Finding balance...when your work is more than a job!

Lindsey

      Everyday is a new adventure!  Some big, some small.  Some easy, some hard. Work.. work is an adventure. Especially if you are lucky enough to feel like you don't have to work. We have been blessed to be in that situation.

Most of our mornings start the same.  Wake up.. decide who is making coffee and packing lunches, and who is getting the kids up (sometimes its rock, paper, sissors!  Seriously! One little guy is never happy about seeing us in the morning!)  Breakfast with the kids, feed animals,  tidy up the house,  drop kids off at school, and then off to start our adventure.  I'll just throw out there that we have always had a dream of working together. After many years a dream that  has finally come true.. wow that sounds corny.. but its truth!

---

 Living in a small community we have been able to become a staple in  a handful of peoples days. They are the heart of this little place.  Sinking our lives into others  in our communtiy is something my husband and i have always been excited about.  Being able to connect with the people who live among us, see their lives grow and change. Sometimes mourn with them as they go through a loss. It's not always rainbows and butterflies, but the majority of it I wouldnt  change for anything.  Plus let me tell you about our staff.. hands down the best! We have been able to connect with everyone on a level that is much more than boss/employee.. shedding tears when anyone of them leave us! (lucky enough that they always come back to visit, or even pick up a few shifts!) 

 And after all that happy sappy reality of my life.. here is the other side. 

---

Restaurant life is tough you guys... constantly being needed. And not like a child needs their parents.. like a fryer is on fire and someone better get it fixed!  Or a truck doesn't show up with your order and you have to quickly improvise and regroup.. or an employee gets sick and you  work a 14 hour day.  These sometimes feel like daily occurances. Plus add raising  a pre-teen and a busy boy.. you get a little over loaded sometimes. That's where balance comes in. I thought that would come so easily. I thought wrong. What I thought would take a month ended up taking about 8! Yep.. 8 solid months of feeling like we couldn't find a groove. Like life was always throwing us a curve ball.    I know everyone has times like this.. they never go away.  EVER! So learning to go with the flow (something my need for control has a hard time dealing with) is the only thing you can do!  And  then there is feeding ourselves!  Easier said than done  folks! 
​

..Sticking to a plant-based lifestyle while running a traditional restuarant has definitely had it's challenges.  It was soooooo hard at first. Hard to stay on track.  Choosing not to try new foods. (Although there was always someone around to be our taste-testers.)  Hard to explain why we are choosing this path for our lives. Justifying this over and over.  Serving food to customers that we dont eat.  After so many explanations, and justifications  I felt myself not finding joy in the food I was preparing for myself and my family.  I felt like a fraud, encouraging people to come and spend time and money in our restaurtant. I wasnt sure how to change that.  

Then I realized .... I didn't have to.  Our customers mean more to us than the food that comes out on their plates.  I can't change the way anyone chooses to eat.  Customers are the life blood of a business, so you have to give them what they want.  Meeting others right where they are is just the start.  I can still talk about my life with them. I can still engage with them on a level deeper than the food choices that they are making. I don't need to justify myself about my food choices.  All I can do is inspire others by leading by example and sharing it's benefits. Sure.. we pack our lunches some days.. sure we drink green smoothies.  But that's us! And it's ok that it's not for everyone. ​ So for now, our next step is to create a new menu. A menu with an option for everyone. So anyone who comes in (not matter what their food choices are) has plenty to choose from!   Living in a small community has its rewards and challenges.  Our dream is to  offer the healthiest items around.  Being local, and thriving on plant-based opportunities!  ​

 Our vision  is to provide a wecloming atmosphere to everyone. Where people feel at home and relaxed in this little piece of our community. Watching customers interact with one another from behind the scenes is so rewarding. It's almost like watching a movie.  So even when we are worn down and running on fumes.. this is life.. This is our life that we have been blessed with!!  

---