Rainbow Jello

For almost every family function, I am asked to make Rainbow Jello.

If I feel I have the time to do it, then I happily will make it.

But boy, it does take time...as in hours.

Looks wonderful though when done.

I only have pictures of the Jello still in the mold.

I made it for my nephew's First Communion Party and once it was taken out of the mold, 

it was dinner time.

It's a mix of 4 different colors in two shades each.

Each flavor is used twice.  First time as is, then the next layer with sour cream.

Here's how I do it:

Blue is the first color for this mold and the first layer is regular blue.

Then I add a bit of sour cream to the second blue layer to lighten its color.

Next color is regular yellow.

Then I add a bit of sour cream to the second layer of yellow....etc.

Each layer has to set in the fridge for about 25-30 minutes.

If you try to make it shorter and add a layer before it's ready, then they will blend together.

Tastes just as good but the look is off.

The recipe I used can be found HERE.

It calls for five different flavors (10 layers) but my mold holds four different flavors (8 layers).

You can make it in a 13X9 pan and use all five flavors.

You can play with any color combination you like or even just use one color and repeat the steps.

I've done blue and yellow for a scout event; red, white and blue for the 4th of July...etc.

My mold is not spiked like this one but it gives you the idea of how it looks 

when popped out of the mold.

By the way, the Tupperware mold I use above works beautifully when removing it.

Credit

If you've never made it before, it's best to make it the day before your event.

It takes a good 4 hours or so to make it.

My family does enjoy it so it's worth it!

I've linked up to Lisa's Try a New Recipe Tuesday.

Blessings,

Noreen

Happy Mail

Recently, I won a giveaway from Natalie at Detail-Oriented Diva. 

 She hosted a Chevron Wall Art Giveaway earlier this month.  

She creates these amazing color combinations of chevron art with your family information.

Here is what she custom made for me:

(I'm thinking I may need a darker frame.)

Natalie is amazing to work with. 

Quick to give ideas and to respond to questions.

To her followers, she offers a free printable section with the cutest graphics.

If she isn't a graphic designer by trade, she should be.

She's fabulous!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you Natalie!!!!!!!

Blessings,

Noreen

21st Anniversary

21 years ago today, marks the anniversary of my mom's death. 

 I still cannot believe she's gone.

She didn't see me graduate from college.

She's never met my husband or son.

She's been gone for almost half of my life.

Just amazing.  And I still think of her every day!

Almost 6 months ago, my dad joined her in Heaven.

Even though I'm a grown up and have been for many years,

it's an odd abandoned-like feeling.

I'm not an orphan but in a way, it feels that way.

I love you mom.

I love you dad.

Pray for us!

May God bless my siblings and I as we remember this day.

May Our Blessed Mother hold us tightly as we remember.

Blessings,

Noreen

Family Prayer Intentions

For my 5 year old nephew, Timmy:
Blessed Savior, I thank you that his operation is safely past, and now may he rest in your abiding presence, relaxing every tension, releasing every care and anxiety, receiving more and more of your healing life into every part of his being. In moments of pain may Timmy turn to you for strength, in times of loneliness may he feel your loving nearness. Grant that your life and love and joy may flow through Timmy for the healing of others in your name. Amen.

For my sister-in-law, Linda:
Lord, look upon Linda with eyes of mercy, may your healing hand rest upon her, may your lifegiving powers flow into every cell of her body and into the depths of her soul, cleansing, purifying, restoring her to wholeness and strength for service in your Kingdom. Amen.


To Saint Peregrine
O great St. Peregrine, you have been called "The Mighty," "The Wonder-Worker," because of the numerous miracles which you have obtained from God for those who have had recourse to you. For so many years you bore in your own flesh this cancerous disease that destroys the very fiber of our being, and who had recourse to the source of all grace when the power of man could do no more. You were favored with the vision of Jesus coming down from His Cross to heal your affliction. Ask of God and Our Lady, the cure and healing of Timmy & Linda whom we entrust to you. Aided in this way by your powerful intercession, we shall sing to God, now and for all eternity, a song of gratitude for His great goodness and mercy. Amen. 

