Yes. It's where we put all the liberals in Texas so we can keep them in the middle of the state, surrounded by the rest of us normal people so they can't cause too much trouble. (Just kidding. Kind of.)
oh, hahahahahah!! You must remember that we live in Minnesota, one of the most liberal states of them all...so I'm thinking that liberal Austin might not be near as bad. Plus, like Margaret said, they have good music. And maybe us.
Tom is looking at a job there. It's up to God. We'd never thought of Austin, but then, this job came up.
Plus, what do you mean by liberal? I mean, how does it effect things? We were looking at a town near Austin, and they had Confession daily--DAILY!!! (St William's Church) They had 24 hour Adoration, and Mass 2x/day.
I love how Charlotte put it!! We have family that live in Austin or rather Kyle and they love it. We always enjoy visiting them and enjoying the city. It is liberal though, and really its own thing. Yet, our family is very conservative and love it there!
What do you mean by that? How does it effect us? Are there abortion clinics on every corner? How is it different than other cities in Texas? Are the suburbs of Austin better?
OK Jamie, what it means is that yes, compared to places like Los Angeles or Portland or even places in the northeast, it's not that liberal, but compared to most places in Texas it is one of the more liberal places. There are places where the hippies like to go hang out and smoke pot. There are nude beaches (but restricted to certain areas). Once used to be called Hippie Hollow. Not sure if that PC anymore. It does have a little higher cost of living because it's the capital, but I'm sure the suburbs are more affordable. I grew up in a little town called Menchaca on the south side of Austin and it still has a small town feel to it. There are probably plenty of abortion centers, but not one on every corner. Jennifer Fulwiler lives there so maybe go check out her posts about what she has to say about the Church there. Austin, like all of Texas, is still very much in the Bible Belt. So most of your conservatives are Protestant conservatives, not Catholic conservatives. San Antonio probably has a more "Catholic" feel to it because of the greater hispanic/latino population. I've heard that places in the Midwest and in your area are accustomed to seeing a Catholic Church on just about every corner. That is definitely not the case down here. Our parishes are more spread out but you should be able to find at least one that suits your preference, whatever that might be. The one upside I know to Austin right now is that the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist have property nearby and are planning to build a priory there.
But one thing to say in favor of the Bible Belt is that now that the Protestants have joined the Catholics in the homeschooling movement (and possibly even surpassed us) nobody bats an eye when you say you are homeschooling. Sure, you might get thee occasional comment, but more than likely, you'll hear people say, "Oh, my friend home schools!" or "I have a sister that home schools."
We haven't found homes to be more spendy at all, in Austin. San Antonio was a little more, but pretty good all over so far. Arizona had huge changes city to city, some really high and some really good.
I'm going to check out Menchaca after this...we were looking at Round Rock. The churches seem awesome! That is where St Williams Church was...with Confession daily!! (DAILY!!) and Adoration and 2 daily Masses...those are the things I'm looking for in a Catholic church.
I know who Jennifer Fulwiler is, but don't read her blog...I might have to check her out!! Maybe she can steer us away from the nude places? Yuck...
I have one daughter feeling called to be a sister...maybe it will be the Dominicans!
Thank you so much Charlotte, this was really helpful. We will go where the job is...so it is up to God. It's nice to know the area a little though.
SO I heard from someone that people in Texas dress up when they go out anywhere...compared to us in Minnesota who wear jeans and tees everywhere...(except Mass, we as in our family-- dress up for Mass) Is that true?
We have way more Protestant homeschoolers here in Minnesota. I'm used to that....they usually take a step back when they find out we are Catholic--hahah! (not all of them, but a lot of them, and I'm sure it's the same way around the opposite, when Catholics find out they are Protestant...but not from me of course!)
Something to consider when you are looking at home prices is property taxes. They are between 2.5 and 3% annually across most of Texas. For example on a house that's tax valued at $200,000, you are going to pay between $5000 and $6000 per year in taxes. You can set up an escrow account in which case, it's added to your monthly mortgage or pay it in one lump sum when it's due.
