for the teacher to call on me but I am not able to disrespect a teacher like that. :expressionlessSometimes I really wish I didn't always want to be miss goody-two-shoes. LOL.[/align]
[align=center]Jeff teases me by going "Tic toc, tic toc." :grumpy:Lol. Darn clock. I'm not ready for it now. I want to settle in better, and be better prepared mentally and emotionally. I certainly wouldn't want to pass on my social anxiety or anything. I do not want to be a bad example. I also wouldn't want my kid being as sensitive and defensive as I am. [/align]
[align=center]As for the dog... That's the thing. I am home. All day, every day. Lol. Jeff works but I do not. I get lonely being in the house all day and not having anyone to go out with. I also really would like to walk more and play more. It could help mein a few different ways. I think raising a dog and toddler at the same time would be too much for me. I have the time now to do it, to raise the dog right and focus on it. Later on, if we have a child, I think I could incorporate things. I'm not saying it'd be a breeze as I know any child is always harder than expected and it certainly changes your life. On the other hand, I do think there are ways to make things work in an easier manner. If we have a child, I definitely would want to be taking the kiddo out. I can take the dog out at the same time. The dog is small enough that, if for whatever reason I cannot take the kiddo out or dog right away, s/he could do its business in the yard for that moment and take it out later when Jeff would get home. I mean, all I have to do is cross the street and I have grass. At the corner, I have a large grass area as well and 5 mins away is the lake. I just think it would be a bigger advantage to have the dog now. Jeff was more concerned about us traveling. So far, the only travels we do are going to France for a week. His father owns a large property there and they are animal lovers so I am quite sure we could actually bring the dog with us since it is a one-hour flight. It's 40 euros to do so. I checked There are probably shelters and I thought of using it to test out a dog but I am not sure I would adopt one as much as I would like to provide a home for a shelter dog. The breed seems to have a few serious health issues which only reinforce the need for a proper breeder. I think Iwould prefer a dog with a pedigree and a guarantee to be honest. I found a breeder who has vet-certified dogs as breeding stock so I was quite interested in that breeder. I really don't know what the future holds but I really wouldn't mind the near future handing me a puppy [/align]
[align=center]***[/align]
[align=center]Vircia:[/align]
[align=center]Lol it was a fun class. It is nice now because people are starting to talk to each other more so that makes it much friendlier. I'm glad I went. It made me see what I would have missed out on. I am proud for kicking myself in the butt and not allowing myself to stay home. [/align]
[align=center]Hehehe I am glad you enjoyed the pictures. Yes yes that IS Rolo :shock:He's big eh??? S/he's actually almost twice the size of Momma.His/Her paws definitely are! Got daddy's feet. Lol.They are a cute little pair. They are really adorable when sitting together. Unfortunately, the time has come for them to be separated. I was hoping toavoid doing it before Giggles being with Smores but with the delays, Rolo is just too old to risk thembeing together. I'm quite positive that she will react quite badly. Divabelle is divabelle. She's is adorable in her naughtiness. Lol. She is such a happier bunny now since she's been given access to the yard. I am really happy I trusted my gut and tried it out. I caught her in a dead-bunny flop the other day. Maybelle never really binkied or flopped much before. Now? Now she's just crazy. She runs like mad. We find it hilarious to watch her ears flap around as she does so. She's not always snow white though... She's often got what I like to call "yellow snow". Lol. Meh, what can you do? They play, they get dirty. Like kids. Not going to stop her from playing. :biggrin2:She might eat me if I tried...[/align]
[align=center]As for my health, things are okay I think. The meds seem to be working. The bunny situation did make a huge difference as I can walk into the shed without having such a huge asthma attack. I am careful and I cannot stay inside there for long still but I can do a lot more than before so that has helped a lot. It's less for Jeff to do as well. I've been able to hold Rolo for a few minutes longer. With Maybelle not having a hutch, it is much easier to clean as well. I just have to sweep the floor. When it smells too much, all I have to do is hose it down. I have my appointment and tests at the hospital next week so we will know more. I should get the blood test results back as well. I doubt there will be anything significant but I cannot help but be curious. I also cannot wait to ask my doctor what is up with these leg cramps. Ever since I have been on regular inhalers, I've been having crampy legs. You all know how much that hurts. Luckily, I have been able to prevent full cramping but I so hate going to bed knowing my legs want to cramp. It keeps me on edge. I have a special boot for my feet due to the torn tendons that relieves the same tendon that tends to cramp so I have been using it as well. It's just annoying. :grumpy:At this rate I will need a second boot so I can have one on each foot. [/align]
[align=center]Want to see what I would have to wear to sleep if I had everything I needed for my health?[/align]
[align=center]I would need this:[/align]
[align=center]http://beatsleepapnea.howitsdone.net/files/2010/04/CPAPSleep.jpg[/align]
[align=center]Two of these:[/align]
[align=center]http://www.plantar-fasciitistreatment.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/Pro-Tec-Night-Splint3.jpg[/align]
[align=center]AND[/align]
[align=center]vinylmatress and pillow covers.[/align]
[align=center]Super Sexy right??? [/align]
[align=center][/align]
[align=center]***[/align]
[align=center]Hehehe thank you everyone for caring and commenting. You've all made me smile plenty today. Big hugs to all of you.[/align]


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## Bunny parents (Jan 25, 2011)

Work them,girl. Work the costumes  You will be super sexy ! 
It's all the best for your health, don't think of anything else, ok ? You will rock the mask, the boots and everything ! 
Thank to you too , Nela. I don't know how to explain how joyful You guys are part of our family  We love you ! And we really appreciate all supports from you and others here on RO.  
 ehhhh I gotta go...before I start crying.
hugs !


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## Nela (Jan 27, 2011)

Lol thanks Vircia. No worries, everything is going okay. My health isn't nearly as bad as it was when I was working. I am very blessed. Hehehe silly, no crying. I am glad you love us. :biggrin2:


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## Nela (Jan 27, 2011)

So just a quick update as there isn't too much really interesting going on...

Yesterday, while I was at school, Jeff went to feed the bunnies. He said that Maybelle was circling around his feet and let him pet her. (She does like him as he never picks her up) Jeff proceeded to emptying the new bag of food into the bin and she was very curious and decided to stick aroud to watch him. The problem was that she got in the way so Jeff sort of shoo'd her away... She threw a temper tantrum. Grunting and lunging and being plain grumpy because he shoo'd her. LOL. 

Class went well yesterday too. Yesterday's funny moment came when the teacher was teaching us about giving directions. She selected 2 guys from the class and had them act it out. Basically guy A had to ask guy B for help to get from where he was standing to the windmill. Anyway guy A asked for help and guy B, instead of attempting to figure out how to direct him, apologized, told him he was new to the Netherlands and couldn't help him. LOL. We're a bunch of smartbutts. Hehehe. At least the teacher has a good sense of humor. Anyway, he finally ended up giving the directions but he gave them really quick because, as he explained to me, if you say it really quick and with confidence, it makes you sound smart. Problem is, the teacher is onto him and made him repeat it really slowly and corrected him throughout. Hehehehehe. He wasn't as proud the 2nd time around. Too funny.

As for me, well the teacher is definitely onto me. :expressionlessShe knows now that my biggest problem is overcoming the shyness so she tends to call on me more now. I keep trying to hide but she seems to catch me everytime I try to look distracted. That, and it doesn't help that she is terrible at remembering names but does remember mine as well as two others. So, whenever she draws a blank, she calls on one of us. Bleh :expressionlessLol. 

I keep bringing up the puppy. Jeff seems to be breaking. Slowly slowly. Hehehe. I asked again yesterday evening and he didn't say no.When I called him on it, hesaid, "Well, if it means so much to you..." I told him I also don't want him just doing it to make me happy but end up being annoyed with it after.He says that's why he hasn't said no but hasn't said yes yet either. 

I am pretty convinced at this point. In fact, I did contact a breeder for more information. She seems excellent. I thought I would ask more questions about the breed as well as her breeding program. She's not too too far from us either. Jeff was laughing when I showed him that I had found a breeder. We will see. I don't want to jump and do something we'll regret either. 

But hopefully...


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## JadeIcing (Jan 27, 2011)

I love dogs and would love to say yes I will have another one but.... I kept saying having a dog would get me more active... Yea not happening.


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## tristaw. (Jan 28, 2011)

Oooh keep us informed!! I'm having the same conversation with my hubby about a specific guinea pig ( not just any one, there is one I am in love with). he isn't saying no anymore but he isn't saying yes either..so I'm waiting too. I just hope I don't have to wait too long. She is up for adoption and I fell in love and have never found myself longing for a guinea pig so it's a bit strange to me that this one means so much.

so..we both wait, sophie!


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## Nela (Jan 31, 2011)

[align=center]Ali:[/align]
[align=center]Lol, I hear ya.If I get a dog, I really hope it will be active and not lazy as that will make me lazier. I really did have to think about that aspect carefully because I really am I lazy and I definitely want the best for the dog and I really need to get outside more. I've been longing to go to the lake a lot but I really cannot be bothered to go alone. Howsad of me. Lol. I have wanted a dog ever since I moved out from my parents but my appartment was just way too small. Here though, we have space and nice areas around the house to play with the dog as well.[/align]
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[align=center]Trist:[/align]
[align=center]I am glad your hubby was okay with it finally. :biggrin:She's adorable. Jeff hasn't decided yet but we do discuss it and how to train a dog right and what is involved and if a male or female would make a difference, etc. He keeps saying he hasn't said "no"but he's still unsure. Pedigreed dogs are expensive too so we are keeping that in mind. I guess he finds it is a bit much to pay for a dog but at the same time he understands why getting it from a good place is important. We will have to see... [/align]
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[align=center]Flash Gordon:[/align]
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stoppin by to say hello to ya ..i havent beenon enough lately!.AM I POSTING in the right blog?.this making a new blog thing for 2011 is screwing me up!i feel so lost around here now hehe..how are you Sof? 

5TH pic down of jelly bean is awesome!!what a sweet wittle mouth![/align]
[align=center]Hehehe awww I'm so happy you stopped by! I noticed you were away for quite some time. I am glad you are back. Hehe no, that was the 2010 blog but no worries :biggrin2:I've been alright, quite hormonal, but okay I guess. Poor Jeff. Lol. I can start crying at nothing. Get angry oh so easily too and won't stop whining about the ironing. Jeff wears only 100% cotton :expressionlessI hate ironing :grumpy:LOL. Things are going well though. Spent Saturday evening killing zombies with Jeff. There's something about killing zombies that makes me happy when I am so hormonal. That's about it really. Nothing too new. :biggrin2:What about you? Keeping busy?
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## JadeIcing (Jan 31, 2011)

Kashi is active which makes it worse. We are NOT! I have made Rob an odd promise. He wants a big dog if we get a house. I said yes but only if he gets more active and get's me to be more active.


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## Wabbitdad12 (Jan 31, 2011)

Great blog! I love Maybelle! She will always have a home in Indiana.


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## tristaw. (Feb 1, 2011)

My sister ( years ago) decided she wanted a puppy. She got her and she went walking everyday after that. Then she was so happy with her that she got another. She had them for a very long time until they were very old. When they died a very short time between them, she got another one.
Labs were her breed because their energy level matched hers.

Dogs can be like little babies at first though. All the night time wakings. I remember when we got our dog ( first marriage) I was exhausted! It doesn't last as long as with human babies though so that's a plus.

I think it's important to match the dog's personality with yours. My dog was half shepard half husky which was a really big, energetic dog who HAD to have mucho exercise.

She pulled me all the way down the street because the sled dog part of her wanted to pull. Even after obedience training she was a pull and dragger LOL I was the ball thrower person because I always loved throwing a ball. My husband became the walker because I wasn't a going for a walk on demand every day kind of person.

So, it worked for us.

How energetic are KCS? They so so beautiful looking! I'm anxious to hear the news about whether Jeff is on board yet!


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## Nela (Feb 1, 2011)

Ali: 

Lol, I could just imagine it. Kashi going nuts wanting to play and you hiding or something. Lol. :wink

Dave:

Hehehe Maybelle is a hoot. I am very fond of her and her antics. Jeff likes to update me with the latest when he picks me up from school. I'll keep that in mind Dave Just kidding really, she loves us slaves too much and wouldn't accept us not being her slaves. Lol.

Trist:

Yeah I imagined a puppy would be quite demanding. Lol.It's one of the reasons why I think it'd be best to have one now so I can give it the attention it deserves and raise it right. Plus, I think it brings in some aspects that would be good for later on as well. I'm certainly still hooked on the idea of getting one. Hehehe. 

Yeah, no. Lol. I can't do big dog now. We don't have a proper yard for it and the house is nice but not really made for a big dog. I also really cannot see myself managing a big dog. Lol. I think I would have a hard time being the "alpha". Omg, when I worked at the pet store, my boss had a St.-Bernard and asked me if I wanted to walk it. Feeling brave, I said sure why not. Yeah. Turns out that dog wasn't the same when on a leash. :shock:Omg... That dog was sooo bad! We didn't make it to the corner. After returning to the store, covered in dirt and grass from being literally dragged through it, I told him to never ever ask me again. I never lived it down... :rollseyesDid your dog pull your husband too?

Well, from whatI have read, they are quite easy-going. They love to cuddle and snooze just as much as they love to play so I think it is a healthy mix. Maybe it would want to sleep when I'd want to play and play when I want to sleep? Lol. Of course, each dog is different so I don't know really how energetic it would be but that's what I read from the general breed guidelines. They also say they don't require long walks everyday. Of course, I would take the dog out to walk and play regularly but it's good to know that they seem fairly easy to manage. 

I think they do look beautiful but I have seen some pictures where they have these big bulging eyes. Lol. Apparently it is one of the characteristics of the breed. It's the only thing that is mildy off-putting to us. I have seen others where their eyes are just big brown puppy eyes... Gah. I would have a hard time saying no then. The coat would require brushing but okay, no biggy. I'm already vaccuuming regularly so I doubt it would change too too much with a dog. I have cat tumbleweeds in the staircase which irk me so I cannot stand not vaccuuming for long. Hehehe.

I have no idea what Jeff will say Lol. Maybe he is still hoping it's just a phase. :biggrin:


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## Bunny parents (Feb 3, 2011)

knock knock ! 
 How's it going there ?


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## Nela (Feb 4, 2011)

Hey hey, how are you Vircia? Nice to see you back. I hope you are feeling better!

It's been a crappy week healthwise. Heart was acting up all week (140+ bpm, lowest was 117bpm even after med :grumpy so I get very tired when it does. Taking the meds but it isn't lasting too long. No biggy. Have my hospital appointment in a bit so I will get results and do the spirometry test if it doesn't get postponed due to my heart rate. Hopefully not. 

Maybelle is nesting... Lol. I had just told Jeff that I was finding her quite hormonal and would need to look into her spay. Bah. No worries, she's not preggers. Just hormones. She's even pulled some fur. I had given her a bin filled with straw and hay so she could snuggle in it if she wanted because the temperature dropped and she no longer has a hutch so she is directlyon the floor... In any case, I doubt she'd really need it with the thickness of the fur she's got. :shock:It's the first time I feel such fur. It's really impressive. Hehehe. Of course, MayMay is still happy as can be. She loves to hum as she runs in circles around us. She's quite vocal really. Yesterday, while I was feeding the buns, Maybelle tried to jump in Giggles' hutch. :expressionlessLol. 

Jelly Bean and Twizzler got their first taste of brussel sprouts yesterday. They love it. In fact, there isn't anything they don't love yet. Lol. Herbs, carrot tops, carrots, celery, spinach, cucumber,lettuce, oranges, mandarines, apple, strawberry, grapes, banana... Hehehe they love it all.They are very easy to please. Yet, no matter what I give them, what gets them most excited is the meadow hay. It smells really good too. That gets them popcorning automatically. :biggrin:

Ahhhhhhhh yesterday Jeff's father called.... We knew he'd be visiting soon as he always comes here from France for or soon after the holidays. They are been renovating the apartments they own so they couldn't leave yet. However, it turns out that they will be here very soon. I think he said on the 12th or so... Anywho, he has asked us if we could host his birthday on the 15th. That means, he'd be here with his wife for dinner and then his brothers and their families, as well as Jeff's sister and family would be coming... :shock:So, that means a whole lot more people than expected and it means meeting a whole lot of new people since I have not met Jeff's paternal side of the family yet. 

STRESS STRESS STRESS STRESS STRESS 

But okay, it's a joy to have him here and it will be nice to meet everyone. They've been wanting to see the house and meet me apparently so he thought it would be best to do it like this and kill a few birds with one stone so to speak. 

I just have to figure out what I am going to make now... Oh and clean and organize the house... And fix the front and back yards.... And and and...

:faint:


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## JadeIcing (Feb 4, 2011)

Sounds fun!


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## Bunny parents (Feb 4, 2011)

No Biggy, huh ?  Get some good rest, nela. You need one. I'm getting better, I guess... still cough all the time ( and yes, Kimiko still runs away from me every time I do so  ). She's been hormonal too since couple days ago. Although she doesn't make any nests...yet  but she is completely restless and has no appetites. She eats, but it's not usual way she always does.  poor girl. I wonder how long it's gonna take for hormone to cool down... better be soon.
 Hugs !


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## MiniLopHop (Feb 4, 2011)

Good luck with the family. I hope that is not why you are having health issues. Stress can do terrible things to the body. Remeber, you can't choose family but you are with Jeff, not his family.


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## Nela (Feb 4, 2011)

Ali,

I'll make sure it's fun :winkLol.

***

Vircia,

I so hope your cough passes soon.:rose:Lolsilly Kimi Hopefully her hormones will settle as well and that's all it is. As for my health, it's really not too bad really. I *think* I may have caused the heart to go a little bonkers becauseI had some iced tea and coke for a few days... I'm not supposed to have caffeine or anything that excites but i do have it once in a while. I just didn't think of the iced tea having anything in it that could cause a problem. I'm still not sure it was that but it's possible. In any case, it seems to be back down to the low 100s now so that is good. I rest plenty. In fact, I was quite insulted about because so drained from doing so little. Lol. It is what it is though.

***

MiniLop,

Hehehe no, luckily it's not stress. I have been having probs for days and it's been before I found out about his father. I got most stuff sorted out today too :biggrin:I'm sure his family will be great. I really cannot complain. EveryoneI have met so far has been wonderful. IÂ´m just always terribly nervous when meeting people 

__________________________________________

UPDATE:

I did my spirometry tests today and I am happy to say that I got an above average score :biggrin2:I wasn't worried about it really because I know I have good lung capacity from my singing. I did have to take a heart pill because they needed to give me 4 doses of salbutamol so that was a bit of a funny feeling. It was pretty neat because my doctor explained the results entirely Which was really nice because usually I am just told if it's good or not. In the end, what this means is that my meds are working very well. 

Blood results were pretty good although they did reveal a mild kidney (what kind of infection can you get there?)infection. He says it would be viral either way so it is safe to ignore. Alright then, no problem. Lol.

No food allergies found... In fact, most allergies were quite significantly lower than my previous test. Except one.

I'm apparently severely allergic to cats. :expressionlessNormal was around 3.0 and I was at 12+. :expressionless

I've never had such a result, and I only react to the cats if they are stressed. I react to their litterbox if it is too dirty but that is the ammonia in it... I was seriously surprised. The doc told me the allergy is serious enough that I really need to keep it in mind. On the other hand, he gives me the facts and lets me decide what to do with them. Thank goodness. Anyway, at this stage, I am not on regular anti-histamines anymore because the rabbits are outside. I told Jeff that over my dead body would I lose the cats too. I was nice and wise enough to accept it with rabbits but now the cats is pushing it too far. I told him I'd have to be dyign to even consider rehoming them, and until they pass on naturally, the doc just needs to keep me alive. Lol.

As I left the doc's office, I looked at the doc and said "But I'm only mildly allergic to dogs though right, so I can get a dog then right?" LOL. He replied by saying "Ah haaaaa the oppurtunities!" Lol 

He has no idea about the guinea pigs...

*Looks innocent*

At this point though, any thought of working or studying anything veterinary, shelter, wildlife associated is completely out of the question though. Ah well... 

I'm wanting to take pictures but I couldn't let anyone out today because it's been sooooooooo darn windy. Geez. 

We ended up shopping and Jeff found a desk so we'll be able to organize the office room more properly. Also got a filing cabinet so he can put all his darn mail in one place instead of scattered all over the house Looking forward to getting all that set up. Also bought some extra coffee cups to have enough for all the visitors... Oh and a laundry basket to sort things more properly...

That's pretty much it. I promise to get more pictures soon.


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## tristaw. (Feb 6, 2011)

Your doctor sound wonderful!!
I'll be thinking about you for Jeff's father's bday. I know what massive events they can be in Europe.. yikes!
Mucho hugs.. I'm reallly tired, it's 2 am here and I've been busy busy or I would have written more.  I can be a motor mouth sometimes so maybe this is a good thing that I need to get to bed!! xo


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## Bunny parents (Feb 6, 2011)

That's it !!!! No more caffeine , no more pepsi for you, young lady !!!! ssd: If you drink again....I will...I will...I will....
 I will ask you to stop drinking that one more time...

 I'm happy you've been taking care by this doctor. He seems to be a wonderful doc.


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## Nela (Feb 8, 2011)

Trist,

He's really good. I really am happy with him and his method of doing things so far. Thanks for keeping me in your thoughts. Hehehe. I will make fondue for dinner. I'm not sure if I will make dessert myself or not though... I'll see how I feel closer to the day. Lol. It shouldn't be a big thing really. As long as we have coffee we'll be fine. Hehehe. I hope you are getting some well-deserved rest. 

***

Vircia,

Hehehe cutie. Yeah, it's hard to avoid it completely though I am careful though, no worries. How are you feeling now? Is your cough gone yet? How is Kimi doing? She eating more? Btw, I wanted to mention... I *believe* many bunnies eat a bit less eagerly when moulting? I think I remember that being mentionned a while back. Maybe some others can tell you if they've heard the same or not. I've been thinking about you guys.


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## Nela (Feb 8, 2011)

[align=center]I've decided to start working on a small project of mine... I have a few projects in mind for this year so I took a step in getting at least one of them done. Hehehe. Anyway, I decided to try out giving Maybelle her own www. space via a blog. :biggrin:I'm not sure how well it will be received and if people will enjoy it but anyway, it's fun to do. I'll keep posting updates about her here of course, but on the blog, it's more like if it were her own voice. Well, from what I can interpret... Hehehe.[/align]
[align=center]You can find it here:[/align]
[align=center]http://queendivabelle.blogspot.com/[/align]
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[align=center]No new pictures yet though... :expressionlessBleh. I really really want to get some soon. [/align]
[align=center]I made an unintentional funny in class yesterday. I got picked to roleplay a doctor and a guy was the patient. Basically, the patient came to see me because of a headache. We had to choose our questions (to make the conversation from a list) so I began by asking him what he had, for how long etc. At one point, I told him I was going to examine him. Now, Iclearly understoodtwo of the 3 choices and knew they didn't fit the ailment and the teacher told me to choose one so I went with the 3rd. Basically I ended up asking him to get undressed, over a headache. Lol. It was quite funny... So when Jeff asked me what I did in class, I told him I have started asking guys to undress. Lol. Ah well...[/align]
[align=center]We had Jeff's mother over for dinner on Saturday and I made mussels for us and some fried fish for Jeff since he doesn't like them. [/align]
[align=center]Other than that, I'm still pretty drained but things are going well. [/align]


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## Nela (Feb 9, 2011)

Here's a video of Maybelle humming as she runs around my feet. I normally describe her humming as the humming of a bumble bee. However, on the video is sounds almost more like a clicking. Maybe she thinks she's a dolphin... Lol. Anyway I thought I would share cause I think it's funny. 

You'll need to have your volume up to hear this properly because it's not very loud. The sound is a sort of clicking (maybe you'd think it's nails against the pavement) and it comes around whenever she runs in front of me. Hehehe. Oh btw, I suggest not actually watching the video as it may make you a bit dizzy 

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## tristaw. (Feb 9, 2011)

I love the start to your divabelle blog  I'm one of your followers now! I LOVE blogs!


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## Nela (Feb 9, 2011)

[align=center]It was another beautiful day so I decided to give Rolo his first official run of the garden for a few minutes. Though he may be skittish when it comes to people, he certainly isn't when it comes to exploring. He's just like his daddy. :biggrin2:He got really excited about being able to run around. He's big enough now so he cannot fit under the gate. Who knows, maybe later, I can manage a bond with him and Maybelle and let them run around as they please. [/align]
[align=center]Anywho, PICTURES![/align]
[align=center]Giggles (who wasn't much in the mood to be photographed as usual):[/align]
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[align=center]A quickvideo of Rolo and his 'crying'. He does this but settles down after a few:[/align]
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[align=center]Rolo's first binkies :biggrin2::[/align]
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## Nela (Feb 9, 2011)

[align=center]Maybelle :biggrin2::[/align]
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## Nela (Feb 9, 2011)

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## tristaw. (Feb 9, 2011)

those pictures are just beautiful!!!!! :inlove:


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## Nela (Feb 9, 2011)

[align=center]and lastly, Houdina:[/align]
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## tristaw. (Feb 9, 2011)

and the video did make me dizzy bahahahhaha but I loved it! My simon used to do the buzz around my feet too. It was awesome!


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## Nela (Feb 9, 2011)

LOL Trist! Yeah, easy to get dizzy trying to watch it. Lol. I'm glad you love the pictures and blog :biggrin2:I'll be posting a new blog entry tomorrow, I'm too pooped to do it now. Hehehe. Just got in from school too.


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## Nela (Feb 9, 2011)

[align=center]Whoops, just realized I posted the wrong video for Rolo's binkies... It's this one:[/align]
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## Bunny parents (Feb 10, 2011)

Great pics ! Rolo is so adorable. He seems to be very happy about a walk in the garden. It's so excited to see him since he was sooo little and look at you now , baby boy ! What a handsome kid  
What's that on the tip of Maybelle's ear ? Is that a dirt from playing outside ?  Hehehe, Diva girl had fun !


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## Bunny parents (Feb 10, 2011)

*Nela wrote : *


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I don't know why, but I really love this pic. Houdina looks sexy  hehe. 

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## Nela (Feb 10, 2011)

Hehehe, I'm glad you enjoyed the pictures, Vircia. :biggrin2:Yes, it is nice to watch him grow isn't it? I see him every day and, yet, I cannot believe how big he's gotten! Yep yep, that's dirty Maybelle. Her ears drag around so the tips are always dirty. I've tried washing them but they just get dirty all over again. She grooms herself so I let her deal with it but I do check just in case. I hear lops can get infections because of their ears dragging in water, etc.


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## Nela (Feb 10, 2011)

Sexy? Really?Lol. I think she looks zombie-ish there


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## Bunny parents (Feb 10, 2011)

pheww ! I thought I'm the only one here who has a naughty baby girl. LOL Kimiko gets dirty sometimes when she plays. I keep an eye on her ears too, just in case there's any infections. Yes, I do agree with you, as long as they groom themselves, I mostly let Kim do her grooming thing. I will just help a bit when some dirts get stuck pretty hard.

Yeah ! Houdina is totally sexy for me in that pic. With a half opened eyes. She can be next top kitty model. Hehehe


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## JadeIcing (Feb 10, 2011)

Awesome pictures.


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## Nela (Feb 10, 2011)

[align=center]Hehehe thanks Vircia and Ali. Big hugs to both of you [/align]

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[align=center]I updated the Divabelle blog which can be found here: http://queendivabelle.blogspot.com/[/align]

[align=center]I also wanted to share some random pictures I took yesterday for fun but didn't post so here you go...[/align]

[align=center]Pictures from the bouquet of flowers that Jeff's mom brought me when I had her for dinner last Saturday:[/align]

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## SOOOSKA (Feb 10, 2011)

OMG Nela your Bunnies are so Beautiful. I want them all.

Maybe when you find me that man I will come live over there and steal all your bunnies.:biggrin2:

The flower pictures are lovely too and so are the kitties.

Susan:woohoo

why when I click on your videos they don't come on? I can't see them:?


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## slavetoabunny (Feb 10, 2011)

I just love Rolo! I've always thought that Harlequins were so striking.


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## Nela (Feb 11, 2011)

Susan:

Hehehe thank you. Got me smiling plenty. Maybe you could just move here and thenwe'llhelp you with a proper dutch man. I definitely wouldn't mind having you and your cuties closeby :biggrin2:

I do not know why the videos aren't working for you? :?I think if you right-click on the video and select "Copy Shortcut" and then paste it in a new window, it should work. Let me know okay? If that doesn't work, I'll make sure to add the direct link in my blog post for you. (Hopefully the direct link works!)

Here are the direct links:

Maybelle's love dance:

http://s867.photobucket.com/albums/ab238/NelaBunneh/Divabelle/Divabelle%202/?action=view&current=M4H02873-1.mp4

Rolo crying:

http://s867.photobucket.com/albums/ab238/NelaBunneh/Bunnehs/?action=view&current=M4H02977.mp4

Rolo binkies:

http://s867.photobucket.com/albums/ab238/NelaBunneh/Bunnehs/?action=view&current=M4H02986.mp4

Let me know if anything worked 

***

Patti:

Thank you Patti. I have a soft spot for them myself. Japanese and Magpie harlequins... *Sigh* My favorties :biggrin2:


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## Bunny parents (Feb 11, 2011)

Nela, you're a great photographer.  Wow ! I'm really impressed. All I know is just click click click and that's it for me  You took many beautiful photos. 

Maybelle's love dance. Awwww the way she circled around you is sooo cute !  and baby Rolo...no he's not tiny boy any more  I giggled when I watched his clip. 

How's everything going there ? Is it still cold there ? Take care, Nela. :hug2:


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## Nela (Feb 11, 2011)

Vircia, how are you? :biggrin::rose:Oh, thank you for your comment about my picture-taking. Want to know a secret? I just do click click as well I actually know nothing about cameras. I do plan on learning it though. :biggrin2:I have a good camera, it makes all the difference I wanted a camera that could get sharp and clear pictures as well as zoom in and it does that. 

Maybelle does the love dance a lot these days. Hehehe. She has her weak moments despite her acting like a tough cookie. Catching that on cam was just proof that she can be a softie when she wants. Rolo, nope definitely not little anymore. Almost 4 months old already! Crazy. Hehehe he's quite vocal as well. I hope he'll be more comfortable around people but I am taking it slow and letting him grow. I don't want to make him too attached eitherlike Smores was or he might get lonely and sad being outside. 

I'm really looking forward to getting the yard fixed up! I have a few ideas and projects in mind so hopefully all that will spruce up the bunnies' lives. :biggrin:

It's chilly, rainy, and gloomy here today but Maybelle will still want to go outside. All is going very well actually. I have taken somedecent steps towards improving things in my life as well. More on that coming soon. :biggrin:


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## Bunny parents (Feb 11, 2011)

Glad to hear that  It's a gloomy day too here in Kielce. I hate this weather. It makes me being more lazy...wait or it's just me who always be lazy  LOL 
Rolo is 4 months old ??? Wow ! Time passed so fast ! And my Kimiko is 10 motnhs old !!! Hahaha can you believe it ??  Oh Her birthday will be on April and my girl will be 1 year old..... I'm totally excited ! We plan to make a small party for her... hahaha don't call me crazy but I really want to make one. By that time, I will need your opinion... I still don't know what I will give her as a birthday present !!!  SOS !!!!!!!! Hehehehe. 
Thank you for asking. We're doing fine here. Now Kimiko and I are alone at home. Norbert went for work in Warsaw and be back on Sunday. Last night we made slumber party


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## Bunny parents (Feb 11, 2011)

Oh I forgot to tell you... I don't know even how to take a pic... I mean I don't know where to focus ... just nothing, girl. Believe me. I think I'm the worst one here


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## myheart (Feb 11, 2011)

Thanks for posting the vid of Maybelle clicking!! I have never heard a bunny click before. My Patrick used to do his "I love you dance" around me, but he would hum. I so miss being loved like that. I think I was his first girlfriend, so that made his dance all the more special.


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## JadeIcing (Feb 11, 2011)

Love the spring pictures.


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## MiniLopHop (Feb 11, 2011)

Your pictures are all so wonderful! I am so ready for spring


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## irishbunny (Feb 11, 2011)

Love the flower pictures!
I got a new camera for Christmas and I am dying to try out my camera to take pretty pictures when Spring kicks in!


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## Nela (Feb 12, 2011)

Vircia:

Lol I am terribly lazy myself... I just say I am savouring every minute Is your weather still the same? Was gloomy and rainy here today again. I'm excited about your girl's birthday :biggrin:I think it's important to celebrate the birthdays. :biggrin:I don't go all out but I do something special that day. I think Kimi will have a wonderful birthday Time sure does fly! I got your message and messaged you back. I'm not sure I was much help though. Lol. Ohhh hubby was gone all week? Oh I don't know I could be comfy with the idea of Jeff being gone so long. Hehehe I am such a chicken poop and sap. It can be nice to be just the girls I'm sure... Hehehe awww sleep over eh? Did either of you actually sleep?Hehehe you are quite silly. You've made nice pics of Kimi. Surely, you aren't THAT bad? 

Myheart:

Yanno... Maybelle was actually humming more than anything. I forgot to mention that. It's the way that the camera picked up on the sound? Isn't that odd? Maybelle soundssorta like a bumble bee. Lol. It's all a bit hard to explain but it sure sounded different to me than it sounded on cam. :confused2:Awww I am sure somebun will offer you the love dance in the future :biggrin:

Ali:

I'm glad you liked them. It's sort of odd not being able to play in the snow and eat maple taffy... But okay, I adapt 

MiniLop:

Thanks! I'm glad you liked them. Don't enjoy the winter? Lol. I love snow. I miss it quite a bit. 

Grace:

Thank you! Woo new camera! :biggrin2:I'll be looking forward to the pictures! I actually have access to a real camera but have no idea how to use it  I do love my lil one though and I sort of feel like I'd be betraying it if I used the other. LOL. I've sort of bonded with it I guess.


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## Nela (Feb 12, 2011)

[align=center]Thursday, Jeff announced to me that he bought the exercise bike that we had discussed. I have goals for this year and that was one of them. I am glad he went ahead and got it. :biggrin2:We received it yesterday and Jeff assembled it this morning. It's now ready to go. [/align]
[align=center]I am not sure what it is but I have had migraine headaches for weeks. It may be my apnea or hormones... Meh. Not fun. Yesterday I had a pretty nasty one so we went ahead and got the groceries done but I was not in the mood to cook so Jeff grabbed us some Chinese food from the localchinese resto. I must say, it was quite yummy. In fact, it made me happy. Oh and cake. I had to have cake. Don't ask me why, but I had a massive cake craving yesterday so I boguht a mocha cake at the grocery store. I'll be needing to put in a lot of time on that darn bike Anyway, after the food, my head hurt quite badly and we snuggled on the couch and watched Toy Story 2. I love those movies so much. :biggrin:I dozed off though and when I woke at 2am to go to bed, my migraine was gone. Phew![/align]
[align=center]Anyway, we ended up having to go shopping today. We went to the local garden centre. Oh my... I wanted everything. LOL. Such beautiful flowers... I REALLY cannot wait to do the yards!!! :biggrin2:We looked at the fences and confirmed that a particular one was the fence we'd want to put in. So at least that's one thing set. Hehe. The other thing I know is I have no idea what to do with the backyard so we will be needing professional help :expressionlessAll I know, is that it is Maybelle's turf and therefore everything in it or almost everything will be for her. I really want to set it up so that she can enjoy foraging for her own snacks even more than she does now. The garden centre actually markets some plants for pets and they have this plant for rabbits so I will most likely be putting a lot of that in as well. [/align]
[align=center]Well, now that we've decided to keep the table in the kitchen itself, we ended up with a bit of an empty space so Jeff decided we needed a big plant to put there. We ended up finding one we both liked and settled on that. We also found a pot we loved and it all looks really nice in the kitchen. Jeff also decided we could get some plants and pots for the window sill and kitchen window so we got some. With his family coming over, it's nice to have plants in the house. You wouldn't believe how popular and important plants and flowers are to the dutchies... Really, it's just something you must have. And here I am with my thumb of death Soooo we decided to play it safe this time and get easy plants. Well, it's supposed to be easy... :expressionlessThe big plant - I've already gone and forgotten the name - needs and wants no direct sun, water every 3-4 days, and room temperature. The little ones are all in the cactus family Then again, I've killed those before too. :expressionless[/align]
[align=center]We also got a big bag of cat food, a 20kilo bag of litter, a bag of cat litter... Woo. It's a good thing it all fit in the cart. The exciting thing is that they are shuffling stuff around and they had a 50% off sale on all "rodent" items in a particular section. I spotted this miniature playpen for guinea pigsso I grabbed that :biggrin2:I also found the mat that goes with it so I grabbed that as well. Wee! I can have my piggies out now :biggrin2:We also bought a new bottle for Rolo since he still has the ball one and we've decided to switch to a valve one like the guinea pigs. It was cool because it was 50% off as well. I sort of regret not buying a second one... Jeff spotted a bunny he really liked. Hehe. It was a harlequin dutch bunny. Quite cute and awful silly! I told him he could have it but he'd need to do all the care taking for everybun. I do love that he's a softie though. :wink[/align]
[align=center]So, aside from that, I ended up spotting this miniature lantern for like 1 euro. It's so adorable. I have a thing for lanterns... I don't know what it is about them. Lol. Anyway, I grabbed that too but then spotted a nice big one at the cash as well so we took that home too since it would look nice in the house. :biggrin:[/align]
[align=center]It was an expensive trip :shock:[/align]
[align=center]After that, we headed to the stores close to home and bumped into Jeff's brother-in-law who had just bumped into his father. We all stood and chatted a bit and then were met up by Sandra (Jeff's sister). They told us about Smores and how he's always up on the couch in the evenings. They say he first playfully charges at everyone to get everyone off and then binkies like a fool and races from one end to the other. Yep, that's him alright! He's doing great. Really really great. He's even taken to jumping on laps and keyboards. He's a brat and they adore him. Our nephew is very taken with him. It's very nice to see. I'm so relieved that it worked out in the end. I cannot say I don't miss him... I do and terribly so but I know he is much happier now. [/align]
[align=center]Sandra did mention something which really got me concerned though. Jeff's dad is coming from France and they are bringing their dog with them. He's an Australian shepherd but he's a bit of an oddball. I love him but he hates cats, and really goes nuts with small animals. They are taking their dog to Sandra's so they asked if they were taking him here because they can't really leave the dog. Ummmmmmm... :expressionlessI sure hope not. Jeff doesn't want either thankfully. I just hope they realized that it wasn't an option and that we won't have to tell them that they cannot bring the dog. I'd feel quite bad about that... Hopefully, they can leave him for a few hours.Meh![/align]
[align=center]So anywho, that is about it. We potted the plants when we got home and I let the piggies out in their playpen and gave them their weekend buffet :winkI took a few pictures so here you go...[/align]
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[align=center]more coming...[/align]


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## Nela (Feb 12, 2011)

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[align=center]Annnnnnnnnnnd my favorite:[/align]
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[align=center]Lol. By the way, it's not favoritism... Twizzler is just shy and hard to get photos of. Silly pipsqueak he is :rollseyes[/align]


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## Nela (Feb 14, 2011)

Yesterday was a good, although very busy, day. 

Jeff was an angel and spent most of the day scrubbing down the hutches and shed. I went to help here and there but I must admit, he really did most of it himself. Maybelle has taken a particular liking to him though and it was quite funny to watch her follow him everywhere. She especially liked to "love dance" around one leg than criss-cross to the other to do the same, oftentimes tripping the poor guy as he tried to get the work done. She actually let him pick her up a few times as well. He was mighty proud. Hehehe. She's much happier these days. It's nice to watch her. 

I spent most of the day cleaning here and there although being stressed about tomorrow, I felt more like I was running around in circles myself, not actually getting much done. That's how I am. When it comes to certain things, I can feel overwhelmed and then lose all sense of how to get things done. :expressionlessI started with the easy things, the things that had only one place to go but now I am left with all the other junk that needs sorting. Eek.

If there is one task that I absolutely despise, it is ironing. I hate it with a passion, I really really do. I feel like I am spending half of my life doing laundry... First have to pick it all up, bring it upstairs, sort it all out, wash it, dry it, bring it all down, iron/fold, bring it all back up, put it away.... AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH! Plus, just to make sure I didn't hate ironing any less, we got a defective ironing board. It started with a really really irritating squeaking but then it progressedto leaning heavily to one side so I was stuck ironing diagonally for a while. :expressionlessIt fell over numerous times and even attacked Jeff on one occasion. It was time to replace it so we bought one on Saturday...

Soooo armed with a brand new ironing board, I thought it might be a bit of an easier task to get done... Well, first I got annoyed at where the designers placed the plug. It's like under the board, in the middle. Okay, that works for the iron itself but if you are hanging the cord on the thingy, it's pretty useless. But anyway... I started ironing and the first thing that happened was that the board itself, once affected by the heat, started popping so everytime I would pass a particular spot, it would go BOING BOING. ssd:Grrrrrrrrrr! But that is the least of it... No no, here I am ironing when I realize the the stuuuuuuuuuuuupid cover is so thin that the ironing boardpattern (the metal part)is actually ironing into the shirts. *Curses* At this point I was pretty much about to throw a tantrum. Luckily, we had kept the cover from the old one so I decided to add it to make it thicker. Of course, the cover doesn't have a proper elastic all around so you can't just pop it on and you had to untie it instead and OF COURSE they had twisted the thread all around tie so it took several minutes to get it undone...... ARGHHHHHHHHHH! And then it happened...

Jeff laughed.

Now you see, when I iron, I always have a ton because I really really hate it so I wait until I really have no other choice but to iron. Because of this, I am having to refill the stupid iron with water after nearly every item so I always have a pitcher of water with the filling cup beside me. Well, with Jeff sitting there laughing I could think of nothing else but adding water into the cup and then throwing it at him. Which I did. He fought back and threw me some as well and then I proceeded to attacking him by spraying him with the iron - which, I must say, is much more effective than when used on clothes So yep, water fight, right there in the living room. He ran away laughing and I smiled to myself thinking the ironing had just gotten much more enjoyable, except for the wet clothes clinging to my body - that's never fun. Anyway, I did get one basket done. *Hides the other 3 left to do* :lookaround

We still have no idea about the dog situation. They are coming tomorrow and it's finally all hitting me. I am terrible at socializing and I am always scared of saying something awkward. It doesn't help that things are done slightly differently here so I am still trying to remember everything needing to be done - one of them being the famous act of congratulating everyone and being congratulated for Jeff's fathers birthday. "Gefeliciteerd!" Is something I should definitely remember not to forget to tell EVERYONEas it would be quite rude to do so. Baaaaaaaaah!

The rest of the family is only coming late in the evening and mainly for coffee but I must have something to serve with that. I have no idea what to make. It needs to be something small... I was thinking maybe some type of homemade donut with dipping sauces... I'm not sure. I've never made them. Is now really a good time to start getting creative? :?Ooooh and to make matters worse, we have no idea what to get him. No gift yet. And it's tomorrow. TOMORROW! Gaaaah. :expressionless

Speaking of... I had bett run off and get my butt in gear and actually get some stuff done! :expressionless

Talk soon! Pray for me!


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## Nela (Feb 14, 2011)

Ah ah ah, just spoke to Jeff's dad and they had planned on leaving the dog home so at least that is one big thing less to worry about. I do love him, but it would be very hard with the pets as he doesn't like them and people want to see the house so it would be hard to keep anyone confined. Phew, one thing less. Also, one of his brothers cannot come so we'll be 12 instead of 14...

Just 12.

No biggy.

:thud:

Yanno, I'm going to have to go to the paternal family reunion as well as the maternal one this year... :shock:Lol!

Back to running I go...


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## JadeIcing (Feb 14, 2011)

The iron story had be ready to pee my pants.

The rest... Glad it is you preparing and not me.