To Archangel St. Raphael
Glorious Archangel St. Raphael, great prince of the heavenly court, you are illustrious for your gifts of wisdom and grace. You are a guide of those who journey by land or sea or air, consoler of the afflicted, and refuge of sinners. I beg you, assist Timmy & Linda in all their needs and in all the sufferings of this life, as once you helped the young Tobias on his travels. Because you are the "medicine of God" I humbly pray you to seek God's authority to heal the many infirmities of Timmy & Linda's souls and the ills that afflict their bodies. I especially ask of you the favor of healing Timmy & Linda, and the great grace of purity to prepare them to be the temple of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Please join me in prayer for my nephew Timmy as he heals from his operation and for my sister-in-law Linda, who lives with chronic pain.

Blessings,

Noreen

Birthday

It's somebody's birthday!

Toby is 9 years young today!

We pray for many more good and healthy years with our Tobster!

Blessings,

Noreen

Happy Birthday Mom & Michelle

Today is my mom's birthday as well as my friend Michelle's.  Both are no longer with us.  They've both been called home by God.  My mom has been gone almost 20 years and my friend Michelle, died last month on January 5th at the age of 42.

My mom died of ovarian cancer.  She died within a year of diagnosis and her death.  Those months were hard ones too as she underwent chemotherapy to no avail.  She was a strong lady and didn't complain but the effects were obvious.  My faith was tested during this time and to be honest, I was angry.  Very angry and broken at her passing.  It was way too soon for her to be called home in my opinion.  Obviously God had other plans and relieved her of her suffering.  I still miss her though.

Michelle's death was completely unexpected.  She had Lupus and had a couple of strokes in the last 10 years that affected her ability to work but was healthy enough to raise her son.  She was a loving and caring mom to her 11 year old son.  In fact, many times I had forgotten that she suffered 2 strokes and that her health was fragile.  While our boys were busy with scouting activities, the scout moms would visit and chat.  Or go for a mom's night out together.  We were scout moms together and friends.  I enjoyed her company and miss her presence in my life.

Happy Birthday Mom & Michelle!
Please pray for us!

Blessings,
Noreen

The School of the Family Book Review

     It's always discouraging yet eye opening to read a book about the Catholic Faith, thinking you already have a fairly good grasp of it, then after a chapter or two of the book, realize, you don't.  That was the ongoing realization for me as I read Chantal R. Howard's book, The School of the Family.  In fact, I read through her book with a pencil in hand to highlight the many ideas that challenged my own thinking and encouraged me as a parent.  This book was published by Leonine Publishers in 2010 and is 213 pages in length.  The premise of the book seemed obvious, the home is where the tenets of the Catholic Faith are taught to the children.  If you want to raise your children in their faith (Catholic Formation), it has to start in the home.  We all know this as Catholic parents but her book illustrates a deeper level of commitment all Christian parents should adhere to in child raising.

     Chantal R. Howard delves into her own personal journey through her upbringing by a free spirited mom who left the family "to discover the spirit that was leading her" and then returned a devoted Catholic wife and mother.  Her father was an adventure seeking young man who wanted to party and live the good life.  He too, was raised Catholic yet "his faith was just lessons learned, not a life that was lived."   Both her parents yearned to find what they were missing and their conversion led them both back to the Catholic Church and they did so with zeal.  They raised their six children in the faith and Chantal's life blossomed by being centered in Jesus Christ and living a sacramental life.

      Chantal's life was "the school of the family" in practice with daily mass, Catholic Faith Formation, homeschooling, family business, athletics, world travel, discernment of vocation and the death of her father.  Her mother's devotion to Jesus and her vocation of wife and mother; so inspired Chantal that she is currently homeschooling her own four children with her husband, Dr. Peter Howard a theologian who is the founder and President of the Fulton Sheen Society and Director of the Catholic Hour Movement.

