Chadwell Christmas Blog Update...

(These are notes I made after my initial post on Christmas morning... I haven't been able to get back online again for awhile because our Internet service has been out...)

From Christmas Morning continued...

I made deviled eggs for an appetizer earlier this morning... I didn't realize it but that is one of Connor's favorite snacks...!

My mother in law drove into West Columbia to see if we could get some donuts or kolaches for breakfast. Nothing was open. The entire town is closed down...! That's OK, though... We had sausage and English muffins for breakfast.

It's 11 AM now... The turkey is entering the home stretch... There's about an hour left of cooking time. We just popped the dressing into the oven... And we have a couple of side dishes to go...

Connor is assembling a toy for Elijah... Our high speed Internet is out right now... That is annoying. Since our old company (Sprint) was bought out by a new company (Embarq), we've had horrible service...

My brother John was supposed to join us for Christmas dinner today. He called at 10:30 AM to cancel. Sadly, that is one of our family traditions. (Although he did break the cycle by showing up for Thanksgiving...) Oh well, I do hope he has a Merry Christmas. He's going to miss an awesome meal and great company...!

Everything else is going smoothly... 11:15 AM...


That's it for my actual Christmas Day post, the day got away from me after that... Here's a post script update...

Dinner was excellent...! The best yet... -Although I did receive some criticism on my decision to delay opening up presents until after dinner... We ended up waiting some time after dinner because Elijah made such a mess of himself while eating it necessitated a bath for Elijah and then Monica had to get cleaned up, too.

Needless to say, everyone was very anxious to open presents by the time we finally got around to it. But It was all worth the wait...!

We took many photos... I'll be posting photos for some time the next few days...

That's it for now... More later...

Coach Sam

Chadwell Family Christmas update -8 AM post

This post is an installment of several posts I'll be making today... If you want to read it chronologically scroll down to the post I made at 5 AM this morning... Merry Christmas...!

Well, It's a little after 8 AM... I've been at it for about four hours... I've got the turkey in the smoker... I just made a pan of cornbread oyster dressing and I also made one without oysters... They both look and smell delicious... I'll post my recipes later...!

Connor came into the kitchen about an hour ago... He was still groggy with sleep but did manage to say, '...It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas...!' Then he asked his standard question, 'Where's mom...?' -To which I replied... ' Every body's still asleep...'

Connor must have decided that 7 AM was too early to be up and without further discussion he disappeared back into his room....!

I'm going to make some deviled eggs for an appetiser later... I'm also going to make some bruschetta for an appetiser, too.

Monica and Judy should be up soon... They are taking care of the other side dishes and dessert... I want to have as much of my stuff done as possible before they get up so I'd better close here.

Connor's right.. It IS starting to feel a lot like Christmas...!

Coach Sam
-8:12 AM

Coach Sam's 2006 Christmas Blog -5 AM post

Well, I'm back... I haven't posted in over 10 days... Much of that time was spent with my leg propped up on the bed or couch recovering from my knee surgery.

I'll come back in the next week or so and comment more on my surgery and the days that have followed my recovery. The fact is, I'm still in a bit of pain, but at least I'm on my feet now. I still have a limp, but I'm getting better. -That's the good news.

For now, let me just say that I wouldn't wish knee surgery on anyone...!

So, on to the Christmas story...

This year Monica's folks are visiting and Connor's home. He normally alternate holidays with his grand parents on his daddy's side of the family. I'm glad Connor's here. This is Elijah's first real memorable Christmas and having big brother here will make it all the more special.

I'm going all out... I got up at 4 AM to get started. I put the turkey in the smoker at 4:45 AM this morning. It should be ready sometime between 12 noon and 1 PM. I'm also trying to make home made oyster dressing like my mom used to make when I was a kid... Monica's not too thrilled about that so I'm making a pan of regular dressing, too. I've never made dressing from scratch before but if it's a disaster we still have stove top stuffing as a back up.

I'll be blogging off and on all morning and afternoon.... -It's a Coach Sam family tradition, now.

So that's about it for my first blog installment. I gotta go start some more projects.

Bye for now and Merry Christmas....!

Coach Sam -5:51 AM

The Knee Update...

I was expecting more progress than I'm seeing right now. I've still got a good deal of swelling. I want to get well and get on with a normal life.

I'm still hobbling around and I'm still in a good deal of pain at times. Sigh...

I've been particularly motivated by this season's reality show The Biggest Loser. Once I can start moving a little better I know those pounds are going to fall right off.

I've been up most of the night blogging and will have to get at least a few hours sleep in a little while...

You're going to think this is crazy, but I've been really sad today missing my mom. I was telling my wife just today how my mom used to annoy me by listening to hard rock and heavy metal music very loud all the time. Then I got to thinking I wouldn't mind having my mom annoy me right now... I wish she were here for Christmas this year. I can't believe she's been gone for nearly seven years now...

I wish mom could have attended the Christmas musical I performed in last week. I wish mom could meet Monica and her parents.

Oh how I wish mom were here to know Elijah.... Sigh... I'm really bumming myself out now...

I'm tired... I better try to get a little rest. I need to get up in two hours...

Until next time... Bye for now... -Coach Sam

I'm Still Here...!

It's hard to believe that I'm just now making a post on my journal. Today is the eighth day since my surgery. I'm still hobbling around. I've still got a bit of pain and I'm actually surprised at the amount of swelling that is still there.

I'm trying to stay off the leg as much as I can until the swelling goes down more. Right now I'm sitting propped up on the couch in my family room with my leg elevated.

I've been spending a good deal of time recently working on a new website I'm building and a tournament I'm organizing.

That's it in a nutshell... The tournament is this weekend and next week I'm hosting a Tennis Camp at Columbia Lakes. I still may not be too mobile by then but I've got good people helping me.

Well, I need to close here. More later... -Coach Sam

Today's the Day

Today I'm having knee surgery. I'm in full fasting mode right now. I'm not supposed to have anything to eat or drink until after the surgery.

I enjoyed a diet cherry coke as my last beverage at about 10:45 PM last night. Monica made me some kind of chicken pesto puff pasty for dinner... Mmmm... it was good.

My surgery is at 1 PM. I have to be at the hospital at 11:30 AM. We're planning to leave here about 10:15 AM. The operation is supposed to be a simple procedure lasting about forty-five minutes to an hour. I'm supposed to be released around 5 PM...

That's my day... Obviously it's not my normal schedule. I went to bed last night at about 11 PM and slept until 5 AM. I awakened without the alarm. I'll spend time on the computer this morning until Monica and the baby get up then I'll help Monica with Elijah.

It's a very routine operation. Still I am a little nervous. It's my first surgery ever. -And hopefully my last...!

Well I've got a lot of things to do this morning before we leave so I'd better close here.

For those of you reading my blog today, if you believe in the power of prayer I could use some today at around 1 PM.... Thanks for checking in to 'Coach Sam's Life'. I'll give you a full report tomorrow morning. -Bye for now.

Surgery Tomorrow...!

Tomorrow's the big day...! I'm excited...! My knee has been giving me trouble for four months now!

Today I'm fairly busy all day.. I've been up since 3 AM working on stuff...

But tomorrow I report to the hospital at 11:30 AM and my surgery is at 1 PM. I should be released around 4:30 or 5 PM, they tell me.

And then I'll be on crutches for a few days but by next week I should be out and about, and in a month or two I'll be as good as new...!

We'll see... I'll make another report in the morning... My pre surgical comments!

Bye for now... Coach Sam

Chadwell Family Thanksgiving Photos

The Turkey was perfect...! I kept it on the smoker for about 4 and a half hours... I think it was the best one I've ever prepared...!

What was on the menu...? A 10 lb smoked turkey that I prepared myself... cranberry sauce... dressing... giblet gravy... green bean casserole.... sweet potatoe casserole... hot buttered rolls... and of course some delicious champagne to help it all go down smoothly.

Elijah has his own little outdoor rocking chair. He enjoyed sitting on the back patio with John and I while I was cooking the turkey.

Mom is helping Elijah with his shoe...

Here's Our 2006 Chadwell Family Thanksgiving Photo....

Wow... I can't believe my face looked so full in that photo... I'm going to have to take a 'photo-shop' class and work on that... No wait, I can just go on a diet...! Elijah was watching an episode of the Wiggles when we snapped that photo.

