This is almost the same view as the first picture, though you would never know. Now you can actually see the path to our basement and the little mini patio the previous owners laid out. 

There were plants lining all the edges of the fence, many dead or dying. We decided to gut the right side of the fence and try to cut down and save the roses, hydrangea and peony on the left. Did you even notice the raised beds in the before pictures? I'm so excited to get my hands on those, but they're going to wait until next spring. Our eventual goal is to fill sod in everywhere except for along the left side of the fence and the beds and add some kind of cement patio. I can't wait to have a real yard!