By Julie Matuszewski; courtesy photos

With their two young boys, Wayden (left) and Bauer (right), Matt and Jacey Dobbel spend a lot of family time in the outdoors hiking, playing at the neighborhood parks and looking for trucks at construction sites. (Photo courtesy of Wedlake Photographic)

Originally from the Midwest, Jacey Dobbel and her husband, Matt, have always thought of Castle Pines as a hidden gem. They love the open spaces, the proximity to great schools and the convenience to everything that a young family might need.

The couple met in college at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and began their lives together in Wisconsin following college. Their love for the mountains, nature, hiking and skiing drew them to Colorado. As fate would have it, Matt received a job opportunity that moved the young couple to downtown Denver in 2012. They never looked back.

Eventually, the Dobbels made the move to Arvada where they had their first son, Bauer. Knowing that another move to their permanent home in Castle Pines was in the future, Jacey was unsure if she should invest in meeting other moms in the Arvada area, but she missed the personal connections of other young mothers.

Jacey stumbled upon a mom’s group on Facebook and she was pleasantly surprised by the friendships she made. “Life with kids is such a journey and when you find and connect with other moms on the same path it is a blessing,” commented Jacey. Inspired by this Facebook group, she began her own group – “Castle Pines, CO Moms” just before their family moved to Castle Pines this summer.

The private group is currently active with more than 160 members and provides a safe platform where moms seek advice, share information on local events, and bounce ideas off each other. It is a group where new friendships have blossomed, not just for the moms but the kids as well. Play dates have been coordinated outside and a recent 4th of July mom’s happy hour was scheduled. Jacey is hopeful that as the group grows, they will continue to host more in-person get-togethers as well as create other internal groups such as book clubs, crafting meet-ups and a runners group.

Excited to be in his new house and eager to play with his toys, Bauer hustles the move along as he anxiously awaits his room set up.  (Photo courtesy of Jacey Dobbel)

Group member Alexandra Gish remembers how she felt as a mom moving into a new neighborhood. She asked and wondered, “Would there be kids my daughter’s age? Would there be other moms for me to connect with? What would the childcare options look like? Castle Pines, CO Moms has helped get answers to all of these questions and helped me feel more comfortable and at home in the neighborhood,” commented Gish.

“It is a safe place to reach out to fellow moms and ask the questions that other moms can answer and or relate to,” said Jacey. The group has answered questions from the best local hospitals for delivering a new baby, to favorite restaurant recommendations, to advice on schools and day cares to what community events are happening over the weekend.

Now that the family is settled in their Castle Pines home, Jacey looks forward to lasting connections with her community. In love with everything about Colorado, the Dobbel family is happy to have their forever home.