Update: I have a Quartz mountain Live oak that has survived the winters of 2015-2016 and 2016-2017 in the ground. It is a 4 ft at planting time specimen. I did put christmas lights on it both winters. I didn't cover it though. It hasn't grown too much though, because it doesn't often get in the 90'sF here the way they like it. It may get only a foot or so of new growth a year, but, I am just thrilled to have a Live oak in zone 6. The Live oak from Arizona is still alive, but, it was killed down to the soil line several winters, but, I will be covering it next winter so it can get some height to it finally. The Arizona Fusi Live oak is now about 3 feet tall. The Arizona Fusi is multi-trunked, so i hope to get it to 1 trunk also, I'm not sure how to do that really without taking off the wrong trunk, or killing it by trying. Maybe I should go on the tree forum?

THINGS I'M GLAD WE DID We planned for the future and ran PVC pipe underneath all our concrete walks and drives so landscape lighting could be added later. Also ran pipe for electric wires out to the backyard where we would be building our barn the next year so we wouldn't have to dig up the yard again. Wired for an entertainment system in the basement (which we are finishing now -- 2 yrs. after move-in). DH insited on 400 amp service so we would have plenty of electrical for pool, barn etc. Splurged on the kitchen cabinets and appliances. It's one of our favorite rooms and is large enough for both of us to cook at the same time. Makes cooking & cleanup easy and enjoyable. Insisted on a pool bath with a separate entrance into the home. We fired our first designer when he insisted it was a waste of space in our northern home and would present a security risk because it makes another entrance to the home. It's great not to have guests walk across our wood floor when coming in from the pool to use the restroom. It's also a great changing room for the pool and hot tub and the shower is a great place to wash the doggie. Lots of very large windows to view the beautiful landscape and wildlife from everywhere in the home. What a way to increase the endorphins during an upper midwest winter. We used to live in a house where we could barely see outside. Our coffee area in the MB suite. We saw this in a parade home and had our second (and final) architect plan for this. It consists of some cabinetry, a small refrigerator and a bar sink -- perfect for making coffee in the morning or storing juice and sodas. It's located outside the bedroom, bathroom and closet area but still inside the suite area. Planned for a single, very large MB closet. It's 10 x 15 and is a perfect size for storing all our clothes and is also a roomy changing room. A covered lanai in the back of the house to escape the summer heat but enjoy the rainstorms. Our hardwood floor (Brazilian Teak) throughout the house. One of the biggest "wow" factors to people visiting. THINGS I WISH WE HAD DONE DIFFERENTLY Mostly small size changes which you wouldn't understand unless you were inside the house. A couple of feet here and there to make a room slightly larger. We actually cut those feet off the original plan to keep it just under 4000 sq.ft. Boy, I wish we had kept them. Really checked our cabinet layout. Our laundry room has a tight area when using the fold-down ironing board. It's mainly because we chose a front loading washer & dryer which are deeper than traditional machines. Try to visualize the cabinets and how they work in the room.

Hey someone who had the same thing happen to them as me. My SS went into the Marine's after living with us for about 3 months. I was so happy because this dumb kid had nothing going for him...at all...just like some of his other siblings. Well he went and sailed through the basic training. We went to the graduation. He got sent to another school for training and that's when he started to let my DH that "he" didn't like it and wanted out. Then he would call and say "he" was just joking. Then all of a sudden wouldn't ya know he's getting discharged!!!! It was something drug related ( and to this day I don't fully know, cause the dumb idiot won't tell us). Anyway he was coming to our house, but stopped off at his mom's on the way home for about 2 months to do every type of drug known to man. Finally the little boy got to our house. While we were waiting for Capt. Dumber then a box of rocks to get to our house. My hubby and I had a little talk. He was just gonna let him come home with NO rules. I said "not gonna happen". I made up the rules, he had to agree to them and then we presented to loser the "small BOOK of rules". His brother (who was visiting from the Army) at the time said that these were more strict then being in boot camp. I explained that I was going to be someone he wished he never knew... The wussy kid didn't last a month. We "per the rules" as a team explained to the future "I live under a bridge candidate" that he needed to vacate our house. He didn't do what was expected and that he signed on the dotted line saying that he would. I'm sorry I don't let people live in our house that are that dumb. My DH ex monster in law came and got him and yelled at us. She even put the ex wife on the phone with DH. Well while they were chatting (she was yelling, I could hear). I decided to get something straight with Grandma sitting in front of me. I told her that she is not to tell us what to do in our own home, she can let this thing come live with her, and let him do or not do in HER own home, but don't you ever come into MY home and tell me or him what WE are doing wrong with HIS son...got it. They left....3 years later my SS is still sponging off her for free...oh did I mention that he acquired a DUI too? ( he's done some other really bad things, but I can't and won't go into detail) while he's been with her. You know the moral of the story is he's not on our dime and Granny got what she wanted...someone who steal's from her.

Mrs. Pete - If you are putting a back on it - make it deeper - ours is borderline on depth. I love our pillows vs a standard cushion on the back. Our pillows our about 22 inches square. Initially, I was going to go with 18 inches but so glad I went bigger - but bigger size means the pillows are deeper. If you have enough height - I would try to have a 4-6 inch cushion for comfort (ours is 3 inches plus padding - so close to 4.5) Also - unless you are a DIY - plan on the upholstery and cushions to be expensive!! I hoped to DIY, but just didn't have the energy to pull it off. Our GC was a genius with the back - If our windows were higher, I would not have needed the fold down - but it is a great feature. I love our nook - I just want to go there and read my Nook! Think about what type of table you will need - Fishies has been struggling with her design. We are going very basic and planning for only 2 people. So our table will be coffee table height but will rise up to 30 inches to use for a desk or breakfast. Power the area - we put power under the benches and in our "caves". I was working on the computer and realized the batteries were low(the bad battery gene runs in the family - LOL), so just plugged in and kept working! Good luck and will be watching your plans.