Too much information about me...

I think I've been tagged to do this at least 25 times now on Facebook and friends' blogs, so as promised, here's the list I wrote on Facebook. But be forewarned, it's pretty long. I tend to be wordy, which is why I have put this off for so long.

My life story, written as 25 random things:

1. I was born in Iowa. Then my family moved to Naperville, Illinois, where I lived in the same house until I was 21. However, after my parents moved away, I have only been back to Illinois twice in 11 years. I cry when I see my old house, and still often dream that I live there.

2. I am the youngest of four kids: Pam, Brian, Jeff and me. Nine years separate me from the oldest. I attribute my love of 80's alternative music to my older sister, who was the epitome of 80's punk. Now I am in love with The Smiths, New Order, Simple Minds, Duran Duran, and anything remotely synthpop.

3. I was always the guinea pig for my brothers' experiments. One time they set up a zip line between two trees in our backyard. They made me climb up the ladder and try it first to make sure it worked. That also reminds me of when Jeff tried to convert my stroller into a helicopter, or the time he attached a lawn mower motor to my scooter...

4. When I was about 7, I was playing with my best friend Mikey from next door. We decided to play golf with my brother's clubs in the backyard. I set up the tee and the ball, then thought I'd show Mikey how to swing the club. On my very first swing, I accidentally whacked him square in the forehead. He had to get stitches...

5. My brothers and I had a collection of stuffed monkeys called Bubba, Gonga and Omar. We had several of each kind. They all had very specific names and personalities. We created an entire world based around these monkeys. We collected kleenex boxes and doll furniture to make them houses. We even sewed them clothes. Then we would spend hours talking for them and making up stories. When my brothers outgrew this, I played "Bubbas" with Joanna.

6. I started violin and piano lessons when I was 7. Those first few years, I tried to quit several times, but my mom wouldn't let me. Now, I look back and realize her stubbornness shaped my whole life experience up until this point. Music has and does play a very central role in my life.

7. I used to spend hours as a child drawing and writing stories. I won several art and writing competitions in grade school, and even went to the state Young Author's Competition in 3rd grade for an illustrated poem book. Somehow, art has always continued to be one of my passions, but I lost interest in writing at some point during high school. I don't know what happened.

8. I am a very stubborn person. Sometimes I stand my ground even when I don't have a good reason to. For example, in 7th grade, I decided I wanted to quit the school orchestra and join choir. All the music teachers fought me tooth and nail. The more they tried to keep me from switching, the more resolute I became. I got my way eventually. But I hated choir, and rejoined orchestra my freshman year in high school.

9. I felt like a reject in high school. I had MANY heartbreaking crushes. I never went to prom. The only dance I went to was girl's choice. Ironically, most of my close friends were guys. I used to have trouble relating to girls my age.

10. Before my junior year in high school, I decided I wanted to move to Idaho and live with my sister and her family in Twin Falls (another stubborn moment I dare say). So I moved there, went to Twin Falls High School, and got a job at Arctic Circle (my first and last job in fast food...) I lived there for two months. Then my sister's mother-in-law got really sick, so they were with her in SLC much of the time until she passed away. My sister and I both decided it would be best for me to move back home during such a difficult time.

11. My first car was a bright blue Eagle Summit hatchback. It was a four-speed manual. My dad bought it, sight unseen, from an auto auction in SLC before I moved out to Idaho. I picked it up on my way to Twin Falls. The seats were torn and the stereo had been ripped out. But I loved that car! I dream about it sometimes.

12. When I arrived in Twin Falls, I made friends quickly. And because I was "the new girl" I was suddenly getting attention from guys. I went to dinner with a guy that I thought was pretty cool. But since this was my first date, I had no idea how to act. When the waiter set the bill on the table, I was so tickled that a guy would actually pay for my dinner that I giggled out loud. He looked at me funny and said, "What?" I didn't know what to say. I had already made a complete idiot of myself.

13. Ever since 5th grade, I've dreamed of becoming an architect. I collected stacks upon stacks of floor plans and would spend hours analyzing them and drawing plans of my own. I took several drafting classes in high school, then attended the University of Illinois in the School of Architecture. However, I struggled with depression in college, and had to drop out after only a year-and-a-half in the program. After an intense look into architecture as a career, I decided it wasn't for me after all. Although, for several more years, I worked as a computer aided drafter for architects, engineers, and an interior designer. I still love space planning and drafting. Someday, my family will live in a house that I have designed.

