Update

We have new windows in the living room and bedroom. The bedroom one is behind our crab apple tree, but it is the same style with the one row of grill across the top.
Here's a picture from the top of the stairs looking down. The old door and the wall it was in has been knocked down. It is huge. It's hard to get that from the photo, but it really is a nice big room. And bright. I keep thinking someone's left the door open because it's making the hall and dining room upstairs so much brighter.

Here's a picture showing the wasted space above the hall closet. It is at least 2.5' - 3' wide and as long as the closet below (about 6'). It will be sealed in from this angle, but Rick is talking about knocking out the wall facing into our bedroom and giving us all that extra closet space. More closet space is always a good thing.