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## Nela (Feb 14, 2011)

[align=center]:laugh:[/align]
[align=center]Oh. My. Gosh.[/align]
[align=center]I just watched Maybelle pick a fight with the patio chair... Yes, the patio chair. It was raining earlier but it stopped for now and Maybelle is outside playing. I was putting dishes away when I saw her acting very oddly. She was under the chair and it was dripping on her every few minutes and she went NUTS! She was jumping to the side, boxing at the chair, thumping, growling, and even HEADBUTTED the chair. :expressionlessShe is absolutely INSANE. LOL! I so wish I had gotten it on cam![/align]
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[align=center]Ali:[/align]
[align=center]*Sprays you with the iron* :grumpy:[/align]


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## JadeIcing (Feb 14, 2011)

Oh god now I have that image in my head! LMAO


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## Bunny parents (Feb 14, 2011)

Happy Valentine's day to you and your family.
Love and hugs 
From Kimi's family 
:flowerskiss:


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## Nela (Feb 17, 2011)

Lol Ali! It really was something! Too bad I couldn't get it on cam. :expressionless

Vircia, thank you so much! I hope you spent a lovely Valentine's with your loves as well :biggrin2:


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## JadeIcing (Feb 17, 2011)

So.... I need another laugh! Give me a story.


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## Bunny parents (Feb 17, 2011)

The piggies are lovely ! I love their playpen, how cute it is !  Hehehe. Thanks for your PM, of course you did help me  we ended up ordering this for her birthday present. 

Kimi's birthday present


It's made from dandelion leaves and flower and timothy hay and stuffs bunnies love and " able to eat "  This will be one present for her. We're planning to give her something else. We still have lots of time, LOL  So I just keep searching for ideas.

It's still cold here, but luckily, it's pretty sunny now, but windy like hell  So still, not so good. 
Take care :big kiss:


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## Nela (Feb 17, 2011)

Sooooooooo let me begin by saying that I hope everyone had a lovely Valentine's day! :biggrin2:

Jeff and I don't celebrate it. Nor does his sister and her husband. I think it mainly started when I was 16 and this guy attempted to swoon me. He got me a cute stuffie, sappy card, and told me he was in love with me. When I was told him I didn't know him well enough to honestly tell him I was in love with him, he ran off with our co-worker and slept with her out of consolation. LOL! I've never looked at it the same I guess. I just feel like it's mostly cheesy, fake, and commercial. Of course, I do understand that some people really do enjoy it. I guess I just don't see it the same way.  I'm not one to say "I love you" all the time either. I prefer to show it. I'm not into overly sappy cards and long love notes and all that though I do have my moments once in a while. I'm just glad Jeff and I are comfy enough with each other not to need that sort of thing. :biggrin2: He did surprise me with a bouquet anyway though because I had mentioned wanting some nice yellow flowers for his father's party since it brightens the room. Hehehe. 

So... Now we get to the party... :shock:

Well, Jeff and I spent many days running around trying to get things clean and sorted. There wasn't that much to do initially but, the more we thought of things, the more we wanted to fix.:expressionless Lol. Jeff was wonderful as always and really pulled through. To be honest, I felt terribly stressed. I always have this massive fear of meeting people for the first time. Usually, I can rationalize and say "Well, if they don't like me, well too bad." but with it being Jeff's family, it's all so different. You know, I really love Jeff and I really wouldn't want to be a reason for problems in the family. I would hate knowing that family members would not be comfy with me. That being said, it was very important to me that they like me so the stress was definitely there.

The morning started off a bit roughly... I had wanted to get up early to get things done since I had a lot of work to do and Jeff got up but I fell back asleep.:grumpy: I'm terrible with that. It doesn't help that Jeff sets the alarm clock on the radio setting. How am I supposed to wake up with that?!:? If it ain't honking like mad, and sounding that a loud fire alarm, it ain't gonna wake me.  Jeff didn't wake me either... He doesn't have the heart to do that. He let me sleep in before realizing it was getting pretty late and woke me. Lol. Now I was REALLY stressed. :shock: I rushed to shower and dress so we could go shopping for the food. I came down, only to find Jeff doing whatever he was doing on the computer. Now, if there is something that drives me nuts, it is someone being totally calm and slow when I am in panic mode. :expressionlessLol. So I snapped at him and told him I was glad HE had time to play on the computer whilst I was running around. He got pretty defensive and then went quiet, knowing now was not a time to make things worse. I felt terrible of course so I spent the rest of the time being nice. 

We ordered a meat platter (for the fondue) from the butcher. I was pretty happy at first because it seemed like it would save me the time needed to slice the meat... When the butcher showed us, I really wasn't sure but it was paid for, we were out of time, and neither of us like to complain about stuff like that. We got home and I just had to look at the meat. I wanted to cry... It was cut so thick... I don't know if they misunderstood the KIND of fondue, but I was seriously concerned about it cooking properly. I quickly pulled out some pork from the freezer and set it to thaw. I also had chicken breasts but no beef. Being out of time, it would have to do.

With the disappointment I was feeling from the meat and time running out, my stress level went up drastically. My unraveling came went I picked a fight with the bouquet Jeff had gotten me.:expressionless The florist had cut the stems so short that I was having a terrible time setting it in the vase. I went on a small rant about Valentine's day and how it is so commercial that the florist probably rushed to do the bouquets to have more to sell so even the quality of the bouquet was not like it normally would have been. The bouquet ended up falling apart from my trying to force it into the vase. I am not a florist. If everyone could make bouquets easily and make them look as good, we'd have no need for a florist. I like florists, they do what I can't - which is making flowers look proper. I made several attempts at reassembling the bouquet but it just wasn't looking right. The stress mounted and mounted to the point where I just threw them down and ran off to the bathroom to have a small cry and recompose myself. Yes, that is how bad I get.:expressionless When I came out, Jeff hugged me and wiped away whatever tears remained and decided to tackle the bouquet himself. At one point, he looked over to me and, in all seriousness, said "You know... This would be much easier if I were gay." I laughed and it felt good to laugh and all at once, the stress nearly disappeared. It's moments like that that I am reminded how much I love Jeff.

His father arrived with his wife and it was great to see them. Unfortunately, I spent quite a bit more time in the kitchen than I had wanted but I could only do so much. We showed them the house and they loved it. We chatted and chatted and enjoyed a lovely fondue. My cauliflower was a bit too steamed so it fell apart and we spent a lot of time fishing for it in the fondue pot but we got a lot of laughs out of it.  They said it had been a very long time since they had had fondue so it was a perfect choice. Ah relief!

Right after the fondue, I rushed to clean and start on the churros and fruit platter which was the dessert. I was really happy with the churros. I made a chocolate dipping sauce and cut a whole bunch of fruit and set the dessert/coffee table. When Sandra and her family arrived, I felt a lot more comfortable. Jeff's sister is awesome and she's so easy-going that she automatically makes me feel relaxed. Lol. The kids were drawn to the churros right away and started munching away happily. I called our niece over and showed her the chocolate sauce I was just about to serve and she was thrilled. Lol. It was all worth it.:biggrin2: The other guests arrived and the evening went great. They were all very very nice and I think they liked me as well. They invited us over for dinner so hopefully we'll be doing that. Before I even knew it, it was midnight and people started to leave. One of his uncles literally squooshed my cheeks and told me I had to go over for dinner soon and that he was very happy to have finally met me. Lol. I got many hugs and more cheek squooshing. His father hugged me tightly and told me to try to go to France in the spring if we could. You know... I miss them. It's odd isn't it? I barely know them but I miss them. 

When they had gone, Jeff took me in his arms, kissed my forehead and said "See I told you it'd be okay." And it was. Lol.:biggrin: We were pretty deaded so we went to bed. I remember waking at some point with a nasty migraine... I took a pill and went back to bed but Jeff heard me and cuddled me. I woke up late in the morning, and it was very bright.. My migraine had passed but I did have an ice pack by my head.:confused2: I guess Jeff had brought it at some point. He had already left for work. I was sad that I didn't remember him leaving.:expressionless Before he left, he had even started the dishwasher. What an angel he is.:biggrin2: I was pretty tired so I didn't want to rush for dinner and run to school so I decided to make the leftover fondue for dinner and go to the second half of the class so we'd have enough time to settle down before heading off again. Finally, after much prodding from Jeff, I got ready for school and off we went. He dropped me off and I headed to class, only to realize my class was nowhere to be found. :? Bope! I called Jeff back and he picked me up again. We went to see the bunnies when we got home and Maybelle was thrilled to see us. She spent the whole time running around her feet and humming like a bumble bee. Rolo is starting to get friendlier. I think it helps that he's not with Giggles as she probably made him scared of us since she is scared herself. Maybelle is quite interested in the lil fella and likes to taunt him. Lol. It's funny to watch her. Maybelle was quite the brat though and gave us a hard time when it was time to settle her in for the night. I think we'll need a herding dog just to get her back into the shed so we aren't chasing her around the garden every evening. Silly girl! :biggrin2:

So anyway, that's basically it... All in all, things went really well but they could have gone better if I hadn't spent so much time stressing for nothing.:expressionless I'm trying to work on that so I hope it will get better in the future. Phew, what a long post! Lol. I have a few pictures to share so that will be more interesting than my rambling


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## Nela (Feb 17, 2011)

[align=center]A few pics of Jelly Bean (and Twizzler in the background of the 3rd):

















Maybelle:

Maybelle has been allowing Jeff to scoop her up quite a bit. She was in an adorable pose but as soon as she heard the camera, she wanted to run away. Lol. I did manage to get this pic first though (dirty feet and all):





















I think she disapproves... :






And Maybelle, Rolo, and Giggles working their charm on Jeff's dad:











Annnnd the churros... I made half with a cinnamon/sugar topping and the other half with powdered sugar  They are superbly easy to make and quick. I imagine it works better if you have a fryer though. You can find the recipe here: 

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/churros/Detail.aspx







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## JadeIcing (Feb 17, 2011)

Sounds like a perfect time.


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## Nela (Feb 17, 2011)

Ali:

Hehehe sorry, not so much funny this time around  Shouldn't be long before one of us does something truly silly though  We did have a lovely time though. Thanks for keeping up with us! :biggrin:

Vircia:

Hehehe I'm glad you like the playpen. I love it. It's so tiny. It's adorable. Lol. It really doesn't give them all that much room to run but I love that it allows for a change of scenery. I love all our pets dearly but peeing and pooping on our floors is just not an option. I mean, I don't get furious if it happens but i don't go around allowing it to happen either. As much as I love animals, I do not want the house to feel like a barn. Lol. This playpen allows me to take them anywhere I want :biggrin2:

Ah ah I see the bell! It looks big :shock: Hehehe. I am sure she will love it.  Sunny is so nice but I bet that wind is COLD. Lol. Soon soon!


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## JadeIcing (Feb 17, 2011)

It made me smile. That's what matters. I'm so happy that you are happy.


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## Nela (Feb 17, 2011)

I'm happy it made you smile :rose:


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## Nela (Feb 17, 2011)

O....K

I had emailed my coordinator about yesterday's missing class and also asked about an update about my contract... She emailed me back to tell me that class was not canceled yesterday. Where they were? No idea! :? Lol. Not only that, but she asked if we could meet to discuss my contract and said that we could meet up after the vacation.

Um... What vacation? :?

Turns out I have a week off from school. LOL. :expressionless How do I not know these things?  

That will give me time to figure out our nephew's cupcakes... I promised him some for his birthday:biggrin2: He loved them at Christmas so I will make him some more. His birthday is actually on the 29th. Hehehe. Cute :biggrin2: He asked for red. I will play around with marzipan soccer balls I think. He's a soccer goalie. It's his passion. :biggrin: Whatever I can do to make him happy...


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## Myia09 (Feb 17, 2011)

Haha sometimes I feel like that too...there is a break? Lol. Love the photos!!


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## MiniLopHop (Feb 17, 2011)

I love the photo "Maybelle disapproves", what a cute bunn face! :inlove:

I'm glad your dinner went well. Your so sweet they can't help but love you.


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## Wabbitdad12 (Feb 18, 2011)

Wow, I had a lot to catch up on. I agree you are a good photographer. Those blue eyes of Maybelle, just make me want to fly over there and bunny nap her!


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## Nela (Feb 18, 2011)

Myia:

Lol. I probably would have gone to school only to realize it was closed. I'm glad you enjoyed the photos :biggrin:

MiniBrandy :

Lol I like her disapproval too. Hehehe. I love how expressive animals are. :biggrin2:Thanks, you're sweet. I'm just glad it went alright. 

Dave:

Hehehe. All caught up now? Not too much to report really I'm glad you like the pictures. I just try to capture as much as I can. I love that the camera captures Maybelle's eyes properly buuuuuuuuuut no bunapping, Mr.:nonono:Hehehe.

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[align=center]We're off to the zoo tomorrow. I've been wanting to go out for a while and Jeff suggested we go there tomorrow. :biggrin2:We're going to the one in Amsterdam this time.I suggested we bring his mom so she will come with us and have dinner here with us after too. Luckily, I made an easy dinner: spaghetti. I made the sauce tonight so when we get home I'll just have to reheat it and boil the pasta so that won't take long. Plus, spaghetti sauce is always better the next day. :biggrin2:We also have lots leftover to drink, including wine so it should be a nice dinner. We'll probably grab a baguette and use the herb and garlic butter I have in the fridge. I hope to take loooooooads of pictures tomorrow :biggrin2:[/align]
[align=center]Hopefully, there will be enough sunshine to really get good pictures. I really hope my foot holds up too because I've had to wear my sling and take some anti-inflammatories but ah well It's nice because at the zoo, there is also a planetarium, insectarium, butterly pavillion so there should be lots to see I'm excited :biggrin:I'm like a kid [/align]


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## Boz (Feb 18, 2011)

Oh my, is Maybelle a blue eyed white?! She is gorgeous!!! I love blue eyed whites!


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## Nela (Feb 20, 2011)

Boz, she is. :biggrin:Maybelle is a BEW german lop we got from a breeder Thank you for finding her cute! I didn't quite have a BEW bunny in mind when we were looking but her baby pictures melted my heart and before I knew it, she was in our car. Hehehe. She wasn't as sweet and cuddly as her pictures led me to believe though Then again, yesterday she allowed me to scoop her up AND kiss her all over. I was feeling brave yesterday. Then again, I ticked her off because I basically 'dumped' her in the shed and ran out before she could follow because we had to drive Jeff's mum home. I'm about to go beg for forgiveness with a cardboard box or something elseshe can destroy....


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## Nela (Feb 20, 2011)

Yesterday, we went to the zoo as planned. See, the weather was as it always is: unpredictable. One channel was saying it would be sunny yesterday and cloudy today. Another said the opposite. Both said it was supposed to be about 6 degrees celsius so ok, not bad right?

Wrong.

It was cloudy, windy, and cold! LOL!

But but but... I had my doubts about the weather from very early on so I had packed scarves, gloves, and an extra sweater for me. We ended up using our scarves and gloves right away. 

The upside was that there weren't as many people. I love that. I cannot stand crowds. Ugh! Plus, once we were nicely covered, it really wasn't so bad. 

Artis is an old zoo and it showed quite a bit in places. I must be honest, I didn't like it as much as the other zoo we went to. Being a city zoo, the large animals had less space (though ok it wasn't horrendous) and there was a substantial lack of foliage. Some places looked quite bare. It's just not how I prefer a zoo to be. On the other hand, they did have a tooooooon of things to see. Plantearium, insectarium, aquarium, geology museum, butterfly pavillion and more... We saw almost everything but we ran out of time to actually see everything there was too see. They are also renovating and changing things so hopefully, in the future, things will look a bit better. 

Jeff said we will go to the one in Arnhem next time. They actually do a TV show about this zoo. It's very big and well-known. He says they really strive to make it look natural for the animals. Well, as natural as it can be with them in captivity :expressionlessI like zoos. I think zoos do a lot when it comes to educating people and even perhaps breeding certain animals that are on their way to extinction levels. I just want the zoo to offer certain things to the animals that would enable them to act a bit more like they would in the wild. The first one we had gone to had this very very large enclosure for the bears and wolves... It was made to be just like you would be walking through the forest. Plus, the bears were rescued from all parts of the world. Most of them were circus bears. That's something I really appreciate.

Anywho, all in all, we had a lovely day. Now, who wants pictures? Coming up next post cause this is already long...


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## Nela (Feb 20, 2011)

[align=center]These pics are mine, I may share some of Jeff's later. (I won't put names and all but feel free to ask questions if you have any)[/align]
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## Nela (Feb 20, 2011)

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## Nela (Feb 20, 2011)

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## Nela (Feb 20, 2011)

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## Nela (Feb 20, 2011)

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[align=center]That's it for mine... I'm quite disappointed though because Photobucket greatly reduces quality. Lol. These are much nicer on the digital frame [/align]


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## SOOOSKA (Feb 20, 2011)

Nela, Beautiful pictures as always.

I love your Bunnies.

That's a great picture of Jeff and Maybelle. I love seeing Men with Bunnies:heartbeat:.

Susan


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## Nela (Feb 20, 2011)

Thank you, Susan :rose:My bunnies love you too and I love yours also :wink I always love watching Jeff with the pets. Hehe. Jeff is a softie by nature but I alsoalways enjoy watching a very manly man get reduced to a puddle by an adorable pet. Hehehe. :biggrin2:I'll be trying to get more pictures of Jeff in the future. I want to get some good frames out of them :biggrin2:


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## tristaw. (Feb 20, 2011)

I love your pictures, Sophie. They brightened my day


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## Nela (Feb 20, 2011)

Awww Trist I am happy if you got a smile out of them. *Hugs*


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## JadeIcing (Feb 20, 2011)

Guess what my fave pics are....


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## Nela (Feb 21, 2011)

I took them with exactly you in mind :winkThe leopard geckos were hiding, you could only see the tails so I didn't bother. Lol. I figured you have seen tails enough


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## MiniLopHop (Feb 21, 2011)

What wonderful pictures! I love a good zoo too. The three toed box turtle looks so much like my Kate. The aquarium pictures were my favorite. Your such a great photographer


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## myheart (Feb 21, 2011)

Wow!! Such great pics!! I don't even know where to start to comment about them. I can't believe a camera could take such wonderfully nice photos. They all make me feel like I'm right there looking at everything myself. 

I might have to steal one of the butterfly pic for the desktop on my computer. They look like spring all over!! I can't believe the amount of fruits and nectar that are put out for the butterflies.

Simply awesome pictures. Looks like you had a wonderful day out.

myheart


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## Nela (Feb 23, 2011)

MiniBrandy:

Lol I call you that so I don't get you two confused with the other Brandy on here Yeah, a good zoo can be enjoyed for sure. I think this one is a good zoo but they need to update - which, from my understanding, they are in the process of doing. From what I have seen, the dutch love animals and are quite involved in many animal rescue organizations. I cannot wait to go visit the other zoos :biggrin:Oh and I have to go to Sea Life too! I'm glad you enjoyed the pictures! :biggrin:I have a good camera. Lol. As forthe role I actually play in it, I have no idea if I make a difference much or not but thank you. Hehehe. 

Janet:

I am glad I was able to share the happiness with the pictures. I also love watching animals. I love to try and catch that playful look in their eye, etc. I had wondered at first if they'd be worth sharing but I thought some might enjoy them. We don't go to the zoo everyday anyway right? :biggrin:Feel free to use anything you want for your desktop. Hehehe it makes me happy if it can make someone smile. The butterfly pavillion was great. There were lots of trees, plants, flowers... It felt nice. Watching them fly about freely was a nice thing. I quite enjoyed chasing after them. I actually picked a fight with this goregous blue butterly. It did NOT want to be photographed. It actually landed on my shoulder for a brief moment just to taunt me. It was nice to see them enjoy the fruit that was left out for them. It gave us many oppurtunities for pictures.


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## Nela (Feb 23, 2011)

Nothing too new to report today. On Monday, Jeff worked from home so that was nice. We got his work area setup last week so he was more comfortable. I spent most of the day playing Sims3 really. I hadn't played it in a while. Lol. I felt really nauseated at one point and thought I was coming down with something. ThenI felt shakey, tested my sugar, and sure enough I was in hypo. Bah. I can't seem to get used to it. Lol. At least that's all it was 

I was pretty ticked off about my Sims because of a glitch with their latest update. My Sims were always getting depressed. :grumpy:Anyway, I got annoyed and went off on a rant about EA customer service.Hehehe. I managed to install the previous version without messing anything else and was happy again. 

Yesterday, I played some more but I also cleaned, ironed, and cooked. It was a pretty quiet day - just how I like it. Lol. I was very sad to hear about the earthquake in New Zealand though. Some things are just so heartbreaking... Things like that really remind me to appreciate whatI have. Things pale so much in comparison towhat 'could be' or 'could come'... 

I tried exercising today and got a few minutes done on the bike but couldn't do more. Could they have made the seat any more uncomfortable? :shock:Geez my butt hurts! LOL. I tried putting a cushion but it wasn't enough. I'm thinking of strapping some memory foam on it or something... The problem is, the seat is on the lowest setting and I can barely touch the pedals and anything added only makes it harder to reach... Oh the joys of being short 

Over the weekend, we got a pot of Narcissus and they started blooming. Most of the flowers are open now and they make me so happy. I love them. I took a few pictures so here you go:

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## Nela (Feb 23, 2011)

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[align=center]IT'S SNOWING!!!!!!!!![/align]
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## MiniLopHop (Feb 23, 2011)

:runningrabbit:

Run Away! Run Away! I hate snow


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## lyndor (Feb 23, 2011)

Hello --- I'm new to the forum, and just read your blog there... yes!

It's really entertaining and well written


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## Nela (Feb 23, 2011)

LOL Brandy. Awww snow is so much fun! 

Lyndor, I'm so happy you enjoyed our blog :biggrin:Thank you so much for letting me know. Looking forward to getting to know you more. 

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I went out by the house for a brief walk and grabbed a very few pictures so here you are:

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## Nela (Feb 23, 2011)

Woot woot! I've just opened a package I received allll the way from Australia :biggrin2:Inside I found: tim tams, marshmellow cookies, mint cookies, an autralian scarf, post card, kangaroo stuffie and even a wombat stuffie. Now how many of you can say you have a wombat? Am I spoiled or what! Hehehe. It's made my day. :biggrin2:I've been really blessed with people mailing me here since I moved. Getting mail adressed to me here always gives me warm fuzzies. 

By the way, Tim Tams are highly addictive


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## lyndor (Feb 23, 2011)

I have never heard of any of that food :S


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## MiniLopHop (Feb 23, 2011)

PM me your address and I will send you a package. I know the feeling, I cheer every time I get mail and I havn't moved anywhere.  Too bad I can't mail a cheese steak, that is what Philly is known for.

I have a duck billed platypus, but no wombat.


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## JadeIcing (Feb 23, 2011)

Love snow.


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## Flash Gordon (Feb 23, 2011)

hey Sof......you ROCK with the camera my friend.!just so ya know....
i have a decent camera but theres too many settings and i confuse easily...what kinda camera do u have and do u change the settings alot or just auto?


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## Nela (Feb 24, 2011)

[align=center]Lyndor:[/align]
[align=center]Lol. I hadn't either really. Vegemite is like marmite although many people like one or the other but not both. It's yeast extract? It kind of reminds me of beef concentrate. The odder thing is people usually spread it over toast with butter, so eaten like that and not used for cooking. I haven't actually tried it yet. Lol. Tim Tams are these cookies that remind me of a chocolate bar. Kinda like Kit Kat I guess, but hmm well yummier :biggrin2:[/align]
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[align=center]Brandy:[/align]
[align=center]Awww lol you are sweet. I've never had a cheese steak. :confused2:Sounds yummy. Hehehe. Ah ah,I don't have a platypus. Hmmm...Hehehe. I love stuffed animals. :biggrin2:I'm 25 but still love them. :embarrassed:We have a room made like a walk-in closet and Jeff put all my stuffies up on some shelves there so when I walk in there they are looking down on me. Hehehe. Back in the day, I had started collecting the TY Pluffies series because I had an idea for a baby's room... I just love those Pluffies. I also have this one bunny wrapped around my table lamp. I should take a few pictures... [/align]
[align=center]Oh speaking of pictures... I have this one picture that Jeff took when we were packing up my stuff. I hate me on it but I thought it was appropriate to share now. Lol. [/align]
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[align=center]His comment was "Yep... They ALL have to come."[/align]
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[align=center]I knoooow. Isn't it great? :biggrin2:If we were close to each other we could have so much fun. Hehehe. I have such a hard time finding people who appreciate snow [/align]
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[align=center]Lisa:[/align]
[align=center]Awww thank you. Hehehe I'm not really the type of person to follow tutorials or read manuals so I haven't gotten to all that fancy schmancy photography stuff myself. I have always been like that. Build my furniture without glancing at the instructions most of the time, got into playing on photoshop and stuff the same way too. Jeff? He's the total opposite. He'll sit and read through everything first. Then plan, then execute. Most of the time, I stay away because I get annoyed at all the meticulous planning. LOL. [/align]
[align=center]Really, I just have a point and click camera that does all the hard work for me  I'm using the Sony Cybershot T-series camera - in cherry pink (yes, I had to specify that it's pink!) LOL. To be honest, I was quite worried about paying that much for a point and click (was a bit pricier some months ago)but I'm thrilled that Jeff convinced me otherwise. Jeff is the fancy schmancy photographer so he knows enough to make better decisions. Lol. [/align]
[align=center]I believe this is the right one:[/align]
[align=center]http://www.sony.co.uk/product/dsc-t-series/dsctx5r.ceh[/align]
[align=center]Really, usually I don't play much with the settings at all. There is the auto-program which works great in most instances. Sometimes, I do have to go choose another setup due to lighting or something but it's really easy. Aside from that, all I do is decide if I want flash or not (or a soft flash), burst, etc. The only time I have a littletrouble with it is when I'm inside on a rainy day. Also, it doesn't zoom so far so if dealing with lots of far away shots it might get annoying. Again, I haven't read the manual yet so I know that it still has a lot more potential that I haven't tapped into. Since most of the time I want to be taking pictures of animals, I really have no patience nor time to spend fiddling with settings. We all know how hard it is to catch our furbabies in their moments so I love that this camera is very quick in general. I still have yet to get a good ear-grooming picture though. :expressionless[/align]
[align=center]This camera is my favorite toy. It's the best I've ever had and I just love having it. I'd definitely recommend it to anyone that doesn't have the patience or know-how of the fancier cameras. It's also great because it's so small. It's the same size as my cell phone. Lol. So you can easily pocket it and bring it everywhere. Also, like I said, it's very quick to turn on and use so that can often buy you precious time to catch the shot you want. Oh, btw, my camera worked better than Jeff's in the dark settings. :biggrin2:I think he'd have to purchase some expensive add-ons or something to make it work better. For what I want to do with it, it makes me very happy. [/align]
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## TinysMom (Feb 24, 2011)

Wow - I'm just now catching up on your blog - I LOVE your photos for the zoo and the flowers and stuff.

I've been meaning to ask you (feel free to say its none of my business) - how has it been adjusting to the foods that are available there compared to where you lived before? Ever crave certain things?

I have a friend who is a missionary in Latvia and one of my projects later this year (they come home in March for a few months) - is to send her a care package once a month with little things they miss from the states. Its so interesting the things we take for granted....and don't realize that not everyone can get them!


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## Nela (Feb 24, 2011)

Peg:

I'm really happy you enjoyed the pictures. Don't be silly, ask away! 

Oof! Yes, food wise it's been an adjustment. I mean, the dutchies looooooooove potatoes. I have never eaten so many potatoes in my life. Plus, I don't really love potatoes nor are they good for me. LOL. 

I miss little things... Skittles, golden grahams, Betty Crocker/Duncan Hinescake mixes (especially golden cake)... What I miss the most? Dill pickles. Gosh I miss those terribly. All the pickles I find here are thesweet and sour kind. I've found small jars of just sour ones but they aren't like the dill so I've resorted to growing my own dill and sticking it in the jars. Lol. It helps a bit... I have to try making my own this summer. No spruce beer nor cream soda here either. I can't make ice cream floats. Lol. I can't even make poutine because I cannot find the bbq sauce nor curd cheese. No Tim Hortons coffee either. Baaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Thank goodness I have found maple syrup! LOL.

My family sent me a care package as my bday/christmas gift in January so I got cake, golden grahams, and skittles in there. It made me really happy. :biggrin2:I think care packages are great. A taste from home is always enjoyable. When my ex mother-in-law used to live with me, her family sent her things from home as well because she was terribly homesick. 

Luckily, I love almost everything so I have a lot of fun trying things here and slowly replace home favorites with local ones. I think what gets to me when I receive a care package is just the fact that someone from back home still remembers me. Lol. It makes the food included very enjoyable. I have kept a very few skittles to munch on when I get lonely. :biggrin2:

I'm sure your friend will love you for it I don't know how you'd go about it but you might want to find out what can be sent and what cannot. My friend from Australia had originally sent macadamia nuts in the package so it was sent back to her because they are not allowed through. With postage, it can add up quickly. 

It's funny though because sometimes, when you move to a new country, it's really the little things that can get under your skin. It makes me laugh to think how the silly little things can upsetsomeone so much.I know I was terribly disappointed about my pickles 

I hope your friend is enjoying Latvia. :biggrin:


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## irishbunny (Feb 24, 2011)

I know when my Aunt lived in the States she craved Taytos, Cadbury Dairy Milk chocolate, tea and milk! She hated the milk there. She lost loads of weight and came back like a pin because she didn't like the sweets over there


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## JadeIcing (Feb 24, 2011)

Make a list of things you can not find. I want to see what I might be able to find here.


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## Nela (Feb 24, 2011)

Grace:

Hehehe yeah that's one good thing about it. Although, I must admit I've found plenty more to eat :expressionlessWorking hard on that now that I seem to be off cortisone for a while. Hopefully, all this will pay off in the end. You know, I am really picky about my milk products and didn't like the milk in Greece too much but I love it here! I'm so happy about that. Plus, it's really cheap! In Montreal,was really expensive. :expressionlessBut tea? It's not the same everywhere? Interesting! She must have found it pretty tough at times. 

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Ali:

I can try doing that but I usually only really think of it when faced with a craving. Hehehe. I wonder what we'd find. Oh! You know what I miss?! Kraft Singles!!! No grilled cheese will ever be as good... Now that is a big problem for me... Lol.


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## JadeIcing (Feb 24, 2011)

LOL Well start listing them and than we can see which I can send to you.


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## irishbunny (Feb 24, 2011)

Ya you'd think tea would be same everywhere lol!
The only other country I have had milk in was Portugal, it was awful I was dying for a nice cup of tea with proper milk when I got back


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## Nela (Feb 24, 2011)

You're toosweet Ali :big kiss:

Lol Grace, I'm glad I'm not the only one who would have thought the tea was the same. Yeah milk can really vary :expressionlessI bet you really enjoyed that cup of tea! Hehehe.

On another note, I often wonder why the chickens in Montreal were plucked better. I often find feathers on my chicken here... :confused2:


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## JadeIcing (Feb 24, 2011)

Eek if I find feathers I will scream.


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## Nela (Feb 24, 2011)

Today has been another lovely and quiet day. I spent the day up in the attic again. I just love the privacy. Not like anyone is here to bother me but anyway... I am proud to say that I did another round of cycling. Sure, I am going about it all wrong as usual but at least I am sticking to it Lol. I am going to make up a proper plan and get it done right so I do not make things worse for my health. I got a tad excited and kind of jumped the gun so I need to slow things down and go about it gradually. It'll give my body more time to adapt because my heart really is throwing a tantrum now. Hehehe.

I'm in such a happy mood today. People have made me feel so loved, many of you here on RO especially and I want to thank all of you for that. I really mean it. :hearts

I also thanked my friend for her care package and chatted a bit. They located her cousins safe and sound in the Christchurch area so that was good news. My friend insisted that I try a Tim Tam slam and because she was so nice, I could only oblige. If you don't know what a tim tam slam is, look here:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MQZX1nLOJ4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MQZX1nLOJ4[/ame]

Now...I'm pretty skeptical when it comes to food being so awesomely yummy that you will keep coming back for more. Don't get me wrong, I love yummy things but normally people go nuts over things that don't really impress me too much. I was especially skeptical because I was like "Whoa that is a lot of chocolate" and I'm not much of a chocolate person really - especially not milk chocolate. Anyway, it WAS really superly ooey gooey yummy! :shock:Oh heavens was it ever good... Oreos just won't give me that satisfaction ever again... Lol. Luckily, she sent me quite a few so if I am careful it will last me a bit. Hehehe. :biggrin2:

I forgot to tell you this funny bit...

One morning, days ago, Jeff left for work as usual. As we always do, I sat at the window and waited to wave him goodbye but he rushed back to me and handed me this lollipop. I thought it was adorable of him. I didn't eat the lolly right away but waited until the weekend or something when I decided to have it. 

Now, this lollie had me intrigued from the very start. It was a white lolly. It sorta looked like a white chupa chup that might have been left of the shelf for a while because it was powdery. I took a very tentative first lick and right away I was hit with a strong bitter taste. Hmmm what kind of lolly was this? :expressionlessFeeling brave, I took a few more licks and realized that once the powder was licked off, it was rather sweet. It really had no identifiable taste from what I could tell. I twirled it a bit and licked it some more. Now see, the thing with chupa chups is that they have this thing in the centre right? Well this lollypop did too. Only it really was not a sweet, yummy chupa chup. No no, this lollipop was SALTY and DISGUSTING! I spat that lollipop outso fast, you wouldn't believe it. :shock:I don't know what in the world I had done to deserve it but my boyfriend had just tried to kill me with a lollipop. :expressionlessThey always warn you not to accept lollies from strangers... Well, today, I am warning you not to accept suspicious-looking lollies from the man that supposedly loves you either! :shock:He did think it was quite funny. I just glared at him.

Ah ah he has just informed me that is was a "Salmiak Knots"Lollie. It looks like this:

http://www.annekeszoetwaren.nl/winkel/index.php?item=salmiak-knots--per-stuk&action=article&aid=138&lang=NL

The centre is ammonium chloride... Um. Sure. I'll be staying very far from these in the future. :expressionlessThese lollies are even worse than the salty, black licorice, smartie-looking candies. The dutch have very very odd candy I tell you!!!

Anyway, onto more pleasant things...

[align=center]My narcissusies are blooming plenty (And Lisa, see you asked about settings and I forgot to put it back to auto so my picture is too dark lol):[/align]
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[align=center]Stuffies (only got about half here as the others are still in a box)...[/align]
[align=center]The wombat:[/align]
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[align=center]Others:[/align]
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[align=center]One my father gave me when I was 16 so it's a bit special to me:[/align]
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[align=center]A favorite of mine that stays close to me. He currently sits on my night table, wrapped around my lamp:[/align]
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[align=center]My special gift from my best friend and a co-worker at the time. I got this one for my 19th (no, it's not a typo lol)birthday... It's a water baby so when you put water in it it feels more like a baby - or so they say. It's fun though. It came with a Thumper toy. I am a bigThumper fan :biggrin:[/align]
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[/align]
[align=center]A very special gift from Jeff that happened to arrive on a very crappy day... A Disney collectible. I just fell in love with this. Jeff had it engraved. It says "For my rainbowgirl" as that is what he had nicknamed me when we met for still being bright and cheery despite everything that was going on at the time. [/align]
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[align=center]They are little things, but little things that make me very happy. These were the thingsI chose to keep from my life in Montreal so they all have a particular memory attached to them. I just thought I would share... [/align]


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## Myia09 (Feb 24, 2011)

I love the disney collectible! And the wombat! Too cute!


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## Bunny parents (Feb 24, 2011)

How cute ! That wombat is super cute  hehehe. I love your flowers  We gave the same type to Norbi's mother on X' Mas. I swear when we bought them, they were perfectly fine, but when we gave them to her, they barely lived  Okay okay, I admit, I'm not good at planting.. Hehehe .

How's my Maybelle doing ?  Sending some noserubs for your buns.


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## MiniLopHop (Feb 24, 2011)

Thanks for the camera info. I'm going to get a camera of my own so I don't have to rely on hubby to post my pictures 

I love stuffies too! I'm going to have to put up a picture. At the moment I have our rabbit cage filled with stuffed animals! I figured if we had to store it, might as well be made cute


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## irishbunny (Feb 24, 2011)

My older Sister used to collect those TY Beanie Babies, we have like 200 of them in the attic!


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## Nela (Feb 25, 2011)

Myia:

Hehehe they are cute eh? I just love these kinds of things. The globe is really special to me. I was sooo scared of it breaking in the move! Luckily, all went well :biggrin2:My best friend made sure that anything I loved wouldn't be lost by double and triple packing it 

***

Vircia:

Awww I'm sorry the flowers didn't survive. I kill most of my flowers myself. :expressionlessIs she good with plants and flowers usually? 

Maybelle is doing great. She's really changing but she still has that rabbitude just tomake sure we know it's really her. I am going nuts wanting to have the yard setup for her. I really cannot wait! Oh let it be spring so we can build our girl her own special place! :biggrin:She's taken an interest in Rolo and I am hoping to have her spayed and then maybe attempt bonding them. That would be great... I'll go give the buns their noserubs in a few 

***

Brandy:

Hehehe, you're welcome. I think it's nice to have our own cameras. Jeff and I kind of compete when trying to get certain shots and it's quite fun. I didn't get enough pictures of my bunnies in the past andI really regret that so I try to get as much as I can now. Hehehe your cage filled with stuffies sounds cute :biggrin2:

***

Grace:

Awww! I love beanie babies. I love most of their stuffies really. I do have a particular love of their Classics teddy bearsthough. They remind me of the older bears and they just don't make those much anymore. I think that's why I love my brown bunny (the one around my lamp) so much.That's a LOT of beanies :biggrin:Think she'd notice if Ioffered a few a new home?


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## Nela (Feb 25, 2011)

*Sigh*

I'm a tad bit frustrated right now to be honest. Early in the day, my father popped up on msn and I ended up snapping at him, making things between us a bit awkward again. 

On February 11, I posted in the Let Your Hare Down section about my parents' cat to confirm what I thought. My parents' cat is pretty matted. The mats are hard and close to the skin. My mother waited a while and then finally asked me about it so I advised herto take her to the vet's but I had doubts as to whether or not she'd take her so I also advised on how to try to get the mats out if she could and stressed the importance of finding the cause. I mean, sure things happen sometimes but this cat's coat bothers me as it is extremely dull and dry. I also know she's on lousy grocery store food so it bugs me because I think that might be a cause and I'm concerned that she may have worse problems in the future. Anyway, it had ended on a good note, with my mother telling me they would take her in.

This morning my father comes online asking me the same darn thing about the mats. It's 2 weeks later! They did nothing! :shock:So I was pretty annoyed that they just sat about and did nothing about it, just watched the mats annoy the poor thing. I'm concerned that her skin might get irritated too... *Sigh* It was pretty frustrating to have spent so much time discussing it only to be ignored. Not only that, but he obviously wasn't listening or hadn't discussed with my mother because there I was repeating myself all over again.

The really aggravating part was that the whole time I was trying to advise him, he was making a mockery out of everything. I SO hate that. I have a sense of humor, so it's not that but I mean, SOMETIMES it's nice to actually treat something for what it is. My father is like that. Everything is always a joke to him. You could be heartbroken and bawling your eyes out because you've just lived the worst experience in your life and he will still go and make a mockery out of it. ssd:I get it. He can't deal with emotions, blah blah blah. Well they have help for that. Sometimes, I really wish he'd act like a dad. 

And I told him. 

After years of keeping everything inside, I have begun saying what I think. Well, he didn't like it. He apologized. Then things got awkward. He got quiet. I was annoyed, and somehow, I end up being the bad guy as usual.

It drives me nuts. I so hate it. :expressionlessAnd I SO hate how they always make me the bad guy. I never know what I'm saying, I know nothing, I am always wrong. Gah!

It's hard because my relationship with my parents is already very strained. I try hard, especially with my father, to form some sort of bond but it seems like we just cannot ever get along. 

It drains me.

So yeah.

The cat hasn't seen a vet. My father is still as immature as he's always been. And I've let things with my family put me in a mood - Again.

:expressionless


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## MiniLopHop (Feb 25, 2011)

I am so sorry :hug: It's hard because we can't pick our family. There is a reason I live a large state away from mine. They can't understand my world and I refuse to live in their's. 

If it is a matter of money, they can buy a set of clippers at the pet store and do it themselves. To put it in terms they might understand: Think of how when you pull your hair back into a tight pony tail. By the end of the day you have a horrible headache, right? Well, the poor cat has the fur pulling at the skin all the time. It's painful. After shaving the cat they need to keep it brushed to prevent matting again. I highly recommend switching to a better food as well so the fur and skin (not to mention internal organs) will be healthier.

All you can do is give them good advice. They have to make the decision to take good care of their animal(s).:hugsquish:


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## irishbunny (Feb 25, 2011)

I often feel like non-animal lovers just simply cannot understand stuff like that. I think they are born without something to make them understand animals lol!


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## irishbunny (Feb 25, 2011)

I often feel like non-animal lovers just simply cannot understand stuff like that. I think they are born without something to make them understand animals lol!


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## MiniLopHop (Feb 25, 2011)

Personally, I don't trust Non-animal people. There is something wrong with them. LOL


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## JadeIcing (Feb 25, 2011)

*hugs* I am at work so can't post much. I have a LOT to say though.


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## Myia09 (Feb 25, 2011)

My in laws are the same way..in fact they are downright cruel to me. I am really sorry things happen that way though. It is tough. And we are all right, only animal-minded people understand. We are caring in that way. I hope your day gets better.

I hope their cat gets help as well.


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## avarocks (Feb 25, 2011)

Cute little blog! Love it! Your gray/white guinea pig looks a lot like my Sam. Aren't they great!


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## Nela (Feb 26, 2011)

It's our nephew's birthday party so we're off but I'll reply to everyone when I get back. Have a great day everyone!!! :biggrin2:


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## JadeIcing (Feb 26, 2011)

Happy Birthday to him.


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## MiniLopHop (Feb 26, 2011)

Guess who got skittles last night? I just have to find some post cards.


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## Bunny parents (Feb 26, 2011)

Oh, Happy Birthday to your nephew  Best wishes.


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## avarocks (Feb 26, 2011)

Happy birthday to your nephew!


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## Nela (Feb 27, 2011)

So Friday evening, Jeff came home and we were talking about the weekend and then he looked at me and said "Well we are at Nigel's tomorrow..." :shock:Total panic! I had completely forgotten. For some reason, I thought it was the following weekend. Bah!!! Mymain reason for panicking was that I had promised him cupcakes for his birthday. I like to keep my word whenever possible - especially with kids. 

After having dinner quickly, we rushed out to the stores so I could get some marzipan. While we were driving there, I suddenly thought of something. Would his sister have cake? If I brought cupcakes, would the kids still eat the cake? Or would the cupcakes be ignored? I really didn't think it'd be nice to step on any toes so we called us. Turns out she already had gotten 3 cakes. :expressionlessLOL. Good thing we called. So in the end, we told him I would make his cupcakes but later because it was too much. 

However, now we were at the shops without a reason for being there. Hehehe.I knew Jeff needed some t-shirts so we went to the store where he gets his clothes and ended up getting him quite a bit of clothes. We got our nephew's gift (luckily he told us what he wanted as he's got so much we really had no idea WHAT to get) and went on a search for proper wrapping paper. Could you believe the wrapping paper is what gave us a hard time? Lol. He's turning 11. I think he's a bit past the donald duck and winnie da pooh phase. In the end we settled for a basic bright orange and red striped paper. Red is his favorite, and orange is the national color so that worked. Lol. It took all but 30seconds for him to unwrap his gift but we like that it be wrapped nicely anyway. :biggrin:

Yesterday was noisey. Lol. Quite a bit of people. Most I had met, but some I hadn't. One man spent quite a bit of time chatting with me about his travels. He's quite an adventurous type, something which is sooo unknown to me. Lol. It was nice though. He had brought his photo abum and I got to see it. He had been to Singapore, Australia, and Bali. He told me how I had met his father not long ago butI felt quite sheepish because I couldn't remember him although I did after. My family is absolutely dwarfed in comparison to theirs. 

