The Yaghoobians

Always something...

2010-07-10T21:43:00.003-04:00

So our water main broke in our front yard right before the 4th of July holiday. What an ordeal that was!! Glad we have great neighbors who let us borrow their water for two days. Now it is fixed, and I am not anxious to see the bill. Nishon has gotten on a prescription to quit smoking. I am so proud of him, and I know he can do it..so far it has been quite painful because he is taking a prescription that gradually decreases the amount of nicotine he can absorb over a week and a half. We are on day 4..so far..can't it is hard to say how it is going, except he gets really miserable once that dose kicks in.

Had a great visit back a few weeks with my colleage roomates. So good to see them and little Ruby who will be turning 2 soon..wish we had more time for those type of visits, and Nishon wasn't needed at the bakery 7 days a week to enjoy these times.

I LOVE this pic of Quinn and Nishon Jr..gee..do you think he is having a blast?!

We have been to two carnivals so far this summer and Dorney Park and Wild Water Kingdom. Fun was had by all and Nishon Jr is quite the adventurous guy and LOVES all the rides. It is such a joy to watch. Lia has even been on a few which is super sweet to watch. I love watching them play with each other. Nishon is still a little too rough with Lia sometimes, and she has her temper tantrums, but all in all, I would not wish it any other way.

Here are two pics of the kiddos at Wild Water Kingdom..too much fun!!

Holy Smokes!!

2010-05-04T11:54:00.004-04:00

I cannot believe it is now May..last post was the Christmas letter, late obviously, but it was still January!! So here is a quick recap of the last couple months..

In the end of February I totaled my car on I95. Just a simple slide on the gravel shoulder, spun the car in a circle, with the kiddos, and ended smack dab in the middle of the highway. Fortunately it was a Sunday night, but still a nightmare. Thankfully the kiddos and I were all safe, but the car was done. Nishon Jr. still brings to Nishon and my attention the fact that the "black car" is broken and we had to throw it in the trash, and all of the wonderful details of the evening. He very much likes our new blue car, but brings up this detail at the most random times..gotta love kids!! As a result of the accident purchased two used Ford Escape Hybrids. Nishon and I are not tree-huggers by any stretch, but drive a tremendous amount, so gas milage is key. So far we are loving them, and I really enjoy driving an SUV. In fact, I wish I had a bigger one..

Lia turned 1 April 4 and Nishon turned 3 March 11. Lia is walking and starting to say words..it is wild to see how fast she has developed and is growing. Her growth continues to be in the 95%+ category. Nishon's growth has fallen off in the height and weight category, but he is still growing a lot. Working on expanding his food choice, as he has been a very picky eater. Fortunately they both love bread and cookies..because we have plenty of that!! Here is a pic of my two beautiful babies having a cookie break on a cart at the bakery..

The bakery is BLOWING up..in a good way, finally. We just began our market season again, and are busier and crazier than ever. What a nutty time for us!! Thankfully we have been blessed with some really good employees, a few are even exceptional, which has been a life saver and has really breathed new life into the place. We are still digging out from debt and bad decisions, but we are finally starting to see a light at the end of the tunnel..this is our year!!

So, I am going to attempt to update this more frequently. There is plenty going on..just not much time to document it..here goes nothing!!

Reprint of our Christmas Letter..going out today!!

2009-12-26T12:23:00.003-05:00

The Yaghoobians
Christmas 2009

So, this year was a blur. I am thankful and sad to see it end as it has been a year of great joy and struggle, but once again we are happy for all that God has blessed us with and found appropriate to challenge us with.

To start off the year, Nishon Jr. turned 2 in March. We had a small party at the house and Nishon Sr. created an Elmo cake to celebrate the occasion. Nishon Jr. has really grown so much over this year, sometimes I am blown away by his development and his memory. He definitely has inherited his Dad’s obsessive compulsiveness and shyness and his mom’s curiosity and fondness for the computer. I still try to keep updated with pictures and short videos on his site at http://www.nishonyaghoobian.aboutmybaby.com/.

