Warm and Well Fed

We have a new fireplace insert!  What a joyous Thanksgiving — good food, wonderful family, and a roasty toasty house. 

This insert was the highest efficiency (88%) and the lowest air emissions (2.6g) that fit in our fireplace spot.  We debated installing it ourselves, but my husband begged out.  They installed it quickly and we aren't worrying about burning the house down by having installed it wrong.

Because our furnace is electric, we live with a pretty cool house in the winter to save energy.  I've read that wood heat is one of the most carbon neutral because the trees absorb carbon as they grow and burning doesn't release any more carbon than if they were to decompose.  So, we loaded the fireplace up and warmed the house.  We all love it.

Now that we know Christina was pregnant, I'm beginning to notice where she was showing.  Cows' rumens are so big, that it's not easy to tell.  But now I see a big roundness to her belly, especially toward the back.  Here a shot of her last week before pepper was born.

And here is a shot of her this morning when we milked.  Doesn't she look down right skinny?! 

Our Thanksgiving dinner was largely grown at home food, with a healthy helping of Idaho grown food, and just a touch of out-of-state things (like cranberries and sugar).  It is glorious to eat on my grandma's beautiful china, sitting at table with the people I love most in this world, eating food that God hand fed us.  There is much to be grateful for.