I've been thinking that - thanks for saying it!

I've dealt with well water for almost my entire life (lived in a city for a couple years). You just have to learn to be aware of how much water you're using. Do a load of laundry every day, not 6 loads on Saturday. No 20-minute showers. You CAN get clean in a few inches of water in the tub, it doesn't need to be up to the overflow. You can use it extravagantly in March but not in August.
Also, you can probably find a commercial water hauler to bring a load if the well runs low.

Sounds like there never was any electricity to the barn.

It's pretty simple: if you don't like the rules, don't play the game.

I think your odds are even better than that:
Sweepstakes were open for 51 days & you could enter twice a day (102 entries - let's make it 100 for easy figuring.) So your original odds are 100 in 81 million = 10 in 8.1 million = 1 in 810,000. Since both you and your wife entered the max, the odds that one of you wins are 1 in 405,000. Now back out the well-known cities and...
It's almost a sure thing!
Invite us over, OK?

I thought the same thing about raising small children there. Also - couldn't help thinking of Harry Potter's room under the stairs when I saw the cubby hole off the family room. Can't imagine getting in there to clean!

Exactly right!

I agree, Lea. Just because someone has the time and inclination to post frequently does NOT make his or her opinion more important than those of us who follow the Blog Cabin without commenting. The team that actually puts the whole house together will incorporate our choices into what will be - I'm sure! - a fabulous finished home.

FLH - perhaps you are not aware that ALL CAPS is equivalent to shouting on internet posts. Your comments would be easier to read without all that emphasis.
Thank you.

IMHO, the peninsula takes space away from the dining area and limits furniture arrangement. The layout without a peninsula shows stools at the center island so casual meals for 2 are still possible.
I can see a cart in the area taken up by the peninsula which could be loaded up and wheeled out to the deck.
That's why I'm voting for the no-peninsula layout.