senior year.

Senior year.

I can’t even type it without tearing up a little. At the risk of sounding entirely cliché, I cannot believe we are already here. Time has flown. I need a do-over so I can enjoy it one more time while our first littlest love is still little.

I remember being in Hawaii and my husband telling me he wanted to start a family. I remember being pregnant a few months later, and my husband telling me he couldn’t wait for the day when his little one would run to greet him at the door yelling, “daddy!” and jumping into his arms for a big squeeze.

I remember every little thing about her life because it all happened five minutes ago.

Yet here we are. She’s 17. She’s a full-time college student who only goes to high school during her senior year for cheer practice. We are filling out college applications. We are spending every Friday night under the stadium lights knowing each week is one week closer to never watching her cheer again.

Every little thing feels like a last, but there are also so many new things associated with being the parents of a senior. For example, our daughter was nominated for homecoming court next week. And now it’s all about finding her additional dresses and shoes and jewelry, and making more hair appointments, and coordinating outfits with her boyfriend’s mom because he also made homecoming court. It’s about finding the perfect convertible to ride on in the parade – and boy did we ever find the coolest one – and thinking about walking her across the field during halftime on homecoming night as they announce each of the Queen’s Court before announcing the Queen.

It’s so exciting and so much fun – and we get to combine that all with Ava’s first homecoming as a freshman. To say we are proud and excited is such an understatement. But also, I’m about to spam the blog with photos because we have senior photos back, and I cannot even with them.

We knew immediately where we wanted to take Addy’s senior photos this year – our favorite island in the Outer Banks. We spend every summer up there soaking up the sun, boating, tubing, catching blue crabs, and eating entirely too much while we make the best memories. It’s the simplest, most laid-back trip we take, but it’s everything good about summer and family – and we knew immediately her photos would be in the OBX. At sunrise. And she even let her parents grab a pro photo with her (though not as many as her boyfriend because he travels often with us these days, too).

So, I have nothing left to say other than enjoy because this girl is beautiful inside and out, and I cannot get over these.