Week 7

Week Seven

One lesson I have learned during all of this is… if one door is closed, another will be opened!  As a close friend frequently reminds me…”You just need to be still”!

Monday started us off with the installation of the heating and air systems.  I want to thank Sally Stanfield of Stanfield Air Systems for stepping in for the entire mechanical package…including the installation labor, duct materials, and 2 zone systems.  With Sally’s lead, Lennox Industries, Randy Head, supplied the home with both the 2.5 and the 3.5 Lennox 13 SEER heat pump systems.  Mingledorff’s, Martin Gregory, also supplied duct materials, copper linesets, grilles and registers.  These guys came in and got right down to business, including the ducting of the bath fans and vent hood.  Attention to detail was given in every aspect of an amazing product.

Our next accomplishment this week was the crawlspace.  I wish all of you would stop by and check it out!  Another wonderful phone call from Carol Williams brought her brother up from Cordele, GA.  Crawl Space and Basement Solutions, Charles Southerland, sent his electrician the first day to install lights under the house.  The next day Charles and his crew came with the vapor barriers.  This is a detail that should be required in these days with mold, mildew and allergies in abundance.  Check out the photos below!  I will be adding this to my next projects.

Porter Insulation and Fireplace, Keith Porter, installed a direct vent gas log unit by Heatilator for our den area.  Steve Patterson, you have always been a huge help to me in my past home and renovation projects.  I was super excited that you guys were able to supply this for the Christian Home.

Small details at the end of the rough-in are easy to forget but so important to a superior product.  Wally Ash of Ash Plumbing heard that Melissa had mentioned an in-house vacuum system and stepped in with less than a 12 hour notice and roughed this in for us.  Wally and Gary Waters of the Clean Living Store supplied the materials needed for the job. Jackson EMC Security, Hal Brady came for the rough-in of a security and monitor system.  Partner Technology, Chris Cunningham came out for a consultation and supplied the wire for a surround sound system and additional speakers.  Jackson EMC’s, Jason Bond and Ken Gordon came back over and helped with these wire runs!  Seriously folks, these EMC guys are good, and I have been so blessed to have them right down the road!  I would have been in trouble if there were serious power outages in the area!

The metal roofing was a welcome addition this week as this completed our sealing of the structure.   Tripp Strickland and Byron Lee of Georgia Metals supplied the material and Tom Fletcher’s crew of Fletcher Roofing, were back for the installation.  The metal roofing and the previous Certainteed architectural shingles are perfect together.

This was also the week of the insulation.  We….don’t you just love the way I say WE…. have caulked, foamed and sealed just about everything that was attached to the house!  As I have mentioned before Rowe Insulating has been working on this part for days to get ready.  On Thursday night, the entire Rowe “family”…wives and children…were out sweeping and cleaning to ready for the install the next day!  Certainteed, Javier Montalvo, supplied our ENTIRE house of insulation. With right at 200 employees, this is such an impressive Athen’s plant.  Keith Porter of Keith Porter Insulation and Fireplace sent his crew to help with the install.  Thank you Keith for that much needed help.  Jay Tucker a Clarke Co. Fireman, also joined us for the installation.  It was a total community effort and job well done, which was proven by passing the first phase of Right Choice Status with the Insulation and Heat and Air contractors this week.

What a special lunch we had on Friday!  My Mom, Betty Bell and two of my best friends Barbara McConnell and Pam Huff brought out an early Thanksgiving Feast!  Ham, potato salad, peas, biscuits, peach pie…are you getting the picture here?  It was just incredible and loved by all.  The men said to tell you ladies that Christmas was coming up and you were welcome back any time!

