Oh my gosh, what a surprise to see my old thread pop up! It was, all in all, a great trip for them all. What worked? Just about everything . . . and thanks to everyone for the wonderful advice! ~ Sleeping arrangements: DD and 2 of the girls fit nicely in DD's room (bed, window seat bed and single mattress on floor). The two other girls slept out on our living room sofas. That room closes off with 3 sets of French doors, so they had a bit of privacy, at least. The 2 guys slept in our guest room. Bathrooms: I decided before anyone arrived that, with seven 18 & 19 year olds in one house, there would be no long baths; only quick showers. So, I put 2 wood tv tables in the bathtub with a laundry basket on each. One held big stacks of folded bath towels and washcloths. The other was for the used ones. I told them not to hang the damp ones. The nightmare of many wet towels hanging everywhere inspired that decision. Great one on my part!!! I just washed and replaced the towels every afternoon while they were out sightseeing. I also had stocked both guest bathrooms with a box of essentials: from travel-size tubes of toothpaste, deodorants, Kleenex; small combs, Tylenol, Tums, Chapstick, toothbrushes, girl essentials, sunscreen. Thank goodness, as they were pretty much all used! ~ I put a supply of local postcards, stamps and pens in each bedroom for them to send postcards quickly and easily. Also a supply of local travel books to inspire their daily outings. ~Food/Meals: as I expected, they ate like they were all starving. They loved my meals . . . even the vegetarian. I'd stocked up on enough snacks to keep them all happy. Thank goodness! ~Sightseeing: LOL LOL LOL!!! None of them had been to New Mexico before and their expectations were funny, to say the least. We have small herds of wild horses, but they're wild, not kept in pens. Our visitors wanted DD to drive them , wherever they were so that they could "pet them" and take pics! That didn't happen (LOL), but they did see some occasionally here and there. Same with coyotes. DD had to warn them not to make a big deal about any Native Americans they saw. They tried to speak Spanish to people here, which was met with patience and kindness (thank goodness!). Our chile was "too hot", but they loved exploring Santa Fe and Albuquerque. And Madrid, NM, where the movie "Wild Hogs" was filmed. What didn't work? Well, getting 7 college freshmen to agree on anything, such as where to go exploring next or what movie to watch, was a PIA for DD. One gal turned out to be a hypochondriac, which frustrated the rest. And, DS & his girlfriend decided at the last minute to cancel their hotel reservations and sleep on a queen-size air mattress in our foyer (the only place left!), as they stopped by for a few days on their way to his new job in Tucson, AZ. So, we ended up with a real houseful . . . but it was a lot of fun. Would we do it again? Yes, if DD asked. Would DD do it again? Absolutely not. She said it was fun but exhausting. This Spring Break she's bringing (just) two of her close friends/sorority sisters here to celebrate her 21st birthday. They'll dance at some of the higher end (read: safe) clubs. Shop Santa Fe and ABQ Uptown. Visit Madrid and The Tram. Eat out at some favorite spots and generally spend all the money their parents promised them for this year's Spring Break on themselves instead of an expensive hotel room. Their first choice, Austin, TX, was pretty much already booked up, as South by Southwest will be there at the same time. They were looking at $500/night for modest hotel rooms and super-inflated SbSW ticket prices! So, we'll be entertaining again, but on a much more sane level! Lynn

People here have been mowing their yards already. This morning I went around with my cart and picked up sticks all about the property, came in the house, first thing I hear is the neighbor on her riding mower. She just HAS to be first to mow her yard each year. LOL. It was sunny with wind, but the threat of thunder storms was in the air. I almost went to the garage to get my mower out but then decided I was too lazy and will wait awhile. Now it looks as tho it could rain soon. The grass is actually at a good height for being so early in the season. Besides, it takes me appx. 2hrs. to mow everything. Eh, I'm not ready for winter vacation to be over. :(

Shawn, it sounds to me like you have a pretty good handle on what your needs are, and how you will live in your new house. That is the important information you need to bring to your architect. The more detail you can provide on your needs, desires, and lifestyle, the more quickly the architect can provide a draft plan that will work for you. Just reading through this thread, you have highlighted many important wishes. A good architect will ask lots of questions to help pin down your needs and wants even further (because it's impossible to think of everything at once, when we've never done it before). One thing to keep in mind - you've put a lot of time and energy into your plans, and an architect may come back with a design that looks nothing like yours. Please keep an open mind, and ask they why things are laid out a certain way. You may be very surprised at how well a different plan may suit your family! Another thing to remember is that your kids are going to grow up fast. It sounds like your children are fairly young; as teenagers, their needs will change dramatically. Plan now for them to have space away from the living room to hang out with their friends. Good luck!

I think I know the answer, but do you have an architect? (this is not a solicitation, I am just wondering if they already have someone on-site (an architect) that can assist them through their process) What part of Michigan?