Meet The Family

Kody Kibe had always been a good student, so when his grades went from A's & B's to D's & F's his parents knew something wasn't right. As it turns out, Kody was the target of severe bullying in his middle school.  

It got so bad that the family, Shawn and Amy Kibe and their sons, Kody, 13, Blake, 10, and Christian, 6, decided they needed to make a change. Their solution was to leave the city and move to the country where the boys would learn discipline and responsibility by helping their father operate a farm. They moved to a 4-acre farm in Tama County on December 30, 2004.

Almost instantly, Kody's grades shot back up to straight A's. He began participating in activities and winning awards in math. Within a year, the family had made a 180-degree turn for the better. The boys were doing great and the farm was starting to turn a profit. The family was finally back on their feet.

Then, just a few days before Christmas 2005, Shawn and the boys were picking Amy up from work when they received a frantic call from a neighbor. Their house was on fire. They rushed back to the farm in time to see the firemen tossing the charred remains of their wrapped Christmas gifts out of the broken windows. The house and nearly all its contents were a total loss.

While the family did carry fire insurance on the home, the settlement was only enough to pay off the mortgage. After living in hotel rooms for several weeks, the family of 5 moved into a 1 bedroom rented camper trailer parked on the farm. The camper is barely suitable for camping much less LIVING. The bathroom door doesn't shut, and the shower is barely big enough for 10 year-old Kody to stand up in much less his 6'9" father Shawn. All three boys sleep in tents outside due to the lack of room within their small camper. 

Selling the farm and moving away is not an option. The Kibe family has decided to stay at all costs in order to provide their children with the education they so deserve and thrive within, as well as to preserve the family togetherness they found only on this farm. It has not been just their home; it’s been their salvation.

- Watch a time lapse video of the build

 

Hubbell Commercial featuring Hubbell Extreme Makeover: Home Edition