Friday was just a “happening day”…of course almost all days are like that out at the farm…with Channel 5 coming out to visit us.  Tacoma Perry did a nice feature that ran Nov. 21^st.  She was truly amazed by the house and the precious donations given for the Christian Home.  Take a look at the Fox 5 site for the clip below:

http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/dpp/news/local_news/Family-of-Fallen-Athens-Clarke-County-Officer-Gets-Dream-Home-20111121-am-sd

Of course those Halloran Men were back sacrificing their Friday and Saturday again.  Pat Halloran had a special presentation for Melissa this Friday.  It was a piece of Jerusalem stone that he had carved a cross with a special verse “Be Still and Know That I Am God” on the front to Melissa.  Another special prayer was carved on the back for the children.   A special “brick frame” on the front porch will later house this stone for the Christian Family.  I will tell you, there were not many dry eyes that afternoon!  Such a special and precious touch to an already incredible gift!

On a personal note, I need to thank Grant Tyner of Adam and Eve Hair Salon.  He treated me to an afternoon of pampering last Friday.  I think he thought that I really needed some help…and bless him…I did!  Thank you Grant, you are a precious friend of 27 years, and your gift was perfect!

As Thanksgiving is just around the corner, I have to pause and give thanks for each of you.  Without you, this dream would never have happened.  This home is a precious design of time, talents and gifts given in the most “sweet of spirits” by a community that cares for our own.   As several friends and family gathered to write scripture on the studs before the sheetrock, I added Romans 12:6 for all of you.  “We have different gifts, according to the grace given us.”  Thank you for sharing yours. 

 As Melissa reminded us, this 22^nd will have been 8 months since Buddy was taken from her.  In her post she says that she “could have missed the pain but if she had, would have missed the dance.”   She is thankful for the 15 years of the dance.  

Many Thanksgiving blessings to you all,
Karen

                                                                Stanfield Air System
                              Tony Stratton, Ted Richey, Josh Wheless, Josh Callaway, & Matt Hawley

                                      Crawl Space and Basement Solutions - Charles Southerland

                                                          Crawlspace with barrier and lights

                                               
                                                      Keith Porter Insulation and Fireplace -
                                               Steve Patterson checking out the new Heatilator
                                                    

                                    Wally Ash of Ash Plumbing roughing in the in-house vacuum

                                    Metal Roofing from Georgia Metals installed by Fletcher Roofing

         Wayne Moon and Kevin Rowe of Rowe Insulating loading the insulation from Certainteed

                                             Looking over the pick-up list from Certainteed -
                                 Javier Montalvo, Kevin Rowe, Glenn Baxter, & Wayne Moon

Wayne Moon, Javier Montalvo - Plant Human Resouces Manager,  Glenn Baxter - Plant Supervisor,
                                                                  and Kevin Rowe

                                 The Rowe Insulating "Family" cleaning up for the installation

                                              Melissa talking with Tacoma Perry of Fox 5

                    Jay Tucker donated a day to help out with the insulation installation!  Thank you Jay!

                           Stanfield Air Systems men finishing up the ducting for the vent hood

         David Griffeth of ACCPD and Noble Heroes joins Melissa in showing Tacoma around the house

Pam Huff, My Mom - Betty Bell, and Barbara McConnell with Melissa setting up lunch for the crew

                                         Lunch is served with a plywood table on saw horses!

Pat Halloran of Halloran Masonry presenting Melissa with a hand carved stone for the front brick wall.

                                         The back of the stone with the prayer for the children.

            David and Barbara McConnell, Pam and Mitch Huff, & my parents Betty and Simmie Bell
                                                  Thank you guys for the delicious lunch!

                Keith Porter Insulation and Fireplace of Jefferson installing the Certainteed Insulation

              More Insulation in the kids playroom - Mr. Alton Rowe, Kevin Rowe and Jay Tucker

Halloran Masonry with a completed front wall

                                   
                                                  Halloran Masonry jointing up the new brick

                                                                   Week 7 Complete

                                

                                                             Christian Home - Week 7

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News Break - November 20, 2011

TV's Fox 5 in Atlanta came out last Friday and did an update on the Christine Home.  Be sure to stay tuned to the early morning news, Good Day Atlanta, on Monday with Tacoma Perry.

