Well, we have been going back and forth the past few days....
Finally decided, we don't want to build up the low end the full 14 inches. We think the slope on the lower side would just look too "artificial". So, we decided to compromise. We are going to keep the 8-inch blocks on the lower side and dig the higher side 6 inches deeper.
Here are a few pics of the lower side with some blocks placed to bring it up to the 14 inch level (blocks not placed in final position...just to get an idea). Don't like the exaggerated height.
So, we will eliminate those extra blocks and keep the lower side at 8 inches with those concrete blocks on the bottom. We will dig the high side an extra 6 inches deep to make everything level. On the shelf on the high side, we will stack rocks up above the water line to give it a natural look.
We got some more digging done today but had to stop by noon. The temps and humidity were just too much. I was going to take updated pics, but I never got back down there this afternoon. I will post more pics tomorrow.