We're not much Irish. More Scottish. But... same thing, right?
{Warning: NEVER say that to a Scot or an Irishman.}
{Seriously. They will punch you.}



This post is an update on our backyard. Remember? We've been "rezoning" it so that now we have a larger chicken run, a fenced and gated garden area, and a yard. I mean, we wanted a LEGIT yard. With grass so healthy, and plush, and beautiful that all summer we'll be barefoot and wandering around our yard. Aimlessly, probably.



The chickens are ingrates. They are not appreciative of our nice new run for them. They did not send a thank you note for their solar powered coop door that keeps them safe from raccoons at night. They give us the stink eye when we're near, because they still think they should have free range of the yard. Also, mealworms daily.

But no, chickens. You'll eat our garden and you'll continue to poop on our deck. Which has already been nicknamed the Poop Deck thanks to your lot. So deal with it.
{I love you so much, my feathered babies.}
Yeah, you heard me. DEAL WITH IT.



We've never laid sod before. But we knew two pallets of it was being dumped on our driveway this A.M. and figured it'd probably be an all day job. So we called in reinforcements who have laid sod beore {my in-laws, because of course. what DIY project haven't they done yet? answer: none.}

By the time I got home from taking the girls to a Leprechaun-hunting, fun-filled day at their enrichment school, they had already unrolled beautiful plush sod out on about half of our new lawn.



{Turns out, it doesn't take that long. Also, it is highly satisfying to roll new grass out like rugs and see your dirt transformed by a new and improved INSTA-LAWN!}

So, you see: we did more than just WEAR green this year for St. Patrick's day. We one-upped you and we installed *A* green this St. Patty's Day. 
*feels smug like a leprechaun*
*realizes no one in this photo is wearing green*

Although...it's still technically winter in Colorado. So by green...I mean...err? Chartreuse?

Straw?

Ugly yellow?



Oh whatever!!! The point is. The point is this. This year I will step right off by deck into lovely plush sod instead of compacted, lumpy, strange grass from the 1950s. And it was weird! Curly, and short, more like moss. It didn't spread like good [coughcough genetically engineered coughcough] grass should.

Our new turf is a Texas x Kentucky blue grass hybrid that is exactly as a Colorado transplant should be: cool with an arid climate, partial to shade, drought tolerant, and self heals nicely. Please inform your friends who've recently moved to Denver. All 8 billion of them. And their dogs.



The ingrates were, however, thankful for the scraps we tossed them.
And the donut Paxton didn't finish.



And after my husband's do-it-yourself parents had left and we stood, beholding our new, healthy 2017 turf, I said to my husband, "I have wanted this for three years. I now love my yard."

And he said, "Good."

Because he's not long-winded. Like some bloggers I know.    ಠ_ಠ 



So now we need to protect our investment from the kids for a few weeks while this sod takes root to our backyard farmette.



But we did have several rolls of earth rug left over. So we decided to take my father-in-law's advice...



And we did away with the eyesore, the wild rose bed in our front. We left room by the brick wall for those bleeding hearts and lily of the valley to still spring up {every year, bless}. And good thing, since we barely had enough sod to do so.


And now: the challenge of keeping these pesky pups off our new turf for a few weeks.
Look at Cocoa, sticking her tongue out at me. They're not happy about it.
{Do you recognize this cornhole game from Eisley's first birthday party that had an Alice in Wonderland theme?! Still have it!}



So there you have it.
We greened chartreused harder than you this St. Patrick's day!
Go pinch yourself. ;-)
{Gently.}

Cheers,
Heather