Does your church not offer confession and adoration daily? The one we belong to has a perpetual adoration chapel and confession every morning during the week.
I would love to meet the Dominicans, maybe even if you don't live there, you could still visit!
Our cluster parish (3 churches share 2 priests) has Confession, on Saturdays, one parish from 3-right before Mass at 4. (we usually go to this one) or at another parish from 5:45-whatever it takes. on Saturdays...I think that one also has it on the first Thursdays of the month...not convenient for me, so I've never gone at that time. Usually, we are the only ones there...or there are a couple people...but once in a while, there are more people...I just like the idea of going any day I want, any day I sin. I like it's availability. I don't think people would go if they had it every day to be honest. It's like people don't think they sin or something. One of the parishes has 24 hour perpetual Adoration, in which I'm signed up for a Thursday 5-6pm hour. I love it so much and year to go, so it is the number one thing I look for in a parish. It has to have available Confession and Adoration and daily Mass....
Some churches only have Confession by appointment...now I really don't think many call to make appointments...I think that discourages people from doing it. I don't want to belong to a parish like that.
Yes, if we end up in Texas, we will have to visit the Dominicans!! There is a young girl that graduated last year from our homeschool group, that is in the Dominican order...I am not sure which state she is in though, I think Michigan.
I have family in both San Antonio and Austin so it's possible we might be able to meet up with you in either of those places. I know that should make it easy for you to make a decision now. What does Arizona have going for it that can compare? ;)
Charlotte--that does make the decision process much easier! Kidding, but it does make it sweeter, that's for sure.
Arizona has (no job right now) but it has my family in CA 4 hours away, it has Deb (see her comment below) and I have a friend possibly moving there with her family.
I know of many people who move there from Louisiana, and they love it there! Lots of job opportunities, but I hear over and over the cost of living is much higher there than Louisiana, has a lot of wealthy families. I've also heard from friends there's a big Catholic population there and the scenery is beautiful. The Dominican Sisters of Mary just started a group there, they are always on EWTN, like Truth in the Heart. I was so excited when I heard they had a group moving down south. They were only in Ann Arbor for years.
Do you read the blog Conversion Diary by Jennifer Fulwiler? She lives in Austin.
We haven't found that higher cost of living in Texas anywhere...actually quite the opposite...maybe MN is high? Arizona definitely had certain cities much higher than others.
Charlotte, (up above) mentioned the Dominicans too...That's awesome!
I don't read Jennifer Fulwiler, I always have way more than 7 things--hahah! I will have to check her out.
Sounds like it would be a great plus, since MN has a higher cost of living. Cost of living is what I hear the most from all the people from Louisiana living in Austin, I guess the cost of living over here most be less than other places. Probably higher in New Orleans and Baton Rouge.
It is very reasonable. I'm sure the larger cities are a lot more. That is the way it is here in MN, but in Texas, even the larger cities are pretty dang low!
I don't know a whole lot about Texas at all, but I do know, in my dream world, if I finished my degree path (PhD) I would love to go to school at U Texas Austin! :) Prayers for God's plan to be seen.
If you were walking in Texas and someone were to say, "You are so Austin." They might mean that you were very artsy or that you were gay. I had a friend move back to Houston because they didn't like the diocese there at all. (He was a youth minister there.) I have visited a few times and I didn't hate it.
I don't know how to explain it but the property taxes are configured in a way that is much higher than we had in other parts of the country. I don't understand the difference but it is a real difference. I was shocked by that when we moved to the Houston area. BUT no income tax, so that is good.
We love the triple A baseball park in Round Rock that is very close. There is a popular bumper sticker that says "I may not be a native to Texas, but I got here as quickly as I could!"
For what you are looking for I believe that Texas is a good fit. It I could choose a city I would most like to be near Dallas because they have a little bit more of a change of season. My second choice would be San Antonio. Then maybe Austin and then Houston.
