THE BAILEY FAMILY

I had the great pleasure of talking with one of Southlake’s newer families, the Baileys. It’s always refreshing to hear the same excitement and feelings that we had upon moving to Southlake from other families who have recently settled here. The Baileys are a family of five including Yuriah (dad), Lori (mom), Braden (14 years old and a rising freshman at CHS), McKenzie (12 years old and moving up to CMS), and Kellan (eight years old and attending third grade at Carroll Elementary).

WORDS JENNIFER CASEY

Yuriah, who was born and raised in New Jersey, and Lori, a native of Rhode Island, had raised their kids in New Jersey until about eight months ago. Yuriah was promoted within his company to Vice President and Central Division Sales Manager at Goldman Sachs.

“We could pretty much live anywhere, so we started looking at Houston and Austin and then moved our search to the Plano/ Frisco area. I honestly thought that was where we would end up because our boys are hockey players, and they have great leagues there. But I just wasn’t feeling it. I kept feeling anxious and uneasy,” shared Lori. “On the last day, we were scheduled to look in Southlake. I know this sounds crazy, but I immediately felt like I wanted to live in Southlake, build our home, and raise our kids here. We told our realtor that we only wanted to continue our search in Southlake, and eight months later we couldn’t be happier.”

“Within the first 24 hours of unloading the moving truck, we had a knock at the door from boys asking our oldest to throw the football with them, and then the neighbors across the street invited our two youngest to play with their kids while we unpacked. The next knock was from the couple next door asking us to take a break and join them for a drink. So, all sweaty and dirty, we joined them. We seriously had to pinch ourselves. The next day, two more families brought over cookies. This just doesn’t happen in other places!”

The schools in Southlake were a big draw for the family. “Even coming from great schools in NJ, we learned that Southlake’s schools were challenging, but the education and teachers are truly amazing. Learning about the tutorials that are offered was incredible – where else can you find this? The teachers are great and support the kids with everything and anything they need. We just can’t say enough about how impressed we are with the teachers and schools. Our son had a class that took him fishing every day – we didn’t even know classes like this existed!” “We moved in October, two full months after school started, with no family, no friends, no nothing. The athletics programs really made a difference in settling everyone in and finding friends. The middle-school athletics were mind-blowing! All of our kids arrived as athletes. Our sons play hockey, and our daughter is a competitive gymnast. Kellan was playing hockey but when we got here, he decided to try Dragon Youth Baseball where Yuriah stepped in and became an assistant coach. He also joined “Under the Lights” playing flag football. Our daughter stepped outside of gymnastics and joined a volleyball team this year. All of the kids started recognizing other kids from school at their athletics and made friends. It was really great!” Lori has also met friends through her kids’ athletics. She had a friend from home who had a college friend in the area, and they were an incredible help. One helped get their youngest into football, and another helped their daughter get onto a specific volleyball team and introduced Lori to other moms. “It’s truly one of our favorite things about Southlake: how incredibly kind and helpful the people are here. They sweep you into being a part of everything.”

“We were out to dinner after school ended and asked the kids what they thought of it here. They said that they would never go back – this is where they want to be! Our youngest didn’t want school to end.

He says he likes being at school for seven hours. It makes such a difference when you know your kids are happy,” says Lori. This past year, Lori has also volunteered at class parties and field trips and looks forward to getting involved more next year.

The Baileys’ favorite thing to do is “anything that involves Town Square”. Whether it’s just walking or eating dinner or ice cream at Milwaukee Joes, being there just makes them happy. “We were blown away by Christmas. Every tree in Town Square was lit, and we took carriage rides under blankets with hot chocolate. It was great! The art show was fun and had so many things for the kids. We all have our favorite restaurants: my husband and I love Perry’s (we just celebrated our anniversary there), Braden loves Moxies, McKenzie always chooses TruFire, and Kellan’s favorite is Delucca’s. We often drop Braden at the Square – it’s great to feel at peace and know it’s safe dropping him there as well as at the Champions Club.”

Lori credits, as do many of us, the Moms of Southlake Facebook page for getting answers to questions about anything you need. “I’ve gotten everything from doctor recommendations to suggestions for home projects. It’s an incredible place to go to for your answers. It’s so great that many want to help and share their time and experiences.”

