After sleeping on it and re-reading and re-reading and re-reading the letter we received 1000's of times, DH thinks maybe, maybe they haven't put the lien on our house yet. Maybe. Here's the letter as written, and I have to say it says some sad things about the schools here in Garland if this writer was educated here. The grammar reminds me of those bogus emails from people overseas wanting to share their money with you if you just give them your bank account number. "If amount due is not paid on or before February 25, 2009, please contact the City of Garland Revenue Recovery Department because a lien has been placed on the property described above and a $16.00 Lien Filing Fee will be charged. A lien gives the City of Garland the right to hold the property as security until the amount due is paid. In addition, late payments are subject to 10% interest compounded annually if not paid on or before the due date." They switched tenses in the middle of a sentence, to say the least. This letter just doesn't make sense to us at all. We've received no prior bills or warnings for this tree trimming they say they did back in December. Cross your fingers that this is just a poorly worded letter warning us that they will place a lien, but haven't yet. Sally

I'm not an expert, but the Monkey Princess, Bruvver and I always bake cookies. This is the recipe I usually use, although the kids like a different recipe that's "puffier". It's harder to frost the cookies, though, if they are puffy, and they don't hold their shape as well. These rise, so they don't hold indentations and such as well as a cookie with less leavening, but they have a nice flavor: Sour Cream Sugar Cookies 1 cup butter 2 cups sugar 3 eggs 1 cup sour cream 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon vanilla 4 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1. Combine baking soda and sour cream. 2. Cream butter and sugar. 3. Add eggs, one at a time, blending well after each. 4. Blend in vanilla. 5. Blend in sour cream and baking soda. 6. Combine baking powder and flour and add to sour cream mixture. 7. Refrigerate until easy to handle, usually at least an hour. 8. Roll out dough about 1/2 inch thick and cut into shapes. 9. Bake at 325º for 8-10 minutes, or until light brown. I just use a powdered sugar type icing for decorating with the kids, but if I wanted something very precise I'd go with a royal icing so I could pipe an outline and then fill it in. Good luck, those cookies in that link are very cute. I can't imagine doing all the writing on that "accepted" letter, though! Annie

i think you ought to live there for a period of time... and decide if the investment will repay itself .... it looks like you want to put a very expensive kitchen in a two bedroom house ... when you will need a 3 bedroom house in the future ... unless there is a second level i am unaware of ... you clearly stated: We will not put in this new kitchen unless we do decide to make this our forever home. until you make that decision.. its not worth putting 10 or 20 thousand dollars into remaking this a 2 bedroom house.. with a designer kitchen ... you may never recoup your investment .... my best suggestion... first.. keep dreaming .. if nothing else.. this little dream kitchen.. is part of the next house ... but right now ... figure out if the neighborhood is kid friendly.. including schools.. traffic.. neighbors .... etc ... if in a year or two... you decide to stay.. that is when you decide to gut half the house.. and build your dream kitchen ... you dont mention if the 2 kids are of the same gender ... but mine finally made the teens.. i can not contemplate such in one bedroom ... even if they were of the same species ... think about it... boy/girl.. i dont think so ... teen girl/girl ... good luck with that. .. two boys.. hmmmm... depends on the boys ... try not to get caught up.. in the possibilities of peeps who have 4000 sq foot houses.. and unlimited budgets ... been there.. done that ... its wasnt my reality .... live there.. enjoy life.. dream about that kitchen.. and when you can move.. make sure the next place.. has a better kitchen to start with ... i wish you luck with the babe ... the toddler.. and the new house ... and never lose your dreams [which sorta happened when mine turned teenagers.. lol] ken ps: maybe in a few years you can bump up.. for a master bedroom up.. and that kitchen out back ...[you dont mention if there is a basement either].... but not if the neighborhood cant handle it.. you NEVER want to end up.. with the best house on the block ... you will never be able to sell it ... in the sense of recouping your investment ...

Patricia, thanks for the comment. We used Mannington hardwood on the bottom floor, I guess we could consider installing upstairs as well. I do agree with you that hardwoods are aesthetically very nice, however, they are not very comfortable to sit down on, or spend the night on, or stretch on, etc. My youngest still has a few more years of college and I love having his friends spend the night when they are all in town. Also, if we are lucky enough to have grandchildren in the near future, it is much nicer to have soft carpeting for them. But, I will consider the flooring option some more as I am having a great deal of trouble figuring out where to buy carpet and what to buy for our upstairs/hallway/staircase project. I visited 2 stores today and was equally disappointed in the floor salespeople. They were available, but not very knowledgeable. I would love to find a store in Houston that makes home visits and could help me figure out which kind to buy. Thanks Patricia for your input, I appreciate it!