Dueck's Roost

For someone who has virtually no artistic ability, I sure do love observing the artistic abilities of others. One thing we always look forward to is wonderful cousin G's yearly ballet performance. She is a beautiful dancer (and person really!!) and the shows put on by her dance company are unique and extremely well done.  Around the same time as G's event, we were also excited to get to see Mae performing with her ballroom dance group. She was mostly just dabbling in ballroom but was so much fun and so beautiful to watch!! She is definitely an artist at heart. Whether it's dancing, videography, or sketching/illustration she impresses me daily with her artistic abilities. This was also her second (or third??) year in a row winning first place in a city art contest commissioned by the local judges and courthouse.

I think it is safe to say I have pretty mixed feelings about our Chamber of Commerce ribbon cutting event. On the one hand, there was the traditional red ribbon and over-sized scissors, plus giant veggie cut-outs. Pretty hard not to love that!:) There was also many supportive chamber of commerce members, including the mayor along with his and adorable son. Also great, right?! Of course, this was also a few weeks into the madness of being a new restaurant owner/operator and I think I had lost ten pounds and was just about on the verge of a mental breakdown. You can't tell that from my smiling avocado face, can ya?  Let's just say, Kevin is amazing and definitely carried this day for us. When they wanted us to say a few words, I gave Kevin that "I can't say a thing or I'll cry my eyes out look." You know the one?? And without skipping a beat he took over and bailed me right on out.  I also must say, these kiddos of ours are absolutely amazing. And I'm not ex...

You are the trip I didn't take You are the pearls I could not buy You are my blue Italian lake You are my piece of foreign sky ...   This poem by Anne Campbell has always been what comes to mind when I think of motherhood. Along the same lines, the poem that I always felt described our family, especially when the kids were young, is by Shel Silverstein and goes a little something like this ...   There's too many kids in the tub There's too many elbows to scrub I just washed a behind I'm sure wasn't mine There's too many kids in the tub   Our kids are definitely my biggest struggle and challenge in life, but also my joy and really my everything. I started my journey as a mother quite young (the ripe age of 21), but I would not change it for the world.  And speaking of journeys ... Kevin took us on quite the unexpected journey for a mother's day walk/hike. No big surprise, since that is kinda one of Kevin's things;). This journey took us by some beauti...

And then on May 9th 2018 we were officially OPEN FOR BUSINESS!!!  Darn! Too late to change our minds I guess?!!  This is when we buckled our seatbelts and said goodbye to the next few months of life:/. Ha!  No, actually I'm completely serious. Thank goodness for God, family, friends, and a wonderful team ... the formula that got us through!!

Seems like a strange time to take a prom break, I know! But since life continues forward despite whatever chaos may be going on personally, prom it was!! I was fortunate that Kev and our corporate team were willing to hold down the fort while I ran off to act like a good mom;) and take pics of Porter and his friends (and beautiful date!) before they headed off for a fun and late evening. Not gonna lie, it was sooo nice to have a few minutes of normalcy before running back to the business.  Love that Porter had such a wonderful group of friends through high school. So many great kids!!

Whoever came up with the concept of "friends and family day" for the opening of a new restaurant is definitely genius. WELL worth the cost!! A bunch of kind and supportive individuals, who aren't going to get mad at the staff when they take too long entering in an order or receive extra onions on a salad they specifically asked for no onions on. Kind souls who are willing to wait extra long to receive their sandwich, quesadilla, or wrap because the first one got dropped out of the oven. Of course, free food is never a terrible incentive, but these are the people who don't mind spending their valuable time, and would have come anyway even if they had to spend their own hard earned money.  When you're about to do something new and crazy and life changing, there's nothing more valuable than a committed support system. Serious gratitude for life for all of these people (and more)!!