That is so interesting. Now that we've explored so many areas of Texas, I get it why you hate it in Houston. The humidity!!!! We still like San Antonio best...out of the Texas cities...actually, while looking at suburbs of Austin, Round Rock had some great homes and that is where they had an awesome parish!! We may have to get that bumper sticker!! I'll tell my husband!
Tom has not looked at Dallas at all. This is kind of funny, but he said it's because he hates the Dallas Cowboys!! He also doesn't even want to sweep snow...he doesn't want anything remotely cold. We are dumping our snowsuits and boots!!
While I understand the hating snow all together part. I warn you that there can be a real longing for the change of seasons. All the towns that you have listed fall into the east Texas area. Lots and lots of green. This does get old and some variety is very nice. I would never want to live in Dallas proper but there are some wonderful suburbs. The benefits of living in Texas but still close to other states.
We have become Texans fans here in Houston but everyone thinks all of Texas are Cowboys fans. Every store and every network defer to Cowboys when setting up products or game schedules. The funny thing is that even in Texas you either love the Cowboys or HATE the Cowboys / it really is that black and white. Whatever team you do like, your will love watching them play in the Dallas stadium. We went to a game before the twins came along for business and it was a great experience. Cowboy fans might be 'die hard' but they were not mean. Just keep thinking Texas and don't rule anything out.
Round Rock is very clean and new looking. Look into the Grapevine area. It is between Dallas and Fort Worth. I think it might be pricey but it is beautiful as far as Texas goes. If you are determined to be further south check out New Braunfels.
Oh also look into Temple. It is a cute little area, south of Waco, I believe. It is a neat area I thought. Close enough to visit Dallas and Fort Worth within an hour or so for important museums and such but still with small town feel.
Actually, Temple is half way between San Antonio and DFW. It's about 2.5 hours south of DFW and 2.5 hours north of SA. We live near Grapevine and it is a beautiful area. We have lived here in DFW for 20+ years and have never had to shovel snow. We just wait for it to melt. It usually does within a couple of days. When it ices, we just don't go anywhere. The longest we've ever been stuck at home was 4 days. My husband lived all over this country when he was growing up. He loves football and even though he has now lived in Texas longer than anywhere else, he is still a diehard Seahawks fan. This past Super Bowl was pretty much is dream come true!
I know, from living in CA (growing up) that no change of seasons can be hard. It's the sun and warmer air we want, for Tom's depression...the last 2 years here were just almost unbearable for him.
I can't say he's going to be a die-hard Vikes fan...but I guess he'll never be a die-hard Dallas fan...hahah!
We are open to wherever (in TX or AZ) God provides a job, that fits with what he wants...
Tom got a few calls from this particular hospital that was hiring, in Austin, but we decided today that it was not the job for him. It just didn't feel right. And that's his gut and that's God we believe.
SO Austin is out. Thanks for all your help!!! It was a really fun conversation!
Hospital jobs are plentiful in and around Dallas and Houston. These huge cities have so many hospital systems. With the influx of so many people migrating to Texas, there will be jobs o plenty in healthcare to support the people coming in. Good luck, it must be exciting and scary at the same time.
Tom is a Chemical Dependency Counselor...so it's pretty specific. He would love to get a job assessing and not so much counseling. This particular job in (Buda actually) Austin was counseling..he's been doing it for 20 years and would rather get into the assessing part...
I just read all the comments. Great advice from them all. You have to also remember the distance of the drive. The more populated the area factored in with distance means horrific traffic (very, very long commutes) to drive in. Dallas and Houston are two of the largest in the country.
When we moved here, I was in a hurry to move with my husband. We had three weeks from house hunting trip to moving day. Hindsight is 20/20. I wish I had stayed back in Illinois and that David had had more time to look around. Speaking on the DFW metroplex....which is HUGE....Dallas metroplex is very cosmopolitan to the Fort Worth and proper Fort Worth areas. Dallas metro has more out of staters where Fort Worth and the area around it is more "good ole' folk" as David calls them. His job takes him all over the DFW areas weekly. David says that Fort Worth is experiencing growth now, too. TAKE YOUR TIME.
