I woke up at 4 this morning, unable to get back to sleep; I've not slept well this week, knowing that August 12 is coming up on me very quickly.

I've been blogging for a long time, even though for the past few years, my life seems to have settled into a routine that leaves little time for taking photos. Mostly my pictures are through Instagram, and when they are of my family, I will sometimes get a comment or two about how some of you have watched the girls grow up on my blog.

Which brings me back to August 12. Tomorrow my baby girl leaves for college.

For those of you who have been with me for a while (thank you so much for that!), you may remember some of these moments with my crazy, sweet little Sophie…

Remember when Bre left for college, and Sophie snuck into her closet and played dress-up?

And since Bre's car was left at home, Sophie had a grand time being sneaky here as well…

Remember when I found out she had been taking Steve Irwin selfies on my camera?

This one was from when Bre's Tilly was a baby, and she and Sophie became fast friends…

Then we moved into the middle school years, when her hair extensions were her pride and joy…

And then came Sophie's own Tilly… She had been missing Bre's Tilly, and when the humane society had named this one Tilly too, we knew it was meant to be…

Sweet sixteen…

Then seventeen…

Sophie graduated in December of 2017, so she didn't walk with her class in May of 2018. But we still surprised her with a party, and had her don Sabrina's old cap and gown…

And then she turned eighteen…

Today is August 11, and tomorrow we move Sophie into her new dorm at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. It's not far from home, but that hasn't really been a consolation to me. This child is my heart, just like her sisters are. She's finally beginning the part of her life she's most looked forward to – being an adult and choosing her path; the part I always looked the most forward to – being a stay-at-home mom – is ending. 

But I know my tears won't last long, as my girl has promised to keep me updated on everything new she's experiencing. And I'll be jumping for my phone every time I hear a text come in from her! How on earth can the sadness stay, when God has given so much? 

Please pray for my girl this week… but mostly pray for me.

We're coming for you, August 12.

I love that I still have one last teenager left at home. Not because she's the last one, but because she's just so teenager. My girls have always filled my heart with joy, and I'm so very, very, very, very, very thankful to God that He blessed me with them. As most of you know, my older two have grown and left home to build their own lives (they practically grew up on this blog!), but my Joonbug is still home, still making me laugh, making me cry, making me pull my hair out, and making me a very happy mom.

Marty doesn't usually embrace the camera, but on this day, she bullied her way in for some attention…

Sophie will be headed off to college in just over a year, and I'm not quite sure what I'll fill my days with when she's gone. I mean, how does one simply fill the void left by a sudden absence of all those stray gum wrappers on the counter, the cozy hugs at any given time, hilarious Shakira impressions on car rides, too many visits to Sephora, empty peach smoothie cups left in all the wrong places, and the charming way she says "Mom?" when I know full well that that particular tone can only mean she's about to ask me a question that I will answer with a "No." And how many more times will I have to get to wash mascara stains out of the shoulders of my shirts because she needed to cry?

I do love this teenager, and the gift that she is.

While Sophie and I were out and about today, she said to me, "I can't believe it will be 2017 in five months. Weren't we just saying we can't believe it's 2016?"

Firstly, I can't believe how swiftly the time is flying by, and secondly, I can't believe that a sixteen-year-old would notice.

And speaking of sixteen (I promise, this was not a planned segue), I never even got to share Sophie's birthday with you! All the way back in May! I was looking through all of the photos from the past eight months, trying to organize them, and I can't believe how much I've missed in the bustle that is this year. Yes, I was there to take the photo, but perhaps I wasn't actually there in the moment. I imagine this is what my mother has been trying to tell me, when she tells me to slow down a bit and live life at a more enjoyable pace. (Which, incidentally, she is not succeeding at very well since retiring.. she seems busier than she ever has been, and doesn't seem at all to be frustrated by it!)

Here are just a couple pictures from May 22, when my Sophie went and turned sixteen…

Anyone who knows Sophie knows she is an insatiable cosmetics fiend…

Sophie feels that Marty (and Tilly, of course!) is still the best gift to our home, no matter the celebration…

I love you, Sophie-Joon.