One Man's Trash...

So, I’ve got a knack for finding trash. It runs in the family, I guess. I blame my father entirely who, on my oldest sister's 16th birthday, bought a junk yard for our new home and claimed it had “potential” if we could just look beyond what things are and envision what they could be.

This kind of wild perspective is often met with skepticism or disbelief (“Dad, I can't believe you bought a dump for my birthday!" -16-year-old Adrienne) and, to be sure, sometimes ends in failure. But such is the risk of a fixer-upper. Sometimes it just doesn’t fix-up.

And yet, sometimes, you get to watch beauty emerge from such an unlikely source, and the result is truly satisfying.

The family junk yard, now.

Danny & I just bought our first house (woohoo!)—not a junk yard, but a fixer-upper for sure—a vintage 1920’s home, owned for the past 50 years by an elderly couple who recently passed away. Their children were now looking to get rid of the house… and so, one man’s trash became our treasure. It has ugly linoleum floors and chipped plaster ceilings and so much potential. We can’t wait to make it our own!

The best way I can describe this house, though, is that from the moment I walked in the door, it reminded me of my wedding dress…

I’d watched Say Yes to the Dress. I’d seen friends and sisters light up as they tried on “The Dress” made just for them. I knew how this whole thing worked and was looking forward to my own magical day of wedding dress shopping… surrounded by my mom and sisters and fancy white lace. A halo of light! A perfect fit! Squeals and hugs and tears of joy…

Instead, that day was canceled by a snowstorm. Take-Two landed on a “fat day” (you know exactly what I’m talking about, ladies), where nothing fit my body or my price range, and I left in hopeless tears, convinced that I’d be the only bride in the history of the world who never found “The Dress.” My 8-year-old niece Emma reassured me, “I just know you’ll find something, Aunt Amanda, because I’ve been to a lot of weddings and I’ve never seen a bride in plain clothes!”

And she was right. I did find something, the very next week on a normal Wednesday morning walk with 2-year-old George and his cup of Cheerios. We happened upon a charming little thrift store, I peeked inside, and behold! A halo of light! A perfect fit! Squeals from George and Cheerios on the dressing room floor. I’d found “The Dress.”

Sure, it had a hideous collar and poofy sleeves. But, with a little fairy-godmother-magic from Diana Clark and Kim Griffey, we watched that trash transform into this treasure…

And walking into that 1920’s fixer-upper house, I knew it was just another treasure hiding behind a hideous collar and some poofy sleeves. 

It certainly wasn’t how we expected to find our first house… in fact, since we were living in Texas at the time, Danny never even saw the house until the night before closing. (Now that’s trust!) :) I just happened to be in Birmingham for a doctor’s appointment, happened to drive past a few houses and give our Realtor a call (who happened to be on her way back from vacation), and we happened to walk through eight houses and find one on the last morning, hours before my flight out, that was just perfect. Danny’s parents graciously checked it out later that night for a second opinion and gave us a thumbs up.

So we made an offer...

…and became HOME OWNERS.

All of the fears I once had about those oh-so-daunting words—the financial commitment, the sense of permanency, the feeling of being “stuck” to one place—are now gone. This one just seems so right. And with the bargain we got, we’re hopeful that a little fixing-up will make for a good resale, should that time come.

We’re thrilled about the location—the most international part of Birmingham (we've already met neighbors from Lebanon and Nepal!). Thrilled to be living just a stone’s throw away from some of our best friends, Joel & Kristen. Thrilled to have a place of our own to call home as we grow our little family.

It’s so much more than we deserve, and we’re simply thankful.

Renovation is well under way... stay tuned for photos to come! :)

P.S. Apparently 16-year-old Adrienne caught this "trash-to-treasure" vision as well. For a sneak peak at her family's recent fixer-upper house project (AMAZING, and so much more ambitious than our own!), check out her blog here!

Home Owners!

10 Takeaways from a Temporary Texan

TOMORROW we pack up our bags and leave...

THURSDAY we'll be back in...

FRIDAY we close on a house (which Danny has yet to see-- that's some serious trust!).

Exciting days ahead!

These past 3 months have flown by (probably due to those 60 hour work weeks...), and while we are very ready to go home, I'm thankful for this season & all that we have learned. So, in no particular order, here are 10 Takeaways from a Temporary Texan.

