My current thoughts on business ownership.

While owning your own business does sound quite glamorous, it is not all its cracked up to be. Sure, from the outside looking in, it appears that we have it made. We work outside, among the plants, watering, and laughing, and then we get the winters off to lounge, vacation, and put our feet up. 

I wish. 

This business is hard work. it has proven to be even more challenging throwing a baby into the mix of our family (I wouldn't trade it for the world though!) 

While we do get winters "off" from having open store hours, we are still working in the off season. Ordering, networking, lining up jobs. 

It does, however, have its perks. We get to make our own hours, and essentially are in control of our days. Dave and I both have the same goals. We want to do whatever we can so that we can spend as much time as a family. I don't want to work for someone else all week long while Holtan is at day care only to feel even more exhausted than I do now. I feel both fortunate for the opportunity to be with him daily, but also proud that we have made the choices and put ourselves in a position that makes that possible for our family. 

We work every weekend. We work into the evenings. We sometimes work into the night. 

It's what we have to do to live the life we want. 

And man oh man, is the uncertainty of seasonal, retail income, oh so very scary. But you never get anywhere in life without taking some risks, following your heart, and trusting that it will lead you in the right direction.