Touring the Site of the Hurston's Extreme Makeover Home

The glorious Florida sun gleamed off of what looked like a hundred white hard hats as I stepped from the shuttle bus and walked onto what I would later learn were the front yards of the Hurston family's neighbors. My wife and I had first driven to the Cocoa landfill then caught a rotating group of buses as they transported spectators, VIPs and volunteers to the Hurston family build site several miles away. Driving past police checkpoints and barriers, we arrived on site and disembarked, being directed to a gated area that led down the street along Fan Palm Avenue.

Signs and tents and generators seemed to be everywhere. A short walk over trampled lawns, and there it was. Or rather, there is where the Hurston home used to be. A flurry of blue shirt construction workers moved purposefully around the build site, walls slowly taking shape. A flatbed truck, carrying cinderblocks, was expertly unloaded by a specialized forklift. Everyone strained for signs of Ty Pennington or the Design Crew.

What an amazing undertaking!

The spectators around me were kind and inquisitive, asking one another questions. Before long, a friendly official EMHE crewmember walked up and began chatting with my wife. I moved over to the LifeStyle homes tent that is set up directly across from what will eventually be the Hurston's front door. LifeStyle had a ladder just sitting there, so I asked what every "height challenged" photographer wants to ask: "Mind if I climb on up for a picture?"

"No problem," they called back. "Just don't fall."

I got the shot, and the memory of a fantastic vantage point. Picture #3 (at the top of this article) is the shot I took over the top of the crowd while on the ladder.

The excitement of the area is downright intoxicating. Even though I was confined to the spectator section, I managed to get into some lively conversations from people from all over the state and even beyond; some had driven hours to see the house. One told me he'd seen the fuselage of a plane, and that got me thinking again about Ty Pennington and the possibility of a plane makeover. Looking around, I spied a piece of fuselage! (Incidentally, that's Picture #5, above) Turns out it's part of a 737 and there are hopes of using it in the Hurston's residence, possibly the son's room. Volunteers were busy redoing the upholstery on several airline seats that apparently go with the fuselage. Can't wait to see how they fit this plane part into the overall plan.

After two hours of being on the home site, I still had this hunch that the Design Team was close-by.

"Ready for another adventure?" I asked my wife.

I love the smile I got in return.

I snagged a souvenir T-shirt and we headed back to the shuttle bus. Returning to our van, we drove up I-95 to Titusville's Space Coast Regional airport. Admittedly, this was a bit of a long shot. After all, no one had told us that any of the Extreme Makeover team was here. But when we pulled into the Warbird Museum -- and saw blue shirts -- we knew we were onto something!

Extreme Bus Stuck in the Sand!

Sure enough, the Extreme Makeover Team, with Ty Pennington, Michael Moloney, Eduardo Xol and Paige Hemmis were all there! Apparently they were re-shooting the moment that they surprised the Hurston's (minus the Hurston family being there, of course. They're away still in San Diego.) In the course of the re-shoot, the Extreme Makeover bus got stuck in that wonderful Florida sand that we have everywhere. Tow trucks were called, and with the bus finally free, the shooting recommenced.

After about thirty minutes, we noticed the team walking our way. What an amazing moment just to yell out a "Hi!" and thank them for what they were doing in our community and for this family. Michael Moloney and Eduardo Xol even paused to pose for a picture for me. What a nice bunch of guys. To see the pictures I took from the sandy bus adventure, Click Here . To see the video, Click Here.

From the KSC Pep Rally (LINK) to the Hurston's home build site, I'm loving this adventure, and loving the friendly attitudes. Keep up the great work, Extreme Team!

Welcome to the Space Coast, Extreme Team.

Thank you LifeStyle homes for helping to make this happen!

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Other Resources:

Extreme Makeover Home Edition Space Coast / LifeStyle Homes: Click Here
LifeStyle Homes Facebook Page: Click Here

Air Mobile Ministry (The Hurston's Ministry Page): Click Here

Photos - See the EMHE Design Team during their "stuck bus" moment: Click Here
Photos -- Extreme Makeover Pep Rally at Kennedy Space Center: Click Here

New! Directions and information on the location of the Hurston's home: Click Here
New! Video of the Extreme Makeover Team filming the "Good morning, Hurston Family": Click Here