The newest Aggie

This past weekend we dropped our #2 off in Logan to start her college adventure at USU. This is what it was like attempting to go through her closet to see what she needed/wanted to take with her.  

The Pathfinder was FULL!

We decided to leave Emm with Bay for the weekend so we could give Kars all the attention she needed. 

The goodbyes were hard.

The day we left was also my birthday, so a stop in Bear Lake for a raspberry shake seemed appropriate.

Once we got to Logan, we took a walk around town and fell in love all over again with this town.

Of course we went by our old apartment and shared all sorts of stories with Kars.

The following day was spent in the canyon

Having lunch from the Grist Mill:)

Getting Kars what she needed at the bookstore

Exploring the beautiful campus

And getting her moved in. Clever Dad tried to use all available letters on her board;)

The fourth floor of Davis Hall will be her home for the year along with 4 other girls.

We decided a trip to Aggie Ice Cream was necessary despite the very long line

And then ... it was time to say goodbye. 

This is not my first rodeo, so I was somewhat prepared for the flood of emotions that would come. Despite that, the actual separation was HARD. My heart ached with a physical pain that was almost unbearable. 

I am incredibly excited for Kars, but I would be lying if I didn't acknowledge that things will change. I will miss the way things were. I know that we will always be mother and daughter, but I also know that slowly I will become a less prevalent person in her life .... as it should be.

I will miss everything about Kars. Her sense of humor, the way she lightens tension, her music, her tech expertise. I will miss the light and life that she brings to our home.

I will worry about her because I desperately don't want her to feel lost and alone and yet I am certain she will at times. I hate the thought of not being there to hug her on those hard days. 

I am not worried about whether she will succeed. In fact, I have no doubt that she will find success in whatever she sets her mind to. I hope that stubborn attribute will be an asset;) The moment we drove away, Kars walked into a bright new chapter of her life where the possibilities are almost endless. I drove away from a piece of my heart and that moment is not lost on me.

I know that we will all soon adjust and will be able to see this as a new beginning for both of us and not as an end. But in the moment I was looking back to see my little soldier playing, wheelbarrow hauling, nail pounding, one-line singing girl and hope that I’ve done most things right, or right enough, that she will make wise choices and that fortune goes her way.

Love you the most Lu!