Page 4+ Project Spotlight: Kitchen Remodel

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+ Superstar Client of the Month+ Vocabulary Word of the Month+ Book of the Month+ Talk with Tank

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+ Houseplan Questions Answered+ Play Our Referral Contest

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+ Merry Christmas!

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+ Christmas Quotes + Heidi’s Healthy Home Tip+ Monthly Riddle

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+ Rite of a Passage+ Useless Trivial Tidbits+ Q & A

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+ Comic+ Puzzle+ Community Happenings+ Recipe of the Month+ Riddle Contest Winner

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+ Feature Story: Do You Believe?

IN THIS ISSUE:Do You Believe?Let me preface this story by saying: kids are so different from one another. Embrace the differences. Cherish the differences. Love your children for exactly who they are.

There. I’ve said it. That is moral #1 of the story I’m about to tell you.

Last year, we took our children to the movie theatre to watch the highly recommended animated movie “Rise of the Guardians.”

Jack Frost and other various characters were stars of the show, including the Tooth Fairy, Easter Bunny, Santa Clause, and the Sandman.

About three quarters of the way through the movie, things are looking bleak for the heroes. Pitch Black, the antagonist, is gaining power.

At the very moment that all hope appears lost, Pitch Black snaps Jack Frost’s magical stick in half. That is the precise moment our seven-year-old son, sitting to my right, grabbed his chest and broke out into heart-wrenching sobs. I mean LOUD, uncontrollable crying. Like, feel-bad-for-all-the-other-viewers type crying.

Our four-year-old daughter proceeded to do something very different. The next scene showed the heroes trying to rally children within the movie to “believe” in them again, so they could gain enough strength to fight off Pitch Black. They wanted all the children in the movie to say “I believe!”

In the theatre seat to my left, Joely got a determined look on her face. She climbed to standing on her seat, raised her arms, shook her little fists in the air and began shouting at the top of her lungs “I believe, I believe, I believe!”

How could the exact same movie experience create such different effects in two children? Let me go back to moral #1. Children (and people in general) are different from one another. Different personalities. Different strengths. Different gifts. Embrace the differences. Love the differences. Flow with the differences.

Moral #2 of the story delves a little deeper. While my daughter was chanting “I believe” at the top of her lungs, she actually DID believe she was making a difference.

Question. When, as adults do we lose this unerring willingness to believe in something, to put ourselves out there in order to make a difference? When do we actually stop believing in things that are magical, or, more pointedly, when do we stop believing in ourselves? Where does the childhood mindset that “anything is possible” float off to? And when does it disappear in our lives?

You know what? I don’t think it has to. Reclaim what may have been lost a long time ago. Believe in the impossible. Believe in yourself and your capabilities. Believe that MORE is possible and available to you. Wake up in the morning, look at yourself in the mirror and shout “I believe!”

Merry Christmas! Written by Heidi Tankersley

CUSTOM HOMES AND RENOVATIONS

479.464.7336 - www.BuildWithGBGroup.com

GB Group sends...THE HAPPY HOMEOWNER

DEC. 2013

A BI-MONTHLY NEWSLETTER & GUIDE FOR YOUR HOME

Recipe

DEC 22 - Arkansas Philharmonic Orchestra and Gram-my Award winning Soprano, Leona Mitchell. - Bentonville.

DEC 31 - Last Night Fayetteville 2013. Downtown Square - Fayetteville

DEC 31 - New Year’s Eve Family Celebration. Pine Mountain Theater - Eureka Springs.

JAN 10 - Family Game Night. Community Building Downtown - Siloam Springs.

JAN 11 - Shatner’s World. Downtown Square. Walton Arts Center - Fayetteville.

JAN 17 - Broadway on Ice. Walton Arts Center - Fay-etteville.

JAN 18 - Wonders of Winter Wildlife. Visitor Center - Rogers.

COMMUNITYHAPPENINGS

NWA

DIRECTIONS: Pour milk, cocoa powder, and sugar into a shaker cup. Shake. Pour mixture into pot, heat on stove while stirring. Makes 1 serving. Yummy!