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Week 6

Week Six

Building for me will never be the same!  What progress we have made out on the Christian Farm this week.  Famous quote for the week....”You forget who you are dealing with!” Jason Bond of Jackson EMC….more on this in a bit.

We had a great week in our sixth week of construction as we called out the electricians for the pre-wire.  John Hadden’s crew from All Bright Electric came out to head up our electrical.  I really appreciate John stepping in as the head electrician.  Jackson EMC also sent out a crew to help.  I want to thank Tommy Minish, Jason Bond, Brian Smith, Ken Gordon, and Brad Moon for all of their help.  We had 12 men drilling holes, pulling wire, and nailing on boxes all in one day.  It was NUTS…but so much fun to watch.  These skilled men had a mission and went to it!  Lade-Danlar of Stone Mountain, Wayland Boozer, supplied our rough-in materials.  Wayland, you have been with us from the beginning in April, and your support has been tremendous and means a lot to me personally.  I thank you.

Tom Fletcher of Fletcher Roofing and his crew were our saving grace this week.  Anytime that you can stop a house from leaking is a great day.  Tom had signed on to do the metal roofing, but when we hit a little snag, stepped in to do the entire roof…shingles and metal.  We appreciate him and his men getting the shingles on and look forward to seeing the metal completed next week.  ABC Supply, Fred and Lori Ellis and Joe Couch, we thank you for the beautiful architectural shingles and supplies to do this.  Your continued support to the Association is priceless.

As I have continue to say, we have had wonderful support throughout this build with people stepping up with their gifts.  Trowell Jernigan of Fells Fargo and his cute little family delivered pizzas, drinks and snacks on Thursday for the entire house full of men.  I am sorry that I missed the photo opportunity on this one to share with all of you, but really want to thank this family for visiting with us and supplying lunch for the crews and me!  We already have the next couple of weeks taken care of, but if you would like to help with the “feeding of the troops” call Lisa at the Home Office – 706 543-5760.

Kevin Rowe and Wayne and Deanna Moon of Rowe Insulating continue to give up their afternoons and Saturdays to be sure that every plate line is caulked and all the baffles are up and waiting on the insulation.  We thank them and their suppliers for this personal commitment.  I want to thank Arlene Scarbrough of S. F. Products, Adam Payton and Barbara Hillard of Roofing and Insulation Supply and Shaneaka Harvey of Airgas Safety for the insulation rough-in materials.   Nothing is being overlooked with these skillful eyes as we proceed to the status of a Right Choice Home! 

 Seavy O’Neal of Building Wrights and Renovators came back out to help set another door and do a little punch out for us.  The Halloran Masonry Team continue going up the walls with the beautiful brick supplied by Boral Brick.  Steve West visited with us to see if we were doing his brick justice this week!  I am proud to say that we passed with flying colors!  Mark Haney of VNS Corp. also stopped by to check on his windows and was blown away with what he saw.  There will be more on Mark and his other contributions later.   We humbly thank both of you for everything that you are doing for us.  These are “big ticket” items that were a huge asset in the building of this home. 

Several of the Jackson EMC guys – Jason Bond, Tommy Minish and Randall Echols came back to run the cable and phone wire for us.  They knew we were lacking this and stepped in and just did it!  What a blessing.  This is where my story comes in….I had asked Eddie Luther of L & L Construction to come back out and help me punch out a few things to get ready for sheetrock.  I had told him “You do not need any help…it will just take a couple of hours”…does this sound familiar to anyone?  I had forgotten that our super triangle windows from Magbee Contractor Supply, Brannon McFarland, had been delivered for the playroom and needed to be installed!  (Thank you Brannon for once again stepping in to help!)  I went up to Jason and asked if they had another ladder that we could borrow and could they help in getting the windows up to Eddie?  Jason looked at me and said “You forget who you are dealing with!”  I just looked at him questioning, and he whips out his phone and said “I am out at the Buddy Christian Home, and we need a bucket truck!”  In less than an hour we were installing windows in the bucket truck!  You are right Jason, sometimes I do forget who I am working with!  I just have to chuckle when He reminds me!