We've actually been to Texas...Tom's grandpa used to live there...down by the border, in McAllen. We were there a couple times. I was in Texas in my sophmore year in high school. My family drove down there from MN, checking out the area to possibly move (it was Christmas time), we went to Dallas and drove down to San Antonio, because I remember visiting the Alamo. Wherever we stayed, the waitresses had heavy y'all accents, I was, as a teen, pretty tired of the Y-alls by the end of the trip--hahahah! Now, I think I'd like them, especially if they come from you Patty! (we ended up moving to CA instead)
Tom grew up in the Twin Cities area and the traffic is like that down there, so he's aware of that and we are trying to factor it all in, which we really can't do until we know where he will be working.
The Austin job was actually in Buda...(you can bet we made fun of the name) but we didn't know that til later in the afternoon yesterday...all we knew up to that point was it was in the Austin area...so Round Rock was out and we started looking at Pflugerville (after first making fun of the name) hahah!
I'd really actually like Tom to take a job, and go down there first, rent a room and check out the area...and I can stay and sell the house up here.
Jesus I trust in You...do you know how many times a day I say this? (many)
OK, as a native Texan I have to step in and make sure you are pronouncing these correctly because my husband did the same thing when we were dating (laughed at the funny names). Then we went to Seattle for our honeymoon and I got to tease him about names like Snoqualmish and Enumclaw and Puyallup. Anyway, Buda is not pronounced like "Buddha" it's actually more like "Byoo-duh" and in Pflugerville, the P is totally silent. :)
OH, hahahah!! Tom was actually, in the beginning calling it "Butta" like "butter" with an accent...and at first I was like, why would a very Christian area name a town Buda, like Bhuda, like the Buddists God...then, last night, (it took me that long) I figured it out and told everyone, that it's actually called Byou-da...
Now, I'm going to have to find some funny Minnesota towns...we live in an area with a lot of saint names for towns...which is nice!
The obvious would be that Austin or Texas are not HERE. Major problem. I know, like you needed the reminder.
However, I would really love to visit Patty, so can you just move somewhere that is close enough for me to come visit both of you?? That would be nice. Thanks for working that all out. lol.
Hi Jamie- Arizona, namely the Phoenix area is horrible. I grew up there and it is awful. Not a good place to raise children. Lots of crime and gang violence. The schools are the WORST, but u homeschool, so not a big deal. Did I mention it's HOT. No pretty snow, just unly dead everything. It would be a major culture shock for all of you. Hope this helps.
Yes. It's where we put all the liberals in Texas so we can keep them in the middle of the state, surrounded by the rest of us normal people so they can't cause too much trouble. (Just kidding. Kind of.)
ReplyDeleteoh, hahahahahah!! You must remember that we live in Minnesota, one of the most liberal states of them all...so I'm thinking that liberal Austin might not be near as bad. Plus, like Margaret said, they have good music. And maybe us.
DeleteTom is looking at a job there. It's up to God. We'd never thought of Austin, but then, this job came up.
Plus, what do you mean by liberal? I mean, how does it effect things? We were looking at a town near Austin, and they had Confession daily--DAILY!!! (St William's Church) They had 24 hour Adoration, and Mass 2x/day.
Maybe the suburbs are not as bad?
I love how Charlotte put it!! We have family that live in Austin or rather Kyle and they love it. We always enjoy visiting them and enjoying the city. It is liberal though, and really its own thing. Yet, our family is very conservative and love it there!
DeleteWhat do you mean by that? How does it effect us? Are there abortion clinics on every corner? How is it different than other cities in Texas? Are the suburbs of Austin better?