I assumed I would have Lia early, like her brother, but she decided she wanted to wait until her due date. Lia Evelyn was born at 7:13am on April 4, 2009. She was a bit bigger than her brother, but I must say, I have been very fortunate, as her birth was even easier than her brother’s. We checked in the hospital Friday night around 12am, and she was born the next morning. I was actually back home Sunday afternoon!! She is already 9 months old and is SUPER curious and LOVES the water and rough-housing with her brother. She is such a wonderful baby. She has such an easy going temperment and has fit right into our crazy lifestyle. This is the picture I wanted to use for her birth announcement that I never quite got around to sending out. She is such a sweet and happy girl. I also have a site set-up for updates of Lia at http://www.liayaghoobian.aboutmybaby.com/.

In September, we were able to take our FIRST official family vacation to Sandbridge, VA. It was for a full week and it was wonderful. Although, financially, it was a stretch, it was well worth it and we created a lot of fun memories. The house was gorgeous, we were able to spend some time with some of our closest family and friends, and just enjoy not being quite so crazy with our everyday routines. Hopefully we can make this an annual event! Before the trip ended, we were already talking about next year. The picture on the right was a picture on the beach. It was a little cold and rainy this day, but we still had had a blast. I have been trying to keep our website updated. The site is: http://www.theyaghoobians.blogspot.com/.

So, this year at the bakery has been another rollercoaster ride, but we definitely see some really exciting opportunity ahead for 2010. We said goodbye to our first employee and partner at the very beginning of 2009, which was a huge turning point for us. This year we have been able to pay-off all our equipment and were trying to pay down some of the debt we had acquired over the last couple years. We still have a long way to go. We were doing 5 markets a week at the height of our market season, but realized we need to focus on quality over quantity, and this was not working. In the last month we have acquired a new baker who has breathed some new life into the place. His baking and business perspective are really helping us refocus on what is important which is putting out a quality product, running the bakery efficiently, and going after new business. Our revamped products have just been AMAZING. We finally have a “team” in place that shares our passion and we are excited again about what we are doing and what we can do. Check out our website for updates: http://www.wildflourbakery.net/.

Another eventful year has come to an end and we have a lot to reflect on. A new addition to our family, a farewell to a business partner and friend, a fun family vacation, a bakery that continues to defy the odds, a welcome new bakery addition, the loss of some dear friends who have gone to be with the Lord, and the blessing of some amazing friends and family. God is good, and we are so thankful for everything he has given us and all of the amazing friends and family he has placed in our path. We love you and if we haven’t seen you or spoken with you, it is not because we would not love to, but because of life’s craziness. We want you to know you are in our thoughts and hearts. 2010, here we come!!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!! Love, Nishon, Laura, Nishon Jr., and Lia Yaghoobian

Back to Crazy

2009-10-22T09:11:00.001-04:00

Well, our markets were cancelled last weekend due to some staffing issues at the bakery and some super crappy weather. The markets are back on this week, as well as a few others. Possibly one last one on Friday and another Sunday afternoon. It was nice to have a weekend off and do some normal family things. On Saturday, the whole family went up to the bakery. Nishon Sr. was working, and I spent some time trying to clean-up some things, and Nishon Jr. spent some quality time with his favorite guys; the mixers. It was a productive couple hours and it is always nice to spend some time there and see what is going on. Sunday we had a suprise shower for our Cousins, the Salios, who are having a baby girl in December. Then we went and visited our friends the Martins. There oldest daughter was celebrating her 11th birthday.

Not to mention Sunday, October 18 was Nishon and I's 6th year wedding anniversary. We didn't really do anything special, which is sad, but we just really have a lot on our plate right now and the best gift we can have is getting our bakery on track..which I always refer to as our first and most unruly child. We are getting there, it is just slow and challenging. We have seen some great improvement in things over the last few months and are looking forward to the day when the bakery is covering its costs and actually making a profit..I feel like we are getting there. By the way, the bakery celebrated its 6th anniversary as well, the end of October.