Elijah had his first taste of turkey on Thanksgiving Day. He liked it a whole lot...!

Yes, I'm Still ALIVE...!

My Brother John joined us for lunch this Thanksgiving ...

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 1: I can't believe how long it's been since I've posted... Life is good... Over the past 10 days everyone in the family took turns being sick... Elijah is cutting something like six teeth at the same time and has not been sleeping well so that means that Mom and Dad are not sleeping much, either...

The weather is Cold here now... We've been keeping a fire going in the fireplace pretty much all the time...

Thanksgiving was really nice... Except that Connor was in Missouri... We missed him but I know that he needs to spend time with his dad's family, too...

I have knee surgery next week... I am SO ready for that. My knee is hurting all the time, now...

That's about it... I hope you enjoy the Thanksgiving photos...

Coach Sam

Thankful for Beans and Cornbread

We are entering into the Holiday Season. I'm starting to feel a little more sentimental than normal.

Do you know what I had for breakfast this morning...? Beans and cornbread. Ah yes, the old cowboy breakfast. When I was born my family lived out in the country in Refugio, Texas. And when I was little, I remember wanting to be a cowboy when I grew up.

Of course, mom obliged me and wold buy me little cowboy and indian figures, and toy cap gun six shooters... And I remember the first time she cooked me a cowboy breakfast. I was really little but I can still remember thinking how good cowboys had it to be able to eat beans and cornbread for breakfast.

My mom was an excellent cook back in those days. And she made an exceptional pan of cornbread and her beans were still to this day the best I've ever had.

I am thankful for those memories. I'm thankful for my mom who cared about me and loved me very much. She taught me how to cook beans and cornbread and I can still enjoy them for breakfast today...!

Now I'm looking forward to making special memories with Monica, Elijah, and Connor.

I'm going to the grocery store this morning to get some Dr Peppers for tennis camp. I think we've already purchased everything we need for our thanksgiving meal. I do not want to have to go to the store on Wednesday or Thursday...!

Well, that's about it. I'm going to try to write more about my growing up, because I think that's really what this blog should be about. I hate it when i just get into a mode of reporting what's on my schedule for the day... (although many do find it helpful to be able to keep up with me...)

Bye for now.... -Coach Sam

Th life of Hobbes...

I snapped this photo of Hobbes a few days ago as I was learning how our new digital camera worked. The past few nights we've made Hobbes sleep in the garage because he keeps waking us up wanting to go in and out...! It's been nice sleeping through the night without interruption...

I've got a nice full week ahead. I have a tennis camp scheduled Monday and Tuesday and a one day fun tournament on Wednesday.

Thursday I'm smoking a Turkey on the grill and taking a nice, quiet day off with the family. Connor will be gone to Missouri so it will just be Monica, Elijah, and the kitties for dinner.

I had to post pone my knee surgery at the last minute this past Wednesday but the new surgery is now scheduled for Wednesday, November 6.

That's about it.... I want to update all my blogs this morning so I'd better close here... Be sure to check out Elijah's blog the next few days... I'm about to post some really cute photos of him...

Daddy's Little Assistant...!

Elijah's at the stage where he likes to 'help'... In this photo he's helping me ice my knee down...

I have surgery tomorrow at 1 PM... Today I'm scrambling around trying to get a bunch of projects completed because I won't get much done tomorrow, that's for sure...! And I'm not sure how well I'll feel on Thursday, either....

That's about it... Just another administrative day for Coach Sam....

Coach Sam and Jim Courier

Being the Executive Director of the Houston Professional Tennis Association does have a few percs... Occasionally I get an opportunity to spend time with Tennis Greats like former number one player in the world, Jim Courier...

That was the case this past weekend, as I helped organize volunteers for special events associated with the Stanford Cup Legends Tournament. The Stanford Cup is a Senior Tour of former top pros including Courier, John McEnroe, Pat Cash, and a host of others.

I was fighting the flu all weekend but it was worth it to hang out with Tennis Pros whom I admire and respect very much...! I attended some great matches this weekend and had the opportunity to organize a group juniors and adults from my club to enjoy the festivities as well.

Today I'm staying at home resting up from the weekend and preparing for my knee surgery this Wednesday. More later...

Coach Sam

God, Will You Still Bless America..?

"In The Old testament of the Bible, God is shown time after time chastising the House of Israel, His chosen but often disobedient people, by allowing barbarians to invade and plunder their cities and put many of them to the sword.

That is what the Western world, including America, is starting to experience today, likewise having turned away from God...."

These are the thoughts and perspectives of David Kupelian, author. I was reading an article of his in a magazine called 'Whistle Blower'. His article sort of echos Dr Stanley's sermon this past Sunday.

America is drifting farther and farther away from God. There is a spiritual vacuum that is beginning to take over both America and Europe. I can see the vacuum everywhere, especially in the lives of youth.

What is the answer to the burgeoning threat of Islamic Jihad...?

According to Kupelian: 'The simple and bottom-line answer is that there is no answer unless America finally awakens and gives up it's insane rebellion against it's own founding faith and values.'

I tend to agree with his position.

Today I pray for the future of this country. Today I pray for me.


Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord, You have blessed America so greatly. Truly, we have been set apart for a time it seems, as the greatest country in the world. But how much longer is that going to last...? Sadly, many Americans have turned from You. And even more disappointing than that is that many more Americans living now have never even known you.

Father God, I must confess that I have trouble following you all day long in a 24 hour period. Many times, especially lately I have given in to anger and 'bad thoughts' in my thought life.

I'm truly, sincerely, sorry, Lord. I know that it's for those exact sins that You suffered and died.

There are warning signs all around us. -Atleast that's what my conscience tells me. And I want to come clean and follow You completely, my King. Help me to get right with You and help me to help those around me.

What can I do to help myself...? I can Surrender to You, and I do that right here and now.

What can I do to help America...? I can live a truly authentic, Christian life myself, and I can make a difference in / and influence one additional life at a time, starting right here in my own family with my wife raising up Elijah and Connor to be young men after your own heart.

Lord Jesus, I stand in the gap for America this morning. I'm going to fill that void with a Godly family and work outward from there until You call me home.

I love You Lord.... I love my family.... And I Love America....

I give this day to You, Father. In Your Honor. For Your Praise and Glory. And I pray these things in the power of Jesus' name, Amen.

October 31...

Today, Connor has his last football game... And of course it's Halloween...

I think I'm going to cancel lessons this evening. I remember last year that turnout for my classes was very lite.

Today is a 'marketing day' for me... I've got to publish results from the gran prix, and send out a newsletter regarding my November programs...

That's it. I'm not so much in a blogging mood this morning... Perhaps I'll write more this evening..

Bye for now... SC

SOLD...!

Our house was sold yesterday. We closed the deal at around 4:15 PM... Yea..! It was a little bittersweet yesterday, but this morning the bitter is gone and it's just sweet now...!

And now we can focus on giving our proprty here at Columbia Lakes the tender loving care it needs and deserves...

I made a trip to the old house at about 4:30 AM yesterday morning to clean out what was left of our stuff in the garage. That was it. No no more trips to north Houston...! Yea... Again, I say Yea...!

Today I have to be in preparation for my upcoming junior tennis tournament. I'm dropping Connor off at school early today so he can take a make up test then I'm heading over to Clear Lake and Galveston to pick up tennis balls, trophies, and -shirts for my tournament.

I have a full day today and tomorrow, but Sunday won't be so difficult. And I'll be able to relax Sunday afternoon...! In fact, I'll probably take some more time to blog and get caught up with everything Sunday afternoon.

Well, that's it for now... -Coach Sam Out...!

Not Sold Yet...

Well, the buyer's bank didn't have all the paper work completed for us to close on the sale of our house this past Friday. Now we have to wait until this coming Thursday because of everyone's work schedules....

Anyway, this coming Thursday evening Monica and I will be sipping celebratory champagne...!

Saturday was a full day... I had lessons in the morning, then worked at the house in the yard the rest of the day. I used my chain saw and sawed down some big limbs that were hanging over the front of our house... Monica helped me with a pole saw... We were both very sore on Sunday...

