Jonah Day 2015: A Day of Thanks

November 30, 2015November 30, 2015 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

If you’ve been visiting our blog for long, you know November 29th is Jonah Day. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, see this post to catch up. 🙂

Every year on November 29th, Craig and I count our many blessings and thank God for our precious baby, Jonah, who will be joining us one day! This year, not having been able to spend Thanksgiving together, we whipped up quite the feast to celebrate Jonah!

Today, since I’m sure we are all still in a turkey/leftovers coma, I’m going to spare you a full-on blog post and just share some pictures of the food we prepared. If you want any of the recipes, click on the photo to be re-directed to a close facsimile. 🙂

download (23) — I started off our morning with completely from scratch Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls. Here they are ‘resting’ and ‘rising’ before they went into the oven.

download (62) — Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls – The finished product!

download (25) — Our ‘Appetizer’: Caramel Havarti with Candied Pecans & Granny Smith Apples

download (54) — Lucy never leaves my side… 🙂 #loveher

download (10) — Zesting a Meyer Lemon into the cranberries while they were bubbling away. The recipe this links to calls for orange juice, but I find the zest of a Meyer Lemon does the trick without adding anymore sweetness.

download (16) — Skillet Cornbread as the butter is melting in…Yummmmmm!

download (26) — Talking with my hands…about the corn casserole I’m preparing!

download (64) — Very interested in the cooking that’s going on…

download (51) — Craig was in charge on the turkey – So of course we had to grill it!

download (57) — Sweet Potato Souffle just before it went into the oven…

download (22) — Adding a few more marshmallows for the final 5 minutes on the Sweet Potatoes… You’ll note the recipe doesn’t call for ANY, but I HAVE to have marshmallows with my sweet potatoes! 🙂

download (45) — Sweet Potatoes (pre-oven again)

download (61) — Delicious Turnip Gratin… SO decadent!

download (50) — Oyster Dressing – a throwback to our year in New England

download (11) — Pardon my messy hair. At least I don’t have roots! 🙂

download (34) — Those sweet pups…Don’t let their innocent angel smiles fool you. Lucy totally stole some turkey while Craig and I were eating!

download (39) — Broccoli & Cauliflower Casserole

download (20) — Broccoli & Cauliflower Casserole – I added more cheese than the recipe called for…And I highly recommend it! 😉

download (35) — So delicious! I wish I could share the recipe for this but to be honest, I have no idea. It was all Craig and the grill. I will say: it was the BEST turkey I have ever eaten!! Super moist and flavorful!!!

download (17) — Pecan Pie!!! (Made even more delicious with some French Vanilla Whipped Cream!) I used the recipe for the Perfect Pie Crust and then the recipe for the Pecan Pie at the link.

download (40) — Seriously one of my favorite desserts…No walnuts…Just add Vanilla Ice Cream please!

And there you have it! I’d have to say Jonah Day was pretty successful as far as both thankfulness and cooking were concerned! We ate at 3pm yesterday and neither one of us TOUCHED a morsel of food again until breakfast. 😉

Until we meet again,

TTC Tuesday

No Matter What

November 3, 2015 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres2 Comments

Happy Tuesday Everyone!

Here at The Newlywed Lefebvre’s blog, Tuesdays are for thanking Jesus, and there just isn’t a better month for that ‘theme’ than November – Thanksgiving time!

As I’m reading (straight through) the Bible, I’m noticing that the book of Psalms is a lot more than what I had at first envisioned – a book of (boring) poetry and songs and flowery language. Quite the opposite, actually. As I read the book (actually five separate books, combined into one), I’m realizing that David (and the other authors of the psalms) had a heckuvalot in common with me and the rest of us average joes (janes?)!

Psalms are beautiful prayers; cries out to God in anguish, in joy, in hope, in fear, in sorrow; deep shouts of praise and thanks! Just open your Bible to the middle and I’m almost certain one of the psalms you come upon will speak to your heart.

Today, we will look at two psalms that denote thankfulness – perfect for Thank You Jesus Tuesday and for this time of year:

“Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to Him and praise His name. For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; His faithfulness continues through all generations.” Psalm 100:4-5

“Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men! Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare His works with rejoicing.” Psalm 107:21-22

It is so easy to thank God when things are going well. When everything is moving along and life is hunky-dory, we are almost quick to forget to thank Him for His goodness. But the question is how on earth do you thank Him when things are NOT going well? How do you praise God in the midst of suffering?

