April 23, 2012

 It feels like lots has happened since our last blog post, so I'll try to get you up to date.  Last week, Tony and the guys spent a day cleaning the craft cabin and bathroom.  Then Tim and the guys blocked off the opening between the two so that the bathroom can be used from the outside.  Jerod was here plastering the craft cabin, so Tim was able to use some of Jerod's plaster to finish the wall on both sides.

 After the craft cabin (above) was clean, Karol touched up the walls with paint.  Then Tim and Jerod used a self leveling concrete product on the floor.  The floor was very unlevel, it had a large crack and it had a lot of glue residue from old carpeting.  This product addressed all of these issues.  Now we will be able to use the concrete dye and clear finish for this space.

 Last Saturday we had a well attended work day. We had a group of 5 from Concordia College, a group from Risen Hope Church in Random Lake, and the Able Church.  Many projects were completed.  I have photos of some.  Above:  primer and paint in the Trapline Lodge dorm room.  Also painted were the bath in Trapline and the newly plastered walls in the Nature Center.

 Jerod spent some time on Friday preparing the side of Molly's house for cedar shakes.  He put on the metal flashing so that this group could trim the windows and start with the shakes.  Another job accomplished, was the installation of the exterior lights flanking Molly's front door.

 One of the jobs that the Able Group worked on was raking out areas that need grass seed spread.  The photo above shows DJ and Crystal raking away!

 We took advantage of the good weather by assembling the bunk beds outside of the Trapline Lodge.  After assembly, they were sanded.

 The playground area needed the encroaching grass pulled out and fresh sand brought in.  They were working so fast, that by the time I got there to take a picture, everyone was gone! Another project to check off the list was one that Tim Bazet-Jones finished.  The gable ends of the Trapline lodge were still needing the angled corbel/bracket pieces.  There were 10 in all to do.  This was one of those jobs that no one really wanted to tackle; mostly because of the very tall ladder required and the feared "double angle" that needed to be figured out to get the bracket to fit.   Tim took on the challenge and did a great job of it.

Tony and the Able group worked in a few specific areas of the grounds where water drainage is an issue. They dug out the grass and dirt and put in strategically placed swells with extra drainage to keep some of the runoff water under control.

And finally......Sunday after church Crystal moved in!!  Yea.  We have been waiting a long time, but the day did finally come.  Crystal and Molly are both working at getting her settled in.

April 13, 2012

 So here's the last set of pics from DJ's house.  This is Jen and Marceaux's bathroom.  Like DJ's bath, it received minor updates that have a big impact.  We replaced the sink top, sink base, lighting, and mirror.
We also painted the walls, and added a bank of cabinets for some much needed storage.

 The above left photo was from prior to the purchase.  We changed the wall between the living room and kitchen.

 We added lighting, oak posts and a half wall where there had been a full wall.  There will be a 14" deep wood counter at this wall.  It will have 3 or 4 counter stools.  We changed all of the lighting in the kitchen, and replaced the countertops.

 Here's the beginning stages in the garage.  We laid plastic, then 2" foam, then plywood.

 The following pics show the progression of change in Jen and Marceaux' room.

We did install carpeting in the entire garage area including the hallway and stairs leading to the garage end of the house.  The trim and doors are in as well as plenty of shelving in the closets.  Of course, there's just too much stuff to show it all!  So you'll have to come for a visit and see it all first hand.  DJ is a very proud landlord, and loves to show it off!!

Monday, April 9 2012

This blog is the continuation of photos of the remodel of DJ's house.  During the process we were blessed to have help from others.  Jerod Kostreva has continued to help two days a week.  He and Tim did all of the plastering.  Jen's parents and helped helped out a few days.  We had a work day on April 4.  Bonnie Blakely and her daughter Natalie came from Green Bay for the day, and Jen's mom brought Amanda Schuessler as well.  The ladies not only helped Jen pack and move a bunch of stuff, but they were also very thorough in their cleaning of the pantry and kitchen.  They also took on the job of cleaning the new vinyl floor in the living room.  It just looked dusty, but 6 scrubbings later proved that the job was a big one!  Thank you to all! 

As you can see these photos are of the living room.  The top pic is what it looked like before the closing.  Part of the wall between the living room and the old master bedroom was taken out to accommodate the new entry and hallway leading to the garage.  The carpet was pulled up.  All of the moldings were removed, and the ceiling was scraped.  Then the whole space was replastered.

The photo above shows fresh paint on the walls and ceiling, and the new floor complete in the living room, but not yet done in the entry.  The photo below shows the finished moldings and furniture.  The TV was not yet hung above the fireplace.

