The Weekend Outlook:

Today starts the Labor Day Weekend. I've got a lot of work to do at the tennis shop this morning. I may have a late afternoon lesson, but I'm going to try to not work all day. I want to spend some time with the family this afternoon. Later today I plan to start smoking a brisket for lunch tomorrow.

Saturday I have a tennis event in the morning and a few privates in the afternoon. Sunday is wide open, and although Monday is a holiday, I plan to teach a regular lesson schedule in the afternoon and evening.

I'll probably try to watch a little tennis on television this weekend. (The US Open).

I'm hoping for and looking forward to a nice family weekend. My Sweet Bride pictured with me above is a little under the weather right now with a sore throat. Hopefully she'll feel better as the weekend unfolds...

Friday is a day for me to write about 'Family'. -I love my family. There's nothing more important than the well-being of my wife and boys. Sometimes it's difficult to prioritize my time. And I think this is a problem that many a daddy has faced through out history.

It is so easy to get wrapped up in 'work' justifying that if I don't work more then my family's needs will not be met. This is not easy for me but I'm learning to spend less time working and spend more quality time with my family.

I don't want Elijah to have more 'things' and less daddy. I don't want Connor to grow up with only one parent.

Now I do respect that my dad provided an existence for the family as I was growing up. But in so doing, he did deny me any kind of quality relationship with him. Now that I'm a dad myself, I see very clearly the mistakes my daddy made. And there is good that has come from my dad's mistakes: they serve as an example to me to do things differently.

I don't know exactly how I'll get all the bills paid this coming month, but I'm leaving that up to God. God's in the miracle business.