Extreme Makeover Home Edition: Part 1

On Monday, I got a phone call that a volunteer slot had opened up for me & so I quickly changed our flights for EARLY Tuesday morning in order to get to the build site on time. Will & I had already planned on being there for Move That Bus but I really wanted an opportunity to work on the home for our friends, the Carrs.

(For how we know this deserving family - read down about 3 posts - they are friends from one of the hospitals where Will is a patient - Texas Scottish Rite Hospital.)

So, Tuesday morning, we boarded our plane - super early (especially for Will & I who like to sleep late!) and headed to Dallas. Will was so tired from waking up at 5:40 in the morning that he actually took a morning nap! The sweet boy fell asleep in my arms in the plane at 7:30 am! He hasn't taken a morning nap in a year! Of course, he awoke upon landing & it was still earlier than he wakes up most days!
My mom picked us up in Dallas & we headed for East Texas and the Extreme Makeover Home Edition build site - located in Mineola - about 25 minutes north of my parents' house.

To begin my volunteer shift, I had to check in & sign some paperwork prior to boarding the shuttle to take me to the site. I have lots of pictures on my phone (not sure how to get those off yet but will soon) but signed a confidentiality agreement about taking pictures of the inside of the house. I was too afraid of coming so far only to get kicked off so I did not take any pictures inside - only outside. I'm a rules follower at heart!

I was amazed at how much had been accomplished since Friday - when the Carr's home was demolished. By Tuesday afternoon, they were beginning to do the fun design parts to the interior and laying the concrete outside. Of course, when they have around 200 volunteers per shift & they work around the clock & have immediate access to supplies and skilled tradesmen, I suppose that speeds things up!

My work consisted of serving lunch to the 200+ volunteers for the first two hours of my shift. The dinners were donated by local restaurants but the lunch was provided by the ABC Extreme Home Makeover's catering company out of Hollywood. Kind of fun to see their trailers at the lunch tent.

Just before lunch, I had my first "Ty Pennington" sighting- he walked by on his phone. The stars all ate in their own tent but Conrad - the show's creator - did eat with the volunteers. This home is his final build so that is neat for the Carrs.

I also saw Paige & have a funny story on her - she walked by me to wash off her boots as she got a little dirty during the few minutes she was actually working on the concrete - funny since it was a construction site!

(The celebrity designers seemed to keep more to their "art tents" where they work on their special projects - the builders from the community & volunteers actually work on the house & implement the builder's designs.)

While I worked, Will spent time with his Lovie in the spectator area. He enjoyed watching the digger trucks, bulldozers, excavators, cameras, and masses of people in hard hats. Then, they went for a long afternoon nap at a nearby friend's house (gotta love the flexibility a pack n play offers!) before returning to watch some more & get me after my 6 hour shift.

After serving lunch for a few hours, I helped pick up trash from around the house, shoveled some dirt in the backyard, raked some dirt, carried lots of trim from the garage to the trim pile in back, & picked up stones. Basically, I was critical to this project. I don't know what they would have done without me. (Sarcasm here in case you didn't catch that!) I didn't care that I was doing such tasks as picking up trash - it was fun to be a part of something so huge especially since I know the family! It also gave me an inside look at the house which was very fun!
I just loved being a part of the project in my own tiny little way!


And, that night, I suppose the baby was worn out in the womb as I felt my first kick!!! I was exactly 14 weeks, 1 day but it was a definite strong jab! I love that! I've continued to feel lots of kicks this week which is 5 weeks earlier than I felt with Will. Love that movement! I've also been sick -sick again - this babe does not like me to eat out in restaurants! I get vomit-sick every single time! So weird! Loving the kicking & oh, so thankful for that reassurance (both the kicking & the sick kinds!)