DeleteOK Jamie, what it means is that yes, compared to places like Los Angeles or Portland or even places in the northeast, it's not that liberal, but compared to most places in Texas it is one of the more liberal places. There are places where the hippies like to go hang out and smoke pot. There are nude beaches (but restricted to certain areas). Once used to be called Hippie Hollow. Not sure if that PC anymore. It does have a little higher cost of living because it's the capital, but I'm sure the suburbs are more affordable. I grew up in a little town called Menchaca on the south side of Austin and it still has a small town feel to it. There are probably plenty of abortion centers, but not one on every corner. Jennifer Fulwiler lives there so maybe go check out her posts about what she has to say about the Church there. Austin, like all of Texas, is still very much in the Bible Belt. So most of your conservatives are Protestant conservatives, not Catholic conservatives. San Antonio probably has a more "Catholic" feel to it because of the greater hispanic/latino population. I've heard that places in the Midwest and in your area are accustomed to seeing a Catholic Church on just about every corner. That is definitely not the case down here. Our parishes are more spread out but you should be able to find at least one that suits your preference, whatever that might be. The one upside I know to Austin right now is that the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist have property nearby and are planning to build a priory there.
DeleteBut one thing to say in favor of the Bible Belt is that now that the Protestants have joined the Catholics in the homeschooling movement (and possibly even surpassed us) nobody bats an eye when you say you are homeschooling. Sure, you might get thee occasional comment, but more than likely, you'll hear people say, "Oh, my friend home schools!" or "I have a sister that home schools."
DeleteWe haven't found homes to be more spendy at all, in Austin. San Antonio was a little more, but pretty good all over so far. Arizona had huge changes city to city, some really high and some really good.
DeleteI'm going to check out Menchaca after this...we were looking at Round Rock. The churches seem awesome! That is where St Williams Church was...with Confession daily!! (DAILY!!) and Adoration and 2 daily Masses...those are the things I'm looking for in a Catholic church.
I know who Jennifer Fulwiler is, but don't read her blog...I might have to check her out!!
Maybe she can steer us away from the nude places? Yuck...
I have one daughter feeling called to be a sister...maybe it will be the Dominicans!
Thank you so much Charlotte, this was really helpful.
We will go where the job is...so it is up to God. It's nice to know the area a little though.
SO I heard from someone that people in Texas dress up when they go out anywhere...compared to us in Minnesota who wear jeans and tees everywhere...(except Mass, we as in our family-- dress up for Mass) Is that true?
We have way more Protestant homeschoolers here in Minnesota. I'm used to that....they usually take a step back when they find out we are Catholic--hahah! (not all of them, but a lot of them, and I'm sure it's the same way around the opposite, when Catholics find out they are Protestant...but not from me of course!)
Did that make sense?
Something to consider when you are looking at home prices is property taxes. They are between 2.5 and 3% annually across most of Texas. For example on a house that's tax valued at $200,000, you are going to pay between $5000 and $6000 per year in taxes. You can set up an escrow account in which case, it's added to your monthly mortgage or pay it in one lump sum when it's due.
DeleteMinnesota is higher. Phoenix is about the same as MN...but Texas rocks in this area!!
DeleteDoes your church not offer confession and adoration daily? The one we belong to has a perpetual adoration chapel and confession every morning during the week.
DeleteI would love to meet the Dominicans, maybe even if you don't live there, you could still visit!
Our cluster parish (3 churches share 2 priests) has Confession, on Saturdays, one parish from 3-right before Mass at 4. (we usually go to this one) or at another parish from 5:45-whatever it takes. on Saturdays...I think that one also has it on the first Thursdays of the month...not convenient for me, so I've never gone at that time. Usually, we are the only ones there...or there are a couple people...but once in a while, there are more people...I just like the idea of going any day I want, any day I sin. I like it's availability. I don't think people would go if they had it every day to be honest. It's like people don't think they sin or something. One of the parishes has 24 hour perpetual Adoration, in which I'm signed up for a Thursday 5-6pm hour. I love it so much and year to go, so it is the number one thing I look for in a parish. It has to have available Confession and Adoration and daily Mass....
DeleteSome churches only have Confession by appointment...now I really don't think many call to make appointments...I think that discourages people from doing it. I don't want to belong to a parish like that.
Yes, if we end up in Texas, we will have to visit the Dominicans!! There is a young girl that graduated last year from our homeschool group, that is in the Dominican order...I am not sure which state she is in though, I think Michigan.
