What’s Up, Wednesday: Anchored In Hope!

January 27, 2016 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

Hola Friends!

As we mentioned yesterday, things have been busy with our recent trip to Maine & Minnesota! Craig was in recurrent training literally until hours of when we flew out, so we definitely hustled to make it on time!

In Maine, we met with some folks who are quickly becoming extremely good friends of ours who pastor Cross Church Maine.

Those of us who reside in either the Southern or the Midwestern United States cannot grasp the need for evangelization in New England… A Gallup poll from 2012 shows the four (4) least religious states in the country are all located in New England – so the work that our friends, Dr. Aaron & Kathy Werner, are doing to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ in Maine is absolutely paramount! Check out this article by Ruth Graham about the need for re-evangelizing the historic birthplace of Christianity in our country – It’s quite eye-opening!

Once we left Maine, we headed to see our Minnesota family and, as usual, thoroughly enjoyed ourselves!

We visited the Como Zoo & Conservatory, where the flowers were BEAUTIFUL and the monkeys were too fast for me to snap a photo of!

We also saw the show ‘Jerusalem’ at the IMAX Omni Theatre at the Science Museum in St. Paul. It was breathtaking!

What a wonderful little getaway that ended way too quickly!!

I did come home to a fabulous surprise, though! If you didn’t see/notice this on Facebook this morning, I am one of 45 women across the country who is so blessed to be a contributor to a devotional about infertility, and the book, “Anchored In Hope” by Ali Forrest is for sale on Amazon! We will be running a giveaway soon for the book, but if you or anyone you know deals with (or has dealt with) infertility, this would be the perfect gift – for both of you! Sometimes those of us with an ‘invisible’ disease feel incredibly alone in dealing and coping with it…It’s a beautiful thing to know that this entire book was compiled by women who contributed their stories out of experience!

Well, y’all, I need to wrap things up so I can bid my precious husband farewell! He’s heading to Texas this evening for the rest of the week. 😦 #boohiss

Until Tomorrow!! We send our love!

What's Up Wednesday

Uncle Craig & Aunt Pier

October 15, 2014October 15, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres4 Comments

Lucky you! You’re in for a NEARLY wordless Wednesday – but stay tuned for tomorrow’s blog…it’s FULL of WORDS. 😉

This weekend we traveled to Minnesota for the first time from Maine, all to see our beautiful niece, Eden.

Isn’t she adorable? 🙂 Can you say a quick prayer for God to bless us with sweet Baby Jonah soon?? This experience only increases the baby fever! 😉

We also spent some time with Marty & Danielle – Marty is Craig’s first cousin, and Danielle is his beautiful wife. 😉 We always have a BLAST when we get to spend time with them!

And, of course, NO family trip can do without some group photos! These turned out really well!!

Until tomorrow!!

Food For Thought Friday

On The Road Again…

May 23, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres2 Comments

FRIDAY! I could shout it from the rooftops!! We are saying our prayers that Craig makes it home today – He was stuck in White Plains, NY last night due to fog and weather…Crazy to me, since it was 97°F outside and absolutely spectacular here in Atlanta, G-A! 🙂 We cannot WAIT to begin our BUSY, wonderful weekend!!

About twelve hours ago this time last week, we were up to another one of our crazy trips! Rather than fly to Minnesota for Craig’s dad’s birthday, we decided to make the 18 hour drive again – with the pups!

They are such good travelers!!!

Craig’s dad’s 60th birthday came in the form of a surprise party, so when we arrived on Friday afternoon, we met up with Craig’s sister, Mandy, and our brother-in-law, Mike, who took us in for the night. 🙂 Thank you SO much for letting us stay with you! (Especially with Lucy & Caroline!)

We went out to eat that evening in Downtown St. Paul with Mandy, Mike & Jenna too – Craig’s youngest sister! Great Waters Brewing Company was delicious!

When we got back to Mandy & Mike’s that evening, it wasn’t very long before Craig and I CRASHED! An eighteen-hour drive and no sleep was enough to do us in for about 12 hours! 🙂

Kevin’s 60th birthday party was held at Rockwoods Grill in Otsego, which is Craig’s hometown.

Here are some pictures from the awesome party – I sure do hope we surprised my father-in-law!

Back at the Lefebvre Farm, the next day after church, we had a big family lunch and took some BEAUTIFUL family pictures outside!

And then at 6:30AM the next morning, we were back on the road to Georgia!

We had a WONDERFUL time, and hope our Midwestern Family knows they are always welcome Down South – and that we would love to have them! 🙂

Have a FABULOUS Memorial Day weekend everyone!!! I want to especially say “Thank you” to my father who is a Retired Army Officer! Thank you for your service to this wonderful nation!

My Choice Monday

What’s For Dinner??

March 31, 2014March 31, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres4 Comments

Welcome to Monday!! Hopefully, all of you had wonderful weekends! We definitely did!!

