A Very Merry Christmas To YOU!

I am embarrassed. The SECOND year in a ROW I have not sent a Christmas card. It has been a crazy year... I WANT to do a family Christmas picture, but to be honest, I see my husband for about 15 minutes a day, and I have about 10 minutes to clear up things I need to clear up and then, it is over. I would love to do a picture, and write all of the things we have done.

I don't have the picture.

But I can write. THAT I can do. . .

THE YEAR IN SUMMARY 

WYNIA FAMILY 2011

The Wynia family had a crazy year. No really, we did. It started off with being newly laid off, and having to make big, gut wrenching decisions about our lives, and our future. Good times, good times. That lasted until April, with Peter traveling to locations, crunching numbers, praying, and trying to figure out exactly WHERE we were going to start on our new Papa Murphy's business venture. (At least we had THAT figured out) We contemplated no less than 5 or 6 places, and finally came down to the Inland Empire in Southern California. For those of you who don't know, that is the little strip of land that travels south from Riverside straight to San Diego on the I-15, and is directly behind those beautiful mountains that are just before the ocean. There is no DIRECT route to the ocean, but we find ourselves making our way there frequently anyway. 

We spent the spring months signing our life away, doing training and getting ready for the big plunge. Peter and I even went to a week long training at the Papa Murphy's headquarters to get ready for this big adventure. 

Kids at Nanna and Papa's house at the Lake during our trip to the corporate office. 

We moved in July. We had the help of a moving co., but of course, I packed every living last thing we owned (besides Peter's office) and I will forever be grateful for the sweet people who showed mercy on me and helped me pack up my house for the 11th time in 11 years. (I am including our first move in together and a few moves from apartments and in-laws while we were building houses, but still, a move is a move.)

Abigail at our house before we "closed" on it!

We are confident we will not have to move again for a VERY long time. We found a great house in Murrieta, just about 3 miles (6 minutes exactly) from our new store, which I am VERY grateful for, because Peter is there about 14 hours a day, and sometimes even more than that.  We love our house, neighbors, schools and ward and feel amazingly blessed to have been given so much after a few years of very difficult struggles. I have truly learned that Heavenly Father has COMPLETE control over our lives, and many of the things that happen to us are purely for our benefit. Even the trials. I am not sure I could say I was grateful for those trials at the TIME, but I am most certainly grateful for them now. They taught be so many things about our relationship with Heavenly Father, how he teaches us, all of us. I am grateful to be through the trials, but still the same, grateful that Heavenly Father thought I was strong enough to endure them. 

Peter and I doing who knows what...

Our Store Front. Yes, REALLY! 

Peter working at what is lovingly known as the "sheeter"

We opened our new store on November 3rd, after a few crazy days of delays and difficulty with the county fire department. All is forgiven now that we are open, and things are going well! We have been met with incredible excitement and we have no fewer than 5 pizza stores in our parking lot. However, we feel like we have a great location, and have received great feedback on our product which is brand new to the area. That is right. There has never been a Papa Murphy's pizza here! (Hard to believe for some of you, I am sure.) 

Peter "sheeting" dough. Yes, he is not required to wear gloves doing this, and yes, his hands are clean...

Peter is still working LONG hours, and I find myself "working" at the store as well. However, my main title is "marketing freakshow" and of course, I love it. I manage our store's facebook page, as well as School Fundraisers, and any other marketing activities that we might need. Peter runs day to day operations, however, I find myself doing a little bit of that as well. I am sure that is a common occurrence when you own your own business. I even go to work and run the cash register and answer the phones when I am needed, and I work WAY more than I thought I would, but I kind like that too because I get a glimpse into what Peter does all day long and I get to educate our customers about what Papa Murphy's is, and why they are going to love it. (You can like our Facebook page to see what I do at facebook.com/papamurphysmurrieta)

Our Grand Opening Ribbon Cutting by the Murrieta Chamber of Commerce. 

Introducing, Mini Murph

Our kids. Oh yeah, we still have them. Abigail is in 5th grade. She is doing VERY well with her grades (after a rough transition to a very intense school) and is finally starting to enjoy the So. Cal. life. She LIVES for boogie boarding, and is definitely going to be a beach babe. We just got a new puppy for her for Christmas. (I know, I can't believe it either) But the family dog was long over due, and I just decided I needed to take the plunge NOW.

