burning hot

This has been an unseasonably warm fall. Even now, at the end of November, it's 28 degrees. Maybe that seems chilly to some, but 2 years ago Thanksgiving was 20 below. So there is really nothing to complain about. We're pretty cozy in our little house heated with wood. We had bought our fireplace at an auction for about $100, and it was doing an ok job, it was just kind of a pain to get it started and keep it going and having to add logs every hour or so because it would burn through them so fast. So Seth started doing some research, and he came across this pretty little thing...

 For years whenever I wanted a hint about some birthday or Christmas present, Seth would tease and tell me it's initials are WBS. Wood Burning Stove. Although that sounds like a REALLY exciting kind of present, I finally did get one and am really excited about it. It's just so pretty and hot. Like me. Right. Moving on.

It's not nearly as big as our old stove but puts out some serious heat and can keep it warm forever, without having to add a log but every 5 hours or so. I love it! And it's so cute with all of our stockings hung with care.

Before we took out the old stove we thought it'd be a good idea to clean the chimney. I thought how helpful I would be to get it all cleaned and done while Seth was at work. Plus I couldn't wait to climb on the roof and get all chim-chiminee-cheree up there. Except roofs are steep and far from the ground, and my chimney sweep was really flexible so I couldn't use it for any sweet tricks. Instead of dancing and singing on the roof I crawled and prayed. When I came down every single one of my kids told me my face was dirty. The wind picked up the soot and blew it right in my face, and unlike Mary Poppins my teeth were black too. It was worth it, I gained some credibility as handy(er) and brave(er).