Random Things About Me

I'm trying to be a better blogger and make this more of a journal type of memory-keeper.  I few weeks ago I came across another blog that had a list of random things about the blogger.  I read through it, and then started thinking of things about me.  I started jotting them down on paper and over a few days compiled a pretty big list.  Don't feel obligated to read through it all, but here are a few random things about me, Angela.

1- I'm 5' 4" tall.  I like my height.
2- I love a beautiful front yard with dark green grass.  I buy only perennials-- who has time to plant and tear out? Loving the daylilies and hedge roses right now.
3- I don't feel like I excel at anything- I'm a dabbler in many things.
4- I ran 13.1 miles in 2 hours 10 minutes and 18 seconds (May 4, 2013).
5- I love to decorate my house for each different season and holiday.
6- I homeschool my kids because they are my most precious investment.  Kids grow up too fast and I want to cherish every moment.  Plus I can teach them to become great.  (I hope.)
7- My running playlist includes country music, Disney songs, Latino Zumba music, swing and anything else with a fast beat.
8- I love creating things.  I always have one too many projects going on.  Right now I'm trying to be in project-finishing mode instead of new-project mode.
9- I like throwing parties.  Yes it's a lot of work and stressful, but the fun times and seeing people smile really makes it all worth it.  Especially my kids birthday parties.
10- I have a little obsession with teeth.  They're the first thing I notice about people in movies.  In real life I look at eyes first, so no worries when you meet me.  Did I mention I'm a dental hygienist?
11- My hair is straight and fine.  It wouldn't hold curls or waves if it's life depended on it.  I have never dyed my hair.  It is a unique strawberry/blonde/brown color that can't make up it's mind.  It gets sun highlights in the summer.
12- I would love to raise chickens someday.  But that requires a much bigger yard where it's legal.
13- I love to read.  I see books like a movie in my head and become totally oblivious to the outside world.  I don't read very often because I can't check out of reality with four kids running around.
14- I unknowingly tasted Coke once when I was around 9 years old.  I thought it was the grossest thing ever.  I have never tasted Pepsi or Dr. Pepper and I don't drink anything with caffeine.
15- My dream home includes a band room.  I want my kids to play steel drums, marimba and percussion.  They're learning piano for now.
16- I take out the garbage most of the time.  I enjoy it.  I think to myself "Look at all this trash that's leaving my house.  It will never be a mess again."  A little weird, I know.
17- I love food.  I consider myself to be a decent cook most of the time.  I do struggle with coming up with dinner ideas.  And I don't like gourmet foods.  Itty bitty portions for ridiculously high prices all because of the sauces.  I don't get it.
18- One of my life goals is to have a book published.  I've written several children's books and my husband and I are working on a novel.  It will probably take me years to write it.  I do have a baby bow-making book that's been selling for a few years on our website and Amazon.  It's even in a library in Kentucky.  But I don't consider that to be really published.
19- I've made wedding cakes for 5 weddings.  It stresses me out.  I have a love/hate relationship with it.  Mostly in the transportation and setup department.  Especially if I have 50 people looking over my shoulder telling me what I am doing wrong.  Leave me alone- it will be beautiful.  I do love making my kids special birthday cakes and always go all-out.
20- I love bread.  I was spoiled growing up because my mom made the BEST rolls and loaves of bread on the planet.  Now I make rolls, pretzels, breadsticks, you name it, all the time.  And I wonder why I'm having a hard time losing pounds..... Ha.
21- My parents named me Angela so they could call me Annie.  The movie "Annie" came out when my mom was expecting me.  She said they saw it eleven times!!  I was called Annie until I went to college- then it was easier to go by my legal name so I switched.  Except that some people (roommates, boss, and family) still call me Annie.  My husband met me as Angela and always calls me Angela.  I met him as Mike and I call him Michael.  Only his first name is Paul.  I found that out the first time I met his parents.  I was so confused- who were they talking to?  There's no one else here and the guy I'm dating is named Mike!  He started going by his middle name after his mission.  Yeah, we have name issues.  I'll answer to anything (a few nicknames that have stuck are Sunshine and Butter).
22- I didn't graduate from high school.  I got my GED after I'd been to a semester of college.  I was 17 and skipped my senior year of high school.  I got my Bachelor of Science degree when I was 20.
23- My husband and I love to country swing dance but rarely do because A) We have 4 kids and very little time to go out let alone get a babysitter, and B) We can't find a decent place to go dancing.
24- I love the feel of clean sheets and a freshly made bed.  If it didn't require me to do it, I would put on new sheets every day.  In reality it happens once every week... or two.