(Disclaimer to any True Texans: I do not submit this to be an accurate representation of your Great State-- I spent 90% of my time on a pipeline constructions site, after all. Nor do several of these points even have anything to do with Texas-- just random things I've learned in the past few months!) :)

1. If I ever go into marketing, I will slap "Texas" on everything. Apparently it's effective.

2. "Ain't" IS a word, despite what your teacher told you. So is "might-could" and "fixin-to" and a host of other words I can't write on this blog.

3. I was wrong-- flip phones are never coming back in style. When the airline steward told me I was "going to just LOVE when the microwave comes out," I knew it was time to get with the 21st century. And as much as I arrogantly resisted, I must admit, iPhones are pretty great.

4. It's a fine line, but Southerners, Rednecks, and White Trash are not the same. Learn the difference, y'all.

5. I married a Southerner... who now happens to drive trucks through the mud and wear cowboy boots to church. Fine line, fine line... ;)

6. There's no such thing as too much salt on a mayo & peanut butter sandwich.

7. When it comes to work, "it's not what you have done, but what they think you have done..." and other such motivational Words of Wisdom from our office trailer.

8. TV gets old... real fast. But Shark Tank is awesome. And it's on every night this week! :)

9. People are hurting all around you. Show them you care, and point them to Jesus. To be honest, I regret not taking more time to love the people around me in this season. I have missed out on so many opportunities to love people well, and I pray that this feeling of remorse will cause change in the future.

10. Make new friends, even if you're just passing through. We have been so blessed by the community of friends at Southside Church that welcomed us right in, knowing that we'd be out the door just as quick as we came. They invited us to their homes, to their birthday parties, and into their lives. We felt accepted and so loved. For sure the highlight of our time here.

And so, this brings us to the end of another (unexpected) chapter in The Seibert Story. Stay tuned for more adventures to come!

19 weeks

Finally got my hard hat! It's not pink, but it'll do.

Living the dream in South Texas... :) for another month or so, anyway, and then back to Sweet Home Alabama and, if all goes as planned, a new house! But more on that later...!

Life Lately...

I suppose we're due for an update considering that, since my last post, a LOT has changed. Turns out the "anonymous speculations" were true—we just didn't know it yet! :)

In May we found out this fun news...

A baby! 

In January! 

It's both thrilling and terrifying to think of becoming parents, but we are grateful for so many wonderful examples to follow and are looking forward to learning and growing together in this new season.

We're a little nervous, however, about our child's internet-predicted appearance, but our mothers have already promised to love him/her no matter what. ;)

First trimester took us adventuring to the Smoky Mountains, Alaska, and Colorado. I have a feeling we might have trouble topping that for these next two! :)

A special highlight (literally :)) for me was summiting Longs Peak with my dad and Audra (along with Danny, Austin, LT, Jeff & Clayton as well). Had I known how difficult and dangerous those 14,259 ft would be, I might have stayed home. But all said and done, it was absolutely worth it, and I feel quite accomplished to be counted among the few pregnant women who have reached the top!

July brought another unexpected twist and a two-weeks-notice move to Corpus Christi, TX.

For the past year, Danny has been overseeing (from his air-conditioned office in Birmingham, AL) the construction of a natural gas pipeline in South Texas. In late June, he was "voluntold" to move on site for the remaining three months of the project. So, off to Texas we went!

And before we knew it, this had become our new normal—Danny in his cowboy boots and pick-up truck (which got stuck in the mud last week)...

...and me in this office trailer. Yes, I'm pregnant and working on a trailer in Texas. You know, just living the dream. ;)

But we're counting our blessings. Working alongside Danny and seeing firsthand all the responsibility he carries has made my respect for him grow tremendously. Plus, we're enjoying unlimited "quality time"—shared truck rides and lunch breaks and date nights by the ocean—all of which we know will change dramatically come January! At the same time, we're definitely looking forward to getting back to Birmingham (hopefully late September or early October), reconnecting with friends, moving into a new home (TBD), and preparing for parenthood. 