As I said earlier, building will never be the same for me.  When you have 12 men pulling wire for electrical, bucket trucks setting windows, foremen laying brick, heads of companies foaming windows and doors on Saturdays, sweeping floors with my 84 year old Dad, 6 plumbing companies under a house running pipe, and the list goes on and on for this home….I will be “Forever Ruined for the Ordinary”.  I know that you can each see this.  What a special project to be a part of.  It is humbling to watch, and I thank each and every one of you.

Blessings to you all,

Karen

P.S….No baby yet!

                              Tom Fletcher of Fletcher Roofing measuring for the metal roof

           Jackson EMC - Tommy Minish, Jason Bond, Brian Smith, Ken Gordon, and Brad Moon

                                             John Hadden and Crew with All Bright Electric

                                                             Trucks and more trucks!

                                       Jackson EMC's Ken Gordon and famous bucket truck!

                                  Carefully setting the windows from Magbee Contractor Supply

                                                 Eddie Luther giving support from below.

              Kirk Atkinson and Shane Halloran of Halloran Masonry working brick up the front walls
       

           Steve West of Boral Brick surveying the work with Shane Halloran and Kirk Atkinson

                                Roy Dalton and Keith Duncan of Halloran Masonry working away

                      Wayne and Deanna Moon of Rowe Insulation adding baffles to the ceiling.

                     Mark Haney of VNS Corp stopping by to check out the Silverline windows.

                                                           The end of Week Six! 

                                                             Fletcher Roofing Crew

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Week 5

Week Five

The clean up award goes to….the plumbers!  I am still getting comments about the clean job site and floors inside.  I have never been as impressed as I was this week with all the brooms and dustpans that came out at the end of their “shift”.  Upon commenting about how much I LIKED this, Casey Nelson of C & C Plumbing said that it was a reflection on him and his work, and that he always left the job site cleaner than how he found it because he wanted to be asked back!   Words to live by!

I also understand that we all missed the party.  The plumbers celebrated Halloween on Monday night and Tuesday night out at the house.  They had cupcakes, candy corn and drinks all ready for the party with lights and drop cords strung all through out the house.  Melissa and I had been shopping in Conyers on Tuesday, and the house was “all a-glow” when she turned in.  She said she almost had a wreck turning in her drive wondering how the electricity was on without lights!  What a team Mark Brannon of Brannon Plumbing put together.  We had 6 different plumbing companies represented.  I understand that several of these guys used to work together, so it was like “old home week” out at the farm.   I want to thank Mike DeVore and DeVore and Johnson for all of the rough-in material needed for the home as well as the fixtures that will be going in later.  I want to thank the following guys for a great job of sharing this task and coming together as a plumbing community.

Brannon Plumbing – Mark and Daniel Brannon

Towns Plumbing – Mark Towns, Drew and Dylan McCurley

T & E Plumbing and Drain – Tommy Epps and Jason Ramsey

Carson Plumbing – Mike McCain, Pete Carson, and Stephen Brannon

C & C Plumbing – Casey Nelson and Jeff Yarbrough

Ash Plumbing – Wally Ash

We did have a birthday out on the farm this week.  Little Wyatt turned 3!  Athens Blueprint, Mike Hodges, worked miracles to have us a banner made and hanging as the family came home that day.   Seriously, I don’t usually give these guys a lot of time when I need something, and they always come through for me!

As I mentioned last week, Tom Edge and his crew painted the exterior trim and siding and finished up on Wednesday.  Thank you guys for a job well done and protecting the windows and doors and other supplies that had already been delivered to the jobsite.  It was very professional and well done, and I appreciate you guys looking after those before you and those coming after you.