14. Along those lines, I designed a house for my parents while they were living in Reno, NV that they planned on building. They bought a lot, and the builder had my plans. Right before the construction documents were about to be completed by the architect, 9/11 crashed the economy and my dad lost his job. Thus, crushing that dream. Funny enough, the builder showed my plans to another perspective couple, and they wanted to buy the plans from me. I said no. Their offer wasn't good enough.

15. I had my first kiss when I was 14, but didn't kiss another guy until my Sophomore year in college. This was my first real boyfriend. We dated for 10 months and broke up before he left on his mission for our church. He knew better than me that we weren't meant to be together. My heart was broken, but eventually realized that he was right.

16. That same year was when I dropped out of school and moved home. I was almost 21, so I decided to do a little soul searching and go on a mission myself. I served in Salt Lake City of all places, not Temple Square. It was the hardest and most amazing thing I have ever endured. And some of you know that despite being on medication, I experienced a particularly severe episode of depression and went home after only 4 months. I am now a firm believer that missions bring out the best AND worst in people; I experienced both at the same time. Not everyone can or should serve a mission, though I wouldn't trade my time there for anything.

17. After my mission, I lived at home for a few months just working and trying to figure out my life. I became friends with a girl from Baton Rouge who was in Naperville looking for a teaching job. It didn't work out, and somehow she convinced me to move home with her and be her roommate. (Thanks, Dawn!) I had never been to Louisiana, and didn't know a soul besides her. So I packed up my car with everything I owned and left Illinois. I look back at that decision and think I must have been momentarily out of my mind. We had no place to live, and I had no job. But, little did I know what was in store for me there.

18. Luckily, all worked out for us in Baton Rouge. We got an apartment, I found a job, and most importantly, I met Dustin within a few weeks of moving there. Dustin and I were basically inseparable for two years until the day we got married, Sept 8th, 2001.

19. Yes, we were on our honeymoon on 9/11. We were in Florida, and happened to catch the news on TV that morning before the towers had collapsed. We really didn't realize the seriousness of the situation, and didn't give it much thought, seeing as we were on our honeymoon! We went shopping that day and thought it strange that some of the stores were closed due to what was happening. Until we drove home the next day, we really didn't get the whole story. Interestingly, our wedding had almost been planned for the 15th instead of the 8th. That would have been a real pickle with the airports shut down. We were also lucky to have driven to Florida instead of flying.

20. I discovered that I could be a good student after I got married. I transferred to LSU and attended three semesters studying Photography, and got straight A's. Subsequently, I started doing small photography jobs for close friends. Somehow, word spread quickly and Dustin and I made much of our living doing wedding and portrait photography in Baton Rouge.

21. While living in Baton Rouge, I became close friends with a very talented musician. She writes songs, and taught me how to play the guitar so that I could play and sing harmony with her. We paid for recording time at a studio to make a demo. We called ourselves Frontage Road. We even went to a talent expo in Dallas to try to "be discovered". Needless to say, that didn't happen. After a while, we realized that we could buy some mics and computer software to record on our own. It was some of the most fun I've had with music, and I still have the album that we "produced". Singing and recording music is one of the things I miss the most right now.

22. When we found out I was pregnant with Ethan, we were so happy, but had a moment of panic. I had been going to school with the intention for Dustin to go back to school when I was finished. We quickly changed plans, which led us out to Utah for him to finish at BYU. I transferred as well. I switched majors again to Visual Arts and finally graduated in 2006, a mere three weeks before Owen was born.

23. When I was young, I never could imagine myself as a mother. Now that I am one, I still don't feel I fit the part very well. I love my kids to death, but have always felt like they deserve someone better than me. I often have anxiety about their future. I have a brother who developed schizophrenia in his twenties. And since Dustin and I have both suffered from depression, I wonder what my boys will have to face during their life.

24. The older I get, the less I like change. And I really hate traveling. I am a home-body. But since "home" is changing so often these days, I am forced to move with it. But I shouldn't complain. We are so lucky and blessed that Dustin has a great job. We will move wherever the job takes us.

25. My motto has always been, "If you want something done right, do it yourself". That explains much of what I have written in this list. I seem to collect hobbies like some people collect stamps, merely because if something interests me, I want to learn how to do it, and do it well. And up until this point in my life, I never knew I had such an obsessive personality. But I usually spend a good part of every day obsessing about my glass jewelry business. If I'm not working in my glass studio, I'm taking product photos, managing my websites, or promoting online. It is so much fun, and I foresee that I will be doing this for a long time to come.