Extreme Makeover in is West Union

There is a family in West Union, which is about 25 miles from where I live, that the Extreme Makeover film crew is building a new house for. I couldn’t imagine what this family has gone through or much less what they are going through right now. The work on their farm started in the beginning of this week and it’s going to be done on this coming Sunday. I met my sister Judy in West Union last night and we went to a softball game that the crew was involved in. It was tons of fun to see them just having a good time and the one thing that we couldn’t get over is how personable they are. When we asked if we could bother them and have a picture they would say that this is absolutely no bother at all. We laughed because when the game started we were close to the fence but still not close enough to the real action.  So we thought… let’s get closer. OK  let’s go in their dug out. We said if we get into trouble they’ll just kick us out. But no one even said anything to us at all and we just kind of hung out there. How funny is that? I’m sure they didn’t think we were with the crew but maybe they thought that we should be involved somehow because otherwise why would we be on the other side of the fence? After the game I went to see the house that they are building. I heard that it’s big and that is a true statement. Since it was dark out, when I was coming closer to the site there are these really big lights that make it look like it’s daylight. Then there are cars in front of you, cars coming from the side roads, and you are also meeting cars. When I was driving there I felt like one of the cars in the movie – Field of Dreams. Remember the saying, If you build it they will come. I think that this would be an accurate way to describe this setting. If you build it, they will come to help. It’s unbelievable what this family has gone through up to this point and I couldn’t even imagine what is going through their minds while they are waiting to come back and see their new home. How cool is that? My two sisters and I will be helping at the site on Saturday night. We work from 8 pm to 2 am Sunday morning. We’re planning on going to Judy’s house after we’re done working for a little hot tub time and then going back to watch the family come home and yell “Move that bus”. Can’t wait.

National Anthem

One of the designers from the show in the outfield - Tracy Hutson

Another designer for the show - Paul DiMeo

The Extreme Makeover team won the game

Judy with Paul by their dug out during the game

Just chillin with Tracy

I spoke too soon for Daryl last night. After I posted my updates on the blog,  he came into the house and said that the gasket went out on one of the tractors and needed William to help him move it. OK, bad. Then later he said that the other tractor that he was using wouldn’t turn over and he needed to call someone to look at it today. I’m not sure what they said was wrong with it but before they fixed it they called Daryl back and said it was going to be expensive. OK, really bad!
I spent the day painting and was having really good luck. I got all the trim painted with white and then found a window that I needed to replace on the barn and painted that also. Then I started to with red so I could finish up that north side. I needed to check supper in the crock pot so I ran to the house to make sure it wasn’t burning. Everything looked good so back to the barn I went. About half way there I heard a CRASH! I thought, crap my ladder fell. Then I realized that I had a pail with red oil paint hooked to the ladder. When I got to the barn I saw that I had a terrible mess on  my hands. (literally!) I went to get a pail of gas and a roll of paper towels. The paint went all over the ladder and on the cement. I was so disappointed because I’ve been trying not to drip so much when I’m painting and now I have this huge pile of paint just sitting on the cement and my ladder. I don’t know how much spilled – maybe a quart or two but it took about an hour to clean up the ladder and the ground. I just kept pouring the gas on rags and wiping, wiping, and wiping. I had to get another roll of towels to use on this,  but after awhile I did get it all cleaned up. Man did I smell of gas! So I painted what I cleaned up from the cement and called it a day. But tomorrow I’m planning on finishing this side and it’s really looking good so far!