Ghiradelli’s Delicious Hot Cocoa Recipe

It doesn’t get any better than hot chocolate on a cold day! Especially around Christmas time! We made this when the snow kept us inside, and loved every single sip! (FYI, this is so much better than the packaged stuff.)

INGREDIENTS: 1 ⅛ C organic Milk1 spoonful of organic sugar ½ tsp of Ghiradelli unsweetened cocoa powder

Congratulations to Ryan Mahoney of Fayetteville! He is the winner of last month’s newsletter riddle! Ryan was the first to respond with the correct an-swer. For those of you who were stumped here it is:

Last Month’s Riddle: Homonyms are words that are spelled differently but sound exactly the same. One pair of homonyms is unique in that, although they are true homonyms, the two words are also exact opposites of each other. What are the two words?

The Answer Was: Raise & Raze 2

Last Month’s Riddle Contest Winner

Rite of PassageAndrew turned eight this December, and just before Thanksgiving, it was time.

Time for him to get initiated into Deer Camp.

For you non-hunters, Deer Camp is an affectionate name that summarizes a gathering together of men, camping out, deer hunting as much as possible, making meals and telling stories over the fire, running around in the woods, and in the end, hopefully bringing home some meat.

And Andrew was finally old enough to go.

Grandpa was there, Uncle Caleb was there, a few grown-men friends, and one other young son (which ended up being a great run-around-in-the-woods and BB gun-shooting buddy for Andrew.)

As you can see, the late nights by the campfire and the cold weather took their toll, and Andrew wasn’t able to stay awake the entire time in the deer stand. Luckily, Jacob tied him against the tree trunk to hold him in place. And, actu-ally, the falling asleep worked out well. Silence attracts wildlife, after all.

As it was, Jacob killed a buck on the last day out--the one day Andrew decid-ed to head back to Grandpa and Grandma’s farm to spend time with them before heading home.

We’re pretty positive he had a fantastic time anyway, even though he missed the grand-finale action.

It was obvious to mom when they arrived back safe and sound: Our son came home a little taller, a little tougher, and a little more grown-up than when he left.

Rite of Passage complete.

USELESS TRIVIAL TIDBITS

1. “No lemon, no melon” back-wards is “No lemon, no melon.”

2. Your pets can also suffer from insomnia.

3. In Beijing, there was a traffic jam that lasted over 9 days.

4. Australia has more than 10,000 beaches. If you visited one per day, it would take you more than 27 years to visit them all!

5. Most elephants actually weigh less than the tongue of a blue whale.6. Albert Einstein never knew

how to drive a car.

7. Lack of sleep can lead to sugar cravings.

8. 90% of all volcanic activ-ity occurs in the oceans.

9. Nationwide there are two credit cards for every person living in the United States.

10. There’s only one ATM in the entire continent of Antarctica.

11. Even though hand sanitizer kills 99.9% of germs, only .1% of germs actually make us sick.

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Q: What does the bank need from me for the financing process of a construction loan?

A: This has been a reoccurring client question over the last few months. Here are a few tips that will help you maneuver these waters more smoothly.

1) Shop banks and make sure the loan officer is experienced in construction loans.Many banks offer loans but not choices. One way to learn your options is to shop around at local banks. If you don’t find quite what you are looking for, call an experienced construction loan broker. A broker is a representative for hundreds of banks. A broker serves as the middle man. Sometimes, because of the volume of loan options the broker can offer, rates can be better than with a local bank.

2) Get pre-qualified. Once you have someone to work with, it is a good idea to get pre-qualified. This will allow you and the bank to get to know each other. It will also allow you to get a better idea of budget and the amount of money you will need to supply out of pocket. This way, there are no real surprises. Also note, different banks will have different percentage-down require-ments.

3) Get houseplans, list of materials, and budget.After you have worked with the architect and builder, the bank will need to see what you have come up with. This will include a set of your building plans, a list of all the materials to be used on the house (i.e. brick, stone, shingles), and a line item budget.

