So, here is the before I ripped it all out waterfall. You can NOT just have pretty rocks sitting on cinder blocks. If you know anything about chemistry and the forces of nature, water must have a barrier, or it becomes a free loving entity. My Father told me to remove all rocks and give the water a flow area. I needed to lift my black liner and stuff it full of dirt or sand to ensure the water had a clear path down AND the path must be protected on both sides by the liner.
WHAT?!?!
I HAD ALREADY FREAKIN' LANDSCAPED.
Okay, so I moved all the rocks. I removed all the landscaping. (This is what happens when you put a horse before the cart.) I had my children, and dog, help remove all the black foam because it was worthless. I took 3 bags of playground sand--thank goodness I already owned this--and stuffed that black pond liner full! 
I tucked rocks around the liner. The water had NO where to leak out. There was a 100% solid black liner creating a barrier of downward flow to get that water down to the bottom. It is smaller, but more compact in the flow. I then started placing my plants where I wanted them.
I added a walking path to get to the electrical and the spill way. I learned you need a walking path as things do break down. You will also need to clean out the spillway and pump from time to time. Best to give yourself a place to do this without breaking your knee caps!
Here is the finished project. I added some Target solar powered lights. They were on clearance for $.99. I also found a Lily at Lowes for $9 and a solar powered Owl on sale at a closing K-Mart nearby.
All in all, my cheap DIY Pond Pinterest WEEKEND project took 7 10 hour days and around $500. Way to go. The good news is I am still happily married. I did 95% of this while hubby was away on a business trip. HA! He may never leave town again....
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