So this weekend is jam packed with markets, but I hope to slip in one more trip to the pumpkin patch for little Nishon. We will see. He ended up deleting my pics from our first trip, but I hope to get some more this weekend..weather permitting.

Here are a couple shots of the kiddos..how stinkin lucky are we?!

BlackBerry...where have you gone?

2009-10-12T08:42:00.005-04:00

So, this weekend was another market extravaganza..Saturday was Bryn Mawr and Lansdowne and Sunday was Headhouse. Check-out the bakery website for dates and locations..and come visit me: www.wildflourbakery.net

Anyway, so Sunday, I left my brand new BlackBerry on the table at the Headhouse market and guess what..it is missing..so, I am thinking it was stolen. Last November I had my purse stolen from Headhouse with a lot more than just my phone in it, so I feel like I am fortunate this time. Not to mention it was right near the money and our purses..so I guess we didn't fair too badly. I fortunately had insurance on it, so we are looking at $100 deductible..ugh.

Things at the bakery are going great!! We picked-up a bunch of new wholesale accounts, and everyone is feeling very positive. Tired. But positive. Let's keep up the momentum.

I took Nishon on his first hayride to pick-out his first pumpkin on Saturday. Aunt Laura and Uncle Chris took us to this great place over on Pughtown Rd. It was a blast!! We got there a little late, but had enough time to get a quick wagon ride and do a mad dash for a pumpkin. I am thinking Nishon Sr. and Nishon Jr. may be headed back this Sunday. I hope so. It was a blast!! I will post a pick later tonight.

I also got Lia's Halloween costume on Saturday. It is a lady bug..of course. Can't wait to see her in it!! I will definitely post pics. I think Nishon is going to be a Pirate. Let's see what I can find.

Happy Monday!!

September..where did you go?!

2009-09-29T23:43:00.007-04:00

Well, it is almost the end of September, and I have no idea where the month has gone?! We took our first family vacation since we got married back in October 2003. That was also our honeymoon and right before we started the bakery. We took a week in Sandbridge with our family and good friends. It was a blast, but the time went much too quick. We are hoping to make it an annual occurrence. Nishon Jr. had a blast with all of the people, especially the kids. He loves looking at pictures of the trip. Here are a few...

The Yaghoobians - on the beach in Sandbridge

Everyone Boogie Boarding..

My boys headed into the water..

Maura, Nishon Jr., and Lia..

The bakery is undergoing some more change. We finally let go of some dead weight. These individuals have been taking advantage of us for quite awhile and it was finally time for them to go. Not to mention they all had there own serious issues with following the rules of the bakery..you know..showing up on time or calling, before you were due in...or not leaving the key in the door of one of our Center City restaurants, only to have the owner find it with the door wide open...are you kidding me?! This is also the girl who drove into a drainage ditch at 4am in Norristown, and I had to come meet her with AAA to tow out the van. Also ran into the 18 wheeler..when it was stopped..and has caused a number of other dents, dings, and overall a tremendous amount of body damage to the van. And of course, they are fighting their termination and feel they should be entitled to unemployment..lucky us!!

The Farmers' Markets have been keeping me super busy (and exhausted) on the weekends. Most of them end either the end of October or mid-November. Headhouse is until December, but that is fine..the bakery needs the business. We have also just got some new wholesale accounts which always makes me happy..

The kiddos are getting so big..they are just absolutely amazing. I am so thankful for them. As crazy as my life feels sometimes, I am so thankful for my husband and our beautiful babies..

Time for bed. I need to get up early tomorrow and do some paperwork..

Life is moving too fast!!

2009-08-14T09:58:00.005-04:00

Geez, where did the summer go!! Heck, where did the time go?! Lia is now 4+ months old and Nishon Jr. is almost 2 1/2. I have been back to work for almost 2 monts, and am wishing I was back at home!! Oh well, we need to pay the bills and have health insurance, so what can you do..

I am also toying around with the idea of starting a blog for the bakery. It would be VERY interesting reading.

