We've had a few major house projects since last summer when I last posted on our blog. In August, Loren and I spent a weekend with a couple of sledge hammers, axe, and reciprocating saw to tear down the walls in our unfinished basement. Amid grime, dead rodents, and rotting wood, we managed to clear things away so the basement was ready for the contractors to rip out the old concrete floor. Within a week, the crumbly old floor came out and the new, smooth concrete floor was poured.

More recently we finally had a chimney insert put in. One of the criteria when we were house searching is that we wanted a wood burning fireplace. Last fall, however, the afternoon after having our first cord of firewood delivered so we could begin winter fires, we also had the chimney cleaned and inspected--and learned then it was unsafe to use until we could have a liner put in.

Due to the size of and shape of the blocks and chimney itself, we weren't able to put in an 8-inch liner, but installing a 6-inch liner alone would have presented an issue with the way our chimney drew air. As a result, our only option was to put in an insert (essentially a wood burning stove fit inside our fireplace with blower to maximize heat output). Because our chimney is in the center of our house, rather than the outside, we expect it to be helpful in keeping the heating bill down. We've both really enjoyed having our fires again through these cold, wintery nights.

Brady is thoroughly pleased with the new "chew toys" readily available from the log pile we keep beside the fireplace, and I am constantly amazed by his ability to consume wood. Our next purchase may be a large wood basket with a lid.

Cozy fires have been a great addition to our holiday cheer, and we've enjoyed decorating for Christmas!