Mother Nature's Beauty

The storm rolls in.

My first picture of a lightning strike. It's not easy. Beauty after the storm...It's been a long time since I've seen a rainbow from end to end. Where's my "pot o' gold" :)

Tornado : Round 2

Tonight was another crazy evening of storms. I was able to get this video of a tornado forming just north of my house. It was very close and unfortunately it moved over into Iowa where it killed 4 boy scouts and injured many others at Little Sioux Boy Scout Camp.

Baby Robins

For the first time in 5 years...I have babies! Baby birds that is.

Despite my efforts in the past to have a regular supply of food and water, birds never nested in my tree.

A mother and father robin have been raising three babies and it's been great to see the dynamics of a bird family. The adults take turns providing and protecting. One protects while the other gets food (usually worms, which has been in abundance from all the rains) it's like a tag team.

Little by little I could see heads bobbing up and down and getting larger. Just today Kaitlin came running in saying that one of the babies was on a branch. She was right and there it was just hanging around the nest. I had to take a picture before it's tail feathers came in because I'm sure once that happens they'll be on their way. Maybe I can get some video of flying lessons ;)

Tornado Damage

Some of you might have heard on the news about the storms rolling through the midwest. We had our very own tornado in the city, Aren't we lucky...NOT.

It developed from downdrafts (which is rare) so the sirens sounded after the fact. Not good for a lot of people who were still asleep in their beds.
We happened to be awake with Kaeleigh that night and after hearing it roll in and pound furiously against the house I became increasingly worried. It just seemed different than other storms. Mike checked his phone and exclaimed in surprise "There's a tornado warning". Just as he'd finished those words we heard the sirens sounding. I grabed the girls and Mike grabed Braden and we hightailed it to the basement for cover. Thankfully nothing serious happened, just alot of wind and a couple of bangs.

My parents we're the luckiest of all though because it came right over their house. They have a weather radio but were confused because it didn't say there was a warning so they were experiencing a tornado without realizing it. Damage was all around them but they were fine which is truly a blessing as they don't have the safety of a basement to go to.
Phew... Thanks Heavenly Father!

Here are some images of the damage around my parents home. Mike's sister and her family used to live in the apartments and the car wash is down the street from my parents house.
The pictures were taken by a friend of Mike's sister.

http://cmbpics.smugmug.com/gallery/5130682_VNk9Z#310014759_5PL8Z

Little Miss Sunshine