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.

:)

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 ...