Appreciation

According to Weather.com, it is 25 degrees out right now, but with the windchill, it feels like 12.  Awesome.  If you know me at all, you know I hate being cold.  Really, really, really hate it.

Which is why, today, I am very grateful for the many things Craig has done to this house to make it a little more weather-proof.  The things I can think of are:

-He replaced the sliding glass door, which, when we bought the house, was hung so crookedly that when it was closed, there was an inch gap at the top.  We stuffed a towel in it at the time, but that didn't help much...  (2009)

-He put a heated floor in the master bathroom.  I LOVE that floor.  There are times when I want to just take a nap on it...  (2009)

-He has replaced all but one of the windows (still left is the big one in the kitchen, but we're waiting until whenever we get around to re-doing the rest of the kitchen).  When we moved in, all the windows were original to the house, and hence about 40 years old, and single-pane glass.  Brrr!  (2010-2011)

-When he re-did the entire downstairs, he peeled off all the horrible dark wood paneling, and discovered that the walls weren't insulated!  So he built in the necessary 2 x 4s for infrastructure and then added insulation while he was doing all the other work that area required.  (2010)

-He added insulation to both halves of the attic, and sealed off one entrance to the attic that led through our pantry where, every time you opened it in the winter, you would have cold air pouring down on you.  (2013)

-He filled in the air vent over my cook top with foam, so that we didn't have a constant draft flowing through it.  (He was reluctant to do this, until I pointed out that I NEVER turned on that fan for fear of bugs flying through it and landing in whatever food I was cooking.  I figured if air could get through so easily, bugs probably could, too.)  (2013)



If it weren't for these significant changes, you could probably find me wandering around the house wearing Craig's sweat pants, socks, slippers, with a bathrobe thrown over the entire outfit to really "finish" it.  And I would be angry and grumpy and shivering.  And possibly trying to invite myself over to your house to escape the cold.  I'm pretty sure that's how I spent our first winter here, and that was a pretty mild winter!  I have memories of dressing Kendra in two sleepers at night, because it was so chilly.

But as it is, I'm fine.  Sure, the kitchen is still noticeably cooler than the rest of the house, but it doesn't feel like a refrigerator.  I can even walk around barefoot and be okay (some of that might be my little baby-heater, too, but still!).

So yes, I am so grateful for all of Craig's hard work and how snug he has made our little home.



Rage on, Winter, we're just fine in here.


Now if only I didn't have to venture out to pick up the kids from school!