Our Wood Stove

Our family has been enjoying the warmer weather lately, but the one thing I am going to miss about winter is the beautiful fire Scott has made each cold evening. When we first bought our house back in August, we both thought the large, black wood stove in the family room was rather dirty and ugly looking. We agreed that we would remove the stove and revert it back into a traditional wood fireplace. But after Scott researched wood stoves and fireplaces and learned how much more efficient wood stoves are at heating a house, we decided to go ahead and try out the stove this winter.

Scott developed a new habit this winter. As soon as he got home from work, he would clean out the ashes from the night before and clean the soot off the stove windows to allow the family optimum fire viewing. Cooper and Shelby loved to help out Daddy. Then, Scott would go out back and use his new axe to chop some kindling. I would watch him chop wood through the kitchen window as I made dinner. It always made me smile from ear to ear as I watched him swing his axe. He would come back in, start the fire, then come eat dinner as the fire slowly grew.

I miss this simple routine that had become a part of our family life and I truly miss the warm glow of the fire burning in our wood stove.

Ecclesiastes 5:18-20 Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot. Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil--this is the gift of God. For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart.

Winter Wonderland

The excitement and magic of the snow day yesterday has inspired me to finally start one of these blogs (much to Scott's dismay since we still have dial-up internet and it is going to take too much time to upload things!)

Cooper has never jumped out of bed and gotten dressed so fast in his life! He bolted out of bed at 7:15 and couldn't stop jumping up and down until he finally got to go outside at 7:45. He was more excited than on Christmas morning. Shelby had been up roaming around the night before so she didn't roll out of bed until well after 9, when it had started to sleet. She was more fascinated than excited. The fascination only lasted about 10 minutes. After making lots of snow angels, some snow balls and a small snow girl, she was in tears because her hands hurt and were frozen. She ran inside crying. She seemed very angry that the snow was wet and cold and not just some white fluffy stuff!

Cooper, on the other hand, couldn't get enough of the snow. He kept telling me, "This is the best day ever, Mom." It was pure enjoyment for me to watch him. Shelby ended up having a better snow experience later in the afternoon when she joined in the big snowball fight with her brother, neice Anna, Uncle Kirt, and neighbor Rachel. Cooper ended up paying for being out in the snow so long with wet hands. That night at bed time he cried and wailed because his hands were bright red and cracked. They were terribly chapped! He finally settled down and went to sleep after I covered them in vaseline and neosporin.