The is the other end of the living room.  This wall shows probably the most important change to this end of the house.  The front door was originally located in this room.  The entry consisted of a 3' by 3' piece of tile.  The other door that you see was also moved.  This door leads to DJ's bedroom.  It was moved around the corner where there's a little hallway space with the door that leads to the bath and to the other bedroom.  This makes much more sense, because with the room in it's original state there were more doorways than wall space!

Above is the before of the bathroom.

We painted the walls and ceiling, got a new mirror and storage cabinet above the toilet and a new sink top.  The gray, black and oak is very masculine.

April 3, 2012

 So it's been 10 wks since DJ bought his home.  We've been working like crazy trying to get the remodel done by the first of April.  Here's the first installment of the before and after photos.  DJ and the Bury's officially moved in today!  Of course, there's still some things that need finished, but we're very proud and excited of the job done.  They deserve the best, and it was our job at Camp Daniel to make sure that we gave them the best we could.  The pic above shows the original exterior.  Notice in the second photo that the door moved to where the farthest left window was.

 We also changed the shutters from burgundy to green, and painted the new front door to match.  New exterior lighting was added.  The old stairs were reconfigured, and the deck area made larger.  The first section of the ramp is in and you can see the second two sections laying flat on the ground.  The ramp was from Tony's grandpa Bruette.  It's been laying around Camp Daniel for many years, so we're happy to see it put to use.  That's a lot of lumber!  The patio area joins the stairs and the ramp, and was made from a small amount of landscaping block that was also donated.  The deck will be u shaped and the area in the middle of it will be planted with existing plants and a tree that we still need to purchase.

 The above photo and the ones following are the same shot.  It's the original master bedroom and it's window.  The window was taken out, and replaced with the new front door.  So what was the bedroom, is now the entry/mudroom.  In the photo below you can see the backside of the fireplace.  The tv hangs above it, so Tony had the idea to wire the sound, video, etc thru this area.  He built a cubby in the dead space above the firebox.

 This is about how the area looks now, except that there's hooks to the left of the door.  There will eventually be a built in bench area below the cubby doors for shoes, etc.

 This is the same master bedroom, just from the other angle

   The above So the entry is much smaller than the original bedroom.  The door on the right leads to a large walk in closet to be used for coats and misc. storage items.  Part of the bedroom also turned into the doorway to the garage and the hall leading to it.

This last photo is straight across from the front door.  Nick, Richard and Brian wanted to give DJ, Jen and Marceaux a housewarming gift, so they bought the vinyl saying on the wall "For we walk by faith, not by sight.", and in the background on the right, you can see a collage frame with pictures of their Camp Daniel family.

March 13, 2012

 We've all been working quite a bit at DJ's house.  The pic above is the dining area.  The ceiling and upper part of the walls are painted.  Rick Bub came and helped one day last week.  He hung the new light fixtures that go over the dining table, the island and over the sink.

 Jerod and Tim spent two days last week plastering.  There was so much moisture in the house that the windows were dripping with condensation.  We put some fans in there, and now the living room and mudroom/entry are ready to be painted.  They also finished the first coat of plaster in most of the garage.

Tony also installed a new crown molding on the kitchen cabinets.  It makes them look so much nicer!  The pantry has part of the shelving installed.  Both bathrooms have been painted.  Tony installed a new sink top in DJ's bath, which looks great.  Jen's mom and dad came last Thursday to help, and Jen's dad put together an over-the-toilet cabinet and a shelving unit.
Molly has been busy inputting all of the camper names and addresses into our new address book.  Chrissy has started the next Camp Daniel newsletter.  Karol has been busy trying to keep up with the mail/bills in the office.  It's just a fraction of what Papa Tony normally does, yet it's keeping her quite busy.  Jen and Marceaux made a presentation last week at Rasmussen college.  It was a fundraiser for the teachers.  We got a nice donation, and hopefully we'll get a counselor or two as well!  Planning is still going strong for the banquet on the 23rd.  Ticket orders are still coming in.   If you haven't ordered your tickets yet, you should soon!!  Last Thursday, Jim and Bill, from Our Lady Catholic Youth Group, Rosemont, IL, came up for the afternoon to decide on what projects their youth group will work on this summer, when they come for a work week.  We have been very very blessed by all that this youth group has done over the past several summers.  This summer is shaping up to be another great one!
Today Tony nailed down the speakers for each week of camp. We also had a delivery of another group of bunk beds.  These will be used in the second dorm, (Trapline Lodge).

Tuesday February 21, 2012

 This past weekend, Camp Daniel hosted the 2nd annual Able Church Winter Retreat.  There were 50 attendees at the retreat, which made for a full Hartley House at mealtimes!  We had great weather and took full advantage.  The schedule included chapel services (Aubrey Crawford as the guest speaker), small group time, indoor games, movie and popcorn night and outdoor games.  My photos were all taken during the outdoor rec time.