You thank God during times of trouble because you remember the cross. Hebrews 4, verses 15 and 16 say:

“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”

We can thank Him during our times of need and weakness because He is not some lofty god who rules from on high, apart from his creation – He came to earth in human form and lived a human life, ending with His suffering on the cross as the one and only sacrifice for our sins.

We can thank Him at all times because “…God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

No matter what – I will praise Him in this storm and in the sunshine that follows.

So today, as I sit here with a yucky sinus infection, and my sweet Mama Dee is in a brace and awaiting orthopedic surgery for her broken patella, I am thanking my Savior for the beautiful life He blessed me with, and for the gift that is my grandmother. As we await His beautiful promise of our precious Jonah Elizabeth, I thank Him that He not only knows us by name – but gave such a beautiful name to our future daughter.

What storm are you waiting in today, and how can you be thankful in its midst?

What's Up Wednesday

Pilgrims & Pillow Fights

November 26, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres4 Comments

Happy Thanksgiving Eve, Y’all!

Today, you should be very thankful because I come bearing few words! 🙂 On this day before Turkey Day, we are sharing some pictures of what we have been up to.

If you read yesterday’s post, you know we traveled to Plymouth, Massachusetts to really get into the spirit of Thanksgiving. Not only were we able to see Plymouth Rock & the Mayflower II, we also ventured upon the National Monument to Our Forefathers – which was absolutely breathtaking:

It was a stark reminder, through everything going on in our country today, of the principles our great nation was actually founded upon…

We had a lot of fun, and I strongly recommend visiting Plymouth, MA!

Remember us telling you we had a Youth Ministry Lock-In a few weeks ago? Well, we finally recovered enough from the night of NO sleep to share the photos:

In other YM news, this past weekend, we held the Christmas Craft Fair, at which our youth group manned the “Wisemen’s Treasure Chest”… We raised $444 (yes, really – if you read this blog regularly, you’ll know why that makes us smile!) for our group!!

Well, we are settling in for the day… A Nor’Easter is heading through and it has been SNOWING all day!

These are some shots from earlier this morning…So excited for snow and snow with my husband HOME!!! Yay!

From our little family (minus Craig who is behind the camera, and Miss Daisy who is most likely under the bed snoozing) to yours, Happy Thanksgiving Eve!

Food For Thought Friday

Before The Honeymoon’s Over

May 30, 2014 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres3 Comments

Do you have a list – either on paper or in your head – of the things you ~~want to~~ have to do before you ~~get married~~, ~~turn 30~~, have your first child (or other milestone occurs)?

I’ve seen a lot of these “Bucket List” type of posts recently, and thought I would share our list with y’all:

Yep. That’s our To – Do list for our marriage before Jonah Elizabeth is brought by the stork 😉 Some of the items will be quite the feat; some are small yet meaningful; some are already in the works…

What about you? What’s on your list?

Have a wonderful Friday & weekend everyone!!

Love and God’s Blessings To You All!

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A Shortie But Goodie…

November 27, 2012 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres1 Comment

I hope this post finds all of you returning from wonderful Thanksgivings! As said before, it was no fun being apart on our first Thanksgiving as a married couple, but we are lucky enough to have amazing family and friends who helped make it a very special holiday!

Pier with her parents and brother. Thanksgiving 2012

Our dear friend, Jill, traveled to Green Bay, WI for the holiday to visit her sister’s family….and she was kind enough to ask my sweet husband if he wanted to share Turkey Day with them! Craig was actually able to be on the road, and at the same time able to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal that truly embraced the entire meaning of the day itself: Family, Friends, Thankfulness, Generosity, & Delicious Food. 🙂 Thank you so much to Jill & her amazing family!

Well, I’m heading home from work to see my husband now! (See, I told you this one would be short and sweet!)

Y’all have a great night!

Love,

Pier & Craig

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Many Thanks

November 22, 2012November 22, 2012 The Not-So Newlywed Lefebvres2 Comments

Today I write from Green Bay, WI!! In fact I am looking at Lambeau field as I write this and I know that leaves some of my Minnesota family just cringing. No worries as I could never cheer for a team that has colors of green and yellow. Now for my list of what I am thankful for… Being away and on the road this Thanksgiving could make it difficult to come up with thankful thoughts because I miss being around the ones I love but just the fact that I have so many to miss makes me extremely thankful for the people in my life.
– My beautiful wife. There is so much to be thankful about her. The one quality that first comes to mind is her ability to love me! There is not a day that goes by that I do not feel her love and support. Thank you!
– My parents and Pier’s parents. My parents have raised me with so many morals and helped to shape the kind of man I am today. All of these attributes have helped me to be the strong, hardworking, and loving husband that I want to be. Pier’s parents have instilled their love and family values into Pier and have helped her become the perfect wife for me. Thank you!
– My job. Even tho my job is the thing that takes me away I am thankful that it provides me with a way to support and provide for my family.

