I’ve gotten more emails about the music I listed below than about the images of sweet Landon! And you can’t get much better than that baby boy so I guess people love knowing what other people listen to! It has inspired me to show you a piece of my life soundtrack. Enjoy!

Grade School: Rockin’ Robin by Bobby Day… in the car with Abbie and my mom singing at the top of our lungs to her “oldies” mix tape she won from a local radio station. The tape that embedded all lyrics from songs sung in the 50’s or 60’s permanently in my head… a talent that amazes my husband constantly as he’s never heard any of those songs!

Middle School: Any Beatles Song… 6th-7th grade when I was crushing hard on Phil Merker. He liked The Beatles so I would get out my parents CD’s, lay on the living room carpet listening to them while doing homework. Luckily I have a crazy ability to memorize songs quickly so I could pretend like I LOVED The Beatles AND knew all their songs by heart. Didn’t win me Phil’s heart but did help me fall in love with this band!

Summer before High School: The Samples… I was hanging out with Alison Hagan (now Alison Berry of Initially Yours) and she listened to The Samples so, well, as any 14 year old girl would do, I copied her! She made me tapes and I listened to them non-stop in my bedroom. I remember sitting on her bedroom floor making tapes and spending endless hours sleeping over at her house. I actually got my first period at her house! HA! TMI? Whatever. Anyway, I still love this band although my CD’s and mix tapes are long gone! Their song, “Indiana” is still one of my favorite road trip songs.

High School: Every spring our church had a retreat down in Potosi, MO and our junior year my best friend Betsy Feldmann and I were allowed to drive down by ourselves… a new freedom to have a car at Potosi! She came with a mix tape and we sang Jolene by Dolly Parton at the top of our lungs all weekend! Every time I hear it I think of Betsy and I driving to town instead of playing softball with our families… breaking a lifetime of tradition and having the time of our lives!

End of High School: Windmills by Toad the Wet Sprocket… the summer after our senior year was when Chris and I fell in love. We spent hours in his third floor bedroom laying around his room listening to music and talking. Getting to know each other as more than just pals, which is what we were all through high school. This song was one that was played a lot but the two biggest memories that happened with it playing in the background were our first “real” kiss and the night he asked me to officially be his girl friend. His parents of course just thought I was his friend and the second they found out we were dating I wasn’t allowed up in his room anymore! HA!

Summer before college: Fallen by Lauren Wood… the night before I left for college, completely heart broken to be leaving Chris who was going to a different school, his family had me over for dinner to say goodbye. As a surprise they sat me on the couch and all stood before me to sing me this song! I still have the print out of the lyrics C’s brother Matthew typed out for them to follow! To this date one of my most cherished memories was watching the Allen’s and knowing I had found my family… and 6 years later at our wedding we played this song again!

College: Hangin Around by Counting Crows… I played lacrosse in college and for my first two years (I dropped out midway through my junior year and transferred home) were all about road trips for lacrosse games. My BEST memories of that time in my life are driving my little Acura with my BFF Cathy in the front seat with me singing to mix CD’s at the top of our lungs! She loved 80’s music and I loved everything else! HA! She put up with my music choices since I drove her ass around I guess! Still love Counting Crows!

Post college: Christian worship songs… I lived with my best friend Jessica Busse and found Christ. Again. My faith was renewed and although it was a tough time in some aspects it was also some of the most peaceful. That’s when I dated THIS guy, attended a different church and just tried out life. I quit school all together and lacrosse+baby sitting became my career. Nate and I broke up, I moved back home, Chris and I got engaged and life changed yet again but forever those two years gave me a heart for the Lord that although has grown distant at times, has never wavered. Christian music is what I play in the car and house the most often still and my kids love it!

Our wedding: If I had a Million Dollars by Barenaked Ladies… if you asked my mom today her favorite memory of our wedding she’d tell you it was when our best man and good friend Tony played this song live at our wedding! All the “kids” (us and our friends) were right in front signing and dancing but all the “adults” loved it too! This was the moment when my mom leaned to my dad and begged him to pay the location for just one more hour… but when my dad went to ask the guy told them to leave them wanting more! So the wedding ended, we were married and Tony singing this song which was such a huge part of our memory from college was one of the highlights!

I’m going to stop it here b/c although Chris is still napping and I’m having a blast thinking about old songs that mean the world to me (I have a MILLION more songs I could add to this list!), there is a lake outside that is calling my name. Not sure if I want to walk around and take photos, go swimming (it’s warming up!) or go outside to read a book. Either way, I am closing this laptop and putting it away for today!

Have I mentioned that we’re having a BLAST on our weekend away so far? The best part of my marriage? Laughing hysterically with my husband. Something we’ve done too many times to count and we’re not even 24 hours in on our time away! Tonight we’re treating ourselves to dinner (thanks to the cash given to us by C’s parents!) and a photo shoot at an abandoned drive-in movie theater! I traded him yard sales this morning for photos this evening! A good trade I think… if he cooperates like he promised he would!

Hope you’re having an awesome Saturday!