It's in Texas.
ReplyDeleteGuns are legal.
So is homeschooling,
Hardy har har!!
DeleteWhat Charlotte said.
ReplyDeleteOh, and they have good music.
And I guess the most water parks in the country!! (the kids are excited about that one)
DeleteThat's because it gets so stinking hot in the summer you have to try to stay hydrated or you die.
DeleteWhat Charlotte, Paula and Margaret said. ;-)
ReplyDeletePlus, there's so much to see and do in Texas! We love it here!
Oh, and barbeque!
DeleteSo, would I be able to meet you someday Jan?
DeleteWe live about 4 hours north of Austin, and don't often go there, but you never know-it would be fun!
DeleteI have family in both San Antonio and Austin so it's possible we might be able to meet up with you in either of those places. I know that should make it easy for you to make a decision now. What does Arizona have going for it that can compare? ;)
DeleteJan… are you in the DFW area?
DeleteJan, that would be fun!
DeleteCharlotte--that does make the decision process much easier! Kidding, but it does make it sweeter, that's for sure.
Arizona has (no job right now) but it has my family in CA 4 hours away, it has Deb (see her comment below) and I have a friend possibly moving there with her family.
And Charlotte, I'd love to meet you someday!! Really, I would.
DeleteI know of many people who move there from Louisiana, and they love it there! Lots of job opportunities, but I hear over and over the cost of living is much higher there than Louisiana, has a lot of wealthy families. I've also heard from friends there's a big Catholic population there and the scenery is beautiful. The Dominican Sisters of Mary just started a group there, they are always on EWTN, like Truth in the Heart. I was so excited when I heard they had a group moving down south. They were only in Ann Arbor for years.
ReplyDeleteDo you read the blog Conversion Diary by Jennifer Fulwiler? She lives in Austin.
We haven't found that higher cost of living in Texas anywhere...actually quite the opposite...maybe MN is high? Arizona definitely had certain cities much higher than others.
DeleteCharlotte, (up above) mentioned the Dominicans too...That's awesome!
I don't read Jennifer Fulwiler, I always have way more than 7 things--hahah! I will have to check her out.
Sounds like it would be a great plus, since MN has a higher cost of living. Cost of living is what I hear the most from all the people from Louisiana living in Austin, I guess the cost of living over here most be less than other places. Probably higher in New Orleans and Baton Rouge.
DeleteIt is very reasonable. I'm sure the larger cities are a lot more. That is the way it is here in MN, but in Texas, even the larger cities are pretty dang low!
DeleteWe went through there and spent a day on vacation one year - it seemed nice (but Arizona is better) ;-)
ReplyDeleteArizona is pretty awesome...it's the job thing....wherever the job is, is where we will end up. It's totally in God's hands.
DeleteYou make Arizona much sweeter Deb!
It is the capital of Texas!
ReplyDeleteSorry, not much help.
No, but you are smart.
DeleteI don't know a whole lot about Texas at all, but I do know, in my dream world, if I finished my degree path (PhD) I would love to go to school at U Texas Austin! :) Prayers for God's plan to be seen.
ReplyDeleteHmmmmm...does that mean there are excellent doctors there?
DeleteThank you for the prayers, we need them!
If you were walking in Texas and someone were to say, "You are so Austin." They might mean that you were very artsy or that you were gay. I had a friend move back to Houston because they didn't like the diocese there at all. (He was a youth minister there.) I have visited a few times and I didn't hate it.
ReplyDeleteI don't know how to explain it but the property taxes are configured in a way that is much higher than we had in other parts of the country. I don't understand the difference but it is a real difference. I was shocked by that when we moved to the Houston area. BUT no income tax, so that is good.
We love the triple A baseball park in Round Rock that is very close. There is a popular bumper sticker that says "I may not be a native to Texas, but I got here as quickly as I could!"
