When I moved in this house over 15 years ago there was an old furnace in it that wasn’t safe to use. So my husband took it out. And we used gas wall heaters that were already there. One in the kitchen and one in the living room. That was it. And there was absolutely NO insulation in any of the walls. (Are you starting to understand my aversion to cold?)
I used an electric heater quite frequently most winters, in my girls bedroom when they were little. And in my bedroom when the babies were still sleeping in our room. And sometimes just because I was cold. I used to call Travis during the day to ‘remind’ him how cold it was in here. And that I had babies and I was worried about them getting too cold. Sometimes I wonder how he put up with me.
In 2005, eight years after moving in, we installed a corn burner.
Old photo totally unedited. See the old carpet, old woodwork, old blind, old furniture… oh wait that was my new furniture. And the doll tucked in with my decor there to the right.
We were so excited and thankful for that corn burning stove. This was our Christmas picture that year. Becca was born in November, and was only a few weeks old in this photo. I did crop it for the ones I put in our Christmas cards but I was too lazy tonight to crop it. So you get to see all the extra stuff around what I was taking the picture of 🙂
I just realized that in this photo all 3 of my girls are younger than my baby is now. Sniff. How time does fly.
This is Middle Sister (Larke) playing in front of the corn stove. She was two. Such a cutie!
Soon after the corn burner went in we also started to slowly get the house insulated. Today everything is insulated except the slanted walls and ceiling in the master bedroom. Insulation makes a huge difference. I highly recommend it.
This fall Travis cleared out the basement (which consists of one small room), did some repair work to the walls, and tore out the crumbling concrete floor.
All the dirt and concrete in the trailer had to come up those steps in buckets. And this wasn’t the first load, some of it had been done earlier. Hubby worked hard. He is AWESOME.
The basement floor was prepped and leveled.
And the concrete arrived! I talked about this a little here.
Two little girls watched from the inside entrance to the basement.
Some really great friends, and my Dad showed up to help out. And brought tools. We are so blessed.
All that extra concrete that gets dumped out in a pile before the concrete guy leaves? Know what it’s for? It’s for the kids to play in and to begin learning how to spread and smooth concrete.
And to practice their art skills in. When dealing with kids with artistic talent you should give them all kinds of different mediums to try. 😉
The day this truck rolled in I was as excited as a kid on Christmas morning.
When they cut some new holes in my floor I felt like jumping up and down with glee.
The first day they worked on running ductwork to my kitchen and den. The second day they carried this into my basement! And they even put up with the crazy blogger lady who traipsed down the stairs behind them to take pictures!
Day 3 – they fired this bad boy up and I have been smiling ever since. I am amazed at how quickly I can be warm just by touching a button. Every room in my house gets heat to it quickly! (except the master bedroom – there was no way to get a duct into it) I am so thankful and happy!
And this. THIS is a thermostat. It’s a cool little thing that controls how warm or cool my house is. Getting chilly? Push the little up arrow and the furnace kicks on and warms you up. Yes, the photo was taken before the furnace was actually on – I was too impatient to wait and now I’m too lazy to take another pic.
You may think I’m silly for being so excited about a furnace and a little thing like a thermostat. And for writing a really long blog post about it! But try living 15+ years without one in a nation where they are readily available and most people have one and you will understand! Thank you Jesus, for friends who helped, for a bank to finance, and a company to hire. Thank you, thank you for the warm air pouring into my house these cold days! We are truly blessed.
Sew a Fine Seam
So happy for you…I pray this will bring you much comfort this winter, physically and otherwise! Travis did a lot of hard work!
Thanks Jenni – I’m hopeful that this winter is better than last!
Truly the most beautiful furnace I’ve ever seen, because of the JOY (and warmth) it’s bringing you! Is the rest of your family just as excited or have they become immune to the chill? 🙂
Pam, everyone loves that we can warm up quickly by pushing a button! Travis doesn’t mind a bit not having to go out in the cold to bring in another load of corn 🙂
I totally get your excitement! We got married the same year and now we got furnaces the same year! 🙂 Ductwork and thermostats rock!
🙂 Amen 🙂
Oh and those tiny little girls! Sob, sniff! So adorable! I so understand now what mother meant when she would look at pictures and say, “It’d be so fun to go back for a day!”
