Playdates, Soccer season kickoff, and Papa's 70th surprise!

This week Worth was off of work. When Worth has vacation weeks, it feels like a 100lb weight is lifted off my shoulders because I actually have help!  It is so nice to have him help with drop offs pick ups, afternoon shuffles here and there, etc. We also enjoy having him around more. I'm sure he's ready to go back to work after a long week with all of us! It is usually crazy town, so I can't blame him, but we do enjoy his presence.

Most of our big activities this past week happened this weekend. Mack had his best friend, Luke, over to play after school on Friday until Luke's mom got off of work. Mack was ecstatic about this playdate. He had the entire afternoon packed with activities for them, however, they pretty much just played Batman for the entire afternoon. Those two play so well together. They have been friends since they were 2, and Luke can really handle Mack. They make a great team. I didn't even have to intervene with anything Friday. They saved the world literally ALL afternoon.  It is so fun to see the difference in pretend play with boys vs. when the girls were this age. Superhero play is much more intense than tea/dance parties, and princess gatherings.

Saturday morning was kick off to soccer season. Mack had a game, but Emma's team had a bye this week. They don't keep score, but Mack's team won by a landslide. Mack has gotten so much better. He really knows what he's doing now, and it makes it so fun to watch.

After the soccer games we headed to Tifton to celebrate my dad's 70th birthday. We were on a ruse to watch the game and bring my dad his birthday gifts since he was at the beach last weekend on his actual birthday. (He turned 70n on September 1st.) We, however, were there to help my mom prepare for a big surprise party she hosted for my dad that night after the game. She had informed him that they were hosting a neighborhood cookout after the game, so he thought nothing of it as he helped us set up tables, tiki torches, seats, etc. Right before the caterer was due to arrive with the food, my brother, Amos, told my dad he needed to go get formula for Hardy. My dad agreed without incident to ride with him to Walmart for this random errand and didn't even question anything. (Walmart is about 20min from my parents house, so round trip that bought us about 40 minutes for guests to arrive.) The guests all got there right on time. Amos and Daddy returned and daddy walked up thinking the guests had already started to arrive for the "neighborhood party" when we all yelled, "SURPRISE!" He was floored once he got closer and started seeing faces that he knew were more than just neighbors.

It was a hot day, but the party turned out a success, which I'm sure my mom was glad of. She had worked very hard to keep it under wraps. Daddy said he had had no clue and was so excited to see faces he hadn't seen in a while. I still can't believe he's 70. I'm almost positive he could probably still do a back-handspring if someone asked him to. He still works, always has some sort of project going on, and will drop everything to help someone if they need it. He's a great dad, papa, husband, uncle, brother, and friend. He's been an unbelievable influence on my life and I'm forever grateful for him.

I came outside Tuesday and found Mack "practicing his swing" in the front yard dangerously close to the front end of Worth's truck. 

Once I moved him over a bit he continued to work. Boy loves him some golf so far. 

Next week is D week at preschool which means "Doughnuts with Dads" will happen. Worth can never make it to these because of the time of morning they have them, so EW and Mia are coming as replacements this year. I had to show off this invite because I was so proud of how well Mack wrote his name. We have struggled working on that K. He did so good on this!!

When he isn't working on his Ks, you can find Mack using the bug assault gun on kitchen flies...NAKED. Yes, this is normal in our house. I'm not sure why he loves to run around naked wielding a gun,  but he does. 

Mack and Luke

This BatBot kept them seriously involved in a Batman crime fighting episode for almost 2 hours, I kid you not!

2 cute Batmen

Soccer season opener

Mack was REALLY into it this year. 

#7 on the move

He asked me if I saw him kick the ball away from the other team, every time. I didn't realize I actually captured one of the times on camera until I saw this picture. 

Game Time at Grandma and Papa's house. The girls can't keep their hands off of Hardy these days. 

Whenever Amos and Mack are together, I can never get their names straight. I mis them up constantly. I think it is because they act very similar. Mack is 5 and Amos is 34 but they are one and the same with personality. 

Amos and I went ahead and gave dad his "real" gifts before the surprise party.  To hopefully keep him clueless about what was to come. 

Amos and Anna gave Daddy $70 worth of lottery tickets which I thought was a GREAT gift idea. 

Worth and I gave Daddy his own Bug Assault gun since he  is usually always playing with ours when he comes over to our house. This picture captured his excitement about the gun. 

We also gave him tickets for a dinner and show of the Swingin' Medallions. He loves that band, and they just happen to be playing in Tifton this month. 

The old music table has made a come back. I had baby flashbacks listening to the music as Hardy now played on it. Ellie jumped right in with him. It's hard to see her this big sitting at that table. In my mind I still see her at Hardy's size playing at it. 

Cousin babysitter 

We hung this sign outside for the party. My mom did a good job getting this put together without my dad catching her. 

The party was set up and ready for guests. 

They soon arrived and it was a large gathering. 

This was the moment we said "Surprise!" He was just walking up nonchalantly, and then he completely stopped in his tracks when he realized what was going on. 

Got his first hug from his little sister, my Aunt Telie. 

Then his little brother, Uncle Homer. Daddy's oldest sister, Aunt Joyce, is having some  health problems and was unable to make it down from Atlanta, but we know she was there in spirit. She does love Daddy. 

Cousins from all sides! L to R: Walker, Emma, Will, Mack, Ellie, Molly Grace, Mavis, Zoey, Camile, Hattie Rose, and Jude. 

The men in the teal shirts were some previous co workers of Daddy's. He worked with them for a very long time. 

I didn't get tons of great pictures because I was running around doing stuff the whole time. I kept putting my phone down and losing it,  but I did get a few pics of the crowd. 

The cake was massive and was pretty much demolished by the end of the night ( and so was the beer!)  Great night for  UGA football and Chappie's 70th!