Last week, I spoke about our 'happy place' at Lake Havasu City, so I want to spend a little more time there with you this week since it holds such a special place in our hearts. We have been going here since (for what seems like) forever; I remember bringing Cole there when he was just four weeks old, and Avery has been going all of her life as well; we've built solid roots there.

The thing I love most, is that it's a quiet place for us, a place where we can be still and be together. Life at home is so busy with work, to-do lists, kid schedules, and everything in between. So, when we go, it's relaxing, peaceful, and an escape. One of my favorite times to go isn't even the summer, it's the fall because you've never seen such peace and beauty like this town in the fall. We love to hike, tour the city, and have some really great dinners during this season. We also always host Thanksgiving out there , and it's become a tradition for our family (16-20 people) to spend an entire week at Vista Lago. The fun thing and a total 'pinch me' moment was getting to watch the fireworks off the top deck of our house; we dreamt of that moment since the second we started building it, and it was pure magic (I'm sure we all looked like statues just staring up at the sky in complete awe). You can also take your boat out on the water when they do fireworks, which is one of the most incredible experiences of your life (if this isn't on your bucket list yet, add it!). Of course, we always love summer because of the lake; it's hot, the weather is perfect, and we have so much fun just being together. On top of the amazing weather, the lake is an excellent place for skiing, wakeboarding, tubing, floating, and every other water sport you can think of, prepare to get wet!

There's this neat bridge in Havasu City that our family placed a lock on together, and it's a memory I'll never forget because you lock it on and throw away the key. We are forever part of that location, and it's so special to us – do you have a memory like that? One that will always stick with you no matter how much you age or how many new memories you create, that one will always stick with you? We make memories here, play board games here, sit by the fire outside, float on the lake, spend our days here, and it's part of our hearts. The city hosts a Balloon Festival, which is a fantastic draw; there are boat regattas all the time, there's desert riding in the fall and winter, and there are tons of dirt trails to explore too! A local favorite is discovering all the bars in the desert that you can access via Can-Ams, Razr's, and quads!

I mentioned our house, Vista Lago earlier, we are so proud of this oasis we've built. We started in a trailer on the parker river and dreamed of owning a small house in the city, so we bought Matt's parent's home and started renting it out in 2020 when a ton of people from California wanted to vacation and not stay in hotels due to the pandemic.

This house was in a gated community, and with all the hassle, we wanted somewhere with better ease of access for our guests – that's when Vista Lago was born. We put our house on the market, sold high, and used our earnings to build the house of our dreams, in the city of our dreams. It was worth all the time we put into it because I'm telling you, when you look out from the casita and see the view, you'll never want to leave. It is the calmest, most peaceful place you'll ever go, and we are so proud to call it ours.

Time to get to know us a little bit better, and we can't wait for next week!