     Chantal's memoir includes her own struggles with marriage and having to learn to keep her eyes on Jesus to guide her through their marital and familial challenges.  Her role model for mothering is Mary and she desires "to allow the grace of God to make up for her insufficiencies."   She discusses the challenges all mothers face in this secular society and how we are called "to live this art of love by offering our bodies as sanctuaries to our unborn children, setting our careers aside, giving our hearts away in love, and laying down our lives for the sake of our children.  This is the hidden life of sacrifice that holds the mighty power to help us and our children triumph over this world and live secure in grace.  If we choose to be like Mary, embracing our vocation in the light of the Holy Spirit, then our way of salvation as mothers is secure."

     Not only is this Chantal's story but she gives her reader "The Family Rule" to help others keep their lives focused on their spiritual goals.  She reminds us that The Holy Family is our shining example of how to live virtuous and holy lives.  She included a marital examination of conscience "to evaluate whether we are actually loving our spouse."  Her "Family Rule" emphasizes the ideal method in raising a family rooted in the power of Christ.   She admits it's not easy and her book should be considered a "survival manual."  It is chock-full of insights from the great writings of the saints and Pope John Paul II on how "to protect our families against the attacks of the devil so they will bear much fruit for the Kingdom of God."

     Whether we like it or not, the family is a school by which our children learn what values the parents truly believe, what level of priority is Jesus in their lives and whether they embrace the teachings of the Catholic Church.  Chantal advises "it is our duty as parents to provide the family life that challenges our young people to live in virtue, preparing them to enter into good, holy friendships and ultimately into friendship with God."  I would highly recommend her book, The School of the Family for it's many informational and thought provoking insights.  You can purchase her book at Tiber River and learn more about Chantal Howard at her own website School of the Family.

I was given a free copy of this book to review from The Tiber River Company.  I received no monetary compensation for this review.

4th of July Celebration

May God Richly Bless America, rain down his graces upon her and keep His protective hand upon her!!

We celebrated with our family by watching our city parade go down our street.  Our siblings bring their families over early to participate in the parade by waving, cheering and receiving candy from the floats.  

It's fun for all!

 Governor Quinn and Mayor Marty Moylan

The kids being "forced" to take a picture :)

It ought to be commemorated, as the Day of Deliverance by solemn Acts of Devotion to God Almighty. ... I am well aware of the Toil and Blood and Treasure, that it will cost Us to maintain this Declaration, and support and defend these States. Yet through all the Gloom I can see the Rays of ravishing Light and Glory. I can see that the End is more than worth all the Means. And that Posterity will tryumph in that Days Transaction, even altho We should rue it, which I trust in God We shall not. -   John Adams

God Bless,

noreen

A Terrible Storm, A Blessing

A Terrible Storm blasted through our neighborhood last week leaving the citizens of my town 

without power for 2-3 days.  

My son and I had our dog in the car for a quick trip to the pet store and gas station.  By the time my gas tank was only half filled, the lightening streaks across the sky were intimidating.  

I quickly paid the attendant and headed for the safety of home.

One look at Toby, who is not afraid of storms at all, and I knew something terrible was fast approaching.  

By the grace of God, we made it home before the pouring rain, high winds, booming thunder and mass lightening bursts.

It was all over in about 15 minutes.  

.  The power went out a few minutes into the storm and stayed out for 48-72 hours.

We opened our front door to look outside and a humongous tree branch was half laying in the middle of the street and half laying on top of my neighbor's car.  It had shattered his back windshield and dented his trunk.

We took out our flashlights as did many of our neighbors and walked up and down the blocks and saw trees ripped from the ground and huge branches laying on power lines.

Here are a few pictures from around our neighborhood. 

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To have power down for any length of time in our day and age, feels as if we've been punished. 

No TV

No computer

No phones

No light

You forget how dependent you are on electricity and seem so lost without it at first.  

We did borrow a generator to hook up to our refrigerator but we still had to throw some food items out.  Every 2 hours we had to fill it with gasoline to keep it running... and it ran VERY loudly.  I'm sure our neighbors were just thrilled but we were one of many neighbors running them.

