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Let me start of by saying that I've done extensive research on this forum. I've read probably hundreds of threads and they've helped so much! I just have a few unanswered questions.
A little background: My husband & I were both born and raised in LA and we've never lived anywhere else. But like so many others, we're so done with California and it's ways. We've always felt like we've never really fit in here, but it's getting so much worse. We would love a slower paced, more conservative, family oriented, basically "better" place to finish raising our daughters before it's too late. They're 15, 13, and 9. We currently live in a nice LA suburb, but I feel like keeping our home is slowly killing my husband. (OK, maybe that's a slight exaggeration.) We're a one income family by choice. I home school our girls, but we're part of an awesome homeschooling community here. The main reason we want to move is so that we can have more quality family time together. My husband works 6-7 days a week and is gone from 4am-9pm most days. It wasn't always this way, but his field (sports radio) has changed so much over the past several years and many people in his field have multiple jobs, as does my husband, plus he commutes daily. His bosses told him that he could work from home if we move, plus he has a couple of connections at radio stations in Spokane. So he would be making the same amount of money, but our cost of living would be much less. Plus we would get to see lots more of him. Oh, and did I mention, WE HATE THE HEAT!!!
Since I home school, we have the freedom to finish school early most days and we love to go out and have fun. We go to Disneyland 1-2 times per month, which will probably be one of the hardest things to give up here, but we're willing . We also love going to museums, the symphony, botanical gardens, aquariums, the theater, community events, outdoor movies, concerts, etc. Do they have much of that in CDA? I know it's a rather small town in comparison to what we're used to, but one of the reasons we picked CDA is because of the small town atmosphere, but it's close enough to Spokane if I need a big city fix every once in awhile. Does that make sense? My husband is worried that I might not find enough to do in the area so I thought I'd check with you all. Which brings me to my next point...
We're not all that "outdoorsy". *Gasp!* Please don't bash me. I'm just keeping it real. We don't really hike, we don't own a boat, we don't jet ski, we don't snow ski, we don't even cycle, but we do own bikes . But here's the thing, I think the main reason we don't do most of that is because it's always so hot here, and as previously mentioned, WE HATE THE HEAT!!! I think if we were in a cooler climate we would want to get out more and explore. My husband and I used to snow ski, and our girls are anxious to learn. We used to bike, and hike, and boat, and we enjoy all of those things, just not when it's so hot out. I've never liked the beach, but I've always loved lakes. Some of my favorite childhood memories are of boating on the lake in my parent's boat. So I think there's hope for us yet.
I've read that Idaho is a good place for homeschooling. We're part of a classical homeschooling community. I read that there's a classical Christian school in CDA, but wondering if anyone knows of any classical homeschooling communities in the area. And are there any good art schools nearby? One of our daughters is part of an amazing art program here and she was hoping to find something similar over there. She really wants to pursue art as a career (animation), so we were curious if there were any good art colleges close by.
Lastly, we were wondering about churches. We're all active in our church here and would love to find a good home church there. An evangelical Christian churches, not too small, that has men's groups, women's groups, and especially a good youth/teen program. Any suggestions?
We were thinking of Post Falls, but I think there's more to do in CDA, so that's probably where we'll plant ourselves. I like the homes in Bentwood & CDA Place. Thoughts?
Thank you in advance for your advice. It's a big decision and we want to make sure we've covered everything. We're planning a trip out there next month and we're hoping to see some homes before we officially put ours on the market.
There is a group that I think is still going called, Classical Conversations. I think they meet once a week? You might be able to find a facebook page for them. There is another religious homeschooling group, but all I know about them is that they go to the skating rink once a month. There is also a co-op called CHAIN.
You will not receive any state money to homeschool freely like in California. There are a handful, maybe 3, homeschool charters in the area. They offer limited funds (not the $3k per student you might be used to) and limited choice.
As for an animation school, I’ve not heard of any. You would probably need to look online for some of the interests you are used to learning about. When people say Idaho is good for homeschooling, they are referring to the absence of laws pertaining to homeschoolers. You don’t have to sign up, register or apply, or be tested if that is not your choice. For some, no rules is what they are looking for.
Also, I would read some of the posts regarding winters and grey skies here. Visiting next month, you will love it. We are just entering the months that we all wait for. You can’t not love North Idaho in the summer. Just know, it doesn’t last long, and the winters can be brutal.
