This month marks 8 years since we first went to print as “Life at the Ranch”, the private neighborhood magazine for Phillips Creek Ranch! It might sound cheesy, but please join me as I “STROLL” down memory lane...

- In 2016, we met our first five families, hosted a launch party at Bonnie Ruth's, and were able to meet neighbors for the first time at multiple events for kids and adults that fall. By the end of that first year, we had packed an awful lot of fun into just five months.

- In 2017, we really hit our stride and the publication started to grow quickly. We featured more families, showcased more amazing local businesses, and got to feature our first horse as a precious pet! (A random but memorable milestone.) We also gathered with neighbors for events at Crafted, Shoji, Double Dip, Shades of Green, Seasons 52, and Up Inspired Kitchen. Many of the places we were able to visit remain family favorites!

- By 2018, more voices from the neighborhood would introduce themselves, and share about their passions, talents, and hobbies; and over the course of the year, we got to meet dozens of new friends, support several worthy causes, and be inspired by the beauty that's all around us. We had made our mantra come true: Real People. Real Life. Real Phillips Creek Ranch!

- A lot happened in 2019. It was a year filled with great fun, great friends, and great stories! We let our junior contributors have a say in each issue, so our youngest neighbors really made an impact on the publication. We also celebrated our cancer warriors, honored our veterans, hosted our first lunch and learn for business partners, and finished the year with much to be grateful for.

- Then there was 2020. I think we expected a few disruptions but were as surprised as anyone that we eventually found a new normal and settled into a year full of uncertainty (not to mention all the homeschooling and Zoom calls that followed). We helped each other, prayed for each other, and somehow made it through. Our publication highlighted the small moments in daily life, and it proved that PCR is the epitome of what community really means.

- In 2021, the new year and the next right thing could not come soon enough. While we were able to look back at all we learned throughout the pandemic, we looked forward with such great hope. Our publications were rich, highlighting homes and families as the world opened up again. We shared some enviable vacations (once we were able to travel again) and we also loved being able to share exclusive events with our friends and neighbors again.

-In 2022, we got a new name! We changed from Life at the Ranch to Stroll Phillips Creek Ranch. All 550+ neighborhoods that we partner with throughout the United States rebranded to STROLL and we couldn’t be happier! The content and meaning behind the publication have never changed, just the name.

-In 2023, we started our partnership with the HOA, sharing news, announcements, event photos and helping to be another touchpoint for important neighborhood information.

- And that leads us here. The first seven months of 2024 have been such a blessing and we're not done yet. We are happy to be partnering with Phillips Creek Ranch and love sharing your stories! There are still many neighbors to meet, recipes to try, kids to cheer on, books and movies to enjoy, and events to host ... I could go on and on, but I won't. I'll let you see it for yourself as time goes on.

In some ways, the last eight years have been a blur, but I am so thankful for the opportunities that have been presented to me because of my work with you. It has been an honor to help you tell your stories. Not a day goes by that I don’t thank my lucky stars. If I could have written up my own job description, I never could have wished this up. A special THANK YOU goes out to our business partners who make this possible, some of whom have been with us since year one. And to you, the reader. I'm grateful that you're sticking around for all the stories we've yet to tell. Here's to many more wonderful years together.

 

Stephanie Pickett, Publisher

(214) 418-8319

Publisher

@strollphillipscreekranch