My Trees Don't Stand a Chance

The Pick-up Crew from lf-rt: Heather H., Sean, Crazy Matt, Elisha O., Angela H., Chris F., Amy T.

Saturday was a huge work day that started at 7:30 a.m. for more than people than usual. I usually am at the house by 6:30-7:30 on Saturdays, straightening things up, making sure I'm ready for the crew around 9:30. This Saturday was a bit different.

Not 30 minutes after I had gotten to the house I heard chainsaws barking outside. Thing was they were in my yard! I decided it would be best to go out and monitor the commotion. My anxious brother Sean was hard at it, making sure to be the one to fell the first tree of the roughly 30 that needed to be cut. Go get 'em I say. Withing about 20 minutes my father-in-law Russ and Uncle Keith had arrived and were wearing the professional chaps, head gear and ear wear that made Sean and I look like part-timers. They proceeded to tear into it one tree after another and blazed through most of the work of felling the trees before the others arrived - it was safer that way. We only had one small accident when a 40' tree fell on top of Sean, well not the entire tree, just the last 4' - which of course had the most speed. It left a pretty nasty mark that wrapped around his forehead and bridge of his nose. He looked a little like Gill from Finding Nemo. He's tough, he got through it. Everything went relatively smoothly from that point. We had another 4-6 people working in the morning; Doug & Matt G., Kevin and Ben L., Russ and Uncle Keith VH., my brother and myself (now looking at it - all brothers or father-sons - interesting). We had more later that did a ton of cleaning and stacking of cut wood, and everyone that helped enjoyed the relatively cool but sunny day outside. (More photos to come of the devastation.)

INSIDE the house (sort of) there were a crew of folks that removed the remaining foundation under the kitchen eat-in area and further braced the floor so that when trenching the new foundation, the supports wouldn't cave in. While a good idea, I think it's over kill. But I suppose better to be safe than wish you had been. So we're in a place where hopefully this Saturday we start trenching the foundations, setting the forms and pouring cement. It's getting close - I can feel it. This kitchen has grown to be a MUCH larger project that I had originally anticipated. I guess there's always one area that kicks your butt, I'm glad that it's only one. I know this room will be great - it's just been extremely frustrating to get to this point and knowing that I'm still 2-3 weeks away from it being completed to the point of being ready for drywall is tough. I guess the old adage of good things come to those who wait is true for good reason.

This weather lately has been a real drag. I'm ready for warmer weather. It wears on you to be at a construction site day after day that is cold and breezy that doesn't have lights and you're forced to work with a spaghetti network of extension cords and it's hard to keep track of things. I know there's an end for all of this, and sometimes I feel as though we make real progress, lately though I feel a bit discouraged that I can't get past this freaking foundation and kitchen thing and it has taken it's toll. I greatly appreciate the folks who have helped get it to this point and I look forward to its completion. I guess part of the problem is that the work spent on it is the type that won't even be noticeable when it's all complete - frustrating. Oh well, we'll continue to push through.

I hope to see more on Saturday as the remaining 16 trees needed to be cut down are of the precarious type (leaning next to or over the neighbors' houses) and we have a lot to get done before a crew of Central College students arrive on Tuesday and I REALLY want to get that kitchen foundation done. Pray for good weather - we could use it.

The Girls Make a Visit

Ron and Ryan lay in the kitchen flooring/Frame the bathroom

Last week was a VERY productive week that ended on a great note.Every night I was blessed to have an average of four extra helpers to work on the house. It was great because the projects in the house are the size that it's difficult to get 20 people working in the same space.

Some things that were accomplished were laying of most of the new kitchen floor (after removing the old), taking out the existing first floor bathroom, chimney and laundry chute and replacing it all with a formal coat closet like it originally had and then installing a new bathroom that is the same level of the back entry way. This project is a perfect example of how I hoped people would help me. I was walking though with the plumber and was discussing how I should move forward and he came up with the idea to switch the bathroom and closet on the plan that I had never considered and it turned out that I lose about 8 inches in the kitchen, but gain a full-sized 1/2 bath. A huge improvement that I'm sure will not be regretted in the future. It's felt good to incorporate other people's ideas into the plan as I've gone along and I hope that others continue to suggest things. Some ideas I'm sure will be executed and others not, but at least I have others minds helping me on this.