I know she is STANDING on her boogie board, but still..

Jaxon being Jaxon.

Jaxon is Jaxon. Really, what can I say about that kid. He is funny, and I wish I could record everything he says. He is getting used to his new school, and I am still working on deciding if we are going to keep him there. It is challenging to come from a school that had an amazing autism program to one that.... doesn't. But we are working on it. 

Waders.

Wade is in his second year of preschool and is going every day. (I had to do SOMETHING to keep him busy! He turns 5 in a few months, and will go to Kindergarten next year) I am sure he will do great, and we are working on reading right now. He is a complete video(game) head, and I hope Peter will teach him programming in a few years so we can capitalize on that obsession....

Kaylie is a wild, stubborn, hard headed two year old. When she is good, she is VERY VERY good, and when she is bad, she is HORRID! I had a babysitter call me in tears the other night because Kaylie was throwing a big tantrum. Really, the first of all my kids who has done it with any real intense vigor. She really knows how to throw it down though. HOWEVER, on the other side, she can be just super sweet and loving. She will go far in life, as long as we can learn to channel all that energy and intensity!

Overall, it has been an amazing year. We are incredibly grateful for this opportunity and are finding blessings around every corner. We know without a shade of doubt this is where were are supposed to be, and that is a wonderful feeling after years of uncertainty. We know the blessings of the Lord are upon us, and any who choose to put their faith in Him.  We wish you a wonderful 2012, and hope we will be able to put together a family photo NEXT YEAR! Until then, enjoy this one...

Enjoying the beachy life.

What is Love Anyway?

Yesterday I was doing my weekly sales calls for Papa Murphy's (I am such a great employee!) Anyway, I walked into the store two doors down and was met with a few hard faces.. You know the kind that I mean, faces that have kind of "been through life". Maybe a little bit of "hard living".


I introduced myself as the co-owner of Papa Murphy's with my husband and explained the purpose of my visit. She immediately scoffed and said, "And you haven't killed each other yet?" Her comment didn't surprise me. Working with a spouse is definitely a tricky balance. You always need to have some level of respect for each other in a work environment. I can't usurp his power, change the rules, make my own rules, or do a myriad of other things that I may be tempted to do.

I just try to keep my nose clean while I am there, and try to make BOTH of our lives easier, by trying to make HIS life easier.

There is a LOT of stress around owning your own business. There are ups and downs, ebs and flows... and it is difficult sometimes to not let the stress come between you. I am NOT saying it doesn't, but it is important to try to not let it.

I read this quote today, and I don't think that I have ever read anything I believe more.

Love is a temporary madness. It erupts like an earthquake and then subsides. And when it subsides you have to make a decision. You have to work out whether your roots have become so entwined together that it is inconceivable that you should ever part. Because this is what love is. Love is not breathlessness, it is not excitement, it is not the promulgation of promises of eternal passion. That is just being "in love" which any of us can convince ourselves we are.

Love itself is what is left over when being in love has burned away, and this is both an art and a fortunate accident. Your mother and I had it, we had roots that grew towards each other underground, and when all the pretty blossom had fallen from our branches we found that we were one tree and not two.

Louis De Bernieres

I get frustrated with societies view of marriage. I hope that our example will be one that our kids will look to with pride, and desire to achieve. I hope they will see us as equal partners who both made every attempt to make it work, even through challenging times. I hope they will take our example, and have success of their own. And I hope they will never look to society for thoughts on marriage because it takes far more effort, desire, and understanding to adhere to the idea above...

The Crash

I walked into church today, tired, but okay.

I have gotten a horrible cold, probably due to stress and lack of sleep.

I was going in to church by myself (with the kids), and unless I am at the store, I don't really see Peter at all during the day.

He leaves at 8 a.m. and comes home at 11:30. Works for a few more hours on things he couldn't do during the day, and then does it all again the next day.

Hopefully THAT won't last forever.

I worked at the store on Friday, and Saturday night, so, I felt like I have seen him a bit, but I am sure the kids are wondering what has happened to him.

I felt fine at church, but as soon as the testimonies started, I started crying.

Like inconsolable crying.

I could not stop.

I think it was a mixture of exhaustion and gratitude.

As I looked around the room, I saw face after face after face of people who had been at the store over the weekend.

Even staff members, who had worked all weekend.

