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We are having an awesome weekend with some of our best friends who made the long trek from Florida to stay on the farm with us for a couple of days. We live….ahem…simply out here and since our apartment is tiny, the only place we have to put people up is what’s called “The Nicaragua House” which is modeled after one room homes in third world countries. The farm has a third world poverty simulation program that draws groups from all over so if you come visit us you are basically living a poverty simulation. You can feel like you’re in the third world! No flushing toilets, shower in a bucket, and forget AC! SO FUN, RIGHT?!
One of the places we took our friends is a beautiful historic church on the Brazos river. But I’m in need of your saint iconographic detective skills because we can’t figure out who two of the statues are.
I give you a female religious with a rosary and looking at a cross. Any ideas?
And here we have a male religious with a rosary, holding a book and a quill. Not quite grumpy enough to be St. Jerome? Whatcha got for me?
Waco has this beautiful 100-year-old movie theatre that’s been recently restored and they play old classic movies during the day sometimes for FREE (I KNOW!!!!). So I took the kids to see Singin’ in the Rain last week. Gene Kelly is my celebrity crush and it was amazing to see it all on the big screen. What a great movie! Except for a sweet old couple, we were the only ones there, so it wasn’t stressful to be wrangling a two-year-old, four-year-old, and seven-year-old. Lucy did all the dances in the aisle while Gwen and Benjamin stuffed their faces with popcorn and we almost make it through the entire film before everyone was wiggly and ready to high tail it home for lunch. And who cares if we missed the last 10 minutes? It was FREE.
In other news, we got some chickens that we’ll be taking with us to our new house. And please find the Benjamin photo bomb because it’s hysterical. What is he DOING?
Gwen named her chicken “Rose” but informed us that it’s nickname is “Flower.” Lucy named hers “Cinderella” and Benjamin named his “Silly Little” (a play on Chicken Little? Who can say!)
The Podcast:
I absolutely loved our most recent episode of the Fountains of Carrots podcast. We talked with my friend Dr. Greg Hillis all about Thomas Merton. He also shared some great Wendell Berry stories and we discussed how to make interfaith marriages work. So definitely listen in!
Links:
6 Things I Wish People Knew About Grieving the Loss of a Child: HuffPo
This Stage of Life? It’s Hard: Austin Mom’s Blog
Porn-proofing our kids: Practical steps: Mama Needs Coffee
My Advice for the Single Lady in her Twenties: Whole Parenting Family
All Your Burning Parenting Questions Answered: This Ain’t the Lyceum (SO FUNNY!)
5 More Catholic Nerds: Laura McAlister
Mother’s Day Giveaway
Carrots sponsor Toadily Handmade Beeswax Candles is offering a fun Mother’s Day giveaway to two lucky winners. You do NOT have to be a mother to enter.
One winner will receive a mystery gift worth $50 and the other will receive a $25 gift certificate.
To enter, just click on over to the Toadily Handmade Beeswax Candle web site and leave a comment on this post telling me what your favorite candle is. The mystery gift valued at $50.00 could very well include something you mentioned liking! U.S. residents only, please, due to shipping costs. Giveaway ends this Thursday, April 29th at midnight EST!
I hope your week is lovely! We’re gearing up for a big event on the farm its going to be busy-busy over here.
Lots of love,
Haley
P.S. You can follow me…
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P.P.S. Don’t forget to check out the awesome video series for moms of truths we all need to hear, especially if we feel like we’re failing and screwing up our kids. It’s free, each is only about 10 minutes long, and you will feel so encouraged by what Stephanie and Beth share!
I recently found your blog and enjoy it very much – I am a convert as well, and hope to move to a house with land soon, and we plan to have chickens. I also recently began homeschooling
Thanks for sharing your life with us.
I think it’s brilliant about the free classic movies being shown at the restored movie house! Sounds like such fun- and Singing in the Rain is one of my favorites! (Except my celebrity crushes are Danny Kaye and Jimmy Stewart ?)
All the best, many blessings to you all.
Aw, thanks, Laura! Jimmy Stewart! YES.
I love the twisted rope pillar candle!
The Rose pillar candle is gorgeous!
The honeycomb pillar candle is a beauty!
Not sure on Saints. Who says their saints though at all? Maybe Mary and ??
Not sure. Hard to say from pic.
Maybe some one else will know. I didn’t notice the pillar candle though. Guess I should look…sheesh.
The Easter egg candles are cool! Always looking for good Easter basket surprises that aren’t just junk or candy!
Singin’ in the Rain is the BEST. Donald O’Connor?? Hilarious! And Gene Kelly is my crush too! We have the same bday. Love hearing your weekly update!
I really like the advent candle set and the sheets for rolling your own candles – I remember always wanting to do that as a kid and would love to do it with my kids when they’re a bit older. The shaped pillar candles are gorgeous but I’d never be able to bring myself to light them!
