10 Things About Gabrielle Meyer

I've been enjoying a segment some of my author friends are doing at Inspired by Life...and Fiction blog. They are sharing ten little known facts about themselves. It's fun to learn something new about my favorite authors and friends. I thought it might be interesting to share ten little known facts about myself.

First, I have to say, there are few little known facts about me. I'm (excuse the pun) an open book. My husband often says I wear my heart on my sleeve, and it's true. I'm an extroverted, relational-type person and I enjoy sharing my life experiences with others. With that said, I'll try to dig deep and see if there's something I haven't already shared--or, at least, haven't shared too many times. ;)

1. I'm the fourth generation to live in my hometown--and I've never wanted to live anywhere else. I love Minnesota, even with all it's cold weather and mosquitoes. Those are really my only two complaints. The people are kind, the change of seasons is refreshing, and the landscape is varied and beautiful.

The kids and I at a state park last fall.2. I grew up on the banks of the Mississippi River at a historic estate. My dad was the caretaker and we lived in the original carriage house. It's now a conference and retreat center and I host an annual writers retreat there each summer. It used to be my favorite place in the world, until six years ago when my husband and I bought our own house on the banks of the Mississippi (about a mile south of the estate). Now, my backyard is my favorite place.

We love our backyard so much, we invite our friends andfamily to have campouts with us!3. I have a large extended family. My mom is from a family of ten siblings and my dad is from a family of nine siblings. That makes for some loud, exciting family gatherings! I have thirty-six first cousins, many of whom are married with children. I also have scads of second and third cousins who live in the area. It's hard to go out into the community without bumping into one of my cousins (or my husband's cousins). My husband is also the fourth generation in his family to live here, and his grandma and my grandpa grew up on neighboring farms. When we started dating, I sat down with my mom to make 100% certain we weren't related somehow. We're not. :)

4. I was homeschooled for six years. I attended public elementary school until fourth grade and then I started homeschooling in fifth. I went back in eleventh grade and finished my degree with a year of post-secondary education. I loved homeschooling so much, we decided to start homeschooling our children once they reach third grade. That means I currently have my two daughters at home (6th & 4th grade), and my twin boys are in a private school in 1st grade.

This is what a typical day looks like in our classroom. :)5. I'm gluten-sensitive, which means I have to avoid gluten 100%. It took a while for me to wrap my brain around that one. No wheat, barley, or rye. Thankfully, there are tons of great products that are gluten-free and lots of restaurants now offer a gluten-free menu. Still, it's hard to eat out, so we don't go out as much.

6. A couple months before I became pregnant with my twin boys, my mom had a dream that I was going to have twins. (I laughed at that notion.) On the day of our ultrasound, we stopped at her work to tell her the news and she met us at the front door and said: "You're having twins, aren't you?" You could have knocked me over with a feather!

My mom meeting the boys for the first time.7. My earliest memory is from when I was two-years-old. It was a hot summer day and I climbed out of my crib, went down the stairs, and found my mom and aunt talking in the sunny kitchen. That's all I remember, but it's very vivid.

8. My husband is the only man I've ever kissed, and we shared our first kiss when we were seventeen. We started dating that summer and were married almost exactly four years later at the age of twenty-one. This June will mark the 20th Anniversary of our first date. That's crazy!

This was a few months after we started to date--and it
happens to be the very couch where he kissed me
for the first time. 9. I started practicing ballet when I was sixteen and took lessons until I was eight months pregnant with my first child at the age of twenty-four. I love ballet and wish I had the time to take lessons now.

10. When I retire, my dream is to take an RV on a trip across the United States. My husband's dream is to take the trip in a corvette. We have an agreement that whoever writes the check can choose how we travel. :)

There you have it! Ten little known facts about me.

I'd love to hear some of yours! What is your earliest memory? Where did you grow up? Big family, or small? Did you marry the first man you ever kissed? What's your retirement dream (or reality!)?

Gabrielle Meyer
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