About five years ago I got this wild hair up my ass that Jade (who was two at the time) needed a pet. I immediately hoped in the car with Aunt Steph and we headed down to the pet store to look for animals. We went to the local Petco and there in the cage with a white bunny sat our brown bunny. His price tag was 90 dollars and some change. That didn't include the cage, bedding and food that was needed. After we picked him out they put him in a box and we brought our guy home. Driving home Steph and I were throwing ideas back and forth about what we should name him. Steph threw out Turtle... and from that point on we had a rabbit named Turtle. Once we got home we realized they didnt charge me the 90 dollars for the bunny so we called them to let them know and paid for him.
Turtle has lived with us in our South Mountain apartment, Lehi house, the condo, my mother in laws and a year in our new home. Hes been part of our life for so long. We have grown and changed so many times since we brought that cute brown rabbit home from the pet store.
He was as bad-ass as a bunny could be. He would run across the floor and do flips in the air. Every time I would hold him he would lick my fingers. He was so cute when he would clean his self. I loved watching him do it. He really became a part of my family.
Today I sent Chris downstairs to check out the basement soon after I hear him calling my name in a tone that instantly made tummy just dropped. I went down there and saw my brown bunny stiff as a board. Tears came to my eyes and didnt stop for a few hours. I guess I didnt realize HOW much I loved him. I know they say you need to be strong for your kids... Not me. I just cried and cried.
Chris was such an champ. When the waterworks started he just wrapped me in his arms and let me bawl for a little while. I cried to him that I wouldnt be able to touch him, but I would clean up his things. I cried to him that I couldnt believe i was crying. I cried that I didnt cry like this when fish died. I basically cried and cried and couldnt believe I was crying. Chris was so awesome. Our first plan was to put him in a box to burry him. I told Chris we had to put him in our backyard. He told me it was illegal to burry your pets in the back yard, I didnt care. As we put him in the box, chris reaches over and grabs his food dish, his chew toys and a few other toys and puts them in the box with him. He said Turtle would appreciate it.
Next was breaking the news to Jade. All she could ask us was "did you shake his cage? how do you know he is gone?". Later he was outside in his chip box coffin and i see Jade shake the box, then shake it harder and then just start crying. Man that was difficult to see and is hard to even think about her doing it - brings tears right back to my eyes.
All paisley would do is run around saying "Turtle die mama" "Turtle die ! "
We started digging the plot for the chip box coffin but quickly realized we would not be able to dig as deep as we wanted to (our soil is more a mixture huge rocks and medium rocks mixed with shitty dirt). So we got him out of the box, laid some of his bedding down as well as his other goods and we buried our Turtle then said a little prayer.
Its been a tough day for the Taylor Family.
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| The Box Coffin |
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| Digging the plot |
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| Jade w/ Turtle in his coffin |
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| She wanted to write him a message |
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| This is a picture she drew of me. Those are my tears |
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| Her drawing of turtle |
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| Turtle in his burial plot. |
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| His Headstone Jade made. |
