Well, the time to decide where our family is moving for the next five years has come. Ben has been visiting both places (St. Louis, MO and Irvine, CA) and is finding great stuff about each college. I'm looking for info on the areas. So if you're reading this, and live in either of these places, have lived, or have good friends/family that live in these areas, I would love to hear your opinion. This is probably the biggest decision Ben and I have ever made. Not that it's bigger than the time we decided to marry each other, but we were able to take our sweet time (9 months) with that one. This time around we have the luxury of a week or two.
On a side note, I saw the doctor today and I'm already 70% thinned out! This is huge! I never thinned out that much with either daughter until I was 3 hours away from delivering. I'm very interested in seeing how this one will play out.
15 comments:
I grew up near Irvine. I vote you go there. Cost of living is higher, but you can play outside, the ocean is not that far away. Maybe I just miss the beach. But I could go to CA.
Jessica
Well, we think that if you choose St. Louis, you would only be like 6 1/2 hours from us when we move to Columbus, OH. We could vacation in St. Louis! Our vote is that you go there.
Shawnee, we live in Missouri now... and while we are almost 3 hours from St Louis, I have still heard rumors (some good, some bad) about the area that I could fill you in on. I can also tell you what Missouri is like overall. Email me if you'd like! koonmak12 at hotmail dot com
I think you should go to CA...then you would be closer to us!! Hope that helps:)
I think both of your options are fantastic! You have a tough choice ahead of you.
Hi! David and I lived in Fulton/Holts Summit MO close to the capital (Jefferson City) The closest temple was in St. Louis so we did travel there a lot. It was only an hour and a half drive. I would love to move back to Missouri anyday!!! I love it! I love the weather, the people are great! We had the best customer service in MO that we've ever had living anywhere else. But I will tell you my most favorite parts about living there! The thunderstorms are awesome, the best ever! The seasons are very pretty! All the lovely trees (there are a lot) leaves turn colors in the fall, and bloom gourgeous in the spring! The first rainfall brings out the Turtles!! Tons of turtles! Then in June the fireflies flicker like Christmas lights! People get scared of the tornado warnings but it's really not that scary if you're listening when you need to and take precausions. All the seasons are great and have a good length to them. My other favorite part is you would be close to the church history sights which we loved to visit all the time especially in July when they have the Nauvoo Pageant!( That is way awesome and fun for the kids!) They have the best frozen custard and if you start to miss the North west just head on over to Lake of the Ozark! Reminds me of the columbia river area and there's great shopping and fun things to do!!! The St. Louis zoo is ranked one of the top in the nation and it's free entrance to all whenever! It's such a pretty place and would recomend it highly!!! Lost of things to do there!!! We eventually want to move back to the area. We still have a house over in Holts Summit! Cost of living is defenatly less expensive! The house that we bought was 2800 square feet on a two acre lot (beautiful area!) and we paid half the amount you would pay for a home like that in the North west! Best of luck to your family in your decision! Sorry it was so long, there's so much more I could tell you!
Blog lurker here, although we met once in UT last summer :)
I'm torn on what to advise--I grew up in California and recently moved back here last fall. I still love things like the weather, the diversity and the beach. But living here as an adult is definitely different. The high cost of housing is definitely a drag. So is the crowding and urban sprawl. If you like big cities, go Irvine. There's the beach, Disneyland, lots of cool museums, etc. But you will probably always worrying about housing costs, crowding, smog, and yucky freeways. Plus politics in CA can be pretty crazy (like last year with Prop 8--and that's still not over). I loved being a kid in CA and we still like it, but being an adult here has brought up some issues that I didn't know about before.
I don't know much about Missouri since I've only ever driven through it, but they have lots of trees and housing is cheap. They also have all four seasons, so if you don't like snow CA is probably a better place for you.
Wow ya'll have a lot of excitement in the near future. I wish I had some advice to add but since I've never been to either place it wouldn't be very useful. Good luck though with the decision and the baby!
Oh wow, those are two great places to choose from! My sis-in-law and her family live in St. Louis. They don't live in the city, but outside it in a neighborhood suburb, but their address is still St. Louis. (Does that make sense?) Anyway, they love it there. She said she could live there for the rest of her life and be perfectly happy. When we've gone to visit there is soooo much to do. We always go to the zoo and Children's museums. They have an awesome botanical garden and butterfly museum with TONS of butterflies smarming around you. The kids love it. They have an awesome ward with lots of students, too. She's made some really good friends out there and she loves how friendly the people are. It's true that it is so gorgeous there. Just thick beautiful, TALL trees, that turn every color you can imagine in the fall, and when the fireflies come out at night it is so fun! I think it is one of those unique places that you'd be so happy you'd had the opportunity to live in.
P.S. When is your exact due date again? I swear, your stomach at 35weeks looks like mine did at 20 weeks. I'm like you...I generally don't dilate or efface until almost the day of! That's exciting for you. You might just have an early baby!
I have been to both places, just passing through. California is in a bit of a money chrisis right now so take that into consideration. I would look it up online and see what is going to be done with taxes. ST. Louis is beautiful. When we were traveling through on our dance tour. I just HAD to get better pictures of the Arch from our bus window and moved up a few seats to get them. I ended up sitting next to this guy I didn't know very well, who is now my wonderful husband. I have a soft spot for St. Louis now :)
I love the updated Photo in the blue dresses. Evelyn is really cooperating in the picture taking department; she looks so pretty. Jilly will come along much later, probably about the time she gets married, if then.
Call us when you make "The Decision." I'm starting a little savings for plane tickets already!
i like your family picture. so cute! and you got your hair cut. I like it! I still don't know what to do about mine.
I vote for St. Louis. Because you've never been there before, but you have been to Cali. And I lived in Cali for a summer and wouldn't want to live there, ever, just because it is so crowded, and the traffic, but we already talked about all that. Good luck making a decision!
Love the new picture in the heading! and my Utah mountains in the background! Loved talking to you yesterday, let me know if there is anything else I can help with. Good luck with labor and everything! Can't wait to see the little guy!
Good luck! I don't know anything about St. Louis-but I love Irvine! And you'd be somewhat close to Disneyland and beaches. Congrats on going to a great school (either one)!
You may have already made your decision, but if not, here's our 2 cents. We were at the St. Louis zoo on Saturday, and we (even Kyle) absolutely loved it. The zoo has already been mentioned in several other comments, I know, but really, it is such a huge thing, and who doesn't base major life decisions on zoos?
:) Anyway, good luck choosing!!
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