[ClockworkC5]

i appreciate everyones input, and had no have any intentions of this post going the way it did. there are 4 of us in the house. we all sat down and discussed what happened and planned how to act if we come into this situation again. everyone will be awake, the girls together armed in a room. (my girlfriend was in the national guard, and likely can shoot better then alec and i). they call the police. the way the house is setup, you can go partway down the stairwell partially covered (visually, not balistically) and have a clear view of the living room, office, front door. ect. there is enough ambiant light to clearly identify the intruder. we are using the alarm, also using an extra deadbolt, one that cannot be accessed from out door. and reinforced the sliding glass doors. the thing i hope people can take from this is everyone should have some sort of plan in place for everyone in their household. we live in a nice housing development and never thought this would happen to us.