This is our complete story of our experience on the Extreme Home Makeover T.V. show. My girls and I have been thanking God for using us this past week.

I had a phone call from Pamela from the Mother's Against Drunk Drivers of Alabama. Pamela said that there is a family who lives in Montgomery, Alabama who is having a home built for them by The Extreme Home Makeover Team and this family is scheduled to come home on Wednesday. Well, this family had a son who was killed by a drunk driver and ABC asked MADD of Alabama to invite other families who have lost loved ones to drunk drivers to go to Montgomery on Wednesday to be there to welcome the family home. My girls and I were invited to be there when the family gets home. We were also asked to bring a framed photo of My Elgin with us and be there to greet the family when they get home. After driving 10 hours from Louisiana to get home, my girls and I got up and drove another 4 hours to Montgomery, Alabama to be special guest on the Extreme Home Makeover, along with about 40 other people.

Day 1-- started with us signing in and getting our "Extreme Home Makeover" T-Shirt. Then we were shuttled over to the location of the house. At first we understood that we would be there to "Welcome" the family home. But, we arrived just in time to get to watch the house during demolition.

We were then bused over to another location, where we were filmed with Ty for his opening to the show. My girls and I were standing along with the other families with our pictures of Elgin while Ty walked amongst us talking for the camera. After my girls and I were filmed with our pictures and Sarah had to say, "This is my Daddy, he was killed by a drunk driver and then I had to say, "This is my husband Elgin, he was killed by a drunk driver. Jordan didn't talk. We wound up staying in Montgomery for the night. We had SEVERE weather passing where we were. So, we had to rent a room for the night. The lady that the house is being built for lost a son due to a drunk driver and she also lost a daughter to domestic abuse. So, she is now having to raise her three grandchildren. The show will be aired at the end of April. No one could tell us an exact date.  

 Day 2--started off with my girls and me meeting with the MADD Directors and a few other MADD families. We all met outside on the sidewalk of the Biscuit Stadium. (Alabama's Baseball Stadium)

Along the street, 5 "crashed" cars were parked. Each car represented a person who was killed by a drunk driver.

Next to the cars were signs that read, "Drinking and Driving Wrecks Lives." We got to meet Tracy, (one of the Design Team). 

We then got to tell her our "nightmare" story of the day when Elgin was killed by a drunk driver. She cried with us, and laughed and hugged us. Each family got to tell her their "nightmare" story while we were being filmed for the show. This segment will be featured when they "check in" with the family while they are on vacation. We started filming at 8:30 a.m. and finished up after 1:00 p.m. My girls and I then went to lunch with the MADD ladies. After lunch we went to the MADD Headquarters where My Sarah helped Pam design a Newsletter for her department of MADD, and we got loaded up with tons of MADD goodies to give out.

This is Jordan, Our new friend from MADD-Pam and Sarah

Last night we had some HORRIBLE weather and the tornado sirens went off all night long. Tomorrow we're off to the house to help out with whatever they need us to do. Right now, our prayer is that The Lord would use us to bring Him Glory. Each day we need to remind ourselves that this show is not about "us", it's about "Monica Jordan" and her family. Monica is a grandmaw having to raise her grandchildren after her daughter was killed by Domestic Violence, leaving Monica to raise the 3 grandchildren and she also had a 24 year old son who was killed by a drunk driver. So, she is an advocate against Domestic Violence and Drunk Driving Awareness.

Day 3—Friday, My girls and I arrived at the house site and we were told that we would NOT be allowed on the site to work on the house because we wore dresses/skirts. So, we were assigned to the catering tent to help serve food to the workers.

told the Lord that if THAT’s where He would have my girls and me to work today, then we would be a “servant” and serve these people working to build this family their home, then we would do it with a joyful heart. The next thing we knew,

Tim who is the Production Assistant came up to us and asked us if we had been to the house yet and we told him no, that we weren’t allowed cause we wore skirts. He then said that he would take us. We told him that we still needed to stay and help clean up and he said that he would wait for us to get done. So, he then took us tour the neighborhood and showed us where Ty’s camper was and we got to

watch Edwardo do a segment for the show. We were then invited to spend the rest of the evening at the V.I.P. tent. While we were treated like queens, I was then interviewed for the newspaper and then interviewed for the News.

