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 concrete (part 1) ...

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

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.

:)

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 ...

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.

Just keep digging.

The trench ...

Looking better (in the backyard) ...

Sprinklers are in, one old tree is out, the ground is almost ready for grass, to the right of this photo is ready for concrete and the wood fence ... GO TEAM!

The backyard tree (in a pile) ...

There it is - one of our backyard trees in a pile.

Backyard update - WARNING: dust levels are high!

This little patch of dirt is outside our back/side door - eventually, it will have garden boxes and we'll fill them with all our favorite garden veggies ... Sprinklers are in and good to go!

We worked most of Saturday on pulling all the weeds in our backyard and clearing all the firewood off the lawn. This was a dusty, dirty job. Allergies were on high alert :) ...

While at this year's Parade of Homes, I heard a man ask the builder of one of the homes how much additional it would be to have the landscaping done on a house and the builder told him it would be $50,000. Wow huh? So with each project we take on and conquer, I keep thinking - just keep working and saving money, just keep working!

Tory with the rototiller - the ground has not been watered all year so the dust storm was pretty impressive. We are so excited to get the grass in and the concrete poured back here.

Another shot of the little future garden zone ... I see tomatoes, squash and strawberries!

All that's left of the old tree ...

That is where the stump was to our old tree - The Tree guys came out on Wed. and it is no longer there.

What's left? The firewood. Goodbye tree. We'll miss your shade ...

Garage doors (more ideas) ...

I like the doors on this garage -
Our garage plans include 2 doors so I've been hunting the web for ideas and inspiration. :)

Isn't that always 1/2 of the fun? The planning? I think so too.

ONE tree ...

We have ONE huge tree left in the backyard. We had the tree guys leave piles of the trunk so we could use it for firewood. The backyard feels a little lonely now - but it will soon be filled in with a garage, cement, grass and an outdoor fireplace/pit.

Garage ideas ...

Little garage tucked away in the trees. I really like the door.

Love the feel of this one ... maybe it's the red door? :)

I love the old doors on this car garage ....

We are in the process of building a garage in our backyard and we've been looking at books and websites for inspiration. This Saturday, we have a tree removal service coming in to remove a tree in our backyard. Once it is out, we'll be able to move forward with the garage plans.

Setting the fence posts ...

The posts - all set in a row!

Looking good! :)

The first one - :)

A truck full of posts and cement ...

Let's do this! :)

Special thanks to Keni Gosney for helping with this ALL day project.

PS: All 30 posts are in and ready for the next step of this backyard adventure! Moving on ...