When our lights came back on, we all shouted for joy!  That felt like a blessing!

The quiet times with my son reading by candlelight or staying up talking with my husband and son, they were blessings too.  During the storm for a brief moment, if felt as if God's protective hand had been lifted and it was chaos.  I believe God's loving hand returned... reminding us that He is in control.  

By God's grace we were ok, no one was injured, we had minor inconveniences of having no power and having to clean up the branches and sticks that lay everywhere, and I had to be creative with meals and activities for the long dark hours we were awake.  That was all alright with me!

God Bless,

noreen

Update on My Son's Procedure

He is just fine!  Thank you for all the prayers for this worried mama!  I knew the procedure was simple yet I was uncomfortable with my son being sedated like that.  God answered our prayers and there were no complications with the anesthesia.  Thank God!

After he was awake for a little bit, he tells me,

"The last thing I remember the doctor saying is, "Don't tell your mom, it's Miller Time."  

Hmmmm....  I'm sure he meant that it was lights out for my son but did he need to reference a beer??  Anyway, it worked well for the doctor who told me my son was moving and kicking all over the place while unconscious... as if he knew deep down in his subconscious he was being stuck by needles, nail cut (by what, I don't know) and then the area cauterized.

He was sleepy and a bit loopy but doing great!

On the way in we did stop at the abortion clinic hallway to pray again.  Today I did see some activity from that doorway and I prayed hard because I saw a young man and a young woman leaving.  The woman was walking very slowly and he was holding her arm as it to help get her to the car.  I immediately jumped to the conclusion of what she'd just had done and prayed with tears in my eyes.  She may not have had an abortion but this woman was obviously in pain and needed prayer.

I felt sick to my stomach though and felt like crying.  But I was also concerned about my son being knocked out soon... it was an emotional morning.

Thank you again for all of your prayers for us!

God Bless,
noreen

The End of an Era

These last few weeks have been busy with my son's end of the year school activities.  This, unlike previous years, has been an emotional roller coaster.  The reason being is that this is his last year at his elementary school and he will be moving on to middle school this Fall.  He has loved his school and doesn't want to leave it.  Frankly, I wish he could spend one more year there too.  I'm not thrilled with the idea of 6th, 7th and 8th graders being together on a bus or at school.  That's another story though.

He has grown up a lot this past year and I wish it didn't feel like it was going so fast.  Here are some pictures of his last year being a 5th grader.

Scout Trek Fall of 2010



Scout Trek Fall of 2010

Webelos Outdoor Weekend Fall of 2010

Webelos Outdoor Weekend Fall of 2010

At his cousin's house



Meeting one of his favorite authors:  Rick Riordan

The unusally snowy winter of 2010-2011

A Day Trip to Starved Rock

He is officially done on Monday, June 6th and we will both walk away from a school that we've loved.  I've been a very involved mom in the classroom and PTO and have enjoyed every minute of it.   We've met wonderful teachers and prinicpals, fabulous friends and families and feel our experience their has been a blessing.  And now it is time to go.

We'll be moving on to a new era of life with a middle schooler.  The question for me is, who will I be during this time?

I'm linking up today at:  http://www.angelwingsandapronstrings.blogspot.com/ with my friend Trish at L.A.C.E.
Please come and join us for Whatever is Lovely, Admirable, Cheerful and Encouraging!

 

God Bless,

Noreen

Happy Birthday Donny!!

I can hardly believe that my son turned 11 years old this weekend!!  My camera wasn't working so I was unable to take any birthday pictures at our family party but this is a recent one from last month.

When I think of my son on his birthday, there is an overwhelming flood of emotions.  Mostly, I am so grateful to God for entrusting us with our son.  Donny is full of life, silliness, joy and curiosity.  He's a hard working student who gets good grades, is willing to help others and as his teacher calls him "a quiet leader in the classroom." 

There is also a sense of sadness that he is growing up too quickly.  If only I could slow down the process a bit... enjoy each moment more...and keep it in my memory.  It hasn't been that long since he first started school, or learned to ride his bike, or was potty trained but it feels like a lifetime ago. 