4) Construction Contract and Contractors Insurance.The bank will also need a contract from the builder showing the outline of your agreement. In the contract you need to have your budget, schedule, payment methods, procedure in case of changes, and signatures, amongst other things.

5) Insurance and Builders License.Something else that is usually given at same time as the contract is proof of builder insurance and builder’s license. The bank will want to know that the builder is carrying the proper General Liability insurance and has an up-to-date contrac-tor’s license.

The final step the bank will then complete is their own appraisal of your soon-to-be built home. This can take some time (45-60 days, typically), but if you have effectively completed steps 1-5 then it should go smoothly.

Construction Questions & AnswersYou ask the Q, we give you the A.

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Project spotlight: FAYETTEVILLE KITCHEN RENOVATION

We had the fantastic opportunity to work with Brad and Sherri Fry of Fayetteville to renovate and update their kitchen.

The upgrade entailed all new plumbing fixtures, refinished hardwoods, new granite countertops, freshly painted cabinets and walls, all new appliances, new lighting fixtures, new tile backsplash, and an added television on extension arm for adjustable viewing angles. We also remodeled a small powder bath next to kitchen and widened the doorway to an adjacent living room.

Brad and Sherri were great to work with, easy-going, and made us feel right at home. The quick in-and-out project was made easy by their flexibility. They loved to joke and laugh a lot and seemed extremely happy with the finished result, especially because we were done in time to welcome children home for Thanksgiving!

Here’s what Brad & Sherri have to say about our company: “We are so pleased with our new kitchen renovated by GB Group Construction. Jacob, Joe, Bryant, Dave and the whole crew were patient, professional and a joy to work with on our latest project. Going forward, we will always use and recommend GB Group.” Thank you both for the honor of allowing us to work on your home! We are so thankful for you guys and the privilege of getting to work together with you!

Barnes and Noble has a perfect coffee-table version of this classic tale, com-plete with a red Christmasy cover! We’ve been reading the story to our chil-dren this season (albeit with some modifications to a few scary parts!) and plan to watch the Disney movie on Christmas Eve! Perhaps it sounds like something fun you would like to do with your family as well?

A story can’t illustrate or summarize any better than Dicken’s did about ex-actly where to put our focus—giving to, investing into, and loving others! Our relationships are what make the world go round, after all.

Pick up a copy and read (or reread!) this classic tale this Christmas.

A CHRISTMAS CAROLby Charles Dickens

Superstar Client of the Month

Congratulations to Terry & Jane Morten of Fayetteville!

The Morten’s have earned Superstar Client Status this month because of their ex-treme patience and easy going personalities, and because they own one really good dog. :) Their high-quality taste in ma-terials made their project fun and easy, and they were simply

awesome people to work with.

Here’s what the Mortons have to say about our company: “Jacob and his crew installed win-dows and sliding glass doors in our 50+ year old house and did a fantastic job. The guys were just great and very professional. They knew what they were doing and we could not be happier with the work.”

Thank you guys for allowing us to work with you on your home project! We are so grateful for your business!

Hello happy clients and friends! Most of you know me, but if not, I’m Jacob Tankersley, home builder, husband, father, business owner, entrepreneur, and avid hunter. My family consists of myself, my wife, two children, and a Golden Retriever, Drake.

TALK WITH TANK (He’s a tank full of information.)

And now, for your Talk With Tank...Home ElevatorsWe have recently installed our first elevator on a project. It has really opened my eyes to what a great tool this can be for an aging family. Here, I want to discuss home elevator options, including pricing and design.

The interior of an elevator can be finished out very easily to look just like any other closet in the house. Or, you can make it stand out by staining the interior panels. At the elevator opening, it is standard to install an interior door to match the rest of your home. This does two things: one, it hides the elevator, and two, it fulfills safety and code requirements.

There are quite a few options for the actual elevator itself. One option, I believe, is a must have: the push button retrieval on the car. This means that if the elevator car is on the second level and you are on the first, all you have to do is push the 1st floor button and the car will come down automatically. The base package on the elevator does not typically include this option. Believe it or not, it is actually an add-on feature.

