Happy December 1st & a blessing

First , happy December 1st! WOW. how can that be already? 

Is this year flying by or is it just me? 

Last year when we cut our tree this truck was sitting on someone's farm

OH HAPPY DAY!

I did get out and ask the wonderful owner if I could take a photo of it.

She said yes, and It is one of my favorite shots that I took last year. 

And a blessing. 

Dom and I have been looking for a wood stove for about a year. 

We didn't have the money to buy a new one... 

That's okay. 

I started searching craiglist. 

Looked and looked. 

The problem is you see around this part of the country

People were putting rusty old stoves that had been stored outdoors... 

and they wanted a small fourtune for them... Yep some of them wanted 

over $1000.00 CRAZY.

So, I started searching farther west. and farther north. 

Still were not finding anything. 

Had the stove people come in to acess the chimney and they kinda 

sold me on gettting a brand new one. 

telling me I would never find anything. 

(but they forgot I have someone who has my best interest on my side)

YUP, God. 

(Guess I had kinda forgotten too..)

because the 

The very next night after they had been here....

Craigslist in Buffalo NY.... the 

exact stove we were looking for....

$250.00

no kidding. 

So, began the week of emailing this very very patient woman. 

the stove people told me this was to good to be true. 

No one sells this stove for 250.

they told me we were crazy for even thinking of driving 3 and 1/2 hours to purchase it.

But I didn't care. 

Dom didn't care. 

We left the kids at home and started out on our long drive. 

we drove 

and drove it started to snow... and the sun was shinning all at the same time. 

and we drove some more

and I kept thinking what a blessing it was that God was 

meeting our needs. 

To keep our family warm. 

I also kept thinking that we only live 30 minutes from NYC and 

were were driving was so completely wonderful and remote.

How incredibly beautiful the land is. 

So when we arrived the nice man, 

showed us into his garage where the stove was on a pallet and wrapped in shrink wrap.

They had clearly taken very good care of it. 

He handed us the owners manuel and 

I was soooo happy. 

the stove was beautiful! 

He knocked 25 off... and loaded all 550 pounds of her into the 

back of our truck. 

Dom strapped her down... and away we left. 

 We stopped and had a romantic lunch at McDonalds...

which was right next to a delicious TIM HORTON'S

Apple Fritter... yes please! 

and we started our adventure back. 

It was so nice to have about 8 hours alone... with my

husband. That rarely happens. 

On out way home we figured out why the stove was so cheap out that way...

Everyone, Everyone out there has woodburning stoves to heat their homes. 

We got home, 

Dom lined the chimney... with my assistance.. 

it took 3 days... 

we saved about 1000.00 dollars doing it our selves. 

and we went out and purchased a limestone hearth from a local quarry.

and Voila! 

It has just gotten cool enough to use! 

Praise God! He is good. He meets all of our needs...

even little ones like

heating our homes. 

     don't you just love my little mouse... so cute.