I got to see Smores of course and he's doing fantastically well. When everyone had left, they let him out and he happily jumped on the couch and hopped around, seeking attention from everyone nearby. Unfortunately, I was one of those people who couldn't resist and ended up petting him quite a bit more than I should have. I must have put my hand in my face without realizing because before I knew it, I was having quite a bad reaction. We ended up having to leave and I medicated last night. I slept well but woke extremely groggy, stuffy,and my eyes are still swollen. Jeff has snuggled me up in my blanket and given me my pillow so I'm writing this from a very tucked in position. Lol.

We are taking Giggles there in a bit. We cannot wait to see them together at last. I hope my asthma and allergies play nice while we deal with the bunners. It's going to be terribly hard to leave her, especially since she's so much like my heartbunny but in the end, seeing Smores so happy, and seeing how ill I still get, only reaffirms our position. Those two belong together and now they finally have that chance. IÂ´ll take my camera along this time.


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## Nela (Feb 27, 2011)

Brandy:

Thank you. Yeah, I agree with you. I guess we're different kinds of people, them and I. Seems like you can certainly understand that too. *Shrugs* The thing that bugs me the most is that they really do love animals and they especially love that cat. However, for as long as I can remember, they have such a hard time with proper spending and priorities. They always play the money card after they've gone and spent on something that wasn't needed. It drives me batty. For the rest, they are equipped. They have the information as well. They just seem stuck on wanting to prove me wrong. In the end, I really should stop hoping for better with them involved. Lol. What bothers me most is that when I talk to themI can still get in a mood despite being so far away. Aside from cutting all contact, it seems like I am doomed to get frustrated when talking to any of them. I'm trying so hard to not resort to that.

LOL @ not trusting non-animal lovers. I gotta agree with you 

Weeeeee skittles!!! Hehehe silly thing you :biggrin2:

Grace:

Hehehe you are right. It confuses me though because they do love animals. In fact, they are probably the reason why I've always had animals around. Their real issue is money. It's pretty much destroyed our relationship. I guess that's the real problem. 

Ali:

Thank you for the hug. I appreciate it. Hehe I bet you do. I think a lot of us can relate when it comes to these kinds of issues. I'll be waiting for your take on things. 

Myia:

Thanks. You are right about how much more animal lovers can understand this issue. It's why I couldn't resist coming here to vent. I figured you guys would understand my frustration. Hehe. Thanks a lot  I hope their cat gets taken care of soon too.

Sarah:

Hey, nice to see you hehehe. They ARE great! I am so glad I've decided to have them again. They are such a joy to have around. Plus, I'm not as allergic to them yet so I can enjoy them a bit differently. Lol. Is your Sam as high-strung as my Twizzler? I love the guy but he's quite grumpy and anti-human. Lol. 

Ali, Brandy, Vircia, Sarah:

Thank you for the birthday wishes. :biggrin2:I'll give them to him today when we see him again. He turns 11. :shock:He had his party yesterday but his birthday is February 29th. Yep, he has a birthday every 4 years. Lol


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## Nela (Feb 27, 2011)

Reposting from 2010 blog to 2011 one so it doesn't get lost nor confuse me :

_- Nela...just finished page 1 of your blog and your pets are so cute! I have a soft spot for Maybelle...lops are my favourite so I was drawn to her. They're ALL cute though. I fell in love with every last one. I like cats too, so I enjoyed this little video I just saw. It'll take me a couple days to catch up on your whole blog but I'm working at it. I'm enjoying it! You've left some wonderful comments on mine so I really wanted to read yours and leave comments on yours too. You take really awesome pictures!_

_- OK, I swear I will not comment after every page. But, the pictures of Maybelle in the tub...the first one, with her head poking over the top, soaking wet, I burst out laughing! Also, your gray and white piggy looks a lot like my Sam. There's one picture of him on my blog.

Also, all the pictures you post, I love them! You've inspired me to add more pictures to my blog  

_Sarah:

Hehehe thank you so much for reading our blog. I am glad you like the furbabies. :biggrin2:Maybelle seems to charm quite a few people. She'll be thrilled to hear that she is your soft spot. I am glad you are enjoying the blog. That's quite a bit of blog to read. Lol. I babble a lot I am happy you love the pictures and that it has inspired you to add more to your own. :biggrin:That picture of Maybelle gets me laughing as well. 

As for the part about leaving comments..T. Well, I know it can be a bit disappointing if people feel like their blog isn't being read. Most of the time, people read but don't leave comments and it feels like you are talking to yourself. Hehehe. I find it especially true when it comes to new blogs so I try to leave comments so people know that others are reading and absorbing it. Plus, I really am interested. Hehehe. Oh and you can comment as much as you want. I love comments :biggrin2:


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## Nela (Feb 27, 2011)

_Isabelle/Rico looks like twizzler. so sweet. xo_

Trist:

Isabelle/Rico? Who is Rico? I missed something. Lol. Or are you not sure of the sex anymore? Hehehe I do have a liking for white and gray animals. :biggrin2:

_It is so hard when you want to connect to someone that close and can't. My father time and again has put people in front of my brother and me. So many times during times where he SHOULD have been with us. Now I am some what friends with him. At this point in time I give up trying to ever have that bond with him just won't happen. His family... I have nothing to do with them.

I sometimes think the family you choose is better than the one you are born with. My husbands family has accepted me and they are 10x better than my bio father and his lot._

Ali:

You are right, it is veryhard. I think it's easier if you don't WANT to connect but when you do and fail, bah. I understand. I don't try to have the bond that I've wished for but at least some sort or relationship would be nice. To be honest, most of the time I feel like I'd be fine with not having contact with them. They are family though, and I try hard to appreciate them but I do admit that it gets hard to do so at times. Especially with having a new family that I actually feel like I belong to. Hehehe I guess you can totally get what I mean


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## JadeIcing (Feb 27, 2011)

I do it's hard. I walk away from my dad and his family wanting to bang my head to the wall. Which of course is not good.


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## avarocks (Feb 27, 2011)

Yes, Sam is extremly high strung! He throws what I call Sammy tantrums. His nickname is Sambo, it's the Sam version of Rambo. I also call him Sam I Am lol. He's a character...and he tells lots of stories.

Sarah


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## MiniLopHop (Feb 27, 2011)

UUggg, I understand about money priorities. A couple years ago my dad had just bought a brand new jeep with all the bells and whistles. It's a long storry, but I needed $3,000 for school in two days (they had accepted the derferral then they weren't anymore etc). I only needed the money for two weeks and then I would get it back from my company. My step monster screamed that I would even ASK to borrow money. They always have new this or that and a huge house etc. My mom was a single parent raised my sister and I on no child support. I hated to even ask her, but she sent the money, which she had saved for weather proofing the house. Luckily I was able to get it back to her before the windows came in. *sigh* Anyway, long story short, my dad is very irresponsible and never grew up. My mom has worked so hard and would do anything for us, she's just a bit over protective. I guess it is just where people's priorities are. For us, our pets are at the top of the list. :hug:


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## Nela (Feb 27, 2011)

Ali:

I hear you. It'sbest to walk away at times. 

Sarah:

Lol. Ah well I am glad Twizzles isn't the only one then. He's the first high strung guinea pig I've had but he's fun anyway. Hehe. I like 'Sambo' hehehe. :biggrin:

Brandy:

Ugh. I can relate to that all too well. Unfortunately for me, I was told I brought shame to my parents for asking for help with my school books and ended up withdrawing from college over it. They categorically refused to help me with college from that point on. I was 16. I don't think I ever really got over that. A few months later came that famous spa with gazebo, etc. Over 5000$ at least. I think I still resent them for it even though I try not to. Do you ever feel bad about resenting that about your father? Isn't it odd that we would feel bad over something they should feel bad? Bah. Vicious thing. Hugs to you. I so sympathize. Cudos to your mother for being so awesome though.


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## Nela (Feb 27, 2011)

[align=center]*Together at Last
*
When we moved into our home, we already knew we would have bunnies. We got Smores and Ashlynn, two adorable bunnies. Sadly, Ashlynn passed away soon after and Smores was left alone. Knowing that we had to house the bunnies outside, we felt strongly about having a pair so that they wouldn't be too lonely. That's how we got Maybelle. However, Maybelle and Smores really didn't click. They were alright for the first few days while Maybelle was still a bit frightened of her new surroundings but once she had gotten settled in, she wanted nothing to do with Smores at all. They hated each other and fought badly enough. It would not work.

Then came Giggles.

As previously mentionned, the moment I saw Giggles' ad, I was drawn to her. I didn't really want a third bunny but when I saw her, I had to have her. I really wanted to take her in. She had the same look in her eyes that my heartbunny had. Terrified, but oh so sweet. Jeff agreed to take her in and off we went. I was absolutely correct about her. Not a mean bone in her. Just a terrified lil bunny wanting nothing but love.

And perfect for Smores.

They hit it off immediately. From the moment Giggles got a look at Smores, she came to life. There was something about their bond that you couldn't help but smile at. Of course, we couldn't actually allow them to be together with them not being speutered and all but we did let them interact through a divided playpen. Watching them binky for each other was always such a sight. They groomed each other through the playpen, danced, lay beside eachother... It was love.

In fact, they loved each other so much that they were determined to make a baby. :expressionlessThat's how we ended up with Rolo, our lil 'oopsie'.

Unfortunately, with my allergies being as severe as they are, decisions needed to be made - for my own well-being, as much as for the bunnies'. Jeff's sister was looking for a bunny but I was expecting her to be taking Rolo, not anyone else. It later came up that she preferred two bunnies and would not be taking Rolo and she had started looking for bunnies from elsewhere since I seemed to only want to let go of Rolo. Knowing this, and knowing full well that 4 bunnies would make it nearly impossible for me to take care of the bunnies properly, I offered Smores and Giggles. It was a really hard decision to make but one that I do not regret. She accepted and they got Smores around Christmas.

So all this time, I've held onto Giggles while Smores was neutered and recovered. With Smores gone, and Rolo being kept separate, Giggles reverted to being the shy, lonely bunny and it made me sad. Today, was a day I had long awaited. I know in my heart, that she belongs with Smores and that she will be so much happier than she's ever been.

I was right.

We took Giggles there today. They had set up the large run outside Smores' cage and so I put Giggles in the run and sat there with her, leaving Smores tucked in his cage and allowing them to interact through the cage. Boy, the reaction was so strong right away. Smores went nuts. He ran from side to side and thumped multiple times. However, I was waiting and expecting to see the one thing that they'd always done when they've seen each other: the binkies. 

And binky they did.

Once Smores binkied, I knew it would be alright. I opened the cage and out hopped Smores. The only problem we had was that Smores wanted to mount right away and Giggles was still so stressed from finding herself in such new surroundings that she wasn't too sure about anything. However, for Giggles, as much as it was heart wrenching to see her so stressed, I knew that once she and Smores were alright, she would relax a lot more. 

Smores chased and chased and I broke it up time after time to give Giggles a rest. Smores actually realized it wasn't going to work and her took a whole new approach to it. He became all gentle and would inch his way carefully, nudging her nose first and then trying to mount her instead of jumping up from behind.

She finally got tired and she sort of just lay there and Smores mounted her to show her he wanted to be boss. She let him do his thing and at that point I was really worried that she was way too stressed. However, right after she allowed him to mount her he kissed her ears and nose and then flopped beside her. 

That's when it all changed.

I don't know what was going through her mind, but it's as though she realized that Smores wasn't going to hurt her, he would protect her and she changed drastically from that point on. I swear, I saw her relax as he licked her ears and then her breathing slowed, her eyes no longer looked huge and she sat up, groomed herself, and then flopped beside him.

Priceless.

A lot of mounting followed but she never protested. I knew the last thing was being sure they could share the cage safely but I didn't push it and let them hang out there together. Before we knew it, Smores was jumping in and out of the cage, clearly trying to lure her in. She hopped about the run for a few, then sniffed the cage, tentatively peeked inside the cage where Smores was and then hopped in. That's where it went a bit funny really. They argued about who would run the household. Lol. He mounted her, she mounted him. In the end, I believe she won as he jumped out of the cage for a few and then returned to flop on his shelf. She decided to join him only the shelf was too small so that is something they will look into adjusting. Before we left, we saw them eating together and then kiss each other all over. 

Smores was thrilled. He was doing DBFs and Giggles kept trying to find a way to flop beside him. She jumped in and out of the cage and began exploring her surroundings and then returned to him and kissed him.

At last, they can be together. 

I expect Giggles to really change from this moment on. I know he will do so much for her. This was one of the best moments I got to share with bunnies. 

Pictures:

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[align=center]Is it you? Is it really you???[/align]

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[align=center]Happy as can be...[/align]

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[align=center]So the food is here?[/align]

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[align=center]May I sleep beside you?[/align]

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[align=center]*Happy sigh*[/align]

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## Nela (Feb 28, 2011)

Just taking a moment to give myself a pat on the back and perhaps inspire others to do as much...

I'm very proud of myself at this time because I have been sticking to the cycling. It may sound like such a minor accomplishment to some but it is a big one for me.I am a pretty lazy person and exercise always concerns me because of my health issues so I have been taking things slowly but more importantly, I have been doing it. I know it will be a long process before any real amount of weight starts coming off and I also know that this is really more about a change in lifestyle rather than just wanting to lose weight. 

What is most important to me right now is that I stick to it, and modify my lifestyle. I hope that at the end of this year, I will still be cycling daily and have better habits in general. Just the fact that I have the willingness, motivation, and determination to stick to anything at this point is a major thing for me right now. With everything I had experienced, I had lost a lot of willpower. It's coming back now and I am milking it as it comes. :biggrin:

I'm also very happy to say that my butt no longer hurts!


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## JadeIcing (Feb 28, 2011)

They do look happy to be together.

Good for you sticking to it. You can do it.


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## Nela (Feb 28, 2011)

Ali:

They really are. It made it easier to leave her there. I miss them but they are so happy and spoiled. Thank you.

___________________________

I cannot draw butI love it. Lately, my artistic side has been screaming to be let out. I am looking to get back into music and do more arts and crafts. Recently, I've started drawing again. I have always loved pencil drawings and that's what I do for fun. I don't trace but I oftenhave a referral image about half the time I draw. Lol.

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[align=center]I thoughtI would share becauseit's all too common for people not to do things they enjoy because they don't think they are very good at it. I'm not very good at certain things I love but I will not let it stop me. Plus, I've managed to make things recognizable so I think that is progress [/align]


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## JadeIcing (Feb 28, 2011)

They are awesome. I have found scrapbooking to be my way of using my creativity. Which just makes me want to grab my stuff and start... so lol will grab it.


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## ChocolateBunny (Feb 28, 2011)

cute drawings! They are pretty good..I gave up on drawing a long time ago lol


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## irishbunny (Feb 28, 2011)

I used to draw when I was in Primary school a lot, but stopped after that, so about 5 years since I have drawn anything bar Geography and Science diagrams 
Maybe I should start again sometime, I found my sketch pad the other day, I wasn't half bad


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## Nela (Mar 1, 2011)

I went to go see Rolo and let Maybelle out... Rolo has been trying to get out of his hutch to explore and Maybelle has been staying close when we deal with Rolo so we are quite careful. Anyway, I was trying to look in and reach him to check on his foot but he jumped over my arm and then out. Maybelle was far inthe yard this time but I couldn't get to him before he got out of the shed and she must have heard him.

Before I could scream, she was already in a full-blown attack. I have seen bunnies fight. She looked like she was out to kill. I have never seen that before in my life. I mean, she was way out of control. I felt more like I was dealing with an enraged pitbull than a rabbit. She just went mad. She jumped pounced and actually headbutted him hard enough that he fell on his side and she KICKED him real hard. I got in to split them up and she turned on me so before I knew it I was having to fight her off me. Rolo got to hide in a corner but he tried to dash for the shed and she went back to attack him and found himself cornered. 

I was screaming but she wouldn't stop at all. I grabbed Rolo whichever way I could and literally threw him onto the earth nearby while I tried to grab Maybelle but she got away. Rolo and I ended up cornered again and I ended up between Rolo and her and she attacked mewhile trying to get to Roloand went for my leg and I ended up kicking her off out of reflex Luckily it wasn't a very hard kick but enough to send her back enough for me to grab Rolo and run. I basically grabbed him and threw him in the hutch and then ran for it myself because Maybelle was still going for me, even more now that I had kicked her.

She's out there barking mad right now and attacking inanimate objects. Is it even normal? I have no idea if Rolo is alright or not. I am quite sure that Maybelle is alright physically though I feel absolutely horrified at having kicked her.I am alright but pretty shaken up. It's terrible because Rolo is still young and I feel so bad at having thrown the poor thing around. I don't even know if I managed to pick him up properly or not, it all went so fast. I'm giving them a few minutes to cool off right now before I go check them over.I so hope they are alright.

I just want to say... I am absolutely not looking into rehoming either bun though maybe some would suggest it for safety reasons.I've always known that Maybelle is a 'bit' of a tough cookieand I respect that. I don't know why she felt the need to attack so quickly but alright. We'll need to take extra precautions with Rolo and I think it's pretty obvious that I will not attempt to bond her at all in the future, spayed or not. I will look into ways of working with her and will really push to have her spayed soon in the hopes that she will be less aggressive... No wonder the cats don't bug her. :expressionless

I so hope neither of them will resent me now for the way they were handled 

I don't ever want to experience that again :cry1:


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## Nela (Mar 1, 2011)

I've taken Rolo in cause he was breathing a bit too fast and Maybelle was making him nervous by hanging around his hutch. He's inside now and I gave him a cardboard box to hide in and play. He seems to be pretending that the box is Maybelle. He's crying quite a bit when I go to touch him but settles and enjoys it. I haven't seen anything really noticeable so I am just trying to get him to calm down right now and I'll check him again later.

Maybelle is meatloafed and refuses to budge. She's letting me pet her but she's not a happy camper right now. She didn't seem sorewhen I palpated though.

Sigh...


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## myheart (Mar 1, 2011)

Poor little Rolo... & poor you for having to experience something like that.

Rolo might be in a small state of shock from the experience. Good thing you brought him in to keep an eye on him. I would say to keep him warm and quiet until he feels more like himself. Make sure he eats and drinks a little of course.

I agree, that Maybelle may be the next to see the doctor. Wow!! that is agression and then some!! I suppose... once the queen bee, always the queen bee. 

I hope you aren't too shaken. I think my hands shook for an hour after my first rabbit fight. I was horrible and there was no room to grab a bunny because they were turning each other over so quickly. Make my heart pound just thinking about it... 

myheart


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## JadeIcing (Mar 1, 2011)

I have seen bunnies go after another like that. It is very scary. I can't recall which fight it was but I picked one of the bunnies up and tossed them on to the bed.


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## irishbunny (Mar 1, 2011)

It happened to me between two males, didn't think it would happen between a male and female like that, usually they can stand eachother better. I guess she is a very dominant bun and since she has free range of the garden he was in her territory. Glad no one was hurt. Last time it happened to me both Twitches and Henry ended up with busted noses. Twitches still has a slightly funny looking nose.


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## Nela (Mar 2, 2011)

Re drawings posts:

Ali: 

Thanks. Scrapbooking is awesome. It combines so many elements... Lol at making you want to scrapbook.

Chocolatebunny: 

Thank you. Hehehe. I do that a lot. Give up. But I start again eventually. 

Grace:

Hehehe I bet you make nice graphs. Bah I am sure you could enjoy doodling here and there. Maybe when the weather is nice, sit under a tree... 

____________________________________

Provoked...

I've checked both bunnies over and they look alright. Rolo has a few sore spots but I haven't noticed anything major. Maybelle wanted absolutely nothing to do with us yesterday though. She didn't love dance. Didn't come to us. Didn't even look at us. She is angry. Very angry. I feel horrible.

We put Rolo back in the hutch, this time giving him the top half so he can be away from Maybelle. However, I find some white hair in the bottom half. I think I know what happened now. With the mesh being torn apart, I think lil Rolo bit Maybelle from inside the hutch. That would explain why she was so aggressive from the moment she saw him yesterdaybecause she hadn't been aggressive towards him in the past. If Rolo really did bite her first, then I would certainly expect Maybelle to react so badly. In the past, she reacted reeeeally badly about Smores mounting her.She was just a wee one then too...:expressionless

Someone yesterday asked me why in the world I would keep such an aggressive bunny... Well, first of all, she's my little girl. I love her and I don't see it beingright tosimply 'just get rid of her'. She was alsoin her territory and it seems that Rolo bit her first after all. On top of that, I should have closed the shed door while she was out so that if he had escaped, neither would have gotten to each other. 

Rabbits sure can be awful violent. :expressionlessI had seen fighting before but nowhere near this caliber. :expressionlessIt seems like a gorgeous day today so I think I will go try to make amends with Maybelle in a bit. I also have to show her I am not afraid of her or she will think she can boss me around again 

_____________________________________

Janet:

Thank you. It was pretty terrifying to say the least. I was worried about shock myself but luckily he is alright. Once I gave him the boxes, he got to being a bit more destructive and then settled down. Haha Maybelle is definitely the queen around here. I'm alright now. I'm just glad theyare okay. I thought for sure we'd end up with serious injuries. I still feel horrible about throwing Rolo around and kicking Maybelle though. I think it'll take a bit of work for them to trust me again. I had just made so much progress with May too So bad...

Ali:

Thanks. I can see why tossing them seems like the thing to do butI guess we still feel bad for it right?The only thing on my mind was getting Rolo away from Maybelleso that I couldget between them and try to catch one or the other... So terribly frightening. I really never went through a rabbit fight that was nearly that bad before. :expressionlessI'm still amazed that there aren't any serious injuries. I'm also quite surprised at having all my fingers and toes... :expressionless

Grace:

Thanks Grace. I've never seen it as violent as that. I've seen a few rabbit fights but this... Woah. Maybelle's always been quite high-strung though so I guess it's just typical with her personality. Really scary. I don't ever want to go through that again. Heck, I was scared of her myself! Lol :expressionlessI'm really relieved that they are ok. Poor Twtches. Battle scars - I could do without them. Lol.


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## MiniLopHop (Mar 2, 2011)

Goodness, miss a couple days in your life and there's lots of drama 

Re camera, it's a Kodak Easy SHare M550. I took pictures last night and got started on photobucket. I'm going to try posting to my blog today and upload more pictures.

Re drawing, I love to draw too but don't do it enough. Last Christmas Joshua got me one of the tilted drawing desks so I really should use it more. Somehow the animals take up all my time in the evenings though 

Re crazy fight, Thank goodness you are ok! The one bunny fight I had ended up in me bleeding. You never expect to see your babies in such a rage. You are right, Maybelle will just be an only bun in her yard. It's wonderful that they are both ok. Don't feel bad, you did what you had to do to get them both safe. These things happen. :hug:


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## lyndor (Mar 2, 2011)

Oh my word!

I've never seen buns fight, I only have ever had Ollie.

I imagine when I get my new boy in April, it will be a risk but will have to just be extra careful.

Ollie had the fright of his life from my 10 year old dog Sally... she spooked him and he was so scared he was literally climbing walls. I didn't know he could do that.

Now he's in a room, in the dark in his cage. Hopefully a bit happier


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## Nela (Mar 3, 2011)

Brandy:

Lol. Sorry It's always like that. I replied about the camera/photobucket in your blog You could always draw the animals while you are sitting with them As for myself, yeah I am alright. I'm pretty sad about it all though. Maybelle wants nothing to do with me now. It's pretty heartbreaking. She's sulking a lot and giving me attitude. Like Jeff says, "Back to square one with her." 

Lyndor:

Heh bunnies can be cute and cuddly one minute and then turn into downright lil terrors the next if they feel a need to fight. :expressionlessQuite nasty. With two males, especially if they aren't neutered, you need to be really careful. Most rabbit fight are mostly'small' squirmishes (hair-pulling, small bites, scratches)rather than full-blown fights like that but can still be really scary. I wonder if Maybelle has a bad experience that might have led her to be like this. Who knows. 

Poor Ollie. Bunnies can really really act out of fright. I had one that would run right smack into walls. :expressionlessHow is he now? Did he settle alright?


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## JadeIcing (Mar 3, 2011)

Bunnies while "defenseless" (sp?) are little fighters.


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## Wabbitdad12 (Mar 4, 2011)

Your blog is great and so are your pictures.


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## Nela (Mar 5, 2011)

Ali:

You are very right about that. 

Dave:

Thank you. It means a lot that people enjoy it. 

_____________________________________

I've spent a bad couple of days. Spent most of yesterday crying. Better today but still very frustrated. I'll explain more soon. 

On a positive note, I have made amends with Maybelle. She's back to binkying and running around. I am very very relieved. Rolo is doing alright. I've given him his nestbox back for some extra comfort and he's been very happy with that. Baloo is as whiny as ever but still a doll. Houdina is my sweetie as always. Jelly Bean and Twizzler have been fighting because Twizzler is so bossy. I have given them a time out so we will see over the next few days what will come of things. 

I had a massive craving for grilled cheese and nearly cried because I have never seen kraft singles here but we ended up finding the same kind of cheese from a different brand by accident. I was thrilled and we had them for lunch. I needed that comfort food I guess. I also found rice krispies so I will make rie krispie squares in the near future. 

I got some pictures of Maybelle yesterday:

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## Nela (Mar 5, 2011)

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## MiniLopHop (Mar 5, 2011)

Maybelle is such a glamor girl, she should be a model. 

So glad the two of you made up! There's nothing worse than having a fur baby mad at you.

Wonderful finding the right kind of cheese! I couldn't figure out how to send them. I am putting your box together today so it can go out on Monday. I couldn't find any post cards, but will be able to get some at the end of the month when we go to Ohio. I think the turn pike is the only place that ever has any.

Good luck with your frustrations :hug:


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## Siobhan (Mar 5, 2011)

i've read through your entire blog and find it very entertaining! Thanks for sharing little bits of your life and pictures of your wonderful animals. I love reading about Houdina's "adventures"! And Maybelle is so beautiful!


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## Wabbitdad12 (Mar 5, 2011)

I just LOVE those blue eyes of Maybelle's. Such a pretty girl.


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## Nela (Mar 6, 2011)

Brandy:

Thank you. Hehehe she could model, if she wanted. The minute I whip out the camera, she whips out the rabbitude.  I'm happy she is tolerating me again. Lol. Finding the cheese... Such a banality but man I really wanted a grilled cheese.I was so thrilled about it. Sounds silly huh? :embarrassed:I'm quite hyper about the box too  Hehehe. May I ask why you are breaking your head with post cards? :? Thank you for being so sweet. :rose:

Siobhan:

Welcome to RO! I'm thrilled to hear that you enjoyed our blog. :biggrin: Thank you for your comments. 

Dave:

Thank you. She certainly knows how to use them :wink


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## Nela (Mar 6, 2011)

I had a nice day with Jeff today. I needed a nice quiet and enjoyable day and that's exactly what we had. We set off at about 12:30 and headed for a petting zoo nearby. It was gorgeous and I just loved walking around and playing with the animals. We fell in love with some goats there and we laughed and talked about how we'd have some if we could. Maybe some day? We got some nice pictures so here are some:

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## Myia09 (Mar 6, 2011)

Maybelle is so precious!


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## Nela (Mar 6, 2011)

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## Nela (Mar 6, 2011)

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## Nela (Mar 6, 2011)

We ended up having a bite to eat at the lil pancake house that was on the site. I absolutely loved that lil place. It was small and cozy. Nice, efficient service too. I thought the kids menu was great. Each meal came with a 'suprise' they could pick out. The surprises were things like: a stuffed animal, fairy hat and wand, game, toy car, etc. Great prices and really yummy too  I wouldn't mind going there with a kiddo... Hehehe.

We had poffertjes:

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I was enjoying myself so much that when we left that petting zoo, we decided to visit the one near the house as well. Lol. So here are more pictures...

This is an example of what we will be building the guinea pigs. It will have modifications and all but this gives you an idea of what we are going after:

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and the rest:

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## Nela (Mar 6, 2011)

And the petting zoo surroundings... This is near the house and we have quite a bit of places like this (I love this about Holland):

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And that was our day... 


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## Nela (Mar 6, 2011)

Thank you Myia :biggrin2: She agrees. Lol.


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## Nela (Mar 7, 2011)

A Rolo funny told to me by Jeff...

Jeff had gone outside to deal with the bunnies while I was making dinner. When he came back he told me about how he was checking on Rolo and couldn't find his litter corner. Confused, he looked all over for it, sure that he had put it in the hutch the other day when he had been done cleaning it. Unable to find it, he looked again inside the hutch only tofindit IN the nestbox. :shock::?How in the world did he manage to get that thing in there?! Jeff managed to get it out, cleaned it, filled it, and put it out in the opposite corner where it SHOULD be. Immediately, Rolo protested, grabbed it, and pushed it to the nestbox. Jeff took it away and put it back, only to see Rolo grab it again. He spent the next few minutes watching Rolo trying to get it into the nestbox... Knowing it was a lost battle, Jeff helped Rolo get it in and all was alright again in Rolo's world.

Silly bunny. :expressionless


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## JadeIcing (Mar 7, 2011)

LOL


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## Nela (Mar 7, 2011)

He definitely gets that from his mother, Giggles. Lol His personality will really start to show now that he's getting older. I think they get sillier and siller as they get older. Lol


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## Bunny parents (Mar 7, 2011)

Guess what ?  First thing I saw when I opened your blog is..... pretty Maybelle. Awwwwww. She's got my heart. I really love the sweetness in her face. Give her kisses from me please. Tell her she's got a Big fan here  hehehe. I always enjoy watching your pictures, Nela. You took great pics. By the way, That broken-colors Mini lop ( Am I right ? :-/ ) reminds me of Kimiko..when she was little. Awwwww. 

I didn't log on here so often. Sorry about that. How are you ?  
Hugs :hug2:


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## MiniLopHop (Mar 7, 2011)

What wonderful pictures! I think the goose and the guiny pig hotel are my favorites. The one bun at the petting zoo looks a lot like Becky. How do they get so many buns bonded? Goodness, I'm stressing over just two. 

Rolo sounds like a hoot. Something made him decide the proper place was in the nest box. Bunnies are not always logical


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## Nela (Mar 7, 2011)

:grumpy:

Maybelle was only pretending. I knew she wasn't thrilled with me and was only at the 'tolerating' phase. In fact, she's been pouting since the fight. Avoiding me as much as possible and totally ignoring me when talking to or petting her. She planned it well...

She ran away from home.

:grumpy:

She thought the grass would be greener on the other side and ran away to the neighbor's. She quite enjoyed taunting the other bunnies there. Turns out they have two. Neighbor rang at the door to let us know. Luckily, they like rabbits. Luckily, they know how much of a brat they can be. They understand all too well. (Oh and btw, months ago their rabbits got in a fight. One poor bun required7 stitches along his belly. How's that for fighting. :expressionless) Anyway, she wedged herself between the sheds and refused to come out.

In fact, she quite enjoyed taunting us. We finally gave up and let her do her thing for a while. She went back to bugging the rabbits and was having quite a blast. She'd come back into the yard but as soon as we'd look at her, she'd run back to the neighbor's. I managed to get her attention with a piece of straw but she gave me the butt and ran away again once she realized it wasn't a treat. 

I armed myself with a carrot.

Luckily, the neigbor and her kid came out. Now if there is one thing that Maybelle does not like, it's kids. The kiddo was quite happy to see another rabbit and wanted to pet her. LOL. Maybelle wouldn't have it and hid in the hedge. I swooped in with the carrot at that moment. She sniffed it, then realized it was a carrot and nibbled it. Slowly I brought the carrot closer and closer to me, not moving except to draw her in. And then I pounced. She was NOT happy about having been caught.

Boy that was oooooooooooone p'd off rabbit.

I'm covered in hedge needles, got hives and allergies, and I missed school because of her. She's sulking in the hutch.

She's totally grounded now. :grumpy:

:whatever


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## Myia09 (Mar 7, 2011)

What a litttle brat! LOL! I can't imagine!


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## MiniLopHop (Mar 7, 2011)

It's a good thing Maybelle is so cute, you might have to spank her otherwise 

She has rabbitude to share. Sorry you missed class and are not feeling well now. :hug:


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## myheart (Mar 7, 2011)

Such a nice day for you to have been out taking pictures!! I certainly had a few giggles over some of the goatie pics you posted. It is easy to see that they really like their pettings. Some have really pretty marks on them. I agree, I think I would have a goatie also if I had the room.

How in the world did you manage to get a tongue-pic of the zoo's rabbit?!! I can't even get any of my own fur-kids. Such pretty bunnies they have. I found a couple that I wouldn't mind hiding in my jacket pockets for a while.


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## Flash Gordon (Mar 7, 2011)

whats shakin babygirl? great pics again my friend!..i really liked the duck pic for some reason it made me smile....petting zoos are no fun in our neck of the woods..they never look very happy and it breaks my heart to see sad animals..so i dont go to the zoo ,the circus,the petting zoo cuz of it..i know im missing out but i see the whole thing as a negative more then a positive..but ur petting zoos look very different..and i could handle those....Holland is gorgeous just gorgeous! of course it helps with ur savvy camera skillz..u could prob make a dark alley in the Bronx look good...
me,, i have the most handsomest bunny that is a dream for photographers to shoot ..and it takes me 100 pics to get 1 good one of him..they move too fast for me and my camera to handle i guess..hehe..now cars i can take phenomenal pics of cars...but thats another forum altogether..

Minilophop -all those buns get along at the petting zoo cuz they arent in each others faces ..they have ROOM to do their thing..thats how it works ..they prob do scuffle at times but then they can go their own ways..cant do that in a cage....same goes with Matt and I...little house and im like "you agian,why u always in my face?."..hehe but bigger house and im like" HONEYYY where are you??.what doin? come hang with me."

ok i got a readheaded child nosebonking my ankle..gots to go give him sum luvins...
p.s. give that Maybelle a squish from me...shes a doll i dont care how much of an attitude she has..she is QUEEN MAYBELLE ...i bow down before her majesty....


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## Nela (Mar 8, 2011)

Vircia:

Hey you :biggrin:I'm glad you enjoyed the pics of Maybelle. You should come spend a day with her, see how sweet she really is. LOL. I still love her though. She's such a hoot. I'm glad you enjoy her. Just make sure Kimi isn't looking when you type that. Hehehe. Yeah, I think that is a mini-lop too. I thought of Kimi and Smores. Hehehe too cute. No worries about having a life outside RO You've been missed though. I'm doing alright. Thanks for stopping by! I was thrilled to see new pics of Kimi and your adorable family pic. :biggrin:

Brandy:

Thank you :biggrin:The goose was so silly. He was so defensive and grumpy. Hehehehe. The guinea pig hotel is cool no? I can't wait to have ours setup. The piggies can't wait either. Twizzler is being a pain in the butt and Jelly Bean is getting tired of dealing with him. It'll be awesome when they'll have all that space to play in. 

As for the bunnies there well the setup was big but they also had partitions. Some of the buns were bonded but two pairs were kept on their own within the setup. The black and white bunny was a pretty aggressive cookie actually. (I just realized I didn't post his pic so here you go)







Anyway, the brown bunny beside him was terribly friendly and wanted to play with everyone but the black one couldn't stand him at all. It was pretty bad actually. Trying to get at him through the fence. Silly little brown one kept binkying and going back for more though. Lol. 

The others were bonded though so they had as many as 5 or 6 that I could seeing sharing half the setup. The tri-color and the one that looks like Becky were very very bonded. They were adorable to watch.

Rolo is a very silly bunny. I'm a bit saddened that he is so scared of us but I guess that is expected since Giggles was so scared. He just learned very young to hide when we come by. He really whimpers a ton if you touch him so I am taking it really slow with him. It will be interesting to watch him grow and learn his quirks. 

Lol she does the cute well. Like I was telling Dave, she knows how to use those big blue eyes of hers... I was actually supposed to call her Maybelline because of her eyes but Jeff didn't like it as much. It's going to be funny explaining to my teacher why I missed class too...

"Mijn konijn gaat naar de buurman's tuin en maak een ruzie met de buurman's konijnen." :rollseyes

Myia:

LOL! I know right? She is such a pain when she wants ssd:Hehehe. She's aways keeping us on our toes. She's such great fun. 

Janet:

It really was a nice day. I couldn't resist going out. It was a tad chilly in the shadebut that's easy to deal with. :biggrin:I was so happy to enjoy the day. I've been wanting to venture out into more 'natural' surroundings a lot. Seeing animals and being able to play with them always makes me happy. The goats... Gah they were oh so friendly and sweet. I looooved their spots. Jeff really really liked them too. I can't help but wish that we'd live out on asmall farm at some point. Hehehe. There's no doubt we'd be having a few goats and funky chickens as well as lots of rabbits. 

Lol about the tongue! I usually spend a lot of time by the animals with the camera ready. I like to get pictures of them in various positions as much as I can but it's really hard. When I saw this one start to groom, I just clicked away and got lucky. Hehehe. Animal pictures are always so hard to get though. I'm still trying to get binkies and ear cleaning from my lot... :expressionlessHehehe I can picture you trying to leave the petting zoo with your pockets full 

Lisa:

I'mma shakin. I'mma shakin in ma boots. At least that's what Divabelle wants me to be doing... LOL. She is SO SO mad! 

I'm glad you loved the pictures. The goose was ahoot. He was honking at everyone and making himself look huge and waddled around grumpily. Lol. He tried yanking my camera away from me too. 

I understand what you mean about petting zoos and stuff. I mean, I myself was disappointed with the zoo in Amsterdam when it came to certain animals but it was nice to see that they seem to be working on it. It's something I will keep an eye on. I only really enjoy a place when proper measures are taken. I mean, some people can't stand the idea of any animal in captivity but I'm okay with it as long as they give them space, care, and love. Some zoos can be really good but some can be downright nasty and I wouldn't want to be encouraging those. I did wish they had given the rabbits a tad more at the petting zoo.I mean, they could easily plant them some edible foliage and stuff but maybe they do that in the spring too. On the other hand, they had plenty of space. Even the guinea pigs had lots to play in. The fun thing is that all the animals had a shelter to go in and out as they pleased so they could get away from people if they wanted.

You know, I was telling Jeff about that while we were there... I find it very different in Holland. So far, the kids I have seen have all beenreally well-behaved at the petting zoos. The dutch really really love animals. You could feel that. You are surrounded by animals here. People stop their cars to let the ducks and ducklings pass. Geese hang out in your front yard. (We don't have geese ourselvesbut we have ducks just on the opposite side of the street) Go for a walk and you'll likely bump into sheep and cowsgrazing... That's aside from all the pets that dutch people have. Most families own multiple pets here. Almosteveryone on our block has at least one cat, the neighbors have 2 bunnies, and dogs... Dogs everywhere. Every area has at least one local petting zoo and there are zoos all across the country. I mean, there are a LOT of zoos here. In Montreal? They closed most ofwhat little pettings zoos they had because the animals were being taunted. A lot of parents leave their kids and go off to do their own thing. Here, parents are very present with their kids and really enjoy it as much as the kiddos do. Awww you should have seen this one family with their lil kiddo. He was probably around what, one and a half, two years old. This one chicken was hanging out on the fence and the lil kiddo walked up to it and started giggling and the chicked started strutting his stuff and the more he'd strutt about, the more the kiddo would giggle. Finally the chicken jumped down and landed in front of the kiddo and continued showing off and the kiddo started imitating the chicken. What a hoot!

I do love these nature parts of Holland. I mean, we're still in the city (though I guess where we live could pass off more as a suburb) but you don't need to look very far to find nature. I absolutely love walking along the canals with the trees overhead. It's just so nice. The only thing is it rains a lot here so I think a lot of people would hate that. I don't mind it so much really. I still go walk in the rain. I figure I'll dry off eventuallyThere are so many flowers though... It's so lovely. Oh and we have parrots too. They fly about. I love to spot them. I think this is a great place if you enjoy the little pleasures in life. If you ever decide to stop by, be sure to let me know and we'll have the room set up.:wink

Aww you make me blush with your comments. Lol. You're too sweet. I take tons of pictures to get some good shots too. Animals are just not easy to photograph. Especially if they start giving you attitude as soon as they see you with (or without) a camera. Lol. I think a fast camera is just imperative to have if you are dealing with animals. I couldn't get any good shots with my old one. It wouldn't deal with closeups nor the slightest movement. That was annoying. Try getting a bunny to stay still when it's binkying like a fool. Lol. With a bun as gorgeous as Flashie though, maybe it's time to consider getting a quicker camera :winkHey if you struggle with pictures, at least get videos Hehehe I have no doubt you have awesome car pictures. You'll have to share a few of your favorites sometime 

You are right about space being such an important factor. As long as no one has claimed it first, they usually tend to avoid fighting so much and just go off on their own. Except I'm not convinced that would work with Maybelle. LOL. I'd have to see it to believe it with her. If you don't mind, I'll wait a few before giving her her squish so I don't lose anything I might want to keep Hahaha she definitely is Queen Maybelle but that just makes her special. Hehehe. I'll be sure to let her know that you are enslavable. She'll appreciate that. LOL :wink

___________________

If I missed anyone, do know that it was really not intended. I don't see all your posts! Sometimes, I go to reply to one only to realize that there were many more posts to reply to than I thought. I don't know why they suddenly appear. Odd. Lol sorry about that!


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## YukonDaisy (Mar 8, 2011)

Great pictures! That last one of Maybelle is so funny! I love the petting zoo, I wish there was one here so I could visit goats, lol. Goats and chickens are one my "one day" list. I totally get what you mean about having nature close by, I could never see myself living in a city.


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## Nela (Mar 9, 2011)

Thank you Diana. Hehehe that was such a silly shot of her. Goes to prove that no matter how gorgeous one is, you can still catch them looking very silly. Hehehe. Oh yeah the "one day"... Oh how I wish that was near... Lol. I don't like the city life myself but I guess I can see why it's logical for usat this time. I loooooong for a nice retreat in natural surroundings. I envy you!


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## Bunny parents (Mar 10, 2011)

Nela  Lisa's leaving RO...
I keep checking here, hoping to see her posts. I'm so sad. :sad: I hope she's okay. Just thinking of the idea not seeing her here again makes me.... :sigh:


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## JadeIcing (Mar 10, 2011)

Just to let you know I am reading just wasn't home to comment. I am back.


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## Nela (Mar 10, 2011)

Vircia:

I'll PM you in a few. 

___________________________

I took a big hitrecently that left me quite heartbroken. All of you know I haven't the best relationship with my family but things are worse than I thought. I thought we were working on it but turns out my parents have pretty much said nothing but bad things about me and my siblings. Not only that but my father went and bought himself a muscle car. Remember how just last week or so I was posting about them playing the money card when it came to the cat? I'm not stupid you know. Anyway, I feel really really hurt. They told me they couldn't get their passports because of money. I mean, I don't expect them to spend thousands to come see me regularly. However, it would have been nice to know that if ever something happened to me, they would have had their passport to rush over. It's now clear that I would be on my own. I cannot even explain how sad that made me. My brother is starting to really feel the effects of everything as well. It makes me sad to know that he will have the same experience. It really hurts. I spent over a week crying. I'm thinking that I may need to cut the cords completely right now. Especially since they are only pretending to want this. I feel lost.

Jeff can't make up his mind about the dog so I gave up. I told him if ever one day he makes up his mind, he can let me know. At this point, I wouldn't want to have a dog that he might resent. I'm sad because I really long for the companionship, someone to go walk with, play with, etc. But it's not going to happen. At least not now. So I am diving into arts and trying to keep my head busy right now. I just cannot allow myself to keep thinking about everything around me.