This morning I was blessed with a beautiful surprise, and the entire course of this morning’s post changed! My sweet little grandmother from New Jersey called and let me know she flew into town and is in Atlanta! How exciting! Craig is still in town, so we are meeting her this evening after work and taking her to dinner.

Now, this sudden scenario may not seem an ‘issue’ to any of you, but yours truly is a PLANNER with a capital “P”, and immediately, my mind has gone into overdrive:

So, in your neighborhood, where would you take a surprise out of town guest for a casual, yet classy, not loud dinner? (Seriously, we want your answers below in the comments! You just never know when YOU will be in another town and not know where to eat…and I don’t mean a big chain restaurant either!)

Here are a few ideas in some of our favorite cities:

Empire State South – This little gem in the heart of Midtown Atlanta not only is a go-to for dinner. They offer breakfast, brunch and lunch, as well – not to mention some delicious desserts and libations! It’s a classy, casual setting – and perfect for out-of-town guests, as many of it’s food options are regionally delicious.

OK Cafe – While not even close to ‘fancy’, this is an Atlanta classic with DELICIOUS food and if you’re in the mood for comfort in a diner setting, this is the place to go! Breakfast, lunch, dinner, take-away – it’s all awesome! I highly recommend the Rocket Burger. Yum!

Pompeii Pizza – Located in Elk River, Minnesota (about an hour outside of the Twin Cities), we read rave reviews about this local pizzeria in Midwest Living magazine – and just had to try it out. It was delightful – This Italian girl can attest to pizza worth ‘wasting’ calories on, and this is it! Not only were their pizza and salads yummy, Craig found some local brews he was pretty impressed with, as well!

Chatterbox Pub – This neighborhood bar/restaurant in St. Paul, MN, will always remind me of our dating days. It’s one of the first places I went with Craig & his family, one of the first visits I ever made to Minnesota – fond memories for sure! 🙂 The food was tasty; the drinks were satisfying and there were even games to play while you waited for your food. Perfect!

The Mash House – This brewery/restaurant came highly recommended by my parents on a trip to the town in which I spent a good portion of my childhood – Fayetteville, North Carolina. Craig and I paid them a visit last year and were in no way disappointed! Steaks, shrimp, pasta, fish, sandwiches, burgers, salads, brewed-in-house beer… We may just go back simply to eat there again!

What are your go-to restaurants? Let us know, and we just may meet you there for a bite!

You’ll have to wait until later this week to find out just where we eat tonight with Grandma Flo! 🙂

My Choice Monday

A Delicious Way To Wake Up!

December 23, 2013December 20, 2013 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

Happy Christmas Week!

We are writing to you from beautiful (& very chilly) Minnesota on this Monday before Christmas, with the perfect (mostly) prepare-ahead breakfast for your Christmas Morning!

Craig & I made breakfast for dinner last week, and tried this dish…It was so GOOD! We substituted blackberries & blueberries for the raspberries, and of course used Gluten-Free Bread – but you can certainly use “real” bread if you aren’t “gluten-challenged”!

Raspberry Cream Cheese French Toast Casserole

Click the link for the recipe, and until you make your own version, here is the one we made last week!

Oh my goodness, this was just so delicious! Craig ate his with maple syrup, and the look he gave me when he took his first bite told me he was in heaven! 🙂 Personally, I think whipped cream…or vanilla ice cream…mmmm…would be yummy, as well!

I would have taken a pretty, ‘staged’ picture our plates…but we just gobbled this up TOO quickly!!

If you enjoy this recipe and are gluten-challenged or interested in more gluten-free and delicious recipes, Udi’s has some great ones here – Your family won’t even be able to tell the difference! 🙂

Until tomorrow…

Love,

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Ready For Rome!

January 21, 2013 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres2 Comments

Good Afternoon All!

I apologize it’s been so long since I’ve posted! It feels like forever since I’ve given all of you an update, but we have just been insanely busy – maybe even more-so than usual!

After my Memphis excursion, I finally was able to fly on a flight flown by my husband – who, may I say as a girl who has been flying frequently since the age of 3 – accomplished the best landing I have ever experienced in a plane! The first weekend of the month, I flew with Craig to Kileen/Ft. Hood, TX. Other than go out to dinner and browse around a strip mall, we didn’t do much of anything – which was actually WONDERFUL! Time together when we don’t have anything to do is SO RARE!!

First Class...Delicious! — First Class…Delicious!

Hard To Be So Close To Craig & Yet, Unable To Talk To Him!

The Flight Back To Atlanta - Beautiful View! How Can You NOT See God In This?!?! — The Flight Back To Atlanta – Beautiful View! How Can You NOT See God In This?!?!

Of Course We Didn't Take A Picture Until The Early Morning Flight Back When I Hadn't Fixed My Hair!! :-) — Of Course We Didn’t Take A Picture Until The Early Morning Flight Back When I Hadn’t Fixed My Hair!! 🙂

The next weekend we were FINALLY able to celebrate Christmas with our Lefebvre Family in Minnesota!

