Work continues on the backyard fence ...

We were blessed with a beautiful fall Saturday last weekend and were able to get started on the backyard fence (the part that will run along the driveway) ... It's going to be so nice to have this all fenced off. :)

Moving on.

The driveway (with concrete) ...

I didn't have any yellow caution tape - so I marked the wet paint with hot pink crape paper...
Feels happy - I think we need a 'patio party' :) ... I'm really happy with how this driveway/concrete project turned out. The concrete crew did a really nice job.

The concrete (part 1) ...

Areal view (from an upstairs bedroom) ... part two of the concrete pour happens in the morning! WOW!!

But wait ...

There's more - lots more. Concrete pour day 2 ... (happens tomorrow)!!
More 'driveway makeover' photos in a bit -

Driveway pour - Day #1

We woke up the entire neighborhood today with these big, monster cement trucks!! :)

The concrete crew arrives ... 6:40 am

6:40 am - Crew arrives. 7:00 am - concrete truck #1, 7:30 am - concrete truck #2 ...
Good times!! :)

Ready for the concrete ---

It's a big concrete job!! What will we do with all that patio space? LIVE, LOVE & ENJOY it. :)

The basketball hoop and pole go in that framed box ...

Some rocks from digging up the backyard ...

The driveway and backyard are all framed up. The underground sprinklers are in, the conduit is buried in the ground and we are SO ready & excited to get this concrete poured.

:)

Chicken soup for the soul ...

It's fall and the nights are colder, daylight hours are shorter ... Nothing like a big pot of chicken noodle soup to bring the family together! :)

We keep learning ...

There it is ... the conduit ready (in the future) for our electrical lines ...
Level of difficulty: HIGH.

These home projects are so crazy - they teach us (again and again) about the power of persistence, belief, hard work and patience ...!

The chainsaw vs. the axe ---

The roots down in the ground were so hard to remove! One night, we rented a chainsaw and tried to cut them out. It worked for a few of the roots but when it came to the ultra, big final root, we had to hack it out - with an axe!

This project was incredibly time-consuming, stressful, dirty and expensive. We rented a bobcat, a chainsaw, a digging machine, and even hired our neighbor to help us dig.

WE are so glad that the conduit is now in the ground and the roots and rocks are gone!

Way to go team! Moving on ...

Sometimes I think ...

WHAT WERE WE THINKING??! But most often, I find myself in awe - "WOW, look what we've done so far!" The positive thoughts are always way more productive. :)

The backyard on a rainy day in October ...

Who invented the Wheelbarrow? Thanks - b/c we use it often! :)

The trench ... up next: lay the pipe, fill the trench back up with dirt.

Check that out - the last section of the trench that needs to be cleared away. It's full of gnarly tree roots ... Yes, we'll be happy when all that pipe is buried and the electrical lines are tucked away down under the rocky ground.

A new meter box ...

There it is - the NEW meter box. It was crushed in last week (by the gravel truck) ... I always like to see the broken stuff get fixed! One thing off the check list. Moving on.

Just keep digging.

The trench ...

Digging the trench in our backyard ...

This old house has a bunch of electrical lines running from the house through the backyard to the pole behind our house.

There they are.

In order to get rid of them, we need to dig a 3 foot deep trench and bury conduit so that when our garage is finished, the City can come out and fish the lines down through the conduit.

This is NO easy project. The ground is full of rocks and tree roots ...

It will be so nice to have all the lines underground ... We're in a bit of a rush because the concrete is being poured on Monday the 8th. GO TEAM!