Maybelle is still in the hutch. It drives me bonkers to see her there. We'll go pick up something to block off the hedge properly (we were using the playpen gates and bricks)so she cannot get out of our yard. The neighbors assured us that it was no problem and that the kids love seeing her but I would be mortified if she attacked one of their bunnies while it is out or even bit the kids while they try to pet her. Knowing her personality, I think it's just too much of a risk. 

Rolo still has his litter corner in his nestbox. I think he is absolutely silly. I don't know what he has in mind but it doesn't seem to be working. However, I don't have the heart to tell him so I just giggle at his goofiness.

When Jeff's father was here with the family, a family member gave me a bouquet of flowers... They were on my night table and I kept telling myself I should throw them out... Well, last night, when I was going to bed, I spotted a caterpillar trying to eat a card from my best friend that I keep on my table. The weather is kind of chilly and spring is not exactly settled in yet so I wasn't sure I really wanted to put him out yet like Jeff suggested. He's beside me right now poking holes in a tomato I gave him. I set him up in the 'snail nursery' box I had. I knew that box would always come in handy. I've put some stuff in there and I'm going to go poke around to see what his needs are. I've also put in two snail friends... We'll see what happens. I have to find them all names now. 

See what happens when you don't have a dog? 

(I'll upload pics in a few)


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## Nela (Mar 10, 2011)

Ali:

Welcome home. I've been reading up on yours too but was too pooped to comment. Just catching up now. Hope all is well with you


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## Nela (Mar 10, 2011)

[align=center]Pictures:

[/align]
[align=center]




[/align]
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You can see the wee guy on the tomato. One of the big snails is alive, the other is just a shell. The lil snail is happily munching away as we speak. 
[/align]


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## JadeIcing (Mar 10, 2011)

My friend has a snail in her tank. Little bugger will be in one spot two seconds later other side of tank. 8O


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## MiniLopHop (Mar 10, 2011)

Sophie, I am so sorry to hear about your family :hug:

I know it really hurts, but remeber this is about them, not you. Some people are simply selfish and never grow up. I don't want to be mean, but it is frustrating when fertility is wasted on people who are incapable of being parents. In this case I'm glad it was though, because it gave us you. You are such a sweet, compassionate, and loving person. The world is a better place with you in it. Someday your parrents will see that, and if they don't it will be their loss.

I believe that family is what you define it to be. DNA or blood doesn't mean anything. Family is defined by actions and heart. My husband's fmaily accepted me with open arms as Jeff's family has done for you. There have been times when I was sick that they check in on me where my biological relatives are silent. The first year we had a real family Christmas with all the relatives and kids and dogs running around I cried. I had dreamed about sharing that kind of holiday since I was a kid. It's moments like that when you realise that just because they are not blood, doesn't make them any less family. Perhaps even more so since they love you by choice. :hug:

I'm glad you were able to save the catepiller. Perhaps you will find a cacoon in there one day. The little habitat is so lush they must be very happy. 

Maybelle may not be happy with you, but it is temporary. She is much better off safe than letting something happen to her because she is so naughty. Once she is running around her yard again she will forget about it. Animals have a wonderful way of living in the present moment.


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## myheart (Mar 10, 2011)

I agree with much of what Brandy said. You are one of the sweetest people on Earth. Thank goodness you are here. If your family is not willing to see that side of you, then it is their loss. Perhaps it is best to try to make contact with your siblings and try to maintain relations with them.

If you were my daughter, I would fly any place in the world to see you, especially when you needed me most. I don't have children of my own, so you know those words are meant from my heart because you are such a sweetie and it hurts me to hear about how much you cry over their meanness. 

Dry up your tears, and be good to yourself. 

{{{ sending tons o' hugs}}} :hug:


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## Nela (Mar 11, 2011)

Ali:

Lol they can move pretty quickly on such a smooth surface. It always makes me laugh when I 'lose' a snail. 

Brandy:

Thank you very much for your kind words. You are right about defining family. Jeff's family has been wonderful and his mother always calls straight away if she knows I've been to the doctor's and comes if I am ill. She makes sure to call right away to show that she cares. I'm so used to their being another reason that I thought she was just curious until Jeff explained it. Makes sense now. Made me all fuzzy inside. Lol. 

I'm so glad you found that yourself with your husband's family. I can understand why that Christmas must have been simply amazing. You are right, being loved by choice is something to cherish. I guess I just blame myself for turning my back on them because people say family is family and you'll only have one family. However, I can see so many ways that that is wrong.

I hope the caterpillar will be alright. :confused2:I don't really know what I am doing. Lol. The snail is very happy though. It has slimed its way across the habitat. The lil snail is snoozing in the grass and the caterpillar is wrapped around a twig. I expect it would turn into a commonmoth if it makes it til then. I just hope they are comfy. Maybe I could release the caterpillar now but I don't know if it's the right time for it... Meh. I'm not worried about the snail though. I seem to have a good way with them. I just hope I don't end up with hundreds again. I like this snail. It's got a pretty pink tint to its shell. Maybe this is the one I will keep for the outdoor habitat as well. I've decided to keep one or two max this time Well, it starts off that way but before you know it you have dozens of tiny baby snails everywhere. Ah well. 

As for Maybelle, it doesn't take too much to offend her really. Lol. I'll probably gosit in the yard with the laptop and let her run around while I keep an eye on her. I think this weekend we will go shop for the pets. We'll board off the hedge properly and maybe start building the piggy hotel... 

Thank you again. :rose:

Janet:

You made me blush with your comments. I am not sure I agree with everything but I do thank you for your kind words and encouragement. You'd make a wonderful mother. You'll be happy to know that I have snapped out of it and I am back to my bouncy self. They get me down at times but I make sure not to dwell on it longer than necessary. Sometimes I need those days to cry it out and be angry but then I'm okay. I have my family here and I have wonderful friends on here. I have more than I can ask for. Thank you for having been here and for making me smile. :rose:


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## Bunny parents (Mar 11, 2011)

Nela, thank you so much for your PM. I'm so sorry to hear about your family. You're my sweet friend and you deserve the best of the best of the best. You have Jeff, a wonderful guy who loves you and be there for you. It's hard to move on after what you have heard from your family, but this isn't about you. It's them. Don't be so hard on yourself, ok ? I love you and People on RO love you. We're family,right ? 
I love the set up you've made for snails. It's really pretty. And hooray ! You saved the caterpillar.


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## Nela (Mar 11, 2011)

Just heard news of a major quake in Japan. 8.9. They say many are injured and there was a tsunami. They are worried about a possible tsunami hitting New Zealand as well. Japan was already mourning the loss of many students in New Zealand and I believe they still have rescue teams in New Zealand helping the recovery effort. News is just coming in so it is all very sketchy still. 

Please keep these people in your thoughts today...

I don't want to be a downer but things like this are such a powerfulreminder when it comes to cherishing loved ones. As for myself, when I sit here and whine, I feel foolish when I realize how much worse things could be...

My heart aches for them.


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## Wabbitdad12 (Mar 12, 2011)

Love the story about Maybelle and Rolo! Who says bunny's don't have priorities!

Those are great pictures of the petting zoo's, it is great that those are available. Do they cost much to get in?

That is a terrible earthquake in Japan to say the least. Some of the news stations here were trying to play up the Tsunami that hit the west coast. It was a five foot wave that bumped some yachts together in a small California harbor, I mean really!

You have my sympathies about your family, sorry it is so rough on you.


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## Nela (Mar 14, 2011)

Dave:

Hehehe they certainly know what they want and don't want. They are so silly. Bunny slavery never gets boring 

The petting zoos are free. Some are municipal so they are funded and some are private and run on donations. Volunteers look after the animals. When we were at the petting zoo some teenage girls were taking care of the buns and Jeff saw them getting a stamp for their work so they were probably doing it for school.  Personally, I think it's a good way to teach kids responsibility and it seems to work out nicely for the animals too. :biggrin:

Yeah the quake in Japan is really terrible. The tsunami is just devastating. I cannot imagine thousands of people in a municipality just being taken like that. It really gets to me. As for the yachts... No comment. Lol. I mean really... :rollseyes I feel the way you do. 

Thank you for your visit and comments! :biggrin2:

_____________________________________

A quick update...

Jeff and I spent the weekend working on our project for the guinea pigs. I am very very excited about it. Jeff gave me a very generic design and I tweaked it and gave it a theme. I redesigned an area yesterday as well and I think it will be awesome! We have one building built. I got to play with the jigsaw and I am confident enough (and good at it- woohoo!) to cut up things on my own since it has a nice protective guard. I hope to have it all done soon. :biggrin:

We've mentioned building something for the cats and bunnies as well so maybe we will be doing that in the future too.  The expensive part is the tools so now that we have the tools, projects are relatively cheap.

My caterpillar went up in the coolness factor. It was bright green when I found it but yesterday, I found it on a dried flower and it was now the colors of the flower. I hadn't realized caterpillars could do that. Lol. 

Maybelle is back to her humming self. She's free-range in the shed but unfortunately, we haven't let her out into the yard because of the hedge. I'm still trying to figure out how to properly secure that since she's found a way through despite having the fence there. She longs to be outside.

We bought berry shoots (?) and will plant them in the hopes that we will have berry bushes. I know we got 4 kinds but I cannot remember what we got. Lol. We should be looking into contacting the landscaper very soon 

I have school tonight. We have a test next week and I am so not ready. Bleh. My teacher leaves in April too... I'll miss her. She's a very good teacher. 

Oh, I got my hair cut and colored on Saturday. I couldn't stand to look at myself anymore. I decided to change the style a bit and ended up with a much shorter style but it's nice enough and it will grow back quickly. At least it looks much healthier now. 

That's about it for now. :biggrin:


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## JadeIcing (Mar 14, 2011)

Pics of hair?


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## Nela (Mar 15, 2011)

Lol not a picture of my hair (sorryAli ) but I have a picture of the design for the project we are currently working on...

[align=center]



[/align]
[align=left]I decided to give it a medieval theme for our first build. So far, things are going very well. We have the largest section built -though it does require some assembly still. I came up with the idea of the tower on the left... Right now, we are trying to figure out the angles for the ramps because we want to make the tower accessible to them so they can peek out the top. The tower separate from the main design is going to contain the water bottle so we will make the top of the tower removable to access their bottle. We are using plexiglass to make the ramps/buildings safe. Anyway, there will probably be some tweaks here and there but this is the main idea for this one. [/align]
[align=left]I cannot wait until it is done :biggrin:[/align]


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## MiniLopHop (Mar 15, 2011)

What a cool design! You guys are so tallented! I can't wait to see the finished pictures 


And we do need new hair pictures too!


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## JadeIcing (Mar 15, 2011)

Can't wait to see the results.


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## myheart (Mar 15, 2011)

Where's the moat and the moat monsters? If they are going to be piggie-knights in shining armour, won't they need monsters to fight off?

Cool design by the way...


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## Nela (Mar 16, 2011)

Brandy:

Lol thank you. I am glad you like the design. Jeff's pretty skilled when it comes to building things so that is definitely a bonus. I could probably figure out basic things and I know I can build things but i suck at the calculations. LOL. If it weren't for Jeff, I'd still be trying to figure out how to make the castle border even. I mean the border that looks like this:

__|--|__|--|__

You have to figure that out so it looks right and you have the right amount of blocks for the pattern to work... Lol. As for design, our two heads work well together. Jeff can draw 3d much better than I can (though the drawing here is mine but I used his example as a guide to make it look 3d)so I can more easily visualize it once I see it drawn and then change it to what I prefer 

We'll see how the painting will go. :expressionlessHehehe.

As for hair... Hmm I make no promises but I will see if I can muster up the confidence for a picture. 


[align=center]***[/align]
Ali:

I'll be sure to post plenty of pics when it's done. I just hope they will enjoy it as much as I hope they will.


[align=center]***[/align]
Janet:

LOL. The moat isn't there because you are actually seeing the courtyard rather than the front. The moat would be behind the gate in the middle as that is where the drawbridge would be. I had thought of it but figured it would be more interesting to do the courtyard since they would have more ins and outs whereas, if we did the other way around, the logical thing would have been solid walls. 

As for the monsters, LOL. I hadn't wanted to say it yet but yes they will be there I'm not telling where or how though. :biggrin2:


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## JadeIcing (Mar 16, 2011)

Sweet... Now pictures of the hair please.


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## Nela (Mar 16, 2011)

Ali:

Quoi? Je ne comprends pas. 

_________________

I just enjoyed a nice big yummy greek salad for lunch. Not only that, but the cheeky man that is my boyfriend surprised me by buying me a game I like. I had kept telling him 'not now' when he'd have it in his hands but I guess he decided to get it online without me knowing so I couldn't say no.It was addressed to me though, not him even though he paid for it.I think it has to do with me mentioning how unbelievably luckyI was to have suchgoodfriends and how people were wanting to send things. I mentioned that getting mail adressed to me heregave me warm fuzzies as it makes me feel like people think of me and I really live here and belong here. Hehehe. Sweet isn't he?


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## SOOOSKA (Mar 16, 2011)

Hey Soph,

I need more pictures of Maybelle :biggrin2:she's going to look so pretty laying on her* PINK* Blankie.:biggrin2::biggrin2:

We need pictures of your haircut.rivateeyesh34r2:scared:

Have you found a "Long Lost Cousin, Brother, Uncle" of Jeff's yet?:biggrin::rollseyes:big wink::bouquet::big kiss::rofl::blushan:leaseplease:urpletongue:bow

Susan


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## JadeIcing (Mar 16, 2011)

I may not be able to reply in french but reading and listening I can still recall my old french classes. So I can say this you do comprehend so pictures please.


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## Nela (Mar 17, 2011)

Susan:

I'll (and most likely Jeff too) will be doing a big clean this weekend and figuring out a nicer setup for May so she can enjoy her goodies more. :winkI want to give her a spot where she can lay without being directly on the ground and all and just make it look nicer. Jeff says she'll probably destroy everything just to protest our ways but we'll try it anyway We'll take pictures then and especially when her goodies arrive so you can see the appreciation yourself :biggrin:

Jeff laughed when I asked him about your request but says he really can't think of anyone at this time. I'll keep an eye out though 

Pictures... Meh!

Ali:

LMBO. You're such a goof!Maybe... :wink


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## JadeIcing (Mar 17, 2011)

Moi? Je ne le pense pas.


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## Nela (Mar 17, 2011)

LOL! Thanks for the laughs Ali, you are great :biggrin:


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## JadeIcing (Mar 17, 2011)

Je n'ai aucune idÃ©e pourquoi vous croirait que je suis drÃ´le.


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## myheart (Mar 17, 2011)

...and here I thought that taking French in school would do nothing for me....

Too funny Ali!!! :biggrin2:


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## JadeIcing (Mar 17, 2011)

Pourquoi? Je suis un peu confus au sujet de pourquoi tout le monde me trouver drÃ´le.


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## irishbunny (Mar 17, 2011)

Lol, I love this blog


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## Bunny parents (Mar 18, 2011)

:biggrin: Hahahaha. I agree with Grace. I love this blog too !


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## SOOOSKA (Mar 19, 2011)

*PICTURES SOPHIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!*

*:biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin::biggrin:*


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## Nela (Mar 20, 2011)

Lol I am glad you all enjoy it. Thank you for the laughs :biggrin2:

Sooooooooooooo

Who wants an update?

We had planned to do a full shed cleaning this weekend as well as open up the hutch for Rolo so she'd (I think he's a she after all) have the whole hutch to play in rather than just half. So yesterday, we went shopping and got a few things...

Let's just say the pets were very spoiled this weekend. We received a package from their sweet sweet friend and so we decided to set them up all nice and cosy and gave them their gifts.

We got this for Maybelle because I thought this was very fitting for her majesty:

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[/align]
Except, Houdina decided she really liked it too. In fact, she played in it quite a bit so we will be sure to get her one as well if Maybelle likes hers.

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[/align]
We installed the castle and made it nice and cosy inside. Maybelle was gifted with a beautiful matching set of pink pillow and blanket so we got her a comfy bed and toy bunny to snuggle. We also got her a new pink litterbox and I could not resist the pink bowl with the crown. She really is the queen after all  We're hoping she likes it and doesn't trash the place. Of course, she wouldn't let us know how thrilled she is with it all so I have no pictures of her inside yet. She was too busy showing us her disapproval because Jeff nailed the fence in properly to prevent her from going to taunt the other bunnies. Lol. I hope to get more pictures soon but here is what it looks like:

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Rolo got a lovely matching pillow and blanket and I put those in her nestbox. It didn't take her very long to figure out how the ramp works and soon enough she was checking out her new bed. She started digging at the blanket, trying to get under so I wouldn't be surprised to catch her lounging in there all snuggled up soon. Hehehe. She sure seemed to like it.






























[/align]
The kitties also got a new toy each from their special friend and we got them new collars too. We will be getting pictures and videos of them playing with their toys very soon. The piggies got an adorable pouch to snuggle in and they are also getting a share of banana chips.

Last week, while we were out shopping, we spotted a toy and we thought it would be great for the cats. They really enjoy it and I have a little video of them playing with it the first day:

[align=center]


[/align]
More pictures and videos coming soon 

Once again, a huge thank you from all of us to our very dear friend for sending us these spoilings :biggrin: A huge thank you also to all of you for your friendship as it means so much to all of us. :biggrin:


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## irishbunny (Mar 20, 2011)

Aww those are so cute!


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## Wabbitdad12 (Mar 20, 2011)

That looks like a fitting setup for a Queen.

Rolo is so cute!


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## SOOOSKA (Mar 20, 2011)

Beautiful, what great setup you have for all your Babies.

Susan


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## Jynxie (Mar 21, 2011)

I've been reading your blog for a couple days now. I'm still not caught up yet though. I love your blog and pictures though, it's awesome.


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## tristaw. (Mar 21, 2011)

sweet!! I love the princess dishes lol


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## Nela (Mar 21, 2011)

Just another quickie. I wanted to say thank you to everyone for your comments. I have been dealing with migraines and feeling very wiped so I hope to have a proper update soon. Maybelle has been using her castle and bed. I noticed she pee'd and pooped on her blankie though. :grumpy:I think she might have done it because she is so possessiveof her things and with Rolo around she really makes sure to mark everything she can. I'm still trying to catch them using their new things. 

I still have no idea if Rolo is a boy or a girl to be honest. I can't get a proper look because it's very hard to hold him down. Jeff has a hard time with that and I have to be the one to check so that doesn't really work. We are taking the buns in for their shots soon though so I hope to ask the vet to check then. We tried yesterday but I ended up with some bad scratches and with my allergies, it's really uncomfortable so I try to avoid it as much as possible.

Anyway, school tonight so I have to go cook the rice and get things ready for tonight. I hope everyone has a great day.


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## Jynxie (Mar 21, 2011)

Rolo is really cute, I love his face and colour.

But I'm so biased since I got Harley... I fell in love the harlequin colour. :3


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## Nela (Mar 22, 2011)

Jynxie:

My favorites are harlequins as well though I do prefer the magpie ones to the japanese harlequins. I've always had a weakness for harlequin lops reallyhehehe. :biggrin2:I think Harley is adorable. It's what I almost named Rolo btw 

________________________

Speaking of Rolo:

Here is a video of Rolo whimpering... I assure you I was not harming Rolo. If you remember, we got Giggles from a less than ideal situation and she was quite scared of people. Because of this, Rolo grew up with the understanding that he needs to hide when we come. He's really started to be less skittish when it comes to hiding but he still hates to be handled... I am working with him and I am sure he will be fine in time. Easy steps...

Oh and by the way, we will be building Rolo something nice so he can enjoy the outdoors too while being safe from Maybelle. 

Here is the video... (I told you he was a vocal wee one!)

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## Bunny parents (Mar 23, 2011)

Maybelle's castle  hehehehe. That really suits her, Nela. I think she will love it. Awwww I want one ! Hehehe  I hope she won't tear it up. Kimiko expresses her likeness by biting and tearing her loving stuffs apart.:confused2:
So Rolo is a girl ??? Hmmm.... :expressionless and I always thought she's a he....wait... now I'm confused. LOL But whatever, Rolo is super cute !  

I've missed you, Nela. Now I'm back ! 
Hugs for you and for all your babies.


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## Nela (Mar 23, 2011)

Vircia,

It's nice to see you back. :biggrin:Hehehe I thought of Kimi too when I got the castle. I thought maybe she'd like it for her birthday... Maybelle does the same. She destroys everything. However, she hasn't chewed it at all yet so far. Phew. She did toss everything everywhere though... :rollseyes

As for Rolo, I really don't know if it's a boy or girl at this point to be honest. :expressionlessI haven't actually been able to get a proper look because Rolo is extremely difficult to handle. Jeff isn't very good at holding them so it's hard for me to hold and check. Lol. I hope to get that all sorted very very soon. :expressionless

I missed you too :biggrin:It's nice to see you again. Is Kimi giving you rabbitude for leaving her alone?


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## hln917 (Mar 27, 2011)

Poor Rolo! I've never heard a rabbit whimper. My Cappy is also still very skittish with us.She still runs away from usoruse her nose to push our hands away. I wonder if it's a Harlequin trait?


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## Nela (Mar 28, 2011)

[align=center]I've been a bit quiet this week because I've been feeling a lil off with lots of headaches and backaches but I am hoping to get all caught up.[/align]
[align=center]On Saturday, we woke nice and slow and then headed out to shop. I was really in need of shoes and clothes with the warmer weather settling in. It's been absolutely gorgeous here, about 15 C the past few days. I was a bit skeptical about finding anything because I had looked around a bit and couldn't find shoes I liked that I could actually wear. The torn tendons andheel spursin my feet are a problem when it comes to shoe shopping. [/align]
[align=center]The great thing about shopping withJeff is thathe's very patient and, well, he's good when it comes to clothes. I definitely prefer to have his opinion on things because he has good taste and I trust his judgement. He's honest with me and he also brings an un-biased view along. Hehehe. So anyway, we spotted about 4-5 different open shoes that I could wear because they were low without being flat and not too heavy either. I liked 2 pairs in particular but one of the pairs rubbed against the back of my heel and I was concerned that that would be an issue because of the way the shoe was designed. Jeff had spotted a sandal (for 20 euro) he liked and that was really quite comfy and cute so I could use that as my 'clean' sandal. Really though, I had originally wanted to get a running shoe to have for my exercising/walking shoe and a shoe to replace my boot which is all peeled in the front. We spotted a nice running shoe but it was 40 (no, not that expensive at all) but I feared that it wouldn't look very nice for very long because of the material so I was quite reluctant to get it. Instead, I looked at some comfortable walking shoe and settled for one at half the price. Jeff told me that since the shoes were so cheap and I could have gotten 2 pairs for 60, I might as well get a 3rd. Again, Jeff spotted a shoe that looked just like the one I really liked that was uncomfortable. This time, it fit really nicely and not only that, but it was on sale at half price. [/align]
[align=center]So not only did a find a pair of shoes, I found THREE pairs and all that for 50 euro! :biggrin2:[/align]
[align=center]I also got a few tops, a pair of pants, and a lighter coat. The tops and pants were really quite cheap and I'll probably look for more eventually but it's nice to have tops I am comfy in without feeling a need to wear layer over layer. The coat was 60 and I found it to be expensive for a spring coat but Jeff really liked it. I preferred the dark version but he preferred the cream version. I don't do light colors but like I said, I trust his judgement and his argument of the light color being best for warm weather was valid so I went with his choice. See, it's nice to shop with him [/align]
[align=center]You see... I may be a girl but I can be quite clueless when it comes to certain things. I am not very girly really. I do not like to shop, do not wear makeup, get my hair done regularly, etc. The thing is, ever since I've met Jeff, I've wanted to maintain myself better. I don't think it's a bad thing either. In fact, ever since the attack, I wanted to attract the least attention to myself as possible. I still do not like the attention, but I also think that I looked so frumpy that I was calling a different kind of attention and it only made my self-esteem that much worse. I still struggle with my appearance but what a world of difference it makes when you get a proper haircut. Lol. I don't like to spend so much money when it comes to things because I would prefer to have more variety and change items as they wear out but it sure adds up quickly. I am glad Jeff is so easy-going :expressionless[/align]
[align=center]So that's that for shopping. Lol.[/align]
[align=center]Yesterday, we worked on the guinea pig's abode. It's coming along more slowly than I had hoped for but I also had to scold myself and remind myself not to turn this into a chore or it will ruin the fun. It's looking great so far though. I really enjoy it. Baloo pouts every time though. He gets annoyed when we focus on anything but him. Lol. Houdina, on the other hand, loved the break from Baloo (he went downstairs to pout on his cushion) and was rather clingy and curious so she checked on everything we were doing. [/align]
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[align=center]After some hours of working on the project, Jeff suggested we go walk by the lake to enjoy the gorgeous day. It was my first going all around the lake. It's 3km around and I found it absolutely lovely. Lots of people were out as it was such nice weather and dogs were jumping into the lake left and right to enjoy a swim. I really wish we had a dog for me to take out. It's just such a nice place... [/align]
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[align=center]Maybelle and Rolo are doing great. Rolo is enjoying the double hutch and you can find him more and more in the open part, watching you. Maybelle is a real lovebug these days. She's still her feisty self but she's also loving the petting and attention. She love dances more than any bunny I've known. Lol. She too is thrilled with the lovely weather and is enjoying eating things as they grow out from the ground. I definitely won't be putting the berries out where she can reach them right now :expressionlessAside from that, she's being a brat. She's often taunting Rolo. In fact, she lines the outside of Rolo's hutch with a ton of pee and poop. :grumpy:She refuses to use the boxes available. Nope, she insists on peeing and pooping right at Rolo's hutch. Oi! She certainly loves her pillows and blanket. In fact, I think she loves them a bit TOO much. Somebunny needs a spay... Lol. She's also decided to randomly grab a pillow and carry it out into the yard. Not sure what it brings her but if it makes her happy... Of course, I put them back in her bed and that gets me a good thumping at. :rollseyes[/align]
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[align=center]Also, I gave the kitties their new toy from their Auntie. I had held off because I needed to charge the batteries so I could get a video for her. Unfortunately, they didn't give me much footage but I hope to catch them again soon. I did find one of the toys in the laundry basket the other day. That means _someone_ (Baloo) really enjoys it and buries it as he hides his toys. [/align]
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[align=center]Alright well I think that covers it all for now... Still lots more to come, as it comes. Trying to get pictures and videos from my furbabies on command is just impossible. Lol. [/align]


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## Nela (Mar 28, 2011)

Helen, 

Lol. Yeah, he's quite vocal about not liking us. At least, when it comes to him, I know it's about fear and not being angry with us like Maybelle. Lol. However, she's been really loveable these days as well so as long as we do everything she wants, she'll love us. Do you think your Cappy will ever be really comfy? I sometimes wonder if Rolo will ever completely relax or not.


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## JadeIcing (Mar 28, 2011)




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## Nela (Mar 28, 2011)

A 'funny'

Jeff and I went out to check on the bunnies as usual. Maybelle was at the door before we even opened it and she zoomed past us as usual. Luckily, tonight she let me put her back in easily. We usually have to pretty much 'throw'her in and hurry to close the door while she proceeds to head butt it to get back out again. So, uneventful so far yes?

And then we tried to go back in.

Um?

Door wouldn't open?

I looked at Jeff. Jeff looked at me.

Houdina had effectively locked us out of our own house.

Yes, yes. She did.

She had stepped on the latch and that pushed it down, making it impossible to open the door. Even with keys, it wouldn't be possible to open it from the outside.

LUCKILY, Jeff had his house keys so we were able to get in by the front. Had it been me, I'd probably still be out there... 

Thing is, she had that look that said "Hmmm how'd they get back in?" which then switched to an ever so innocent look.

They say never to trust a cat...

:grumpy:


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## myheart (Mar 28, 2011)

It's nice that someone has some lovely spring flowers blooming! Thanks for posting the great pics of your spring-colors!! Makes me want spring to come even more... 

Good for you getting to enjoy some fresh air and a beautiful walk. It is nice to live near a body of water. I have lived on Lake Michigan all of my lifeand find that I don't know if I could ever live inland. It just makes for the nicest walks when I get to watch the waves roll in, or have the serenity of the sunsets or sunrises.

I'm with you on the shopping thing. Don't like spending too much or going too often. I really do have to be in the mood to look for things, or it just becomes a waste of time. Good thing you have Jeff to keep you motivated in that endeavor...


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## JadeIcing (Mar 28, 2011)

LOL she locked you [email protected]!!!


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## Nela (Mar 29, 2011)

Janet:

Hehehe I am glad you enjoyed the spring pictures. How is the weather there now? I think living by water is just lovely. I am glad that we aren't directly on the lake though as it gets quite noisy. We can hear them from the house already so I think this is a better deal I don't like crowds. Lol. Lake Michigan must be quite something... Do you have any pictures? Yeah, shopping is just bleh. It's more of something I HAVE to do. Hehehe. Jeff really helps out though so it's not nearly as bad Thanks for posting, you always make me smile!

Ali:

She DID!!! Unbelievable right??? Jeff's mother sure had a good laugh. :grumpy:


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## Nela (Mar 29, 2011)

So today, I woke up feeling rather sick so I decided to watch a movie. I ended up watching Whip It, a movie directed by Drew Barrymore, and loved it. Hehehe. It was a good movie to watch during the day since the programs on tv suck. I hate soaps. :grumpy:Hehehe. 

Jeff's mom called soon after and asked if she could come over so I quickly cleaned things up and chatted with her and all. It was nice to see her. After she left, I called my best friend as well. That always makes me happy.

Well, I had dinner ready when I found out Jeff would be home late so I decided to clean the yard a bit, pot my berries, and play with the buns. Maybelle made quite the mess in the shed again. She also chewed a hole in her lovely castle. :grumpy:If she chews it more I will have to take it away Anywho, I swept the shed, filled bowls and bottles, etc. It was funny because our neighbor was out doing the same thing so we chatted about bunny slavery. Hehehe. His bunnies came up to the fence so his and Maybelle would run along the fence, sniffing each other, etc. They were trying to nip at each other some but luckily they couldn't reach each other. That's the good thing about Maybelle being so big, her head is too big to really allow her to bite any other bun through the fence. Hehehe.

I did get a funny video of Maybelle... I won't tell you what it is, only that you should watch it completely, and know that she is humming the whole time. Lol...

Here it is:

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I don't think she's understood the concept? 

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## myheart (Mar 29, 2011)

:shock:Wow!!!:shock: 

I guess you have proof positive now that spring is in the air!! How much mileage did Maybelle put on for that video?! Maybe she was showing off for Rolo since that seemed to be a favorite stopping place. Poor girlie needing to flop...! I don't blame her one bit being so tuckered out. And she hummed the entire time?!!!

Oops... forgot to say that I thought the neighbor's bunny was Rolo until I read otherwise. I love it that their bunny set claim the the fence. Poor Maybelle must have been beside herself with another bunny's chin-stuff all over her fence!!


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## tristaw. (Mar 29, 2011)

THE cutest video EVER! she tuckered herself out lol so sweet!


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## SOOOSKA (Mar 29, 2011)

OMG Sophie that was the cutest video. Mine never run with their pillows. She sure gets her exercise.

I just love that Maybelle:big kiss::inlove::heartbeat::hearts.

Susan

ps

I love your voice, i don't remember hearing before.:biggrin2:


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## Nela (Mar 30, 2011)

Janet:

Yep, spring is definitely here :biggrin2:It still gets rather chilly during the night but it's nice and warm during the day. Flowers are blooming left and right and butterflies flutter by happily. I've seen quite a few bumblebees and ladybugs as well. Actually, I haven't weeded my front garden so now we have some flowers growing there and it seems that it's a ladybug favorite so I will probably be setting up a ladybug hotel in the future. Lol. 

Lol Maybelle sure kept on going and going didn't she? I say she has OCD. Lol. She never does anything just once. Even when she love dances, it goes on forever. I also nearly faceplanted yesterday because she tripped me. :expressionlessSilly girl! That's the first real throw-myself-on-the-ground-cause-I'm-deaded-and-need-to-rest flop from her that I remember seeing. It was so funny. I just wish I had captured it better.

Haha, you should have seen my face when I saw the neighbor bunny. I saw him from the side and I briefly panicked thinking Rolo was somehow on that side of the fence. LOL. I knew they had a harlequin but it's been a while since I saw their boy (or I may actually have only really seen the other boy as well) so the only thing I could think of was Rolo. Just like the time when I assumed the bunny running around in our yard was theirs only to realize it was actually Rolo. Crazy. 

Maybelle and the boys had 'claiming wars'. LOL. They'd sniff each other, run around, but if one chinned it then the other insisted on chinning it back on their side and that's when the attempted nippings would follow. Silly rabbits. 

Funny thing is, the other bunnies weren't out yet when she did all this. I don't know WHAT she was trying to do either. Lol.

______________________________

Trist,

HeheheI am glad you enjoyed it. I was quite happy to capture that moment on camera myself. Lol. She's the first of allmy bunniesto dosomething like that. Then again, her favorite food is anything onion-y so... :expressionless(she only gets leek btw. Lol) Yeah, flopping over like that was quite a nice way to end the video. I was just about to close the camera too becauseI figured 5 mins of her running around in circles was bound to get boring. Hehehe. She sure rested for a while after that though 

______________________________

Susan,

Lol, I'm so happy to have captured that for you. I had noticed that I would find her pillows in the yard but I had never really seen her actually do much other than just bring it out and leave it. Now that I think of it, she also runs around with her carrot usually. Lol. I've seen her playing with the pillow and blanket but usually she stops when she sees the camera. I guess yesterday she really wanted to put on a show. :winkOnly sucky thing is that she is getting them dirty but that's also why I held onto the others so I could switch them around while I wash the dirty ones. She seems to like the texture of the blue one quite a bit though. I'm still trying to understand what it all meant. Lol. 

Maybelle is not much of a jumper. She loves to run and dig. I've noticed that she has quite a bit more muscle than other bunnies I've had and I do think the yard is the reason. Of course, after seeing the video it's not hard to believe that she moves about quite a bit. Hehehe. I'll have to try capturine ger bunny 500s. Those are quite impressive as well. Thing is, she is so fast, I have a hard time capturing it on video! Lol. 

At least now you know how much she loves her pillows :wink

And um err thank you about the voice comment. *Blushes* Lol


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## Nela (Mar 30, 2011)

I should be cleaning and getting ready to gooutbut Jeff surprised me with the Sims Medieval game... LOL.


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## JadeIcing (Mar 30, 2011)

Aww


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## slavetoabunny (Mar 30, 2011)

Who needs TV when you have Maybelle? Love that video!!!


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## Nela (Apr 2, 2011)

Ty Ali and Patti :biggrin2:I'm glad you enjoyed. 

__________________________

Pictures anyone?

First off, the piggies... I gave them a bath and have pictures for you guys. 

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## Nela (Apr 2, 2011)

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## Nela (Apr 2, 2011)

Aaaand...

It was an absolute gorgeous day today (21 C) so we headed off to Keukenhof (the world famous flower exposition). It was my first time seeing it and today had a traditional dutch costume theme so I thought it was a nice day to go. It was lovely and I got some pictures to share.

I have a ton so I will only share my favorites but if you want to see more you can view the album here:

http://s867.photobucket.com/albums/ab238/NelaBunneh/Outings/Keukenhof%20-%20April%202/

PASSWORD: luvyourbunneh

Here are pics:

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## Nela (Apr 2, 2011)

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## Nela (Apr 2, 2011)

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## Nela (Apr 2, 2011)

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## Nela (Apr 2, 2011)

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And voila... Hope you enjoyed the pictures :biggrin:


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## JadeIcing (Apr 2, 2011)

My mom wants to know if you have seen black tulip seeds.  

Love the pictures.


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## SOOOSKA (Apr 2, 2011)

Beautiful pictures Sophie.

Ali, aren't tulips from Bulbs? I've never heard of tulip seeds unless that's something new.:?

Susan


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## JadeIcing (Apr 2, 2011)

Lol I meant bulbs. I am half brain dead today.


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## Nela (Apr 3, 2011)

Thank you Ali and Susan. :biggrin2:

Ali, Jeff did photograph black tulips he says. I'm sure I've seen them. I haven't bought any bulbs myself yet but I am sure that it must be findable here. Your mum wants some? I can check. I think I would have to send them to you for the fall because that's when they need to be planted if I'm not mistaken. I would need to be sure that I can send them to you so I'll have to check the customs or you can check as well. Let me know.


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## Nela (Apr 3, 2011)

Jeff let MayMay and decided to take more pictures of the pets so here are some pics he tookand some that I took as well. We discovered that Maybelle also loooooves her blankie. Unfortunately, she loves her pillows and blankie so much that she drags them all over the yard and gets them quite dirty but I guess there isn't much I can do other than wash them and rotate them. I wonder if her Auntie Susan stuffed them with anything special because she sure goes nuts 

We must say that Maybelle is progressing nicely. She actually tried to SHARE with the neighbor bunny. She tried to share her pink pillow with the neighbor bunny by trying to push it against the fence while he was there. Un/fortunately, it was too big to fit. Lol. Progress is progress though right? I think she is becoming a softie... 

She's also taken to DBFs now and is doing them more and more. She's quite enthusiastic about them too, literally throwing herself down and rolling onto her back before lounging around. Hehehe.

So here are pictures for you guys (I hope these pictures make up for all my recent babbling ) 

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## Nela (Apr 3, 2011)

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## Nela (Apr 3, 2011)

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## Nela (Apr 3, 2011)

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## JadeIcing (Apr 3, 2011)

Lol love the pictures! The gp boys are so cute!


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## Jynxie (Apr 3, 2011)

Such awesome pictures.

Those flower ones have me so excited about spring, and your animals are so cute. :3


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## myheart (Apr 3, 2011)

:shock:Spring beauty overload!!! :shock: I WANT SPRING NOW!!! (please.... )

I don't even think I could pick out my most favorite flower pic. They are all so beautiful with the brilliant colors. You are so spoiled having that much beauty at this time of the year... 

That is so nice of Maybelle getting to make friends with the neighbor's bunny. Maybe that is why she is acting differently... She's in love and it's spring!


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## Nela (Apr 3, 2011)

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## slavetoabunny (Apr 3, 2011)

I love those videos! Maybelle seems quite enamored with her pillow. Very cute!


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## Nela (Apr 4, 2011)

I need to get this off my chest before I explode.

I feel absolutely torn apart. I can't stop crying and I cannot figure out what to do right now...

My parents. My father was raised by an alcoholic father who died when he was a teenager or so and a schizophrenic mother. Things went very badly for himi and he and his brother were actually taken away to be placed in foster care but ended up raised by aunts and uncles. However, at the age of 16, he had his own appartment and was working over-time to make ends meet. By then, he was on his own.

My mother... Well, aside from her father cheating on her mother with a friend, her parents divorcing and then him rejecting her, I don't think there was anything else. Up to that point, she had been spoiled as an only child and at the age of 14, she met my father and moved in with him when she was 15 or 16 in her last year of high school.

Now, to get to the problem.

My parents have failed in terms of parenting. They've failed with me, failed with my sister, and now they are failing with my brother. As soon as I turned 16, all 'parenthood' flew out the window. To them, I was now an independent and all they could think of was work work work and money money money. I had absolutely no support when applying for college. Though I started an honours program, I was forced to withdraw from college because they refused to provide financial support. I applied for government aid but, because I was a minor and living with my parents, it was automatically refused. From that point on, I was forced to work and pay 'rent' for my bedroom. Medicine, certain meals, clothes, etc. were all paid by me. One winter, I suffered frost nip from lack of winter boots. I could not afford them on my lousy salary and my parents did nothing so my online boyfriend sent money from Greece. It's not because they couldn't afford it. Heck, it would be a completely different thing if they were poor. But no. My parents could afford luxuries. Cars, spas, gazebos, electronics... I moved out with nothing after my father threatened to beat me for getting angry at him for buying a spa and not helping me with college. With no savings, no real job, no education, and no real skills, I ended up in a vicious cycle of fighting to survive. I only got out of it when Jeff reached out a hand and pulled me out of it.

Same thing with my sister. My sister... She didn't react the same way. She had a much more rebellious and damaging reaction but the reasons were the same. At the time, I had reached out to her and invited her to come live with me but she refused. She fell into drugs instead and other mischief instead.Child Protective Services had to step in and she was placed in a group home for troubled teens. I was asked to take custody but I refused, fearing being unable to control her and preventing her from harming herself. A wise decision on my part. She's doing better now and the government helped her so she was able to get to nursing school and now works as a nurse assistant. She's still quite damaged though and I'm not sure things will ever be the same again.

Now.

My lilbrother.

My lil brother is a good kid. A real good hearted kid. But now he isslowly self-destructing. My father went out and bought himself a muscle car a few weeks back. Their ... roof is leaking and he has no money to fix it but he goes out and buys a ... muscle car. I knew from that moment that there'd be no hope for my brother's education. I said nothing though. I've never said anything to either of my siblings as I strive for improvement, not family destruction. However, recently, my brother vented to me about how he has absolutely no support whatsoever and now my parents are on his case about him not working. My poor brother has been going through a lot and he is really not doing well in school. He's in a collegiate school (so high academic achievements) and is doing so badly that they were threatening to kick him out. Now my parents want him to work. And study hard. And go to church and church activities. It's just mind-boggling. 

The thing that enraged me most, was hearing about my brother's back. My brother has been complaining about severe back pain for months now, almost a year but no one did anything. Finally, last week or so, my brother called my mother in tears and asked to be picked up because he was in too much pain. I was actually 'chatting'with my mother at this time and she was actually annoyed because now her plans had changed for the day and she knew it would cost money. I was soooooo angry. FINALLY, my brother was taken to the chiro. Well guess what? They waited so long that now my brother has a 12 degree deviation in his spine and is having to do multiple treatments to relieve the pain. 

My brother texted me this morning as he's now been wanting to talk more and more just to vent his frustrations. He's looking for a job now because my father keeps getting in his face about work. He's looking to work after school, weekends, etc. When in the heck will he have time to study? When will he do his homework? When will he sleep? When will he have a life? I'm appalled. I just can't believe it. He's only my brother and I feel torn up inside, knowing how much he needs to rest and focus on school. How can parents not be more supportive to their kids??? Now he's dark, depressed, and just not thinking of the future. I'm terrified. I'm terrified of losing him. I nearly lost my sister last year. I will not sit back and watch this go down again.

For now, I am just 'being there' but meanwhile, my head is spinning...

- Do I give up everything and head back to Montreal? Do I sacrifice my own happiness to pull him up? If so, without any real qualifications of my own, can I even manage to support the both of us? 

- If I support him, will he be alright? What if he falls and I can't help him up? What if I invest so much into him, only to see him abuse the help?

- Do I involve Child Protective Services? There are serious enough reasons to do so. I know that there is enough to go on. But is it really worth it? Will it really help anything? Or will it only make things worse? I love my parents, and I know that they might love us in their own way, but something needs to be done now. 

- Do I take over as a guardian? Can I bring him here? Can Jeff and I be happy together with him here?

- Do I do nothing and let him figure it out on his own like I had to? Do I really risk the chance that any suicide attempt could be successful? 

- Do I get a job and wire him my earnings? 

I just do not know at this point. I feel sick. Absolutely sick and heartbroken. Not being there terrifies me. If something happens to him, I will never forgive myself nor my parents. I just do not know what to do. I do not want to hurt my parents, but I do not want to see another child of theirs self-destruct. We're good kids, good students, good people. We don't deserve this. My brother especially.

If I let this go... It's very likely that my brother will be working before graduating high school. He'll most likely suffer a burn-out like I did. If he cannot continue his education, he'll most likely never get a decent job and struggle to make ends meet, falling into that cycle like I did. It's a scary thought. I just do not know at this point what to do. They are already talking about making him pay 'rent'. They will not be putting him through school. I can accept certain things, but not getting him medical help when he is suffering... That is not something I will close my eyes on.

Sometimes, I am really disgusted by my parents.