I felt overwhelmed by what had happened.

Making the decision to move was completely gut wrenching.

We did not want to move AGAIN.

We did not want to uproot the kids AGAIN.

We did not want to loose all the services and the school that Jaxon was at.

We did not want to uproot Abby, who tends to have the most difficult time with moving.

We did not want to "start over" again.

At the same time, our struggles in Arizona seemed never ending.

I never felt accepted.

And even though I liked Arizona, I never felt "at home."

I never found a niche.

Peter never found a stable work environment.

As much as we tried our best to make it work, it didn't.

And we felt COMPELLED to move.

There was nothing there that made us feel like we were anchored there.

But, it was confirmed to us over and over and over again that we were supposed to "be here".

As I looked around the room today, and realized how many faces I had seen at the store over the weekend, I felt the love.

The love from our ward family, our new environment, and our Heavenly Father.

He knew we would need support. In all sorts of ways, and he gave it to us.

In spades.

Not only did they just physically show up at our store, but they told friends, passed out coupons and continued to share our story with everyone they knew.

It was an amazing outpouring of love.

And as I sat there today, I had it confirmed to me once again, that we were in the right place.

I am overwhelmed by the love and support.

I am overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity.

And most importantly,

I am grateful.

It's Midnight

On a Friday night, and I am having a hard time winding down.

It is exhilarating at the store on a Friday night.

It was intense.

There were so many people waiting.

Waiting WAY TOO LONG for a pizza.

But our staff is new, and we were slightly under-prepared for such a big crush.

We did 57 pizzas on our first night, and 160 our second.

I was a crazy day.

I went over to the store earlier in the day to "ask Peter a question" and I got caught making dough balls because someone had a whole pile of dough on the counter, but had to go on break.

I put on an apron, and went to work.

I was basically in my pajamas.

I don't think anyone I knew came into the store.

Thank heavens.

Hopefully my apron made me look more official than I was.

I had Kaylie with me, and luckily, I had downloaded an App on my phone for puzzles. She is obsessed with it, and it gets me out of just about any bind I can think of with her.

I know.

Electronics.

Two year old.

But I guess that is how it is going to be for her.

With us starting this business.

I don't ever want to forget the vision of her, perched on two boxes, her bum on one, her feet on the other, playing her puzzles... Every once in a while, she would push the wrong button and someone would have to help her fix the app. Someone without gloves on or washed hands.

All along this is what Peter has wanted to do.

I mean, I wanted him to do what he wanted to do, and I wanted to do it too, but I didn't realize what my hand would be.

I'll be honest.

I love it.

I really love it.

I love the staff.

I love the environment.

I love it when I come home smelling like dough.

(I like dough)

I love that I worked over there for about 8 hours today. Sometimes with a kid, sometimes without.

I love the way Wade says Papa Murphy's.

I love the way my kids talk about it.

I love the pride that comes with being a small business owner.

I love making dough balls.

I love talking to people, and trying to make their wait a little shorter.

I just love it,

More than I thought I would.

I guess, in the end, I didn't realize how much I would be in the store.

And I probably won't be too often.

Because my kids need at least ONE parent.

And right now, I am all they have.

But I love being there.

It's an amazing feeling to know that you have worked so hard, and been through so much to make it happen.

I loved putting a smile on people's faces. People who have waited "10 years" "5 years" or however long to have Papa Murphy's pizza in their home town. And believe me, the stories that we heard today were NUMEROUS.

People were stalking our store until we opened. Just waiting, and waiting and waiting. And I have to say, that if I was in a town, that was waiting for a Papa Murphy's. I would have been stalking the store too to see when it opened.

I know how they feel. And I am so happy to bring them what they want.

Just a few more (okay 100 more) kinks to work out.

But we'll get there.

I just hope all the people who waited WAY too long for their pizza tonight, will be back.

It was Amazing.

Reflection

It was probably the biggest week of my life. In every way. It may have even topped the week I got married.

Friday, Saturday and Sunday of last week we trained our staff everyday and sweated bullets over inspections, and getting minor details completed as we drew closer to our "big day". Planning for VIP night is a complete ramp up of activity in every way. We had three or 4 people from Papa Murphy's corporate every day helping us "get ready".