 I've titled the photo below "Got Snow?"  Elijah had a blast eating snow with George!!

 Many attendees played "monkey ball"  which is a like soccer on ice with your hands instead of feet.

 We got decorations up in each of the 4 cabins of Lumberjack Lodge.  Each room has one large shelf that displays an old chainsaw, hard hat and other misc. lumberjack tools.  Above each shelf is a branch that goes with the theme of the room.  The photo below is Jack Pine.

 The pic below is the Sugar Maple Cabin.  I purposefully got the surrounding beds because it's just exciting to see the rooms get used!  On the wall to the left of the doorway, is a two man saw and metal signs for chainsaws and maple leaf something or the other.  Each room has one a similar arrangement on the wall.  Each room also has 3 16x20 framed black and white photos of old lumberjack scenes.  The frames were painted in an aged finish that matches the color of each room.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

 Last Thursday a group of 27 college students and 2 adults from Silver Birch Ranch came for a work day at Camp Daniel.  They worked a half day on Thursday, and they also fit in a half day of work on Friday, before leaving right after lunch.  They had groups to host at their camp, one of which was Living Hope Church's youth winter retreat.  One of the tricky things about winter work days, is having enough indoor jobs for everyone.  We split up the large group into 6 smaller groups.  Half of the groups worked in the Trapline Lodge at Camp Daniel, and half worked on the remodel at DJ's house.  The photo above shows two of the 4 kids that had the job of scraping all of the texture off of the ceilings.  It was a very large and extremely messy job.  What a blessing to have help for such a task!  While the scrapers were in full action, the group in the photo below were working in the garage at DJ's.  To the concrete floor they laid, plastic, then 2" foam, then plywood.  This layer of vapor barrier and insulation will keep the 3 bedrooms that will be in the garage toasty warm in the winters.

 After laying the flooring, this group worked on the old and new entrance to the garage.  We moved the door from the laundry area to the new entry area.  As you can see in the photo below, moving electrical wiring complicated this job.  We are also moving the front door, which of course, had wiring thru that area as well.  Thankfully the crawl space is concrete, so Karol was able to scoot around under the house and pull and push wires to accommodate the new floor plan.

 This photo is kind of out of order, but it shows one of the finishing touches still going up in the Lumberjack Lodge.  The half glass doors let in a wonderful amount of light, but they also don't allow for much privacy.  Each door now has a leaf logo representing that particular cabin (that's what we call each of the 4 rooms in a lodge) and privacy frosting.  That combined with the curtains, gives privacy for changing, without dark dungeon feel that you often get in camp dorm rooms.  There were many other details added before the Silver Birch group arrived.  Tim applied a narrow strip to each shower area so that the water from the showers cannot run into the rest of the bathroom.  He and Jerod built and installed a large shelf in each cabin, which will be for lumberjack decorations.  They also finished putting up the last of the curtain rods.  Karol touched up paint and polyeurethane.  We scrambled to get as many mattresses as we could for the bunk beds.  We have about 30, and really need many more.

 Back to the work day.  One of the groups that worked at Camp Daniel insulated and installed plywood in the attic above the bathroom.  It was a very big job, and they came super close to finishing.  When the last of the plywood goes on, we'll be able to use this area for storage.

 This group plastered the seams in the two bathrooms.

 There were 4 people working in this cabin.  Since Dave Detloff finished the tongue and groove in here, it's been ready for the poly.  Over the two days, this group applied one full coat, sanded and applied the second coat.  Done!  They also put all of the trim around the windows in this room and the room next to it as well.  Tim also had kids put outlet covers on all of the outlets in both rooms, of which there are many.  (No counselor at our camps should need to bring an extension cord.  And what will we do with all of the 3 prong adapters that use every year at Lake Helen?)

Tim also had a small group take the building materials that had been stored in two bathrooms, organize them, and stack them neatly into one bathroom.  With that task accomplished, we can now tile two bathrooms at once without moving a bunch of stuff around.
I'm sure that I have forgotten some of the many jobs that the Silver Birch Ranch group finished.  It's hard to express what a blessing it is to get such a boost on projects during the winter!  It would have taken us, at least 3 weeks to do all that they did in those two half days.  Plus, I would like to acknowledge what a great group of people they are.  Each year the kids change, but they are always a joy to have and we just appreciate the relationship we have with Silver Birch.  In past years, they even invited all of our Camp Daniel staff out to their camp for a day of food and fun.  Their staff took us horseback riding, on hay rides, rock climbing, and just allowed us to enjoy their facilities.  All of this with no renumeration to them.  They are just really nice people who serve the Lord faithfully.