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## MiniLopHop (Apr 4, 2011)

My heart breaks for you. I'm so sorry that you and your siblings have to deal with toxic family. I wish I had words of wisdom to share. ray:


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## slavetoabunny (Apr 4, 2011)

I feel for you. I grew up in a dysfunctional family. Both of my parents used drugs since I was 9 or 10 years old. To make a long story short, my parents ended up divorcing and left 3 teenagers alone in the house (I had already moved out) and stopped making payments. Fortunately, the house sold but since both parents were absent, I had to step in and help them get moved out on the day of the closing so it wouldn't fall through. All four of us have turned out fine in spite of our parents. One brother has had 4 children by 3 different mothers and after spending 7 years in prison for being stupid, has turned his life around and has been a model citizen for the last 20 years. My sister had 2 children by 2 different fathers, but finally met a great man and has had a successful banking career for about 15 years now. My youngest brother somehow escaped making life mistakes and has always done well.

I helped out all three of my siblings financially in the beginning and they always paid me back any money I lent them. I held their feet to the fire on financial responsibility and I think they benefited from that.

What is it I'm trying to say? Don't sacrifice your own happiness. You really seem so happy with your relationship with Jeff and you need to think of yourself. Help if you can, but in the end your siblings need to stand on their own two feet.

Today....I haven't communicated with my father for over 20 years. My mother still uses illegal drugs and has had an addiction to prescription pain medication for almost 20 years. She is now retired and keeps hinting that she needs money. I find myself distancing myself from her because I do not want to be an enabler.

I know that you are concerned for your brother, but at the end of the day you need to do whatever is best for you.


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## JadeIcing (Apr 4, 2011)

Patti said it best. I myself would call child services, he should have been taken to the doctor sooner. Sheesh my parents could be lousy at times but yours... Don't give up your happines.


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## slavetoabunny (Apr 4, 2011)

Thank you Ali. It was hard to share my sad story, but both I and my brothers and sisters are doing well. We have remained strong in spite of our parents. In no way do I hate my parents. I just feel sorry that we weren't able to help them.


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## jujub793 (Apr 4, 2011)

i think an important thing was brought up and that is you should do what you can to help your siblings but first you have to look out for yourself and second to be careful not to become an enabler. it sounds like your parents are a lost cause but there is still time and hope for you and your sibs. Good luck and take advantage of any govermental help you can get!


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## jujub793 (Apr 4, 2011)

also i got sidetracked by your sad story..... what i really wanted to tell you is how beautiful you photos are both the flowers and your pets!!! i am sooo anxious for spring here. Yesterday we had snow, sleet, rain thunder AND LIGHTENING. everything except sunshine! and maybelle is adorable!!


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## Nela (Apr 5, 2011)

Ali:

I am happy you liked the pictures. The boys sure are fun to have. I still don't have any major reactions with them which I am really happy about. I do get a bit itchy if I hold them against my skin but that's something I am careful not to overdo. Aside from that, it's mainly the hay that bugs. 

Jynxie:

Hehe I am glad you enjoyed them. The pets appreciate you calling them cute and accept my continued friendship with you Lol jk. Your Spring is on its way! 

Janet:

Hehehehe sorry for that. Lol. I'd send you some sunshine but I have rain now... I'm glad you loved the pictures. I'm especially glad that my camera could capture such vivid colors. I can't wait to go back for the roses :biggrin2:As for Maybelle, lol... Yeah, she's definitely wanting to mate I think. She's also being ok with Rolo and often stops in front of his hutch to 'chat'. I think she prefers the neighbor bunny though because he doesn't come on her turf and I don't pet him

Patti:

Hehehe I am glad you enjoyed the videos. I find her so silly but I am so happy that she loves her pillows and blankie so that I could show Susan how much she appreciated them. I thought it was funny how she plays with the blanket too. Ah well, whatever makes her happy. :biggrin:


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## Nela (Apr 5, 2011)

Brandy:

Thank you. It's a really hard situation all around. I'm calmer now but yesterday I was so very angry. It just hurts to watch you know? Meh.

Patti:

*Big hugs* Thank you for sharing that with me. I understand what you are saying. Part of me feels a bit guilty about thinking of myself and not wanting to sacrifice anything. It's hard because we don't really have family so all we have is each other. On the other hand, I had to deal with all that myself as well and managed and finally have something great going for me so I really really would prefer not to lose that. Lol.I think I will stay closeby and see how things go. I want to make sure that he is mature and acting in a proper way before enabling anything. We'll see what happens I guess... Thank you again. I'm glad things turned alright for you guys.

Ali:

Thank you. Yeah... Meh. The thing is it would definitely be a big step. I mean, it would not be good for my parents because of things that happened with my sister. I don't want to make things worse really but I also want to be sure that my brother is okay. I think fornow it will be something I will keep an eye on but not something I'll do too easily... For myself, calling services on my own parents,even just the thought of it, is making me feel sick to my stomach. It's not something I WANT to do but I WILL if I think my brother's well-being is being jeopardized. Meh, doesn't family suck at times?

JubJub:

Thank you. Yeah, it's hard to put myself first but I have learned that if I don't, no one will put me first and I always end up on the losing end. Jeff is not someone I want to lose. I am not sure I am wanting to pay that price to be honest. It may be selfish to some... I just don't see myself being alright with that decision in the long-run. I'll try to help in the ways that I can, without losing out myself...

Hehehe I am glad you loved the pictures. Maybelle says thank you (with a hint of 'duh' as in would she not be???) . I hope spring comes for you soon. Oh my, that really is some nasty weather :shock:Is it supposed to be nicer some time this week?


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## JadeIcing (Apr 7, 2011)

How you doing?


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## MiniLopHop (Apr 7, 2011)

Remember the directions on a plane, secure your own mask before helping children. You have to be ok first before you can do anything to help your siblings.

I also wanted to say how lovely your pictures are, so bright. Spring always fills me with hope.

How often do the piggies get baths? They are super cute! I ended up getting Houdini rather than piggies. The bunns are so happy as a threesome. Perhaps Maybelle is falling in love with the neighbor bunny? He's very handsome, but looks so much like Rolo to me. Funny how buns react to each other. Too bad she didn't fall in love with Rolo.


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## Nela (Apr 8, 2011)

I've had a wee bit of a melt-down... Basically, a lot of things I've been fighting with came flooding back. Jeff knows. We're going to look into getting some help. Don't worry, I will work it out, especially with Jeff's help. As for my brother, I will be there but I will not put my own life on hold. As much as I love him, it is not my responsibility to raise him. It's hard, but I've decided to focus on myself.

Edited to add: my residence renewal application has been sent and confirmed as received. Jeff paid the processing fees this morning so my application will be processed shortly.


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## Nela (Apr 8, 2011)

Sitting outside right now... Absolutely gorgeous day. Maybelle is out and running around my feet, being the total looney tune that she is. I decided to take the piggies out as well. I came out armed with the hose and oven mitts, just in case Maybelle decided they weren't allowed in her yard either. LOL. She did great though. She has no problem with them at all. PHEW. I'm sooooooo relieved! 

The piggies are terrified though. It's their first time outside actually. The only time they came out from under their box was when Maybelle decided to steal a bit of their hay through the playpen. No situation is too dangerous to allow food to be stolen from piggies 

On another note... My mother just announced to me that they are searching for a new house. No surprise there but I find it funny how she announced it tome. I posted on Facebook about renewing my residency and how now we just have to wait for it to be processed and she replied saying " keep us posted, if we need to look for more room while shopping for a new house, and hopefully all will go well cause I might have some left over for a visit"

LMAO.

Seriously?! No way in heck.I told her I wasn't going back one way or another. I meant what I said. This is home. IF for some odd reason something happens, I will head somewhere quiet, on my own or with Jeff. Lol. I didn't answer about her 'visit'which she keeps talking about but is always too 'broke' to do I just hope, for my brother's sake, that he's ok with moving. :expressionless

I'll have pictures very soon.


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## myheart (Apr 8, 2011)

Thank goodness for oven mitts!!! :biggrin2: 

Alwaysgood toolsto arm oneself with... 

Good to hear that you have made a wise decision, young Grasshopper.


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## SOOOSKA (Apr 8, 2011)

Sophie those videos were so cute of my Maybelle. I can't get over the way she plays with the pillow and blanket.

I just filled the pillow with pillow stuffing.

Who knows maybe she can smell my bunnies on the pillow and blankts.

It sure looks like Jeff Loves :heartbeatlaying with Maybelle.

Susan


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## Nela (Apr 9, 2011)

Jan:

LOL yeah. I was prepared this time. Was funny sitting there with oven mitts on and the hose in my hands. I bet my neighbor thought I was crazy. Oh well Mm, I think it's the best decision to make. Either way, I am happy with it.

Susan:

Hehehe she REALLY loves playing with them. Rolo likes to snuggle on them instead. Maybelle though, they are her favorite toys! Hehehe. I haven't caught her snuggling with them but she does keep her pillow close. I did find her other pillow under Rolo's hutch yesterday. How she pushed it all the way back there, I have no idea. Hehehe I bet she can smell your bunnies. She must be in love with one of yours. She has great taste 

As for Jeff, he's out there playing with her as we speak. :biggrin2:

________________________________________

Yesterday, I took on the task of scrubbing down Rolo's hutch and the shed on my own. With the weather being nicer and being able to leave the doors open, it's much easier for me to deal with so I was very happy to have the priviledge of cleaning it out myself. It's nice not to have to bug Jeff after a long day's work or spend a Saturday cleaning it out. 

Maybelle had a blast. The neighbor boy, Bobbie, was out again and they really like each other. He actually groomed her through the fence. He seems to long for a companion. His brother hates him though. Awww. 

The thing is, right now, what we did is cut back the hedge at the bottom and fitted the playpen fence there so when the buns go to the hedge, they can see each other through the fence. (It's now nailed to the shed and one proper fence panel so Maybelle cannot escape...) Anyway, the thing is I HATE that hedge. I am allergic, it's ugly, Ã­t's a perfect place for BIG spiders, and it's just plain messy. I was all thrilled about getting rid of it when we do the yard but now, I'm not so sure... I feel kind of guilty you know... It's the only bunny I've seen Maybelle take an interest in and Bobbie seems to love it. It's cute to watch them run along the fence, chasing each other and binkying. Yes - we got binkies! Baaaa-aaaaa-aaaaah! I'm not sure what we will do now... I'm trying to think of some kind of divider that would allow us and our neighbors their privacy but yet let the buns interact through the fence. Lol. 

At some point, I put Maybelle in the large kennel and let Rolo out because Rolo was REALLY wanting out. According to Maybelle, I signed my death wish at that moment If she could have chewed her way out of that kennel, she would have. She was furious. On a positive note, when Rolo would pass in front of her, she would press herself down and present her head for grooming. Rolo completely ignored her. At least Maybelle wasn't lunging through the kennel. That's a start.

Bobbie was still out when Rolo was playing about. Bobbie tried desperately to get Rolo's attention but Rolo was less than impressed. Nope, Rolo preferred to run bunny500s and binky about. Maybe that's why Maybelle was more tolerant of Rolo? Maybe she realized Rolo wasn't going to steal her beau? Lol.

Oh and um errr I well ummm hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

got to sex Rolo properly FINALLY 

and ummm welll see the thing is ummm welll errrrr

Rolo is a GIRL. 

:embarrassed:

pics coming soon...


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## Jynxie (Apr 9, 2011)

Oh a girl, oh noo... I'll take Rolo off your hands then, she's adorable.


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## JadeIcing (Apr 9, 2011)

LOL a girl!?


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## Nela (Apr 9, 2011)

:lookaroundI errr yes, poor lil Rolo is a girl. She is the MESSIEST girl ever too :grumpy:She takes after Smores soooooo much. Gah! I caught her doing the ear thing too. Meaning, she can flick her ear down on her own before grooming it. She doesn't need to pull it down. Awww :biggrin2:She had another run around today and was very happy. We bought her a stuffed duck to add to her litterbox turned bed. Lol. She did try to hump Houdina today though. Houdina didn't approve. 

We let Houdina out for a few for the first time today. She was pretty scared at first but started moving around a bit. The bunnies made her really nervous though so we will have to work with her alone until she is more comfy. We're only letting her out on the line and only when we are with her. I think she will do okay once she is used to it. 

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## Nela (Apr 9, 2011)

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## Nela (Apr 9, 2011)

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## Nela (Apr 10, 2011)

[align=center]We sat outside again today because it was another beautiful day so we have more pictures for you guys... [/align]
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[align=center]I didn't have the heart to tell her that she didn't fit... [/align]


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## Nela (Apr 10, 2011)

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## Nela (Apr 10, 2011)

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## slavetoabunny (Apr 10, 2011)

I love the pictures!!! It looks like everyone had a blast.


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## Nela (Apr 10, 2011)

Thank you, Patti. We all had a nice day. I hope you did too :biggrin2:


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## Wabbitdad12 (Apr 10, 2011)

Just a quick question, do the cats meow in dutch? Great pictures, Rolo and Maybelle are so cute. 

Looks like she is thinking, this pot use to fit.


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## Nela (Apr 14, 2011)

[align=center]Dave:[/align]
[align=center]LOL. Thank you, we all appreciate the compliments. [/align]
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[align=center]Monday we meet with the landscapers. I am SO excited. I cannot wait to see what we can come up with for the yard. Keeping fingers crossed that things will work out with this company as they have done nice work. :biggrin:I cannot wait to have a lovely yard to sit in and for Maybelle and Roloto play in too. [/align]
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## Nela (Apr 14, 2011)

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## SOOOSKA (Apr 14, 2011)

Hi Sophie, 

I LOVE those standing bunnies Jeff bought for you. Are they for outside or inside? I need to get myself a Chocolate Bunny, YUM YUM.

That Maybelle is one of the most BEAUTIFUL:heartbeat::big kiss::inlove::hearts:love:Bunnies I have ever seen.

I can hardly wait to see what your yard is going to look like. To me it looks nice now.

Susan


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## MiniLopHop (Apr 14, 2011)

You have the most photogenic family. Maybelle is turning into a softie falling for the neighbor's bunn 

I am very impressed that the cats don't try to eat the GP. I think they would be small enough I would have to be very careful with my two. I think Victoria would be a little TOO interested.

The sunshine looks lovely. How nice to be able to share it with everyone!


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## Nela (Apr 14, 2011)

Suuuusaaaan :biggrin2:

How are you? Yeah you like the bunnies? I'm not actually sure if they are for outdoors but I use them inside as they fit in perfectly with the decor anyway. :biggrin:Jeff was cute when he got them. Hehehe. Do you like a particular kind of chocolate? I prefer dark myself. I saw some cute Lindor bunnies... Mmmm! 

Maybelle says thank you and sends her love to her favorite Auntie. Suck up much? Lol. She's still all over her pillows... Every day, she drags it around all over the place. I just hope she won't start dropping it in the pond when it's installed :expressionlessNext thing we'll know, a frog will be wanting a pillow too. Lol. Rolo's been really tidy with hers. I know she lays in her box with them so I think she's enjoying them. I have to get May in her shirt still! Oh, I'm really sorry about Rolo being a girl. I was so sure she was a boy :expressionlessMeh. I hope you don't mind too much... I am sure I will have a boy again in the future so I will hold on to that shirt for then :biggrin2:I'll still take a pic of Rolo in it though. Hehehe. 

As for the yard... Oh no no. It's gross and barren and deaded. It's all dull and grey and dirty. The fence is all peeling... There are weeds growing in all the pave seams... Bleh. I also have no designated planting areas so it gets a bit tough to put anything in. This weekend, Jeff and I are going to scrape and paint the fence. Luckily, the fence itself is perfectly fine. Then on Monday, we will see how things go and if the prices sound reasonable.

I'm going for a wildlife oriented garden so I am reeeeeally looking forward to changing things. I want to have a lot of things that Maybelle can pick herself for snacking and I want to find a way to give her tunnels to burrow/play in as well. Soooo if everything works out, then there is great potential. Lol. Our yard is rather small, only 6m x 6m but to me, it's great since I moved here from a one-bedroom appartment without any access to a yard. Hehehe. I think this yard has nice potential, and we just need to maximize the space and really make the most of it. 

I'm planning on a small pond, bird feeder, bird nestbox, hedgehog box, etc. Also, I asked Jeff about installing a gutter on part of the shed to collect rain water so maybe we will do that as well. I think collecting rain water to water the plants would be a good idea. It'll all depend on cost and space of course. I'm trying not to get too too carried away 

Jeff also wants to build Rolo a nice big run as well so that will probably look like an extension of the shed. I think that would be lovely. If that gets done, I want to hang and plant things inside that Rolo could eat as well and make it look nice. 

For ourselves well, I am hoping that we will get a nice stone bbq thing (not sure what you really call it) so that we can cook and also make fires in the autumn soI could roast us some marshmallows. I love to sit outside and look at the stars. With a fire to keep us warm, it would be lovely for sure. 

I think for me, it's really about making the most out of this yard. We are blessed that the house doesn't require any work at all other than esthetics and since he got the house for under the asking price, I think it's a great way to add to the house. Countryside is pretty tough to get here so we'll have our own piece of countryside within the city. Jeff is not really a yard guy and only sits outside because I am there but he is starting to enjoy it more and more. Either way, I long to sit there in the day with a nice marguerita slush. :biggrin:

Can you tell I am excited???

I ordered a wildlife gardening book and have sooo many things I want to do


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## Nela (Apr 14, 2011)

Brandy:

Aww thank you. It's hard to get pictures when they don't want me taking them but I really take advantage of those days when they are feeling more cooperative. Jelly Bean, on the other hand, is pretty happy to have a camera pointed on him 

I know, I can't believe how nice she's being with Bobbie! She is nice to Bobbie's brother too but it's really Bobbie that she prefers. When Bobbie is out, they spend hours running along the fence wanting to play. Maybelle still tries to fit her pillow through to pass it to him. I really wonder what it is about that pillow. Hehehe. It's really cute to watch. I guess if she were spayed and the perfect bunny were found, maybe then she'd be happy with a mate. Maybe I could look into a shelter date... I'm not sure how I really feel about it though because I rehomed Smores and Giggles. On the other hand, if they'd be bonded, they could play outside together so that wouldn't affect my allergies much really except for the winter. But then again, if it goes wrong, I don't want a third bunny housed alone so I guess things will have to stay like this for now. *Sigh* 

Hehehe nope neither cat tries to eat the piggies at all. Houdina is quite protective of them. Then again, it's the same cats that liked the gerbil so... I also used to have a cockatiel, Teako, that loved Houdina. He used to whistle at her in a charming way every time she went near him. :confused2:Both of them rarely kill bugs as well. I guess they just don't have a very big hunting instinct at all. I know I raised Houdina and Baloo with baby animals right from the start but I must admit, I too would expect a bit more rough play from them. But no. Not at all. When the baby bunnies would escape the cage, Houdina would follow them and cry loudly to get my attention. She never let them out of her sight. She even sat on the shelf above them to keep an eye on them. She goes to see the piggies in the morning when she comes downstairs, then sits at the window and watches Maybelle. Houdina often sits with the guinea pigs. :confused2:I tried to stop her at first but then I realized the piggies were popcorning and playing hide and seek with her. I'm not sure I quite understand how they've established things but from what I can tell, the piggies have a tight bond with her. They like to follow her around the house if I let them out.

Baloo on the other hand is quite satisfied with sitting up on a 'safe' spot and watching them. He's not one to mingle really. He's a bit afraid of them and the piggies like to tease him. Lol. 

I don't know how it works to be honest. Like even now with Maybelle... She picks and chooses which cat is allowed in the yard. She plays with some neighbor cats, but others she will not tolerate and spooks them. Those ones generally don't step a paw into the yard anymore. Lol. The 'kitten' though (now an adult) that lives behind us is one she really likes to play with. I often find Kitten (will call her that for lack of a proper name) lying down in the yard with Maybelle nearby. This is the same cat that used to spend all day watching the bunnies in the shed. :confused2:I guess because they were introduced together as babies helps. I really don't know. I think this cat is a pretty darn good copy of Houdina. In fact, I always have to look twice to make sure it ISN'T her. It doesn't help that they have the same collars too. Kitten's is silver and Houdina's is light pink, which can even look the same in the sun. Both collars are too long so they really look identical. Both tabbys... Hehehe. Kitten has a slightly larger and rounder head though. She even comes to me when I go out so... Lol.

I think I am very lucky to be able to have them alllive together peacefully. It's not only nice for us, but it's nice for the pets as well. I think they've really accepted each other as a family. As crazy a family as that might make us... 

By the way, I think you have done exceptionally well yourself


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## Nela (Apr 14, 2011)

If any of you like foxes, this is a live webcam here in the Netherlands. I peek in often and caught the mum feeding the babies. :biggrin2:

http://www.volgdevos.nl/

We are 6 hours ahead of EST.


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## SOOOSKA (Apr 14, 2011)

Sophie your yard is going to be beautiful. Maybe I will visit you oneday now that I am single, except I don't have anyone to take care of the bunnies.

I will have to make more pillows for Maybelle and the rest of the crew. I will make one for your neighbours bunny too.

I like the regular Chocolate, i'll eat the dark chocolate too though. My Dad use to say their is no such thing as a "Bad Beer" well I feel the same way about Chocolate. I could eat it every day except my waist line would GROOOOOOOW.

Hugs

Susan


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## Nela (Apr 14, 2011)

Susan:

I sure hope so, especially since we are bringing in professionals to do it for us. They should know what they are doing right? I hope so! I asked Jeff to go with these guys first since they've been in the business for many many years and have big contracts as well. They are fully equipped so we won't need to rent anything ourselves, etc. Hopefully it will be a good experience. 

Hehehe. It'd be great to see you. I can understand why leaving the bunnies would be an issue. Definitely not easy to find someone, even harder to find someone you actually fully trust. Bah! BUT if ever you do, I'd be thrilled to have you here :wink

LOL about the chocolate. I'm pretty lucky not to be too much of a chocolate addict. I'm actually not allowed to have it but once in a while... I don't like milk chocolate too too much though as it's much sweeter. I definitely am not a big fan of no brand milk chocolate. Hehehe. I do love Lindor and Cote D'Or though so I wouldn't mine milk chocolate from them. How about white? I love Belgian chocolate with surprises inside. Lol. Especially if it's anything coffee-ish. :biggrin2:See, now i want my chocolate bunnies


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## Nela (Apr 15, 2011)

I think it's going to be a fun and interesting day... The cats have awaken and they are in a VERY playful mood. Lol. I took a stick and decided to look under the furniture for some toys. As always, Houdina came running to help. That's how I know if I am about to find toys or not. Lol. She 'helped' me get them out and checked each one as I got them out. 

She swiftly batted a few but was more 'meh not this one' until I found one in particular she was waiting for and then went nuts. I always find that hilarious. It's like you could tell exactly what she's thinking as I take them out... "Meh, not so fun" "Ah, there you are... But no, not the one I want", "Closer, closeeeeer" "YES! WOOHOOOOOOOO!"And next thing you know she is destroying the place as she plays with her long lost favorite toy. 

Baloo was thrilled to see his fish again. However, with Houdina so hyper, he was more interested in finding a safe spot so she wouldn't run him over. LOL. At one point, she and Baloo were passing a ping pong ballto each other. 

It also seems that it's going to be another beautiful day today. I think it's supposed to go up to 20 C this weekend too. I'm probably going to start scraping the fence and play with Maybelle too. I'll probably let Rolo out again as well. I don't let her out on her own because, unlike Maybelle, I am not convinced that she could hold her own with cats. She just doesn't have that size and attitude to intimidate anyone so it's a no no. That's why I am hoping to get her run built. I saw some REALLY cheap ones. However, they were only about 2m wide (just a tad less)and her hutch is almost that so I don't see it being too different from her hutch in terms of size. 

Jeff said he preferred to make it himself so he could build it along the shed and offer her more space instead. Well, if that's what he wants, I certainly won't stop him... We saw a great model at the garden centre. It was BIG. I could even go inside. We both really liked it but it was like 800 euro. Jeff took a good look at it and then starting pointing out how they didn't do this and that and started telling me how he would give it a nicer finish and could do better, etc. LOL. Cute man. He also figured it would cost a lot less for him to build it so he took pictures of it to know how to design it and decided he would build it himself and 'perfect' all the little details. (He wasn't thrilled with the latches, the screw heads were too visible for his liking, thedoor was a bit stiff, etc)Hehehehe. I think it's nice that he's so willing to do things. It'll be awesome if he makes it :biggrin2:He's not the quickest when it actually comes to getting around and doing stuff but he's also one that isa perfectionist and must perfect the design, calculate every tiny detail, etc. Me? Oh I just dive in and figure it out as I go. Hehehe. We're so different in that aspect. I tend to get annoyed with his slow, meticulous attitude sometimes so I have to walk away and just let him do his thing. 

Ah well! I'm going to head off so I can go start scraping that ugly fence... :biggrin2:I'll probably come back with pictures in a bit


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## Bunny parents (Apr 15, 2011)

Hey Nelaaaaaaa  I MISS YOUUUUUU ! HOw are you ? How's everyone ? How's lovely Maybelle ?  Hehehe, so many questions, I know. Well, I just come to say hi and to tell you that I'm still here, just it's been very busy. I've started working full-time at the school office, so... lots to do.  Everything's going well here and I hope it will continue being like this  Well, for lovely Maybelle, I can see how happy she is from those pics. She's ,as always, little pretty girl for me  Hehehe, dude ! Your plant has grown into a bunny !!!! Hehehe, just kidding. OKay I gotta go. I will definitely update my blog thai weekend. Your blog is on fire !!  No need to explain why this blog is so popular 'cause my friend rocks and her family is lovely !  Have a nice day and take care. 
Kisses for you and your family 
Vircia.


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## Nela (Apr 15, 2011)

Viiiiirciiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiia!!!

Yaaaay I am So happy to hear from you! I knew today was going to be a good day I didn't want to go back to your blog and make you feel likeI was harassing you. LOL. You've been really missed. I'm so very happy to hear that the job is going well for you! Full-time? Awesome! I know you were hoping to have lots of hours. :biggrin:

How's Kimi??? I can't wait for an update :biggrin:You will have to get pictures. It's been too long. Kimi must have grown so much already.Hehehe. 

Maybelle is changing a lot. She's still very diva-like but she's becoming much softer with us and she even has a little boyfriend now! Lol. I think she's coming out of that 'teenage' phase now so that must be what is making her change. You know, I was thinking about it the other day and realized that she's not even a year old yet. Hehehe :biggrin2:I have to remind myself sometimes because it feels like they've all been part of the family for so long... She makes me laugh with her dirty ears and nose. Surprisingly, she's still really white in generalthough! She's started throwing herself on her back now for her dead bunny flops. Those are new, she never used to flop like that before. Hahaha yeah, what a great plant to grow! 

Oh, did you see the part about Rolo being a girl? :shock:Lol. She's starting to be a bit diva-ish herself. She definitely wants her things where SHE wants them to be. If I move it, she throws it down or tries to destroy it. :expressionlessOh dear. She decided that she hated my idea of using a certain litterbox as a litterbox and insisted that it be her bed instead. Finally, I figured I wouldn't win with her so I turned it into a bed and gave her small litter corners instead. Seems she was happy because now she uses the one corner. The other, she's not happy about where I placed it so she keeps throwing it down. I'll remove it this weekend if she did it again. :expressionlessShe's also becoming more demanding about coming out. I think that's a really good thing because she comes to the front now when I go by her. Before, she used to ride and hide right away. I've also got her started on veggies which seems to have gotten her curiosity. I'm glad she's getting used to us. She absolutely hates being picked up so I am being careful and taking it slow with that for now. 

Thank you so much Vircia! It's great talking to you and I'll be sure to look for any updates on your blog. I hope you will have a lovely day! 

Big hugs! Kiss Kimi for me please :biggrin2:


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## MiniLopHop (Apr 15, 2011)

That is so wonderful that the cats are good with the piggies. You are lucky they don't have as much hunting instinct. Victoria was a stray the first two years of her life so she certainly knows how to hunt. She also knows if she's aggressive toward any other pet she gets the water bottle, so she tends to find a high perch and just glare at them. :surrender

Andre is so spoiled he doesn't know he's a cat and plays with everyone. :thankyou:

Last night I had a lightning strike thought. What if Maybelle likes Bobby enough to be, ummmm, accomidating? :shock:

The squares look large enough to me. I would hate for her new sweetness to be because she is pregnant. Is Bobby fixed? Hopefully he is. :?

I'm glad things are easier with your allergies since the weather is nice and you can open things up. It's a challenge when the mind and body fight. :hugsquish:


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## Nela (Apr 15, 2011)

[align=center]A few pictures from today... :biggrin2:[/align]
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## Nela (Apr 15, 2011)

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## Nela (Apr 15, 2011)

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## Nela (Apr 15, 2011)

Hey Brandy,

Sorry I was posting at the same time so didn't see your post. Lol. Yeah, I think it's nice. I can definitely understand why Victoria would react differently with having been a stray! 

Hehe from what I rememberBobbie is neutered so there should be no issues. We'll probably be closing it off too. I feel so bad. Meh... 

I'm glad about the weather too. You and i both know how it is when your body has other ideas. I spent the past two weeks in an 'episode' mode and was pretty miserable. It's quite similar to Fibro really so I really feel for you. Bleh. I hope you have a few good days so you can enjoy yourself more. How's the gardening coming along?


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## MiniLopHop (Apr 15, 2011)

Oh no, you can't keep a space for them to visit? Maybelle will be sad. 
Hopefully the new lovely landscaping will cheer her up! 

Your piggies are just way too cute. You are tempting me to get one, but I promised we were done with pets.

I'm sorry the past two weeks have been rough. Have you ever tried acupuncture? I still have ups and downs, but the downs aren't as harsh as they were before. My strawberry plants came! I'm going to try to get them planted on Sunday. Saturday is going to rain all day. The seedlings are getting big and strong


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## Nela (Apr 18, 2011)

Hey Brandy,

Yeah... I wish we could figure that out but with sharing a fence, it's not just up to us so... Hopefully, she will be busy foraging and won't look for him too much. Now, everytime she comes out, the first thing she does is look for Bobbie. He's not often out but she sure loves it when he is. Baaaaaah I hate being in this position. 

Hehehe. I am quite sure you would quite enjoy piggies. Maybe later on... I think they make great pets. :biggrin:

I've never tried acupuncture. I've heard only good things about it though... I'm scared of needles... I cannot imagine myself with a ton of needles sticking out of me. :expressionlessLol. I'm doing much better though but now I am doing some physical work so it's only normal that it flare up. Ah well!

Did you plant your strawberries finally? How is Becky feeling?


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## Nela (Apr 19, 2011)

[align=center]This weekend, we started working on the fence in the yard. I had started to scrape it manually but quickly gave up. Lol. Jeff then bought a sanding machine and started on Sunday but dropped it and cracked it. Luckily, it still worked but he was not happy with it since he couldn't get it in the corners. I suggested we get a second one, a smaller one, so that we could both sand instead of me just standing there and watching. Hehehe he thought that was a good idea so off we went to buy the other. Anyway, we sanded for hours... Sanding down a fence isn't as easy as we thought it would be. :expressionlessQuite a bit more painful and tiring reallyWe didn't even get a third done. :grumpy:However, on a positive note, you can definitely see a difference between what has been sanded and what hasn't. [/align]
[align=center]Unfortunately, the previous owners were very good at doing things wrong when it came to the yard. Lol. Anyway, they used a varnish, and not a very good one at that. With the sun shining directly on it, it peeled and looked terrible.[/align]
[align=center]What the fence looks like before sanding:[/align]
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[align=center]After being sanded:[/align]
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[align=center]We chose and bought a proper paint for it but we met with the landscaper yesterday and he suggested we leave it as it is once sanded. We haven't decided if we will paint it or not so that's still to see. Meanwhile, I have to sand it anyway so that gives us some time to think about it. [/align]
[align=center]We took a break and Houdina wanted to come out so we let her out while we sat for a few. She made a friend in that short time... [/align]
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[align=center]On Monday, we met the landscaper. I had been looking forward to this for soooo long. I was thrilled with the meeting. Having picked a family company that's been in the business for over 40 years seems to have been the right choice to make. The guy was very friendly and quick to understand exactly where I was going with the yard. Hehehe. I was rather proud of myself because we both had the same ideas so I am happy that I could actually design it properly. The great thing was that he really knew exactly what I wanted without me having to explain much at all. He too had climbing plants along the fence in mind, a waterfall pond, raised borders, etc. I must say, I was pleasantly surprised.[/align]
[align=center]The best part was when I shared my wish of having a tree in the yard. He looked at the small Red Robin and asked me ifI wanted a small tree or something bigger and when I answered "Bigger :biggrin:" he couldn't help but smile. I was thrilled when he told me he could easily give me a tree and that it would be no problem at all. I tentatively mentionned loving fruit trees and right away he suggested an apple tree. AWESOME. Not only that, but he can fit it exactly where I had hoped too. Lol. I didn't know if it'd be possible or not to have a proper tree in the yard because we live in a townhouse, meaning all the houses and yards are attached. The last thing I would want to do is to cause problems by growing a tree and having its roots disturb others. He said not to worry and that it can be planted properly without causing any trouble. Woohoo!!! [/align]
[align=center]I'm thinking of an apple tree because I find them gorgeous. For the wildlife aspect, it is great. It provides leafage, bark, blossoms, fruit, etc. For us, it's a beautiful tree to look at and the fruit are great too if we can get to them in time. The best part is I could use the branches for the buns and piggies when pruning back the tree. :biggrin2:I'm not absolutely sure that I will go with it yet though. I want to be sure that I know the work that it requires and the risks that I might be taking with it. I wouldn't want to bring in an infestation of any sort. Also, with an apple tree, we're bound to have a whole bunch of wasps coming around and I hate wasps. Jeff doesn't think they'll be an issue though. I don't know yet... I think a bit more research is necessary. I had also considered a cherry tree. However, a cherry tree blooms earlier and the wood is not useful to me for the buns or piggies. On the other hand, cherries are expensive to buy and I am sure the birds would love them. Also, I believe there are more disease-resitant apple cultivars available than there are cherry ones. [/align]
[align=center]So here are some pics of the yard as it is now:[/align]
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[align=center]All the rock was actually in the front garden. :grumpy:It looked HORRIBLE so I removed allllll of it. There's at least 30 buckets worth of it! I put it there because we couldn't just dump it anywhere. Luckily, when the yard will get done, they can deal with all these things. Lol. Also, if you look closely (1st picture), you will see that under the loose pave stones, there is a small brick wall there. We have no idea WHY it's there nor what purpose it ever had. It's in the way and it will be smashed. :biggrin:[/align]
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[align=center]Another odd thing is that there is a random plank here and there screwed into the fence. At first, we thought maybe something was wrong with the fence and that the plank had been there to reinforce it or to block a gap of some sort. However, the fence is perfectly fine. We don't know what purpose this had either. Jeff removed on and the other will be removed as well. [/align]
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[align=center]That is the original planting space. That's all there was when we moved in. I tried to continue it to make it go all alone the fence but I quickly realized that it wouldn't be possible. Unfortunately, the pave has a curved path motif so I couldn't simply pull out tiles to make the border. It annoys me. :grumpy:The planting space is just not practical either. The stuff spreads, I get weeds in every tile seam, cats use it as their litterbox, and it simply looks messy. Instead, we will have raised stone borders. This will look better visually as the yard won't all be flat like it is now and it has the added bonus that it will be easier on me physically as I won't need to kneel the same way to plant, etc. It'll also be much easier to maintain it. I'll make some sort of step system so Maybelle and hedgehogscan access it easily as well[/align]
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[align=center]I'll be growing berries all along the fence so we will have a lot of green in the yard. The tile is being completely removed and replaced. The yard needs to be leveled properly and the tile needs to be done properly so that the weeds don't grow in the seams as they do now. We're also going with a larger and differently shaped tile to make it look better visually. The tree will go in the far left corner, by the gate. The Red Robin tree will be planted in the front instead. The ugly sign on the shed will go. The garbage bins will be hidden (I hate those ugly things!) by a fence panel and there will be another flower bed/border right by the shed there. We've decided not to build Rolo's run as we fear we will not use it enough to be worth it. I don't intend on having multiples in the future and I can still take Rolo out in the yard so we decided to hold off on that. [/align]
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[align=center]Well, I have always hated the hedge. It's a big ugly thing that attracts the biggest spiders ever. They weave huge webs from the shed to the hedge and then we walk right into them. :grumpy:It doesn't help that I am allergic so I get wheezy and break out in hives when I touch it. Bleh. It dries up and the needles fall all over the place. It's not practical with the bunnies either. Although, now Maybelle loves to run along the fence when Bobbie is out. Well, the landscaper doesn't like it either. He also took a good look at it and said that it is actually dying. He says he doesn't expect it to last very long and will need to be replaced anyway. I think that settles it then. We'll try to do it with the neighbor. If not, we'll cut it back and set our fence a tad within our line not to have to deal with it.I don't think the neighbors like it too much either though as it makes it really hard for them to catch the bunnies and the kids get pretty scratched up by trying. [/align]
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[align=center]That chair will FINALLY go in the garbage! Ugh! You can't put furniture in the garbage here like you would in Montreal. You have to go bring it or call to have it organized and you must pay for it so the dutch tend to keep things until they have a ton to throw out to make it worth their money. Lol. I hate the way the garbage works here. I'll be thrilled when it's gone. There will be a big border here along the house and this is where the pond will go. The rocks should set against the fence to give it some height and create the waterfall. There is a lot of sun in the morning but it's in the shade in the afternoon. It's not exactly perfect but it's what we have so that's what we'll go with. I'll probably transfer my weeping rose tree there too and set it where the brick wall of the house is. I'm a bit confused still about the blue fence... The shed is blue... The rest of the fence is brown. The blue shed is not my favorite but I am not sure what color to paint it if we do... So that part is still a bit up in the air. [/align]
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[align=center]If you look at the floor, you will see a circular pattern there. It drives me absolutely bonkers. We have a round table so the only place in the yard I CAN put it is on the circle or else it looks absolutely ridiculous. :grumpy:Jeff doesn't see it. The landscaper burst out laughing and agreed that the circle must go. Thank goodness I'm not the only one seeing it When it's all done, the table will be shifted in the centre of the yard and the borders will run all along the yard. [/align]
[align=center]So, that's that for the yard. :biggrin2:[/align]
[align=center]Yesterday, I went to school, only to find out my teacher was absent again. A classmate texted me and let me know that she and 2 others were thinking of leaving and going for a drink instead since no work ever gets done when it's a substitute. I responded with a "cool, sounds good" only for her to text back and ask if that meant I was coming or not. LOL. I seriously just assumed I was not invited. I didn't think it was an invitation at all. LOL. She called me a dork and I decided to tag along. I had actually been invited a few times but timing was always wrong and I figured that if I keep refusing they are bound to stop inviting me. It's the first time I go out on my own since moving here! :biggrin2:I was thrilled to be invited. I looked like total crap though. Lol. :expressionlessI'm still surprised that they invited me to be honest. It's kind of like the fatloner kid being invited out by the stylish popular kids. Lol. So basically, we ended up skipping class and headed to a quiet bar instead and had a few beers. I don't drink much at all but it was nice to go even just for the chit chat. I wasn't far from home, we had a guy with us, and Jeff picked me up so I felt safe. That was a major step for me. Funny thing is, I was sure I had no money on me but I hoped I had enough change for at least a beer... I found a 50 in my wallet so I pulled it out and said "is this enough for a drink?" and everyone burst out laughing. It didn't help that I also pulled out a plastic bottle cork that Jeff suggested we keep when we went to throw out the recycling. Matt asked me where the bottle was and why I had started the party without them. Hehehe. You know, normally I'm the kid that never does anything spontaneous. I just stick to what is right all the time. I'm also the girl who missed out on being a teenager and having fun so this time I decided that making some progress in my social aspect would be good. I think it was a good decision though perhaps not necessarily the right one since we did ditch school. :expressionlessIt's definitely not something I'd make a habit out of but it felt so darn good to have friends to chat with and to laugh and to be myself. I haven't got anyone here other than Jeff. Jeff is great, but it's also great if we don't do EVERYTHING together. Every once in a while, it can be nice to kick back with my own friends just like he can enjoy his time with his. [/align]
[align=center]Well, with all that, the girl that invited me messaged me back again and gave me her phone number and invited me out again. The other, invited us all to a party she is having. It feels... Wonderful. I'm not going to the party. I am not really interested in the party scene and I think I'm at a different phase in my life but I think I might invite them over for a BBQ this summer when the yard is done. [/align]
[align=center]Another classmate also invited me to a scrapbooking workshop. It's on a friday morning so I would have gone but it's 50 euros. :expressionlessSure, it includes all the material and lunch but I find that a bit steep for me. With us working on the yard, wanting to do certain things this summer, I find it a bit much. I'll mention it to Jeff but I think he'll agree that it's a bit much for a one-time scrapbooking event. [/align]
[align=center]On an even better note, last week, I met a girl that lives closeby. It'd be a breeze to ride to her house but since I am such a dork, I'd have to walk so it's a bit of a walk but doable. She's 37 and has a 2 year-old boy. She's extremely friendly and silly. I think she is someone I can get along with easily. She's already invited Jeff and I over to her house and I mentioned us taking her son to the lake so hopefully that will all work out. I also have her phone number and we've started texting each other. The thought of having a friend nearby makes me very happy. It's great because she's home with her son as well so we can meet up any time while our men are at work. :biggrin:[/align]
[align=center]So... Even if I skipped class yesterday, I would say the integration program is a success. Lol. I'm integrating see? We ordered our beers in dutch yesterday. It's a start [/align]
[align=center]*Happy sigh*[/align]


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## MiniLopHop (Apr 19, 2011)

Now seeing the pictures, I agree the bush has to go! I had that kind of bush out side my house growing up and I hate them so much. They give me welts too. They were such a fad to plant outside of houses in the 70s and 80s. I think it was just because they were cheap. Perhaps you can arrange play dates and take Maybelle next door once and a while?

I did not get my berries planted, it was too wet. Hopefully soon it will stop raining so I can get out into the yard. Becky is feeling much better, thank you. She still has a wee bit of goop that I wash off her face in the evenings, but it is so much better. I'm sure by the time she is done with the drops it will be gone.

I love the plans for your garden. It is going to be so lovely. How can Jeff not see the circle? That would drive me crazy as well. Don't you wish you could find out what the previous owners were thinking? The fence looks so very much improved! I would just seal it and leave the natural color, it's so pretty.

As for skipping class, I am a big nerd. That being said, one of my fondest memories from college was one February I skipped Spanish class becasue it was too beautiful to be inside. I was in shorts and a tshirt laying in the sun. That doesn't happen very often in Ohio in February! Sometimes you just have to take the chance and be a little naughty 

That is wonderful that you are making friends! Jeff is an incredible guy, but like you said, one person can't fill every need. You need to have girlfriends too that like to do the silly girl things together. *huggles* I'm so glad things are going well for you.


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## myheart (Apr 19, 2011)

Wow!!! :shock:Looks like you'll have your work cut out for you!! You'll have to hold onto all of those backyard pics and re-post them as "before and after" pics as your yard gets done. I bet it'll all fall together nicely and look absolutely smashing!! 

It is so good to hear that you are finally making friends. Sometimes it takes a little while, but maybe those are the friends who are worth waiting for.


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## irishbunny (Apr 19, 2011)

That is great that your making friends there now. It's great to relax and chit chat isn't it?  I can't imagine moving to a country and having to make all new friends, eek! I have quite a lot of friends and love hanging out and partying but I really am not good with people I don't know I get very anxious. Well done to you!


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## Nela (Apr 20, 2011)

Brandy:

Hehehe yeah see what I mean about the hedge? Ugh. :expressionlessI'm all for green but that is just terrible. Being told that it's actually dying was a comfort though because despite hating it, I hate destroying something still living. It's also why I am going to try transferring as much as I can so that what can be saved will be saved. But yeah, the hedge won't be one of them 

As for Maybelle, I won't be doing that. I just do not think it is worth the risk with her being the way she is. She also isn't very fond of kids. Last thing I would want is for her to bite the neighbor kids. It's one thing if it's your own kids, but another when it's someone else's. We'll just have to deal I guess. Bah.

