Not what you think....

I have heard more than once, "April, you are not what I expected when I first met you." Oddly, I take that as a compliment. I know that when you see me out and about that I am usually so focused on the task at hand that I can look at you right in the face and it will never register that I know you until at 2:00 am when I realize, "I didn't even say hi!" So most people think I'm some what of a snob when they first meet me, but hopefully after awhile, realize that I can just be very focused and tunnel vision at times.

I spent so much of my time trying to fit in as a kid, that most of my memories of middle and high school are unpleasant ones. As I've gotten older and seen those same sometimes "undesirable" traits in my kids, I've learned to accept those things that I thought people wouldn't accept in my past. I tried making good friends by being someone I wasn't but know that I'm comfortable in my own skin, I have more really good friends than I ever did in high school. People accept me for who I am and love me anyway, and I'm pretty sure they would have in school also, I just never gave them the chance to.

So I've decided to let you in on some things about me that you might not know, might be surprised about, or can relate to:

1. I married my high school sweetheart, I am a year older than him and totally in love with him. He has helped me accept myself for who I really am and has loved me through some major soul searching. He is one of those surprising people once you get to know him also.
2. I have two tattoos. My husband has 5...yes he's a banker. Shhh!! ;)
3. I am pleasant to be around until you mess with my kids: I have been know to make the photographer at Sears cry and stand toe to toe with the owner of Kabuki before. (These are stories for later...)
4. My husband and I are not "normal" parents...we are trying our best to raise our kids under God's guidance and direction but we can do some unusual things to try and have fun with them and stay "relate able". For instance, we voluntarily highlighted our son's hair recently "just because." ;)
5. I am a CSI junkie and I watch with our son (who is 8) because he loves the show, it doesn't cause him nightmares, he knows when to cover his eyes over the girly parts, and it stimulates his imagination to play detective later.
6. I am passionate....you know that saying, "There was a little girl who had a little curl...when she was good, she was very very good, but when she was bad she was horrible..."? So yes, that's me. I love deep, laugh deep, cry deep, and my anger is deep. My faith runs deep and so do my values and morals. If I don't think something is right, I won't participate in it and I'll probably let you know I disagree at some point.
7. I will go to the ends of the earth for my best friends.
8. I am a football fanatic: HUGE Colts fan, play fantasy football, etc. Football rocks!
9. One of my favorite smells is when I walk into my laundry room while doing laundry and the smell of detergent and fabric softener has filled the room.
10. Some of the artists on my ipod include: Matt Kearney, Superchick, Sara Groves, Beastie Boys, Michael Jackson (and Janet), Led Zepplin, The Afters, The Almost, John Reuben, The Moulin Rouge soundtrack, Ozzy Osbourne, Jimi Hendrix, just to name a few.
11. My dad gave me the nickname Peanut and I love that he did so I still use it today. (I have been known to have the nickname "Waspy" at times too. It all goes back to that stubborn passionate trait mentioned earlier.)

So that's just a few things that some people don't know about me and some people will say, "Yes, that's April, she's our little weirdo."
What are some of your quirks or traits people may not know? Everyone's got 'em and you might as well embrace them and stay true to them, it's what makes you...YOU!