We are hoping to go on our first family vacation the first full week in September..we are keeping our fingers crossed that things don't blow-up at the bakery, but it already appears that they may be headed that way. I made the reservation yesterday. We are going for 7 nights, and have reserved a place in Sandbridge. Should be fun. Jay and Diana, their girls, my sister, and our brood will be headed down Saturday morning, September 5th. I am super excited. I will definitely be posting pics.

Here are some random pics:

Here is a pic of Lia..can you believe how big she is..she is the sweetest baby ever!!

Me and Nishon Jr..he is getting way too big!!

So, I am going to try to post more regularly..and start the bakery blog..we shall see how it goes..

Lia has arrived!!

2009-04-18T12:19:00.006-04:00

It has been a quiet winter. I must admit I was pretty exhausted most of the time, especially as I got closer to Lia's due date. Her delivery was as good, if not better than Nishon's. She came exactly on her original due date, April 4, which is also my best friend Laura's birthday. I could not have asked for a better experience. My contractions didn't get bad until after we put Nishon Jr. to bed on Friday night. She was born 7:13am Saturday morning weighing 8lbs 7oz and was 21 1/2" long. Here are some pics:

I am loving being at home with my kiddos, but it is a lot of work. I feel like I am constantly feeding, changing, and cleaning up. Right now we all have a touch of a cold or just the welcoming effects of Spring time allergies. Nishon Jr. is quite the ham and LOVES taking pics of himself..they are pretty hilarious and adorable..

Markets will be starting again in May, and I am just trying to figure-out how that is all going to work out..it will..it always does

Christmas was Awesome!

2009-01-07T10:53:00.012-05:00

Well, the holidays were awesome. On Christmas Eve I was able to schedule my 2nd ultrasound, and found out we are having a baby girl!! We didn't get any great pics, but I did get one of the feet, and one of the face. Due date is still April 4th (approximately, of course). We have decided on the name Lia Evelyn. Hard to believe we are in the home stretch! I feel really good, but really big!!

Christmas and New Years were great as we got to spend them with a lot of family and friends. Here are some pics from Christmas:

Nishon opening his Elmo Live from his Aunt Iya, Uncle Gregg and cousins Maura, Max, and Brendan.

Nishon Sr. and his mom on Christmas Eve.

Nishon Jr. opening his gifts on Christmas Day. He understood what to do, but I think we could have just got him his Puppy (the the left) and he would have been totally satisfied.

Celebrating with our cousins on Christmas Day.

Nishon clowning with AJ wearing a cup hat.

This was the first year in 5yrs that Nishon Sr. had off from the Bakery Christmas and New Years. It was an awesome time, and we are so thankful for his right hand man Ed who made it possible. I will post some pics of New Years shortly.

We have also been able to return to church which we missed so much during market season. It is quite a drive from our new house, but it gives us the opportunity to visit with our friends and family that are in thet Pottstown area.

Big plans (and dreams) for the bakery this year. It has been a tremendous struggle, and we are so thankful that we are able to continue to weather the economic downturn, and look forward to a promising 2009

Keep posted. I am determined to post more regularly and hopefully start a blog for the bakery. Trust me, it would certainly be interesting!

3 Days to Christmas!!!

2008-12-22T07:25:00.004-05:00

Well, our final Head House market ended yesterday, and for an icy, rainy, ugly day, we did pretty well. So now we will hunker down for the winter at the bakery and focus on our wholesale business. Please pray that God gives us some direction and some assistance with the bakery.

Early Saturday morning (4:30am to be exact), I received a call from our driver because she was doing a deliver in Norristown, and was not sure where to go. As I tried to explain to her where the caterer was, she proceeded to miss the driveway, drive into some seriously muddy and flooded grass, and get the van stuck. Out the door I went, I called AAA on the way, and by the time I got out there, the tow truck was there, and I waited with her as he pulled our van back onto solid ground. We have the Plus membership, just because we seem to have this sort of luck, but it cost $75 additionally because she had gone so far off the road. One of the many joys of owning a small business.