Aww that sucks that you couldn't plant them yet. Hopefully soon :biggrin2:It's so much fun. I am glad to hear that Becky is doing better! Did I understand correctly, she is in your bedroom now?

As for the plans, thanks. I hope it will be good. Hehehe. I'm trying to make the most of the space. Jeff really doesn't care for the yard. If it was up to him, he'd probably just leave it like this. :expressionlessLol. There really isn't much that bugs this guy... I on the other hand, cannot stand having this space and not be able to use it like I would want. I see so much potential and I have so many ideas. All I could think of is "Oh how lovely this yard would be if..." so now we will get it to that. I love being outdoors and with the weather here, it's much more pleasant for me because it's not nearly as hot and humid as it was in Montreal. I'd even sit out there in the rain really. It's also something that will add a bit of value to the house so it's not lost at all. Gardens are quite important to the dutch here. I cannot wait to get the front done. I am so ashamed that it is such a mess!

Hehehe Jeffsees the actual circle but just doesn't get why it bugs me with the table and why I HAVE to put the table in the circle. He'd just pull the table away and ignore the circle. Lol. Men! I really don't know what the owners had in mind and really I would love to ask them what they were thinking with the yards and why in the world have they painted every bedroom YELLOW. :expressionlessTwo women, and not one of them was very good with decor it seems As for the fence, the landscaper told us we should just leave it and not bother doing anything other than the sanding. I personally thought it required a sealant but he said it doesn't. We have a tinted sealant now which we were going to use but Jeff is wondering if we should just leave it like the guy said. Bope. I think we should go ahead with the original plan. The wood now is very light and the shed is very dark so it bugs me a bit. If we tint/seal it, the wood will be a bit darker so that might help. Not sure. Lol.

I'm a big nerd too. This isn't something I've ever done and it seems a bit silly doing so really. Hehehe. One of the reasons I don't plan on returning to college is because with all my bad experiences, I just don't have the drive for it anymore. School is something I have to do here so I do it but really, sticking to anything for very long is extremely difficult for me right now. I'm trying to stay disciplined but it is sooo very hard. Hehehe, I too hate being stuck in a classroom if it's so gorgeous outside. I picture myself walking and then can't seem to be disicplined enough to focus on the class. Really the main reason I went back to the school was for the social interaction. I have class tonight though and I am going to work hard 

It's nice to be getting along with people.I don't do well with people in general so making friends is much harder than it was.

Thankies for posting! 

PS: almost done your box :biggrin2:


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## Nela (Apr 20, 2011)

Janet:

Hehehe we definitely would if we were doing it all ourselves. It's just too much really. I had started things myself but I kept finding more and more that needed to be changed and bah, I think it really needs a proper facelift. 

Jeff's mother was here with mefor days last summer, scraping each and every single seam by hand to get all the weeds/moss out. To be honest, I found it quite ridiculous. Plus, it grew back before we were even done. There's just no point to that amount of physical work for nothing. I have a really hard time with her for that. She wants to help but she doesn't know when to stop and I cannot stand it. She suffers for it after and it really irritates me. I'll be glad when all this is done so then I can ask her to come help plant plants and at least I will know that she'll be happy to have been part of it, and I'll be happy that it wasn't any exaggerated work. Hehehe. I think we can only win by having the yard done properly. Of course, it's going to cost but I think it's a good spending. :biggrin:

Yep yep, definitely planning on making a before and after series. Also planning on taking pictures of the work as it progresses. It's our first home so it's lovely to make the memories. I will be making a scrapbook all about the house. :biggrin2:

Making friends is such a big deal for me. It doesn't come so naturally anymore since I tend to shy away from people. Even now, I still don't understand why they were so nice to bring me along. Lol. I don't look like I fit in at all! Maybe this is justwhat I need. 

Thank you for your message!

Grace:

Thank you! Yeah, having to meet all new people REALLY makes me uncomfy. I'm really not very comfortable in my own skin right now and feel really out of place so it's just really really hard. On the other hand, the idea of having my own friends to hang out with makes me very happy. I guess some discomfort is worth it then. Lol


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## Nela (Apr 20, 2011)

A while ago, Peg (TinysMom) asked me how it's been having to adjust to a new country and the food. Sometimes, when you change country, the little things can have quite an impact. Food is one of those things you don't appreciate as much until you cannot get it. 

I think most of us can attach some sort of sentimental value to food since it can easily be associated with particular memories...

Here's a list of things I really miss:

Jello:

It's jelly, wiggly, yummy goodness. It's cheap, colorful, darn easy to make, fun to play with, and yummy to eat. What more can you want? It's a childhood favorite. I remember my mom making it it a pan and then using cookie cutters to cut it into shapes. I also remember jello being a favorite when I was sick. Not only that, but I have high school memories involving jello as well. 

Dill Pickles:

I've always LOVED dill pickles. When I was a kid, we used to go to this big store and buy this HUGE jar of BIG pickles. I've always loved to eat them as is, not slicing them because I looove getting a mouthful of the juice (as long as I don't choke on it). Anyway, I remember this one time where it simply exploded and I (and everyone at the table) ended up drenched in pickle juice! Brandy sent me a cup which I just happened to eat yesterday. Thank you Brandy!!!

Skittles:

Mmm skittles. Making my own fruit combinations is always a favorite of mine. Brandy also sent me these and introduced me to a new kind as well! Hehehe.

Gobstoppers:

I loooove Gobstoppers. I remember my best friend and I taking turns trying to guess what the other was tasting. We used to buy jujubes with our change but every once in a while we'd get lucky and have enough to buy a box so we'd share it.

Quaker's Instant Oatmeal:

Cooking oatmeal myself is not nearly as simple and as yummy. I remember taking all the maple and raisin sachets and leaving the others for everyone else. I also remember everyone giving me odd looks because I like my oatmeal sticky. 

BBQ sauce (like hot chicken sauce):

Gah! It is the sauce that goes on poutine! I cannot find it here. I love to make a hole in my mashed potato and fill it with the sauce, making it look like a volcano. Hehehe.

Rootbeer:

Another childhood favorite. My father and I both love it.

Cream Soda:

Imagine my disappointment when I realized I could not buy cream soda here. No ice cream floaties for me. *Sobs*

Kraft Dinner:

I mean really, I looooooooved Kraft Dinner as a kid and I still love it! Yum!!!

Velveeta Shells:

Mmm velveeta shells are always yummy! I remember my mother and I having it as our special treat since it was too expensive for a family of 5. Hehehe.

Golden Grahams:

My favorite cereal! 

Curd Cheese:

Mmmm squeaky cheese!!! I remember on family outings, my father always used to stop along the way and buy squeaky cheese to eat in the car. It's the cheese on poutine too!

Maple cookies:

Mmm I love dipping maple cookies in milk. You know the ones shaped as a maple leaf with maple cream between the cookies? Yum!

Lay's BBQ chips:

We don't have them here. We have ham and BBQ but they aren't the same. So simple no? Lol.

Ham:

Not ham slices like cold cuts, a real big chunk of ham! We have thick slices that come in a pack of 2 slices but it's not exactly the same.

Hot Dog Sausages:

The sausages here are not the same. The come in a can, in liquid so they are much softer and aren't the typical hot dog that I know. 

Those are the ones that come to mind right now! Hehehe.


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## Nela (Apr 20, 2011)

[align=center]*HAPPY BIRTHDAY SMORES!!!*[/align]
[align=center]arty:[/align]
[align=center]HE'S A YEAR OLD TODAY![/align]
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[align=center]I called Sandra to let her know and got our nephew, even better. I let him know that today is Smores' birthday and he was very happy to know. They will be treating him to a little something special today.[/align]
[align=center]Shortly after, Sandra emailed me some pictures of the adorable couple and I thought I would share with you guys. :biggrin:[/align]
[align=center]As you can tell, they are very happy indeed [/align]
[align=center]Smores is a couch bunny. He loooooves hopping up on the couch, kicking everyone off and then running like a madman for a few before crashing...[/align]
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[align=center]Smores and Giggles were always meant to be together...[/align]
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[align=center]And of course, every bunny loves to eat:[/align]
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[align=center]Adorable no?[/align]


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## myheart (Apr 20, 2011)

Doesn't time fly?!! I just love seeing snuggle-bunnies!! Such a handsome couple Smores and Giggles make. It's easy to see why Rolo is so pretty... 

arty:*Happy Birthday Smores!!! arty:*


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## Wabbitdad12 (Apr 20, 2011)

Happy Birthday Smores!

It took me awhile to get caught up on your blog. You take such great pictures of your animals.

I think it might be a international crime to withhold chocolate from a person.


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## MiniLopHop (Apr 20, 2011)

Happy Birthday Smores!

They do look very happy together. What a cute couple! There's nothing cuter than bunny love.


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## Bunny parents (Apr 21, 2011)

Happy Belated Birthday Smores !  
Wow ! They look very happy  You know.. I just finished reading your post on my blog about finding a buddy for Kimi.  Seeing Smores and Giggles always side by side and do things together makes me want to go out from work and search for a perfect boy for my girl !  However, we're not sure we're ready. I will see if Kimi will be sad or lonely. Right now she's still happy 'cause my husband is at home with her and when he goes to work ( mostly on weekends ) I'm home with her. We'd love to adopt a boy who has same age as Kimi and similar size, of course he HAS to be handsome !  Hahahaha. 
Take care, 
Vircia.


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## Nela (Apr 21, 2011)

Janet:

Thank you for the bday wishes! They have been passed on :biggrin2:Time sure does fly! I can't believe he's a year old already! :shock:Awww there is not doubt in my mind that Smores and Giggles are a perfect fit. I knew from the very moment they saw each other. Hehehe :biggrin:I think it's nice that Rolo has so much from both and not just one parent, especially since they don't live with us anymore.

Dave:

Thank you! Your wishes have also been passed on :biggrin:Hehehe I do tend to babble a lot I'm glad you enjoyed the pictures! Hehehehe I'll make sure to let Jeff know about the chocolate withholding. He ate a mini Twix in front of me yesterday too :grumpy:Lol. 

Brandy:

Thankies! I let them know of your birthday wishes. :biggrin:I love bunny bonds! I find it to be soooo special. I think the fact that they are so picky about their mate makes it that much more special to watch. It's why I insisted that these two go together or not at all. *Sigh* They are happy though and, in the end, that's all that matters.

Vircia:

Thank yooou! He's been told :biggrin:Bonded bunnies are very very special. It would definitely need to be the perfect bun for your Kimi. Hehehe. The problem is when it doesn't work... Gah, then it's hard to deal with. Are there any shelters there that can do bunny dating with Kimi? That would be fun. I'm thinking more and more about Maybelle finding a buddy but I am worried about my allergies. Sometimes, I feel like trading Rolo for Bobbie so Bobbie can be with May and Rolo could be with their other boy but Rolo is my girl and I doubt the neighbor kids would want anyway Hehehe. Unfortunately, Maybelle definitely isn't interested in another girl. Hehehe. Ah well! I understand the hesitation. I'm sure either way, Kimi will be very happy. How could she not be? Hehehe, of course he'd have to be handsome!


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## Nela (Apr 21, 2011)

I have some very unhappy girls right now... 

They got their vaccinations today. 

Ugh.



I feel for them.

The vet was great though. It was obvious that he loves animals and bunnies. Hehehe he was talking to Maybelle while he sorted out the carrier to take her out and then scooped her up and smothered her in hugs and kisses. I tried to say something but then decided to let him figure it out. Lol. 

At first, Maybelle was like "Ugh, what are you doing?!" but it soon turned to "Get your FILTHY hands off me!" and "Put me down THIS instant!" 

Hehehehe.

The vet found her QUITE silly and wasn't letting her have it her way. Lol. I sorta felt bad for the poor girl. 

She tried kicking the daylights out of him but it was clear that he was used to handling rabbits. :biggrin:

He did the same with Rolo and she was surprisingly really easy going with him. Maybe she was just too terrified to do anything. Lol. He even tickled her tummy. The vet was something else, let me tell you. He was so hyper when he saw them. LOL.

I'm really happy with this vet clinic. 

I asked about spays and from what he says, they are fully up-to-date on rabbit care. He did say that unfortunately, a lot of people don't choose to spay and neuter rabbits because they just can't understand paying 15-20 for a rabbit and then paying 130-150 for an operation. Bah. He told me he does about 3 a month and has no problems. He does send the buns home with a full care package, including probiotics, pain meds, etc. He said a rabbit not having pain meds was just not an option. I like to hear that. 

Well, I knew that Smores and Giggles were also having theirs today but I didn't realize it would be at the same time. Just as we were about to leave, Jeff's mum and sister walked in with the buns. :biggrin:Hehehe. Family outing at the vet's! It was funny. They had come on a bike with Jeff's mum cycling and Sandra holding the buns. Lol. Jeff brought Sandraand the buns back with us and Jeff's mum met us at Sandra's place by bike. It's nice to see that all the buns are being cared for and are doing so well. 

Right now, Rolo seems to be doing alright although she's hiding from me just in case I decide to plop her back in a carrier and take her to the vet's again. Lol! Maybelle on the other hand doesn't seem to be feeling too great. She's sleeping a lot and seems a tad uncomfy. I hate to see her unwell, it really gets to me. It's pretty much the only times I've seen her unwell too! It needs to be done though It's for her own good. *Sigh*

I'm armed with a ton of hay, simethicone, etc. 

Just in case.

:expressionless

All I want to do is hug her tight and tell her I'm sorry for having to put her through that but she's probably kick me for it...



*Fingers crossed that she'll be feeling great in no time!*


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## MiniLopHop (Apr 21, 2011)

I have to admit that I am glad my kids don't need vaccines, but the cats get them. It's normal for them to be a bit off and want to sleep the day they get it. I'm sure Maybelle and Rolo will be back to themselves by tomorrow. The vet sounds like a hoot.

Tell Jeff the next time he eats chocolate infront of you that you will just have to bite him instead


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## Nela (Apr 21, 2011)

Yeah... I was happy the buns didn't need them in Montreal but it's a completely different thing here. I figure they feel pretty similar to me when I get my shots. I hate the feeling. Lol. I'm sure they are fine but I can't help but feel bad. Maybelle looks so sorry for herself hehehe...

The vet definitely was fun. Tad bit crazy, but fun. Hehehe.

Maybe next time Jeff does that,I just won't say anything and do so 

Wanted to add... About the cats... When I moved here, I HAD to have them micro-chipped. I saw the syringe and left the room. I started sobbing because I couldn't believe I had to put Houdina through that! (Baloo was lucky, I had them do it while he was asleep for his neuter but Houdina had already been spayed!)


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## MiniLopHop (Apr 21, 2011)

LOL He would deserve it. Taunting a person with chocolate when they can't have it is cruel and unusual punishment!


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## Nela (Apr 21, 2011)

Hehehehe for sure. Well... He's not hoooome this evening and this is technically the start of the Easter holidays... :innocent


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## MiniLopHop (Apr 26, 2011)

Knock, Knock.... Just checking in to make sure you are ok?


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## Bunny parents (Apr 27, 2011)

Hey  How are you and the girls ? Don't worry, okay ? They will be fine. The first time Kimi was vaccinated I was terrified too. But they're like us, after vaccine they can also feel sleepy or more tired, but soon they will recover and back to happy binky again. How was your Easter ? I'm sure you and your family had a great time.  

Miss ya !


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## JadeIcing (Apr 27, 2011)

Just catching up. Can not wait to see your garden/yard all done!


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## Nela (Apr 28, 2011)

Hey guys, we are all fine. I've been wanting to post but been losing my Rabbits Online posts a lot over the past few days so I haven't updated here. The girls are all recoveredf from their shots. We haven't heard back from the landscaper yet. I'll post a properupdate very soon.


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## Nela (May 1, 2011)

Hey everyone,

Sorry about not having updated in a bit, we've been really busy here. :expressionless

For Easter, we went to Jeff's mum's house for a lovely fondue dinner. We ate outside and it was a gorgeous day. I was a bit irked though when Jeff's brother-in-law made the comment that since it will be a year that I'm here, they should only be speaking dutch. I felt a bit annoyed by that and really just was not happy about him getting so annoyed by my english. It may almost be a year that I am here but I only started school in January. I don't work, I don't go out... So I'm really not that exposed to dutch. I refuse to speak it with Jeff at home. As much as I respect the country and will learn the language, I am not dutch and I will not pretend to be Dutch. In our home, we will speak english. Unless we have kids of course, then that would be different. But anyway yeah, aside from that brief cringe, it was a nice day.

My teacher at school was sick and missed abiout 2 weeks of classes. Turns out she will need surgery. She did come to teach us on Wednesday so we got to see her then. Hopefully, she'll recover quickly and will be back with us in 2 weeks or so. It's hard when you get subs that don't continue the lessons ans just go over what you've learnt. I mean, there's only so many times you can teach "achternaam"and "voornaam" Lol. School goes well though and I've been hanging around with others rather than keeping to myself. 

Still no word from the landscaper. I'm getting impatient. Already May, and the flowers are on special at the garden centre. We get the pet food there so it's a bit hard not to look at all the flowers... Lol. Drives me crazy not to be able to get any! Yesterday, I broke and got 2 "ijsbloems" plants. They were 0.99 cents and sooo lovely! I really really love them. The nice thing about them is that it looks like if they have water droplets on the stems and leaves. The flowers themselves are lovely bright colors. 

Wait... Brb, I will take a picture of the flowers since I cannot find a good enough one on google...


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## Nela (May 1, 2011)

Back with pictures of the ice plant...

The flowers open in full sun and the leaves look like they have tiny crystal droplets on them, glimmering with the sunlight:

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[align=center]So that is a new favorite of mine... I think I may use them quite a bit in the new coming front garden... :biggrin:[/align]


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## Nela (May 1, 2011)

Have I mentioned the ducks and swans out in front? I don't remember if I have. In front of the house, we have water, like a small canal. We normally have water hens and ducks but recently, a pair of swans have joined them. I am hoping they've chosen the spot to reproduce. When we had first visited the house after I arrived, on May 14th or so, we were greeted by a mama duck and her ducklings so I am hoping that we will have some again this year.

[align=center]Here is the view from our bedroom:[/align]
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[align=center]And then I crossed the street to take these:[/align]
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[align=center]Cute no?[/align]
[align=center]Oh and while we are on the subject of birds, look what we saw at the garden centre (they were not for sale):[/align]
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## Nela (May 1, 2011)

The weather here in the Netherlands has been fantastic. It's been lovely and sunny, and hot, and and dry... *Happy sigh* We've been BBQing every weekend since April or so. :biggrin2:Of course, it'd be awesomer if we had a pretty yard to sit in while eating... :grumpy:Lol. Well anyway, it's been lovely. 

Yesterday, I had this...

[align=center]A lovely bunch of fruit:[/align]
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[align=center]And my favorite drink, a mojito:[/align]
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[align=center]At least this was pretty to look at:[/align]
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I might end up putting some of that all along the top of the fences... :biggrin:

Houdina insisted on coming outside with us.It was very windy and she didn't particularly like it so she was quite happy with just sitting with us.I got some cute pictures of her:

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## Nela (May 1, 2011)

Baloo is an actor... He's now taken to acting 'neglected' and 'pitiful' and seems to sit in the playpen whenever we aren't paying him the attention he is constantly demanding... 

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Luckily, there are some quiet moments:

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I received a box from my family this week. I decided to wait for Jeff to come home from work before opening it but Baloo was all over it as soon as it came in... My mother had put some feathers in the box for fun and some of them were sticking out so Baloo got a hold of one... 

Oh no, Baloo ate Tweetie (or is it Tweety:?)Bird!

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Oh, this is what was in my box:

- a box of Golden Grahams

- 2 boxes of Kraft Dinner

- a bunch of colorful feathers

- 4 boxes of strawberry jello (my mother misunderstood, thinking I wanted only strawberry when I said the only kind I could find here is strawberry lol)

- Mini eggs! 

- 2 bags of skittles

- and a Happy Bunny frame from my father 



We are still working on all our boxes and hope to send them all out very very soon. It's hard to shop only on Saturdays, especially since there have been holidays... :expressionless


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## Nela (May 1, 2011)

And now, the one you've all been wanting to see... 

Yesterday was Queen's Day here. I thought it was the best moment to whip out Auntie Susan's gift of a "Queen"shirt and get some pictures of Maybelle in it. I'm sorry to say that Maybelle COMPLETELY disapproved of the idea. As much as she adores Auntie Susan, she does not agree to being dressed *Shows both hands* I've still got all my fingers though :biggrin:

[align=center]Here is Her Majesty, Queen Divabelle:[/align]
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[align=center]Showing Bobbie what we've done:[/align]
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[align=center]Trying desperately to get it off:[/align]
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[align=center]Some success:[/align]
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## Nela (May 1, 2011)

[align=center]Trying harder:[/align]
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[align=center]Being a drama queen and grooming herself furiously after having succeeded:[/align]
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[align=center]Unhappy Maybelle:[/align]
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[align=center]Finally, satisfied that I wasn't going to put it back on, she had a munch and then a rest:[/align]
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[align=center]Jeff treated lil Bobbie to a piece of carrot after feeling bad that May was munching on hers and he was just watching her:[/align]
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As for Rolo, I am going to ask permission from Susanto take pictures of her in the other shirt as it seems way fitting since it says "It's a girl!" LOL. It was intended for Maybelle but I think Susan will see the humor in it. I'll hold off until I get the okay. I didn't take May in that one though as she was quite mad at me already


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## Nela (May 1, 2011)

While on the subject of Maybelle...

I hadn't seen her pillows andother thingsin a few days. I had wanted to look for them before yesterday but I had gotten distracted and forgot about them. Yesterday, when we let Maybelle out, I asked Jeff and he too couldn't remember seeing them in a while. Hmmm. 

I searched in her tent. 

Nothing.

I searched behind the tent.

Nothing.

I searched under the tent.

Nothing.

Underthe hutch?

Nope.

Inside the water can?

Nah uh.

Hmmm where could they be?

And then I found this:

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Look properly:

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She did this ALL herself. Turns out, she emptied out the litterbox because she prefers that as her bed and is using the other one as her litter box. Her actual bed is empty. She's taken all her stuff and taken it into the closed litterbox. She's also pulled some fur. I wonder if the bed is actually hers or if she made it for the kids she imagines she would have. Lol. Isn't it the cutest, sweetest thing? Awwww.

[align=center]The proud and silly girl:[/align]
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:biggrin:

Aaaaaaaaaand I think I am done with all the babbling. I hope you all enjoyed the update :biggrin:


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## myheart (May 1, 2011)

:shock: Oh my goodness... How long did it take you to post all of these pics? I love all of the pics of May's efforts to disrobe herself, but it must have take you half a day to post them all!!! lol 

Maybelle looks so sweet in pink. She is such a creative girl to find the perfect place for her bedding. You must have been going nuts trying to find her stuff. I alway hate it when I think I've seen something somewhere in the house, and it's not there. Then there _has to be_ a hunt for the missing item.

Let's ask the neighbor guy for Bobbie to visit more regularly!! Maybe Bobbie would like his house moved to our new backyard when it is all done to be closer to his sweetheart. Ummm.... that sounds good to me....


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## SOOOSKA (May 1, 2011)

OMG great pictures. Maybelle is just the cutest:heartbeat::big kiss::inlove:.

By all means please give the other outfit to Rolo. I'm sure Maybelle will be very happy to share with Rolo.

Looking forward to the pictures.

Susan


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## Nela (May 1, 2011)

Janet:

Lol, luckily I'm pretty used to having a million tabs open so I was able to post these quite easily. The only sucky part is that I have to break down the posts to make it easier for the load so I ended up with quite a few posts for you guys to look through. 

Hehehehe when Maybelle doesn't approve of something, she sure lets you know it. :expressionlessShe was thumping and flicking me off like mad. Silly girl It was the first time putting a shirt on her from what I remember. She'll have to deal with it though because I plan on taking her out in her harness in the future and I will put the shirt on top to keep it nice and snug as an extra precaution. Plus, it's such a lovely shirt that her Auntie got her :biggrin2:

Pretty much everything that Maybelle now has is pink or at least has some pink on it. I wanted to get her a Hello Kitty ball but it was too big so unfortunately we got a Winnie da Pooh one instead. I think pink is such a fitting color for her since it looks nice against her white coat and looks lovely with her blue eyes. I'm glad you like it too. As for sweet... Yeah she LOOKS sweet. LOL.

Yeah the bed thing was really adorable. Jeff found it sooo sweet. He keeps commenting at how she placed the pillows properly and even has the stuffed bunny in there. Lol. Too cute! I got in trouble for putting the box back, facing the proper direction. Jeff insisted that I place it back facing the wrong direction as that is how Maybelle put it. Think she's made a good slave out of him? 

I hate looking for things. I hate it. I am ALWAYS looking for something or other in the house and it drives me bonkers. It's especially bad after I've cleaned. I hate how that happens. :grumpy:Luckily, looking for the pillows, there were only a number of places they could be. For now... It'll be an entirely different story when the yard is done. I so hope she doesn't start hiding them in the pond. LOL. Baloo is known for putting his toys in water so I hope that he's got that covered well enough that she won't feel the need for it as well. 

Hehehe. Well, ever since they found out that we have a fence along the hedge, they've been letting Bobbie out a lot. They also let the other bunny out but Maybelle isn't as interested in him. If he wasn't the neighbor kids' bunny, I'd make sure they knew I was interested in trying a bond with Maybelle. Unfortunately, it's very unlikely that we'll ever have that chance. However, I'll make sure they know that if ever, for some reason, they decide to rehome the buns, that I would take Bobbie. I don't want another bunny but if Bobbie and May could be buddies, that would be alright. Then again, maybe she likes him so much because he isn't in her yard 

Thanks for reading and posting, Janet! It's always nice to hear from you :biggrin:


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## Nela (May 1, 2011)

Susan:

I'm so happy you saw and enjoyed the pictures! I thought the shirt was just too awesome and fitting to be used on Queen's Day here in the Netherlands. Hehehe.We sure had fun with it.:biggrin:

Goodie goodie! We'll have some nice Rolo pictures to share with you all soon then. Hehehe. I hope to make it away with allmy fingers again. Luckily, I have the banana chips to ask forgiveness with :wink

The girls sure have plenty of rabbitude! :biggrin:

Thanks again for everything!


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## Wabbitdad12 (May 1, 2011)

Bunny's know just how they want their stuff arranged, what a silly bunny. She sure did a proper job like Jeff said.

How long did it take her to get the shirt off?


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## JadeIcing (May 1, 2011)

Love this update


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## Nela (May 2, 2011)

Dave:

Lol yep, that's my silly girl. She knows exactly what she likes and doesn't like. I'm glad it makes her happy. Lol. I thought of cleaning it out but decided to just let her have what she wants. (The extra hair doesn't help my allergies which is why I wanted to clean it) I've never actually had a bun that's nested like this before. :biggrin:

As for the shirt, well I did have to put it on her 3-4 times for the photos. All in all, the photos took about 15 minutes but she usually got the shirt off rather quickly. Lol. I was exhausted from chasing her 

Rabbits sure can run when they want to :expressionless

Alicia:

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it. :biggrin:


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## Nela (May 3, 2011)

Warning: Bit of a moping around post

*Sigh*

Jeff has officially said "No puppy".



I hadn't realized just how much I was hoping he'd say yes. Now, a breeder I had contacted to ask questions about the breed keeps contacting me at random to let me know what she has available and I just cry.

Peg even found a stray puppy and I cried. (No offense to Peg lol)

Now multiple friends have gotten or are in the process of getting a puppy.

And I cry.

No amount of pleading or bombarding him with adorable pictures has made him budge. For a man that once said he'd never say no to me, he sure has done a good job sticking to it. Lol.

The worst thing is he hadn't really given me a good reason why we shouldn't. His last response was "It's too much with what we have."

Okay, I guess that could make sense...

I think the issue is much bigger than the puppy.

We talked about kids not long ago. I was open to having a child and so is Jeff but time is escaping us FAST. Jeff turns 40 this year... He hasn't even proposed yet and I would really have wanted us to be married before having children. It's just the way I prefer it. But there is no clue as to when or if that will happen... 

On top of that, I really would have preferred to be done with school and have my citizenship. I guess I just want my bases covered you know?

But time is slipping away...

I think, with Jeff turning 40, it's really starting to hit home that kids just might not be an option. To be honest, I could be okay with that. I knew this before I got involved with Jeff. 

However, it cannot be a 'no' to both.

Might sound stupid to you guys... However, I figure that if I cannot have kids, at least I could have a dog to nuture and raise and bond with. I'm not thinking a dog can actually replace a child but I do think a puppy would give me some sort of focus... I'm not sure how to explain...

I feel a void right now.

It's not Jeff's fault.

However, right now, something is missing.

I feel like I am not moving forward anymore. Not progressing. We've stalled. As much as I adore Jeff, this is a feeling I have always had a hard time dealing with. I need to keep moving forward. Life is just too short...

So yeah.

Poop.


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## Nela (May 3, 2011)

âTo stand still is to lose, To move is to gain, To change is to grow.â


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## Nela (May 3, 2011)

So...

Just had a freaky experience...

Was sitting here, minding my own, when the doorbell rang. 

I opened the door and there were two guys there. The guy standing at the door starts rambling about how tomorrow or something, there will be a bin disinfecting day and how it costs 6 euro or something blah blah blah. Now, I don't quite get what he's saying so I figure it's some community thing and that we'll have to pay the 6 euro and be done with it.

Then he starts asking for some information. Name, adress, phone number. All is good (except i have to lookup the phone number lol) but these aren't anything out of the ordinary.

And then he asked for bank info saying it will be taken automatically from the account.

Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm :?

I don't think so!

So I politely apologize and tell the guy that I do not have access to that info as Jeff handles these things. 

Doesn't he get mad?

Doesn't he start telling me to go look, open mail, etc etc. 

Ummm...

Suddenly, I started getting very nervous. I didn't like how pushy he was getting AT ALL.

I politely asked if there was another way for us to register, and if Jeff can do it this evening when he gets home from work. 

Doesn't he just ignore me and keep pushing about the bank info?

Anyway, I told him I had no access and that I was unable to provide so he could just move on to the next customer. 

Anyway, the dude got angry, ripped the paper, said they'd be back and stormed off.

:lookaround

I came back and told Jeff and it didn't sit too well with Jeff either. Scam or not, this guy and perhaps the company was very unprofessional. Who asks for bank info like that at the door without even identifying themselves??? 

Meanwhile, I'm shaking like a leaf. I don't care if itturns out to belegit or not, those guys gave me a spook.

I want a dog.

Maybe make it a rottweiler.

:cry1:


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## Nela (May 4, 2011)

So... 

Feeling a bit stupid. Lol. Yesterday, Jeff called me to say he was stuck at the office because his car wouldn't budge. Luckily, a friend/co-worker drove him home so he didn't have to take the train back. He wanted to go by train this morning but I figured surely someone could give him a lift? And so he called a co-worker and got a ride. However, he was concerned about how he'd get back. Not thinking twice about it, I told him the car dealership would surely rent him one. Well he looked at me and said "But I can't drive another car" Right. Duh. Geez. *Facepalm* I think it is blatantly obvious that I ignore his physical limits. Lol. I mean, to me, he's just another man. I treat him as such. But it's moments like these that say "hey he can't do this or that"and then I remember that he's got a certain limitation when it comes to certain things. And I sometimes feel rather stupid when I say things like this to him. I mean, it's really all innocent and it only means that I don't actually see his limitations as being so present. However, I couldn't help but wonder how it makes him feel when I say things like that. He hates to be reminded of it and I guess him having to tell me he can't is a pretty good reminder. 

I'm going to have to work on that...

Well, yesterday I mentioned the kids thing on here right? Well it turns out I have one more reason to start accepting that we're probably not heading down that road. It turns out that a new immigration policy has been passed and supposedly, they are going to be hitting hard when it comes to dual citizenship. Before I came here, I made sure that I would be entitled to having both Canadian and Dutch citizenship if we made this permanent. Because it would have been through naturalisation (marriage) I would have been able to keep it. However, now it seems that this will no longer be possible. From my understanding (as well as many others), it seems that anyone wanting dutchcitizenship will now have to give up their previous nationality. The only exception would be for those whose countries do not allow this (Greece for example).So, if this is indeed what will be coming into effect this year, I have decided that I will not get dutch citizenship. I could still get permanent residence which gives many rights but does not allow me to certain things. However, I am just not willing to renounce my Canadian heritage. I am not Dutch. Point final. 

The problem is, if we'd have a child here, our child would be dutch. I'd be really concerned about having to deal with all the bureaucracy if something were to happen. I think, unfortunately, that I would need to have the same citizenship as my child to feel comfortable. 

So right now... Things are just really starting to point me into a different direction.

In other news, the landscaper hasn't called yet. :expressionlessHope he does soon...

[align=center]aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand[/align]
[align=center]MAYBELLE IS A YEAR OLD!!![/align]
[align=center]HAPPY BIRTHDAY SWEETIE![/align]
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## SOOOSKA (May 4, 2011)

[align=center]*HAPPY* BIRTHDAY MAYBELLE[/align]

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[align=center]Love[/align]

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[align=center]Auntie Susan[/align]

[align=center]:big kiss::flowerskiss::toast:inkelepht:arty0002::grouphug:trio:Canada small::running bunny:bunny18arty::balloons:[/align]


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## MiniLopHop (May 4, 2011)

*Happy Birthday Maybelle!*



:hugsquish::bouquet::flowerskiss:



The pictures of her in the shirt are priceless! She really is a queen :biggrin2:



I'm sorry the landscaper has not called you back. I hope he's just busy and will be able to get it done quickly once he starts. I love the pictures of the ice plants. Does the tag have the scientific name? I would love to find them here for my garden.

Perhaps I missed it along the way, but why can't Jeff drive any other car? I'm sure he knows you don't say things to make him upset. It's good that you don't focus on the negative.


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## myheart (May 4, 2011)

Ooo.... How creepy with those guys at your door!!! Good girl keeping your head about you and not letting them bully you into giving out your accounts. Jeff should be so proud of you for not caving-in to their pressure. A Rottie might be okay, but a Doberman would defend you to it's death, guaranteed. I miss my Dobie so much sometimes; she was a gem out of German lines with a nice stocky body. 

arty: *Happy Birthday Maybelle!!!* arty:


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## Wabbitdad12 (May 4, 2011)

The guys at the door thing, was definitely disturbing.

Happy Birthday Maybelle!


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## Bunny parents (May 5, 2011)

Happy Birthday to you, my dear Maybelle 
Wishing you and your momma happiness forever ! 
Love, 
Kimiko and her parents.:big kiss:


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## Nela (May 5, 2011)

Susan:

Thank you so much for the birthday wishes. Maybelle was thrilled and enjoyed her special banana chip :biggrin2:

__________________________

Brandy:

Maybelle says thank you! Hehehe her auntie has an eye for fashion I thought she looked adorable myself and Bobbie seemed to approve. Maybelle on the other hand... Lol. Like I said, she'll have to deal with it 

Yeah, for the landscaper... Bleh. I hope he calls soon. Well, doesn't matter too too much right now as we don't have the car andgoing to the head office is more fun with the car. I also haven't finished the fence. Perhaps, this is just one of those things that happens for a reason 

The flowers have the tags but I don't think the scientific name was on it though. I will look for it though. :biggrin:

___________________________

Janet:

Yeah, it was creepy They seem to have been from a legit but bad company. From what Jeff found out, they are the type to start billing for work that hasn't been done and it's very hard to get rid of them once you've dealt with them. I don't know why those companies are permitted to exist. Bleh. I really didn't like them and Jeff certainly isn't interested in doing business with them. Good. 

I'm glad I didn't just give it to them without thinking too. Lol. I'm silly enough to do things like that sometimes. :expressionlessLike how I came inside to get some info but left the door open... Sure, it turned out to be nothing but it could have cost me. That's something I will definitely not do again. :expressionless

Hehehe. I'm a bit intimidated by big dogs to be honest but yours must have been a sweetie. :biggrin:I can't help but wish I had a big scary dog sometimes though. I did almost get one back in Montreal actually. :expressionlessLol.

Thank you for Maybelle's birthday wishes!

________________________

Dave:

Yeah, ugh, scary and creepy and bleh... It's especially scary and intimidating when you're not in your own country. I mean, it's not much different as in Canada but somehow there is a psychological aspect that comes into play. I'm just much more unsure of myself here... :expressionless

Thank you for May's birthday wishes!

________________________

Kimi and Vircia:

Thank you so much for the sweet wishes :biggrin:Maybelle was thrilled.


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## Nela (May 6, 2011)

Yesterday, Jeff and I were playing Pinball and while we were doing so, the phone rang but we didn't answer in time. Of course, the one and only time we missed a call, it had to be the landscaper. :expressionlessJeff called back but, of course, there was no answer. Grrrrrrrr. They probably called just before closing :grumpy:I was not happy. It sucks when you so look forward to something you know?

However, about an hour later, the phone rang again and it was dear Michael to set up an appointment for us to go see the design. Yay. Only next Thursday. DOH! :grumpy:A week??? Geez! It's frustrating because I had designed the yard already. All he has to do is plug it in the computer in his fancy schmancy software so that we can confirm it. Why so long? Bleh! I guess it is a good sign that they are so busy? Lol.

At least now, we have a bit of pressure on us for the fence and we also need to talk to the neighbors about the hedge right?

So after that, we ordered dinner. Mmm shoarma. A few minutes after starting to eat, the doorbell rang and Jeff answered. I was sort of apprehensive, thinking maybe it was those guys coming back to try to make their sale. However, it turned out to be our neighbor. He invited us over. He wanted to talk about the hedge.

LOL.

I just sat there looking confused before asking Jeff if he had called him.

Nope. What timing.

So after dinner we went over and started chatting. They brought us to the back and started about the hedge and how it's dying and they would like to get rid of it, etc.

Of course, being me, I just looked at them and said "Why would you want to do that?"

And then they started looking a bit uneasy and started explaining that it's really not enjoyable...

I started laughing and I said "We HATE it"

And they all started laughing, relieved that we were definitely on board.

It turns out they had been wanting it out for a while but hadn't spoken to us just like we wanted it out but hadn't spoken to them. Lol. It's nice to see that we're all on board with it. Now we just need to figure out if we get the landscaper to do it or do it ourselves or what. 

On another note...

They want to give away one of their bunnies. Unfortunately, it is not Bobbie. I doubt it would work with him and Maybelle since they both have a desire to be dominant. :expressionlessToo bad. I would have tried Bobbie in a heartbeat. BUT they did mention having a hard time with going on vacation and leaving the buns so I told them it was definitely no problem to take care of them when they need so I will probably be the new bunsitter. :biggrin:Woohoo! Lol.

So anywho, yesterday was fun. They seem very friendly so it may be nice to get to know each other a lot more. She's offered to help me with my dutch as well. :biggrin:I'm more comfy with them because they aren't dutch themselves. It helps to know they actually know the feeling. On the other hand though, they spoke dutch pretty much the whole time and I understood pretty much everything so I am very happy about that. Understanding it is much more important to me than speaking it at this moment. I will work on the shyness though. Oh if I could only figure out how to make sentences properly...


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## MiniLopHop (May 6, 2011)

What a great day! Down with the ugly hedge! 

Hmmm....do you think they would know if you kept the wrong bunny when bunsitting? Just kidding, it would be nice to try Bobby with Maybelle though. That's great to be able to start building a relationship with them. I'm sure it helps you to feel less alone.


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## JadeIcing (May 6, 2011)

Sounds like you have nice people next door! That is great.


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## Wabbitdad12 (May 7, 2011)

It is always nice to have good neighbors, makes things much more enjoyable.


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## Nela (May 9, 2011)

Thanks guys. We'll go again on Thursday after we have spoken to the landscaper. I still don't know what will happen with their boy. Right now, I don't want to focus too much on it. It's just hard to make a decision. Stupid allergies.


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## MiniLopHop (May 9, 2011)

Count down for the landscaper! How exciting!


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## lyndor (May 9, 2011)

Hey!!

Thats good that you heard from the landscaper  Bad about the car though, but could always be worse!!

I bet Maybelle was very chuffed in order to wiggle out of the jumper thingy!

Why was Houdina on a lead? Is that how you have to keep cats in the netherlands?


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## Nela (May 11, 2011)

Brandy:

Tomorrow! I'm so nervous and excited! Nervous because I'm scared to find out that it's a whole lot more than Jeff expected financially, and excited because well because it might be just perfect! Lol.

Lynette:

I really hope it is good news when we go. Hehehe. I so cannot wait for the yard to be fixed. We're even going to get lounge chairs to lie down and look at the stars. *Sighs* 

Jeff is FINALLY getting the car today. Ugh. We love Jeff's car. We missed it. Lol. It was actually ready earlier but they had an 'oopsie' and so it took a lot longer than planned. :grumpy:Hopefully, that means they'll charge less for the repairs as that came out quite expensive. :expressionless

Maybelle... Well, Maybelle is Maybelle. I wouldn't have expected it to go any differently. Like I said, she is a perfect drama queen. Hehehe. Funnily enough, she did bother to go show Bobbie so I'm not sure she hated it as much as she portrayed. 

As for Houdina being on a lead. Lol. No, it's not how it's done here though I know of others who do it. Houdina is an indoor cat, always has been. As is Baloo. Jeff and I feel strongly about our cats being indoor only cats. We hate the thought of them fighting, getting hit by a car, etc. We like to keep them close. Houdina likes to follow us and always cries when we are outside. I wanted to allow her the experience of the wind, sunshine, chasing bugs etc, by doing it in a safe way. Now she comes out when we are out and enjoys sitting with us and nibbling on herbs. She sits and waits for me to put her harness on and so farinsists on coming in if I go in (despite Jeff being there). She likes it, but she's cautious and happy with just sitting with us. That's perfectly fine by me. Hehe. Baloo? Not interested. Lol.


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## Nela (May 11, 2011)

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/video#video=25172062

I thought it was cute and wanted to share because sometimes we all need a lil bit of innocence and cuteness...


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## myheart (Jun 8, 2011)

:bump

:wiggle

:wave:


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## Bunny parents (Jun 9, 2011)

Hello... anybody home ??
:upsidedown:


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## Nela (Jun 10, 2011)

Hi sorry guys. I will update soon :biggrin:


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## Nela (Jun 16, 2011)

Hello everyone

Thank you for your messages. We are okay. Things have been a bit rough and stressful lately. There has been some good too, but a lot of stressful things have been going on and I've gotten pretty reclusive. This is a long update (several parts)so I understand if you all get bored but, heh, in case peope are wondering...

About 2 weeks ago, something happened with Jeff that seriously rocked my trust in him at that moment. It's nothing too huge really so don't go thinking he cheated or something because it is nothing of the sort. Out of respect for him though, I will not get into the details of it. Let's just say that I was very angry at him. Not so much about what he did (or rather didn't do) but because he had kept it from me and I had to find out in a not-so-nice way. I think I was especially angry because just some days before that, he had told me that he had been looking into the marriage requirements. I was sooooooooo thrilled and excited. Of course, I couldn't help but start thinking that he would propose soon. And then this. Suddenly, I was finding out that he hadn't felt a need to be open and honest with me. So, I did exactly what I hoped I wouldn't have to do and told him that if he wasn't going to be open and honest with me, then I didn't want to hear the word 'marriage' because it was an insult to me. I told him that I was under the impression that we were much stronger and better than that and that if I was wrong about that, then we weren't anywhere near being ready to get married. I also told him that right now, he was on a very very rocky road being that he had just done what my ex did to me. He was very upset and sorry for it. I must admit, I did have to think carefully and decide if I was so angry with him for what had happened or if it was because I was carrying that extra baggage from the ex-fiance days. I decided that this is the first time Jeff is anything less than wonderful and that since it seemed to be a 'naive' mistake, we were going to use this as a lesson and work together to avoid it happening again. Needless to say, I can't help but hope that this isn't the start of us heading towards the end. Anyway, we were bound to find a 'bump' along the way.

