Ok few questions, if anyone still gets notifications to this thread.. Mike, that pic of your stump/rocks/sedum is great-- the stump is under the rocks? I can't tell what is stump and whit is rocks, or if it's all rocks and the stump is completely covered. I'm sure we can cut ours down some more and probable enough to bury it and plant something shallow like that. Love that idea. I'm confused about the downspout though. It would be buried underneath the sidewalk and come out somewhere downhill on the other side (of the sidewalk, in front of the house)? Sounds like a job for professionals. I like it though and now would certainly be the time to have it done. I also hate the green shutters and screen doors and have been considering brown-- maybe a brownish/taupeish/greenish-- and would like the part of the downspout that comes down the wall to match instead of that stark white. Probably more than I can afford right now, with the doors especially. Also about the foundation-- I didn't realize our dirt was up too high-- I don't think I've seen anything *but* brick on the soil line since we moved in!! Should I be alarmed? I guess I need to go all around and pull quite a bit of mulch and soil down away from the house, still on a slope? If I do that, I'm not sure that it'll be level with the sidewalk anymore by the time I make it that far.. And while I'm at it Mike, your pictures are too glorious. It's taking restraint on my part to not lose myself in jealousy : ) The picture of the really bright red twisty JM in fall-- that whole scene is heaven to me. The colors in that shot, red/orange/gold/yellow/green and blue with such interesting conifers peeking through- if I can get a teeny tiny taste of that feel in my little garden one day, I will be very very pleased. Breathtakingly beautiful. Ken- I'm sorry, I got confused on which piece of grass you were talking about as there's a little spot in the photo on the left. Yes, husband and I have discussed and the grass is going! Wish I'd have posted for insight before I edged it out a little farther and curved it-- here's a pic of the hydrangeas I thought I'd killed when pruning last fall that will show what it the edge looked like a month ago-- but oh well. Was fun practicing with my new edger : ) And the previous owners used the black fabric everywhere (as did the previous owners of our first house) and in each I have cursed it's existence! I've pulled up what we have here as I've gone along but there's plenty still in the areas I haven't even started on yet. They used it everywhere. EVERYWHERE. The method I started using at the last house, loved, and want to continue with here is the newspaper then mulch. Once my soil is amended some and all turned over, loose and level. That black stuff either creeps up no matter what kind of mulch or rocks people put over it, or they never put *enough* whatever over it in my experience, bc I can always see little bits of it here and there, EW. Not sure when my first road trip is as I have plans or appointments every weekday this week except Thursday so either Thursday or one day early next week but I am super excited! And will be following your exact advice-- take pictures, write down names, post here and get feedback : ) BTW you didn't respond about my burning bush-- if it were you, would you get rid of it altogether or do you think my new plan for it is ok?

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We finished our basement just a few years ago and the dust oh my! It took us 3 years to do it - diy and cash as we went along. I'd definitely rough in the plumbing like everyone else said. Ours wasn't plumbed for a bath so we had to cut cement for that, cut for an egress window plus drywall finish dust. I thought it would never end. Even blocking it off there was dust everywhere not to mention in the furnace because it wasn't summer. :( We are planning to build and will definitely rough in for the bathroom. Unfortunately due to cost I doubt we'll be able to get as far as drywall hung and mudded but I had hoped to just to avoid all that dust. Side note: we put in a sink in the rec room with cabinets and a microwave and we have never used it except once for mw popcorn. Definitely was a waste for us. Might not be for you though. And, our basement is not daylight/walkout and that may make a difference too. We don't really spend a ton of time down there in the summer especially.

Summerfields plan is awesome and could easily be updated to meet your needs. Just change the entry to the reading nook downstairs, re-arrange the upstairs room closets - great to have closets and you can open the walls up there for a more dorm style. I think for re-sale being able to make separate rooms would be ideal. I know you said you won't be moving, but you are moving now and you never know what will happen. For the downstairs there appears to be so much more room in the main living areas and the open dining as compared to the original will be so much more flexible and you could easily fit more people in that dining space and nobody has to squeeze by others to get to their seat. It also allows for expansion if ever needed. Have you considered what you'll do when you have kids grown up and married and grandchildren coming home to visit? I think summerfields floorplan makes the house so much more flexible and not just stuck at one point in time of your life. In that plan you can have a separate bedroom for guests if needed (future in-laws/grandchildren visiting), but still have room for all the kids now and a little room to grow in case you have more. Having 2 separate girls baths is also a good thing - the older girls can be responsible for keeping theirs clean and stuff not needed for the younger girls are separate. Having 3 separate baths also provides some guest possibilities, if you have somebody visiting - girls still got one to use and boys another and you could have guests use another. Summerfield has done a great job of placing most plumbing areas near each other too so it will cost less to run the plumbing. 2 baths next to each other. Laundry/Bath by each other and above the kitchen/powder room part. About the only thing not really meeting what you said you needed is the seeing the tub from the bed. You can see it, but not directly I guess. Although I don't really understand the need for this one. I personally would rather not see into my bathroom at all from the bed, tub or anything. Not something I consider a nice view, but I'm sure you have your reasons so wanted to point that one out.