We had several great “walk throughs” this week to prepare for the work weeks ahead.  One was held with Jackson EMC, Nelson McGinnis and Brian Patton, LECO Mechanical, Carol and Earl Lively and Rowe Insulating, Kevin Rowe.  Jackson EMC is keeping us on track for a “Right Choice” Home.  This will give the Christian Family one of the best energy efficient homes out on the market today.   When completed and we have the certification, this home will qualify for reduced power bills for the family forever!  

Another HUGE blessing this week came when Halloran Masonry returned for duty!  Pat Halloran called a couple of weeks ago and said that his men wanted to return to lay the 35,000 brick for the Christian Home exterior!  This is a huge commitment and required all of them to give up several of their next Saturdays.  Halloran is not bringing their crews to knock this out.  Let me introduce you to the guys who will be laying the brick for us.

Kirk Atkinson – President of Halloran Masonry

Shane Halloran – Vice President

Roy Dalton – Project manager/Supervisor

Jason Gomes – Supervisor

Alfredo Flores – Supervisor

Keith Duncan – Project manager/Supervisor of all General Contracting operations. 

Pretty impressive list right?  Again, I shutter to think if I had to pay these labor bills!  I cannot thank each of you enough for stepping up to the plate on this. 

I also want to thank Boral Brick and Steve West for the donation of the brick.  They immediately joined us in the planning stages and gave us several brick samples for Melissa to choose from once she decided on a color.  It is going to be a beautiful exterior especially with the red mortar being supplied by Power Brick, David Carter and Cemex, Stephen Henley.   The beautiful white sand for the mortar was supplied by Atlanta Sand Co. Jeff Avant, and hauled by Harris Trucking, Teri Harris Joiner.  Sutton Construction Specialties, Mike Lathrup, also donated the flashing and weeps for the brick.  I thank you all for everything.  It is always so exciting to see the items that have been picked out come together and the house start to have an identity all of it’s own.  

I have to close by saying thank you to my daughter Jesi.   It was her suggestion to keep everyone up to speed on the Christian home-building progress with this blog site.  She is about to have her 2^nd little girl…our 2^nd grandchild…any day now and has so many things that she could be doing in Nashville, TN to prepare her little family for the new addition as well as preparing to be gone from her job at HCA.  BUT, she has chosen in part of her “spare time” to help her Mom with the organization of this blog.  I am so passionate about what I do…what a dull life it would be if we were not…and my children have always shared this with me and met some of the most amazing people along the way.  I am so proud that I get to share all of you with Jesi and that I get to share Jesi with you as we wait for Eliana Starr Malloy to arrive.  My heart overflows with pride for my family as well as for each of you – a wonderful community of family and friends coming together to share your gifts to provide this beautiful home.  I continue to stand amazed!

If you see a silver blur heading toward Atlanta…that would be Doug and me heading to TN…would someone please tell Chief Lumpkin!

Continued blessings to all,

Karen

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Week 4

If you build it, they will come…and come they are!  As I said last week, the specialties teams are stepping up now and coming in droves to help us!  We have also gone “International” and “You Tube”!  More on both of these coming up!

On Monday, we had to say good-bye to the A & G framers!  They were enjoying themselves so much,  I think they may have stayed with us.   After two weeks of framing, the decking crew was called in.  Seriously, if you have never watched a decking crew, you should.   Andy Price and his guys are amazing as they walk 35’ or so in the air with sheets of our Huber ZIP roofing product above their head.   Notice on the pictures below that ZIP requires no clips or felt…just the tape for the seams.  This has been a great time to learn about new products on the market and their application.  I want to thank Luis Imery of Imery Group for taking time out to come and walk through the house with us to share energy saving tips in the framing stage.

