Circle of Life

Our family has experienced an abundance of life and loss over the past few weeks.  Such a deep, emotional learning experience for us as a family.

Exquisite joy and profound loss....

Pregnancy #4

Family ceremony to say "good-bye" to the baby after a miscarriage.  Guitar, playing the glockenspiel, rose, candle and words....

A cat came to us, pregnant with kittens.  Welcome, Sammy!

Family memorial for our pet rabbit of 5 years, "Rabbie".  Guitar, poem, digging a grave, making a wood sign.

Although this was not an easy post to create, writing it helps to bring closure to emotional endings, while rejoicing at new beginnings.  Experiencing loss and new life are a part of who we are as human beings.  Celebrating and remembering together in ceremony brings us closer as a family....

Friends Forever

Rabbie and Navy in their new home

Syrendell would not be a complete family without Rabbie and Navy! Our two creatures of nature have become the best of friends since they have been sharing the same space together for about five years now. They have moved a couple of times, but were never apart in those five years. Their latest home is in our backyard, just off the porch, in what will be our spiral path reflection garden (hope to work on that soon!).

Both had originally lived in southern California with us, and came up here to enjoy the northern California landscape. The trees here in Fair Oaks offer us reprieve from the hot summers, and for Rabbie and Navy, plenty of cool shade, some dappled warm sun, and a canopy of maple and jacaranda to keep predatory avian eyes from spotting our furry friend! We are a tad worried about raccoons in the area - are rabbits in their food chain? We might have to place an overhead enclosure to give some extra protection.

Rabbie is the rabbit, if you hadn't deduced from the name. And Navy is the Russian desert tortoise - no relation to the armed forces, just a name our daughter picked out of her imagination when she was five. Rabbie and Navy are liking their new digs, Rabbie started to groom herself immediately after entering her home, and Navy claimed a cool spot under the wood pile.

I SPY! Can you find Navy?