Dekeoboe, Thanks for posting those images within the thread. For the stools, we'll probably change the 8 stools as shown to 5 stools (one on end and two on each side) since we have 5 in our family. Lafdr, Thank you for the many comments. Our lot is 2 acres, but we probably only have about 1.2 buildable acres because of the pond and woods. Also, the lot is much deeper than it is wide so we don't have a ton of width to the lot but I appreciate the thoughts about getting more windows/natural light (which is important to us). Think we'll go ahead with the Jack N Jill bathroom. I'm guessing that the doors won't be locked much. For the stairway, we're picturing an open staircase something like this: [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/nemo-contemporary-staircase-orlando-phvw-vp~3745201) [Modern Staircase[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/modern-staircase-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_745~s_2105) by Winter Park Home Media Design & Installation Storch Entertainment Systems So we wouldn't be able to locate the coat closet under the stairs if we opt for something like that. Still not sure on what we want to do for the sitting room. Would you remove the walls and just have a wider bedroom? We're still debating the advantages and disadvantages of the sunken room. We think it will look cool, make it easy to transition from tile in the foyer/kitchen to hardwood in the great room, and give us another 14" in ceiling height in the great room, but we understand the safety issues and some of the functionality issues that could arise. bpathome, We appreciate all comments that improve the functionality of our home. We will flip the pantry. pixie, We'll make the changes to the kids closets. Good ideas for other possibilities for that 6x8 extra space in the one bedroom. I'll discuss with my wife. You're right - we may want to add a door to the closet. I'd like to shorten the closet a little but don't know how with the current layout because we want to maintain a wall for the covered patio. Excellent idea for changing the mudroom door to enter into the hallway across from the pantry. That will give us access to the mudroom if we enter the other garage door also. My wife loves that idea and is now asking why I ever drew it the other way :). Switching to 5 stools should solve the issues with space in the island right? Yes, that circle is a fire pit. Against code to have fire pit under an enclosure? Bummer. Scrapbook and kirkhall, Thanks for the notes about the pocket door. We'll be moving that doorway to open across from the pantry. Thanks all and please keep the comments coming!

Hey man looks like you did a stand up job fixing your pool by reading the comments. For some reason I am unable to see the pictures. I would love to see them though if you would be willing to send them to me? Also I just recently purchased a fixer upper house myself with a pool in the back yard. The previous owners filled it in with dirt when they got to old to take care of it. After digging a little of it up I have determined that it was a liner pool that was a wood frame. I intend to undertake the project myself in time. I would love any and all advice from you if you would be willing to email back and forth me a little. Row797@hotmail.com

I have been on decorating forum since I moved into new house 2yrs ago, after I finished decorating the first house we found new house, new house was blank slate. Been on pools since last year, decided to do pool in blank backyard. I do hit other sites when problems arise. Like my dryer, plants to plant, car, buying homes, money saving ideas, and now scrapping. I just celebrated my 17th anniversary and 20yrs together. Kids are dd= 9, ds= 5.5. I just went back to work after 5yrs off to be with kids. I am in the insurance industry and called my last coworker and she hired me. Great company, 7mi commute, family oriented, flexible schedule so I can take my kids to school every day. I remember going to a big craft show in early 90s and saw this scrapbook company and thought they had waaaaaay too much time on their hands. That was CM! Met my CM friend through the MOMS club in 2000, but I had started scrapping when dd was born in 97. I do 8x11 for kids books but 12x12 for all the others. I have done doggy books for my bro and myself, and cat one too. They each took less than a day to do. Wish I could do a business in pet books. I really love making something special like that. Creepiest thing about scrapping, kind of sad too. Back in 99 I lived in Atlanta. I was working on my sister's page doing the pics of her and her husband. When I was literally holding the pics the phone rang, her husband had died. I remember talking on the phone while looking at the pics. Very coincidental, I know, but just really odd. I currently have my kids books, Kiki cat's, doggy's, my family and friends, dh's family and friends, dh's life before me/my life before dh (It is a 12x12 with white pages, there is a black divider page so you know where his part starts). I will be making a vacations book at a crop event on 4/29. It will have all the trips we took before kids came into our marriage. Then I will make a book of our life together, minus the kid stuff. That will be a small book-lol! Actually, there are things we have done that did not involve the kids- hard to believe we actually have done things without them! I will make a book of my dh's kayak trips. Now that I am settled in to working again, I can fit scrapping back into my schedule. Janna knows how the pool build can be all consuming. The reason I have over 1000 pics to develop is because all my time was spent on the pool. Now I can get refocused. My biggest dream is to have my mom get her pics organized. She has two shoeboxes of black and white pics from her youth. She is 73. I have talked to her about writing on the backs because she is the only one who knows. I have offered to scan all pics to disc to give to others. I would then put the pics into an album for her. My siblings could do what they want with their CD of pics. I could even make duplicate albums if they paid me to do it. Of course the deal would be that I get mom's actual album some day. My mom has been a real frustration for me lately. Maybe this would be a way to bring us closer. I need to keep my cost down, $40 is too much for an album and one can only have so many parties to earn free stuff from CM. I was a consultant for a few months, just not enough time to generate the clientel. So I think I may have to use the 40% coupons at Michaels or JoAnns to get my books. My CM friend is fine about stuff like that. I still will buy other things from her. I have got my dh better at taking pics. I have explained how to think about pics instead of just taking them. He has gotten really good at it. Enough about me. This is why I have no time to scrap.

Hi...Finally down from the attic. Been there all day and got almost everything done. DH helped me today and we stopped to have supper about an hour ago(went out to Wendy's with my parents). Ugh, what a long day. DD watched the little one all day for us. I did cancel the flu shots and put off d-day for my baby for another few days. The guy who is doing the installation called this morning and said he wanted everything stacked down the middle of the attic instead of all at one end like he said before. Sooooo, we had to move and restack all the bins I had moved to the far end. Sorted thru lots of things that just got stuck up there when we moved from the downstairs MIL apartment to upstairs and hadn't been gone thru. About 4 big bins of craft wood pieces and projects that I want to paint. Just everything that we don't have room for, but don't want to part with...you know how it goes. Anyway, we pared down big time and have all our garbage cans full (garbage day on Friday so I don't know where we'll put our regular trash this week!) and our trailer is piled up with junk, a bunch of stuff going to the TS and I still have all the kids toys to go thru. They don't have enough room for all their favorite toys so we swap them out from the attic every 6 months or so and it's like they have new toys again. Youngest DD is very good at purging, the other kids like to hang on to everything, but to their credit they do play with it all. It's mostly action figures. I have a whole bin full of Rescue Heros that I think I'm going to donate to my church nursery or the shelter. Little kids love them, but my kids have outgrown them. So we'll end up with maybe 2 bins to put back in the attic. The good thing is that we got rid of all the cardboard boxes and bags and put everything neatly in plastic bins that stack up so nicely and take up way less space. So we got all our stuff sorted and stacked, but my parents still have a bunch of stuff up there to tackle. I told my DM I'd help her go thru her stuff. I think it's mostly books. They just got back from the deer hunt last night late. They were gone for 2 weeks so they are still unpacking their camper and washing, etc. You know I already have a bad back and I haven't done it any favors by doing this, but I'll take a Tylenol PM (they knock me out)ha and a heat pack and hopefully I'll get some rest tonight. It's only 8 something and I'm ready to go to bed. ha You have a good one and I'll see ya later. I'm gonna go soak in a hot tub and hit the hay! ~Anj