Everyday I would walk into the store with a sense of aw. I couldn't believe it. I have walked into Papa Murphy's stores a million times. But it was never "ours". When I looked around, it seemed surreal. But it was, and I had the scares to prove it! (So to speak) I had left the store late on Sunday night. There was still a ton of work to be done. Signs that needed to be hung, pipes that needed to be laid, trim that needed to be put up. The list was not small, and I ended up convincing myself that if it didn't all get done, it would be "okay".

Monday morning I walked into the store to Christmas morning. It was all done. Our contractor walked passed me (we were lucky enough to find an LDS contractor who has done business here in Temecula for over 20 years) and I looked at our Papa Murphy's coordinator, and she said, "He stayed here all night." I knew it. I could tell by everything that was done, that was NOT done when I left at 8 p.m. on Sunday night.

I started to cry. Because I felt loved, by him, by Heavenly Father, by everyone who has loved and supported us through everything we have gone through for the past three years. My dreams, OUR dreams had been realized. And it was a miracle. He walked past me, and started to giggle at my mini break down, thinking it was just my stress said, "It's okay! Cry it out! It will make you feel better!" Little did he know it had more to do with his dedication, love, and support than anything else. He, an LDS BISHOP, had stayed all night, on a Sunday night to help us live out our dream. I will love him and his family for sacrificing him forever.

On Tuesday, we realized that there was nothing else we could do to open our store. The fire department had come to a halt with us and told us we could go no further. We came up with our "plan B" and decided to pass out pizzas to all the people who had slated to come that day out of our trailer in the parking lot. We handed out over 600 pizzas. People were kind, supportive, excited, and probably only 10% of the people there had ever even TRIED a Papa Murphy's pizza before. I was amazed by their willingness to 'step outside their comfort zone', but then again, it WAS a free pizza. My facebook page numbers doubled in a night, and when Peter and I went home that night, we were exhausted, but happy. We still had the hurdle of not being able to open ahead of us, but we weren't ready to give up yet. We had the hum of adrenaline still pumping in our veins. I didn't know how I was going to do it again, the next day, but I knew it wouldn't be quite as intense as the first day since our coupon had "technically" expired.

By the end of day two, on Wednesday, we knew we would not be opening permanently due to the issues with the building. We knew we would be losing several hundreds of dollars in produce, meat and cheese because of it, but we had to close the doors anyway. The hardest part is the phone ringing off the hook, and people coming to the door, looking like lost puppies, not knowing why we won't open the door. Peter had to go to the store for a couple hours yesterday to hand out paychecks to employees, and gave out over 20 coupons to people he had to turn away.

It is frustrating, but we still feel blessed. We know that when we will open our doors, people will be standing there, and we are excited about that. And grateful. The support we received from our ward, and surrounding members was astounding. Like nothing I have ever experienced in any other place I have lived. And that, in and of itself, is answer enough that "this is the right place."

What's it like?

I am sure some of you are wondering what exactly goes on in those months before opening your own store. I wondered, and now, we are right in the thick of things.

It is mostly good.

And it is mostly done by my husband.

But the responsibilities have gotten to a fever pitch. He has around 20-30 things on his "to-do" list on any given day.

It might look like this.

Rent Truck for trailer,

Pick up trailer,

take trailer to wrap guy,

Wrap guy takes measurements,

take trailer back to storage lot,

call Papa Murphy's marketing dept about wrap,

Call contractor,

Call Marketing People,

Order flyers for wife's marketing event,

Proof flyers,

Call insurance lady about trailer,

Go to DMV,

Register Trailer,

Return more urgent phone calls,

order wares for the store,

order signs for the store,

order more stuff for the store,

return a million phone calls,

field questions from you wife about what is happening and when,

schedule grand opening events,

schedule VIP night events,

order stuff for said events,

clear all of the events your wife is scheduling,

decide whether or not she is crazy,

blah, blah, blah, blah.

Yeah, that is all in a day.

I should have had him make this list, because I am sure that is not the 1/2 of it. I just try to stay out of his way.

I think I am doing a semi-good job at that.

I'm not gonna lie. It is exciting. Especially now that we are getting closer. And closer and CLOSER!!!!

I can't wait to see it all come to fruition. Months and months and months of planning and talking, and finding a site, and signing contracts and finding contractors and on and on and on. We are about 30 days out, and I can't wait! I am sure you have questions, if you do, please feel free to ask them!

I will post more pictures as we get closer!