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