It's Better to be Hated for Who Your Are than to be Loved For Someone You're Not

1. My name is Laura Christine Capello-[hyphenated last name withheld because my husband would kill me, and no one wants that]
2. I've been told that my mom picked out my middle name solely based on the fact that the word "Christ" is in it
3. I was born into a very Catholic family
4. My mom died when I was four
5. She was 28 and had leukemia
6. Turning 29 was a BIG DEAL for me
7. About two weeks before my mom died, she told me God needed her more in heaven than I needed her on Earth
8. At four years old, I thought that was a crock of shit
9. At 29 years old, I still think it's a crock a shit
10. I cuss more than a trucker
11. And if you think I cuss a lot on my blog, you probably wouldn't want to meet me
12. I remember the first time I said a curse word
13. I was 12
    
14. I said "fuck"
15. I quickly gasped! and covered my mouth with my hands
    
16. My dad quickly remarried, less than four months after my mom's death
17. He thought I needed a mother
18. We would have been better off without marrying that woman
19. I refer to her as my "stepmonster"
20. Yes, she really earned the name
21. By locking me in closets
22. And beating me with wire hairbrushes
23. No one likes to hear those details
24. But that's my life
25. She was Southern-Baptist and made me go to church all the time
    
26. I didn't like it
27. And I would get in trouble all the time
28. Because I asked "too many questions"
29. I could remember sermons and I would ask the preacher questions because he would contradict himself
30. I think asking questions is great
31. My stepmonster had a son nine years older than me
32. I was the designated condom-passer-outer at his parties
33. My dad kicked my stepmonster out when I was 14
34. On my 16th birthday she told me she never wanted to see me again
35. That was fine
36. My dad married Kathy when I was 18
37. She's an awesome person
38. And I love that she brings out the best in my dad
    
39. I've never won a trophy
40. Or a metal
41. But I have won ribbons
42. For art projects
43. And math contests
44. I was an honor roll student all through school
45. I was also the photographer for the high school newspaper
46. I wanted to major in PhotoJournalism
47. When I graduated from high school, I was offered a job as a photographer for a local newspaper making a lot of money
48. I turned it down to go to college
49. I still don't know what I was thinking when I did that
50. I went to a local community college for two years to save money
51. I was the photoeditor for their newspaper the whole time
52. Then I transferred to the University of Kansas
53. By then, I was burnt-out with PhotoJournalism
54. And the head of the department told me "they couldn't teach me anymore than I knew"
55. So I majored in Advertising instead
56. I put myself through college
57. And have the debt to prove it
58. I worked for the school's public relations department
59. And I worked for non-profits
60. And I worked for a home improvement store from the time I was 16 until I graduated college
    
61. I love doing home improvements myself
62. I met Aaron when I was 19
63. We met on the internet
64. We were on a newsgroup together (I guess that's what it would be called)
65. I made a post to the group about believing in soulmates
66. He emailed me and told me I was full of shit
67. We fought over email for a few weeks
68. Then started talking about other stuff
69. Three months later he came to Kansas City for a visit
70. Three months after that he moved here
71. He didn't move here for me
72. I was just "an added bonus"
73. We moved in together when I was 21
74. He proposed when I was 22
75. We bought our house together when I was 23
76. And six months later we got married
77. In our backyard
78. He's five years older than me
79. And wanted a baby before he was 30
80. Griffin was born six days before this 30th birthday
81. I didn't "push" Griffin out
82. I "coughed" him out
83. Griffin is named after Aaron's grandfather, but his name is switched around (Griffin Lewis instead of Lewis Griffin)
    
84. It was my idea (Aaron agreed)
    
85. Two and half years later, we had Darwin
86. Darwin in named after Charles Darwin
87. It was my idea (Aaron agreed)
88. Darwin's middle name is my paternal grandfather's middle name (Gabriel)
    
89. When I yell at the boys, I use their middle names
90. That must have something to do with my Catholic genetics
91. I'm not Catholic, nor am I Southern Baptist, nor am I Christian
    
92. Saying you're not Christian is like committing social suicide if you live in the U.S, especially if you live in Kansas
93. I live in Kansas
94. I don't think it's my role in life to judge others
95. I firmly believe in karma
96. I am very interested in sociology, and how people "work"
    
97. Both boys and and I have food allergies, the worst being to wheat
98. That's why I'm writing a gluten-free cookbook
    
99. I am very blessed to have Aaron and the boys
100. I love where my life has turned up