the original backyard. you can't even imagine unless you see it what it actually looked like. the depth is enormous!

after a little bit of work (really a lot)

a lot more work from herman the hired help!

the finished product

the finished product from the other side

right out the back door. this concrete ended up being 12 inches thick. HUGE!!!

ready to be carried away

the finished product

the original side yard

matt and john and a lot of work got us this pathway

uncle louie, the hired help and his crew helped out with this!

the finished product

words cannot even begin to express the gratitude we have for our friends and family for helping us out. really, we have neighbors driving us to the house so we can pick up a friends truck, friends lending us their truck, words of support from everyone, my dad meeting workers to open up doors, matty leaving work early, driving down from San Diego, and helping us out for hours upon hours of hard MANUAL labor, our neighbor johnny being john's 'helper', the visits we have had from friends, john's work friend lending us his trailer, my mother in law extending her stay so we could have uninterrupted time fixing the house, my mom for all her help watching kids, meeting people at the house, and giving us all her 'contacts', my father in law for coming out next week for 2 weeks, the boxes people have lent us, on and on. i am sure i forgot someone important:) i could go on and on. this past weekend we were helped by my sister and brother in law for a house warming gift of gutting the backyard. this is no easy task as john and matt and our friend johnny will tell you. they worked their butt off to clear the way for a view area. thank god they did because the work that was done this weekend couldn't have been done unless they could get their big truck through the side yard which was just one week ago, covered in trees. jj a.k.a. jeff lewis from flipping out was calling and wheeling and dealing with about 4 different 'penny saver' people. he had people coming over to the house and if they couldn't start that day, they were out. in the end people were calling him back, he had no idea who the job was going to! i was a nervous wreck that people would come at the same time, he was planning on them coming at the same time to show them he wasn't messing around absolutely hysterical to watch him in action! i believe now, due to the generosity of other people, we are ready to make our house a home! anyone interested in our fixer upper, i thank you! love to all our family and friends:)