Catholic Homeschool Camp 2013 - Only Four Places Left

We warmly extend an invitation to all Australian Catholic Home Educating families to join us for our 13th annual Catholic homeschool camp!!.

When: 9-13th September
Where: The Lismore Diocese.  Camp Drewe, Lennox Head, NSW
Two hours south of Brisbane, nine hours north of Sydney.


Only three more months until our annual Catholic homeschool camp!!  Excitement is building and preparations are gaining monumentum.  Our annual camp is an integral part of our family life and the lives of many of our participating families.  A time to develop and renew friendships, to gain support and to participate in the wider Catholic homeschooling community.

At the core of our week is our shared Catholic Faith, our day begins with Mass (Extraordinary Rite), ends with the Rosary and Benediction and includes Spiritual Talks and the opportunity for Confession. This year Fr Terence Mary Naughtin is Camp Chaplain.

Bishop Geoffrey Jarrett of the Lismore diocese celebrates Mass(Novus Ordo Rite) on Tuesday offering the Sacraments of Confirmation and First Holy Communion.



The camp is in walking distance to the beach and every day we enjoy swimming at one of the beautiful nearby North Coast's beaches. Activities often enjoyed include icebreaker games, impromptu games of soccer, dancing, a sports day, sand castle building contest, a concert, and on the final night a bonfire.


Each family is accommodated in their own dormitory and meals are fully catered.


Please consider joining us and contact me with any further questions or for a brochure with more details at
aussiethreads@gmail.com

We warmly invite you to join us:) 

Get Moving!

Do you have little ones and think you can't exercise. Read the following post and be inspired!

Written by Shannan

I don't wear bikinis. My dear husband thinks I'm beautiful. My cholesterol levels are normal as is my BMI. I am, by medical standards, a pretty healthy person. Running, as everyone knows, is the height of torture! The times in my life when one coach or another forced me to run I thought that I might suffer a stroke. So why in the world would I choose to start running at the age of 33?

My biggest motivations are my girls. Ronan is 20 months and Brighid is 6 years old and they keep me on my toes! I want to be around with them for a long time. I want to be able to keep up with them for a long time. I want for them to be able to say that their mom has been active for as long as they can remember. Should I be blessed with grandchildren someday, I'd like to be able to keep up with them too. I'd like to instill a love of activity in my girls so that being healthy is as natural as breathing!

My second biggest motivation to start running was cost, both of money and time. I could have started running the very moment that I decided to be a runner. I didn't, but the point is, I didn't need anything special. I don't need fancy gear. I could run in my pajamas if the mood struck me. I don't, but I could! Before children, I enjoyed taking fitness classes but they are not cheap and they are not flexible. I NEED flexibility as a mother. I need to work out on my time when it works for me. I can not commit to a regular breakfast let alone kickboxing 4 times a week on their schedule. I run at any given opportunity. I plug it in whenever I can because life happens and I don't know what my "everyday at 9:30" might look like... a teething toddler doesn't care how much you paid for that spin class or even if it is the instructor that plays the best songs.

I have been able to keep up with it because I found a way to make it fun! I know, I know... What could possibly be fun about torture? I started slow. I did not want to injure myself or set my sites too high at first. I ran for 2 minutes and then walked for 2 for a total of 16 minutes. Once I could do that comfortably I upped my run time to 5 minutes but kept my walking at 2 minutes. Then running for 15 minutes straight. I did not concern myself with distance at first and I knew I was slow, but I didn't care! I was out there! I made a point to smile the whole run. 

I wave at every car that drives past. I wave or give high fives to all people out for a walk. I cheer for other runners that I run past. Most of the time I am pushing my girls in a stroller, I use my bike trailer with a stroller attachment, and I ask them to cheer for me. Now the mere sight of my running shoes gets my toddler hooting and hollering! I downloaded the Nike+ app for my phone which will alert you in your headphones at each mile or kilometre and I celebrate EVERY mile with obnoxious gusto! People stare, but they also smile. So my work out lifts more than my mood! It warms my heart to see how many people not only smile, but cheer me on when they see me enjoying my work out.

I never thought, not in a bazillion years, that I'd ever look forward to my next run. But I do! Now turn off this computer and go move your body!

Shannan is a guest writer from the USA. She's also a dear friend. Thank you, Shannan for contributing to our blog.

Image: Baby Jogger Summit XC