Yesterday and today have been awfully frosty here in the northtowns of our diocese. Perhaps the Southern Tier has already had it's share of frosts and snowy hilltops, but now that deep chill is slowly spreading across all eight counties of our diocese...
Unlike "Christmas" which seems to have BURST onto the scene in the past week! I was struck all weekend by the number of stores that have gone into full blown Christmas-mode already. It won't be long till the radio stations are playing Christmas music 24/7.
Personally, I'm not in favor of the "way-too-early full court press" approach to Christmas. (I prefer the slower paced Advent waiting time . . . but more about that in a future blog!) I have, however, discovered one happy thing about the early focus on Christmas...
It encourages us to think about WinterCamp! Boys and girls ages 7 - 16 are invited to sign up for WinterCamp 2010 at Camp Turner! The Camp is located in the beautiful Quaker Area of Allegany State Park - beautiful in all seasons, but especially breath-taking in the winter, especially if we're lucky enough to get snow!
WinterCamp runs from Monday, December 27th at 10 am through Wednesday, December 29th at 6:00 pm. This three day, two night event is ideal for first time campers. A round trip bus is available from Hamburg or Williamsville. Campers stay in cozy heated cabins, enjoy delicious hot meals, and take part in a great variety of activities. Activities include an awesome sledding trip, cool wintry crafts, hiking, snow sculpting, floor hockey, a New Year's ball, campfires and much more. Visit CampTurner.com or call 716-354-4555 for details and registration information.
Remember, if it's early enough to think about Christmas shopping and Christmas cookies, then it's time to also think about what we'll do to keep our children active and interested once the presents are unwrapped, the cookies are eaten and the guests have gone home. Give your kids an engaging, healthy and fun alternative during this break from school - try WinterCamp!