St. Therese and St. Francis

Last week we got together with some friends and celebrated the feast days of some of our favorite saints-
St. Therese of Liseux and St. Francis of Assisi.
We had such a wonderful morning/afternoon together, remembering these awesome, holy souls!
I truly don't know anything else, other than Mass, that inspires me to holiness more than learning about the lives of the Saints.
If you're ever looking for some inspiration, ever feeling like you need some hope, some encouragement, something to get you 'back on track', I suggest reading something by or about the Saints.
Some of my particular favorite, most inspiring saints that I have thus far learned about include-
St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Faustina Kowalska, Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, St. (Padre) Pio of Pietrelcina, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Thomas More, St. Domenick, Blessed Imelda, St. Maria Goretti, St. Rita, St. John Bosco.....

Oh, nevermind! The list would be way too long!!! Talk about true heroes, true 'RockStars' (loving and living for the real Rock of Ages!)- wow. The kids love hearing stories of the saints, so I try to read to them about a new saint each day during lunch. I think what makes them so 'loveable' is that they were real people, with real struggles, yet rose above their own trials, embraced their suffering, and fully lived out the vocation God chose for them.
Such beautiful people, with such beautiful stories- some that we have a harder time relating to (like St. Comgall, who had the gift of being able to communicate with animals), and others that we immediately fall in love with and feel like kindred spirits with (like St. Therese, who saw herself as nothing more than a 'little flower' and sought out simple, unassuming, 'little ways' to love Christ in her day to day tasks).
Regardless of how I feel that I do/don't relate to them, I find myself simply in awe of their journeys, and I pray for their intercession that I and my loved ones might embrace our own paths to holiness each day, fighting the "good fight of faith"!

Saint Therese, Saint Francis, and all you holy men and women, pray for us, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Some pictures from our day...

Mrs. W reading the story of St. Francis and the Wolf of Cupertino:

Making Peanut Butter Pinecone Bird/Squirrel Feeders:

Um... C thought it was a Little People Snack Feeder, I guess...

 Oops! So did L...

The crew, proudly displaying their bird feeders:

Look what we found!!! A praying mantis!

 The coolest little bug you ever did see... and hold!! Ah yes, in honor of St. Francis!

Lunchtime on the front porch...

Here, Jesus, want a bit of my sandwich?

 Um, let's just say my children (actually, my girls!!) shocked me with their fearlessness!!
 A Golden Silk spider:

 Mrs. W recommended a book... um, this one will go waaaay down my book wish list:

L's new buddy, J:

 Chickens/roosters:

Cows (one dairy cow and one named "Beef" (you figure it out!)

Sweet lil' goats:

Back home, christening our front (and only!) tree with their new birdfeeders. Now, if only we can get some birds to come to our neighborhood!! Free food, birdies- or squirrlies!!!

Thanks, Mrs. W for a fantastic day of fun and learning!