If you are planning on putting an elevator in your home and you are wanting to know a budget number, I would count on $20,000 for a basic elevator package. The one we just installed was closer to $30,000 and included a few upgrades on some of the finishes.

As far as the design of the elevator and where it should go in your home, you have many options. You may have heard me talk about designing your new home with two closets stacked one on top of the other so that in the future, adding the elevator will be easier. I would suggest calling your builder and an elevator company to meet you and discuss your plans. We used Country Home Elevator and they were great to work with. They really know their stuff. Good luck! Call us or email with more questions.479.464.7336. Contact@BuildWithGBGroup.com

Must Read Book-of-the-Month

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CATHEXIS[kuh-THEK-sis] noun.

1. The investment of emotional significance in an activity, object, or idea. 2. Concentration of emotional energy on a person, object or idea.

Origin: Cathexis ultimately comes from the Proto-Indo-European root segh- meaning “to hold.” It entered English in the 1920s.

Sentence example: Her cathexis on finding the precisely perfect gift for her in-laws left her completely exhausted by Christmas Eve.

Word of THE monthVOCABULARY

RIDDLE CONTEST! RIDDLE CONTEST! BE THE FIRST TO ANSWER THIS RIDDLE & WIN!$5 Starbucks Gift Card

THE RIDDLE:There is an English word that is nine letters long that can

form a new word each time one letter is removed. In fact, it can change to a new word every time a letter is removed until only one letter remains. The letters stay in the same order the entire time, they do not scramble. What is the word, and what is the sequence of words formed by removing one letter at a time?

TO PLAY: Call or email now with the answer to the above riddle. Whoev-er responds first with the correct answer, wins! Call 479.464.7336 or email contact@BuildWithGBGroup.com (If calling after hours, leave a message. We will honor whoever contacts us first.) All ages can play!!!

“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.” Charles Dickens

“Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas-time.” Laura Ingalls Wilder

“My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?”

Bob Hope

“Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before! What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store. What if Christ-mas...perhaps...means a little bit more!” Dr. Seuss

“Want to keep Christ in Christmas? Feed the hungry, clothe the naked, forgive the guilty, welcome the unwanted, care for the ill, love your enemies, and do unto others as you would have done unto you.” Steve Maraboli

“Christmas waves a magic wand over this world, and behold, every-thing is softer and more beautiful. ” Norman Vincent Peale

“One of the most glorious messes in the world is the mess created in the living room on Christmas day. Don’t clean it up too quickly.” Andy Rooney

Christmas Quotes Heidi’s Healthy Home Tip

This month, I wanted to share with you a list of items I review nearly daily as a reminder of the type of family environment my children deserve to have, and how, as a parent, I can provide that for them. This works well for grandparents, too, and definitely makes a “healthy home,” so read on.

(The following is an excerpt from a Montessori book entitled “Chil-dren Who Are Not Yet Peaceful.”)

All children deserve:* A slow-paced lifestyle with long hours of sleep on a regular schedule, a nutritious diet, plenty of exercise, and a generous amount of time in nature.

* Someone to behold the child’s face with joy, hold her, hug her, and treasure her for herself alone.

* Someone to read chapter books aloud for twenty to thirty minutes every day, at a level three years beyond the child’s reading level.

* Someone to recite poetry every day, a new poem each week.

* Someone to tell delightful stories of the child’s own life.

* Freedom from being dragged around on errands.

* Responsibility for caring for himself and his own things as well as contributing to meal preparation and the care of the house, garden, and pets.

* A two-hour weekly limit on all screen media—mov-ies, videos, TV, and computer games combined.

* Freedom from the cynicism and sarcasm appropriate to later years.

* Parents who say no cheerfully and mean it.

* An atmosphere of open curiosity and inquiry, in which everyone in the family treasures learning.

* Parents who wait until their children are in bed to listen to music, watch movies, play computer games and watch TV programs, even the news, that are not appropriate to the children’s ages.

* Parents who establish and uphold a family child-rear-ing culture that is appropriate to the child’s age and who support age-appropriate independent thought and action and an age-appropriate role in decision-making in as many areas and as often as possible.