As I sit here and look out the window I see all of God’s creations. Which leads me in the direction of so many other things to be thankful for. Pier and I place big importance on our faith and our Creator and we help each other to grow more and more in our faith. Each night as we say our prayers together the Scriptures are a big part of them.
– God’s Word. The Bible does so much for us. It gives us hope. It shows us how to love. It teaches us morals. It inspires us to always be a better person. Thank you Lord!
-The Sacraments. In every Sacrament is Christ’s action and the power of the Holy Spirit to bring God’s grace to us all. Thank you Lord.
– Prayer. Even this simple little action which can be done anywhere any way is such a powerful tool that allows us to communicate with God. Prayer brings comfort and trust. When I am on the road and I pray with Pier over the phone there is a sense of comfort and closeness that I feel by simply praying together. Thank you Lord!
-My family’s health. I have been blessed as well as my family have been blessed with great health. This is out of our control and only the Lord can be thanked for this.
-My patience. I am very thankful for this as it helps me to understand and keep calm in many situations and focus on the more important things.
– My wife’s ability to understand. I know that I may not always make the most sense but she can help me understand things in a different perspective and also understand me in my Minnesota tongue 😉 Thank you!

This is only a short list of all the things that one could be thankful for and it is certainly not everything I am thankful for. So on this Thanksgiving Day take a few minutes and thank our Lord for everything in your life and also thank someone close to you to let them know that you are thankful for them. Happy Thanksgiving!!

Love and Thanks,
Craig

Whoa! My husband is quite the writer and a hard one to follow at that! 🙂

Well, let me begin my saying I have more to be thankful for in 2012 than I ever imagined. I have never been happier in my life and I only see the future as growing brighter by the minute.

I am so thankful for my amazing husband, Craig. God answered all of my many prayers and blessed me with the missing piece to my puzzle. Craig understands me like no one else and he loves me like crazy and in an all-encompassing way that I could never have dreamed of. I thank God for him every single day.

I am so blessed with a wonderful family: new and old, all unbelievable. I couldn’t ask for anything more.

On a less sappy note, I am so thankful my hair is finally shoulder length again!!!!!! This time last year I was rockin’ the wig, with my recently burned off head of hair underneath. It certainly made me appreciate my once thick and curly hair, but this year, after having experienced virtually NO HAIR, I am definitely thankful for my hair that has grown back with a vengeance! Yay!

This may sound silly, but I am very thankful for our sweet little Miss Daisy, who keeps me company when my husband is traveling. She definitely is a friendly, needy little girl and I am lucky to have such a great pet and little buddy!

Back on the serious side, I thank God He blessed me with a husband who prays with me and is the spiritual leader for our little family! Our prayer life is strong, and only getting stronger, and as it strengthens, so does our marriage and our love deepens. Absolutely amazing.

All we have would not be possible without God. He has blessed us with so much, and I praise Him for his wonderful blessings in our lives. In 2011, I could only have dreamed of the amazing life Craig and I share now. With Craig so far away in Wisconsin, our bond in Christ is what keeps a smile on my face.

I wish you all many blessings in your life, and a marvelous Thanksgiving! Thank YOU for keeping up with us on our blog, and for your love and support in our lives!

All Our Love & Gratitude,
Pier

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The Parable Of The Ten Gold Coins

November 21, 2012 The Not-So Newlywed LefebvresLeave a comment

Today’s Gospel (Click Me)

Good Morning Loves!

Craig and I have been trying to be pretty consistent with meditating on and reading the Daily Readings, and today’s gospel (with the link and reflection above) struck a chord I have spoken about in a previous post. It also is a great reading to reflect on in light of this season of giving thanks.

God has provided each of us with so many gifts and blessings. More often than not, we all focus on the negative things in our lives and forget about the wonderful aspects. This Thanksgiving, let’s make a return on our ‘investments’ – use the gifts God has blessed us with and thank Him for all He has done.

Will we show God our gratitude for His blessings or will we hide those blessing away, as if we are ashamed?

Stay tuned for tomorrow’s big list of THANKSGIVING from Craig & I!

Love Y’all!

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!