Regret is another emotion I feel for my son, only because we were never able to have another baby.  I deeply regret that he has no brothers or sisters.  When we get together with my siblings and their children for family parties, I think... he won't have any siblings to get together with for Christmas, Easter or birthdays.  I've already spoken to my sisters about this issue and this is also why I want my son to grow up close to his cousins so he can join them for the holidays as he grows into adulthood.  That his cousins, will be a part of his life after my husband and I have passed on. 

I really do worry about this because I don't want him feeling lonely in adulthood.  I have my brother and two sisters and we're close.   I want to be involved in my nieces and nephew's lives for my sake as well as my son's.  Family is very important and it's not always easy, but they are your support and gifts from God.  We must treasure them.

OK I'm feeling a bit melancholy here so I must stop... my story of infertility is for another day.  I want to be happy that I have a healthy 11 year old son!

God Bless,
noreen

A Fun Mini-Vacation

I've been out of the blogging world for about a week for several reasons.  Primarily because it's Lent and I find I can spend way too much time on blogging and visiting all those other wonderful blogs I so love.  Instead I should be focusing more on Jesus and my family.

Secondly, I've been reading Abby Johnson's book, Unplanned and I'm almost done with it and it's certainly an eye opener.  I find myself engaging in more and more conversations about the Pro-Life movement and the hidden deceptiveness of Planned Parenthood.  Many women I speak to about it around my neighborhood have no idea what PP is all about.

Live Action group has posted a video of the President of Planned Parenthood, Ms. Cecile Richards on The Joy Behar Show defending their right to taxpayer money because it is about basic women healthcare including mammograms.  The Live Action group also has been contacting numerous Planned Parenthood Clinics around the United States inquiring to their mammogram service.  Again and again, these clinics inform the caller that they do not perform mammograms.  Check out this video link for yourself:  Planned Parenthood Exposed.

Lastly, is that we went away for a couple of days but I will post about it another day. 

Scout Sunday

Today is Scout Sunday for my son's Cub Scout Pack which means we went to a church service from the church that sponors us.  (We didn't miss our Catholic mass because we went to Saturday mass.)  The church that generously sponors our pack is a sect from the United Church of Christ - a mainline Protestant Christian denomination that has it's roots from Lutheranism.

We go to Scout Sunday once a year to thank the church for sponsoring us and give a financial donation.  All the boys are in full uniform and participate in the flag ceremony.  It's a wonderful way for the boys to show their appreciation and for the congregation to see who they're supporting.  The congregation is very warm and welcoming to us.

However, it is a VERY different experience than being in a Catholic Mass.  There are some similarities as if they picked and chose what they liked from Catholicism or Lutheranism and made up parts to fill in the rest of their service.  Here are some of my impressions and/or comments:

*  They do not believe in the Eucharist being the body and blood of Jesus so communion is only done once a month and it's a self-service type of thing. 
*  The pastor is a woman and she seems to know the names of every parishioner.  Impressive.
* They begin their service with announcements in a fun and joking manner. 
* They do an Old Testament and New Testament reading which I like and the pastor gives a sermon.  And today, being Scout Sunday, she did a very good job at explaining the history of scouting and discussing the first duty of scouting...1)  Duty to God.
*  They do not recite the Nicene Creed or the Apostle's Creed.  Instead they have something called, "The New Creed."  Not at all like the Nicene or Apostle's Creed.
* Their youth came out in the middle of the service and they performed skits to entertain the congregation ... a kind of comedy routine and they ended in a hip Christian song.  They were good, really good and I can tell it took a lot of guts and work for the kids to learn their parts but I found myself wondering... what does this have to do with Jesus?  The skits had nothing to do with God.  I didn't get it... I found it amusing for their talent but didn't see how it should have been part of a church service.

After I leave one of their services, I find myself appreciating my Church Mass more.  I love that our Church feels holy and sacred.  That we are there to worship Jesus and not be entertained.