Also, I am quite troubled by another event that happened recently. I was at school and chatting with a friend when a girl, who had been listening in, decided to interject. Basically, we were talking about my attendance at the school party and I was saying that I wasn't sure I would go because I can't handle crowds very well. Anyway, the girl latched onto that like a leech. She asked me why the heck not and I replied that it was just due to experience and that I just don't like being surrounded by so many people. I left it at that and tried to continue my conversation with my friend but she persisted. Anyway, she started getting really rude and arrogant and really kept pestering me when I made it clear that I didn't want to discuss it. She kept commenting that "well, something must have happened to make you like this" and I simply said "yes, something must have." Anyway, before I knew it she took on a really pompous attitude and threw the "Well you should really see a shrink if you have such stupid issues." 

Now...

A normal person would know to walk away and ignore it. I've never been normal and it very nearly turned into something much worse.

About 2 years or so ago, I developed a major anger issue and had become very violent. They were explosive fits of rage and I used to take it out on myself and the appartment. I eventually started having trouble controling myself with people as well so I sought out help. My doctor said it was due to what had happened and the fact that I had kept everything in. So okay, I worked through it and have done a pretty good job with it since. Except I came so close to decking that girl that I had to leave school.

It bothers me. 

It scares me that I came so close to hitting her. It bothers me that I blacked out for that brief moment. It bothers me that I still can't deal with certain stupidities in the right manner. I thought I was done with this. I am so frustrated with myself right now. I guess I will need to go consult and really attack this before it flares again. *Sigh* 

Also, my friend from school went to visit Amsterdam. They were at the train station when they got mugged by a group of about 10 teenagers. They stole everything. However, they also beat her husband. They are okay but she was quite shaken. I've been hearing a lot of things like that lately. Me being me, has been struggling more and more to set a foot outside. It's becoming more and more stressful and it's really starting to trouble me. I guess that is another thing I will have to finally seek more help for. I so wish I could have my dog. Ah well.

I've been terribly stressed with school as well. This program isn't working for me. I was considering withdrawing when a friend mentionned another program. When I got home, I found out that I had more than one option for my 'integration' and was quite upset about not havig been informed. Basically, I am now in the 'Inburgeringscursus' (so the integration course). This teaches us how to go to an ATM, open a bank account, get a birth certificate, what to do if you are attacked, etc. This teaches us a minimal amount of dutch and the dutch that we do learn revolves around those things so it's not really about learning the language as much as it is about memorizing questions and answers. I mean, they teach us how to fill out forms but all forms are very similar. There is only so many times you can teach me 'naam', 'voornaam', 'geboortedatum', etc. I think even most of you guys can figure out what those words mean. We spend more than 50% of the course on the computer and, of course, my computer program only half works because it only loads half of the time. On top of that, the exam consists of several parts: one being the 'portfolio'. To do the portfolio, you have to go around town speaking to people and collecting 'evidence' that you've done so. AND because I do not work, I was being forced into doing a stage. I have a contract with the school until February 2013, and have til then to do so. Despite this, there is pressure for me to do my portfolio much faster so that I can finish faster and I couldn't understand why. I will explain in a few.

HOWEVER

It turns out that there is another option: NT2 Staatsexamen which is essentially, dutch as a second language (though it would technically be my 3rd lol). Anyway, THIS program focuses on learning the language. Instead of learning what I am learning now, you do grammar, structure, reading, etc. Ah ha! Now THAT is interesting. Instead of taking me to only an A2 level, this would take me to the much higher B2 level. This would permit me to work and go back to studies if I would like because this is an actual prerequisite. This program starts from level 0 so even if you have 'geen idee' what you are doing, you can still learn and do this exam. This exam is also much more logical in the sense that you have a proper exam consisting of 4 parts: reading, writing, comprehension, and spoken. You need to pass all 4 levels to get your certificate but if you fail any part, you can redo just that part. Now this makes a lot more sense to me. I don't need to be taught how to use an ATM as much as I need to be taught WHAT the ATM says so that I know what to do. I am from Canada. I appreciate that some people do need to learn about certain things, but not me.

So anyway, I had a discussion with Jeff. He knew I wasn't satisfied but he only really understood when I showed him my books. It finally made sense to him as to why I was so disappointed with the course I was doing. Yeah, no wonder my dutch isn't coming along. Grrrr! Anyway, he looked into the laws and procedures. It turns out that you can choose which one you want to go into as one replaces the other. I was not informed of this. In fact, I was not informed of any options at all. I was made to sign a contract, without Jeff's presence, without them having informed them of my rights. And we are NOT happy about it. We also found out that each 'immigrant' is given a personal budget and that is what is used to pay the school (we don't pay it). However, if it doesn't work out with the school you were sent to, you can request your personal budget and relocate. This, we were also not informed about. Jeff and I decided it was time to do have a nice chat with the 'Gemeente' and demand some answers.

However, the next day, I went to school as usual. The teacher wanted to talk to me about my portfolio so we chatted a bit. I informed her that I now knew that I had other options and that I was looking into them. I told her that I didn't want to offend her because she is a great teacher but that I am terribly disappointed with the program. I explained that I had expected a language course, something much more structured and academic. She confided that she too, dislikes the program and that she certainly understands my wish for advancement. She also confided that, unfortunately, she's actually not allowed to teach us grammar and all because this is the Inburgeringscursus so it is made to be fast and easy. Okay, that makes sense to me. She then informed me that I *CAN* get into the NT2 program but that I MUST do my portfolio first. Um huh??? Why would I do the portfolio if I do NT2 and have a different exam??? I was frustrated and said I would think about it and see what I would do. Meanwhile, my friend informed me that she just went to the school the day before with the Gemeente because she was furious to find out that she didn't have to do the portfolio AFTER she had done hers. She told me that the Gemeente and the school confirmed that she is doing NT2 and doesn't need to do the portfolio. Confused, I told her what the teacher just told me so we went back to class completely confused all over again.

Two days later, while shopping with Jeff, we bumped into my friend. She immediately gave me a big hug and told me that she had good news for me. It turns out that after that class, she was so frustrated that she demanded to speak to the co-ordinator and have everything settled once and for all. She then informed me that they all confirmed that she, me, and another girl were doing the NT2 staatsexam and that starting from Monday, we would be taken aside and begin an intensive course to get us to level A2 by september in order to be transferred into NT2. Despite the fact that I understood that my 3 year course suddenly needed to be achieved in less than a year, on my own, and during summer vacations, I was happy to hear that I was being put into the new program. Then she told me that our other friend cannot do the same because she has an "Inburgerings contract". 

And it bugged me. I knew I too, have the same inburgerings contract. Jeff knew it too. It was not quite time to start celebrating. I was skeptical and knew that I would only find out on Wednesday.

cont'd...


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## Nela (Jun 16, 2011)

All weekend, I was apprehensive. Not knowing what I would have to be doing and for when. You see, all this sounds like a simple school thing but it's not. It's dutch law, a requirement for my residence permit and I have a certain timeframe to do it in. 

Luckily, we had a very busy weekend. This took my mind off things for a bit, except for the brief rants that followed "How's school?" inquiries. 

On Saturday, we went shopping. I wanted to shop for the house. We've been living here for a year and not a single room has been completed. It is very aggravating to me. I don't know what it is with the Dutch but I have never met a more disorganised and 'unphased' pack of people! They're just never in a hurry to get things done, nor do they feel a need to do things properly and thoroughly. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!

Anyway, we ended up finding curtains for the large livingroom window and our bedroom one. It wasn't free like they advertised of course AND it should take about 8 weeks before we get them BUT they are ordered and I just don't feel like wasting time and energy shopping around. I've spent all week asking that Jeff help me measure again to confirm that they have the right curtain measurements but of course, he is Dutch, so he says "okay"and then quickly puts it out of his mind without actually doing it. 

Aside from the curtains, however, shopping was a flop. If there is anything that annoys me more than shopping, it is shopping without finding what you are looking for. Man oh man. HOWEVER, I did get an ice cream cone. Thank goodness soft ice cream always makes me happy. Jeff is starting to learn this and has been getting me ice cream when I am grouchy. LOL. I don't know what it is about soft ice cream that has me all warm and fuzzy... So strange. Lol!

On Sunday, we had dinner at Jeff's sisters place. I got to see Smores and Giggles. They are just so adorable! See for yourself:












































Smores is a great house bunny. He is perfectly happy and terribly friendly. The cage is always open during the day so he can come and go as he pleases. He really enjoys sitting on the kitchen chair or doing bunny500s on the couch. Giggles is still very scared and does not tolerate being touched much but she is making progress. She comes to you a lot more and, as long as you don't make any sudden movements, she tries to explore around you. She still does not go past the blanket that is set in front of the cage because she doesn't like the laminate but maybe some day she will figure it out. She was nesting when we were there so it was really cute to watch her gathering hay. The only thing is she tries to get material off Smores and people as well. Lol. It was quite something so see her bite onto our niece's hair and try to drag it into the cage. Poor Smores was 'assaulted' when he was too busy sneezing to chase Giggles away in order to prevent her from grabbing a mouthful of his fur to line the nest. I've never seen such a sneaky and fast 'grab'. LOL. I so miss her.

On Monday, it was a year that we have moved into our home. (We had officially gotten the keys the day before, hence dinner with the family) That evening, we went for dinner at Jeff's friend's place. They had invited a Moroccan girl that had arrived in the Netherlands around the same time that I did so she spoke english. We spent most of the evening together, discussing the things we missed from home (interstingly enough, she had moved to Canada before coming to Holland so she missed Canada more than Morocco) and ranting about the inburgeringscursus. She was lucky and transferred into the NT2 early on.

On Tuesday, I was so tired and stressed that I went into massive cleaning mode. I scrubbed and scrubbed. I was so happy with the results. Until a bottle of sauce fell from the fridge onto the floor, spreading sauce flying all over, a bag of rotten potatoes was found hidden in the pantry, AND my cutting board suddenly snapped and all my veggie scraps ended sprawled all over the place. Basically, I have to redo all the cleaning I did. Joy.

Finally, yesterday was the day... I was still skeptical and played it dumb at school. Of course, it was confirmed that I had a good reason to be skeptical. My teacher took my friend and I aside and told us that she was going to separate us from the rest of the class. She said we would be getting an intensive course in order to get us to level A2 by september so that we can do the NT2 course, along with 2 other girls (who weren't there at the time) in our class. Okay, so I was being transferred into NT2? I would be doing the state exam instead of the portfolio right? Nope. I have an Inburgerings contract. Therefore, I HAVE to do the Inburgering as long as I have that type of contract. So why put me in this course now? Oh, because the teacher thought we would find it more interesting with having more structure like I had discussed with her, also it would be nice to be 4 instead of 2 (since only 2 have the NT2 contract), and because we were the highest achievers in the class and wanted to offer us more advancement if I wanted. We were also informed that we MUST be at level A2 by September in ALL 4 categories (reading, writing, comprehension, and speaking) AND finish all our books (meaning all of the inburgering) pass a one-time test or lose the chance at the program.

I wanted to bawl. This is worse!!! Now I am doing TWO programs in HALF the time I was granted for my one program. What the?!?!?! This means that now I have to juggle BOTH at the same time AND bring myself to A2 for SEPTEMBER despite school being out for summer!!! Of course, this also means that I MUST do the portfolio! I just wanted to curl up in a ball and sob. I had to stay focused and keep reminding me that the fight isn't over yet. I know the law now, I know that I have options. I KNOW that one replaces the other and shouldn't overlap. I KNOW that I am not obliged to do ANY course and all that I am obliged to do is pass either exam within the timeframe. I also know that I can do the NT2 as a distance-learning at the cost of 750 euros. The problem is, I was so looking forward to having this all settled so I can just sit and focus on learning and not have to stress and be thrown around like a ping pong ball. I was also hoping to continue on with this school since I started there and like the friends I've made and thought it would be nice to do the course with the other 3 girls. What a mess! 

I stayed composed though and really forced myself to focus. I'm glad I did because we actually had quite a lot of fun with the class we did. The teacher 'tested' us like they would do at the exam. Wow. Freaky!!! She would say a sentence and we would have to repeat it quickly. Not as easy as it sounds, especially if you don't know half the words in the sentence! She says I did well though and that I need just a bit more to really be in the safe zone. Ah. Cool I guess? She also easked a question and then we had to give a quick one-word answer. For example: What do you do with a fork? "Eten" and "Prikken" (she wanted another than just "eat") were my answers. The other kind of exercise was that she would say a word and we had to give the opposite like: Rechts? "Links" (Right and left) It was intimidating but fun. Oh man did we laugh and feel silly when we were repeating the sentences. I don't think we've ever stumbled over and mumbled words as much before. Lol. We were given 3-4 books to work in with a whole bunch of grammar and writing exercises to do as homework. Yeah. We have a lot of self-teaching to do. However, I have invited the girls to come over one evening a week to have lessons with Jeff's mother so we should be doing that. IF we can sort my contract out of course, otherwise I will be forced to withdraw as I will not juggle both programs and drive myself insane. I was so looking forward to a break and enjoying our summer vacations but I guess that will not be an option now. *Sigh*

Jeff and I will be going back to the Gemeente to fight for a proper NT2 program. It's not over til the fat lady sings and I haven't sung yet!!!

Aside from all this school confusion, there is a good thing. Work on the yards has FINALLY started. This is the front yard before:













And this is after:































I am extremely pleased with it. It is SO much better than before! I was supposed to put a bench but I decided to go with a bistro table instead since we are going to be adding this to our window:

http://www.llanidloes.com/gifs/bistro_hafren2.jpg

It'll be a nicer shade of dark and rich burgundy though. It makes the front look adorable and prevents us from being bursting into flames since the 4m window acts like a magnifying glass with the sun shining directly on it. 

Now the only problem is that the back looks even worse than it did since we used the pave from there in the front since we intend to replace the one in back. Maybelle has been having a blast though. Of course, it's all sand now so she is digging burrows and tunnels all over the place in a desperate attempt to reach her beau on the other side of the fence. Since that hasn't been working out for her, she's now taken to attempting to chew THROUGH the fence! *Facepalm* It doesn't help that I caught the neighbor kids taunting her with Bobby. At first, I thought they were only pushing him along the fence so they would see each other but me being me, felt the need to go inspect and found a large hole that Maybelle had managed to dig under the fence and it turns out the kids were trying to push their boy through there. GAH! I put pave everywhere along the fence but I guess I either missed that spot or she tossed the pave aside. Maybe 'Kitty' helped her since they were playing together... *Sigh* I'm afraid to say that Maybelle has been placed on house arrest until this yard is sorted.

Unfortunately, with Dutch being dutch, there is no telling WHEN this will be finished. You see, the landscaper has to call back someday to tell us how much pave we need to get. I don't get it. Dude's already measured the yard. All he needs to do is calculate it with the measurements he has so why the need to take days before he does so??? We have to order it. Then we have to receive it and only THEN can work start. Of course, Jeff doesn't push to get things done so he just accepts whatever anyone tells him. Of course, the landscaper has vacations planned so who knows if we'll have the yard done before then. And with Jeff being Jeff... See, this was supposed to have been started in February so we can have the yard worked on end of march-april in the hopes of having it by May. But wheeeeen did Jeff START calling??? Oh just May. And did he do a few calls to have an idea and have a backup plan if it failed with one company? No, of course not. See, like I said, we've been in the house for a year and yet not one room is completely finished. We've been in this home for two summers, and yet, we still cannot entertain in the yard because of the mess. It makes me sad to see it in such a state. It makes me sad to see everyone planting and enjoying their flowers and I can't. I'm getting restless.

I'm barely hanging on to what little sanity I have left.

Anyway, one day, hopefully not too far away, we should have a yard and a nice one at that. One day. 

That's pretty much what's been going on. As you can tell, I'm quite whiny and stressed. Of course, that also means I've been bombarded by migraines. I just hope things settle down so we can move forward. I feel like I've been stalled too long and it's making me uneasy. 

If you've read all of this, I can say "My, you are brave" Lol. I'm sorry for all the negativity. I'm not unhappy, just frustrated and wanting to move forward. I hate things being so complicated for no reason. I think all of this negativity needs to be balanced with adorable pictures so that is what I will leave you with. I hope you enjoy them!

Much love,

Nela

cont'd...


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## Nela (Jun 16, 2011)

Unfortunately, the girls fought through the playpen because I thought they were over the squabbles... Maybelle would ease off but for some reason she took a liking to lying beside the pen so Rolo gets mad and has a go at her. Anyway, they've got some bites on them. I'm not happy about it. I was especially concerned because Rolo bit through the tip of her ear. :grumpy:We bought smaller mesh so I will mesh up every single panel individually before letting Rolo out again. :rollseyes

Some Divabelle for you:

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[align=left]Some Jelly Bean and Twizzler for you as well:[/align]
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## Nela (Jun 16, 2011)

[align=left]After the whole thing with Jeff, we took some time together to just relax and have a good time sp we went to the zoo. We went t Burgers' Zoo. Wow, what a nice, big place. In fact, the animals had so much space that we barely got pictures. Hehehehe. That's okay though. I am glad they were so well taken care of. We were unbelievably sore after this though. I spent 4 days barely able to walk. My calf was cramped and stiff. Ugh. Lol. [/align]
[align=left]Jeff said that we have tickets for the Dolfinarium on August 6th. They are special tickets which will allow us to stay after closing time for a training with the seals. I have never seen a dolphin! I can't wait. [/align]
[align=left]Anyway here are a few pictures I got from the zoo:[/align]
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## Nela (Jun 16, 2011)

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[align=center]I was supposed to be looking at the elephants... However, everywhere I go... Do you see it?[/align]
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[align=center]And that'sall I've gotfor now I think... [/align]
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## SnowyShiloh (Jun 16, 2011)

Hey Soph! I just read the last two pages of your blog. Your sweet bunnies and piggies are adorable (and Houdina and Baloo of course but I didn't see pictures of them). Miss Maybelle is just beautiful and I want to pick her up and hug her! I just love big lops. Sorry to hear things are tough now. The school thing sounds exhausting and frustrating as heck. Also I hope things are improving with Jeff and the trust can be rebuilt okay. I think it's wise that you're considering whether your reaction was only based on whatever he did or if your feelings from last time it happened with your ex colored things for you. And the landscaping looks good! Maybe I didn't read back far enough, but what all are you going to put out there in front? Some containers of flowers? 

Hugs!


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## Bunny parents (Jun 16, 2011)

Dear Nela, 

All I can say is that I totally understand the stress you've had. Take it easy, ok? Things will work out, you will see. Anyway, I'm always here for you and you know that,right ? Hugs for you. Take care. Keep me post, I'm really worried about you. :hug1


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## Nela (Jun 16, 2011)

Hey Shiloh, 

It is nice to hear from you. It's been so long... Yes, frustrating and draining. I don't understand why it is like this. It is so disorganized and unprofessional. When I had my first meeting, I had to do an academic assessment (kinda like an IQ test without the math lol) and was told that I am easy to teach so I was placed in "advanced" schooling. Now I understand why. You need to be a fast learner because when they screw up, you need to learn twice as fast! :grumpy:*Sulks* I was so looking forward to vacation and just resting my brain too...

Yeah, the thing with Jeff... I think it is just this one thing, and his unbelievable procrastination. Lol. He seems to have taken it seriously and seems to be handling it so I hope that it will continue this way. Also like I said, having dealt with similar with Mario really played a role as I immediately started thinking that maybe this would be only the start of the things I would be uncovering. I always try to look deeper in myself for the answers. I think a lot of things can be resolved by looking into yourself to figure out the what's and why's. Jeff is a good guy, I had to find a minor fault or I would have started thinking he wasn't human I think that's actually what happened. Lol. Things were so easy and smooth that I kind of stopped thinking of us as having imperfections and 'trials' in our relationship. Lol. Ah well! Seems better now. I just hope he won't take me too literally about the marriage thing :expressionless

As for the front... Good question. With it being later in the season, I have no idea now. I do know that I am thinking french geraniums, rhoden rhodo rhod... anyway that beautifulflower there, and I dunno what else. Maybelle is free-range in the back so I will only have edibles like roses and sunflowers there and focus more on foods like berries and bell peppers etc. in the back. Therefore, the front will be for me. Hehehe. Flowers, definitely flowers... Just not sure what. Oh and some decorative grasses. I will add pots too. Oh and a potted apple tree. 

Thanks for your message, you made me smile. I hope all is well with you and yours!


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## Nela (Jun 16, 2011)

Vircia,

Thank you. You're always so sweet and always manage to put a smile onmy face. Yeah, we will work this out one way or another. I just hope I can stay at the school since I've made friends there now. My closest friends are the girls that I would be doing the program with too so it would be nice. Anyway, we will see. There is only so much I can do. Can you lend me Kimi so I can have bunny kisses? I risk my face being eaten if I kiss my girls. Lol. 

Many hugs!


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## SnowyShiloh (Jun 16, 2011)

Maybe you could plant some flowers in containers now so you'll be ready! I love flowers  That's cool that Maybelle is free range in the yard. Do you worry about kitties getting her? I'm a huge worrywart with my bunnies, when I take them outside I put them in their playpen and we have a fence too. Not being critical at all, just sharing my neurotic-ness 

I know you mentioned this a few days ago, but I hope you don't decide not to have children because of citizenship issues. I can of course see not wanting to have kids because you aren't married or because you were uncertain about the relationship, but I'd hate for you to miss out on parenthood just because of the citizenship thing. Being the citizen of a different country than your child is significant for sure but in my own opinion not enough of a reason not to have a child  That is up to you though naturally!

Also if you need any bunny kisses, I have 4 bunnies here who are willing! Kerensa gives the cutest little smoochies.


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## JadeIcing (Jun 16, 2011)

I know the feeling dealing with my own past baggage.


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## SOOOSKA (Jun 16, 2011)

Sophie, sorry to hear about your issues. 

Why does life have to be so bloody complicated at times. I really truly hope everything between you and Jeff works out. He sounds like a great guy (most of the time). Now being a woman Sophie you have to realize at times their is only AIR between the ears.:biggrin:

OMG I don't know how you can learn a language so fast. You are very bright. So are you saying that if you don't speak the language or read it,you and Jeff can't get married. What if you came back to Canada to get married then went back there? I'll come to your wedding.:big wink::big kiss:

I agree with Shiloh regarding planting flowers in pots. OMG I miss my garden, I think that was one of the things that bothered me so much whenwe soldthe house. I planted quite a few pots. It's not my garden but they are MY flowers (and Buttercups) I planted Marigolds for him, he loves them.

Anyways i hope all your luck changes and everything starts going your way.

Hugs to you, Jeff and all your Fur critters especially Maybelle

Susan


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## Nela (Jun 17, 2011)

Will be back to reply to everyone soon... Just a quickie because I'm trying to sort things here.

However,

I just had to go pick up Maybelle at the neighbor's. She's in BIG trouble with me now. She's MIGHTY proud of herself though.

So Susan,

still want her?


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## SnowyShiloh (Jun 18, 2011)

I want Maybelle! I will love and hug her into submission


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## SOOOSKA (Jun 18, 2011)

Shiloh 
BACK OFF! :biggrin2::shame:nonono:hnoyoudidnt::huh:foreheadsmack:urpletongue:brat::tonguewiggle

Maybelle is MINE

Yes Sophie, I still want her. Send her over.

Susan:big kiss::thumbup:nod


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## Nela (Jun 20, 2011)

Haven't forgotten you guys but had a very irritating meeting with both the city hall and the school. Things went from bad to worse. I'm in a really really bad mood. ssd:I am going to school tonight AGAIN without knowing what the heck I am doing. On Thursday, the school coordinator has a meeting with the city hall and he will mention my case. At this time, he is going to ask them to have me transferred into a new school to start from scratch. However, the program at the new school might be exactly the same which doesn't really help anything in the end. :expressionless

Is it summer yet? :cry1:


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## Nela (Jun 21, 2011)

Update:

On Saturday, we went shopping in the hopes of finding a bistro table. That too, failed. We found a few plants though so we got thoseand we planted them in the flowerbed on Sunday. Right now we have: hydrangeas (was a house-warming gift last year and I transplanted them), 'ice flowers', lil colorful flowers (don't know the name), a rose plant, my weeping roses, my spiral grass, and some cascading greenery with tiny white flowers in. We also bought a thornless blackberry plant which I intend to put in the back for Maybelle. Aside from that, we got a cucumber plant and a banana plant.

Oops.

The banana plant came with the description: Ideal for patios or as a pot plant, Winter hardy, and small 5 cm bananas.

Yeah...

Turns out the banana plant can grow between8 and 12ft tall. 

:shock:

LOL. 

Yeah, that's just like us. We just assumed it was a tiny version and wouldn't be big at all. Ah well. We did consider sneaking into Jeff's mom's backyard and planting it in a corner (she was away camping) and letting it grow some without saying anything. We'd have loved to see her reaction, wondering how in the world she ended up with a banana plant there. Hehehehe. Though she has a great sense of humor, I wasn't too sure about testing my relationship with her in that way yet 

Anyway, for this year, I have decided not to purchase too many flowers of anything. Just playing around with various things now to see what I like and what is easy, what grows well, etc. 

Work in the back has not yet begun. The tile is not yet ordered. The man hasn't even called yet. 

So I've just sorta given up on the idea at this point...

School.

School is crap. Yesterday, we spent theday trying to get things sorted and it only got worse. We went to the city hall and the receptionist asked a few questions and then called someone and decided to pass the person to us so Jeff spoke to him and explained a bit about my situation. The man replied that he would look into my file first and call back. So we went back home and I started wondering if the man would call back or not and if he'd bother meeting us in person. Luckily, he did call back and then asked to meet so we set off to go meet him. Only we went to the wrong place. It turns out that the receptionist had called another department (different building) so we were supposed to go there instead. We were told to go left then right(or something like that because the department had moved). Luckily, it wasn't far and we found it due to a flag that had fallen from the pole. However, we still didn't have the guy's name so we didn't know whom we were meeting with. The main receptionist there was busy so the security guard tried to help us and call down whomever we were meeting. Of course, the security guard got his undies in a bunch when we told him we didn't know whom we were meeting. Hegot arrogant and snotty and said thatif we didn't know, how could he? At this point, I was getting mighty frustrated. 

You see, the dutch have a system... If you want to talk with someone, usually you call from home and set up an appointment. Then you are sent a letter informing you of your appointment which you are then supposed to take with you wherever it is you are supposed to go and hand this in as your 'proof' of the appointment. It also saves them the trouble of asking you whom you are meeting since it is stated in the letter. SO when you show up somewhere, the first thing they do is ask you for the 'brief' and if you reply that you don't have one, the dutchie suddenly goes blank and turns dumb. I swear, it's as if you hear everyone gasp and start whispering "she doesn't have a 'brief'!" :rollseyes

Aaaaanyway, 20 minutes later and 10 minutes late, they finally figured whom we were there to see. We waited to the side and then he came down. Oh great I thought. Dude looked like a teenager. I mean seriously. I mean, one of those in a school uniform but have their shirts out, pants slightly too long, whiterunning shoes,long hair, pen chewing looking dudes... 

Breathe in, breathe out.

We started the discussion. Yeah... I was not happy. First, I was told that he sent off an email to the coordinator at the school to find out what they thought of everything. The coordinator said that I could do it but that it would prolong my hours and it caused problems because I want evening classes. He said I could do it as a day-time intensive. I was confused because my other classmates are doing it in the evening. Anyway, then, of course, money was brought up. I got angry at this and made it very clear that if they made me sign a contract without having informed me of my rights beforehand, that was not my problem. Jeff had made a copy of the law that the city must follow and the first thing was they having to have informed me of my options beforehand. Anyway, then the subject of me being uneducated came up. Dude said that because the NT2 program is harder, it is more of a risk financially for the city so that is why they are more reluctant to put in uneducated people in it.Whoops, Jeff stepped in before I could. He was annoyed. LOL. They figured since I had no college/university degree, I must be dumb as a doorknob.Right away Jeff shot back and said thatI had done some college and if it weren't for finances I would have had my degree. All I added was "Yeah, an honours progam too" 'Dude' muttered "Oh, if we had known that..." andlooked uncomfy at that point.Maybe it was my test results then?Surely it must be that, he thought. 'Dude' went over them carefully. I had done 2 tests: one with the city hall as a 'learning capability', and one with the school to test my language level. Okay, so dutch level was low, but still not a level 0 and I scored almost to the max on the other. At that point, 'dude' conceded that I should have been offered the NT2 program and that he would find out whom I had spoken to and why I wasn't informed about the options. 

I'm not too sure exactly how it happened, but at some point, I mentionned being held to this contract and how crappy the quality was (the computer part mainly) and how I hadn't done most modules because they don't work. Anyway, I looked "Dude" straight in the eyes and said "I go because it is free, but if I were you, I wouldn't be paying for this kind of program!" And then the revelation. See, the big thing is, and this is where it gets interesting, is that the city hall pulled all their contracts from the school. Ah ha! Now I knew what it meant. It meant that city hall and school are not so happy with each other. Therefore, I am amongst the last students at the school because the quality was so bad that the city hall decided they were unfit to continue teaching this program. Oh dear heavens... No, really?! Glad they finally saw that. Still, that doesn't help my situation. :grumpy:'Dude' accepted that my situation was not ideal. He said that perhaps he *could* send me to a new school to start from fresh but in order to do so, he would need a good reason as this would require more finances. So, because of this, he told us to go discuss with the school and see if the school could try to fit me in somehow according to my timeframe.

And to school we went.

I caught Andre there, one of the school coordinators, the one that had emailed 'Dude'. Andre was annoyed within 5mins. Andre felt that he had explained the situation to City Hall Dude enough and I swear I could see Andre daydreaming of his lunch and coffee while we were chatting. Andre got snotty at one point and said "Well, obviously if we have to have this discussion in english then maybe you aren't fit..." Ooooh no you don't. Oh heck no. So I ranted about how we spend more than half the time on a computer program that doesn't work and how I mentioned it and someone was supposed to get back to me to sort out why my computer program wasn't working but never did. Basically, I was saying that if I wasn't as advanced in dutch as he had wished, it was the school's failings. I had had enough of this demeaning attitude... Anyway, Andre finally had to confirm that his main concern was that they are shutting down the program and he isn't sure that I could do it within the timeframe. THAT was what he was trying to convey to 'Dude' but Andre said that those details were 'conveniently missed' by the city hall. So okay, I could see that logically the school didn't want to persue prolonging things seeing as there would no longer be any new contracts. Obviously, the school is upset about this as it is a large revenue that is being lost. I could tell by the bitter way in which Andre would discuss the city hall dealings. Lol. 

Still, now I am stuck in the middle...

Andre was not aware of what my teacher is making us do. He felt this made absolutely no sense whatsoever because the two programs are different and I shouldn't be doing a portfolio if I do the NT2 course. However, he also felt that I shouldn't have been offered this at all since I have a contract for a different program. I felt I might have gotten my teacher in trouble but I do know that the other coordinator had to know about this as well because surely my teacher sought permission beforehand. Anyway, he was going to have a chat with her. :expressionless

In the end, Andre suggested that maybe I just start from scratch at a new school. The idea is a bit scary asI had been looking forward to sticking with the other girls. However, one of those girls hasn't come since, an other now has her 6 year-old son with her so she might drop out, and the other might just give up and do the other exam since she is pretty much ready for it. At least, then, if I start fresh, I won't have to spend the whole summer stressing about this test in September-October that is my one-time shot at the NT2 program. When I asked what would happen if one of the girls with an NT2 contract fail that test, he had no idea.He has no idea what they will do... 

So all that to say, that on Thursday, Andre has a meeting with the city hall and he will discuss my case with them and suggest that I be released from this contract and be permitted to start fresh somewhere else. 

Meanwhile, I keep thinking about it, wondering if it really is the best solution. New school, new people... My social anxiety is getting worse and worse and the thought of a new place makes me want to puke. Aside from this fact, no one was able to tell me if this new place would actually teach me more grammar and structure vs. plugging me on a computer like this school. I guess I will see what happens from Thursday's meeting and then go from there. Meanwhile, I have started looking into courses at a university not far away. We'd most likely have to pay but it was about 550 euros, not in the thousands so that might be good. If all else fails, I can still self-teach but it's not quite the same. I was just starting to enjoy school and hanging out with a few friends...

Oh and to make matters that much worse...

The new school that now is getting the contracts has recently been in the news for not one but TWO major scandels. Basically, right now, many students are facing having their diplomas pulled because the school was found unqualified. Aside from that, they took money meant for something and paid out large bonuses amongst the administrators or something of the sort. Apparently, someone new took over but you cannot help but wonder how things will really be there. Of course, sending people newly arrived here to that school is a good idea because they won't know of the school's scandels right?

*Sigh*

So that's where I am at right now. Meanwhile, I still go to school, not knowing what I am supposed to do, whilst these people try to figure it out amongst themselves... Good thingI am just trying to learn thelanguageand not trying to become a doctor or something... :rollseyes

Anyway, I had longed been warned about the dutch being demeaning towards expats and had always thought this was exaggeration but having now experienced it firsthand, I can honestly say, it made me feel like crap. 

I think I want a vacation. A real one. Get away, go somewhere peaceful. I would love a cabin in the woods right now...


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## hln917 (Jun 21, 2011)

Love the new patio! Need pics with the new plants now.


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## Nela (Jun 21, 2011)

Shiloh:

Yeah Maybelle is free-range. She never sleeps outside though, she still has the shed as I prefer to keep them from being so exposed to the elements. You know, I really was quite concerned about the cats here when we first started allowing her out. However, Maybelle is bigger than the cats and being the fighter she is, the cats are quite intimidated by her. When she is out, I am always about, normally watching her from the large kitchen window and Houdina also watches over her by the patio door. 

There are some cats that try to come in the yard only to be quickly chased off by Maybelle. However, Maybelle does like a few cats and I often catch them playing together. I can think of 3 or 4 right now that she plays with. They kinda play a hide and seek game, Maybelle binkying away triumphantly after sppoking a cat from her hiding place. I think what makes a major difference is the fact that none of these cats are strays. They are all family cats and pretty much all of them have other furry family members as well whether it be dogs, rabbits, etc. They are all well-pampered pets so they don't see Maybelle as a snack. Most of the cats just like to sit on a patio chair and watch her. I saw "Kitten" taste mint the other day, trying to imitate Maybelle. Lol. May also always has access to the shed and various hiding spots to get away if she wants. She normally naps in the shed and then comes out after her nap to play. Meanwhile, the cats really appreciate coming because I leave water out for them. Most cats don't have access to clean water whilst there owners are away and they are pretty parched.I can't stand that. :expressionless

I did see "Kitten" get a tad too excited for Maybelle's liking quite a while ago so Maybelle gave her a good nip.Neither had any injuries though, and Maybelle sure could have bitten her if she had wanted.Hasn't been an issue since. Lol. If it starts to rain, I often find Maybelle and a cat sitting together in the shed so I guess she really doesn't mind them since she even tolerates them in her space. 

I know this is pretty scary to most people. I do understand even myself, sometimes, I wonder if I am doing the right thing. However, I also strongly believe in trusting their instincts. I think there is a reason as to why Maybelle doesn't tolerate some cats but is friends with others. It's the same with the piggies and them playing with Houdina and allowing her to sit in there living space. Meanwhile, watching them interact is very special. I just told my neighbor on Sunday that his tiny cat spends a lot of time here watching Maybelle. He thought that was nice that they get along. Strangely enough, now that I think of it, all the cats that Maybelle likes are cats that are part of the same clan and are often hanging out together. I wonder if she's just "part of the clan" to them? :confused2:

Aside from the cats, there isn't anything else here aside from hedgehogs. The yard is entirely fenced in. The only real thing I am terrified of is a pet ferret escaping and attacking the buns. However, I also feel that Rolo would have less of a chance since she is in the hutch and wouldn't be able to get away. Birds aren't an issue really either because they don't bother flying over here since they have the fields further where there is plenty of food for them to catch. Those that fly over are mainly ducks, swans, andherons. 

As for children, right now, it seems time will be making the decision for us. With Jeff turning 40 in August, I just feel that we might just run out of time. I think having a child at that age takes some serious consideration. And, from talking to Jeff a while back,I am concerned he is doing it more because he doesn't want to 'deprive' me of that more than he would be doing it for himself as well. Basically, I am not exactly sure yet that he'd be doing it for all the right reasons. 

Only time will tell.

Hehehe, I'll be sure to keep your buns in mind for the bunny smooches :winkIt's nice to see you back online!

_____________

Ali:

Yeah, but that's the good thing about introspect. If we take the time to look within ourselves, we can often see our own misdoings. Baggage also has it's pros too though. Hehehe.

_____________

Susan:

Thanks Susan. Yeah, I like my life simple. That's what I told Jeff. I just don't understand why it's so bloody complicated. This is JUST a language course! Geez. But of course, it's not just the language course so yeah, things are a bit more complicated than I would like but hopefully I will find ways to simplify things soon. So far, Jeff seems to have taken things very seriously and had been acting on it. Therefore, it seems that he really is a man of his word and does take things seriously enough. That pretty much satisfies me, knowing that I am not about to see a repeat of a past experience. Jeff is a great guy and I am very happy to know that when somethingof the sort does happen, it can be dealt with. Hahaha though, your 'air' comment had me in stitches. Fair enough 

As for the language, I'd be learning it faster if I had a proper course. It's not too too hard really. My shyness really slows me down though. Lol. We could still get married. That wouldn't be a problem. It's getting my permanent residence or citizenship that can be. I can also be fined for not completing the exam in time, etc. Hehehe I don't plan on getting married in Canada but you're always welcome if we do get married All you need is a good bunsitter. So, you have some time to find one. Hehehe. 

Awww Susan, I hope one day you get a nice house for yourself and the buns with an even nicer garden! I bet it must be really hard. Really, he loves the marigolds? I was thinking of planting some for May in the back since everything that will go in the back will be Maybelle safe. Hehehe. Do you have some on your patio now? I know herbs grow really nicely in pots :biggrin:I will have to grow a big herb pot in front since I am sure I will have to fight May for them and I love using them in my cooking. Lol. 

Thank you for your hugs, they are always very much appreciated! 

LOL @ you and Shiloh arguing over Maybelle. Would shared custody work? Lol

_________________

Thanks guys. You always make me smile!


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## Nela (Jun 21, 2011)

Helen,

Lol I will take some for you shortly :biggrin:Thank you!


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## JadeIcing (Jun 22, 2011)

Yup but still sucks!


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## SnowyShiloh (Jun 25, 2011)

Oh, Sophie, reading your blog makes me so mad for you. The school situation sounds miserable. I'd want to pack up and come on back to Canada but you are stronger than me


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## Nela (Jun 26, 2011)

[align=center]Just a quickie[/align]
[align=center]BUT[/align]
[align=center]If all goes well, we will be welcoming a new member to our family. :hearts[/align]
[align=center]:yahoo:[/align]


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## myheart (Jun 26, 2011)

onder:


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## SOOOSKA (Jun 26, 2011)

It must be a PUPPY?????????

YES NO

You must answer. NOW

Susan:?


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## JadeIcing (Jun 26, 2011)

Lady that is not right!


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## Nela (Jun 27, 2011)

Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees :biggrin:

We shall be welcoming a wee puppy into our family. I will be picking out a King Charles Cavalier puppy as I had wished. 

This is the kind (and color) of dog I will be getting:

http://www.puppydogphotos.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/puppy_62.jpg

http://www.dogstrust.org.uk/_images/dogbreeds/cavalierkingcharlesspaniel.jpg

I am EXTREMELY excited and also a little bit apprehensive. This will be my very first dog. I have done a lot of research on the breed and various other breeds but really felt that this is the one. We do own our home but we do not have a large yard and the home itself is built on 3 floors so it's best to stick to a smaller dog. Of course, we have a nice dog-zone patch of grass lining the streetright in front of the house and we live 2 mins away from the lake. I cannot wait to take the wee one there.

We will be getting her from a proper breeder. I spotted an ad where a breeder was selling them with pedigree, microchip, deworming, and vaccinations. She also has the parents' pedigrees and they have been tested for health issues. So we might look into getting one from her. They sure were cute! These dogs aren't found in shelters here. Not in general at least. Being that it is my first, I really want to go the breeder route so I can know the background and figure the source of any behavioral issues. These dogs have the highest incidence of mitral valve disease so it is really important to get themfrom a breeder that knows what they are doing. 

My only real concern is the cats' reaction. I am hoping that they adjust to her rather easily and that Baloo doesn't get jealous of her. I think it should go okay. Hopefully, once Baloo sees that she doesn't wantto eat him, he'll be fine. As long as she really doesn't want to eat him... :expressionlessLol. The cats will have priority of course and I will try to make it as smooth an adjustment for them as possible. However, I think having a dog can really help me out and so I think it's best to go ahead with it.

Anywho, I do not have her picked out yet. I am not sure when I will get her but it shouldn't be too long. Meanwhile, I'll be dog-proofing the home. I'll be removing our expensive and fancy rug so that it is safe from puppy accidents and chewing. I will miss that rug but I think it is for the best. We'll put it back later when the dog is fully house-trained and listens. 

It's really going to be something. I think this can either be wonderful or it can go terribly wrong. For now,I will work towards this being fantastic and it all coming together nicely. If it does, oh wow, I will be so happy. If this works, I'll now have a friend, a companion, to go out with and enjoy the little things in life. Just being able to step out of the house on my own will be a great accomplishment already.

As for Jeff... I'm not sure how this all happened really. I think he thought maybe it was a phase and I'd stop bugging for one soon enough. I really did stay persistant though I backed off, then tried again continuously. Lol. See, the thing is, he had been saying no for a while, however, he had been doing his own research. Funnily enough, when he told me I could get a puppy, he said "Oh by the way, we don't need to pay a dog tax in this municipality." Of course, I was so excited about getting a puppy that I didn't react right away. However, later, I did ask why he would have bothered looking into dog taxes if he wasn't going to let me get a dog. His answer was that it was just for research purposes. Lol. Right. Just like the time he pulled up a picture from a breeder right? Lol. 

*Sigh*

Ahhh the thought of walking with my lil pooch... 

Oh, and we'll also be getting her a seat belt (unless a carrier is better) so that she can travel with us. :biggrin:

I am looking forward to it!


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## Bunny parents (Jun 27, 2011)

puppy puppy puppy :yahoo:

can't wait to see him


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## Nela (Jun 27, 2011)

Just had to share this...

My whackadoodle kitty, Baloo, loves being spanked. I knew this already but recently discovered that he likes it even more if you smack him with a flip flop sandal. Here is a video of my wee oddball...

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/user/TheTaterTotsFamily#p/u/4/YMTxCpwqEHc]http://www.youtube.com/user/TheTaterTotsFamily#p/u/4/YMTxCpwqEHc[/ame]


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## MiniLopHop (Jun 27, 2011)

Kinky kitty!


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## JadeIcing (Jun 27, 2011)

I use seatbelt. Love them more than carriers.


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## Bunny parents (Jun 28, 2011)

hehehe your kitty cat is cute and funny. I've never seen something like this before.  Cute cat. spank spank spank !