Sunday after church we went shopping for clothes for Elijah and Connor. Then we we had small group bible study in the evening. we just started a study of Hebrews.

It was 66 degrees in the house when we awakened this morning. It was 55 degrees outside when I dropped Connor off for his bus... Now we're finally getting into some October weather...!

This week I will be extremely busy preparing for the Gran Prix tournament. We're up to over 70 entries now... I'm hoping to eclipse 100...!

That's about it.... My knee is still feeling ok... I haven't really tested it with hard playing yet...

I'm serious about losing weight and getting in shape... Starting this week I'm really, really going to be careful about what goes into my mouth...! (and the quantity and volume that goes in, too...)

That's it for now... More later... SC

Sale Pending...

We're waiting to see if we get to close on the sale of our home in Houston today. As of yesterday evening it wasn't looking good. The title company was still waiting on some paperwork from the buyer's bank.

There's a slim chance it could happen late this afternoon if everything goes through first thing in the morning. If not, the deal has to wait until the end of next week because of everyone's work schedules... Oh well... We'll wait and see. We've waited a year already and another week won't matter a whole lot more...

Yesterday Monica and I went to finish cleaning out our garage. Boy, we will not miss Houston traffic... We just have one more little trip to make in my jeep to get some bulky items and then we are done...!

After our cleaning project we stopped at our favorite Thai restaurant on the way home... Mmmmmm... It was delicious...! We sure can't get food like that here in the country..!

Today I have to finalize the details for my tournament next week... Order trophies, t-shirts, etc... And... I need to get more players...! I'll be burning up the phone lines and email links today and this weekend for sure...!

The weather is so awesome right now.... Cool and crisp.... This is what October is supposed to be about....! It's perfect weather for smoking a brisket on the back patio...

Well... I need to get to work.... That's it for now... I might come back a little later and publish some photos. Otherwise, see you tomorrow!

Have a nice day and thanks for checking out my blog

Coach Sam

Nice Memories

This photo was taken on Mother's Day 2006... That was an awesome day... Monica got baptised at church that morning, and we spent the afternoon goofing around in Wharton.

I believe this was Elijah's first time to ever go down a slide. Connor traveled with him to make sure everything went ok...

Ahhh... Nice memories... That's what I want for Connor and Elijah.

Looking back on my childhood I can't recall any pleasant family holidays. Not that they were all negative experiences, but I just don't have any recollection of a really special event or time. And no, it's NOT my memory that's the problem....

I mentioned it before in a previous post, but I'm forty-one years old now... (sigh....) I've got a great life that includes a very fulfilling job and a wonderful family. One thing that could make it a little better is if I got my weight under control... I'm going to try to keep myself motivated by writing about my weight and weight loss a little bit every day.

Last night I watched the TV Reality show the Biggest Loser... I've watched one other time and it's really motivating me to get in shape.

Now that my knee is better I'm going to definitely be more active and just stay on a good regimen. I weighed in at 237 at the doctor's office a couple of days ago...

My knee's feeling great today, but to appease Monica I'm still going to 'take it easy' for awhile...

I did well last night resisting the urge to eat ice cream after dinner, and this morning I did some crunches. (And that's slang for working my abs not eating Nestle Crunch Bars....!)

The Big News.... We may be finally selling our house in Houston... We should know today if we can close on Friday or if we'll have to wait until next Monday.... I am ready to celebrate...!

Today I'm taking the day off from lessons. I really am resting my knee a little more... I'm working on marketing my tournament next weekend... And Monica and I are going to finish cleaning out the garage at our house in Houston...

That's it for today... SC

Coach Sam's Knee Report

I went to see an orthopedic specialist about my knee yesterday. I was expecting a worse -case scenario, but it actually wasn't that bad...

The Doctor did not do an MRI as I had suspected he would. He did take several x-rays. The x-rays showed my knees were in pretty good condition. There was a little bit of wear on the right knee cap, and I'm working on getting some spurs on the side of each knee but he said that was 'normal wear' for someone who has played competitive tennis for nearly 30 years.

He said the discomfort I'm having is most likely due to some tearing along my meniscus. The x-rays won't show that, but he said I wouldn't be in his office if there wasn't something going on.

I requested a shot of cortisone for the pain and now I'm pain free. I'm to spend the next 2 weeks being religious with my stretching and leg lift routine sand to continue wearing my brace and icing it after each athletic episode.

We'll see how it is in two weeks and if it's not better, he'll go in and surgically repair the injured area.

In the mean time it wouldn't hurt me to lose some weight... You know I weighed 130 lbs when I graduated from high school and I weigh nearly 100 lbs more than that now...! Of course, I'm not going to try to lose 100 lbs... But I could definitely stand to lose 40-50 lbs...

What sort of impact will that have on my knees..? well, losing weight is the biggest favor I can do myself, period. It will improve my health all around...

And how am I doing with my war on busy-ness...? Pretty good, so far... But it's only been a little over 24 hours...!

Today Monica and I are going to Houston to check out the old house... We're supposed to close on our sale either this Friday or next Monday. Yea...! Boy, is that a blessing!

All we need to do is clean out the garage before we hand over the keys...

It's supposed to rain here again this afternoon. Wow, this has been the wettest October I ever remember...!

I've got a lite day today... No lessons... This will be another good day to just rest the knee and work on my strengthening and flexibility exercises.

That's about it... More tomorrow.... SC

Forty One

I celebrated my birthday on Saturday. But I just gave myself my present this morning.

-Peace of mind...

I don't care what the consequences are, I'm slowing down. No more killing myself with impossible deadlines and unrealistic expectations. I'm just going to put less on my plate. I'm still going to get stuff done, but that stuff will just take a little longer to get done, and that's ok...

I'm just trusting God to make my path straight. I'm sure there will be some repercussions. But God can handle it. I'm reclaiming my life from busy-ness.

I'm sure this is going to be a shock to some of you readers out there.... Let's see how it goes... I've got a good feeling about it...!

More tomorrow... See you then...!

Not a Moment to Spare...

Today's about a s busy a day as I've ever had... I really don't have time to journal except to mark the enormous volume of work I'm going to accomplish in the next three hours and beyond...!

Tomorrow will be a day to catch up on sleep and rest up... But today is a manic Thursday...!

Well, I gotta run... Bye for now... -Coach Sam

A Foggy Morning...

It's quite foggy out this morning. I gave Connor a ride to school early this morning... Now I'm hanging out watching Elijah until 12 Noon.

Wednesdays are pretty much office days for me... And boy do I have plenty of office work to do... I'm trying to get the HPTA master schedule done today so I can take it to the printer. I also need to issue a press release for upcoming events... It's pretty much a marketing day...

As of now we are scheduled to close on the sale of our house next weekend. I'm going to a specialist in Houston for my knee next week. (Tuesday) And I'm hosting a big tournament on the 28-29th...

Oh yeah, I almost forgot... I'll be 41 years old this Saturday...! Yea...!

I'll try to post more photos soon. Bye for now... SC

Quick Catch Up...

Wow... I've been going non stop lately... Right now I'm back into my old routine of going to bed late, getting up early, and working every minute in between. Sigh... And am I making any headway in life...?

Maybe... Some... A little.... I really don't know...

I do think there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Monica is almost finished with legal issues pertaining to Connor's Dad passing away last year... We've almost got our house in Houston sold... Those will be two big things off of our plates...

Then, we've got to be diligent in keeping our plates clear...!

Today I'm on the road... Thursday is my day to teach in Clear Lake. I'm on the court a total of 4 hours in Clear lake and then two hours here at Columbia Lakes... And I'm behind schedule right now... So, sorry I don't have any pictures for you today... Tomorrow will be more of an office day for me...!

Bye for now... Coach Sam

Newks Weekend...!

This has been a busy, busy week. The owners of the country club where I work have been making many capitol improvements to the tennis center. My sweet wife was feeling under the weather on Wednesday so I took Elijah to work with me all day Wednesday... It was fun, and Elijah had a very good time... Yesterday I had lessons in Clear Lake during the day and then here at Columbia Lakes last night.

Then late last night Connor helped me at the tennis shop with stringing a racquet while I worked on hanging the new wind screens. I'm actually going back to the tennis center in a little while this morning to try to complete the work I started last night. The rest of the morning will be packed with trying to tie up loose ends and preparing to leave for a trip to New Braunfels for a state tennis competition.

