Ranking the Possiblities

So here's the report card on the great cities we got to visit.  Reminder of the things that we were looking for:

• Easy distance/travel to both Platt and Lawrence family
• A great job that pays well (right?) that Steve ADORES
• Awesome Library (for Loni)
• Water aka lake, river (for Steve--current owner of 2 canoes :))
• A temple, preferably in the same city or in easy travel distance
• Great schools
• Good training for the kiddos in dance, piano, instruments
• An agricultural community (so really I just want a local, awesome CSA box available--and raw milk!)
• Costco
• Good restaurants
• Fun outdoor recreation year round--hiking, skiing, snowboarding, wakeboarding
• And Ross, as in Dress for Less  :)

Wenatchee, WA was our first stop and we. loved. it.   So much. 

• There was an awesome hospital, pay was pretty good, benefits were great, people were a little formal but great.  
• And then there was the town: beautiful mountains, River cutting through the middle of it, awesome local market on the river open year-round, agriculture EVERYWHERE (its the apple growing capital of the US and there is a bread baker who grows heirlom grains--squeal!!!), Costco :), Ross, and really wonderful, kind people.  
• Tons of our door stuff to do: ski resort right outside of town, a beach for the kiddos, lakes as well as the river....
• REALLY good restaurants and a Cafe Rio, which doesn't rank on REALLY good restaurants but hey, its a plus.  
• BUT temple is over two hours away, its 14 hours from mom and dad Lawrence, 5 from mom and dad Platt, the library is disappointing.

Coeur D'Alene was stop #2.  And we liked it.  Actually we called this one the wild card.  The job opportunity was so open, Steve really could do whatever he wants.  

• The job was different and a really open opportunity working for a private group.  Steve really liked the people he would work with (couln't have asked for nicer people!), didn't love the hospital but the pay and benefits were great.  He could be the hospice director.
• The town is lakes and pine trees and beautifulness, it feels like a bigger town, being right outside Spokane with lots of strip malls and big box stores.  And its so close to Spokane that has a temple, a large airport, ballet, amazing music lessons..the works.  
• There are a lot of outdoor things to do; ski areas are a little drive but there are lakes everywhere and even an amusement park.  
• Coeur D'Alene has an awesome charter school that is #12 in the nation.  #12.  Awesome.  
• The library is the most beautiful library I've seen.
• There are some great restaurants....though we stopped at a sushi restaurant and were asked to leave because the chef hates it when people tap their chopsticks.  Not. Child. Friendly.

Boise was fast.  We were only there about 3 hours and we pretty much knew right away it wasn't for us so I won't waste your time.  

And last but not least Twin Falls.  Our last stop.  And, we liked it, too. (Just a thought, if places and especially people weren't so nice this whole decision would have been SO MUCH EASIER.  Curse you super nice people and beautiful places.) 

• Hospital is new and gorgeous (seriously), pay was awesome, Steve liked the peeps, and they may need a palliative care person, which Steve love to do.
• The town is flat. There is a canyon with a river and two (hence, Twin) waterfalls.  Costco, TEMPLE in town!! (can I get a woot woot! Do people even say anymore....I'm little embarrassed) modest farmers market made up by the fact that there is agriculture EVERYWHERE and even a  mennonite population nearby, downtown is...struggling, but there is shopping.  
• There is a good restaurant.  
• Its 3 hours from Mom and Dad Lawrence and 8 from Mom and Dad Platt.  
• Obviously there's water fun (barrels anyone?) and skiing is an hour away.

So friends, tough decisions ahead.  Thoughts?