We founded Sterling Ranch with a belief in the strength and beauty of the family unit, perfectly imperfect as it sometimes is. It is our families that teach us what it means to love, sacrifice and care for one another. As we spend time with the residents of Sterling Ranch, it’s obvious how much they value family too. Around here, the concept of “family” goes beyond the ties that bind us as blood relatives and extends lovingly — and naturally — to our friends and neighbors.
The nature of family is alive and well at Sterling Ranch. In fact, it underpins just about everything we do. The Archuleta’s — one of the first families to settle at Sterling Ranch — know a thing or two about family, and they seem to value it above all else.
Introducing the Archuleta/Gallegos Family
George Bernard Shaw once wrote, “A happy family is but an earlier heaven.” He must have been talking about the Archuleta/Gallegos family. As we sat down to visit with them and hear their Sterling Ranch story, we were immediately struck by the authentic, comfortable warmth that each member of this beautiful family shared with each other, and with us. Their love for one another was undeniable. So was their genuine joy for life.
Lifelong residents of Santa Fe, New Mexico, Priscilla and Mike Archuleta lived on a spacious and secluded 2.5 acre lot where they built a comfortable home. They thought that was the life they’d always dreamed of, until they received an astonishing text from their daughter, Erin.
“I fainted,” Mike jokes as he recalls the text. Enclosed in the message was a photo of a positive pregnancy test. Surprise! Erin and her husband, Josh were expecting their first child. Mike and Priscilla had another sweet, grandbaby girl on the way.
Erin and Josh Gallegos had been living in Colorado for a while, after falling in love in Santa Fe, and a short stint in Austin. Before moving to Sterling Ranch, they lived in a one-bedroom apartment in Centennial. After learning they were about to have a kiddo, they knew their one-bedroom apartment wouldn’t suit their new family addition, not to mention their fur baby Walter, an energetic, white-haired Labradoodle. They wanted to find something close to parks, trails, and… Grandma and Grandpa.
Priscilla was feeling the same pull to make a move. Upon receiving the big news, she knew immediately she was going to uproot her entire life and move to Colorado to be closer to Erin and Josh, and most importantly, her grandaughter, Mischa. She hoped Mike would agree. (He did).
It was a big deal to move, but totally necessary — “who is going to take better care of our granddaughter than us? We wanted to be there for Erin and help when she and her husband had to work,” Priscilla mentioned. The decision was made. Mike and Priscilla would move to Colorado. They quickly sold their house and began the search for a new home in Colorado.
The Big Move
Looking for homes in Colorado was a challenge. Not only were Josh and Erin looking for a new place, but Mike and Priscilla were looking too. They wanted to live close to each other, at first looking for two homes that met all their needs in the same, great neighborhood. That quickly started to seem impossible in a thriving Denver market so they decided to get creative and find a place they could live in together.
“Our real estate agent took us everywhere,” Priscilla said. They looked at dozens of homes in Parker, Centennial, Highlands Ranch and finally, Sterling Ranch. “When we walked into the Richmond Platte plan and I saw the kitchen… my mouth dropped,” said Priscilla. This gorgeous, functional home met all their needs and was big enough to provide a healthy level of privacy while living under one roof. It was perfect.
Sterling Ranch’s location was also ideal. Located in close proximity to parks, trails, and the mountains, it crossed off every item on their checklist. Mischa, who would be born soon, and Walter would be pleased.
For Josh, connectivity was also key — he works from home and his life is very much affected by Internet speeds. Uploads and downloads on the 1 gig fiber Internet that came with their home would be a breeze. For him, the smart home automation features (offered with every home at Sterling Ranch) was an added bonus.
They’d found their dream home in a dream community and signed on the dotted line shortly thereafter.
Welcome Mischa!
Mischa was born soon after they moved into their new home at Sterling Ranch. She is enjoying her life here so far. From a weekly music class, story time at the library, neighborhood friends, and the daily dose (or two) of love she gets from her parents and grandparents, she couldn’t be more happy. The rest of the family is loving their life at Sterling Ranch too.
A Deep Sense of Community
Overall, Colorado has been great to Mike and Priscilla. “Moving here has turned out to be a bigger blessing than we expected. [Sterling Ranch] is a wonderful place to raise small children. The sense of community we’ve found here is incredible. We never would have imagined we’d find a place like this.” says Priscilla.
Mike loves being able to scoot (yes, scoot!) down to Grist Brewing at the Sterling Center with friends on his motorized scooter. He also enjoys the variety of food trucks, the beautiful scenery, and of course, being close to family.
They’ve all loved being near parks, coffee shops and restaurants, and most of all, they are grateful for having such incredible neighbors. “Everyone is so nice,” says Priscilla. “We are considering getting a gate between our backyard and our neighbor’s like some of the other residents did,” she adds. Now, that’s commitment to community, and family if you ask us!
Living the Best Days of Our Lives
Mike’s daughter Erin never thought he would move away from New Mexico. He’s always lived there and he had a great career. To her surprise, Mike gave it all up in a heartbeat to be near family and watch Mischa grow up. And boy has it been worth it. “This, right now, is the best part of life,” mentions Mike.
Being in Colorado has brought them closer to their New Mexico family too. “We see the family we left in Santa Fe more now than we did when we lived there!” says Priscilla. Their Santa Fe family has enjoyed visiting Colorado, spending quality time together when they can. “We have a nice set-up with the bedroom that has the ensuite, so there’s plenty of room for them to stay when they visit” she continues.
Beyond Grateful
“We are beyond grateful for this life and everything that we have. We are grateful for the opportunity to be here and to be with this beautiful human [Mischa]. We are also thankful for our health — we need the energy to keep up with Mischa. She’s already got boyfriends in the neighborhood,” laughs Priscilla. Even without winning the lottery, which they jokingly mention ”would be nice” a few times, they still feel like they have it all.
“A feeling of love, a welcoming community, everything we’ve ever wanted” — these sentiments describe how the Archuleta/Gallegos family feels about life at Sterling Ranch. In this wonderful family, we see these qualities reflecting back into the world as they extend their loving, welcoming arms to their friends and neighbors here. They are so loving, so humble and so completely devoted to each other. Go ahead, bring over a bottle of wine and sit on the porch with them — they’ll welcome you into their happy family with open arms… a happy family that we’d argue, is an early expression of heaven.
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This story features real residents living in (and loving) Sterling Ranch. If you’re searching for a deeper sense of community and a new experience of family, Sterling Ranch is calling. Find your dream home in your dream community today. Joy resides here.