We're hoping to leave this morning by 11 AM. Monica, Connor, and Elijah are coming with me. I'm very much looking forward to this trip... We haven't taken a weekend trip away from home in a long time...!

That's about it... I probably won't post again until Sunday evening or Monday morning. Bye for now... Coach Sam

Tournament Time..!

Chris Reese pictured above in the blue shirt is among the 32 contestants competing in today's one day singles tournament....! This photo was taken earlier this year at our Columbia Lakes Spring Open where Chris Reese and his cousin Chris Rice won the mens doubles title.

Today I'm hosting a tournament. It's the first tournament under the ownership of the new owners of the club. I had hoped for a little bit larger turnout but it will still be a great event. Work crews have already started painting at the club and power washing everything. It already looks a whole lot better...!

I went to the chiropractor yesterday for my knee injury. He helped me do some deep stretches on my hamstring and quad muscles and I have been virtually pain free since then. My issue has always been flexibility.

And of course I'm currently in the worst shape of my life. My weight is hovering around 220 lbs and I'm too injured to exercise very much. Still, I'm encouraged by the results of my last doctor's visit. I'm going to focus solely on my flexibility the next week or two and see here I'm at a week into October!

That's it for the morning report... I've got lots of stuff to do to get ready for my tournament.

Bye for now... SC

Two of our other children...

Here's a photo of two of our four cats... Towards the back of the chair is Hobbes. He's our oldest cat. Gabriel (in front) is his 'Apprentice'... Not pictured is Lucy, our youngest. And Peepers lives at the tennis shop... Yes, we are a four cat family!

Today, Thursday, September 21... I have a jam-packed day... I have to leave for Clear Lake by 9:45 AM at the latest and then I have lessons from 11 AM to 2:30 PM. Then I get back here by 4 PM and have lessons at the club this evening and need to work on times for my tournament... I'll be done by 7:30 tonight (about 13 hours from now...)

Between now and 9:45 AM I have a ton of correspondence to complete so I need to close here...

Bye for now.... SC

Breakfast at Arno's

Here's the family enjoying breakfast at Arno's during our recent California trip.

Today I'll be hanging out at the tennis center quite a bit as the club will begin it's renovation and refurbishing of the facility, building, and grounds. That's exciting...!

And I'll be spending most of that time working on my upcoming tournament this weekend. It's looking pretty small right now, but I'm going to have it, none the less... And hopefully I'll have more people contact me to sign up today!

I hope Monica rests up today... She's been pretty exhausted lately. I'm going to try to keep Elijah as much as I can today to allow her to get caught up on things here at the house, and to rest...

I'm going to start a new section of my journal called 'looking back'...

Looking Back 5 Years Ago: Five Years Ago I was just quitting Bay Area Racquet Club for the second time in my life... (I should have learned well enough the first time...) I was attending Clear Creek Community Church and had just started dating Monica... Ten years ago I was working at Windsor Court in Friendswood. I was still in pretty good shape and was playing open level singles and doubles. Most of my free time ten years ago was spent looking after my mom who had numerous health issues... I had two computers and IBM 286 and an IBM 486. One still ran on a dos operating system and the other was the new windows 95... I remember that I hated making the transition from dos to windows...

Wow... I've come a long way in ten years....! Who'd have thought I'd be where I am now...?

OK, it's a little after 8 AM... I need to close here and start getting ready to go to the tennis center. Monica is not even up yet... That's good!

Talk to you later.... SC

A little Over Two Years on Blogspot

Here's a fun photo of Elijah and I this past spring.... It's amazing how much he's grown...!

I just realized that I have been blogging on blogspot for over two years now. Prior to my debut on Blogspot I journaled on AOL for sometime and of course I have volumes and volumes of hand written journals going back to my college years (over 20 years ago).

Journaling has been a way of life for me for most of my life. Journaling is quiet time, reflective time. Journaling requires discipline. I want to journal every day. But sadly, I've been too busy this past year to make faithful daily entries.

You know, life wasn't meant to be so busy. But having a teenager, a baby, and running one's own business pretty much takes up all a man's time... Sigh...

Still, whenever I get the opportunity to carve out little moments like this and just take time to let the words flow I feel better. Journaling is definitely good therapy. So why don't I just do it regularly...? Well, like I said... Life gets in the way...!

For instance, Monica's been ill for a couple of months now. She can't keep up with her normal routine. So I'm trying to get up a little earlier so I can journal and do my email correspondence and website updates before she gets up. That way I can be free to watch Elijah in the morning allowing Monica time to either rest or get caught up on her backlog of work.

I'm setting my alarm for between 3:30 and 4 AM every day. Some days I just can't get up... especially if the baby has had a bad night. That's when journaling falls by the wayside.

I told Monica that we still had a year or two of no or little sleep before things started to smooth out. Hopefully the track will be shorter than that...

Well, that's going to have to be it for this morning. I do need to get on with my day. Monica has just left to take Connor to an orthodontic appointment in Houston...

I have to order t-shirts for my tournament today.... I need to pick up some supplies for the tennis center... I need to work on getting a few more entries for the tournament.... And that's just the tip of the iceberg..

A quick catch up...

I wasn't able to blog yesterday because just I was starting my post Elijah awakened and I needed to spend time with him. And I'm not complaining... NO, No... In fact, there's really nothing I like to do more than just hang out and play with Elijah. He's such a sweet baby boy... But he's growing up a little more every day. I'll post more about him later this evening in his own blog.

This has been a busy week... Monica has still been feeling poorly with her chest condition. And my job has me going in three different directions...!

Today I'm spending a big chink of time on the phone trying to get people to register for my tennis tournament that is going to be held next weekend I have three entries so far and one of them is Connor... I'm hoping for seventy-five entries so I really need to get on the ball...! It sounds like a stretch, but I think I can pull it off... Well, that's my goal...

Connor played his first football game this past week. He was the quarterback... It rained the entire afternoon and the game was shortened and ended up in a 6-all tie...

Hobbes (one of our cats) got hurt in a fight and had to go to the vet... He's OK now, but will have to be on medication for a couple of weeks...

That's about it... My knee condition was really stressing me out earlier in the week but it seems to be recovering nicely now...

Well, I need to start getting ready to head to the tennis shop. Bye for now.... SC

Healthy Again...!

I replaced my old shoes yesterday and my knee is feeling much better today. It's really a dramatic improvement....! But I can't blog right now because Elijah is up early and I have to watch him so Monica can rest...!

More later... SC

Coach Sam's Family

Here's a fun photo taken Mother's Day 06. It was a very special day for our family. After church that day we went to Wharton for a nice meal and just kinda hung out. In this photo we were at the river park in Wharton. Connor is making his famous bunny ears, Monica is being sassy, and Elijah must have seen something interesting on the ground right as I was snapping the photo.

Today, Sept 11, 2006... Wow, today's date sure brings back memories. I devoted my prayer blog this morning to the memory of the trade center attacks. I hope and pray that today will be a day of peace in the world....

It has been a tough night for Monica... Elijah did not sleep well. I tried to get him to go down for almost an hour between 3 and 4 AM but was unsuccessful. Finally, Monica got him to go to sleep. poor Monica has not been sleeping well for some time... We're trying to take turns resting, but I wasn't any help this morning.

I have quite a few lessons today. I'll stay busy, that's for sure... And Monica's got a busy day lined up, too. She's going to take Hobbes to the vet this morning because he's sick. She may have to take Elijah in the Doctor, too. And she has bible study today at 12:30 PM...

I'll be working at the club stringing racquets. And I might be getting high speed internet in the tennis shop today... The new club owners are trying to help me be more successful by upgrading my work environment. That is very exciting...! Once I have internet in the tennis shop I'll be able to be lots more productive...

I didn't wear my new orthotics yesterday at all and my knee is much better today. It's not 100 % yet but I can definitely tell a difference, If I would have continued wearing the orthotics I'd eventually end up in a wheel chair. What I plan to do now is to get my knee healed up, then just start wearing the orthotics about an hour a day then work up to two hours and continue the progression until I'm wearing them all day.

I just started out wearing them for too long and my body could not adjust quickly enough. But remember back when I was complaining about my foot hurting all the time...? Well that pain is gone. I guess it's a trade off....