When asked what they always do with visitors, Lori said: “We love that when everyone visits, they want to go somewhere they can wear a cowboy hat and boots. Of course, we always go to Fort Worth and to the Stockyards and rodeos. There is nothing more patriotic than the beginning of a rodeo where one of the barrel racers rides around the ring with an American flag to the song “Proud to Be an American”. It’s very moving and I get goosebumps and tear up every time. If our guests don’t show up with a cowboy hat, they have one when they leave.”

The Baileys didn’t have any family in Southlake when they got here, but Lori’s mother-in-law just bought a condo here, so she’ll be just a few miles from them, which they are looking forward

to. The family lives off of Randol Mill Road. I asked her if she knew about the highly publicized speed limits there. She laughed, “We never exceed the speed limit! I’m pretty sure we are the only ones that go the speed limit. Our realtor seriously mentioned the speed limit three or four times, so we heed her warnings.” Lori finished our chat by telling me how her family loved learning that everyone from pre-K to high school are Dragons. “We had heard it from so many people, but it never quite hit us how great it really is until we got here.” When she was sharing pictures of end-of-year parties, she found herself saying things like “We are Dragons for life” and using green hearts. It sounds like the Baileys now feel like the rest of us! There’s definitely no place like home, especially when home is Southlake.

Serving Southlake Owned by Dragons

Each PuroClean o ce is independently owned and operated. Some services may not be available in all o ces.

Summer is for fun, sun, and camps. From sports to fun activities, Southlake and surrounds covers it all! Not only do camps keep the kids busy and entertained, but they also teach them so much along the way.

My name is Riley Dodge, and I am the Head Football Coach for the Carroll Dragons. My staff and I are very excited about working with you this summer. You are the future of Dragon Football, and our coaching staff looks forward to meeting with you! The Dragon Football Camps will be a fun three days of quality instruction with the opportunity to learn the Dragon Football system at an early age.

Session one of the Dragon Youth Football Camp ran from June 5th to 7th from 8:30 am to 11:30 am. The 7th to 9th grade was one for the books. We had a blast! Thank you to Jill Webb (Complete Care), Linda Bayless (Precision), and Eric Hacker (Eric Hacker Real Estate) for your amazing support!

“Great job everyone! We can’t wait to see you all this fall at our second session!” says Riley Dodge.

Session two of the Dragon Football Camp will run from July 16th to 18th from 8:30 am to 11:30 am.

For more information, go to their website www.dragonfootballcamps.com

Congrats to our K-2nd Grade Competition Day 1 winners! Pass - Brycen Pile; Punt - Joey Roop; Kick - Lucca Orlando Congrats to our 5th and 6th grade winners!! Way to compete! Passing - Max Ewrin; Punt & Kick - Graham Cary DAY TWO COMING IN HOT!: K-2 Punt Pass Kick Winners Day 2 Beckett Engler - Pass; Luke Lopez - Kick; Cam Bullock - Punt

The Carroll Dragon spring football game provided the perfect setting to honor the five Dragon Youth Football teams from 2nd grade to 6th grade. Through hard work, perseverance, and determination, these teams reached the pinnacle of their 2021 football seasons as Super Bowl Champions! Prior to the Varsity Scrimmage, each team was announced, and players were presented with their championship rings.

DYF Super Bowl Championship teams honored include:

Coach James Jackson

Coach Carl Bunch

Coach Chris Pendergrass

Coach Mike Noel

Coach Sean Ryan

“DYF is where the football tradition in our community begins,” notes DYF Board President Mike Noel. “We are proud of all our players’ accomplishments! The DYF Board and all of our parents are grateful for our coaches, who, beyond instilling strong fundamentals and a love for the game, promote good sportsmanship, personal integrity, and teamwork.”

Preparation for the 2022 season has already begun! Players and families interested in becoming part of the DYF family and playing football this fall can register at https://DragonYouthFootball. net. Our goal is to have teams for every player who registers by July 1st.

