Goodbyes are never easy!

37 years ago my Papa opened Drake's House of Sleep, a family owned and operated business. At the time my Daddy lived in Colorado, but moved back to help with the business. The rest is history! Eventually my Papa retired and left my Daddy as President and Uncle as VP of the company. Now after 37 years they are forced to close the business due to lack of business. I have known this day was coming for a long time, but now that it's here, I am much more sad about it than I expected to be!

Yesterday I was out and about running an errand and my Daddy called and said it would be a good time to stop by the store since I may not get another chance to. As I was driving over there I thought to myself, " I am doing this for my Daddy and being a supportive daughter." When I left I realized it was for me!

I parked right in front of the building as usual, and headed through the front doors. This time walking in was different than any other time! The showroom was empty, not a single mattress in sight. SO different than what I usually saw! I walked in to see my Daddy working hard as usual cleaning the floors, and I was so sad! I was sad to think that for the last 37 years this has been my family's source of income, and this place felt like another home to me! He then took me back to the warehouse which was just as empty as the showroom floor...I can't explain how weird it felt to see this! I couldn't find any words to say, I just sat in awe! My visit only lasted about 10 minutes because I needed to get back to the littles and my Daddy had work he needed to get back to as well.

I got in my car and as I drove away the tears started coming...totally blindsided me! I thought of all the many memories I had at House of Sleep. When I was little my parents had different days off in order to be with Sara and I more. On Saturdays we would be with Mom usually out shopping. I remember always suggesting and sometimes begging to go have lunch at work with my Daddy. I thought going there was better than going out to eat somewhere! It was awesome I could see my Papa, Dad, Aunt, and Uncle all in one visit! I LOVED IT! I used to love to go upstairs to the offices when my Papa was there and watch him work away. He loved to pull out his money clip and show me all his money (which was a bunch of dollar bills!) I thought he was rich!

One of my favorite memories at House of Sleep is when the family got together there to make a video for my Aunt Sherri. She was the only sibling who never worked there due to the fact that she lived in Colorado. I believe it was for her 40th bday that we made the video...I could be wrong. Anyway, she is a workout instructor and in such great shape, so we all dressed up in work out gear and headed up to the store to film a video of us goofing off in the workout room at House of Sleep. I was in elementary school, but it was great cause we got to wear make up and some of my grandma's clothes! I'll never forget that day and being all together!

As a teenager when I thought I knew it all, I still loved to go visit my Daddy at work. He then started letting me drive the forklift, and Sara and I would have races with the mattress carts up and down the warehouse aisles. I remember telling my Daddy that I wanted to work at House of Sleep when I got older and he kept telling me that he would never let me  do that, but in my own head I thought, "I'm gonna do it!" haha!

When I got older and married Ted I worked just down the street and once a week I would stop by to have lunch with my Daddy and Aunt. It was our Tuesday lunch day and one of my favorite days of the week. We would eat Taco Bell lots of the time and just catch up! Then, I had Scotty and I would still go up once a week for lunch. We would sit and wait for Scotty to do his next trick! Daddy would drive him around on the fork lift and I would sit back and take it all in. I still to this day have a pic of the 2 Scottys together on the forklift and it melts my heart!

This is just a fraction of all the memories that I have at Drake's House of Sleep. To most it was just a building, but to me it was a huge part of my life! This is why I couldn't stop the tears because I have MANY great memories there with my family, and I am so saddened to see the doors close for good. It won't be the same in so many different ways. I can only imagine what it feels like for my Papa and my family who worked there for so many years. Thank goodness for memories that I can have for a lifetime to tell my children about as they get older. Now all I can do is trust the Lord to provide for my family as they are out of a job now. I am having faith in Him that there is so much good that will come of this, even if we can't see it yet. I am praying for an easy transition for my family and that they will be able to trust in the Lord during this huge change as well. If you think of my family, please pray for them, what a difficult last few months it has been with this!

All I can say is, goodbyes really are never easy! I am thankful that the Lord gave our family 37 years of business there!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!!!

Catch up!

Wow! Time just keeps on flying by! I can't believe it's been over 2 months since my last post..oops! So for today's post, I will catch you up on what our "Party of 5" has been up to!

My sweet niece came for a visit with my big sis from Guatemala! Her and Olivia quickly became the best of friends. This is my very favorite picture of them when she was here...makes my heart melt! I was so blessed to be able to spend a ton of time with her while she was here...I miss her terribly!

Look who graduated from Kindergarten!!!! What an awesome Mommy moment it was for me! We made it through our first year of homeschooling! I have enjoyed teaching my son so much, and am already planning next year. He is growing up so fast, I am cherishing every moment I have with him!

Next up was trout fishing! We went with our very best friends to Bennett Springs to celebrate very early Teddy's 30th! We had a blast! So many memories were made that weekend together that I will cherish for a lifetime! Can't wait to experience it again!

