It's a Wonderful Life: SURPRISE!

A few months before Matty's 30th birthday,

the thought of throwing him a surprise party kept crossing my mind.

I wanted to do something really special and memorable for the big 3-0.

It was something I tried to plan in my head while going to sleep at night, wondering if I could pull it off, how I would pull it off. Could I really keep it from him so he would be completely, honestly surprised?

We went ahead and planned our trip to Ashland to celebrate with Papaw, and after several sneaky texts, phone calls and Facebook event planning...it was set up. For the weekend after his actual birthday.

I was a nervous wreck!

I put a pass code on my phone in case he picked up my phone, and there was a text message he would accidentally see that might ruin the surprise!

I called his buddy Akers and had him ask Matty if he could golf that day, I needed him to leave around 2pm so that way he wouldn't be home until 6ish.

However, my good boy Matty kept trying to get them to plan it earlier

so he wouldn't have to be away all day.

I told Akers to INSIST, and he finally turned the tables, and told him that Pickle and him wanted to surprise him with golf and beer on them in celebration of Matt passing the PE exam.

Which I thought was GENIUS because it would take any suspicions away if Matt were starting to think something was up.

I had a couple of scares though, I had originally facebook messaged one of his work buddies, thinking he would never in a million years think I would have set up golf between the two of them. He ended up not being able to go that weekend, but he messaged me a few days later and told me he thought Matt knew about the surprise.

My heart absolutely sank.

I felt sick, my stomach hurt.

Matt and I were watching TV and I snuck upstairs to "turn over laundry" to write him back and ask him what he thought he knew. He said "one of his golf buddies told him it was a surprise for his PE"

Oh thank goodness...he was telling him about Akers!!!

Matt told me all about the golf of course, and how Akers and Pickle (his name is Derek Picklesimer in case you were wondering) were taking him golfing as a surprise and paying for everything.

Also, I have to say I was also super happy that I always get into random "lets clean the whole house" moods and he didn't think me scrubbing the kitchen cabinets and cleaning carpets all week was strange! Ha!

I had set up with my Mom and Dad for Case to spend the night with them, since I knew he wouldn't be able to sleep with a house full by 8pm and we had church the next morning.

(I wanted Case to be there for the actual "SURPRISE!" so I had Mom and Dad plan on picking him up around 7pm)

Rhett stayed home because that boy will sleep through anything, and he's at the age where he sleeps better in his own bed.

I couldn't wait for Matt to get out of the house that morning!

Thankfully, Akers came into town around noon, and the got out of the house soon after.

I needed to shop and set up for the party!

Obviously with a joint checking account, it's hard to be sneaky about shopping for a party for 20-30 people.

I bought a few things here and there with cash throughout the week, and saved buying the food for Saturday.

It started to get real when our friends started showing up!

I asked everyone to come around 5pm, which was perfect except

Matt took FOREVER to get back to the house!

Akers texts me at one point warning me that Matt wanted to go play another 9 rounds at another golf course, so I quickly told Matt that I was tired and that the boys were being wild and I just needed him to come home! Hee!

So what I'm guessing was around 6:30, thank goodness I made two batches of spinach dip, and had everyone bring a side (I saved the grilling out for Matty) or we would be starving!

I started getting texts from Akers that they were headed our way!

I apologize again to anyone walking through the door around then, I was a little bit psycho yelling at people to hide and to get in the house! ;) Sorry, love you guys!

So, we all hid in the kitchen and the back room, so that when they walked in the door they couldn't see anyone.

We were all crouching against cabinets, couches, doorways when we heard the screen door open...

he walked down the hallway

and we all yelled...

SURPRISE!!!