While late registration is available, there are no guarantees that we will have spaces on any of our teams and we really don’t want to turn anyone away, so be sure to

register by July 1, 2022. Late registration, which includes additional fees, is July 2 to 31, 2022. Supply chain issues are impacting youth sports! Equipment (shoulder pads, helmets, etc.) should be ordered in June if you expect it in time for the 2022 season! DYF has teamed up with Not Just Soccer for fitting and ordering if you still need your equipment.

What a great way to kick off the 2022 fall football season! Dragon Youth Football Camp Powered by FASST Performance is open to all kids K through 6th grade. This year’s camp is being run again by Willie Pile and FASST Performance. Coach Pile is a former NFL player for the Kansas City Chiefs and Dallas Cowboys.

The FASST Performance program is designed to teach the fundamentals of speed, agility, balance, and coordination which will be on display during the camp. The camp will also offer non-contact offensive and defensive position-specific drills for all levels of experience. Camp instructions will be provided by former NFL players, certified athletic trainers, and Dragon Youth Football coaches.

Dates: August 1st and 2nd, 2022 Time: 8:00 a.m. - 11:00 a.m. Location: Bob Jones Park Fees: $125 per child, and includes a DYF/ FASST Camp T-shirt for each participant Register: DragonYouthFootball.Net (Camps Page)

Camp Mania is Southlake’s premier camp for kids aged fi ve to 11. We provide structured games, free play, arts and crafts, in-house entertainment, fi eld trips, and so much more in a fun and safe environment where kids are our numberone priority. This camp runs from June 6th (week 1) to August 5th (week 9). Structured activities take place between 9:00 am and 4:30 pm. Care before (7:30 am and 9:00 am) as well and aftercare (4:30 pm to 5:30 pm) is provided free of charge. Check our registration pages for pick-up and drop-off times and locations.

For more information, call Southlake Parks and Recreation at (817) 748-8019 or visit our website with the QR code below.

MON TUES WED THURS FRI

Howdy Summer June 6-10

Movie Day: Home on the Range Inflatables Petting Zoo Field Trip: Urban Air Trampoline Park

Pool Day at Champions Club Lunch provided + Tikiz snow conesCAMP MANIA SUMMER SCHEDULE 2022 Amazing Animals

June 13-17

Movie Day: Zootopia Inflatables Field Trip: Fort Worth Zoo Creature Teacher

Pool Day at Champions Club MON TUES WED THURS Lunch provided FRI + Kona Ice

Splish Splash! Amazing Animals June 27-July 1 June 13-17

Under the Sea Explore Your World July 5-8 June 20-24

Movie Day: Movie Day: Jungle Book Home on the Range

Movie Day: Movie Day: Surfs Up Zootopia

CLOSED FOR Movie Day: 4TH OF JULY Jungle Book Inflatables Inflatables

Inflatables Inflatables

Inflatables Inflatables

Hawaiian Hullabaloo Under the Sea July 18-22 July 5-8

Medieval Magic Adventure Awaits July 25-29 July 11-14

Movie Day: Movie Day: Encanto Surfs Up

Movie Day: CLOSED FOR Lilo & Stitch 4TH OF JULY

Movie Day: Movie Day: Luca Encanto

DPS Day Inflatables

Inflatables Inflatables

Inflatables DPS Day

Southlake Olympics Hawaiian Hullabaloo August 1-5 July 18-22

Movie Day: Space Jam: A New Legacy Movie Day: Lilo & Stitch Inflatables Inflatables Field Trip: Fort Worth Museum of Petting Zoo Science & History

Mad Science Learning Field Trip: Experience Urban Air Trampoline Park

Field Trip: Field Trip: NRH2O Family Water Park Fort Worth Zoo

Field Trip: Field Trip: Legoland/Sea Life Fort Worth Museum of Grapevine Aquarium Science & History

Field Trip: Field Trip: Crayola Experience NRH2O Family Water Park Mad Science Learning Experience Creature Teacher

Water Wars Mad Science Learning Experience

Inflatables Mad Science Learning Experience

Field Trip: Hawaiian Falls Field Trip: Legoland/Sea Life Grapevine Aquarium

Field Trip: Field Trip: Medieval Times Crayola Experience Hula Performance Water Wars

Magic Show Inflatables

Field Trip: Field Trip: Alley Cats—Hurst Hawaiian Falls Nerf Wars at Champions Club Hula Performance