I’m really liking the solid beeswax twisted rope one!
Laughed out loud at Benjamin in the window, that’s too funny. And Singing in the Rain has always been a favorite for me too!
I love the rose pillar one – and your blog!
I love the rolled tapers, the colors are beautiful!
The tulip votives are adorable, but I’m going to go with the basketweave pillar.
It’s so wonderful you guys got to see “Singin’ in the Rain” in theater! Recently, my daughter went through a phase of watching “Good Morning” and “Dream of You” on loop. Love it!
You’re super sweet for the link love. PS WHAT IS BENJAMIN DOING??? I’m dying!!!!
I love the honeycomb pillar candle, but there’s so many pretty ones.
+JMJ+
Twisted pillar and rose pillar – so fun! Thanks for this opportunity!
God bless,
~Mary
Hi,
From the pics (and my not-so-great knowledge from local churches) I would say that the lady is Saint Rita of Cássia (because she looks older, nun, with the rosary and looking at the cross) and the other statue is of Saint Marcus (because of the beard, book and quill). BUT I only really know the saints from the statues/paintings in the churches here in Lisbon.
For the female saint I would say Saint Therese of Lisieux or Saint Therese of Avila, regarding her habit and attributes!
For the male saint, ahem, it could be many different guys… Saint Dominic (because of the rosary)?
My French 2 cents
I’m gonna guess St. Benedict and St. Rita. St. Rita usually has a crucifix and has the wound on her forehead which I *think* I see? And Benedict always has that beard and often a book.
I love their beeswax sheets so you can customize candles for whatever size/shape you want!
I like the solid beeswax honeycomb pillar candle! i love your blog – so interesting!
My favorites are the regular votive candles; I keep votives burning daily on our icon mantle. I would love to try the Advent candles this next year as well!
I love the toad shaped votive candles! So cute, especially since I collect frog items.
Hi Haley,
The beehive candle is adorable! Also I just wanted to say I’m a newer reader and podcast listener and I’m loving your site! I’m a Catholic and had been looking for blogs geared towards Catholic family life. Your family’s story of the farm move is inspirational as my husband and I are on the verge of some changes that are risky but are SO necessary for the intentional life we crave. Anyway, just wanted to say I’m really enjoying the blog! God bless!
I was thinking St. Therese (patron saint of missionaries) and St. Paul (a missionary) because you’re in traditional missionary territory (Texas). That’s my best guess!
Smart! St. Jerome was a good guess, I think.
I am amazed at how often I wish I had just regular taper candles, and yet I never get them. I suppose that means I would need candlesticks too? (That’s what the holders are called, right? Not classy here!)
I enjoyed the video series. Thanks for sharing!
Love your stuff this week Haley! My favorite candle is the Honeycomb Pillar :).
I like the rose pillar candle.
Maybe St. Rose of Lima? No help on the male saint. And tell Benjamin, that’s a great, fun way to do fire drills. My kids used to love that – out the window, ’round the back, in through the kitchen, out the window again. It could keep them occupied for hours. Don’t know what the neighbors thought, but I figured if we ever had a fire we were all set!
I really like the decorative pillars, especially the egg and the rose pillar, but the frogs make me smile too. And I love that picture of Benjamin! Thanks also for posting the #Momfail link. I’ve enjoyed the things they send ever since last year’s bundle.
You’re the best Haley. Also I am so psyched to see what kind of amazing house you guys end up in!!
I was thinking St Rose of Lima, because I used to go to a parish called Saint Rose and there was an image of her that looked a lot like that
My first thought about the female statue was also St. Rita
Love the rose tea lights and the honeycomb pillar!
I think the saints are Therese (maybe Helena?) and Thomas Aquinas!
The sushi candles! So cool!
For me it’s a toss up between the tulip and rose votives! So pretty! I’d love to try beeswax candles.
We have loved the Toady Homemade Advent Candles, but I wouldn’t want that for Mother’s Day . . . I think I would love one of the decorated pillar candles – it could be a surprise!
Kelly has been knocking it out of the park recently!!
Oh my goodness, Singin’ in the Rain in an old theater must have been incredible!!! I watched that movie all the time as a young child (perks of my mom doing ecological bf and taking naps every day with the baby-movie time for the big kids!), and then I re-watched it a year ago and was like, “Gosh, I forgot how much I love this movie and all of the music!!” So good. I don’t know on the saints, though I feel like there has to be a small detail somewhere that would tip off who they are. If you go back there, maybe you’ll notice something?
All of those candles look awesome, but I think the sushi candles are super, super adorable
On a final note, I wasn’t able to do your Shepherd’s Pie recipe yesterday for St. George, so it’s in the oven right now, and I’m so excited to eat it! I already tasted it, and I think it’s some of the best Shepherd’s Pie I’ve had-I love the spice combination that you use!
