Sudduth Lagoon project is complete!!!

So the pool is done!!!!  Just thought I'd finish this little segment up since I posted a bunch of pre-finished pictures earlier.

We got the pool completed around July 4th, but it took us a while to get everything else put back together, including a re-sod of the entire backyard.  We did a little landscaping at the same time, and here's the finished product.

Of course, now it's too cold to get in...but the hot tub is getting plenty of use!  The beer fridge in the garage is full, so come on over and enjoy the concrete pond with us!

Heroes for Children Poker Tournament

It's been awhile since my last post, so let's get everyone caught up!

I had the honor, along with my wonderful wife, to act as Chairman for the Heroes for Children - Hold 'Em for Heroes Poker Tournament last month.  What a fantastic event for such a worthwhile charity!  The event was held at Houston Country Club and included almost 300 men (and a few ladies) playing poker to raise money for families who have children battling cancer.  The event raised about $160,000, a new record!  Here's a few action shots from the event:

The Chairman & Chairmaness

Somebody's gettin' excited!

Ted Leitch (2011 Chairman)

Erin & Rob Johnson

My dear friends Gardner Biggs & Lars Jones

Amber & Tom Caver & the Wells Fargo Team

The Oak Forest Gang

My lovely bride & Amber Caver

The winner of the raffle prize - A house in Cabo!

The Winner of the Tournament!

Late night with E.J. Davis & Rob Johnson

A huge thanks to everyone for playing and helping the cause!  We could not have done it without all your help.  It sure seems that everyone had a wonderful time and enjoyed the poker.  If you have additional interest in Heroes for Children, you can check them out by clicking here.

A new Belt Buckle from Brooks...

My wonderful wife really struck gold, or silver in this case, when she bought me a new belt buckle for Christmas.  I know, why am I just now writing about it?  Well, because it's taken me this long to get a belt strap for it and start wearing it.  So, anyway, here we go. 

I have been wanting this particular buckle for years.  The engine turned silver buckle has been around for ages, but it's a fairly pricey item and has thus remained on the "want" list for some time.  But my wife kicked it up a notch and took care of me.  She says I am the man who needs nothing, but I think it's just that my list is filled with items far out of my pocketbook's reach.

The buckle is sterling silver from Brooks Brothers and has my monogram.  It's attached, for the time being, to a nice moderately priced leather moc croc belt strap.  The Brooks strap version in real croc is only $495 and will have to wait for another occasion.  It's really a wonderful addition to my wardrobe and will be cherished for years and years.  Hopefully my son will some day think it's cool as well and add it to his large collection of inherited monogrammed items that he will some day receive.  Here are a few other examples:

Which poses another question...is it ok to wear or carry an item with someone's monogram other than yours.  I say absolutely yes...in certain circumstances.  If it's a rare antique or family member's item, wear it with pride.  If it's a brand new item you picked up on EBay, don't even think about it.  Just be prepared with a response as to why it's not your monogram and how cool it is to don a family heirloom or something with a history.  One example is my mother's weekend bag.  When we were cleaning out my parent's house, I came across the bag and immediately snapped it up.  At a pool party last week, the kind hostess noticed and admired the bag and quickly got a little history.  She thought it was extremely cool that I would want and love something belonging to my dear Mother.  I use it and carry it with pride!

So we started with belt buckles and ended with a monogram discussion.  All in all, I think we covered some good ground today!

Sudduth's take in a Skeeters game...

Houston has a new baseball team in town, the Sugar Land Skeeters!  It's an independent minor league team that plays near the AAA level.  Our friends, the Rounds, kindly invited us to join them with some other folks in a suite!  And who were we to turn them down!

We had a great time and really enjoyed the air conditioned area within the suite.  The food and drinks were moderately priced and the baseball action was quite good as well.  So head out to Southwest Houston and check out the Skeeters.  I think you'll be surprised at how nice it is and how enjoyable some good non-Astros baseball can be.

Dinner Club...Sudduth Style

So I'm playing a little catch up on Blog Posts...Sorry!  Here are a few shots for Dinner Club at the Sudduth Casa in late March.  I don't even remember what I served!  It may have been Shiner Bock Pot Roast, domino potatoes, cous cous and several other goodies. 

I love Dinner Club!!!

Something is different about Daniel!

I don't know if it's just me, but something is different about Daniel!  Maybe it's that he is now officially a second grader?  No, that's not it.  I can't place my finger on it....oh!  Is it the moustache?  Nah.  I'll figure it out and get back to you.

Bonus Daniel footage:  Here's a few quick shots of Daniel at the St. Thomas High School Baseball Camp.

On deck...

Waiting for the pitch...

Heading to first...

Daniel with his buddies Drew & Austin

And another picture that just begs to be posted!

Bonus MyKala photo:  My lovely step-daughter MyKala is off to the Dominican Republic for a mission trip with St. Luke's UMC Youth.  She really is a beautiful girl and we're very proud of her!

She's the one holding the pillow!

She's returned since this photo and before I could make the post. So here's a few pics from her trip.

Cordial Churchman Bow Ties have arrived!

Awhile back (around 8 months ago), we had a very exciting day around the Casa de Sudduth...Daniel and I received our Father/Son bow ties from the Cordial Churchman!  Please see original post about the bow ties on 6/17/11.  First the disappointing news - the tie that I had sent in to have made into 2 bow ties for Daniel and me did not have enough material for the total job.  So Daniel and I had to choose matching ties from their pre-made offering.  I let Daniel do the choosing and he opted for us to have matching red/white striped seersucker bows - perfect for Summer Church Season!

Our new Father/Son Bows!

An old tie with a new life...

Heavy D modeling my old tie...pre-bow configuration

They arrived in very nice packaging complete with a personal note from the owner Ellie LaVeer.  Daniel thinks they are just great and I couldn't agree more.  And I also received my bow tie made from one of my old neckties that had achieved retirement status after many, many years of devoted service.  Now my old tie has a new life as a bow tie...a little like a caterpillar turning into a butterfly.

The nice personal notes from Ellie - our kind Bow Tie maker

So if you're looking for something fun to do with your old ties, and you enjoy wearing a bow tie, give these kind folks a try.  Check them out by clicking here.  You can also email Ellie at ellielaveer@gmail.com.

Black Tie Style at JFC Gala...

Jen and I took in the Justice for Children Gala last month at the Hotel ZaZa.  Another wonderful event for a very good cause!  Here's a few action shots!  Doesn't my beautiful wife look stunning!

Ready to go...

Niiiiiice!

Jen with our good friend Robin Day

With our dear friends Will & Sherri Sakson

Yours Truly hangin' with Mr. Cool - Stephen Day

Sudduth Lagoon - Part 2...

So, I thought I'd provide a quick update on the Sudduth Pool Project.  We're making nice progress, even with a few slight rain delays.  The coping and tile is completed and now we're on to the new deck.