Pool Day at Pool Day at Champions Club Champions Club

Lunch provided Lunch provided + Tikiz snow cones + Tikiz snow cones

Pool Day at Champions Club Pool Day at Champions Club Lunch provided Lunch provided + Kona Ice + Kona Ice

Pool Day at Champions Club Pool Day at Champions Club Lunch provided Lunch provided + Tikiz snow cones + Tikiz snow cones

Pool Day at Champions Club Pool Day at Champions Club Lunch provided Lunch provided + Kona Ice + Kona Ice

Pool Day at Champions Club Pool Day at Champions Club Lunch provided Lunch provided + Tikiz snow cones + Tikiz snow cones

Pool Day at Champions Club Pool Day at Champions Club Lunch provided Lunch provided + Kona Ice + Kona Ice

Pool Day at Pool Day at Champions Club Champions Club

Lunch provided Lunch provided + Tikiz snow cones + Tikiz snow cones

I’m Aly Romero, a private chef here in Southlake. My culinary journey started soon after college and was inspired by my dad, who used to visit from New Zealand for a few months at a time. First thing every morning he would ask me: “What’s for dinner tonight, Aly?” I would look at him like he was crazy — it was only 8 a.m.! But at night, we would have a glass of wine and cook together. Pretty soon I found that I too woke up thinking about dinner. I lost my dad in 2013, but I still feel close to him when I cook. In the mornings, my oldest son asks, “Mom, what’s for dinner tonight?” and I can’t help but smile.

In 2016, I started my food blog and, even after 20 years of culinary experience, I’m always looking for new ways to adapt and elevate everyday recipes with fresh takes and diverse influences. I love exploring different types of cuisine and incorporating different ingredients and techniques of various flavor profi les.

Sharing my recipes and experiences through my blog has allowed me to discover and contribute to a larger community, which has led to some truly amazing opportunities. As a Chef Ambassador for Hestan Culinary, I’ve done culinary demonstrations at WilliamsSonoma stores and other retailers around the Bay area. I have also created culinary technique videos along with recipes for their brand.

In 2018, I was featured by The Chew on their “You and The Chew Recipe

Showdown” and was thrilled when my recipe won! Watching Chef Michael Symon take a bite of my carnitas street tacos and gush over its flavor was a pretty exciting moment. Later that year, the same recipe was featured on GMA in a segment with Gordon Ramsay. Not long after, I was invited by GMA to cook with my husband in a live segment promoting Ayesha Curry’s new show, “Family Food Fight” (which we won!).

It’s all been such a fun and crazy ride, and I’m so grateful to be able to share these experiences with my husband and children. Most recently, I competed in the “Great Food Truck Race” in Alaska as a member of the “Meatball Mamas” on Food Network. I’m still pinching myself! I’m so excited to share that I’m now working on my first cookbook, coming in 2024.

About five years ago, my passion for cooking evolved into a career as a private chef. I specialize in elevated dinner parties for events and occasions like milestone birthdays, baby showers, bridal showers, and work functions. I love to cook with seasonal ingredients to compose the highest quality dishes. I’m always striving to improve. I love the challenge of creating new dishes and preparing old favorites in new ways. I enjoy working with my clients to choose menu options that will add a personal touch to their event. Whether it’s a girls’ night in or a celebratory dinner with friends, I work with my clients to create a unique, custom experience.

What I love most about food is its power to build community and help connect us to each other. We are new to Southlake, but we have quickly learned that being part of this community is such a warm and welcoming experience. It feels like family!

My husband and I have been married for 21 years and we have three fantastic kids. Our daughter will be a sophomore at TCU and our boys will be at Carroll Senior High and Carroll Middle School in the fall. Between all of our busy schedules, life can definitely get pretty chaotic. But no matter how crazy life gets, we always make time to sit down and enjoy dinner together at the end of the day. Sharing fresh, incredible food with the people I love is one of the truest joys of my life.

Please feel free to contact me for your next event at Aly@AlyRomero.com. You can also learn more about my cooking and private chef events on my website and social media channels.

www.alyromero.com @LetsGetCookingwithAlyRomero @alyromero