Sunshine after the rain

Interrupting Sweden pictures for some spring on the farm and family time pictures.

After school on Friday, Justin played a game of kickball with the kids. 

He is a patient daddy.

Getting into his intense mode to roll the ball to Abilene

Trying to teach Gilbert about staying within the baseline, rather than heading for the back pasture to avoid being tagged by the ball.

Lily held Abilene and ran with her, since Abilene is not a high speed runner. Elsie twirled, Hoyt pulled his shirt over his shoulders and Gilbert was paying attention to everything, including things off the field. 

This is sports with kids in a nutshell.

On Friday, we got to meet Amanda! 

My brother Cody has been a ramblin' man for many a moon now. He seemed like he was settling into confirmed old bachelorhood pretty comfortably. Until he met Amanda. Now he is getting married and is ridiculously happy about it. 

We have heard a lot about Amanda, but since she is from Wyoming, we hadn't really met her, besides a passing "How do you do?" at convention last year. 

The kids (and all of us!) were thrilled with Amanda. I am a little afraid that she might be overwhelmed with them.... 

But she holds her own pretty well!

There were tornado warnings across northern New York. 

We didn't get a tornado, but we got a doozy of a storm. 

A deluge with lightning and thunder. 

Almost immediately afterward, the sun came out brilliantly. 

It was gorgeous!

Tori and Dad

Aren't these clouds lovely?

These clouds were sailing across the sky

Things have been muddy lately. 

Which doesn't delight the beef farmer with brand new calves...

...but thrills his daughter.

I know, these pictures are so similar. 

BUT THEY ARE ALL BEAUTIFUL.

I can't help it.

Elsie was already in a borrowed t-shirt from Aunt Tori or Aunt Livie because she had already got muddy and wet, but that didn't seem to faze her enjoying the puddles with relish.

The clouds began to get a funny gold-y color quite awhile before sunset. 

One of those odd, storm colored clouds thing.

I love, LOVE some dramatic clouds

And I love this girl.

And this boy.

As the sun began to set, the clouds got even more spectacular.

A lot of us stood outside, enjoying the breeze and the clouds. 

Tori chasing Hoyt around to squeals of delight

Elsie stomping in puddles for the fun of it.

Tori actively encouraging puddle stomping.

More puddle stomping

Tori was not being one of those be-careful-you-don't-get-wet aunts.

To say the least.

Oldest and youngest cousins

One lone white cloud

There was some laundry to do that night, let me tell you.

Owen, Mr. DON'T GET DIRTY, HOYT observing his sister getting Hoyt incredibly dirty.

The SKY!

It was absolutely unbelievable. 

Cotton candy pink, pearly purple, dove grey....

On the heels of the rain came the wind. Fierce wind. This tree fell over on our property, somehow managing to fall right between the hay shed and the horse barn. Pretty good aim, tree!

The power was off for several days for people around us, but we never actually lost power.