Do they have much of that in CDA? I know it's a rather small town in comparison to what we're used to, but one of the reasons we picked CDA is because of the small town atmosphere, but it's close enough to Spokane if I need a big city fix every once in awhile.
Yup, this is correct. We go into Spokane every once in a while but we've found that there's plenty to do in CDA. No Disneyland, but we do have Silverwood. What kinds of activities are you interested in?
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We're not all that "outdoorsy". *Gasp!* Please don't bash me. I'm just keeping it real. We don't really hike, we don't own a boat, we don't jet ski, we don't snow ski, we don't even cycle, but we do own bikes . But here's the thing, I think the main reason we don't do most of that is because it's always so hot here, and as previously mentioned, WE HATE THE HEAT!!! I think if we were in a cooler climate we would want to get out more and explore. My husband and I used to snow ski, and our girls are anxious to learn. We used to bike, and hike, and boat, and we enjoy all of those things, just not when it's so hot out. I've never liked the beach, but I've always loved lakes. Some of my favorite childhood memories are of boating on the lake in my parent's boat. So I think there's hope for us yet.
This pretty much describes our family. Used to do some snow sports, a lot of biking, but between the traffic and heat in CA, we gave up on that. Though now that we are here, we are trying to get more into the outdoors, as we think it's good for our kids. But there's plenty of people who just enjoy the nature and scenery without doing very intense physical activities.
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I've read that Idaho is a good place for homeschooling. We're part of a classical homeschooling community. I read that there's a classical Christian school in CDA, but wondering if anyone knows of any classical homeschooling communities in the area. And are there any good art schools nearby? One of our daughters is part of an amazing art program here and she was hoping to find something similar over there. She really wants to pursue art as a career (animation), so we were curious if there were any good art colleges close by.
Yes, plenty of homeschool communities, depending on which curriculum or program you're affiliated with. Many of our friends homeschool. Not sure about art schools per se but there's a lot of very good art classes and teachers locally. One of our pastor's daughters is really into oil painting and she has gotten all the support she needs.
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Lastly, we were wondering about churches. We're all active in our church here and would love to find a good home church there. An evangelical Christian churches, not too small, that has men's groups, women's groups, and especially a good youth/teen program. Any suggestions?
Which church were you a part of in CA? Feel free to PM me if you'd like more details here, I'm a member at a local Bible-teaching church here but don't want to come off as an advertisement :P
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We were thinking of Post Falls, but I think there's more to do in CDA, so that's probably where we'll plant ourselves. I like the homes in Bentwood & CDA Place. Thoughts?
Honestly, I wouldn't worry about things to do when looking for housing. Even if you're in Post Falls, it's a 10 minute drive to CDA. Everything is really close. I'd be more looking other factors like your budget, etc. CDA Place is a more upscale neighborhood and so prices will be a bit higher relative to the others in the area.
There is a group that I think is still going called, Classical Conversations. I think they meet once a week? You might be able to find a facebook page for them. There is another religious homeschooling group, but all I know about them is that they go to the skating rink once a month. There is also a co-op called CHAIN.
You will not receive any state money to homeschool freely like in California. There are a handful, maybe 3, homeschool charters in the area. They offer limited funds (not the $3k per student you might be used to) and limited choice.
As for an animation school, I’ve not heard of any. You would probably need to look online for some of the interests you are used to learning about. When people say Idaho is good for homeschooling, they are referring to the absence of laws pertaining to homeschoolers. You don’t have to sign up, register or apply, or be tested if that is not your choice. For some, no rules is what they are looking for.
We're in Classical Conversations here, so I'll look into that for sure. Thanks!! And we've never done a charter here, so I've never received any sort of state funds for homeschooling, so that won't be an issue. I'm just hoping to find a homeschooling community that's as wonderful as the one we're part of here. That will be one of the hardest things to leave, but several of the moms talk about someday moving to Idaho, and I know one of them is already making plans to move to Sand Point.
Also, I would read some of the posts regarding winters and grey skies here. Visiting next month, you will love it. We are just entering the months that we all wait for. You can’t not love North Idaho in the summer. Just know, it doesn’t last long, and the winters can be brutal.