25- I spent 5 years of my life barely able to walk because of sciatic nerve pain.  After a year of chiropractic visits not helping I finally exercised and stretched it away.  It has been gone for 3 1/2 years now.  I have the occasional flareup, usually when I try to do ab workouts.  It terrifies me to think it might come back. I try to stretch it every day.
26- You will never find pickles in my refrigerator.  Unless Mike's parents are in town at Christmas time.  The rest of us can't stand them.
27- If I ever become a wealthy eccentric old woman I will drive a bright orange sports car, convertible of course.
28- I have a US and World map on my wall with tags of places we've been.  I love to look at the map and try to figure out where to go next and how I can make that happen.  We just added tags for Mesa Verde National Park (Colorado) and Mt. Rushmore (South Dakota).  I'm hoping for Grand Canyon next year.
29- I have never broken a bone.  Even when a 50+ pound wooden trunk fell three feet onto my bare foot on concrete they stayed together.  Hoping to keep it that way.
30- I was allergic to milk/all dairy products for a couple of years in college.  I was so excited when I figured out I wasn't allergic anymore I yelled to my husband "I'm normal!"  He still laughs about that.  I think sometimes I should pretend I'm allergic again because I was at the lowest weight of my adulthood then.... but I LOVE cheese, milk and ice cream too much to give it up again.
31- I love camping and hiking and sitting by lakes watching my husband fish and my kids throwing rocks into the water.
32- I like playing games.  Ticket to Ride, Mister X, Qwirkle, Carcassonne, Five Crowns, Telestrations, Things, and Acquire are a few favorites.  Wanna play?
33- I missed sending Christmas cards out to family and friends last year (2012).  I have guilt.  I'm considering a Summer card instead so that doesn't happen during the busy holidays again...
34- I grew up in Beaverton, Oregon.  I still miss the moss in the cracks of the sidewalks, ferns everywhere, silvery slug trails, and misty rain.
35- Photography is a skill I would love to perfect.  I'm slightly obsessed with the camera and I love taking pictures of my kids, places we visit, things we do, you name it.  I love having pictures that Mike or I have taken as our artwork on the walls of our home.
36- Our front door is Inkdrop Blue.  We have a Magellan blue wall in the living room and bathroom, Verulean red in the kitchen, chocolate brown in the toy room (and a horizontal stripe of chocolate brown in the master bedroom), the office is sky blue, the boys room is bright blue, yellow, orange and green (one wall with vertical stripes), and the girls room is pink, white and brown polka dots.  I love color, can't you tell? 
37- Sometimes I feel like I should have a paintbrush surgically connected to my arm. I'm always painting something.
38- Friends invited me to a Zumba class this past winter and I was skeptical.  Now I love it, it's a great workout and fun too.
39- I didn't think I was a dog person, then I saw a picture of a teacup yorkie and within two weeks we had one.  Zipper has been part of our crazy house for three and a half years now.  She's fun to teach tricks to, snuggle and play with.  Last year we bred her and she had 3 adorable little puppies.  Hoping to breed her again this summer.
40- The smell of kids after they've been playing outside is enough to make me gag.  Not sure why that is.  I blame the pollution.
41- I sing Alto.  I have zero voice over a high C unless I've really been working the vocal chords. 
42- I have a fear of swimming with fish I can't see.  Snorkeling I love as long as the water is clear and bright.  As soon as it clouds up or gets dark, I'm outta there.  I would say I have a legitimate excuse-- we once went snorkeling in the Virgin Islands with an 8 foot shark I never saw.... but I had the fear before that trip.
43- Clutter stresses me out.  Unfortunately I'm stressed out a lot.  Working on that...
44- I know a lot of stay at home moms who stay in pj's or workout clothes all day.  I say whatever floats your boat, but I can't get anything done if I'm not dressed.  I get up and get ready for the day first thing in the morning.
45- I love To-Do lists, especially checking things off of them. When I'm busy I have a daily to-do list, and I always have a long-term to-do list of goals or projects.  Right now it's ridiculously long.
46- My first baby's gender was a surprise at delivery.  I loved it.  Number 2, 3, and 4 have all been a surprise at the ultrasound and even though I loved being able to prepare for them I think it's weird to know.
47- I love our Church.  I can't imagine life without it.  It makes my life so much better.
48- I made a goal to run 300 miles in a year.  I have two months left, and unfortunately even with training for and running a half marathon I still have just over 100 miles to go.  I need to get cracking.
49- I don't love shopping.  For me it is just the means to an end.  Occasionally I enjoy window shopping, but for the most part I feel like I could be doing more with my time.
50- My toenails are currently painted lime green.

Wow, ended up to be 50 random things you never knew (and probably wish you still didn't know) about me.  Maybe you learned something that we have in common and we can be bestest friends.  Now it's your turn-- I want to find out all of your quirks and randomness, so if you feel so inclined please share on your own blog or in the comments.