For what you are looking for I believe that Texas is a good fit. It I could choose a city I would most like to be near Dallas because they have a little bit more of a change of season. My second choice would be San Antonio. Then maybe Austin and then Houston.
That is so interesting. Now that we've explored so many areas of Texas, I get it why you hate it in Houston. The humidity!!!! We still like San Antonio best...out of the Texas cities...actually, while looking at suburbs of Austin, Round Rock had some great homes and that is where they had an awesome parish!! We may have to get that bumper sticker!! I'll tell my husband!
DeleteTom has not looked at Dallas at all. This is kind of funny, but he said it's because he hates the Dallas Cowboys!! He also doesn't even want to sweep snow...he doesn't want anything remotely cold. We are dumping our snowsuits and boots!!
While I understand the hating snow all together part. I warn you that there can be a real longing for the change of seasons. All the towns that you have listed fall into the east Texas area. Lots and lots of green. This does get old and some variety is very nice. I would never want to live in Dallas proper but there are some wonderful suburbs. The benefits of living in Texas but still close to other states.
DeleteWe have become Texans fans here in Houston but everyone thinks all of Texas are Cowboys fans. Every store and every network defer to Cowboys when setting up products or game schedules. The funny thing is that even in Texas you either love the Cowboys or HATE the Cowboys / it really is that black and white. Whatever team you do like, your will love watching them play in the Dallas stadium. We went to a game before the twins came along for business and it was a great experience. Cowboy fans might be 'die hard' but they were not mean. Just keep thinking Texas and don't rule anything out.
Round Rock is very clean and new looking. Look into the Grapevine area. It is between Dallas and Fort Worth. I think it might be pricey but it is beautiful as far as Texas goes. If you are determined to be further south check out New Braunfels.
Oh also look into Temple. It is a cute little area, south of Waco, I believe. It is a neat area I thought. Close enough to visit Dallas and Fort Worth within an hour or so for important museums and such but still with small town feel.
DeleteActually, Temple is half way between San Antonio and DFW. It's about 2.5 hours south of DFW and 2.5 hours north of SA. We live near Grapevine and it is a beautiful area. We have lived here in DFW for 20+ years and have never had to shovel snow. We just wait for it to melt. It usually does within a couple of days. When it ices, we just don't go anywhere. The longest we've ever been stuck at home was 4 days. My husband lived all over this country when he was growing up. He loves football and even though he has now lived in Texas longer than anywhere else, he is still a diehard Seahawks fan. This past Super Bowl was pretty much is dream come true!
DeleteI know, from living in CA (growing up) that no change of seasons can be hard. It's the sun and warmer air we want, for Tom's depression...the last 2 years here were just almost unbearable for him.
DeleteI can't say he's going to be a die-hard Vikes fan...but I guess he'll never be a die-hard Dallas fan...hahah!
We are open to wherever (in TX or AZ) God provides a job, that fits with what he wants...
My brother works for Dell and lives in a suburb called Pflugerville. He is very happy there and the house prices are so cheap...compared to MN!
ReplyDeleteWe looked at homes in Pflugerville...after making fun of the name!! hahah!!
DeletePrices are amazing compared to here. I keep thinking, "what's the catch?"
UPDATE!!!! UPDATE!!!! UPDATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteTom got a few calls from this particular hospital that was hiring, in Austin, but we decided today that it was not the job for him. It just didn't feel right. And that's his gut and that's God we believe.
SO Austin is out.
Thanks for all your help!!! It was a really fun conversation!
So, is it still Texas your moving to? I'm confused. Easily done for me. ;)
DeleteIt's confusing!
DeleteWe have no idea...Tom just today applied for a job in Tempe AZ...so it depends on where the job is. SO it is still Arizona or Texas...it's up to God.
Okay. I'll be checking in then; anxiously awaiting the news.
DeleteHospital jobs are plentiful in and around Dallas and Houston. These huge cities have so many hospital systems. With the influx of so many people migrating to Texas, there will be jobs o plenty in healthcare to support the people coming in. Good luck, it must be exciting and scary at the same time.