I've read several posts about that, and about the shorter days in fall/winter, but that doesn't worry me too much. Our favorite days here are the overcast days. My daughters are just like me and prefer grey skies. We love sweater & boot weather, which we don't get much of here at all. Plus when it's overcast we tend to get out more because the we don't like the sun beating down on us. I've always thought I could live in Seattle because of the weather, but then again, I've never lived in Seattle . Some of the posts about that have scared me a little. But truthfully, I'm happiest when it's cool and overcast here. I've always been that way.
Yup, this is correct. We go into Spokane every once in a while but we've found that there's plenty to do in CDA. No Disneyland, but we do have Silverwood. What kinds of activities are you interested in?
Besides Disneyland , we love going to lots of museums, libraries, gardens, concerts, farmers markets, shopping, going for tea, going to plays, outdoor movies, street fairs, etc. We love small town Christmas parades and every December I try to find as many tree lightings and holiday parades that I can. We go to see the Nutcracker every year and love driving around looking at Christmas lights. Christmas is our thing, and I can't wait for us all to experience a real white Christmas!
I think the best advice given on this forum, is to come rent for a year and then decide if/where to buy. Especially now, housing seems high, but who knows where it will go from here... you mention two neighborhoods. CDA Place is a huge neighborhood development which has everything from apartments to 6 bedroom McMansions, so a true mixed development. An elementary, middle, and high school are all located within or attached to the neighborhood. So, this is a big family neighborhood. Although, I think it would have fewer homeschoolers since one of the draws for the neighborhood is the walkability to schools. Great for working parents. The other one, Bentwood, is similar, but smaller and quieter imo. When we moved here 20 years ago, our realtor told us to stay east of Hwy. 95 for future resale. Not sure if that is still spoken out loud, but I think it is good advice in general.
This pretty much describes our family. Used to do some snow sports, a lot of biking, but between the traffic and heat in CA, we gave up on that. Though now that we are here, we are trying to get more into the outdoors, as we think it's good for our kids. But there's plenty of people who just enjoy the nature and scenery without doing very intense physical activities.
Ha! So glad we're not the only ones. I just know that the cooler weather will get us to become more active. We don't have any physical disabilities or anything, it's really just the heat that we can't deal with. My oldest daughter goes on a lot of hikes with my stepdad & brother. And I know my husband would love to hike now that he'll have some free time.
The nature and beautiful scenery is one of the things that we're most excited about. We don't have streams or creeks or even little trickles of water here. I'm so sick of all of the brown and the constant drought. I can't even imagine living in a place that's green and lush. And having rain more than a few times a year just makes me giddy! We absolutely LOVE the rain!!! My girls have never experienced a real thunderstorm. Do they have thunderstorms there?
Besides Disneyland , we love going to lots of museums, libraries, gardens, concerts, farmers markets, shopping, going for tea, going to plays, outdoor movies, street fairs, etc. We love small town Christmas parades and every December I try to find as many tree lightings and holiday parades that I can. We go to see the Nutcracker every year and love driving around looking at Christmas lights. Christmas is our thing, and I can't wait for us all to experience a real white Christmas!
Summers here are FULL of fun activities! This area is very “museum lite”. The libraries are great, multiple outdoor summer concerts every week in the summer, two fun summer farmers markets, and lots of community festivals! If that is your fun list, you won’t be disappointed.
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. We also love going to museums, the symphony, botanical gardens, aquariums, the theater, community events, outdoor movies, concerts, etc. Do they have much of that in CDA? I know it's a rather small town in comparison to what we're used to, but one of the reasons we picked CDA is because of the small town atmosphere, but it's close enough to Spokane if I need a big city fix every once in awhile. Does that make sense? My husband is worried that I might not find enough to do in the area so I thought I'd check with you all. Which brings me to my next point...
. But here's the thing, I think the main reason we don't do most of that is because it's always so hot here, and as previously mentioned, WE HATE THE HEAT!!! I think if we were in a cooler climate we would want to get out more and explore. My husband and I used to snow ski, and our girls are anxious to learn. We used to bike, and hike, and boat, and we enjoy all of those things, just not when it's so hot out. I've never liked the beach, but I've always loved lakes. Some of my favorite childhood memories are of boating on the lake in my parent's boat. So I think there's hope for us yet. 
. Some of the posts about that have scared me a little. But truthfully, I'm happiest when it's cool and overcast here. I've always been that way.