My pain meter is about a 5 on a ten point scale. Two days ago it was a 9...!

Well, that's about it for now... I'm going to publish a photo on connor's blog... You'll like that one... OK... See ya...

Coach Sam

The Marines Have Landed...!

On a much smaller scale I feel as the Europeans must have felt when the allies stormed the beaches on D-day during world war II....

Friday morning I learned that the place of my employment had been sold. The previous owners were in place for something like 18 years. Although I have only been working here as a contractor for 3 years I have come to call this place my home. I love this area, the people, and the way of life. This is living out in the country. It's a small community. People know your business. People care. My wife and I have bought a house in the community and have planted roots. I have a very strong vested interest in the success of Columbia Lakes Country Club.

Any way... I am under new management. I am happy. This is the start of a brand new day...!

Yahoooo....!

Monica's Baby Squirrel

Monica found this little animal in our house on Tuesday evening. Hobbes, one of our cats had brought it in. We did not even know what it was at first. We thought it was premature puppy...

We found out later that it was a baby squirrel. We cared for it the best we could, getting up all through the night feeding it with an eyedropper and keeping it warm with a heat lamp.

Monica researched on the web and found a 'squirrel advocacy group' in Brazoria county and delivered the baby squirrel to someone who should be able to give it the best chance for survival...

Anyway, that was the big news yesterday... That's the life of this country tennis pro...!

More tomorrow... -Coach Sam

Catching Up With Everyone...!

Hello everyone... I know I've been delinquent in posting on my blogs... It's been all I could do to keep my website updated and post in my prayer journal these past two weeks...

Here's a quick update...

My wife has been quite ill... She's had a very painful chest condition for several weeks that has really taken her out of her normal routine. In fact, she's doing much better now but still recovering...

HPTA has been busy... We just finished the Masters tournament and now I'm organizing my team for the state competition...

School has started... We've been adjusting to a new school year schedule. I have a really good routine for the fall but it's just starting to kick in now...

I've been more active in church singing on the praise team and playing trombone in the worship band as much as possible.

I've been plagues with nagging injuries... First my left foot was giving me all kinds of problems, now my right knee is sore... Getting old and out of shape really stinks...!


That's just a quick view of what's been going on... Really, if it's not one thing it's another... And although I have a better schedule and routine now, I still seem to be too busy.

The one thing I've done that I feel good about is I've set aside Sundays as designated 'family days'... We also try to reserve Friday evenings and Saturday afternoon and evenings for family time as much as possible. That's been working out well, actually...

My life is Good.... Really no complaints here...! I hope to keep this blog updated a little better this fall. The summer really is a difficult time for me to keep up with blogging...

Any way, That's the Coach Sam report...! Until next time, Bye for now...!

The Monica Report

Here's a photo of Monica at the Mighty Red Wood National Forest in California...

My Sweet wife has been diagnosed with costochrondritis. That sounds bad, doesn't it...? Well it is very painful, that's for sure. The symptoms mimic a heart attack and we feared that was the case and spent pretty much an entire day at the emergency room in Angleton on Monday.

But Thank The Lord she is on medication for her illness and should be feeling back to her old self in a week or two...

Now, Elijah is sick... He had a very restless night with a low grade fever and it looks like he's cutting some new teeth. And I hate to sound like a complainer, but my health is failing right now, too. I've been getting a sore throat for a couple of days now and I believe that my lack of sleeep is starting to get to me... I've been taking cepestaat and dayquil but if it keeps getting worse today then I'll go to the doctor for a z-pac. Sigh... If it's not one thing it's another...!

Today is a big office day for me. I've got websites to update, emails to send, phone calls to make and return... I'll be at my desk all day, for sure... I have one private lesson this afternoon if I'm up to it, and then music rehearsal after that... I'm not sure if I'll be able to sing with my throat as sore as it is... We'll see...

That's about it for now... Be sure to check out my other blogs as I'm starting to get into a regular blogging routine now that the summer has passed.

Thanks for reading my journal... Bye for now... SC

It's been crazy...

Here's a photo from our family trip to California in May. I still can't believe how beautiful Bodego Bay was...

Hello... Here is the much anticipated journal entry to Coach Sam's Life... I'm just going to bullet the highlights to get you caught up...

• Poor Monica has been very sick lately... We're very concerned...
• I've had an incredibly busy summer, the busiest ever...
• Elijah is walking and just about ready to start talking...
• Our house in Houston still has not sold yet...
• Connor just started 8th Grade...
• We have a new kitty...'Lucy'...
• We bought a new car... A Toyota Rav 4...
• My sister Becky came to Texas for a lenghty visit...

There's many stories behind those bullets... I'll try to get you more caught up as soon as possible. My schedule is just starting to become more manageable now that school has started although I'm slammed today because I missed work yesterday because I took Monica to the Emergency Room in Angleton for chest pains. -We were afraid that she was having a heart attack. As it turns out, she wasn't having a heart attack, but she still has extreme discomfort in her chest area so we're going to visit more doctors today... I'll keep you informed... SC

Today is Elijah's Birthday...!

This is Elijah's special day...! He'll be one year old at 5:04 PM...! This is a great day in Chadwell family history...! Unfortunately I have a busy day today. (surprise surprise...)

We're going to have a small family celebration this afternoon. And we plan to have a bigger party for Elijah and his friends from the church nursery in a few days...

More coverage of elijah's birthday can be seen on his blog: http://elijahchadwell.blogspot.com

I also posted a prayer for Elijah on my prayer blog...

Today I have camp this morning until 2:30 PM and then a tournament this evening.

I'm finishing up organizing the Bay Area Gran Prix this morning before my camp starts...

It's a very full day today, but I'll be taking it easy tomorrow and Sunday...

The Rain Is Ending...

Yea...! The rain is ending... Finally...! We've had two days of sog... That has not been good for tennis! Yesterday was a rough day for me. (actually for the entire chadwell family...)

Today will be better, though... I've got a good feeling about it...!

This morning I'm working on the Bay Area Gran Prix. I also have an event tomorrow evening. And I have camp today and then a team tennis match this afternoon in Wharton...!

There's not going to be much spare time today for Coach Sam... But I am going to post an Elijah photo this morning. He is 364 days old today... Yes, tomorrow is his one year birthday...! Sadly I haven't blogged much about him this month but I'm trying to make it up starting now... You can check out his blog at http://elijahchadwell.blogspot.com

That's it for now...

Coach Sam

Where have I been...?

I realized my last post was July 17...! I can't believe how busy I've been... I don't really have a lot to show for myself except working alot and being sick, helping Monica with the baby, and entertaining company....

...That's the condensed version....

When will things slow down for me...? I guess once school starts around August 10 life will start to resemble a little more normal routine...

I really do need to get a handle on things. I'm running myself ragged. We still haven't sold our other house in Houston yet. It will be nice to eventually not have to worry about two mortgages...

I've had a nagging foot injury that's been a real 'pain' if you'll pardon the pun...

It's just been a busy summer. But hang in there with me, I'll get on a more routine blog publishing schedule soon...

About this time last year we were eagerly anticipating the arrival of baby Elijah...! Yes, it's been almost a year. Elijah will be one year old on July 28...! Oh how the time flies....

That's about it... Until next time... Bye for now...

Lots to do...

Have you heard the old saying; Lots to do, and little time to do it in...? Well, that's me...! I'm pretty busy especially the next two days...! I did try to rest up this weekend and as long as I can start to get to bed and be asleep by 10-10:30 PM I'll be ok...

Today I have lots of organizing and corresponding to do.... I definitely need to put in a full day's work...! Sadly I don't have a lot of time to 'journal'. I'd like to just sit here and recount stories of my child hood and growing up years... I'd like to ponder important social issues. I'd even like to dabble in writing some fiction... But right now my schedule allows for none of the above.

If I do have a little spare time I want to be with Elijah. Oh that little boy is such a joy to his mother and I...!

But today is going to be all about tennis. I have to plan some events, market them through email and phone calls and I need to tie up some loose ends with the Gran prix tournament this weekend.

I've got lessons mixed in throughout the day, too.

So that's it. I've got to go now and dive in to my work...!

Bye for now... SC

Welcome Becky...!

