Happy New Year to each of you! I wish you all a new year filled with much happiness, exciting adventure, much love, and wonderful family time. We are so blessed to live in this beautiful place!
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As 2016 comes to an end we look back on some of the many things that brought us joy this past year. I remember looking out our frost covered window last January with a steaming cup of hot chocolate in hand at the little creek that runs below our weathered old barn as it was covered with ice ... it made for a picture perfect scene, with a warm fire going, and my husband Richard sitting in his comfy chair. I remember thinking how blessed we were to live in such a special place. A place where neighbors are your family, through the good and the bad. We are always here for each other!
In February our Valley Home 4-H held an old-fashioned box social. Friends and neighbors came from near and far to support our 4-Hers. What a great night it was!
March came in like a lion and out like a lamb ... Easter was celebrated in Valley Home with a delightful community Easter egg hunt. Our good friend Brian Brodowski delivered his famous, most beautiful, hand colored Easter eggs. Thank you Brian for a wonderful tradition!
April brought cowboys and cowgirls! They came from all over the country to our area ... many staying with friends and family at local ranches. What a grand time we all had on rodeo weekend! April also saw our Valley Home School hosting a spectacular dinner dance. A great time was had by all who attended. Our Baptist church also held revival services in April, from which many blessings flowed!
In May we enjoyed graduations from kindergarten, eighth grade, and high school. Many happy celebrations would follow. May also brought the Kentucky Derby into living rooms everywhere, including ours ... our family has a wonderful tradition of gathering to watch this magnificent horse race, complete with mint juleps, favorite derby hats, family bets, and Kentucky Derby cookies. Priceless memories!
June meant that our college students would be returning home. There were beautiful weddings where devoted mothers made sure everything was perfect and proud fathers shed hidden tears. June is a wonderful time to visit our St. Lukes/St. Johns church ... a most special part of our community.
July was a busy month for our FFA students and 4-Hers, along with their parents and Ag teachers. With the county fair in full swing it was a great time for all!
We all met at our Valley Home School in August for a fun work day. School began and throughout the following months we saw our student population grow bigger with each month. What a wonderful school we have!
September brought our community park drive-thru dinner ... A huge success! Football games beckoned us to The Corral on Thursday and Friday nights. A hard working team would start their journey that lasted well into December!
October was filled with action in Valley Home. With all hands on deck, working together, we enjoyed a very successful Fall Harvest Festival under a beautiful harvest moon.
November saw our dedicated firefighters working hard ... our General Store packed full of everything we need ... our Sheriff, CHP, Supervisor O’Brien, and our MAC Council sharing ideas and welcoming community input and opinions.
December was a busy, busy month with our school’s Christmas Store, the after school program’s annual talent show, our community Christmas in Valley Home, a heartfelt goodbye to Supervisor O’Brien at the Gallo Center, and then on Saturday December 17th our entire area became one, as we stopped what we were doing to cheer on our mighty Mustangs! Congratulations once again to our players and coaches. You brought home, in spectacular fashion, the 2016 State Football Championship!
As Christmas approached we would once again look out our frost covered windows and feel blessed to live in such a beautiful place. Happy New Year to all!
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As always you may reach me at winniemullins51@gmail.com. Until next time, “Happy trails to all!”
