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Happy Valentine’s Day! I absolutely love this holiday all the more the older I get. I can remember getting over the “Single’s Awareness Day” shortly after high school and I realizing what a great day to celebrate love in all forms. I’m blessed with romantic love yes, but I also really love my family. I really love my friends. I love the people I work with. I love the people I go to church with. I love a lot of my neighbors. I feel like today is a day to say, “Hey you’re cool, and I love that. Thank you!”
Of course, it makes me the most reflective on how lucky I got in love.
I never thought I’d love like this again after so much abuse, and every day it takes my breath away to think how much happiness I’ve found because of that Jacob Whiting character. I’m the luckiest, and I know it! What a great day we have to express our love for others formally, and even commercially.
I started a tradition way back when we first started dating and made Jacob a sort of a mixed-tape CD of 14 songs that remind me of our relationship/our last year together. If you want to get your mushy on, here are previous year’s play lists:
2014 Valentine’s Play List (I didn’t actually blog this one, but you see the Spotify play list at the link.)
2013 Valentine’s Play List
2012 Valentine’s Play List
This year was extra fun, I’ve been collecting songs since last Valentine’s Day, and solicited the help of friends to share some of their lesser known favorites. I had a lot to work with and was able to choose some really amazing songs that perfect describe this year!
[spotify id=”spotify:user:camillewhiting:playlist:62Cla4o9pzBpH6b3je4OMw” width=”300″ height=”380″ /]
Here’s the note I sent Jacob too, if you really want insight into my mushy side that I don’t unleash all that often:
1. And Then You- Greg Laswell
I love that no matter how much “my thoughts spin me around” and how anxious or involved I can get with the world, work, and my own timing, there’s always you! There’s always a constant, stable, loving guy I can count on to always be my rock in life.
2. You- Future of Forestry
“I want you to know, you’re the first thought” lyric really gets to me. Do you ever stop to add up all the hours and commitments we have with our jobs, church responsibilities, the blog, our huge families, being home owners, and trying to be good friends? Dang we are always so busy! But do you know what, you’re alway the first thought, always the first priority, and always where I choose to spend my time. The real beauty? I know I’m the same for you. That’s nothing short of miraculous!
3. I Choose You- Sarah Bareilles
Do you know one of my favorite things about us? I love that we still love our single friends, and that we make time for relationships and friendships in our lives together. You know what I love even more? I love that we walk out of every party with our single friends remarking, “ Yeah I got the greatest catch in the world!” I love that we still choose each other every day, and the more world we experience the more it solidifies that we’d choose each other all over again.
4. Tee Shirt- Birdy
“I’ve spent half this morning, thinking about the t-shirt you sleep in…” reminds me so much of the sweet texts we send each other everyday. And “listening to your message I’m keeping” reminds me all the more. Thanks for expressing gratitude for the big and small things. Thanks for noticing my new shoes, thanks for thanking me for morning snuggles. I know we got over our dating shyness via text, I’m glad we still use it and it’s a sweet part of our days! I treasure the special thoughts you share with me through text to this day.
5. I Will Wait for You- Us the Duo
I still am amazed how patient you were waiting for me to come around and be ready for marriage again. I can’t tell you enough how this was the greatest blessing and act of love I’ve ever experienced! You were worth the wait for the record, and I hope I was too!
6. Thinking Out Loud- Ed Sheeran
It’s a sweet thought to think about growing old together, but it’s a totally different thing to realize how we’ve been through a really tough year and we love each other even more. Six years of knowing you later, I can’t believe how much more I love you now! I am glad “I fall in love with you every single day” and I know we’ll be a super happy cute couple when we’re 70!
7. Real Love- Tom Odell
“All my little plans and schemes lost like some forgotten dream/seems like all I really was doing was waiting for you.” More and more I think about my career and how the things I really wanted to do were out of state- BUT now that I’m almost four years into official matrimony, it makes me feel like those plans and dreams were just silly little things while the real happiness came along. I’d do it all over again for the real love I share with you!
8. In My Veins- Andrew Belle
Another song that reminded me of a lot of sad moments had this year, and how I always knew that deep down things would be fine and work out. Nothing does stay the same, and life gets hard, but I’m so grateful you’re so integrated in my being that I can always feel you “in my veins” near and dear to my heart, supporting me through it all.
9. Today- Willamette Stone
Remember when we fulfilled your dream went to MACHU PICCHU? I felt like that was the greatest day, and I just thought we needed a song to reflect that amazing memory made this past year .
10. I’ll Be- Boyce Avenue
Oh what a year! Remember those moments I cried with so many failed fertility treatments, lots of bad news, and serious stress? I am grateful you are always there to listen, to love, and to give me a shoulder to cry on. It meant more this year than ever before!
11. You Are- Mree
You know those moments when we’re in super public places and it feels like we’re totally alone? It’s like we tune the world out and we’re the only people in it. I feel that way often when we hold hands, look in each other’s eyes, or even find random hidden corner of IKEA to sneak in some kissing. Those are my favorite, and I’m glad there’s still magic and butterflies in my life because of you.
12. Surround You- Echosmith
“Darling I’m thrilled to have you by, by my side.” I feel like I often want to shout from the rooftops how cool you are! I don’t, because our roof isn’t level and that’s dangerous. But know that I want to. I’m grateful that you exist, and that a love I didn’t think could be real after a year or two of marriage still totally is!
13. Rather Be- Jasmine Thompson
Quality time, it’s my love language and you know that. I love that when we’re together I totally feel the chill, happy vibe of this version of this song, “As long as we’re together, there’s no place I’d rather be.” It doesn’t matter what we do or where we go- Fun dates, Paris, the grocery store, it’s all good and just where I want to be when you’re there!
14. Valentine- Kina Grannis
Yes it’s a little cheesy, but I love Valentine’s Day because it is a good excuse to stop and be like- whoa, something awesome is in my life and it deserves a celebration! Thanks for all your forms of love- friendship, romantic, spiritual, physical, emotional- I’m one lucky girl and I’m grateful for a day to officially celebrate it!
I sure love you Jacob, thanks for being my everything! Happy Valentine’s Day!
I love how you chose the version of Today from If I Stay lol, did you guys see that?
I love that I recognize several of these and that some of them are new to me! LISTENING TIME
Happy Valentine's Day!
I love listening to other people's playlists! This one sounds pretty good, thanks.