Our windows and doors are in and look fabulous.  VNS Corp, Mark Haney and the Greensboro branch of Choo Choo Building Products supplied the window package for the Christian Home of Silver Line windows.  Bryan Gabriel of Athens Window and Door was very instrumental in finding Tim Crocker of Classic City Door and Hardware, who supplied all  of the exterior doors for the home.  Tim is an old Armstrong and Dobbs guy who went off and started his own successful business.  He also went to school with Buddy and wanted to step in and do something for the family.  Mark works closely with Mitch Malcom on his large projects, and was very excited about helping with the build.  You will read more about VNS Corp. later, as the windows are not the only items they are donating.  We thank you all for these generous gifts and for all of your help getting these valuable assets for the build.

On Monday, Carol Williams of Coldwell Banker, sent an email introducing a fiber-cement exterior trim product that I have not used before.  After reading, I called the Company that was started in Japan, has a home office in Norcross, GA and a manufacturing plant in Macon.  In one hour, Michael Cobb of Nichiha, had volunteered to provide all of the siding, cornice trim and porch ceilings for the home…an amazing donation that saved us tremendously!  I encourage you to go on the Nichiha web site and explore their products.  I was taken with the fact that they manufacture this right here in GA and thought of the jobs their plant is producing for our state.  If you are a LEED builder, you get points for using this local product.  Charlie Callaway of Athens Building Supply also supplied our finishing touches to the exterior package and supplied the hauling of the Nichiha products to the job site.   As I continue to say, each one of us bring our “gifts” to this project.  It may be labor, it may be a product, it may be a contact.  It is taking all of you to build this home, and I thank you for listening to your heart to contribute.  Doors are being opened, and we are walking through them!

Next we had 13 men from four different Co.’s come out for the installation of the exterior trim.  Seavy O’Neal of Building Wrights and Renovators, brought out his crew to set the windows and doors on Tuesday.  Wednesday brought Jared York of J.W. York Homes and his guys to also help with the setting of the windows and doors, apply some of the ZIP taping and several other details that needed to be finished up.  Chad Tracy of Patriot Construction sent out his crew for the rest of the week running the cornice detail.  Eddie Luther of L & L Construction and his crew also ran the cornice and all of the siding.  I was in Heaven as I had a cornice crew on the front and one on the back, with windows and doors going in from the inside!  We were multi-tasking to the max…and I was loving it!

On Friday I went out to the house site and found Mr. Alton Rowe of Rowe Insulation, sweeping up the inside!  As I have said before, I have never seen such expensive labor as we have had on this job site!  His guys, Wayne Moon and Kevin Rowe were right behind him sealing up the plate lines and applying insulation behind the tub areas in preparation for the plumbers.  More on the insulation later but I have to say thank you for the dedication of these Madison Co. men.  Their office is just around the corner from the Christian farm, and this hit them personally…Buddy was their neighbor.  I have also included a picture below of a quick trip to the local Certainteed Plant, where Brett Ostrowski had my car loaded for this task.  I have ridden by these huge plants almost daily, and it is so amazing now to put faces with these corporate signs and also to again think of the local jobs created by them.  What an impact they each make in this area. 

We closed out the week on Saturday with the painting crew of TDE and Tom Edge.  Bless them for being patient and starting the painting of the cornice and siding despite the rain on Friday night, AND being the GA/FL game day.  Sherwin Williams and Ben Perry is supplying our paint.  Bless them also for being patient as 7 samples later, Melissa and I, finally had the siding color that we liked! 

The house continues next week with more of the specialty teams coming out to join us, so stay tuned.  I continue to be humbled and filled with pride as each one of you contribute to this beautiful home.   Join me as Melissa and I share your story on a spot that UGA’s news team and Amanda Santiago did for us.  It can be found at:

http://youtu.be/k5VLLN5Q4MY
 

http://youtu.be/2uGi969ADOo

Blessings to you all,

Karen

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