Day 4---Sat. Upon arriving at the site, my girls and I went to the catering tent and served the workers their food again. After we were through serving the workers, my girls and I sat down to eat our lunch. Next thing we knew Paulie, Tracy

and the Director of the show, Anthony

walks in and they came and sit down with us. In fact Paulie sat next to me. Well, when Tracy saw us she got up from sitting on the other side of Anthony and came and sits down with me and my girls. She introduced us to Paulie and Anthony and we had a great time with them. Tracy told them that we were originally from La. and Anthony said that his Dad was from New Orleans and Paulie said that he was going to New Orleans for the Jazz Fest. Well, that got us started a conversation on Cajuns and where we “originated” from. We sat for a long time visiting together. We also were able to get our Extreme Makeover shirts autographed by Paulie, Edwardo and Tracy, and had pictures taken with Tracy and Paulie. We still need to get pictures with Ty and Edwardo. Although we did the opening segment of the show with Ty, it was a VERY subdued time, so there were no snapshot pictures taken that day. After the opening segment was taken, Ty left for Florida to start on another house and he’s suppose to be back on Sunday to start loading furniture in the house. We’ll See!! After lunch Jordan and Sarah got to go in the new house and help out with whatever was needed for them to do. I didn’t go in the house cause the help was needed Upstairs, and I have a BIG problem with heights, so I was assigned a project for one of the rooms in the house. 

 Day 5—After checking in and getting our hardhats my girls and I headed on to the Catering Tent where we help serve all of the workers their lunch. We then helped with the clean up and after headed on over to the construction site. When we walked into the VIP tent the group was singing “Happy Birthday” to Edwardo.

It was his 43^rd birthday and a couple of ladies made him a cake. THEN the trucks arrived filled with the furniture for the NEW house.

All of the workers then lined up along the driveway and started to unload the trucks. My girls and I then went inside the house and helped unload all of the bags and bags of groceries that were bought for the Jordan family. We even got to work in the kitchen with Edwardo. It was fun, even though everything we arranged in the kitchen, Edwardo came right behind us and rearranged it.  We stayed at the house until 9:15 p.m. and drove back over to the hotel for some much needed rest.

Day 6—This morning we checked in as usual and headed on over to the house site. We got to be a part of the Jordan family arriving home to their NEW house.
My girls and I got to yell, “MOVE THAT BUS” and watch as the bus moved and the Jordan family got to take a look at their NEW home for the first time.
It was such a thrilling feeling, that my girls and I got to be a part of this. We got to watch as the Jordan family walked through the doors of their new home.
We waited a while hoping that we’d get the opportunity to meet the family before we left to go home. After some time I told my girls that I guess it was time for us to head on home. We started walking to the area where we would catch the shuttle bus to where our car was parked and Jordan decided that she wanted to stop at the Catering Tent for something to drink. When we walked in we saw Pam, Peggy and Debra from MADD of Alabama and we walked over to tell them bye. I told them that I was hoping that we would have gotten to meet the family before we left and Pam told me that we WOULD get to meet the family. She said that she was trying to find me and my girls to let us know that we WERE invited to attend the Surprise bar-b-q party that was being held in the backyard of the NEW house to celebrate Brady & Monica’s Anniversary.
What a Thrill this was for us. When the family walked out the door to their backyard, we all yelled, “SURPRISE!!!” We got to meet Monica in person and she told me that she had heard about me and my girls from the T.V. before she even got home. It was such an honor to be in this woman’s presence.
We got to take pictures with Monica, and then it was time for us to make our way home. This past week was such an experience for my girls and I. We are praising God that He allowed us to be a part of being a blessing to another family and getting to become a closer part of The MADD team.
Ty Pennington
The Jordan Family thanking the Owners of The Construction Company.

The NEW house.
Me and my girls with the owner of the Construction Company
Paulie showing his support for MADD
Eduardo showing his support for MADD