Between graduating from high school in May and starting college in the fall, Kate Gosselin and Jon Gosselin's eldest daughters, twins Mady and Cara, had a milestone 2019.
But as Mady told her Instagram followers on Dec. 31, the highlights came with low points, as well.
Sharing a photo of herself in a field of flowers on New Year's Eve, Mady looked back on her year, writing: "2019: you were a bittersweet, stressful, challenging, crazy year. but you were also refreshing, wonderful, unpredictable & full of achievements i'm so proud of. it's all about balance, i guess 🙂 happy new year!! here's to 2020 being cooler & crazier 🥂."
The twins have not revealed which schools they're attending other than announcing they decided to go to different colleges in New York City.
For Mady, college was a chance to forge a life outside of her association with her mom's reality shows — Kate followed up a series of post-divorce takes on the original "Jon & Kate Plus 8" with "Kate Plus Date," which premiered last year — and to get some distance from the drama between her parents, whose 2009 divorce was very public because of their show.
"I feel like we haven't had much of a chance to blend in," Mady said in a "Kate Plus 8" special that aired in October (via ITW).
Kate and Jon welcomed the twins in 2000 and sextuplets Leah, Aaden, Alexis, Joel, Collin and Hannah in 2004. The former couple have argued publicly about one another's parenting for many years since, particularly in the wake of their split, which saw Kate win primary custody of all eight children. (Jon, who lives near Kate with his girlfriend Colleen, currently has custody of Hannah and Collin; he's said he rarely sees the other six children.)
Despite the challenges of growing up in the spotlight with parents whose relationship has long been troubled, Mady and Cara have managed to stay positive and keep moving forward.
"I don't have to keep after them," Kate told Us Weekly in February. "They have goals and dreams, and they're just good kids."