ReplyDeleteSan Antonio also has a large hospital district. My mom lives near there.
DeleteTom is a Chemical Dependency Counselor...so it's pretty specific. He would love to get a job assessing and not so much counseling. This particular job in (Buda actually) Austin was counseling..he's been doing it for 20 years and would rather get into the assessing part...
DeletePraying, praying, praying...
I just read all the comments. Great advice from them all. You have to also remember the distance of the drive. The more populated the area factored in with distance means horrific traffic (very, very long commutes) to drive in. Dallas and Houston are two of the largest in the country.
ReplyDeleteWhen we moved here, I was in a hurry to move with my husband. We had three weeks from house hunting trip to moving day. Hindsight is 20/20. I wish I had stayed back in Illinois and that David had had more time to look around. Speaking on the DFW metroplex....which is HUGE....Dallas metroplex is very cosmopolitan to the Fort Worth and proper Fort Worth areas. Dallas metro has more out of staters where Fort Worth and the area around it is more "good ole' folk" as David calls them. His job takes him all over the DFW areas weekly. David says that Fort Worth is experiencing growth now, too. TAKE YOUR TIME.
We've actually been to Texas...Tom's grandpa used to live there...down by the border, in McAllen. We were there a couple times. I was in Texas in my sophmore year in high school. My family drove down there from MN, checking out the area to possibly move (it was Christmas time), we went to Dallas and drove down to San Antonio, because I remember visiting the Alamo. Wherever we stayed, the waitresses had heavy y'all accents, I was, as a teen, pretty tired of the Y-alls by the end of the trip--hahahah! Now, I think I'd like them, especially if they come from you Patty! (we ended up moving to CA instead)
ReplyDeleteTom grew up in the Twin Cities area and the traffic is like that down there, so he's aware of that and we are trying to factor it all in, which we really can't do until we know where he will be working.
The Austin job was actually in Buda...(you can bet we made fun of the name) but we didn't know that til later in the afternoon yesterday...all we knew up to that point was it was in the Austin area...so Round Rock was out and we started looking at Pflugerville (after first making fun of the name) hahah!
I'd really actually like Tom to take a job, and go down there first, rent a room and check out the area...and I can stay and sell the house up here.
Jesus I trust in You...do you know how many times a day I say this? (many)
Thanks Patty! You always help me so much!
OK, as a native Texan I have to step in and make sure you are pronouncing these correctly because my husband did the same thing when we were dating (laughed at the funny names). Then we went to Seattle for our honeymoon and I got to tease him about names like Snoqualmish and Enumclaw and Puyallup. Anyway, Buda is not pronounced like "Buddha" it's actually more like "Byoo-duh" and in Pflugerville, the P is totally silent. :)
DeleteOH, hahahah!! Tom was actually, in the beginning calling it "Butta" like "butter" with an accent...and at first I was like, why would a very Christian area name a town Buda, like Bhuda, like the Buddists God...then, last night, (it took me that long) I figured it out and told everyone, that it's actually called Byou-da...
DeleteNow, I'm going to have to find some funny Minnesota towns...we live in an area with a lot of saint names for towns...which is nice!
Late to the conversation, as always.
ReplyDeleteThe obvious would be that Austin or Texas are not HERE. Major problem. I know, like you needed the reminder.
However, I would really love to visit Patty, so can you just move somewhere that is close enough for me to come visit both of you?? That would be nice. Thanks for working that all out. lol.
Praying, praying, for you as you make a decision.
Oh, Sarah, I will miss being so close (and yet so far) to you!
DeleteWe'd HAVE to plan it together, wouldn't we? We'll work it out, you just get there.
Thank you so much sweet heart for your prayers. We need them!
Prayers right back at you!
Hi Jamie- Arizona, namely the Phoenix area is horrible. I grew up there and it is awful. Not a good place to raise children. Lots of crime and gang violence. The schools are the WORST, but u homeschool, so not a big deal. Did I mention it's HOT. No pretty snow, just unly dead everything. It would be a major culture shock for all of you. Hope this helps.
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