Party Hardy...or Hearty Party?

These last two weeks have been crazy busy so I am glad to finally have a couple of days where I don't have much more to do than to just go to work every day and read blogs! :-) As busy as things have been though, it has been good on many levels, and it beats sitting around bored, you know? Isn't it funny how we sometimes complain when we have too much to do, then complain when we are bored and have nothing to do? Well, I'm not complaining because I've loved it all, I'm just glad to have a couple of day to myself. (You can do that in the truest sense of the word when you live alone!)

Out of the last couple of weeks though, the most fun thing was that we had a huge surprise party for my Dad on Saturday. He is 70 today, but you would never know it. He has an 87 acre tree farm, a new company he just started (!!), and just ended a landscaping business he had with a guy for 20 years. He's up and out every day before many of us are heading to work, and he doesn't get home until after dark! The man just loves to work.....imagine that! He is the second oldest of 15 living children (my grandmother had 18 in all!!) and was raised on a farm in Heard County, so all he's ever known is hard work. He made a good living for our family when my sister and I were growing up. I didn't really realize how good we had it at the time, but he's done well for himself and I'm proud of him.

My parents divorced about 10 years ago. My Dad is remarried (as is my Mom) and we absolutely LOVE his wife, Brenda. They've been married about 5 years and we could have never asked for anyone better for him. She is a wonderful person, a great step-mom and she is fantastic to my nieces, so there is really nothing more we could ask for. Her birthday is in February, so when me, my sister and my nieces took her to dinner for her birthday, she mentioned that she wanted to have a party for my Dad since this was a 'big one.' We had breakfast together a couple of months ago and began planning the guest list, etc, and true to form, we kept thinking of people to invite. By the time it was over, the guest list was huge. We wound up with about 85-90 people who were able to come and everyone managed to keep it a secret! :-) I was the RSVP person and everyone that called said they were so excited about this party, thrilled to have been included in the guest list, and couldn't wait to see my Dad. It sort of surprised me that only about 4 of his siblings came, but if they'd all come, there would have been at least 20 more people! It meant a lot to my Dad to see people that he hadn't seen in years and it meant a lot to my Dad, Brenda, my sister and me that so many people made it a priority to be there. We were thrilled. Personally, I was glad that people who have been 'family friends' for years, since my sister and I were little girls, had a chance to meet my step-mom because my parent's divorce was very ugly and, as devastated as my Dad was, I was glad that people could see he that he has moved on has a good life now. It just was a good day all the way around. We were pooped when it was over, but it was so much fun.

My sister and I intended to get lots of pictures, but with that many people there, keeping up with food that needed to be replenished, talking to people we hadn't seen in forever and just being hostesses, it was almost an impossible task. I did manage to get a couple of pictures of Daddy when he first came through the door. He'd seen all the cars outside, but he had no idea until he drove up that anything was going on....proof of this being that my sister was cutting his grass on Friday and he told her not to worry about it when it really did kinda need it, and his choice of wardrobe for the day! :-) He says he 'kinda thought' something was going on, but he hates to be outdone, so he would never admit that we pulled anything over on him. :-) But we know differently, no matter what he says. :-)

Here are a couple of the pics when he first got there. My aunt said she thought he got teared up when he came in, but I couldn't tell. Unfortunately, these were all the pictures I was able to get.

"SURPRISE!!!"

My Dad, speechless....

Greeting guests...my Aunt Winnie, my FAVE, and family friends, Shirley and Powell (Aunt Winnie's husband, Uncle Ray, my other FAVE, was our ploy to keep Daddy busy until 2:00!)

A look into the den to see about 70 more people! :-)

My sister talking with Debbie and Jack, our newlywed neighbors when we were growing up. Their children were the first kids I ever babysat...I was all of 10 years old. Debbie has been a huge influence on my life spiritually and morally. They live about 2.5 hours away, so we were thrilled they were able to make it.

And a fun time was had by all...