Art Teacher

Here's a photo from earlier this summer when Monica conducted an art class during tennis camp. Teaching art is now a budding career for Monica as this fall she is working with many of the local home schoolers in our area. Today is her first big day of classes so I wanted to honor her in my blog this morning.

I think she is an awesome teacher. Really, she's one of the best I've ever seen. But that doesn't surprise me because her mom is a retired teacher from California who won the California State Teacher of the Year award on more than one occasion.

Today is also a big day for Elijah... He's participating in his first day of school today, too...!

So this morning the house is quiet. Really Quiet. I'm enjoying some extended blogging time.

But I have quite a bit of work to do today, too. I'm teaching in Bay City all afternoon and evening and I have plenty of things to keep me busy in the mean time...

So I'll close here for now... -Coach Sam

My Next Vacation Will Be to the Cross

Wow... I just discovered there is a 19 story cross and a stations of the cross 'park' located in the Texas Pan Handle in Groom, Texas off of Interstate 40 just outside of Amarillo, Texas.

This Cross was erected in 1995. I can't believe that I haven't heard about it until now...

Here's a website link with more information.

What an awesome witness...!

In addition to the CROSS, there are numerous bronze statues depicting scenes from the life of Jesus all around the property.

Amarillo is a pretty long drive from here, but I think it would be well worth it to visit this incredible testimony.

Oh, the Open...!

The US Open Starts today. I won't be there. I haven't gone to the Open since 2003. I miss it. It always used to be something I greatly looked forward to every year.

But I greatly enjoy being married and having children, too. And now that I am married and with kids my priorities and responsibilities have changed. Elijah's still too young to go to the Open right now but when he's old enough to appreciate it we'll start going again.

That's something to look forward too...!

Today I'm starting many new home schoolers in tennis. I'm excited about that...! And it's also Connor's first day as a sophomore in high school. I'm excited about that, too...!

It's a BIG Day...!

My Buddies...

Here's a photo of myself (center) and two very good friends of mine. In fact, these guys are two of the nicest men you'll ever meet. I really can't say enough positive things about them. They always go out of their way to help me and they always consider the needs of others around them. They are true gentlemen in every sense of the word!




Brad, to the left of the photo is a local avid player whom I have just begun to know better in the past few years. He is a super nice guy who loves tennis and often volunteers to help with programs here in the local community. Jim, to the far right has stood by me through thick and thin. He has been a great ambassador of tennis and has volunteered literally hundreds of hours over the past decade and a half helping to promote the great sport of tennis that we both love so much...

I am humbled and greatly blessed to have two good friends like Brad and Jim.

Coach Sam's New Weight Loss Journal

Here's a photo of Elijah and I back in January 2008. Look how large I am... I've lost a little weight since that photo was taken, but nothing of great significance. This morning the scales said 228 pounds. I'm sure I'm in the 230's in that photo. Wow...!

Of course, it has been difficult exercising with my knee injured, but praise the Lord my knee has been feeling better this month and I'm finally playing tennis more frequently.

I'm really working hard on my diet these days and plan to enroll in a Weight Watcher's program this week...! Elijah is really starting to enjoy tennis more now that he is older. Connor is showing a renewed interest, too. I want to be in good shape so I can enjoy tennis with them for years to come.

I desperately want to get back to a normal shape. That's going to involve me losing at least fifty pounds...! I know that goal is possible and attainable. I just have to take my time and stay the course... Right now I would just love to get below 200 before the new year...

Oh how I would love to get below 200 and stay there.

Starting today I plan to use this blog as a record of my efforts to lose weight.

Let's call it:

Coach Sam's Weight Loss Journal

Yes, that sounds good...

OK, Day One... August 13, 2008

I weighed in this morning at 228 lbs. Now, I'm not going to be a slave to the scales, weighing in every day. I'm just going to do my best to lose weight every day, be patient, and give it to God.

I acknowledge going in to this thing that my chief concern is honoring God. I know God wants to use me for greater things and if I don't get in better shape, my health will hinder me. I used to be as conditioned as any world class athlete, now to say that I am a shadow of my former self is the understatement of the year.

I've got a long way to go, but I have my family and many others encouraging me. And of course, most importantly, my Lord and Savior is right by my side every step of the way...

Losing weight for me is a spiritual battle first and foremost. And it's one that I am going win because I can do all things through HIM who strengthens me...!

Super Boy

I'm sitting in a big chair with a lap top on my lap this morning watching the news coverage of the big storm just northeast of us. We had braced ourselves over night for a hurricane but awakened to relatively mild weather.

As it turns out, we may not get very much rain at all today. I'm not complaining, but I wouldn't mind if my yard, the golf course and tennis center got a good soaking today..

So far Galveston, League City, Kemah have all had pretty stormy weather. But West Columbia is on the dryer side of the storm.

Now when I blog on Tuesdays my on going topic is child hood memories.

This photo of Elijah in his superman suit with his wagon of books and toys reminded me that I didn't have very many toys growing up. I had an imagination, though. My superman costume was just a bath towel clipped or tied around my neck. I liked to pretend to be superman. I also liked to pretend to be batman. My brother John and I loved to make fortresses and space ships out of big cardboard boxes... Oh those were the days...!

Already at age three Elijah has many more toys and books than I had my entire childhood...!

Elijah's Big Boy Bed

A few days ago we moved Elijah's Baby bed out and gave him a 'big boy' bed... Oh how he loves it! it's obviously decorated with a 'Car's' motif... It's definitely a boy's room...! Check out more photos of Elijah at his own website: http://elijahchadwell.blogspot.com/

We had a nice day today. We traveled to Clear Lake and visited a church where I used to be a member when I first moved to Nassau Bay. Afterwards we had an excellent lunch at Pappasitos. When we got home Elijah and I went to the tennis center for awhile. We relaxed at home after that....

Tomorrow will be a busy week. I may not post every day... But thanks for reading my journal... Until next time.... Bye for now... -Coach Sam

Friday... Family Day...! More Photos From Elijah's Birthday

Wow... That tower goes up pretty high... I stayed on the ground where it was safe...

Here's the observation deck about to land.... Monica, Connor, and Elijah are waiting for it to land.

Here's the family about to board the observation tower at the Kemah Boardwalk. Elijah got distracted at the last second....

On Fridays I like to write about family. This has been a busy summer. And wow... July has been a blur... The first part of the month I'd just like to forget about.

But we recently celebrated both Connor and Elijah's birthdays and they were both very memorable. Connor and Elijah are both growing like crazy...

My favorite Friday activity is to prepare some kind of Mexican food (usually fajitas, tacos, or nachos) Then enjoy watching Sci-Fi Friday with Monica and Connor. Sometimes it's too scary for Elijah so we usually wait for him to go to bed, first...

Our favorite show to watch is Stargate Atlantis...! There's a new episode on tonight... Yea