Wow. Maybe these next two trimesters will be just as adventurous after all. :)

29: A Happy Birthday Indeed

This brings us to the end of a journey, and contrary to any anonymous speculations (ah-hem, my mother and her friends), the only "announcement" I'll be making today is that it's my golden birthday. Sorry for the let-down. ;)

What a happy birthday indeed! 

Danny and I spent this past weekend celebrating a quick layover lunch with Jon & Val...

...and then on to Ohio with the entire Lehman family, swimming and playing and enjoying sweet time together. 

I felt so loved by the special "29" birthday bash they threw for me, complete with Hawaiian leis, "29-themed" gifts, and the traditional doll cake from Grandma Marge.

Danny and Audra even surprised me with a plane ticket-- Audi's coming to visit me in Birmingham next month!!!

Overwhelmed with gladness for all the people, the experiences, and the abundant life of these past 28 years. Anticipating great things and new relationships still to come.

Thank you for joining me on these "29 Days of Gratitude." While I won't miss the daily blogging or the excessive hours spent on the internet, I am grateful for these past 29 days and for the joy they produced in my heart. Funny how practicing gratitude can actually make you more grateful. What began as a "discipline" of thankfulness resulted in bubbling joy. It's a win-win. :)

I'll be stepping away from the blog for a while now ("Appreciation April" is over; time for "Media-Fast May"-- I tend to operate in extremes!). ;) But before I go, let me encourage you to join me in expressing your own gratitude. Certainly we have no reason to stop now.

I will bless the Lord at all times;
his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul makes its boast in the Lord;
let the humble hear and be glad.
Oh, magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt his name together! Psalm 34:1-2

May no thankless day pass us by again.

28: New Friends & Family

28-- and marriage to Danny-- opened my world to new friends and family, near and far.

Like the Greenes...

And the Boones...

I had the privilege of being inducted into their Ugandan "family" during our visit last summer. I wrote this then, and I don't know how I could put it any better now-- "We have been so encouraged by these dear friends and so challenged by their example of surrender, sacrifice, and ultimate satisfaction in following Christ. They have counted the cost, and their lives scream, 'HE IS WORTHY!' Truly it is an honor to know them."

Marriage also brought new family... I'm telling you, I hit the jack pot with these in-laws!

Seibert family, thank you for introducing me to Graeter's ice cream (WOW!), for roping me into countless games of keep-away, and for welcoming me with open arms. I am so grateful for your family and consider it a privilege to share your last name. :) I love you all!

Martha, when I think about the stereotype of a "typical mother-in-law," I realize how thankful I am for you. Your compassionate heart and sensitive spirit make you so easy to love. Thank you for taking me shopping, for your contagious laughter, and for showing me such genuine care. You are such a gift, and I am glad to serve as your much-needed back-up in putting up with those crazy boys of yours. ;)

Don, I knew I just had to get into the family when I tried your cajun food... mmm. Thank you for your servant's heart-- it has blessed both Danny and me countless times. Thank you for supporting us in our "radical" adventures and for encouraging us to pursue what God is calling us to do.

Brian, you're the life of every party, with an amazing gift of roping people into your wild ideas, like the gorge-hiking, river-rafting, fire-tower-camping road trip you challenged us to take. We'd love to do it again... but you'd probably back out. ;) I have also really admired the growth I've seen in you this past year, and I'm honored to call you a brother. And ladies, he's single and ready to mingle. :)

Being back in Birmingham also brought new friends, like the Shaws...

Joel & Kristen, from the first time we met you guys, it felt like we'd been friends for years-- an effortless, natural friendship that is certainly a rare treasure. Thank you for the encouraging conversations, for the joy you bring to our lives, and for loving us so well. We love you guys!

We have also been tremendously blessed by our small group-- the Bristers, the Darbys, and the Andersons-- all of whom continually point us to Jesus...

...And by Ronny, our dear Indian brother, with the most amazing story of God's faithfulness and the most sincere love for Christ. When he talks about Jesus, he makes me wonder if I know the same guy. What a blessing to get to know Ronny and to be a part of his life.

...And by Marissa and my Samford girls-- Mary, Lauren, Lindy, and my cousin, Emma-- who keep me young :) and make me want to set a godly example for them to follow.

Certainly the list could go on... we are surrounded here by some pretty amazing people.

My heart is full of thanks.