five songs that bring back memories

I’m doing Tuesday Topics again this week (with Lauren and Tiffany), and the subject is “five songs that bring back memories”. I might not have been born in the south, but I am a country music junkie through and through, so here we go:

“Never Grow Up” (Taylor Swift) – When this song first came out, I was at an age I’d label as “new adult”. I was newly married, about to finish university and trying to figure out how the world works. I was stuck between wanting to still be a “kid” (although in many ways I still am), and being forced to tackle the challenges that come with growing up. Now when I hear it, I think about how fast my baby girl is growing. This song can make me cry every time I hear it, without fail.

“Drive” (Alan Jackson) – The first verse of this song brings me back to when I was a little girl and we’d take the boat out on the lake in the small town where I grew up. Those were the days before my brother was born, so it was just the three of us. I remember wearing that little fishy life jacket and watching the boat break up the waves. (I was 4 years old in this photo.)boatdrive

“Farmer’s Daughter” (Rodney Atkins) – I’d say this was one of Michael’s first “favorite” country songs, and it was also the song that Lelia had as her alarm when we did foal watch together a couple of springs ago. (Foal watch means that you sleep at the barn and wake up every couple hours to check on the mares… so I heard that song a lot)! It was dark, chilly, and even a little scary trudging out into the fields all by our lonesome. None of the mares foaled that night, so they just gave us these sleepy-eyed stares every time we checked on them. I always think of that night whenever I hear it now.

“It’s a Great Day to Be Alive” (Travis Tritt) –  I kid you not, this song comes on the radio every single time I’ve been going through a trial or just having a bad day. It’s such a good reminder that today can be a good day if we make it one, and this life really is something special.

“Wanted” (Hunter Hayes) – I first heard this song last year when I was pregnant with Kaya, and it made me cry my eyes out because it perfectly described the tiny princess I was so eager to meet. She was and is so wanted and I always want her to feel that way. Some of my favorite lyrics: “You know I’d fall apart without you…
I want to wrap you up…
I want to make you feel wanted
and I want to call you mine
Want to hold your hand forever
And never let you forget it
Yeah, I, I want to make you feel wanted”.

And now that I’ve gone all sappy on you… here’s a cute picture of Kaya to make up for it!_MG_6842