Here at Gregersen Photography, we are growing and changing fast….so we want to have some fun blog posts that introduce ourselves to you all. When I say “we”…I am referring to me and my two lovely assistants that work along side me at the studio….Carrie and Suzie. They will also be introducing themselves on the blog and sharing some fun content as well this Summer on here. But first of all I would like to let you know more about me….and share 10 things you may not know about me as well….just for the fun of it. 🙃
I am married to the kindest man (Jayme) I have ever met, seriously, this guy is a kind gentle soul and I am so grateful for him. Jayme and I will be celebrating 15 years of marriage in June!! We have two adorable little girls, Norah is almost 11 years old and Noelle is 6 years old. They are the light of our life. We also have our cat, Katie. Jayme didn’t want a cat, and the girls and I did…..and we have now had Katie for three years. 😉
I have been running my photography business since 2007. If you would like to learn more about that journey please click here to read that blog post I wrote up in Jan. on my 10 year anniversary. My photography business is my love, passion, hobby and career. I can not be more thankful to God for allowing me to earn a living doing what I love so much. So that’s me in a nutshell…..so here are some 10 things you may not know…about me.
- I am a Yooper by birth. I was born in Escanaba, but not raised up in the U.P. Although all of my mom’s family lives up in the Keewenaw Peninsula and we are planning a camping trip up there this Summer and I am so looking forward to hanging out with my Yooper family again!
- I practiced Physical Therapy at Borgess Hospital and the Health and Fitness Center for 10 years. When I opened my photography business, I worked part time doing P.T. and photography until my photography business allowed me to step away from health care. Never looked back! The education still comes in handy as I age though. 😳😉
- I do not drink coffee. Though I have taken a liking to Biggby and starting to try different coffee flavored drinks. I don’t think I could ever do straight coffee….but oh that caffeine boost is LOVELY.
- I went on a mission’s trip to Ghana, Africa in 2000. I had never seen poverty at that level or even been in another country before then. To this day, I still think on that trip and how it changed me. We have no idea how blessed we are to live in this amazing country of ours. It’s very hard to complain about anything when I think back to the scene of children taking a toothpaste tube and trying to fill it with water from a well that we were told NOT to drink out of because of diseases.
- Here are some random ones…I have never broken a bone in my body. I have been in a roll over church van accident (we landed upside down hanging from our seatbelt). Gotten one speeding ticket in my life just two years ago. I have an obsession with a certain blanket since I was 12 years old. 😆 I have parasailed over the ocean in Hawaii and zip lined through the rain forest in Costa Rica.
- I always grew up NOT the creative one, that was my sister’s area by far. I was the determined “type A” firstborn…but not creative. I can not draw, paint, sing or dance…at all. However, when I discovered photography I found a creative outlet that worked for me. One that has the formulas of “camera settings” that are constant…but those settings allow me to be creative. People will say to me “Melissa you are so talented”…and I always greatly appreciate that comment as I know it is heartfelt and uplifting…but I know its not just talent, I have had to work very hard to train my eye for photography, but the love and passion I have for photography and “type A” determined personality to pursue it has allowed to to excel at my craft. I give God the glory for this…He gave me a gift I was not even asking for, He knew I would love it and I sure do.
- My go to sitcom at night when editing is “Everybody Loves Raymond”….and I love podcasts! Yup, how nerdy is that!! I love The Dave Ramsey Show, and other business podcasts….and I love to listen to sermons. I know I know….NERDY…but I am pretty picky about what TV shows I watch…so I choose to learn and grow with podcasts. As I learned as child….”fill your mind with garbage….and garbage will come out so choose wisely….what you choose to see and hear will eventually affect your character, so guard your heart and mind”.
- I LOVE chocolate chip cookie dough, but to not like chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream. I LOVE unsweetened iced tea, but will literally spit out sweetened iced tea. My favorite ice cream ever is from Shermans in South Haven called “chocomania” Best chocolate ice cream….ever.
- I grew up in Northern Michigan, we moved a lot when I was a child, always to homes with property so my dad could hunt and farm. I was trained on how to track a deer, gut a deer and process the meat as well. One year we even butchered our own chickens, I refused to ever do that again! Gross. Gross. Gross! We had cows, horses, dogs, cats, bunnies, pheasants, chickens, turkeys, and even honey bees. I didn’t eat steak (we ate a lot of chicken and venison) until after I moved out of the house and went to college. I lived a wonderful sheltered life in the country with land and a four wheeler….I am so grateful for all those memories. I am not a farm girl at all now, we have a little land in the woods and just ONE cat. That is about as country as I want to get….though I would love a 4-wheeler or little Jeep again. ☺️☺️
- Growing up, our family lost three barns to fire, and one house! Our house burned completely when I was nine years old. Will never ever forget that night and the following week. We were on a 5 year fire cycle it felt like….but since we all went our separate ways it appears that “fire curse” as dispersed….I hope. 😉
- BONUS** Last one….my favorite color is pink. If anyone buys me anything and its pink, I will love it. I recently bought a pink sofa for my studio and LOVE it. I smile every time I walk into my studio and see that sofa…its so PINK!!
Well those are all the random facts I can think of off the top of my head. Life is one crazy ride isn’t it!! I am sure we all have some fun and wild stories to tell….and I am so thankful for mine. Life is precious and I am so grateful for mine.
If you would like to get all our photography tips and latest promotions you can by subscribing to our exclusive email list by clicking here.
If you would like to subscribe to this blog to make sure you get an email when we publish a new post…please sign up to the top right of the screen!
