Pete,
Looks like they got a lot done yesterday...
Glad to see you got the door in the back of the garage. That's the best location, in case there are ever 2 cars in the garage, and it will open onto the concrete patio, as well.
You mentioned earlier preferring an iron railing along the stairwell rather than a half wall that the contractor wants to do.
If you go the custom railing route have your blacksmith shop make a matching gate to go across the top of the stairs to protect mom from falling into the stairwell if she ever has sun blindness or trips while coming in the back door.
If you get the post positions figured out before the garage floor is poured, your iron works can give you some tubing to put in the concrete before it sets up for the posts to slip down into. You could even use scraps from the plumbers drain lines. If the posts will be square or rectangular just be sure to measure across the diagonal so the tube hole is big enough. They will make the posts about a foot extra in length to fit the sockets in the floor and you will have a very rigid rail.
One more comment on the vaulted ceiling... Since your trusses are made so that your sloped ceiling is a considerable distance from the roof decking, rather than just the 12" rafter space described by others; there is plenty of room for the Owens Corning special R-38 bats that Owens wants you to use and a good air space above for soffit to ridge vent airflow. This is covered in detail, even video, on their roofing and insulation sites.
Neat shot you took yesterday on the way to work. By the location of the fir trees in the farmers field, I was able to plot your exact location on the road when you took the picture from space.
Snow on the ground here this A.M. and the pond is starting to freeze again.
Have a good day,
Ron