The day before we said goodbye...

In the car today with my four littles, I overheard this conversation... Hosanna - "I don't want to bring peppermint; I can use DiGize and be just fine." Malachi - "But you need to bring peppermint for car rides in case you get car sick."

Jubilee - "If I had my purse, I would have peppermint."

Malachi - "See, Hosanna? Always be prepared. Bring peppermint with you on every car trip."

Solomon - "I'm prepared. I always have my fists with me, so I'm ready for a fistfight."

Bwahahaha...that escalated quickly.

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Today was Abby's last day before she heads off to college tomorrow morning, and of course, we couldn't let her leave without a proper family send-off. Naturally, this called for a celebration with all of Abby's favorites. We pulled out all the stops with a feast of steaks and eclair cake—because nothing says "good luck at college" quite like a mountain of chocolate and vanilla cream filling. To add some flair, we decked the place out in Harry Potter and ACU Firestorm-themed decorations because who wouldn't want a party that's equal parts wizarding world and college spirit?

The night's highlight had to be when her siblings presented her with a gigantic gift bag. It was the kind of bag that might be better suited for Santa Claus, but hey, we're a generous bunch. Inside, Abby found all the essentials she never knew she needed: band-aids for those inevitable paper cuts, batteries because you can never find one when you need them, and, of course, chocolate—a vital part of any college survival kit. It was a mix of practicality and indulgence, with a dash of sibling love and a sprinkle of mischief.

We laughed, ate, and tried not to get too sappy about her leaving. As the night wound down, it hit us that Abby would be off on a new adventure tomorrow, and the house would feel emptier without her. But for tonight, we celebrated her, made memories, and sent her off with a belly full of her favorite foods and a heart full of love from her crazy, wonderful family.

The sibling goodbyes wrecked me. I'm not sure I'm going to handle tomorrow very well at all.

As I headed off to bed... Me - "You're not going to be all weird when you introduce us to your roomies, are you?" Abby - "You and Dad aren't going to be all weird when I introduce you to my roomies, are you?" Bill grins from ear to ear. I smile widely, and we both answer together, "Absolutely." Abby - "Well, I guess we know what happens tomorrow then." 😅