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## Nela (Jul 6, 2011)

[align=center]Ohhhhh[/align]
[align=center]How happy I am today. My wish came true. We now have a new family member. I must say, I had a LOT of ups and downs the past week. I was terribly scared that we wouldn't find. It seemed like every breeder had everything but what I was looking for. I had my heart set on a blenheim girl and I had already decided to call her 'Bailee' (took the double 'e' from Bailee Danielle - who's name I have always loved -Lol) as I had always loved the name but no bunny every seemed to fit the name. Well, things didn't go quite according to plan. We saw some puppies and walked away. Then, we found puppies, and there were lil blenheim girls. However, we hesitated and the moment we asked the breeder to reserve one for us, we were informed that they had been sold. [/align]
[align=center]I cried all night.[/align]
[align=center]I had soooo been looking forward to getting a puppy, my little girl. It seemed we had run out of breeders... Jeff said he liked the other puppies, even if they weren't blenheim girls... This got me thinking. More and more, I began to think that maybe I didn't HAVE to have a girl. So we messaged back to ask if they still had the blenheim boy, which they did, and then decided we would take a boy home instead. Jeff asked if I was sure, I said yes, but deep inside I wondered if I would secretly find myself wanting a girly...[/align]
[align=center]That evening, we went to pick him up.[/align]
[align=center]It took all but 2 minutes that I had forgotten about wanting a girl. I was greeted by our lil guy and noticed right away that he had the cutest little spots on his nose. Oh my word, how adorable! You see, I had seen the puppies but hadn't reeeeally seen them as they were sleeping and didn't want to disturb them. The little boy had come to him but because I was so stuck on getting a girl, I really hadn't paid him any attention. However, it seemed he had paid attention to us. Unlike the girls, he was much calmer and more snuggly. He also didn't bite. We were quite happy with him and confirmed that we'd be taking him home. [/align]
[align=center]From there, we took him to the store to equip ourselves with the necessary things that were missing. We found him a lovely large pillow for 15 euros and some toys and treats. We already had the crates (which I am thrilled to be using since they were so darn expensive) and used the bunny playpen to section off my hobby/pet room that is shared with the guinea pigs. Of course, while we were there, he got quite a lot of attention from everyone. [/align]
[align=center]I spent the whole car ride worried about our 'poor lil boy' because it was so darn hot and he was uncomfy. He was panting from the heat but luckily we weren't very far away. When we got home, he was sooooo tired and justnapped for a bit. Houdina sat on the other side of the fence, simply watching him as he slept. Baloo did the same, except he was a bit further away. [/align]
[align=center]When the puppy woke, he informed me that he needed to go out but I didn't get there in time so I ended up with a tiny puddle on the floor. However, I was thrilled to see that he was already informing me that he wanted to go outside when he felt the urge. After the next feeding, he started getting whiny and restless so we went outside and right away he pee'd and pooped. How great is that?! After that, Jeff started playing with him, making him chase him and I took pictures. When we brought him in, he simply fell in a deep sleep. [/align]
[align=center]We had initially intended to keep him in the fenced in hobby room but I quickly realized that this would absolutely not work. At his breeder mom's house, he had the run of the mainfloor and access to the yard. He was always able to be with his people and he HATED not being able to come to us. I looked at Jeff, told him I didn't see this working out and we pulled out the fancy and expensive rug, rolled it up, brought it upstairs, and then let our puppy out after having hidden the wires. Luckily we really don't have much out in the open for him to get into. The only thing I need to fix is the cabinet where Ikeep some cleaning products but I willput a child lock on it or move them.Not a peep from him since. Perfect toilet habits too. Basically, as long as he can be around us, he has no problems at all. I have no problem with that as long as he is good about his toilet training. He's been absolutely great.[/align]
[align=center]At night, we took him out once last time. He pee'd and pooped and then it was time for bed. I put his pillow, blankie, and stuffie in the crate and he walked in. I closed the door. Not a sound.He curled up and went to bed. We closed the lights and went upstairs and went to sleep. Baloo came to sleep on me as usual. It was awesome that he slept. Jeff informed me this morning that at around 2:30 or so, he was crying like mad so Jeff went down to check on him. He cuddled him and he quieted down. Jeff then put him in front of the crate and he walked in, curled back up and slept. He slept all through the night. We think maybe he just woke and kind of had a bit of a panic, not remembering where he was, not seeing anyone, etc. [/align]
[align=center]When Jeff woke, he let him out right away and he did his business outside. Not a single drop in the crate. I'm simply amazed. He did crate him though because he had to go back upstairs (I was still sleeping) and that's when I heard him crying like crazy. When I came down, Jeff had already let him out again and he was fine. So basically, this lil one cannot stand being away from us if he can hear us. That is understandable, the cats are exactly the same way. Anyway, I fed him, took him out, and let him pee and poop. I showered and he slept, and then took him back out. We are still outside now and he is sleeping after having played a nice game of chase.[/align]
[align=center]I am simply thrilled and amazed by how simple he is. He doesn't bark at all unless he's upset about not being able to see us. He is really taken by the cats and wants to go see them but knows that they aren't sure so he hangs back. It's hilarious to watch him follow Houdina at a distance. Baloo is a bit intimidated but not nearly as scared as I thought he would be. In fact, when I came out of the shower, they nose bumped and then Baloo asked for a petting before walking away. I think they will be perfectly fine in no time.[/align]
[align=center]As for myself, I think he fills that void just perfectly. Jeff is quite smitten as well and treats him like he never said 'no' to a puppy. In fact, this lil guy quite loves Jeff and he seems to feel safe with him and naps against him a lot. That seems to be the general feeling with all family members involved, including myself. [/align]
[align=center]Honestly, I couldn't ask for anything more perfect...[/align]
[align=center]Pics coming up [/align]


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## Nela (Jul 6, 2011)

[align=center]Here is our bundle of joy...[/align]
[align=center]He's a blenheim King Charles Cavalier Spaniel. Almost 10 weeks old, still unamed though due to him being a boy [/align]
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## Nela (Jul 6, 2011)

[align=center]He's a cheeky one and loves to pose. He also knows just how to tilt his head at the perfect angle so that he is too adorable to resist...[/align]
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[align=center]And, like I said, he has taken a liking to Jeff (and Jeff to him ):[/align]
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[align=center]head against Jeff's chest here:[/align]
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[align=center]Sleeping on Jeff again:[/align]
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## Nela (Jul 6, 2011)

As for the bunnies, he has not met them yet. I have to put him in a playpen so I can see how Maybelle reacts to him first. She'll either accept him and simply ignore him or be furious. Lol. Rolo will always be in the playpen so I will take it slowly but hopefully she doesn't freak out. Sheis finewith the cats so I am hoping she'll react the same way.

He has not yet met the guinea pigs either but he hears them since they share the same room. (I have blocked off access to them with a playpen so they are safe) I hope to let them see each other this afternoon. The guinea pigs don't seem at all concerned with him.


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## JadeIcing (Jul 6, 2011)

I have known boys with the name Bailey why not your dog. 

He is cute so you went to a different breeder?


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## irishbunny (Jul 6, 2011)

He is stunning congrats!
I thought of the name Riley for him straight away. Nice, soft boys name for a puppy that isn't very tough or masculine looking lol!


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## Nela (Jul 6, 2011)

Thanks guys!

Ali, I dunno. I just preferred it for a girl really.Hehehe.

Grace, Riley is on our list. That's the one that I have on hold right now.I have been playing with it. Jeff doesn't seem too fond of it though. Heh... You have good taste


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## SnowyShiloh (Jul 6, 2011)

He's so adorable!!!


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## irishbunny (Jul 12, 2011)

Any decision on a name yet?


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## Nela (Jul 12, 2011)

Oh dear, 

I see my post didn't go through... :expressionless

He has been named 'Puck'. It is not exactly the cutest name but it has a lot of significance to me. I was feeling homesick and named him after a very Canadian thing: hockey. Hockey reminds me of so many things... I wasn't sure about it but it seems to suit him. There's also a "Puck" in A MidSummer Night's Dream and he is described as a clever and mischievous character. Hehehe. 

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## irishbunny (Jul 12, 2011)

He's so cute 
I think Puck is a cute name.


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## Nela (Jul 13, 2011)

I am really not doing well. Please keep me and my family in your thoughts. I am sinking fast.


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## myheart (Jul 13, 2011)

ray: ***sending tons of hugs*** :hug:


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## MiniLopHop (Jul 13, 2011)

ray:I'm so sorry to hear you are not doing well :hugsquish:



I will be praying for you and your family.


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## JadeIcing (Jul 13, 2011)

Will do.


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## Nela (Jul 14, 2011)

Geez, you guys sure sent some very strong positive vibes...

I was in a very very very very dark place for the past 2-3 days or so. Really, I was quite scared and didn't think I'd make it without medicating. I felt like an absolute,total failure and was just drained in a way that I cannot explain. 

But then, the simplest gesture changed everything...

The postman rang the doorbell and handed me a package. I figured Jeff had ordered something so I messaged him while he was at workand let him know that whatever he had ordered was here. He was very happy about it and told me it was a surprise. Ah? Okay.

I didn't bother with it and got distracted by being 'happy' because our nephew came over to play with the dog and all. I surely didn't want to make him uncomfortable. I got busy serving him a drink, cutting melon, setting him up on video games, etc.and before I knew it, Jeff was home. A few minutes after he got home, the neighbor kids rang the doorbell to ask if they could come play with the pets. (Note to self: Buying a puppy means having lots of kids over suddenly which alsomeans you need more drinks and goodies on hand, anda common language is preferable as well)

Anyway, I got caught up in a whirlwind of squeals, giggles, and sheer happiness. I forgot my mood for those minutes. I enjoyed watching Jeff interact with his nephew and really just relaxed a bit. 

When the kids had gone, I picked up the odd-looking thing that Jeff had taken out of the box and asked what it was. It turns out he had gotten a rainbow projector. A very simplistic, money-wasting gadget.

And ittook everything within me to stop myself from sobbing right then and there.

You see, this gadget meant sooooo much to me at that very moment.

From the moment I met him, Jeff always called me his rainbowgirl. I immediatelyremembered something specific from amessage thatJeff had written me:

_You are still a rainbowgirl. I meant that all the time, because I knew you weren't happy and were strugging and still managed to smile. That's what rainbows do. They are fragile and dependent on circumstances. But when things come together, they shine and are the most beautiful things imaginable and you want them to be there forever and tell other people to look at them too, before they fade.
I have seen you light up, I have also seen you fade. I worry when you fade. I said that often and will keep saying it.
Please let me worry because I care about you, whatever the situation. I do care. And as long as I care I will worry, because that's the way it works._

And then he promisedhe wouldkeep me from fading. 

There I was, feeling completely faded, but he brought me a rainbow. Without even knowing. Twenty-five years old, but he brought home a rainbow-making gadget made for kids which pretty much saved me from myself.

At that very moment, I remembered. I remembered all he had ever told me, how he had always told me not to deal with things alone because I am not alone anymore. He always believed in me, in my strength, in my colors. Despite me not knowing who I was anymore, he clearly does. 

He's always had that way of knowing, without really knowing.

Last night, I fell asleep with a smile on my face, Jeff's arm around me, and a beautiful rainbow on our ceiling.

Thank you everyone for your thoughts. They meant a lot. Much love to all of you.


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## Nela (Jul 14, 2011)

double post


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## MiniLopHop (Jul 14, 2011)

That is so sweet it made me cry. :hug: I'm so glad Jeff is there for you. You are such a wonderful, special person and the world is a better place because you are here.


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## Nela (Jul 20, 2011)

Updates Updates :biggrin:

So, as you can already tell, my mood is better. I'm not 100% healed of course, as that will take time, but I have been talking to Jeff a lot these past few days and he's helping me sort some things out emotionally. I have some tough decisions to make but I think they will need to be made for my own well-being. Those that will be affected will simply have to deal. I've dealt with their crap for long enough. 

Puck has been a blessing. I mean, truly, really, he has helped me in many ways already. Before, I was having a hard time getting up in the morning. (I absolutely hate waking up lol ) However, now, I HAVE to be up and the routine is really really helping me. I feel absolutely tired at the end of the day, but during the day, I do things. I function. It feels good. Today, by 10:30am, I had scrubbed the kitchen, done laundry, eaten breakfast, vaccuumed floor, couch, chairs, curtains, and was sitting outside with the pets. I am outside a whole lot more. I cannot walk Puck yet because he doesn't have all his shots but at least I go outside in the yard with him. Also, Maybelle is out again now that the yard has been fixed. 

Aside from that, Puck also has been bringing in a lot of attention. Our nephew and niece have come overal several times to play with him. I also kept them for dinner and chocolate fondue and we played UNO last Friday (and their parents quickly took off to the resto LOL). I think it is great that they are having more interaction with Jeff now. His family has also commented on it and the kids are very happy, which in turn, makes me happy. Aside from them, we've also had the neighbor kids coming over. The little boy is a handful but I think it's nice to have him over anyway. This is turn, has been creating a lot more contact with the neighbors. Also, the other day, a woman walking her own cavalier spotted Puck through the window and absolutely freaked out over him so I took him out to meet her. She was almost in tears. Hehehe. So, already, I will have someone to say hello to when walking Puck. Yesterday evening, the neighbor came over for coffee. We all chatted and he played with Puck a lot. The kids weren't thrilled about it though because it was late so he didn't let them come over. Hehehe. We will be bunsitting the boys for them so it will be nice. He told me he has no problem with me letting them out to play so I am happy about that. I will get to play with more bunnies for almost 3 weeks. :biggrin:Hehehe. 

Today, Jeff's mum is coming over for coffee as well. 

Remember all my babbling about the yard? Well sometime last week, Jeff informed me that he had gone and ordered the pave and that the men would be here on Monday. Ah ah! Monday came along and the men were here at 8am. :shockespite it pouring cats and dogs, they worked hard all day and got all the floor fixed and newly tiled. I was absolutely thrilled. The first thing I did was let Maybelle out. Of course, she had to give me plenty of attitude because she had been stuck i nthe shed for so long. She's back to her bouncy self now though. :biggrin:Unfortunately, the guy is going on vacantion so the flower beds will only be worked on in September. You know what though? I'm tired of getting annoyed over it. Right now, the yard is clean and we can sit in it so I am not complaining. Maybelle can play again and Puck and I too so we are all satisfied. In the end, it's just not worth getting annoyed about. It'll be done when it's done. 

Meanwhile, we had also ordered the curtains for the livingroom and bedroom. They had told us to expect it to take up to 8 weeks so I jut put them aside in my mind, satisfied that they were ordered and would be here eventually. Well, it took only 3 weeks instead. I was a little bit apprehensive and concerned that maybe they wouldn't look right... At 300 euros, you want to be sure! But heck, they look awesome. They made a huge difference right away. They brought in that warm feeling that I was hoping for. Even Jeff realized how much cozier it looks. Phew! I am happy. The house is looking great and 'homey'. I never realized just how much attachment I have to this place. I've never been one to clean, or really maintain a house but I guess that's really different now. I chose to be here, I want to be here. I think taking care of the house is a way of showing that I care, and that, despite it being hard sometimes, I really do want to make this home. 

Oh speaking of cleaning, I want the house to be clean so badly that I dropped gallons of water in the staircase by accident on Sunday. :expressionlessAnd I do mean several gallons. You see, my dryer isn't connected to the pipes here so I have to manually empty out the tray. I have long been imagining the bucket breaking whilst I carried it downstairs to the bathroom to empty it and that is exactly what happened. WHAT A MESS! The stairs, the floors, the walls... From the 3rd floor to the 1st... Bleh. LOL. I hope we put a sink up there eventually. Just a small sink so that I don't end up carrying buckets anymore. Hehehe.

Anyway, I got some pictures for you guys...

[align=center]This is the front garden... We found a lil bistro-style table I was looking for. It's not quiiiite what I wanted but we hadn't found a table with a real mosaic and I was basically tired of looking. Plus, we got this for half the price of the other we saw and felt it was too good an oppurtunity to pass. Also, this is one we can actually sit at where the other was only decorative. You can see the temporary plants and flowers too. Next year, I will put in some french geraniums and some other pretty flowers. [/align]
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## Nela (Jul 20, 2011)

[align=center]The livingroom curtains (have to take a pic of the bedroom ones still):[/align]
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[align=left]On Friday, we will mark 2 years since that day that Jeff first came to Montreal, allowing us to meet in person for the first time. My life changed forever since that day. I think I will make a nice fondue and cake or something. I want to have a nice dinner with him. Also, I think he finally decided to take next week off. I am happy because I think he could really use the break. [/align]


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## SOOOSKA (Jul 20, 2011)

Great update Sophie.

Please send Maybelle first class to her Auntie.:biggrin:

Your yard is looking great. Is that a Hydrangea I see in your flower beds. I love them, one day when I have a house again I will garden to my heart content.

Now this Bistro table & chairs do you leave that out all the time? Are you not afraid of theft? Gosh if that was here it would be stolen in no time.

Love the curtains, you have done a beautiful job of making your home "Beautiful" and "Comfortable" to live in. Jeff is one lucky man.

Now how big will Puck grow? Has he met the bunnies yet?

Looking forward to more pictures.

Hugs:hug2:

Susan


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## SnowyShiloh (Jul 20, 2011)

Wow, can't believe it's been 2 years now! Everything is looking great at your house  I'm jealous (in a nice way), can't wait until we own a home. The pictures are great. Puck is such a cutie!

Are you feeling better now?


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## Jynxie (Jul 21, 2011)

Puck is adorableeee! D'aw so cute.

Glad you're feeling better.


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## Nela (Jul 21, 2011)

Susan:

Thank you. Hehehe I am sure Maybelle would love to visit Yes, those are some hydrangeas in the front. I love them and they were a house-warming gift from Jeff's friends. I thought I had killed them or something but I decided to take a chance and chop off the 'wood' and it seems that helped them. They are doing much better in the front as well. 

Hehehehe, oh the canadian in us brings us to the same conclusions. I, too, thought it wouldn't be possible to leave the table set out in front but Jeff said it was no problem. I even suggested we chain it somehow but Jeff just laughed. Hehehe. Most houses have things out in front too. I check every day, expecting it to be gone. Lol. We'll just have to hope that he is right and it stays there.\

I am glad you like the curtains. I think I am the one that is lucky really. I am quite proud of what we have accomplished though, I must admit. On the other hand, it would have been hard not to improve the house since all the rooms were yellow except for the livingroom which was a baby blue. Hehehe. 

Puck should grow to be about 18lbs. He won't be big but he will be taller than your average small dog. I didn't want a big dog but I didn't want the typical small dogs either. I just fell in love with this breed instantly. Yes, he has met the bunnies :biggrin:I keep a close eye because Rolo is scared of course. However, she's starting to realize that she is safe so she runs away less and less. I haven't let them interact of course, I think that would terrorize Rolo. As for Maybelle. LOL. She's her usual self although she does run away from him unlike her bossing the cats around. She doesn't mind him at all but she doesn't want to play with him. Then again, the other day she ran straight at him only to hop right over him, with an ever so discreet binky. She's very silly. I am truly happy that they can share the yard though. Puck has learnt 'sit' and sits immediately when told so he is normally sitting and watching her as she hops about. However, he does cry because she won't play with him. She only encourages this by giving him the butt. So, she'sher usual self. 

Shiloh:

Yep, 2 years since we met! It's already a year that I am living here. It went insanely fast! Thank you for your comments. I try to make it inviting and warm. The biggest challenge has been keeping it organized and decluttered but it is going really great. I am surprised because both Jeff and I are terrible when it comes to organization. Lol. Ever since I had to pack my tiny appartment that had way too much junk in it, I vowed not to buy anything unless it had a purpose and a place. I am proud to say that I have stuck to that really well and that has prevented me from ending up with an other endless collection of knick knacks. I think it is easy to get overly excited when getting a home and then you end up with ALL kinds of stuff. Hehehe. I think this has been a wise decision on my part for once. Lol.

As for how I am feeling... I am yes and no. Things aren't all settled but I will be dealing with it in different ways and I hope that this will help sort everything out. I recently got back in touch with someone that I had lost touch with. He had been with me the night the attack happened. The problem is, hefelt he was in love with me and while we were on the way home, I told him that I had given Mario (my ex-fiance) another chance. This kind of threw him off and he was really disappointed and didn't take me home. Well, when he found out what happened, he blamed himself terribly and well, it took him a long time to get over it and it really affected him badly. We started avoiding each other because it became too painful and really we lost touch. It long bothered me that I hadn't reached out to him more after that. I think I am still seeking closure in various ways so I hope that it helps in some way. I am also seriously wondering if I shouldn't take a break from my family and put some more distance between us before I lose my sanity. Anyway, things will be dealt with, one step at a time. 

Carly:

Thank you. Hehehe. He IS cute. I say this because he knows it and uses it to his advantage :grumpy:Lol. He's always throwing me those big puppy eyes when he wants something. If he is bad, he sucks up like crazy and I always end up cracking up. Bleh. Such a brat! 

Thank you everyone for your kind messages, both on here and elsewhere :hearts


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## TinysMom (Jul 21, 2011)

*Nela wrote: *


> Geez, you guys sure sent some very strong positive vibes...
> 
> I was in a very very very very dark place for the past 2-3 days or so. Really, I was quite scared *and didn't think I'd make it without medicating. *I felt like an absolute,total failure and was just drained in a way that I cannot explain.


I've been wanting to write for days and been trying to figure out what I wanted to say and not have it come out wrong.

But first of all - I LOVE the pictures. Jeff is a cutie - and Puck is beyond adorable. I think you may remember I had a rabbit named Puck - I LOVE that name. 

Now - about what I've been wanting to say.

I grew up being told that counseling and medicating was "wrong" and that "good people" didn't need it. I believed it for many years and "suffered" in silence with long black periods of doubt and despair. Failure seemed to be the only option in my life.

But I've had friends and family help me understand that there isn't anything wrong with getting some "help" via. medication to help me make it through those dark times.....sometimes I've taken medication short-term....sometimes long-term.

I recently almost ran out of my meds and to have enough to last me until my appointment - I stupidly skipped them for three days (I meant to skip every other day until I got my meds). WOW....my life went to hell in a handbasket in a very short time period and I had probably one of the darkest days of my life and marriage - some of which might have been due to the lack of meds.

I say this to say that if you're in a dark time right now - even if its only a few days at a time - consider getting some help. Its so worth it and it makes such a difference.

I think sometimes our bodies just need a bit of "something" to help us out - and you've been through so much in the last couple of years....including a move to a brand new country in the last year - that's so stressful and your body may need some help dealing with the stresses you've had.

Ok...getting off my soapbox....I only got on it to say I care.

I thought about doing this in a PM - but I figured if anyone else reading your blog struggles with depression - this might help them too!

:group:


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## MiniLopHop (Jul 21, 2011)

Peg, I agree that medication shouldn't have the stigma that it once did. My therapist put it this way- "You take medication to replace the thyroid hormone your body is not making, so an antidepressant is helping balance the chemicals your body should make naturally." It made me feel a lot better.

Another thing to consider, I found out that if you are very stressed at a young age the brain cells that control mood may not migreate to the proper place within the brain because Cortisol levels are too high. With medication over time thoes cells can finish migrating, which helps relieve some of the issue.

A lot of depression, particularly when I can't figure out WHY I feel so horrible, is chemical. The human body is such a miricle and complex creation that it's not shocking that a chemical reaction here or there becomes misplaced. *hugs*

At least you have Jeff and all the "kids" to help you feel better, it can make a huge difference. Puck is too cute. If I ever had a puppy I think I would like one like him.


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## SnowyShiloh (Jul 22, 2011)

Hi Sophie! I'm glad you're starting to feel a little better  I'll bet getting all the stuff done around the house helps a lot! I've found that I feel a bit on edge if my house is not tidy. 

More pictures?


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## hln917 (Jul 29, 2011)

Glad you're feeling better. Jeff seems like a wonderful guy, you're lucky to have him in your life. Puck is such a cutie and such a ham! Love back yard and fence. Think you guys can use atrip to the states and do my yard?:biggrin2:


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## Nela (Aug 2, 2011)

We have been sooooooo busy since getting Puck . Lol. Lots of visit and going to visit. 

So...

Sandra, Jeff's sister, had her birthday on the 25th of July so we went to her place on the 23rd. They are off to France now so it was nice to see them before they left. Jeff's mom now has Smores and Giggles at her place until they get back. Smores has been having some tummy issues so he is kept under close watch. They are doing great in general though. They areso so silly.

Our neighbors are also on vacation for about 3-4 weeks. We are taking care of their buns while they are away. They told me that I could take them out to run about so I will probably be doing that tomorrow. If I had no common sense I would consider taking in the one they don't like as much. He's a nice bunny but yeah, with my allergies, it's just too hard. 

Jeff took last week off. He needed a break and I was really happy he took the week off. He wasn't feeling too good. We mostly played videogames and were lazy. Hehehe. However, after Puck's vet visit on Monday, the vet recommended that we take Puck on walks now so we started that. 

It was nice to walk with Jeff. I must admit, I never had a dog before and I do get a bit hesitant sometimes with unknown dogs. On the other hand, with my vet assistant training course thing, I know now what to look for in body language so that reassures me a lot. Plus, really, all dogs here are family pets. They all live in the house and everyone walks their dogs in the same places so they are generally very well socialized. The first dog we met was this huge American bulldog. Lol. Puck literally threw himself on his back and started crying. Oh dear. Luckily, the dogwas very friendly and eventually Puck sniffed him some. He was still scared so we continued on our way. The next dog was much much smaller and that went a lot better though Puck still whimpered. Anyway, in the end, he came around and now he is much more confident. He now goes towards dogs. He still is a little cautious but once he knows they won't eat him, he is very willing to play. Lol. 

There was one dog in particular that looked very much like Puck, only adult. It wasn't a cavalier but maybe it was a mix. Puck REALLY liked that one and they played together for a few minutes. When the dog and her owner walked away, he cried after them. He also gets annoyed if people ignore him. I find that hilarious. He's pretty arrogantthe little thing He wants to go up to everyone! If he hears a voice, he actually stops and waits til he can find the person. Lol. I only let him go up to the people that actually want to see him though and he really hates it when someone walks by him and doesn't look at him. Hehehe. Ah well! Luckily, he gets PLENTY of attention so he is very happy with his walks.

On Sunday, we had a birthday party about 2.5 hrs away. Jeff suggested we take him along so we asked his friend about it and when he said yes, we took him. I gave him a nice warm bath, cleaned his ears, dried him up, and brushed him. Mmm I love when he's all clean! This was going to be his first long car ride. He usually rides on me or at my feet but since he is getting older, I really want him seated properly with a seatbelt. I haven't ordered it yet and figured that with such a long car ride (and an unknown experience with lots of people, new dogs, etc), he'd probably be happy to have his bed so we loaded up his kennel. He whined for about two minutes about being in the back and then settled down and rode like a champ. Seriously. Not a peep, not a drop of anything. I was so proud! How wonderful to have him tag along!

There were 3 other dogs there. The first one I saw was a blenheim cavalier :biggrin2:I was thrilled. As soon as we got in, Puck went to see the dogs. They were quite interested in him but the 2 Jack Russells were a bit snappy (notactually biting, just biting the air as a warning)so he was careful around them. He sure loved Daisy, the cavalier, though. Puck was very well behaved and didn't make a mess anywhere, didn't bark when the others barked, didn't chew anything, etc. I sure was glad he was there because I was bored out of my mind to be honest! Lol. The drive back was just as easy as the drive to the friend's house. Puck slept the whole time, completely knackered.

Anyway, all that to say that he has been such a wonderful addition to the family. Really, he's such a young baby. I had prepared myself mentally for the long days and nights that he'd cry, pee, poop, puke, etc. So far though, I really have nothing to complain about. I am soooo relieved too because, as you know, Jeff didn't really want a dog. Hehehe. It's just nice to see Jeff enjoy him as well. The other pets have taken to him well too so that is nice. Things are still balanced here. 

I will have to give Maybelle a bath though because she is terribly dirty. Rolo's been spraying her. :expressionlessBleh. I'll get pictures of her soon!

Meanwhile, I do have a few pictures so I will share them with you in the next post...


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## Nela (Aug 2, 2011)

Puck's modeling his cute bandana:
































His favorite toy... He looooves plastic flower pots so I took a string and passed it through the holes, tying big knots at each end. Therefore, he can always flip it over and we can play tug too.







Bath time:



















Drying up:































more coming...


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## Nela (Aug 2, 2011)

[align=center]Alllllllmooooost snuggling with Baloo:[/align]
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[align=center]Peekaboo :biggrin::[/align]
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[align=center]See the lil 'chest hair'?[/align]
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[align=center]aaaaaaaaaaand some cute, courtesy of Aunty Susan (the shirt says 'King' on it but I couldn't get him to stay still for a pic of the back):[/align]
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[align=center]aaaaaand a few from our walk:[/align]
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## JadeIcing (Aug 2, 2011)

So cute/


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## SnowyShiloh (Aug 2, 2011)

Ha, in so many of the pictures (like the second wearing the hoodie and the first with Tigger) he looks like he's saying, "Mom, seriously? I'm only doing this for you!" Glad to hear things have been going great with him  My dad got a puppy when I went to visit him a few years ago and I did all of the puppy care and training while I was there for the couple of weeks. I'd never had a dog or puppy before but Sandy was such a good boy and a dream to work with


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## Nela (Aug 5, 2011)

We are going to the dolfinarium tomorrow. I am quite excited about it. It'll be my first time seeing a dolphin. We have special tickets so we'll be able to stay after closing for a training with the seals. I'm looking forward to the experience. 

The only downside is that we have to leave Puck with a friend because we will be gone all day. I am very very very nervous because I do not know this guy well so I am a bit hesitant. However, Jeff has known him for many years and trusts him so I am trusting Jeff's judgement. Still, I can't help but be apprehensive. I am hoping that I will be able to enjoy the outing rather than just look forward to it being over and having Puck back by my side. Lol.

I feel like a mum leaving her kid for the first time. :expressionlessLol. It's strange how puppies are so different from cats, even bunnies. It's just a day, no overnight, and I'm still a ball of nerves. It's an odd feeling. I didn't quite expect it to be like that. Well anyway, I'll make sure we call throughout the day to check on him. :baghead

I hope I'll have some really nice pictures to share with you after the outing :biggrin2:

Ps: I put up some Puck videos on our youtube channel if anyone is interested:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/user/TheTaterTotsFamily?feature=mhee#p/u/6/nRN_l47A42s]http://www.youtube.com/user/TheTaterTotsFamily?feature=mhee#p/u/6/nRN_l47A42s[/ame]


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## SOOOSKA (Aug 5, 2011)

Hey Sophie,

Great pictures, Puck is soooooooo cute.

How are my Bunnies doing? I need some Maybelle pictures soon.

Have fun tomorrow, of course I know you will have great pictures to show us.

Susan


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## JadeIcing (Aug 5, 2011)

I am in love with Puck. I am putting something together for him. Hope you don't mind.  Trust me I know. We are going to my brothers tonight and we will be back tomorrow night.... Bunnies and lizards no problem, leave them watered and pellets for tonight no problems. Kashi? She is getting packed up and comes with us.


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## Nela (Aug 8, 2011)

Just posting this quickie...

I'll be back to answer people and post an update shortly. It's been a long night and day because Puck is unwell. I was surprised to see Jeff here this morning but he too felt that Puck was off and he didn't feel comfy going to work with Puck feeling sick. Luckily he stayed because I definitely want him seen. I suspect he has coccidiosis. I've kept a very very close eye on him ever since we got him and so I have noticed the little things early on so I am hoping that we have caught it early enough and that if it is this, that he recovers well and that I can help him feel better soon. 

He's had some goopy eyes on and off. At first it was mostly clear, then some white, but recently it turned a bit greenish so that was one thing. His nose can be runny here and there but not much and usually cleared up. About a week ago, I noticed tiny specks of blood in his poop. I didn't rush to the vets because he's had a habit of eating wood chips (which I always scrambled to take away and now have taken them away altogether) and thought maybe it cut him a bit when he tried to pass it but kept an eye on it. Yesterday, in the middle of the night, he started yelping and crying loudly so I got up to check on him and he was quite frantic, wanting to go out. He finally had a lot of mucusy and very soft graystool with some drops of blood in it and he didn't seem comfy either. I decided to spend part of the night up with him so we watched the Lion King. He watched for a bit and then drifted off to sleep. After a while, I put him back in his crate so I could go back to bed but he started crying. He's not one who cries about being in his crate as he usually goes in willingly. However, I was a bit concerned that he might take too much of a liking to snuggling on the couch and I didn't want him getting spoiled to the point that he would start whining in the hopes that I'd come snuggle with him from now on.

I feel terrible for having gone to bed after that. 

At some point, soon after, he started yelping and crying again.I waited to see if it would pass, and when it did, I drifted off to sleep. I had a nasty migraine so I stayed in bed late, not hearing Jeff get up or anything. Normally, Jeff should have gone to work but I was surprised to find him home when I went downstairs. Turns out, Puck is feeling very off today. He pooped all over his pillow and had to sleep in it. I feel so bad about that. It's so not like him and he really gets upset about pooping in the house. I wish I had stayed up with him. Then again, he might have pooped on me and the couch since he can't control it... But anyway. He had quite a bit of diarrhea with mucus and blood (just a bit)so Jeff figured we'd be taking him to the vet's so he stayed home. 

We have an appointment at 4:30, so in 2 hours. Puck is quite lethargic and dehydrated so I have him on electrolyte solution and he is snuggled beside me. Worst thing is, I have to give him a bath because he's got poop all over. 

My poor lil monkey... I hate seeing him unwell. 

Wish us luck!


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## irishbunny (Aug 8, 2011)

I saw a dolphin up close for the first time a few weeks ago, though it was a wild dolphin while I was waiting on a pier to catch a boat. It was letting people rub it before swimming off when the boat came. Very cute. I took lots of pictures.

Sorry to hear Puck is unwell, hope he feels better soon!


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## MiniLopHop (Aug 8, 2011)

Poor Puck  I hope the vet can fix him up quick. :hug:


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## Nela (Aug 9, 2011)

Hey everyone,

Thank you all for your thoughts and message on here and off. We saw the vet yesterday and I was on the right track. After looking at the stool samples I brought in and explaining symptoms, she thinks he either has giardiasis or coccidiosis. She felt that giardiasis was a more likely cause so he is on Panacur treatment. He also got an ointment for his eyes which she thinks is something unrelated. Anyway, we will see how that goes this week. If I am not satisfied, I will take stool samples in for testing but that might give us false negatives so I am hoping that will be our last resort. He was looking much better after I gave him the electrolyte and she even commented on how good he looked. I told her that he had been dehydrated and that things seemed to be progressing so that's why we took him in. Anyway, she is quite confident that this should do the trick. 

Meanwhile, I am going to be keeping Puck at home so that he cannot infect other dogs. I also have to keep an eye on all our family members, furry and not, because giardia is contagious. Hopefully, we won't have any issues. I am keeping Maybelle in the shed for now and hosing down the yard carefully to rid the yard of poop in the hopes of getting rid of the risks of contagion. I really wouldn't want the girls getting sick from Puck. 

There was another puppy with exactly the same problems as Puck so I imagine there isn't much else we could have done to prevent it as he's current on shots, dewormer, we clean his surroundings thoroughly, etc. ... 

He is having diarrhea again now and is sleeping a lot. I am keeping an eye on his hydration but he seems alright for now. He had quite a bit of energy this morning too. 

So anyway, we did go to the dolfinarium on Saturday. We dropped Puck off at the friend's house and headed out. He cried as we left but I knew not to turn around.I tried to avoid thinking about him but it didn't quite work. Lol. Jeff's friend texted at one point saying how much they loved Puck and how we didn't have to pick him up. :expressionlessHehehe. We had a really nice time at the dolfinarium. I did get really grouchy at times though. The first time I got grouchy, it was about the fact that the parking was so far away from the site and they had no shuttle. It's not fun when you are hurting from walking even before you get there. :grumpy:The second, was when some stupid man pushed me while trying to go meet his wife further up in the line. Dutch people have absolutely no manners and that is something that really aggravates me here. I swear, people here are so unbelievably rude. They see you, but they choose to walk right 'through' you instead of even saying 'sorry' before they push you around. Sure,I have been pushed before in Montreal, but that's only from the few rude people. Here, it's common practice. Like at the supermarket, I never grab something by passing my hand right in front of the person's face. Here, people ALWAYS do it or they simply push you out of the way. It's quite pathetic really. Don't even get me started on the nose-pickers...

Okay where was I? Sorry about that, I needed to get that off my chest 

Yeah so the dolfinarium was great. I was really disappointed though because we messed up and therefore couldn't see Morgan, the beached Orca that was brought there to recover. It's been a big thing here as they were planning to send Morgan to another park but activists say that they hadn't done enough to release her. A judge sided with the activists and ordered the dolfinarium to keep her until specialists could look into it. I was happy to have a chance to see Morgan, but missed it because they had limited hours for viewing and didn't get there in time. Ah well! I wish Morgan all the best and I really hope they do what is best for her. Aside from that, I enjoyed the shows. My favorites were the walruses really. They were just so quirky and silly. The dolphins were absolutely beautiful though. I thought it was really amazing to see how intelligent all these animals are. 

We bought Puck a small dolphin stuffie and headed to pick him up. It was a really long (though fun) day and I couldn't wait to see him. When we got there, Puck was sleeping and barely took notice of us. Lol. He was quite comfy. They had no trouble with him at all and I was really proud of him. After much blah blah, Jeff took the hint and we FINALLY headed home. I was soooooo exhausted. 

Oh yeah, I got grumpy a 3rd time because, while we were eating at the dolfinarium, Jeff asked that we visit with his mother the next day. I had sooo been looking foward to a quiet day since it's been several weeks that we've been out and about, seeing so and so, etc. I was really not happy about him having decided that like that. I had been asking him to call her for days to check up on her since his sister and her family are out of town. I didn't ask him to just throw me in the batch so that I'd have to entertain yet again. I was annoyed, truly. I see her during the week because she comes over for coffee and all. Just because he is too lazy to call, I had to entertain her again. Anyway, she ended up coming for dinner on Sunday. I told Jeff to order. I was in no mood to run around cleaning the house and running to cook on top of it. Plus, I really haven't been feeling well and I just wanted to rest. It was a flop. Lots of silent moments, so I felt like talking was forced because we were tired, including Jeff who was half asleep at times. On top of it, she didn't like dinner. We had ordered Chinese, and she spent a lot of time commenting how the nasi wasn't like the nasi she expected, etc. I've always been one to think that you should do things because you want to, not because you feel like you HAVE to. Well, this proved to be one of those times where I should have listened to myself more and not felt guilty. This only proved to be more forced than anything and I fear that might have been felt. That's not the kind of energy I like to give off.

Then that night is the night Puck was sick so I barely got any sleep at all. I just can't seem to re-energize these days. To top it all off, it's Jeff's 40th birthday on the 18th soI have to spend this week cleaning, deciding what to cook, doing some trial baking, etc. and then the next entertaining on Thursday and Saturday. :expressionlessBleh. 

I am not one for having a big social life. In fact, I quite hate it. I hate seeing so many people in such a short time and having so many late nights. It really does a number on my body and it will take me several weeks to get back to an okay state. On top of it, I seem to have hurt my foot so now I have to wear my sling again. It feels like a sprain but it is behind the foot so I have no idea what I did. I do remember my leg snapping back last Friday at some point. I stood up and it's like my leg had no bones all of a sudden and bent backwards like a noodle. LOL. It didn't hurt at the time but maybe I overstretched something, causing the foot problems. Ah well!

Sorry about the whining I'm just tired and looking forward toa good rest so that I can feel better. I'm terribly sore all over and getting migraines like no tomorrow because I'm too tired.My sugar is also crashing left and right. Iguess I have entered another 'episode' from having done too much at once.Ah the joys of having health problems! 

No worries, I'll upload pics of dolphins and others to make up for my whining


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## JadeIcing (Aug 9, 2011)

I like people but in small doses. Work is fine, it's work and I love it but outside of work... Small doses.


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## Nela (Aug 9, 2011)

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## Nela (Aug 9, 2011)

[align=center]After the dolfinarium, we grabbed some Kibbeling (fried cod YUMMY) and walked in the rain... At some point, we came to an arch and I thought it was beautiful. I decided to take pictures of it and then we walked through it to find a most beautiful area... It was very old and very village-like. We were in a fishing village but we had been in a more industrial area before passing through the arch. Anyway, I'll let the pics do the rest of the talking...[/align]
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## Nela (Aug 9, 2011)

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## Nela (Aug 9, 2011)

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## Nela (Aug 9, 2011)

Susan:

Hehehe. The buns are doing well. Unfortunately, they are stuck inside again while I sort things out with Puck. I hope to get proper sunshine soon so I can take pics of the girls 

Ali:

Lol. I am glad you love him. Awww that is so sweet of you. I am sure he'll be thrilled. Yeah I hear you about the animals... Everyone else, I can leave as long as there is food and water. Puck is a whole different story though. Hehehe. Having a dog really does change things. What do you do with Kashi when you can't take her? I am scared of those boarding places... :expressionless

Oh and totally agre with you about small doses. Lol.I am so nota people person anymore. *Blushes* I think it's awesome to have Puck with me while people talk all around me. Lol.

Grace:

How lucky are you?! Awww I think that is the ultimate experience, seeing them in the wild. I would love to touch a dolphin! Thanks for your thoughts for Puck. 

Brandy:

Thanks Brandy. I hope so too!


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## SnowyShiloh (Aug 9, 2011)

What in the heck is nasi? I'm so curious! When I was in Austria, I remember being surprised by how... Austrian the Chinese and Mexican food seemed! 

The rudest people I have ever encountered were the people at the airport in Crete. It was an airport so who knows where most of the people were from, but people were jostling each other and slamming each other with suitcases and stuff. There was no emergency, no late flights, nothing that would have warranted the behavior, but I was just amazed.

How is Mr Puck doing now? Poor little man. What a good boy to cry to go outside and poop even though his tummy was hurting!


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## YukonDaisy (Aug 9, 2011)

Congrats on getting Puck, he is too cute for words! I hope he gets better soon.


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## MiniLopHop (Aug 9, 2011)

Great pictures! What kind of dolphins were they? The faces look a little different than the bottle nosed dolphins we have here. I went to Sea World a lot as a kid and then had a semster at the Duke marine lab so I have been fortunate enough to pet dolphins on a couple of occasions. They feel so smooth like rubber.

I hope Puck is feeling better. :hugs:


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## JadeIcing (Aug 9, 2011)

*Nela wrote:*


> Ali:
> 
> Lol. I am glad you love him. Awww that is so sweet of you. I am sure he'll be thrilled. Yeah I hear you about the animals... Everyone else, I can leave as long as there is food and water. Puck is a whole different story though. Hehehe. Having a dog really does change things. What do you do with Kashi when you can't take her? I am scared of those boarding places... :expressionless
> 
> Oh and totally agre with you about small doses. Lol.I am so nota people person anymore. *Blushes* I think it's awesome to have Puck with me while people talk all around me. Lol.



We are lucky. My parents take her. In October we go away for a week! :shock: My brother is staying here but Kashi is going to my mom and going to see if my friend will take Teresa.


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## TinysMom (Aug 16, 2011)

Just wanted to pop in and say I Love those pictures - all of them - but especially the ones of Puck. He looks like a stuffed puppy (at this age).


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## Bunny parents (Aug 23, 2011)

Hey there  
How are you ? I haven't logged on much lately.  Puppy ??? Hehehe, he's so cute. I can see from these pics that you're doing great and you are happy  that's terrific ! I'm glad that everything is okay with you. We're great. I just got back from my husband's home town. Kimiko had a great fun there  I'll post on my blog later. Anyway, good to be back  Talk to you soon. 
Take care.


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## Nela (Sep 5, 2011)

Sorry guys, I've been sick (still am) for the past few weeks and it's a bit hard to write long posts. I will update as soon asI feel up to it. 

Much love!


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## Wabbitdad12 (Sep 5, 2011)

Great pictures! I hope you feel better soon.


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## JadeIcing (Sep 6, 2011)

I know the feeling.


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## Wabbitdad12 (Sep 22, 2011)

I hope you are feeling better and have gotten things sorted out about the school.


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## MiniLopHop (Sep 28, 2011)

I miss you blogging with all the pictures. :hugsquish:


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## Nela (Sep 30, 2011)

Not doing well. Taking a break. Hope to come back sometime...


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## myheart (Sep 30, 2011)

ray: 

:hug: :hug2: :group2: :bunnieskiss :bunnyhug: 

Hope you feel better soon....


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