It’s been almost 20 years since Duane and I happened to come through this part of North Texas to visit some friends. As we drove through the downtown area of Denton, we saw an office space with a “For Rent” sign hanging in the window and we felt it was the perfect place, and time, for us to put down some roots. So we did.

Duane hung out his shingle and founded  CokerLegal, a family law firm that provides expert advice to families in Denton and Collin Counties. I taught 10th grade English at Little Elm High School and went on to found Content Solutions, a boutique marketing firm. And while we have lived in several different cities in the region, Little Elm is the one we call home.

When we first moved to the area, Little Elm had only a two-lane road running through it. The locals were super friendly, but not much beyond fishing and Friday night football was going on in town. Community events beyond those centered around the schools were few and far between. If you wanted to find a group to run, cycle, or swim with, you pretty much needed to drive down to Dallas.

My, how our little town has grown up! And in a good way! The city leaders have done such a good job of preserving as much of the town’s charm while in the midst of substantial growth. What was once a two-lane road is now a six-lane divided roadway. A city that had a few struggling businesses now offers a wide variety of food, shopping, and entertainment businesses.

And, most impressive is that the city has done and is continuing to do so much to allow its citizens to adopt and maintain a healthy lifestyle no matter their age. Here are a few of the great things going on in Little Elm: