You here all the time about various businesses being "family owned and operated". We certainly aren't the first! I usually imagine a grandpa and his grown up sons working behind the scenes in a back office on the computer somewhere. (Not that there's anything wrong with that...) In our case, when we say family owned and operated, we mean-literally- family owned and operated.
Mom or dad are here from open to close everyday. Mom answers phones, styles the floor, chooses the coolest new pieces, grabs drive thru lunches, helps customers choose the right colors and fabrics, and is the designated "price tagger" because she has the neatest hand writing!
*Here I am (Mom!) Thankfully, I get to pick out the art work, but I don't actually have to hang it!
Dad of course is the muscle of the operations! He is the lifter, the un loader, the builder, the deliverer, the floor planner and the "I know everything you could possibly ever need to know about all things mattress" guy. He likes to say that he doesn't really SELL furniture or mattresses, but rather, he educates our customers so they can choose what's best for them. 
*Dad is a tricky one to photograph. (Talk about complaining...)
But we don't stop at Mom and Dad! All three of our children are helping out (whether they want to or not!) Our oldest son has taken over all the "helping" that Mom used to have to do, now that he has surpassed my strength by a long shot... He helps on deliveries. He builds chairs and tables. He carries mattresses over his head with the greatest of ease. 
* Putting those muscles to work. How many times a day can I remind him to be sooooo careful so he doesn't break anything...
His younger brother is a whiz with a drill, putting together and taking apart headboards and table legs. He is the boss of loading all the cardboard mess into the trailer to be taken to the recycling center. He and his little sister get the flags out every morning. They turn on the open signs, open the warehouse, water the flowers, clean the bathrooms and vacuum the floors every Saturday! 
I wish I could say that they love coming to the store to help out and that they are happy to lend a hand! But let's get real- they totally don't. There's a fair chance that at least one of them is mumbling or complaining or down right c.r.a.n.k.y about having to give up their screens and come to work on a Saturday, but we do what we gotta do, right? We hope they are learning something (anything!) about working hard and working as a team.
So, I guess in our case- the family that works together... sometimes argues more than they help. Sometimes lose their patience with each other. Sometimes spend more time begging to go home than they do actually working. BUT SOMETIMES, the family that works together... leave at the end of the day feeling proud of the hard work they put in. Sometimes find themselves laughing uncontrollably at the smallest little jokes. Sometimes feel thrilled to receive a tip or a compliment from a happy customer. And hopefully our family will remember these days that we all worked together at the store with fond memories and a sense of accomplishment at what we did together.