I love all the pillar candles!! The green color is so great.
I love all of the candles, but if I had to pick one I really like the honeycomb pillar candle. Thanks!
I clearly have too much time on my hands…
St. Francis on the Brazos is a near replica of the famous mission of San Jose de Aguayo in San Antonio. The mission features St. Joseph holding the infant Jesus, St. Dominic and St. Francis, Our Lady of Guadalupe , and then St. Joachim and St. Anne holding the infant Mary at the bottom. Looking at zoomed in photographs of both the mission and the church, I can see that the statues were kept the same EXCEPT Joachim and Anne… the two you photographed replaced them, whoever they are.
Maybe Saint Francis Xavier and Saint Teresa of Lisieux? They are the patron saints of missionaries! Hmmm.
I like both the rose and tulip votive candles… though just about everything looks great (and the Advent ones would be super practical, I’m just not feeling Advent-y right now, it is April, after all!). Looks like you’re getting some good guesses on the saints – let us know if you ever figure it out for sure!
Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross?? My best guess. Looks like their typical iconography if you google image them
I second this vote.
The Easter eggs are my favorite! The Christmas ornament pillar and twisted rope pillars are amazing too.
I love the advent candle making kit. Think it would be such a cool way to celebrate the season.
I’ve been pining for the honeycomb pillar candle ever since ordering our Easter egg candles from Toadily Handmade. Love them!
We had so much fun with the Advent candle making kit this past year, and I’d love to try one of the decorative pillar candles. Beeswax candles smell so wonderful!
I think the female is St. Rita of Cassia. I am not sure about the male.
The beehive candle is super cute.
After considerable poking around on the internet, the statues are St Rita and Bl. Ramon Llull (third-order Franciscan). It took me a while to find them, but the façade is a replica of the San José mission in San Antonio, and that one’s fairly well documented
I can’t get over the sushi candles! I want to get them as gifts for EVERYONE!
I love the beehive votives and the honeycomb pillar! I think I would have a hard time burning such beautiful candles.
I JUST had a Girls Night at my house Saturday, and we watched Singin’ In the Rain. So fun!
The Easter egg votives have always been my favorite, but I also like the tulip and rosebud votives.
I’ve been checking out the Solid Beeswax Detailed Rose Pillar Candles and the Beehive Beeswax Votive Candles for the longest time… maybe I’ll win them
Those honeycomb tapers are the bee’s knees! I had to. They are so pretty in both the ivory and the natural color, but I’m going to say, a set of the ivory ones would be stunning!
I really like the basket weave pillar candle, but of course all the rolled pillars and tapers are amazing as always
I love the rose pillar candles. I also like the Advent votive candles! Beautiful!
The honey-scented tea lights seem like a perfect way to get that beautiful beeswax smell in any room.
Hi Haley! Wish I could help with the saints. As for candles, the honeycomb pillar in ivory is my favorite. We always try to light candles at dinner even when its pizza night.
I love the toad tea light candles. They are ADORABLE!
I love the candles with intricate designs, like the Christmas ornament and the Easter egg!
My family had so much fun rolling our own candles from Toadily Homemade last Advent! Thank you for introducing me to this wonderful company! I think the leaf pillars are so pretty, and so are the rose pillars! Thanks for the giveaway!
I love the honeycomb pillar candle and the honeycomb cube votive candle! All of the candles are adorable!!!
I love, love, love the make your own candle lit!
*kit
The solid advent candles are my favorite
The decorative egg is my favorite. It reminds me of the eggs that we do during Easter.
Haley, With all your spare time have you called St. Francis? Inquiring minds are desperate for confirmation….I guess I can call for myself, though!
Oh my goodness, a Toadily giveaway! I’ve been wanting one of their Advent candle kits since reading about them in one of your posts a few years ago. I’m excited for whoever wins this one, what a super giveaway.
Love the sushi candle set
I love the honeycomb solid pillar.
I was guessing St. Rita, too.
Sunflower floating candles, wow
I really enjoy your blog! To find out about the saints on the Church’s stone facade, I checked with the parish’s Facebook page. They replied with the following picture: https://www.facebook.com/263697833711105/photos/p.1021542054593342/1021542054593342/?type=3&theater
According to the picture they posted, the saints are as follows: top left: St. Augustine; top middle (and slightly higher than the other two): St. Joseph; and top right: St. Francis. For the bottom row, they listed these saints: bottom right: Saint Benedict; bottom middle (and slightly higher than the other two): Our Lady of Guadalupe; and bottom right (as others suggested): St. Rita. The reason Saint Joseph is featured so prominently is that the facade is a meticulously reproduced facsimile of the exterior of the Mission San Jose de Aguayo in Antonio. Thank you again for your wonderful blog.
Correction: St. Benedict is the saint on the bottom left. Thank you again for your example of a beautifully lived Catholic life!