Today was almost as hot as the first day of the build. The heat index got up to 100 degrees! It wasn’t bad in the morning, but got a bit toasty working in the closet in the afternoon. Luckily, I was able to use a fan to at least keep the air moving :-).
Our devotional today was about the importance of motivation. He shared a story about a pastor who gave everyone in his parish a gold star, and told them something about them that he was impressed with. Although it’s just a little gesture, it became something everyone looked forward to. So… all through the day, I heard team members giving each other gold stars for work that they’ve done. So cool … or, maybe today, so hot… lol.
Everyone was ready to get back to where they left off from their drywall adventures yesterday. Although it was ‘…same as yesterday, just a little bit different…”, Bob handed us our task list for the day. Our goal was to complete the Northwest bedroom closet and start to hang wall drywall on the Northeast bedroom.
With some experience, we did a much better job on the second bedroom closet. We figured out that we need to install the back wall first, so we could feed the large sheets through the open side. Well, that worked like a charm so we finished the back wall, then the side walls. Now we had to install the front wall …. oops :-).
It was easy to fix. We just had to temporarily remove one of the side panels by the hallway to get it in. We did get a good laugh though :-).
After the closet was completed, we moved to installing drywall on the Northeast bedroom walls. It only takes one customized 12 foot sheet to cover the entire top of the bedroom wall, so they go up pretty fast. Once installed, Bob uses a roto zip tool to cut out the window and the outlets.
By the end of the day, here’s a look at that bedroom.
While we were in the closet most of the day, the rest of the team was making great progress. Here are some end of day pictures – it’s really starting to take form.
Well, that’s the work part of the day … but certainly not the most exciting.
We have worked with Gary, the local Habitat affiliate president, each year we’ve been coming to Sullivan. For those that have seen my blog from last year, he got me to actually take his tractor for a spin last year… what a hoot! Well, this year I was talking to him about how fascinated I am with how the huge farm equipment harvests corn so efficiently and quickly. I even watched a YouTube video that describes how these huge combines can cut the corn stalk, remove the corn cob, open the cob, husk the corn off and have just the corn kernels come out the top. Since Gary knows absolutely EVERYBODY in this town (I guess being mayor of the town for 20 years helps), he sent a few text messages this morning and arranged to have Joe and I take a ride on a combine! So, today before lunch we went out to the corn fields where they had started to harvest to get a ride. It was absolutely amazing! The pictures below don’t do it justice – so if you’re interested in looking at a video on riding one, you can watch a few minutes of this ‘Ride along with me in a combine cab’ YouTube video. It was so much fun, and an experience I won’t forget :-).
Maybe they will make me a farm girl someday … lol. God is good!
Wow, the work and workers are amazing. Truly blessings from God. And the tractor looks like lots of fun. Keep up the good work.
It may be early in the process but gold stars all around must be the order of the day. To say mounting the dry wall is trickey is a huge understatement . Carefully mounted drywall is what makes the house a home . Once painted, the rooms will be beautiful. The project is moving along right on plan. What a team!
That’s simply amazing!!!! Uncle John is asleep. Will show him these pictures tomorrow.
Amazingly how through Debbie’s daily description of building a home we can see shaping it and from a piece of land and bunch of lumber and other materials a place to live and build dreams is happening.
So much work and details and I get the tractor ride being fun but farm work is tough and so much respect for our hard work farmers .
Debbie , stick to Celebration and come home to the magic kingdom. Missing you guys ….❤️🙏
I loved the combine video. How interesting!
Oh Debbie — you did something I’ve always wanted to do since we’ve been coming to Sullivan – – take a ride on a combine a/k/a “The Big Dog”!!!!!!!! I’m jealous AND envious! You go girl!! And again, you took us into the house; in different rooms of course, and showed us what was happening day-by-day. One day I’m reading about the drywall going up and the next thing you know…it’s up! Bob came home looking like a Greek statue – by that I mean he was covered with drywall dust and sweat – but he had the biggest smile on his face.
Debbie I know you are totally wiped when you get home from the job but I want to thank you for doing this for all of us…you definitely are a trooper!! Thanks!!!!!!! Oh P.S. – Bob and I watched the video and all I can say is, WOW!