What I Am Grateful For...

This man... my husband who during this snow storm/blizzard worked so hard!  He spent hours snowblowing and shoveling our property as well as our neighbors.  We live on the end of an alley and when the plow trucks come through they pile it on the end of the parkway by the alley.  This means it's very dangerous backing out into the street because the snow piles are over 5 feet tall and we can't see.  It was heavy, wet snow... not easy to move.  He spent a long time working on reducing that snow mound and now we can see!

My son and I helped but in truth, he did the majority of it. 

Then in the midst of all this work, our snowblower broke... a worn out belt.  He immediately found his friend to help him replace it and he was off again.

He's a planner... he went back to the store to get salt, windshield wiper fluid and gas for the snowblower.  The temperatures are going to drop tomorrow to negative degrees during the night.  But we don't have to worry, because we're prepared!

You know what else he does for me?   Our vehicles are parked outside so each morning before he goes to work, he will make sure my car doors open (sometimes they're frozen shut), brushes off the snow, and warms up the car. 

He's a good man, my hubby.  I'm am blessed to have him as my husband!

I would be remiss if I didn't mention how hard my son worked.  He was out there with us too working and playing in the snow!

Stay warm and safe!

noreen

Winter Blizzard of 2011

The weather forecasters got it right this time.  We were hit with a massive snow storm yesterday afternoon that snowed well into today.  My poor Toby had to go outside this morning to take care of business and we could only open one door.  We have three doors that lead to the outside and two of them were snowed in.  Fortunately for him, he is a very tall dog and was able to go out into the 18+ inches of snow.  He came back pretty fast though.  Here are some fun pictures of our morning shoveling our way out of the house. 

As of now, the main street is plowed but our side street and alley are not.  I have complete faith in our city's ability to get the streets and alleys plowed!

Author Visit #2

This was a busy week meeting authors but it was well worth it!  The next author we met was Dan Gutman who has been writing books since the 1980's.  He has many great books for kids and he just released the first book of his new series The Genius Files.

The Humor and Comedy Genre does not fit my son's Fantasy preference, however, he opened it on the ride back home, used my phone as a light, and read...and laughed...and read.... and laughed and frequently interspersed with "Mom, you have to hear this!" 

I love it when an author from a different genre can capture my son's interest and Mr. Gutman delivered!

Author Visit

My son currently wants to be a publisher or editor when he grows up.  He is an avid reader of mostly the fantasy and science fiction genre.  Either for school or the nudging of his mother (me) he will read other genres such as realistic fiction, historical fiction but he's most passionate about fantasy books.

We had a couple of authors come to our area this week and I brought him to meet them.  The first is Grace Lin who was awarded The Newberry Honor for Where the Mountain Meets the Moon.

Inspired by folktales of China, this is the story of a young Chinese girl named Minli. She lives in a poor village underneath a stark mountain and every day her mother expresses her discontent. So Minli sets out to find the Old Man of the Moon to ask him how to change their fortune. What follows is the story of her journey. Along the way she meets many different characters and hears many different stories. The book reads like a fable, which is fitting because it contains so many beautifully rich stories.

This book is for younger readers and it just won The Theodor Seuss Geisel Award.  It's a sweet story about twin girls who are always told by others, that they are EXACTLY the same and they disagree! 

Grace Lin is the author and illustrator of all of her books.  She shared her journey in the writing and illustrating world with us that night.  Her story brought tears to my eyes because she spoke of how she was first an illustrator and she tried "to fit in" to the American/Caucasian idea of picture drawing but it never felt right.  She felt nudged to draw pictures in a Chinese style that's vibrant with color but her editors told her that even though her pictures were good, they had no stories to fit them.  And that's how she became a writer... she wrote the stories to fit her illustrations.  Even then, she was told there was no market for Asian characters.  It was suggested she redraw the characters as Caucasian. 

Fortunately, she listened to that little voice inside and kept them as is, found another editor, had them published and she's receiving national recognition and awards.  We highly recommend her books!