My dear sweet sister comes for a visit today. Her plane arrives at 8:20 AM at intercontenintal airport and that's a good long drive from our little home in the country so Monica, Elijah and I will need to get on the road soon.

I have an extremely full day ahead of me. (And rest of the week, too...) But I've got some free time coming up this weekend and I'm looking forward to that and the next few weeks just enjoying my sis' company.



Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord, I thank You and praise You for my family. Father God, I lift up my dear sister Becky as she travels for a summer retreat. I pray that her trip is a safe one. I pray that her visit will be a great time of rest, relaxation, and the end result will be a refreshing and renewing of her mind and spirit. I pray for the safety of her family while she's gone. I hope this time away from Becky will bring about some changes in them as well, especially a deeper appreciation of all the daily contributions Becky makes to the household and well-being of the family.

Lord Jesus, I pray that Monica and I provide the perfect example of a Godly couple and that we make the most of our witnessing opportunity. Let our home be a refuge for Becky's weary soul.

Thank You Lord for this and the many other ministry opportunities You lay before me every day. I love You Lord, and I give this day to You... I pray these things in the precious name of my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ... Amen.

On the road...

I've got to be on the road in a few minutes. I'm traveling to League City this morning for a parks and recreation class. This afternoon when I return home I'm definitely taking a nap... My poor body is barely hanging in there...

This afternoon I'm on the court from 5:30 to 7 PM. Then it's off to bed early..!

Sorry, I gotta run... More tonight or tomorrow!

SC

Hello: Checking Back in...

Wow.. It's been a while since I last blogged... Last week was a whirlwind... After the fourth of July, Monica, Elijah and I all got sick with a bad sore throat... I've been run down and exhausted for pretty much the past 5 days. I feel better this morning, though. But I am a little short on time. (as usual...)

I'd like to continue my commentary on traditions but that will have to wait awhile... Let me make a quick report that I was surprised to find a raccoon in my kitchen this morning at about 4;30 AM. Apparently he had come in though the kitty door. I was sitting at my computer blogging away when I heard this rustling which sounded like something trying to get a bag of kitty food open. Boy was I surprised. The raccoon was scared when I turned the light on and made a hasty exit, then just sat on the back porch looking at me through the cat door.

We'll have to be sure to keep that door locked at night from now on. I'm sure that's not the first time a raccoon has made good use of our cat door...

Today I log in lots of lesson hours on the tennis court. Yes, it's back to work for Coach Sam...!

The big news this week is that my sis Becky comes for a visit on Wednesday. I'm very much looking forward to that...

Let's see, what else can I report...? -Elijah is walking better and better these days... I spent the entire weekend just hanging out and playing with him... He's so awesome....!

Connor will still be in Missouri visiting his grandparents for another two weeks. I'm missing him...!

Our little kitty has been named Lucy...! Oh did I mention that we had a new little kitty...? She came to live with us while Monica and Connor were still in California in early June. Lucy is doing well, although she is a mischievous little thing...! I'll try to post some photos of her soon...

That's about it... I hate to make my posts too long... It makes them difficult to read... So, more later!

By for now, -Coach Sam

4th of July Traditions

I've sort of taken it 'easy' the past few days... It's been raining the past few days so tennis has been out of the question. Yesterday at church we had a patriotic service with lots of special music. I sang in a men's quartet and played the trombone on the Star Spangled Banner. Everything went very well... The church had a nice bar b que afterwards. This is going to be a family tradition for us...!

I like traditions. They are important to me. Growing up, my family didn't really have any 'traditions' to speak of... Looking back on my childhood it seems that we went to my grandmother's house for most holidays. But we didn't have any real traditions. You know, something that we did and said hey, this is our tradition....

I want to establish traditions... I want to have some routines that Elijah and Connor will remember fondly after they have grown up. Hopefully some of these traditions will be carried on with their own families for generations to come...

This will be Elijah's first 4th of July... That's kinda special....

Well, it's almost 11 PM... I'm supposed to stay up all night and cook a briskett... That's going to be tough this evening because I'm tired and sleepy already... The briskett needs to cook for about 15 hours at around 220 degrees or so.... It's been in for three hours so far... I think I'm going to go to bed in a few minutes but set my alarm for every hour so I can be sure to maintain a proper grill temperature. Yeah, that's what I'll do and I'll update this journal entry next time I log on...

See ya... 10 59 PM


.

Baby and Daddy

Here's a photo of Elijah and I during our trip to Bodega Bay, California. We visited some of the same sites were the classic suspense thriller 'The Bird's' by Alfred Hitchcock was filmed back in the 60's. For a cute companion photo to this scene please check out Elijah's Blog.

Today I'm working at the club in the morning then going to Houston to work in the yard at our house on Arncliffe...! This weekend is busy... I've got lessons Saturday morning. Then a small tournament Saturday afternoon, then a party in the late afternoon. Sunday I'm in the big church service for the Fourth of July celebration. Then there's a Church Bar b Que afterwards. I'll stop and catch my breath Sunday afternoon.

Bodego Bay, California

Here's a photo from my family trip to California. This picture is taken from a cliff off the shoreline of Bodego Bay, California. This is very close to where Monica grew up. You can see that Elijah is bundled up. -It's very cool on the shore line, even in late May.

The scenery is simply breath-taking. -I'll be publishing more photos so stay tuned...

Today I'll be hanging at the house working from my home office... I've just about got my new computer up and running. I had a few problems getting everything configured at first but now it looks like smooth sailing.

It will be a fairly busy day for me. But I may take a break this afternoon and publish some more photos so stay tuned....

Bye for now...

Coach Sam

Three Years...!

Today Monica and I are celebrating 3 years of marriage...! Woohoo...!

I'm working here at the house for a bit this morning then I'm going in to the tennis shop for a couple of hours then I'm taking Monica to lunch... (Elijah, too!)

We can't celebrate tonight because I have music rehearsal this evening for our Sunday church service. But thats' ok... We definitely want to give God the glory for our marriage and our family. We love serving in church... Really, honoring God is a great way to spend our anniversary...

Well, as you can probably tell... I'm pumped and excited about my wedding anniversary...! I'm actually a little hyper this morning...! We've got a very special relationship, Monica and I...!

Life is good...!

Photo Publishing Works Now...

Here's a photo from our recent California Trip... The Blogger photo tools seem to be working now...! Yea....

Still Trying to Figure Out Publishing Photos

I'm having difficulty publishing photos right now... It's probably some type of setting on my computer that's causing this, but I'm not tech savvy enough to figure it out. I don't have a lot of extra time today to worry about it this morning. I'll figure it out eventually... (Or my dell computer will finally come home fixed)

Anyway... Yesterday was a tough day for me. I had 9.5 hours of lessons on the court. My left foot was killing me. I might have a bone spur or something... I don't know what it is, but I think I'm going to the doctor tomorrow about it.

That's right, this is the new and improved Coach Sam who goes to doctors. The old Coach Sam avoided the doctor's office as much as possible. The new Coach Sam wants to be healthy. I've got to start taking better care of this body of mine...

And I know that means losing weight. I also need to make a trip to the dermatologist, and optometrist... But all in due time. First thing first and that is taking care of my foot. If my feet aren't healthy then I won't be able to exercise and lose weight and I won't be able to work as much either which will cause another whole host of financial problems....

Ahh... My weight... I can't seem to lose the unwanted pounds... But I'll keep trying... And Monica's helping me, too... I think it all boils down to time management and delegation of authority. Those are two other areas of my life in dire need of improvement. I addressed those issues in my prayer journal this morning...

Today I have a couple of lessons to teach and some racquets to string. I need to mow the yard and practice my trombone for the 4th of July celebration at church. It will only be a 12 hour work day today... Yea...!

So, it's 7 AM right now. I'd better close here. I think I'll make some coffee... Yummmm...

Thanks for reading my journal... Coach Sam

End of the Month

Yesterday I skipped church to go to Houston and work on our house that we're trying to sell. Now, I'm feeling a little guilty about that decision. The more that I think about it, The more I think I should have postponed my trip... Isn't going to church more important than selling our house...?

How can I ask God to bless us and help us sell our house when I'm investing my time and energy away from the things that are important to Him like honoring Him on the Sabbath day...?

