looking for area around Kansas city (St. Joseph, Clinton: homes, transfer, schools)

[jayhawks]

Hi, there is a possibility my husband may be transferred to Kansas city and I am so uneasy about moving at this time. Especially with my Dad just being diagnosed with liver cancer. He doesn't have long. Also, I am 7 1/2 months pregnant so it's really not a good time to move. I'd have to find a dr. and hospital and adjust to the move. I'm also worried about feeling rootless and in culture shock. I've lived in Texas for all but two years of my life. How do you move to a place where you've never been to and don't know anybody? I know people do it all the time so we'll make it, I just hope we like the area.
We would love to live on some acreage hopefully with a lot of trees. I noticed there is a lake north of Kansas. I think it's Smithville. The lake near us has a national forest on the shores and all around the lake there are lots and lots of tall pine trees. So that would make me feel less homesick.
I noticed on one of the Missourri websites it talked about Missouri's forests not being what they were a hundred years ago because of the huge logging boom. They harvested all the pine. It's not just pine that I love though. Just big tall trees in general.
My husband wants to live away from the city. Schools aren't an issue because we homeschool. Can someone suggest an area that is very wooded yet close enough to commute? My husband says he doesn't mind driving an hour but I think he would get tired of that. He drives 30 min. to work now. So I'm thinking a 40 min. commute would be alright. Five acres is fine with us.
Thank you.

[christina0001]

We are also planning to move to the KC area, next year. We spent 5 days out there recently. The area around the Smithville reservoir was very nice. We personally preferred the area north and northeast of KC (northern Clay county and southern Clinton county), which seemed rural and peaceful but still an easy drive to KC, and also to St. Joseph. I sympathize with your concerns; moving while pregnant and your dad is sick is terrible timing. Be sure to start checking out area hospitals well in advance. KC has some very good hospitals so you should be in good hands.