It was GREAT to be able to spend a good, long weekend with family, AND to be able to see some real winter weather! (Well, this Georgia Girl thought it was pretty wintry!) I also had the opportunity to “see” more of the U.S., since we traveled to MN via both Detroit, MI & St. Louis, MO! 🙂

Beany & Jenna Playing Reindeer Games (AKA Scrabble)

And as much as everyone LOVES to take a family photo, I think these turned out REALLY well!

Of course, all good things must come to an end, and we had to head back to reality …where there IS no 4th Christmas that is celebrated in January! 😦 Instead, you have to go to work! Boo!

But…you all know Craig & I, and we can never just leave well-enough alone. So… at my husband’s request, I got a ‘New ‘Do’:

AND…

We got a puppy dog!!!

Lucy Lefebvre is the newest member of our little family, and younger sister to Miss Daisy, our kitty cat – and longtime “Only Child”…It’s been an adjustment of sleepless nights, but we are SO excited to welcome our new little addition home! Even Miss Daisy has given her nod of approval!

Well, let me end this entry and grab another cup of coffee before I fall asleep at my desk! Craig & I have been getting up during the night at the cries of our little one and taking her for several midnight strolls throughout the wee hours of the morning! We are both walking zombies!!

Wish us luck! And come visit us and the newest little member of our family!

Lots Of Sleepy Love,

Pier & Craig

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A Week of Giving Thanks

November 20, 2012November 20, 2012 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres2 Comments

This past weekend C & I traveled to MN for Marty & Danielle’s wedding – the newest Newlywed Lefebvres. 🙂 It was a beautiful ceremony, and it gave us both a chance to listen to and recommit to those same vows we took two months ago.

A beautiful wedding for a beautiful couple! We thoroughly enjoyed our entire weekend! It was wonderful to visit with family – especially since we won’t be back up for Thanksgiving!

And then I got to thinking…Ugh. Craig has to work on Thanksgiving. Of course. Bleh. And started feeling sorry for myself…And then, I started thinking of all we have to be thankful for…and what Thanksgiving really is all about…and while we can’t be together on this special day, we can still share our thanks – and I have a big list coming for y’all in celebration of the Nationwide Gobble!

Today, on the Tuesday before our first Thanksgiving as a married couple, and in celebration of Marty & Dani’s love, Craig and I are thankful that God led us to one another. And as I said, the bigger list is coming for Turkey Day!

Have you sat down and thought about, no matter how bleak life looks at this particular moment, the long list YOU have to be thankful for?

Lots of Love,

Pier & Craiger 😉 (And a special shout-out to our dear French Dip!)

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Random Tidbits For Today

November 12, 2012 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres1 Comment

We are super excited to leave this week for Marty & Dani’s wedding in Minnesota! Marty is Craig’s cousin and was also our Best Man. They are a very special couple to us and we can’t wait to celebrate with them this weekend! Keep your fingers crossed for the flights, as we try to fly out Thursday evening!
I discovered the BEST GLUTEN-FREE frozen blueberry waffles EVER. They are delicious. Oh my goodness. Gluten-Free or not, I would urge you to try them, and see if you could do the healthy(ER) alternative to waffles. Here’s a link to this delicious breakfast: http://www.vansfoods.com/The_Goods/#/Waffles/Wheat_Free–Gluten_Free/Vans-Blueberry-5
Craig and I ventured out to a ‘dance club’ in town this weekend and quickly discovered why we hadn’t been back to this place since the last time we went, back in the summer of 2011…Not only was it so smoky neither of us could breathe, but I was also ‘accosted’ by a rather hulky female who (commenting on my sparkly sea green top) asked who I thought I was, Vanna White? I think my husband was a little tickled by the remark…Um…was that a compliment, Mrs. Hulk? I can think of a million people I would be SAD about being compared with…but not Vanna White!??!
Happy (Belated) Veterans’ Day! We sent my father a thank you text, but that doesn’t even begin to cover the amount of gratitude we hold for him and all other U.S. Veterans and Active Duty Service members. Thank you for all you have done and continue to do for our great nation!
Yesterday’s Gospel reading was from The Gospel of Mark, Chapter 12, verses 38 through 44, and our homily really made me think about how much more I could (and should) be doing. God gave me musical talent, so why am I not singing with our ‘choir’? He blessed me with the ability to speak in public well, and without nervousness, so why haven’t I stepped up to be a lector? Because I always have an excuse…My commute. Oh, we travel too much for me to make a commitment to something like that. Oh, they don’t really need me, do they? It’s time for me to stop making excuses for why I haven’t devoted more of my time to the Church, and do something about it. Stay tuned….
And last but not least… GO DAWGS!!!! Seriously! A 38-0 win over Auburn AT Auburn to take the SEC East!! Wahoooo! The Deep South’s oldest rivalry, indeed!