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HOUSEPLAN CREATION: QUESTIONS ANSWEREDHere is a question we get asked by many of our clients: “I found this houseplan online. I like it but it’s not exactly what I want. What do I do now?”

The answer is: it depends on how many changes you actually want to make to the floorplan you have found.

1) If there are very few changes and they are very minor, we may be able to use the houseplans you have and make the desired adjustments during the actual building process without having to edit the plans.

2) If you have more than just very minor changes, it’s best to employ the help of a draftsman. Using the vision of the plan you bought, plus various changes you’d like to make, he will enter the information into his program and come up with a floorplan that is exactly what you want. A draftsman can also design the front elevation of your home. If your entire floorplan is drawn out on a cocktail napkin exactly the way you want it, and you don’t want many changes to the floorplan you created, and you are rigid about that decision, this is also a great time to employ a draftsman.

3) The third option is to hire an architect. This is a great option if you have found a floorplan you like but want to make major changes and evolve the houseplan into something that really fits YOUR FAMILY. The architect will take a look at the layout of the floorplan you found, listen to what you like about it, engage with the pictures of the style of home you would like, hear you out on all the things you would like in order to make this your dream home, and then will take ALL OF THAT INFORMATION and form something that he or she believes is the best architectural vision to satisfy your needs and desires. For this, you must be willing to relinquish that first houseplan and be open to the idea of it evolving into something even better. That houseplan was a starting point. From here, you’ll get exactly what you want, and more. If you don’t want to lose anything about the current houseplan you have found, perhaps a draftsman is a better route for you, as you’re already so close to having what you want.

Let’s take a look at a specific floorplan to give you an example so you can better determine which option above is best for you.

1) In this floorplan to the left, bumping out the cantilevered bay window in the kitchen could be done with no adjustments needed by a draftsman or architect because walls, plumbing fixtures, and the foundation do not change.

2) Adding a keeping room next to the kitchen, widening the dining room and great room areas, and extending the master hall and laundry room would be a great time to employ a draftsman.

3) What the homeowner actually wants is not only the above items listed in number two, but also the addition of a craftroom/mudroom/second laundry area, an expanded entry, sauna and

exercise room, a retractable wall across the outdoor living space, a full basement with media room, safe room, and storage, and a matching guest house. This, then, would be the work meant for an architect, as the desires fall far outside what is currently already on the page, and architectural specificity is high.

If you’re trying to decide exactly what’s right for you, give us a call. We’d love to talk with you about your project. 479.464.7336.

Written by Heidi Tankersley

Thank you for reading this month’s newsletter! Don’t forget to tell others about our company!Win a free IPAD! Win FREE DINNER and MOVIE FOR TWO! Call us for all your Custom Home Building and Home Renovation Needs. Phone: 479.464.7336.GB GROUP CONSTRUCTIONPO BOX 7734 - Springdale, AR 72766

GB GROUP CONSTRUCTION CUSTOM HOMES AND RENOVATIONS

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PLAY OUR REFERRAL CONTEST!! You have one week left to refer your friends, family, and co-workers to our company and get yourself entered into the GRAND PRIZE, end-of-year DRAWING for an APPLE I-PAD! You will also be entered into our Quarterly Drawing for Dinner & Movie for TWO! This is the LAST quarter of 2013! Refer people NOW to our company for custom home and large home renovation projects! Don’t MISS OUT!! YOU could be our next WINNER!

GB GROUP CONSTRUCTION. PHONE 479.464.7336. BuildWithGBGroup.com

GB GROUP CONSTRUCTION CUSTOM HOMES AND RENOVATIONS

Connect With Us.

P.O. Box 7734Springdale, AR 72766

GB Group Construction | P.O. Box 7734 Springdale, AR 72766479-464-7336 | www.buildwithgbgroup.com

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merry christmas!

Our hearts are filled with joy because YOU

are in our life!We wish you an abun-

dant holiday season full of hugs, laughter

and peace.

Marry Christmas & Much Love,

The Tankersleys