Portraits: 5 years old along the river

This girl. She's our firstborn, and she just turned 5 years old. Strong, adventurous, meticulous. Energetic, driven, focused. An artist. A climber. A sensitive soul. A caring big sister. A cuddler. How can she fit so many traits into such a little body? Witnessing her grow from an angel of a baby into the person she is today has been a joy (albeit an exhausting one), and I can't wait to see who she becomes.

This year has been one of many changes for our family, and I wanted the context of Cricket's 5-year-old portraits to reflect the new place we call home in some way. So we drove down the road and explored a hiking trail along the Haw River. Few things in life make me happier than watching my girls experience a new-to-them part of this world, whether that adventure is close to home or on the other side of the planet. It only took her about 30 seconds (and one venomous snake encounter) to take to the river.

Here are a few of Cricket's previous portraits: birth announcement, 1 year, 20 months, 21 months,  23 months, 2 years, 2.5 years, 3 years and 4 years.