I had purposely left the end of this month kinda light in my activity planning. My master plan was to have a busy 3 weeks and then take an easy week or two before diving into another busy 3 weeks in July. I could easily make a trip to Houston this week and not upset any other plans... Oh well... In the future I'll have to be more disciplined in my weekend schedule. (especially on Sundays.)

Today I have a make up camp for a rain out we had last week. I'm going to add another camp on Wednesday. The remainder of the week I'm going to focus on helping Monica with her workload and get caught up on various little projects I've been neglecting.

Let's See... In other news...

Monica and I will celebrate our three year wedding anniversary on June 28...! Elijah will be one year old on July 28...! My sis comes to visit in July...! I can't remember exactly what her schedule is... But, those are the big things coming up.

Well, I gotta get to work here...

More later... SC

Now What...?

OK... I finished my lessons for the morning now the question is do I go to Houston to finish the yard work or do I hang here at the house the rest of the day...?

Monica still hasn't returned from her trip to take Connor to the airport. Hmmm... I'm leaning towards just hanging here at the house. I think I'll take a quick lunch break and then blog a little more and work on my websites...

More later...

SC

End of the week...!

Yea...! We made it to Friday..!

This week has been very trying and busy... Today I have a tennis camp from 10 AM to 2:30 PM...

My schedule this afternoon after camp will depend upon if my jeep gets repaired today or not... It's in the shop right now. I think it needs a new starter.... But I could be completely wrong. That's why I'm a tennis pro and not an auto mechanic...!

If my jeep is ready then I'll go to Houston this afternoon and work in the yard at our property on Arncliffe. If it's not ready then I'll probably just chill out and relax... I'm sort of ready for a break today anyway, but that yard in Houston sure needs attention...!

Oh well....

I'll try to get my photos loaded on the new Toshiba this weekend and start publishing my photo blogs again...

In other Chadwell news headlines:

• Connor leaves for Missouri tomorrow to visit his grand parents.
• Monica and I celebrate our 3 year wedding anniversary on June 28...!
• My sis Becky comes to visit in July...!
• Elijah turns 1 year old on July 28...!
• My Grandmother Mimi turn 94 on July 29...!

That's about it for now... More later...

Coach Sam

Catching Up...

I'm a little behind on my blogging, so here's what's been going on the past couple of weeks to get you caught up...!

I was desperately missing my wife, baby and stepson who were staying in California on an extended vacation visiting family. They returned a couple of weeks ago and I never want to be separated from them again...!

A little kitty adopted us...! She's the cutest thing... She's about seven weeks old now with the cutest markings... I'll publish some photos soon... Hobbes and Gabriel aren't very happy with the arrangement, but they'll get over it...

My Dell computer crashed... And I've sent it back to Dell to be fixed... Meanwhile I bought a new Toshiba satellite lap top. That's what I'm using right now... Hopefully my dell can be repaired... We'll see. I'm not a happy Dell customer right now...

The rain the past few days has really hurt my business... It's supposed to be dry today and I can start to get caught up now...

Last night Monica and I bought a new car. It's a 2006 Rav 4. We desperately needed a new vehicle. Both our jeeps are nearly 10 years old and on their last leg...

I'm singing on the praise and worship team at church... We have rehearsal tonight. I really enjoy the music ministry at our church...

Connor heads out to Missouri on Saturday to visit his grand parents. He'll be gone for about a month. That's going to seem really strange to have him gone for so long...

That pretty much catches you up on the major happenings in the Chadwell house. More later...

Coach Sam

Here's My Schedule Today...

1. Wake Up....

2. Pray....

3. Work...

4. Take a Good Long Nap....

5. Work a little more.... (...And pray throughout the day as needed.)

6. Family Time....

7. Get to Sleep Early...!

The Family is Back...!

Yahooooo...!

Everyone made it back safe and sound. Poor Monica is suffering from a little jet lag but other than that we are doing mighty fine...!

Church yesterday was really good. It was my first sunday to sing on the praise and worship team. I thank God for the opportunity to serve in that ministry...!

I'm being blessed with a busy summer. Today is actually particularly busy so I need to keep this morning post short.

I'll try to post a little more this afternoon...!

Coach Sam

The Mad Dash....

I'm dashing around like a mad-man trying to get a bunch of things accomplished before Monica and Connor and Elijah arrive home this evening. Their flight doesn't arrive in until 8:30 PM but believe me, I have planty to keep busy with until then...

I'm so glad they are finally coming home...!

More tomorrow morning... I gotta get going...!

SC

A New Kitty...?

We have a new kitty... (Well, for the time being...) She (or he) adopted me Tuesday morning at about 5 AM as I was about to head off to tennis lessons in League City. I'm not sure how old the kitty is, but my guess is it's about 5-6 weeks old. It's about the size that Gabriel was he adopted us...

I've been caring for it the past few days and must say that I just have a soft place in my heart for little kitties... I mean really, have you ever met a little kitty that just wasn't cute and adorable...?

While I know that we absolutely do not need another cat, I'm sure when Monica and Connor see it that they are going to want to keep it... Sigh... We'll see what happens. Right now Hobbes and Gabriel seem a little bit traumatized that the little kitty is living in the garage and that I'm spending time with it. But hey, they've been quite cat-like and aloof to me for some time now...

Peepers is really mad. I brought the little kitty to the tennis shop for a few hours yesterday and she hissed at it and turned her back to me and the little kitty. She's not even speaking to me right now. Oh well, she'll get over it.

But you know, I'm not surprised at this behavior. I mean suppose I found some of my favorite tennis students hitting with another pro....? You know, not taking a lesson, just hitting... Well I'd have mixed emotions at best...

So probably the best thing to do is to find a home for this little kitty. Well see....

Hey do any of my readers need a kitty...? I'll be posting a photo over the weekend when Monica comes home with our digital camera... And if you live in West Columbia or Columbia Lakes you are welcome to just stop by any time....

Well, that's about it for my blog time this morning. I'm working from the house today until I get my car back. My green jeep is temporarily out of commission and Monica's red jeep is having a new headliner put in and I won't have it back until later this morning or early afternoon.

I've got plenty to do, though... So I'll close here... Bye for now... Coach Sam

Not a spare second this morning!

I've got to hurry and get ready for my lessons in Clear Lake this morning. I have 31 youngsters in my camp this morning and I need to get on the road asap... More this afternoon...!

By the way... I had a great time in choir and praise team practice last night...! More on that later!

Coach Sam

Getting More Involved at Church

Tonight I'm going to go to choir rehearsal and try out for the praise and worship team. I'm excited. I haven't been in a music ministry for over a year. I realize too that I haven't mentioned my music interest very much. But those of you who know me well know that I have a deep passion for music. I love to sing (especially back up harmony). I love to play the trombone. I'd really like to start taking guitar and piano lessons. Hopefully when we sell our house in Houston all that will come to pass.

I want Elijah to be exposed to music training as soon as possible. Monica's secret desire is to play the violin. Connor really would like to play percussion. So, you see we're really a very musical family. And probaly thought I was just all about tennis...

All my siblings were in band as youngsters. My oldest brother Stanley is quite an accomplished guitar player and has played in numerous bands throughout his life.

As I look back on my high school and college years, music really sustained me and gave me as much identity as tennis did, maybe more. I've always regretted not doing more with my music talent. I guess that now that I've moved back into the country close to where I grew up I'm getting back to my 'roots'....

So, with that in mind I need to practice my trombone a bit this afternoon before I go to choir tonight...

My day is fairly lite. I have a class this morning from 9:30 AM to 11 AM then I just have office work to do the rest of the day. I have lots of phone calls to make and email correspondence to take care of. It shouldn't be too stressful...

Only three more days until my family comes home! Yea... I don't like being a bachelor...!

More later... Coach Sam

The Big Week

I start my summer programs this morning at Columbia Lakes Country Club. It should be a busy, full day. I'm excited. My day is off to a good start. I got up early and spent a good deal of time in prayer. That's the key to a successful week, you know...!

Monica and the kids return home just five days from now... I can hardly wait...! It was strange going to church by myself yesterday. Sunday above all other days has been our 'family' day for a long time. It's hard to have a family day when your family is a thousand miles away...!

