I am sure (actually, I'm certain after having seen the crowd that appeared) that I am not the only one who loves Extreme Makeover: Home Edition & watches it faithfully. That being said, when I heard that the show would be rolling into St. Louis to build a home for a family in need, I was thrilled. I was even more happy to find out that I could be a spectator. After work on Saturday, my family & I headed to Shrewsbury, MO (about 25 miles south of here) & took a shuttle over to the worksite. I was amazed at the great number of people that were not only volunteering of their time but those who, like us, were wanting to see it all unfold.
We arrived to see a land with foundation & that was about it. While we were there, the trusses were arriving & we were even there long enough to see the first couple of walls go up. I always thought the homes were built in 7 days...such is not so. While in the midst of trying to complete all of their projects, the designers took time to greet the crowd, sign some autographs & stop for pictures. We were able to see both John Littlefield & Eduardo Xol on Saturday afternoon. When purchasing a t-shirt, another spectator was asking the worker what designers were at the build. In addition to the 2 we had already seen, we found out that Ed Sanders & Paige Hemmis were the other 2 that were on it. Though everyone hoped to see Ty Pennington, Ty had left not long before our arrival to fly to Ohio to do a doorknock for their next build. We were told that Ty would be back for the last 2 days of this project. Having not seen Ed or Paige before we left, we went to the coffee shop that the team was also rebuilding to see if we could catch a glimpse of either of them. Unfortunately, we did not. We returned to the home yesterday & I was shocked to see how much progress had been made since our departure on Saturday evening. A house stood before us with a roof over it, the drywall was done, people were painting within & many workers outside were preparing to put stone on the house. All of that done--overnight! Not long after we arrived yesterday, I spotted Paige. She was so busy that she never did come to sign as the others had. Much to my dismay, we never did see Ed. Haley overheard a conversation & found out that he was in a tent nearby working on painting animals for one of the rooms for the house. We left at around 6:00 lastnight & that was the end of our Extreme experience. Though I would love to go back & see the finished project & especially be there when the family returns on Wednesday of this week, I must work. I am so glad I was able to go & watch. I had hoped to volunteer but when we inquired, all of the slots were filled. Though we were told there was a waiting list to replace the no-shows,after seeing the house on Saturday, I felt I would be more of a hindrance than a help. I would have been in the way. If you watch the show, you know what an incredible program Extreme Makeover is. I encourage you, should the show ever come to a city near you to bless a family with a home, go & watch & if able, volunteer. As amazing as it is to watch the t.v. show, it's even more amazing to watch a house being built firsthand & see the team in action. For those wondering, the episode of this home is scheduled to air 6 weeks from yesterday (at least, that's what we were told). To read about the family, check out: http://www.extrememakeoverst.louis.com