Friday I had a check-up appointment with the doctor. I can finally schedule my next ultrasound to get another good look at the baby and see what we are having. Hopefully we can find out soon, as we are both very curious.

Below is the family pic we had taken last week. I really didn't like any of the ones of me, but I think being 5+ months pregnant will make you feel (and look) a little larger than you would like. I am however loving having this picture with me and my amazing guys..how lucky am I?!

Merry Christmas Everyone!!

November..holy smokes!!

2008-11-10T23:08:00.008-05:00

I love the Fall. Definitely my favorite season, by far. I have been trying to slow down a little bit, and having Saturday's off again definitely helps. We are gearing up for a big special order menu for the bakery for Thanksgiving. I am going to try to send out a mass email, and post it as many places as possible. Lots of yummy pies and breads. Check-out our website for specifics:

http://www.wildflourbakery.net/

I really take for granted how fortunate I am to have a husband who is a wonderful cook and an incredible baker. Before our Saturday market we would always stop at Dunkin Donuts for coffee and a breakfast sandwich. On two different occassions, in two different stores, two very sweet ladies working there gave our little man a couple donut holes. He is super shy, so he wouldn't take them, and I carried them out for him to eat. On both occcassions, he took a bite, and spit the whole thing out!! Yeah, we are spoiled with some pretty amazing baked goods.

Lots of family visits last week..Nishon's Mom on Monday and my Aunts on Thursday. This week, I think my parents are coming down Thursday. We have definitely seen more of our family in 6 months of living in Delaware than we did in 5 yrs of living in Manayunk..why is that?! Here is a pic of Grandpop and Nishon Jr. They really get along very well, it is really awesome to see..

Where did the Year Go?!

2008-10-25T07:13:00.008-04:00

I had told myself I would be better about posting, but the time just gets away from me!! It is already the end of October..yikes!!

Well, our Saturday Market in North Hills has ended. It was good exposure for the bakery, and additional money, but it was tough working 7 days a week. Today is the first day without it, and I am still up at 6:30am.. We have a bakery meeting today that I pray goes well. We have some big things to face, and it just makes me nervous. I really need to keep telling myself to rely on God for my strength and direction, but it is something I struggle with. I want to solve everything on my own..well, that never goes well. Here are two of our last pics from the Market:

Also, for big news, we found out I am pregnant. I am a little over 4 months, and due April 4. Just like our little man, baby #2 was not planned either, but we are super excited. Once you hear the baby's heartbeat for the first time and see the ultrasound pic, it is awesome. I cannot imagine any other single event that has just humbled me as much as having a baby and the realization that God created that baby...whoa, it is just big.

We also went to good ole Pottstown last Friday and spent some time with our cousins, Angie and AJ, at the park. We love hanging out with them, and we don't get much time to do it, so we really enjoyed it. Aunt Faye also came by which was a nice surprise..here are some pics:

Well, I have some more to talk about, but for now, that will have to do...time to work on info for the meeting..

Blah..

2008-09-04T13:55:00.005-04:00

Well, it is Thursday, and I cannot wait for the week to be over..

Nothing exciting going on. Going to see some bakery equipment tonight..yippee!!

Here is picture from Labor Day:

The good and the bad..

2008-08-31T18:42:00.005-04:00

Well, this was a roller coaster weekend. Yesterday we do a Farmer's Market in North Hills, and everything started out wrong..bakery was a mess..forgot the money for the till..got there late..someone was in our spot..forgot our linens..forgot our bags..everyone was there to buy bread as soon as we arrived..it was not too much fun, but things did get better. I realized these were all minor things, and we ended up having our best day in sales..

Today, I came in all riled up due to our thoughtless and careless partner (grrr) and then we had some issues with what we ordered for today's market..but once we got on the road, things seemed to be looking up. We had the linens, the bags, and most importantly, the money.. Well we unloaded everything, and at the end I realized my purse was missing. We could not figure out if I left it at the bakery or left it in the van..well..it wasn't at the bakery..it was stolen..back to bad day..but sales were good, and we were really busy..so a good day. I cancelled all the cards, ordered a replacement phone (yeah for phone insurance), and put a credit watch out to all 3 reporting agencies..so I think we are covered.