That's really the one thing that I really miss Leslie's presence for, her ideas. She always had great ideas and a master plan in her head. She would often look many years down the road and plan to make that goal/dream come true. Often times it meant being patient or frugal which I struggle with both, so it was a good fit. In our discussions of the house we went through every room and thought how each could be used in the immediate 3-5 years with a plan for the next 10-15 and how to design them such that they would easily evolve over that time as our family would change as well. I have a good base because of those discussions, but I still need help and I am thankful for the people around me that have helped and given me ideas. We are starting to embark on a portion that I really struggle with which is the interior design... I'll be looking at a lot of pictures and listening intently to her my mother-in-law (she owned an interior decorating store) as well as others, but she understands what Leslie liked and can better articulate what I'm looking for to the design world in construction terms. That's kind of a weird thought now that I say it out loud, h that someone else would need to talk to the construction world for me... weird.

Anyway, we also got the foundation problems better identified for the eat-in kitchen area and plan to dig the remaining foundation and set forms this Saturday. It's once again supposed to be cold (40 degrees), so I would appreciate and prayers you have for nicer weather - at least no rain. I also had a lot of the remaining can lights installed and wired for everything but the basement and the data/video wires got pulled for most of the house.I'm telling you, we got a ton done last week and it was in small groups, but consistently showing up to do the work.
First Floor living room

Second Floor Master Bath

A view down the old chimney space


Which leads me to the great ending to the week. The girls of the Pella Christian Dance and Drill Team came up from Pella Iowa and worked their tails off for a few hours on Friday morning/afternoon. Not only did they vacuum and sweep the whole house, but also cleaned off mortar from the foundation brick so it can be reused as well as replaced tattered cardboard. All jobs that are really no fun, but one thing I've learned about high school girls is that if you play music and allow them to work in groups, they will make any job fun. That's only half true I suppose, I know that these girls had their hearts in a place of the Lord and were doing the work more for Leslie than anyone. I guess that's why I left there over lunch after talking with them briefly with such a huge smile was because I knew Leslie was listening and enjoying all of the MANY topics of conversation that those girls had at our house. There are plans for the annual 'sleepover at the O'Bannon' where Buddy the dog gets terrorized, Ellie the baby gets pampered, John the old guy get made fun of - but still makes a mean breakfast, and the house gets invaded for a few hours by giggling and laughing from a team that is enjoying their time together. The only difference this time is that I'll have more than one s-m-a-l-l bathroom for 12 girls and I'll have more than floor for all of the sleeping bags, candy and backpacks to be strewn over. Although Coach Leslie may not be laughing with them so that it can be heard, I know she will be listening along and having a great time nonetheless. She loved these girls as though they were her own and was proud of each and every one of them that came through the program. Thank you ladies, you made my week.
Outdoor brick cleaning

LUNCHTIME! No fighting over the heater ladies.

Outdoor brick cleaning 2

Yeah vacuuming!/Cardboard is fun too - seriously.

Talking with the ladies


That's it, enjoy the photos and I hope to see you all in person soon. Happy Easter Everyone!

Let's Raise the Roof!

This was the big weekend of lifting the eat-in area of the kitchen among other smaller jobs. Wouldn't you know it, the forecast was rain all day. For once the weatherman had it nailed, it rained all day off-and-on. Don't worry though, it only rained sheets of rain when we wanted to be outside, so that was nice.

We began the morning strong and fast - at 7:30 with my brother beneath the kitchen eat-in area (which I'll refer to as the "nook") digging out footings for the temporary footings for the jacks and supports that would hold the nook until we can remove the existing brick and rebuild the foundation walls. Then the rains hit. Ugh, it was a messy day. Not only messy, but it was also muggy in the house no matter how many windows were open. Sean kept at it and just after lunch we were ready to lift the house the first time. Oh wait, we hadn't secured the base of the nook at the house TO the house (as it hadn't been done originally in the 20's either). Needless to say we had to stop progress to do so and that meant sending someone to the store for the hardware.

Sean's handiwork from afar/Up close it's a bit scary


At the same time, we were trying to lay down more subfloor for the kitchen, master bath and laundry room on the second floor. While also creating a new bathroom on the first floor in the place of the existing 'water closet'. Many jobs, unfortunately most of them were in the same area of the house, meaning that we were all on top of each other. Muggy conditions, lack of great planning on my part and stop-and-go progress made for a long day.

we finally got to the point of lifting the nook and got it supported on temporary stilts enough to tear away brick and look at the foundation. We also got all of the subfloor on the second floor in place and most of the kitchen subfloor as well. We cut the basement floor for installation of the new plumbing and started to dig the trench. We also built the frames for the walls for the first floor bathroom, but still need to install and anchor them to the basement floor so they're secure. All was done smoothly and we were out of the house by 10:15 p.m. Many thanks to those who worked and a special shout out to Sean, Matt S., Jane M., and Angela for "closing it down" Saturday and staying SO late. I'm sure we ALL slept very well that night.

I'm hoping to do more work throughout this week during the evenings, so hopefully I'll have quite a bit more progress to report in the next entry. Take care and God bless.