Relocating with a big family? Warmer Climate?

New Mexico.

It's not as brown as everyone says.

You can hike on the mountain, it's very green up there, especially during the spring and summer.

This a very religious state, there is a church on about every street corner.

You can garden here (my mom did a lot).

Rio Rancho is a very good community, really good schools, and about 2 miles from Albuquerque (the largest city in New Mexico).

I don't know about elementary schools, but for the best middle school it's Mountain View, it's in Enchanted Hills. Rio Rancho HS is the best high school.

I live in a gated community with lots of nice elderly people, our house was about $214,000. The house that my parents lived in, they bought it for $200,000 something, and sold it for $425,000. Of course that was out in the boonies with dirt roads and everything. But houses in Rio Rancho are VERY affordable.

Spring: Windy but warm

Summer: Very hot and dry, sometimes rain showers.

Fall: Beautiful, the turning of the leaves! I call it perfect weather.

Winter: Dry, sometimes snows.

We also live in a very high altitude, but you get used to it.

Well I live in Southern California, in a suburb called Rancho Cucamonga, about 50 miles from L.A. The weather hear is PERFECT! It rains about 6 days a year, it never gets below 50 degrees, and there is so much to do. Its on the foothills of the mountains, so there is plenty of hiking, snowboarding, etc. We are about an hour away from the ocean, so you could always take a day trip to Newport, Laguna, or Huntington Beach. There is so much to do here and its not nearly as expensive as Los Angeles. Its not a big city, but there is a lot to do here so you will never get bored. the weather is always nice, and the schools here are some of the best public K-12 schools in the nation. If you are thinking about college, California offers the BEST public schools in the nation with the entire UC and Cal State system. examples:UCLA, UC Berkeley, UC San DIego, and they are all affordable for California residents. My city meets all of your desires, and i strongly urge you to look into moving to Southern California. Rancho Cucamonga offers something for every type of person, and you would be crazy not to look into moving here.