But I'm afraid I need to close here. I have to get working on some other projects before I go on the court at 9:30 AM...

More later... SC

Sunday Blog... Taking it Easy so far...

I've had a relaxing day thus far... I got up and watched Dr Charles Stanley's Sunday morning sermon on television, started a load of Laundry and went to church... Now I'm watching the French Open for a few minutes before I dive in to an afternoon of chores. I'll probably make a quick road trip to Houston to work on our Arncliffe property.

Tomorrow starts my first full week of the summer. I've got a pretty full day of lessons on Monday.

Monica, Connor and Elijah return next Saturday evening... I can't wait...!

More later...

Coach Sam

Missing My Family

I'm going crazy here missing my family... -And I won't see them for another week... Wow... I don't know how I'll make it...! I think I called Monica atleast 4 times today...

I'm not sleeping well... I'm having trouble concentrating... Man, I've got to get my act together...

My Dell Laptop is giving me fits, too. I'm probably going to have to send it in to be worked on and I'm not happy about that, either... Right now I'm using Monica's PC.

Sigh... Tomorrow I have lessons from 9 AM to Noon... Then I'll need to make a few phone calls for lessons next week and then I think I'm going to Houston to check on our house there...

I need to do some serious yard work this weekend... And I need to do some serious bible study...

Well, that's it for now... More in a few hours.... I'm going to get some sleep before my morning classes...

Home...

I'm back from California...! But I have a full morning on the court... No time to write now. More this afternoon.

Coach Sam

Heading Home

I've been in California for the past few days visiting my in laws. It has been a beautiful, restful visit... But I head home in a few hours. I have to be home in time to get started on my summer tennis schedule. I have a big camp in League City tomorrow.

Monica, Connor, and Elijah are staying on and continuing their visit until June 10... That's right, I'll be separated from my family for almost a week and a half... I'm not looking forward to that one bit... I've never been separated from them for more than 24 hours and that was just one time...

Well, I'll definitely have time to get caught up on my blogging...

I've been enjoying the French Open every morning... And I'm fired up and eager to get on the court and practice. The only problem is that I still have a nagging little injury from the Corpus tournament last month, so I still need to take it easy for a while...

I suppose I should close here... More tonight after I get home...! Bye for now...

SC

Gotta Get In Shape...!

Tonight I ate my last bit of fast food for the summer. I absolutely have got to eat right this summer and shed my extra weight. I'm weighing in tomorrow morning and waging war on unhealthy habits. I'm going to be really disciplined about working out. My new nickname will be Captain Crunch. Not for the cereal, but for the amount of time I spend working my abs...!

I've got to get plenty of rest, too. so I'll close here... It's late for me and I want to get up early and start my day off in prayer and study... Bye for now....

Coach Sam

Four Days to Vacation...!

Here's a photo from this past weekend's Tennis Block Party held at Houston's Memorial Park. For more photos from this fun event click BLOCK PARTY.

I only have a few days until vacation time. You know I have rarely taken a true vacation in my entire life. Growing up, my family really could never afford a vacation. (We did take occasional day trips, though...).

I've been to the US Open numerous times and I suppose that should count as a vacation. I've been to Australia... That was definitely a vacation. And I went to Paris and the French Open in 2000. I'd consider that a vacation for sure...!

But, I haven't really done any thing non-tennis related since my honeymoon three years ago. Do honeymoons count as vacations...?

So, we fly out Friday evening. We are heading to California to visit Monica's parents. I've never spent extended time in California before. This will be a real treat for me. But I'll only be gone 5 days, then I have to get home to start my summer camps. Monica, Connor, and Elijah will stay up there an additional week....

It's going to be a little difficult to be away from the family for seven days... I'm sure I'll be on the phone a lot...!

Now, in the mean time between right this second and when we depart I have a bunch of loose ends to tie up so I'd better get busy. Bye for now....

Coach Sam

Heading Home...

Elijah and I enjoy the view from the back seat as we stopped for a break on our way home from the Corpus trip a few weeks ago...

Last night I had dinner with my good friend Eddie Clayworth. It was nice catching up on things. We reminisced about our trip to the 2000 French Open. -I can't believe that it's been 6 years since I've been to Paris....!

Today... It's my first non stressful day in a long time. I'm going to blog this morning, make some phone calls, work in the tennis shop, and just generally chill out. Monica and I are going to an awards ceremony at Connor's school this afternoon. Then I have a couple of private lessons and my Tennis Across America social tonight...

Tomorrow will be a fun day at Houston's Memorial Park Tennis Block Party. And Sunday will be a day of rest. Ahh... I'm really liking my life right now.

More later... SC

My Serve: A Critical Look...!

When I saw this photo Monica took of me at the Corpus tournament I just cringed. My first thought was I can't believe how big and heavy I look. It was my goal to get down below 200 pounds for that tournament and I fell short by about 20 pounds. So now my goal is to get down below 200 by the July tournament in San Antonio.

Next I noticed how my tossing arm has dropped down way too early in the stroke. This causes net mistakes and / or shallow serves. I've got to keep that arm up longer.

But there are some good things I'm doing... I've got good extension with my legs. Notice the heels off the ground as I'm stretching up to extend into the serve...? And, I'm noticeably leaning out into the serve. Actually I served very well over all for the tournament. I only failed to hold serve a few times in four matches, and I served very well in crucial third set tie-breakers...!

Yes, I'm really in to playing tournaments again. I'm pumped, excited, and ready to compete. I think I'm playing the best tennis of my life right now. I'm definitely at my toughest mentally, and I can hit any shot from any where in the court. The only limitation I have is my conditioning....!

My biggest enemy right now is my appetite...! But I'm going to overcome the knife and fork...! Monica and I have seven weeks until our next tournament. You're going to see big changes in my physique between now and then...!

Stay tuned for more tomorrow. Today is a pretty busy day for me. I have lessons in League City this afternoon and evening and quite a bit to do in the mean time before then so I need to close here. But tomorrow is the first Friday that I won't be teaching late in Clear Lake...! No traveling tomorrow... YEA...! And I'll have time to post more then... Bye for now. SC

The Lexington

This is the USS Lexington, a retired US Navy Aircraft Carrier. It is one of Corpus Christi's biggest tourist attractions. Ireally want to check it out next time we visit Corpus.

Speaking of Corpus, I still have a bunch of Photos to post from that trip so stay tuned the next few days....

By the way, that tournament really wore me out. I'm still a little sore from all my tennis matches and it's over a week past now... Man, I really need to get in better condition....

Today I absolutely must get a lot of marketing done... After I blog this morning it's all business after that. I'm on the court all afternoon. This is my last late day to teach on Wednesday. After today I'm making a commitment to become more active at my church on Wednesday evenings.

This month is winding down... We leave for California on May 26... That's less than 10 days away, now...! Woohoo...!

Well, I need to post in Connor's and Elijah's blogs too so I'll close here... More Later!

Coach Sam

Seeking God

Today's thought is taken from a Dr Charles Stanley Commentary that I found particularly meaningful. The topic is seeking God.

The rewards of pursuing God are great... Scripture tells us that '...They who seek the Lord shall not want of any good thing...' (Psalm 34:10) But we will not accidentally drift into a meaningful relationship with HIM. The key to that end is to act purposefully with that end in mind.

1 Chronicles 22:19 says 'Now set your heart and soul to seek the Lord your God.'

How then can we diligently pursue knowing Him better...?

Dr Stanley lists five ways to seek God. The first two are through scripture and prayer. Do you precede your scripture study with a prayer...? If not, you should get in the habit of asking God to help you know Him bettter. Ask Him to show You the Truth about Him that is contained in scripture. This is one prayer that God will always answer.

The other three ways that Dr Stanley lists regarding seeking God include Worship, books from great christian authors, and conversation with others.

These will all be discussed in tomorrow's commentary.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Lord, I do want to know You more. I seek You Lord. And I ask You to show me Your Truth. My life is in Your hands, Father. I give this day to You my King. With You by my side I have the confidence to face the world today, my Lord and Savior.

Father God, I do love You. And I pray this simple prayer to know You more in Jesus' name,

Amen.

Dear Readers Please Note: This commentary was accidentally posted to the wrong blog. To read part two of this series go to my prayer journal by clicking here. Thanks, Coach Sam