Jackhammered.

BOOM.

We've finally begun the demolition destruction in our backyard! After the backyard had gone to sh_t for the last couple of years, Daniel and I are super, duper, duper stoked to have a yard to entertain and play in! It's a surprisingly good size and overlooks the city garden which is awesome for privacy. For the longest time, though, I wasn't sure the sprinklers even worked. Part of our backyard would stay fairly leafy, while most of it was dead. The grass dirt has been a huge inconvenience, and I think our dog has been out there three times total since he's lived here. (He freaks out in dirt, runs/rolls all over the place and stirs up giant, stormy dust bowls.) 

Here's a rundown of the before that I snapped quickly this morning before all the workers came to start all the demo: 

Right outside our double doors to the yard

Same area outside of the double doors from inside the house

The giant Podocarpus trees with giant roots lifting up the existing concrete.

Looking into the house. (Hi, Fall pillows!) 

From one side of the yard 

The angle from the other side---hey Mickey!

The other side. Covered with old flagstone and dirt errrrrrwhere.

I was surprised with how much was accomplished in a few hours of work. The guys came around 1 PM, left by 5 PM, and had basically demoed all of the concrete, moved a giant tree, dug up the gas line to the built in bbq, chopped down a HUGE lime tree, and then some. This was the final product right after they left: 

Haul away happens tomorrow morning!

Gas line to the BBQ in the middle!

The front planter is also getting a full makeover

One issue that was discovered whilst digging up the BBQ line, was the gas line from the main pipe to the chimney was originally connected with a plastic pipe: 

Seriously. WHAT THE???? Who does that?? Our guy said it was a cheap (not to mention illegal) way of putting in a gas line. I'm absolutely dumbfounded. In any case, I was on a business trip last summer when I found out about a gas leak on my main gas line. The gas repair company apparently capped my chimney gas line while I was away, and I didn't discover it until recently. Unfortunately, we'll have to repair the whole line with "legal" pipes--a few hundos later. On the bright side, though, we'll have our gas back in our fireplace--just in time for winter. (Not to mention a new outdoor bbq!) 

Well, that's that. The guys are coming back tomorrow and finishing even more work----hooray! 

And with that, I leave you with a couple goodies I found today at my local Homegoods store: 

Super cute, fabric bound photo albums for all of our travels.

Scored on this succulent centerpiece for our dining table. 

Almost as cool as my REAL succulent. ;)

Time to catch some shut eye and get ready for my long day of home showings tomorrow with clients. Oh, and Sunday, I get to visit our new baby niece. Can't wait!! Goodnight, y'all.