A few weeks ago we were able to get away for a few days just the 2 of us to celebrate early our 8th Anniversary! We don't have nearly enough time together at home, and let me tell you it was SO nice to be able to focus solely on each other!

After the lake it was time for Miss O's 1st dance recital!!! What a fun time it was to watch her! She knew her dance better than any of us thought possible, and of course she looked cute as a button too!

Here we are on 4th of July! We had a perfect day by our pool with just the 5 of us! Then, we headed to my parents for our annual celebration! We had tons of food, fireworks, and of course laughter!

Well, that bring you all up to speed on what has kept us so busy! I will be back with more soon!! Hope you are all enjoying your summer!

Sara Beth is 30!

My big sister turns 30 today!!!! I feel like just yesterday we were living at home fighting over the mirror in the mornings to get ready for the day. Oh my how times have changed! I am so excited that I get to spend her 30th birthday with her! What better way to start off the day than by telling you 30 reasons why I love her so much!

#1: She was my very first best friend!
#2: She was one of the first people to really talk to me deeply about loving the Lord.
#3: She always had my back...even when I didn't deserve it!
#4: She was my maid of honor and stood by my side as I made the best decision of my entire life!
#5: She has always laughed at my jokes and made me feel like I am the funniest person on the planet! #6: She was always pushing me to be better!
#7: I can not talk to her for months (she's in Guatemala people!) and we can always pick up right where we left off!
#8: She always listened without judging me
#9: She loved me for me and never once asked me to change how I am...even though we are VERY different!
#10: She has always dropped everything whenever I have needed her even if it was just to talk.

#11: She asked me to be her maiden of honor in her wedding, and I felt so privileged to stand by her as she was marrying her prince!
#12: Even though she is not even in the same country as me most of the time, she always makes an effort to keep up with my life.
#13: She is a great Tia to my kids and they adore her!
#14: She always looks for the best in someone
#15: She is a very positive person to be around and it is infectious!
#16: She taught me meekness
#17: She taught me to always go after my dreams
#18: Never once in my life has she ever said, "you can't do it!" 
#19: She is one of the most passionate people I know...I learn from her!
#20: She never stopped believing in me...even in times when I stopped believing in myself.

#21: We were pregnant together! I wish every sister could experience that!
#22: Even though my niece and nephew are far away, she has always made sure they know who their Tia is!
#23: I love her laugh...it is infectious and always makes me laugh too!
#24: I love that she always made sure I was included in whatever she was doing...even if it was making me eat Taco Bell sauce packets when we were young!
#25: Every time I see her she always compliments you on something...makes you feel like a million bucks!

#26: She is one of the most self-LESS people I have ever met
#27: I love her clothes! I have since a young age...which is why we fought over them frequently!
#28: She really is the rock that held our family together
#29: She taught me anger wasn't ever worth it!
#30: Most of all I LOVE that I get to call her MY sister...my 1 and only sister!

Sara Beth, I love you so much and have been so grateful for how close we have become over the years. I hope today you feel loved and so very special!

Friends: Please pray for her to enjoy her day today without being sick! She has had a rough few days, and today I am asking the favor of the Lord that she would enjoy this day sick-free!

bad case of the Mondays!

What a crazy month my sweet boy has had for sickness! As you know, he had a double ear infection, sinus infection, and a break out due to his allergy to his antibiotics! Well, Sunday about 12:30 am, which I guess means it was actually Monday, he woke up screaming! I ran in and checked on him only to find him doubled over in extreme pain. I held him and gave him some medicine and tried to get him calmed down. I finally got him calmed down, went back up to my bed for about 15 mins when I heard more screaming! This time, he was on the floor doubled over and and screaming! He begged me to put him in the shower, so I did even though it was the wee hours of the morning. I got him calmed down again and put him back to sleep, only to have this happen every 15-20 min! By morning, I was a zombie, he had these huge dark circles under his eyes, and I knew we had to get him to the Dr. since he was still in extreme pain! My husband, graciously called into work late, and drove him straight to the Dr! There he was diagnosed saying he had a viral stomach bug and sent home. The hubs was told he had to come in to work, which left me with the littles and still doing my best to care for my sweet boy! I was running on fumes by this point! I couldn't leave his side because the pain just kept coming more and more! After hours of doing this, I thought to myself, "I am his Mommy! I know him better than any of those doctors, and something is wrong with him!" I called the Dr and they thought they said go immediately to Children's Mercy. My mom over to drive us, since I was in no way able to do that after no sleep! My bro-in-law came to sit with the kids until my bestie could get there! My hubs was at work and stuck in traffic trying to get there as fast as he could. We arrived and only had to wait around 5 minutes (that felt like a lifetime) before we were taken to triage. When we were in triage, he got another severe attack of pain! I could barely hold him still while they were trying to get his temp and vitals. I had been able to hold it together all day until that moment. Here I am holding my baby who is in extreme pain and I can't fix it! The tear just started streaming down my face as I am trying to hold him still. In my head, I am having this conversation with the Lord. I kept saying, "Lord, this is ultimately your child, and I don't know what to do! Please, please, please help him and help me to get through this, I am nothing without you! I can't do this alone, and we need you!" Then, He told me Proverbs 3:5-6, "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." It's a verse I have heard all my life, but at this moment He knew it was exactly what I needed! I needed to trust the Lord and forget everything else! Forget the worry, the unknowns, etc! From triage, they took us immediately back after telling me, they have never seen a child in this much pain before! A room of doctors and several nurses were waiting for us. After MANY hours and MANY tests, they told us they found something. The Dr came in and told my husband and I that they found something on his ultrasound. He explained he has a condition called kidney hydronephrosis. The Dr also said that he he thinks he has reflux meaning at times the urine is going back in his body instead of out. He isn't sure if this is linked to the pain that he was having, but he urged us to follow up with our regular Dr. ASAP. We got home at 11:30pm, ate some dinner, and went to bed after being up for almost 24 hrs. Morning came too fast, but I called our Dr right away. He had already received all the info from Children's and had already looked at it all. He too, could see the problem with his kidney and told me that he wanted to personally call the specialist at Mercy. He explained that there is a risk of having surgery to place a stint, but he needed to talk to the specialist for a 2nd opinion.

