White Lake Patch Celebrates First Anniversary; Says Thank You to Veterans

We made it.

It's hard to believe that one year ago today I was frantically running around town covering Veteran Day events, constantly updating my site on its first day live and trying to fit in the celebration of my wonderful fiance's 25th birthday.

In just one year, so many of you have become regular readers, following along with me as I've introduced you to countless people making a difference in the community, like the who spent one tireless night raising money for , a White Lake child fighting cancer.

You have offered tips for me to pursue, commented on articles and helped the White Lake Patch Facebook page grow 631 strong.

Along the way, so many things have happened to me both professionally and personally; and I'm blessed to be able to share those things with you.

I got engaged on Black Friday after going 24 hours without sleep to enjoy some shopping and cover the here in White Lake.

I lost my to a stroke in March and was comforted by you all after I shared her story in my cooking column, Good Eats.

Among the stories I was most excited to share with you was the one about and his wife at their White Lake cabin, Vietnam veteran who collects historical weapons, and the story of who's battled breast cancer and works to help others fight the disease.

As wonderful as all these stories are, and the people in them, I think Lakeland Government Teacher Brian Howe said it best Thursday during the school's Veterans Day event, "Veterans Day is their day, it should be about them."

So with that in mind, and as the soon-to-be daughter in-law of Vietnam veteran , I ask that while we say Happy Birthday to White Lake Patch we also remember those who've served our wonderful country and say "Thank you" to all veterans, young and old, who continue to make things like this site possible by protecting our rights and freedoms.

In recognition of the day, check out our coverage of Thursday's event at Lakeland, and my favorite Veterans Day stories from last year:

You can also scroll through the photo gallery and videos to see some of my favorites photos, stories and videos from my first year with White Lake Patch.