Months 7 and 8

Lara was too busy eating pumpkin on her 7 month birthday to pose, so we're skipping right ahead to month 8.

Cruising along the hallway wall!

5th (!) Christmas Tree Cutting Adventure in Spring Lake

Birthday Celebrations for our Blog's First Contributor

Many Happy Returns (a couple weeks late) to our beloved 6 year old!

Whose birthday wish last year was for this baby sister. Which sister is behaving in a manner unfitting for her age.

Our Three Little Pigs

The Travel Journal of a 6-Month-Old

This month, Lara experienced Camping/Dune-climbing:

Apple-picking:

Spicy-hummus-eating:

Swimming:

. . . and Flying. For an only-child-wannabe, traveling with just Mama was a dream come true. This girl basked in the attention of everyone from airport cashiers to Mediterranean waitresses.

And, for the diehards:

Five Months

This girl is determined to crawl soon!

The big kids were busy this month painting the office for:

 The First Day of School!

Four Months and Five Firsts

First Encounter with a Sunflower

First Diaper Change Entirely Administered by Lysbeth

First Nap in a Playpen, Outside, and Guarded by a Dog

 First Back-to-Front Roll  

 She is now unstoppable and has even combined it with her previously learned skill, front-to-back rolling, to flip across the living room floor.

First Separation from Daddy (and she was already 3 months old and it was only for a week! Life has changed at our house...we're thankful for our time in the Marine Corps, but relieved that deployments/AT are over.)

Giggles for Your Thursday

(I have no explanation for this one except that it's Caleb and he's a ham)

Celebrating Three Months with Lara

In which she starts cooing, rolling over, and using those hands:

(Disclaimer: Beans were organically homegrown, and she was, as usual, vigilantly supervised by older siblings)

Second Month and Summer Scenes

Lara at 2 Months (and 2 Feet Long)

Sisters <3

"Enjoying" the Memorial Day Parade

Strawberry Season! 

 First Manicure

Where You Can Find Us Most Evenings

(don't tell Henry)

Strengthening Exercises 

Helping Daddy and Mama Hang Drywall 

Classic First Baseball Game

Singing Sisters

Happy Birthday to our

Joy Giver

Tigger Lover

Big (and Little) Brother

Construction Worker

Baseball Player 

3 Year Old!

Extra: The kids' favorite quote from their Pippi Longstocking audiobook: