By Dawn Fluhler

Six weeks after the “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” reveal, the Wilder family is settling back into pre-build life – almost. It isn’t over quite yet. They’re still looking forward to the episode airing sometime in January.

Hallmark Homes CEO Derek Wilder and his wife, Jennie, have three teenage children: Kylene, Courtney and Connor. The entire Wilder family was involved in the Cowan-Brown house build.

Kylene, an Anderson University sophomore, was on site all week in between classes. She carried a phone and a walkie talkie, drove a Gator and helped her dad with whatever she could.

“She did whatever anybody asked her to do,” Jennie said.

To which Kylene replied, “Sleep really wasn’t an option.”

After school each day, 16-year-old Courtney helped her grandmother in the VIP tent, answered questions and worked on an art project for one of the rooms in the house.

Connor, who turned 14 during build week, rode along with Kylene on the Gator to help with loading and unloading. He also helped his grandma in the VIP tent.

“It was great having their support to encourage and assist the volunteers and workers,” Derek said about his family.

Sunday was Connor’s birthday and Family Day. In celebration, he had a cake in the VIP tent and then spent the day helping with Family Day, making popcorn and doing whatever else was asked of him.

“It was the busiest birthday that I’ve had,” Connor said. “It was fun, but I’m glad it wasn’t my 16th birthday.”

One major benefit of being part of the builder’s family: meeting the “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” talent. Courtney met David Cook, played rock-paper-scissors with designer Paul DiMeo and got a hug from designer Didiayer Snyder at the end of the build. Jennie also got to meet Snyder, as well as design producer Eva Zellmer. Connor got pretty near to Ty Pennington once. Kylene said she mostly just worked around them.

Even Derek’s parents, Jerry and Vickie Wilder, took charge of projects. Jerry helped organize the volunteers and Vicky coordinated at the VIP tent.

On reveal day, the Wilder family was all present. Reflecting upon the completion, they said:
“I was kind-of amazed because our house was built in three months,” Connor said, “but that house was finished in a week.”

“It was 106 hours,” Kylene returned.

“It was a 4 ½ day build,” Jennie finished.

Hallmark Homes will continue to serve the Cowan-Brown family. Employees are currently putting the finishing touches on the house, such as making sure all of the doorstops have been installed and all nail holes have been puttied. The company will also provide a warranty for the house for the next 10 years, as is customary for all of the homes it builds.

“I was very proud of all the volunteers, subcontractors, sponsors and suppliers for their incredible sacrifice and effort,” Derek said.

At the end of the week, they all agree, the Wilders were tired, relieved and excited about the completion of the Cowan-Brown house. Though Kylene said (with laughter) she felt like she was dealing with some post-traumatic stress, and Courtney said she hated to have to part from all of the new friends she had made. But they all felt lucky to have had this experience.

“It was just so fulfilling to do this for someone who deserved it,” Courtney said.

On Wednesday, Kylene went back to the site to help with clean up. The crew and media were still there working. On Thursday, Kylene went back to Anderson University for classes. The rest of her family headed to Gatlinburg, Tenn., for vacation.

“We didn’t do anything,” Connor said. “We stayed in our pajamas, played Pac-Man and watched TV.”

“It was very relaxing,” Courtney added.

The Wilders plan to get together with a group to watch the Cowan-Brown episode of “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” when it airs in January.

“It will be a period at the end,” Jennie said.