So now all we can do it wait, wait, and wait some more. While I have been waiting, I have been praying and digging in His Word! I don't know what is going to happen, but I know I can rest assured that the Lord does. I know He will take care of us in this time and give the doctors the wisdom in how to proceed.

It has been a VERY long week, but everytime I see my son wanting to play it brings me great joy! Through this, I have learned to cherish your kids health! Cherish that they can run and play outside. I know for me there have been times when I have been too tired to take them outside, but now I feel totally different! We never know how long we have with them, so cherish those moments together! Please continue to pray for our sweet boy and our family! I will update as soon as we know anything else!

We had the best nurse while we were at the hospital! She rounded up a Nintendo Dsi XL, with games for him to play. It really helped distract him! So, thank you Misty!

Spring is here!

Oh how I LOVE Spring! I love waking up to the birds chirping...or in my case, the chickens talking! Every day I look outside there seems to be some new plant or flower coming up! I LOVE it! I thought I would share what is growing at my house!


These are some herbs I have been growing! I miss fresh herbs!


Look at our grass finally coming up!!! SO happy about this! Teddy and I are always wanting the perfect yard!



These are our fabulous David Austin Roses that my sweet MIL bought for me last year! Can't wait to have fresh roses!


My 2nd favorite flower is a peony. I thought I had killed these for good last year, and was SO shocked to see them come back this year. Happy dance!!!


I have always loved tulips because I always think of Spring coming when I see them. I found a great deal on these and we planted them a few weeks ago. Teddy and I were taking bets on if they would bloom this year or not...I WON, cause they did! Don't they look beautiful?!?!


What pretty things do you have growing at your house? What's your favorite flower or plant?

Chicken Dance!

Oh what a day it has been here at the Duff household! First off, sorry I took like almost a year hiatus! I didn't plan to, I just got busy with life I guess. My morning started off with my youngest spilling my fresh cup of coffee all over him and me, not fun to clean up either! Coffee + carpet = no bueno!

After that my oldest, who mind you has been fighting a double ear infection along with a sinus infection came to me with a rash over his whole body! He is on such high doses of meds that I guess he's allergic to one which left his body in an itchy mess! I got the littles put down for a nap and then got Mr. Rash boy settled with benadryl and movie picnic. I knew our chickens were out of water since yesterday, and thought it was a perfect time to go water them. That's when the chaos began...

It has been raining for like 3 days here, and when I went out there to tend to my sweet hens, it was raining rather hard. We have been trying our best to grow grass because our poor backyard is a mudpit! I knew it would be muddy so I put on old clothes and shoes and head out to the rain! Apparently from the rain, the wood has expanded on our coop which was making it near impossible to get into the coop! After a while I was able to get in one side and fill up with their water container. All was going rather smooth until I went to re-attach the board of the coop. HUGE problem!!! I can't get it shut because of the wood expansion!!! I am still in the pouring rain with my muddy dogs jumping on me and trying to figure out what to do since my sweet husband was at work! SO...I left the door lying against the coop so I could run in the garage and get some tools and a phone to call my hubs. In the meantime, the chickens decide they want to go exploring and leave their cozy home. I peek out the door and see all 5 of my hens in my yard! I drop everything and sprint out the door...remember the part where I said it was a mudpit?!?!? Yeah! So I went sliding all over my yard and falling too! I get a stick and herd the hens back to safety after a LONG while of spills! I get them back in there and still have no clue what to do! Luckily my Daddy showed up!!! He helped me drive a nail in to wedge it shut until my hubs returned! Whew! The hens are now safe and sound! Me, on the otherhand, was sopping wet with mud everywhere...off to the showers!!!

What a day! I am ready for bed...until next time!