Then, I started looking through some pics to post to our beautiful baby boy's website, and I remembered, life is really good. Through all the bad and trying times, God is good..even when my favorite new purse is stolen with all of my make-up and my cellphone with EVERYONE'S phone numbers..it is all replacable. I am thankful for all the blessings I have, and I really think they trying times I had this weekend helped to remind me that I have a lot to be grateful for..

I just took this pic a few days ago, and I just remember him looking up at the sky in total awe..it was pretty awesome.

I love this pic of Nishon Jr. He looks so grown-up..which totally freaks me out. He looks like a little old man sitting on that bucket. Where did my baby boy go?!

Happy Father's Day

2008-06-16T21:44:00.003-04:00

June in our new house

2008-06-12T20:37:00.003-04:00

Well, the weather has cooled and we are loving our new house. The baby and I have been spending some time in our back yard with an adorable stray little kitty that has wandered into our yard. We are looking to find him a home because Nishon Sr. is really allergic. Any takers? He is so loving and adorable.

The bakery is crazy as always. I took my GMAT earlier this week and didn't do so hot. I think studying would have helped. Ah well, if I can get my sorry behind into Villanova's MBA program, it will be ALL worthwhile..

Really wish I could focus on my bakery and family full-time..hopefully someday soon.

We are now home owners!!

2008-05-24T21:54:00.002-04:00

We settled on our new home on Tuesday, May 20, 2008. We are really excited to move out of our tiny little two bedroom apartment in Manayunk, PA, and now become residents of the ever exciting Delaware. Here is a pic from the day we settled. More info to come..

Welcome to Claymont, DE!!

Welcome Back Headhouse Market!!

2008-05-14T14:19:00.003-04:00

Well, May 4th was our first day back to market. It was a great day and the weather was beautiful. We saw a lot of our regulars and already have started to make a lot of new friends (and fans). It is still a little early for our farmer friends, so the place is still a little sparse. In typical Wild Flour fashion, last week was a little more eventful. We had our cash box stolen the night before market and then came in to find our van broken into. Fortunately there was not much damage; just a missing radio and a bag of missing pullmans (only in our neighborhood would a burglar opt for pullmans over tasting pastries, which were also in the van). Ah well, the rest of the day was great and we had a great time. If you are in the neighborhood, stop by 2nd and Lombard in Philadelphia on a Sunday between 10am-2pm. You won't regreat it!

Here is the gang on opening day...

Happy Birthday Beautiful Baby!!

2008-03-12T21:29:00.000-04:00

Well, yesterday our little boy turned 1. Where has the time gone?! We have been blessed in so many ways, and having him has been our biggest and best gift. Nishon Jr. was dedicated at Morningstar Fellowship on Sunday, and we had a party afterwards to celebrate both his birthday and dedication. March 11 is his actual birthday, he was 2 weeks early, so we gave him his very own birthday cupcake yesterday. After he squeezed it into tiny little crumbs, he decided to eat it. Surprise, surprise, he loved it..and made a huge mess. It was awesome.

2008-03-05T20:22:00.000-05:00

Another busy day. I work at BlackRock during the day in the cash management group. Great company. Great group. I would still rather be spending all day with my baby boy and helping my husband more with our bakery..ah well, we need to pay the bills..

With this face to come home to, I think I can stand another day..

Hooray!!

2008-03-04T14:20:00.000-05:00

I have been wanting to start a blog for sometime, and I am a regular reader of a few people I know who have their own. It is a great way to share what is going on in your life, and also to keep up with others.

Well, here we are, the Yaghoobians. Small Business Owners. First Time Parents. Fully Devoted Followers of Jesus Christ. And now, Bloggers.

Hold on, it should be an interesting ride. It always seems to be that way with us..