And now, Deborah, I’m saying it about our grandkids! Have to remind myself to enjoy today. God has blessed us so much.
I know, I looked at a bunch of old pics last night – wow do kids grow up fast!
Really enjoyed seeing the excitement of getting a NEW FURNACE! So glad for you and I must say your house is so comfy now even when the wind is blowing. I don’t like cold houses either and I fully understand your thrill of a new funace. Those pics of the little girls I love! Always a touch of sadness or nostalgia, but time moves on and today is ours to enjoy. Praising God for blessing you so much. (Your husband totally rocks! That was a lot of hard work but he got it done.)
We are very happy with our furnace! And yes my hubby totally rocks!
I’m so happy to hear about the new furnace. Enjoy the warmth!
Thanks Kellie! I am definitely enjoying it!
I hear you on the new furnace it is BEAUTIFUL! We recently had a new AC/FURNACE put in it really made me realize how sad our old unit was, now I’m always cold because this one actually does it’s job and it’s really the temperature the new thermostat says it is, hard to believe the difference between the old 74 degrees and the new 74 degrees lol.
🙂 Glad you have a new on Jeri! We are hoping to be able to pay cash in the spring to have the A/C unit set!
I so understand your story. I moved into this house, which my signigicant other grew up in 13 years ago. The house is that old, and I am certain so was the boiler. We did gut out the interior and did new wiring and added insulation and walls. After doing all that we had not enough money to do a new boiler until this year. I used electric heaters, and my boys would walk around the house with their hoodies on. Praise the lord this year my significant other bought and installed himself a brand new boiler! I ran around feeling all the radiators could not believe they actually get warm. He is an awesome guy!! So happy for you too!!
forgot to say the house is 200 years old!!
Debbie, I dressed my kids in lots of layers too! It would amaze me how it didn’t seem to bother them that much – and we always had plenty of blankets to get warm at night! And we used LOTS of hot water for nice warm showers and baths!
May you all stay warm and cozy!!
Thank you Nic!
Such a sweet post. The things we take for granted these days are the things other are wishing for. I’m so happy for you and I bet your kids are excited too. I’m sitting here in my old insulated house, with two furnaces and I have my jacket on. Still can’t seem to get warm. Not complaining, I know I am blessed!
Thank you Andrea – and I hope you warm up soon – I really dislike being cold! I’m enjoying sitting on my couch with no cold draft wafting over me, hearing my furnace hum, and typing on my laptop with WARM fingers!
I can’t believe you lived in the Mid-West, in this house, for 15 years without a furnace. That is unbelievable. Congratulations and enjoy that thermostat.
Amy, I can’t believe we did it either! But you know, you just do what you have to! There was no way to get ductwork everywhere easily right away and it just took awhile to get to the point we could! We completely gutted our living room and the bedroom and bathroom above it all at the same time. When the walls and ceilings were opened up we also tore up the floor in the living room so ductwork could be run through that end of the house. There is no crawl space under the living room so this was the only way to do it. The dining room has the basement room under it and the laundry/bathroom and kitchen/den have crawl spaces. I never would have dreamed it would take us 15 years to get to this point but we made it!
Oh yeah! I totally get it. My heater went on the fritz 2 years ago. After we had it repaired two previous times at great expense. We have been heating the house with a wood burning stove. It gets the house warm but it’s not like central heat. Enjoy your new heating system, I hope you stay warm and toasty this winter.
Thanks Karen we are enjoying it! And wood heat is pretty great too – you can curl up beside the stove with a book and a blanket!
I totally feel your pain! Our first house was a parsonage that had one gas wall heater in the middle of it-in the living room-and no heat anywhere else! Even though it was in Texas, we still had some pretty chilly days and nights. I’m SO happy for you! There’s not many things more miserable than being cold. 🙂 Glad you’ll be warm and toasty this season!
Oh that sounds cold too. I remember one year when the laundry room was gutted but no insulation put in it yet and it got COLD. The outside air seemed to pur in and even with a door on the laundry room it made it miserable in here. We borrowed a reddi space heater from my Dad to run in the laundry room to help take the chill off!