I decided that the cathedral ceiling being extra tall and inaccessible, was too difficult for me to tear out myself. I enlisted the help of some demolition experts who I contacted through their ad on Craigslist. They came over with some extra scaffolding and a roof shingle stripper and made quick work of tearing out the west wall, the ceiling and the insulation.
Workers Set Up for Tear Down
Tearing Down in Family Room
After the teardown I had lots of clean up to do but I kind of like the whole bare bones look of the rooms!
Tear Down Living Room Ceiling
Final Tear Down Bath/Family Room
Utility Room Tear Out