Power Tools > Cooking

(Betsy): I know, I know. I want Scott to blog some more, too. But he's super busy being a hard worker this weekend, and I have the fortune of leaving my work at work. More from him soon. He promises.

Remember how volunteering made it on our Thirty Before Thirty List (here)? And then I mentioned it again here and here. Well, last weekend, Scott and I were able to help some pretty needy people in the sweet, little town of Mancelona, MI. Unemployment is common here, and poverty has swept over this quiet place after some of its major industries (coal, iron, and pickles?) closed shop. According to Dan, owner of Cedar Bend Farm and our job coordinator for the weekend, generations of alcoholism and drug use have left the town desperate and helpless. Our mission for the weekend was to provide a few home improvements for some  families in the town while demonstrating God's love, showing the families that there is hope despite their undesirable circumstances.

After a seven-hour drive north (I slept over half the ride while Scott drove. Yah, he's awesome.) peppered with some Good Mood Food, Brian Regan, and great conversation with Corey, our pastor, and our new friend, Matt, we arrived in Mancelona. We got in a few more hours of shut-eye, ate some yummy breakfast, and then headed to our worksite, a small, three bedroom trailer, pictured on the left. For the next two days, we would be tackling that bad boy hiding behind those ladders (also known as the window), and replacing a hallway floor that had fallen victim to some heavy water damage. (Later, that floor and I got to know each other really well after I fell through it. Darn the luck.).

On the first day, Scott and I were placed on the hallway team under the great leadership of Mrs. Laura Christensen. Ok, seriously. This woman needs her own HGTV show. She's got skillz. Prior to last Saturday, I had hammered a nail in a wall to hang a picture and had once assembled a book shelf from Ikea that included idiot-proof instructions. Laura, on the other hand, has way more under her (tool) belt. See what I did there? Ha.

So, under Laura's guidance, Scott and I showed some tile, plywood, and another layer of tile who was boss. Enter: the first power tool, a sawzall (which turned out to be quite the topic of debate on Facebook. Sorry Mom, Dane wins.) Let's just say it is super empowering to use one of those mean machines.

and...

I'd like to take the next few sentences to brag on my man. Who knew clean, organized, stable, structured Scott had it in him? He owned that tile. He ripped that floor up like it was nobody's business...and his power tool skills...off the charts. You go boy. You da' man. And, OF COURSE, we shot some pictures:

Constructing a new, safe hallway floor went a little something like this: rip up the old floor, and indicate where potential "danger zones" are (i.e. the areas of the floor where people can fall through). Check. Construct boxes out of 2x4 lumber (enter power tool numero dos: the circular saw) that can attach to the joist (yah, I can say joist now because I know what one is. Joist. Joist. Joist.) of the trailer, creating more support. Measure and cut plywood that will fit desired area. Place said plywood. Level said plywood with stuff that resembles pancake batter (mmm, I'm hungry). And, finally, cut and stick tile.

Sounds pretty simple, eh? Yah, I thought so too. But let me tell you, after two long days of hammering, screwing, chopping, ripping, tearing, cutting, sweating, falling, drilling, aching, building, placing, moving, carrying, and leveling, it didn't seem simple. It felt like quite the opposite. But, just as the old adage says, 'good things don't come easy'. And when finished, this floor was good. Real, real good.

The window didn't turn out to shabby, either. It was pretty exciting to watch the home transform over 48 hours. It was even more exciting to play a role in that transformation. Both Scott and I were so humbled by our weekend in Mancelona and are thankful that we had the ability and capacity to help this sweet family out.

Here's a before picture of that beast:

And (drum roll please)...after sixteen hours of blood, sweat, and tears, we had this sweet baby (seen right). And, I know you are dying to see how the hallway turned out. Wait no longer. Here is the progression from start to finish.

**BONUS: Scott has so graciously agreed to caption the pictures. I knew he was good for something.

Laura, our fearless leader, hard at work.

???

Da' Flo' Befo'

Laura schooling Betsy

More rare than a Bigfoot sighting.

A mile of tile...some tile after a while...who knew tile could make you smile

Happy homeowner, whom we have affectionately named K-Dawg

MOM! Where's my milkshake?!

And there you have it, folks. Our weekend in Mancelona. Readers, have you ever stepped out of your comfort zone and constructed something you were super proud of? Have any of you ever fallen through a floor? We'd love to hear your comments. Can you believe we are getting married in like...uh...2 1/2 months! Woo Hoo!!