He Left, We Stayed, He Sent You

Our son was the light of our life. And if we’re really honest, he was a light in the lives of anyone who saw him or even just his photo. He may have been medically dependent, non-verbal, and in need of 24/7 care, but his light shined bright and invaded everyone’s soul with his gorgeous, wide, brown eyes and infectious smile. In 2019, he passed away at the age of 14. 

Right before he passed, we had found a piece of undeveloped property we were going to build our forever home on that could accommodate his needs and allow us and his grandma to live together. The site for the house was picked out, cleared, and even dug out in preparation for construction.

When he died, a large part of us died too. We needed time to be alone in our grief and a place to heal while we figured out how to breathe and maybe move forward. The land that he thrived on, that he helped us pick out, was that place. 

Living in a 26’ camper, we had electricity brought onto the property, ran the water line 500+ feet to the site where we wanted to build, and had a septic tank installed. Several months later our tiny home arrived! After living in the camper, all 399 sq. ft. of our tiny house felt huge and spacious! 

Fast forward one year, the addition of livestock, a farm dog, and developing more infrastructure, we bought our second tiny home…a 279 sq. ft. tiny cabin that we affectionately call “The Chipi Casita.” Our son’s nickname was Chipi (pronounced chee-pee) and we knew that the best way to honor his life, his love, his light, was to keep our promise and build our forever home on his 23.5 acres. Part of building this life moving forward (for us) meant sharing what he led us to with others.

So, here we are. The Chipi Casita (Casita for short) serves as an office most days and as the guest quarters all other days.

Since listing the Casita on Airbnb in late-February 2022, we have had the honor to host the most kind, genuine, caring, special guests. Each one has some sort of connection to our life when our son was living and reminds us that he is always with us. He is the one sending these wonderful human beings to share in this little slice of heaven, to find respite from the everyday hustle and bustle, have a little getaway, or to just enjoy a different place to work in a country setting. We promote and foster a “good life” out here…that’s part of the larger goal. Thus, we named our farm/ranch La Vida Buena Acres.

When you decide to stay with us, you’ll see little reminders and evidence of our son all around. We welcome questions and are grateful to be able to speak about him with others. It keeps his memory alive. For the duration of your visit our tiny vacation home is yours, full of love and care. Make yourself at home and enjoy your time at La Vida Buena Acres.