Christmas Time's a Comin'!

Happy Surprise to mom!!!

Originally we weren't able to come to Wisconsin for Christmas with my mom - we're running low on vacation days. But then Thanksgiving weekend we found out from my younger sister that she would be shipped to Afghanistan before Christmas of next year. I didn't want to think about not spending another Christmas without my sisters and my mom (and her birthday on the 25th too!). So Felipe and I decided we were going to come back to Wisconsin for Christmas...but that we would surprise mom. Best decision I've ever made regarding a surprise. I learned after Dad passed away, that time with the family is too valuable to pass up. I had to be there with everyone this Christmas.

We spent the last month collaborating with Mariam and Grace about our arrival. Grace was coming into town ahead of us, so we arranged with her to be picked up from the airport. She told mom she needed to "pick up a friend" from the airport and managed to get mom into Milwaukee for the day.

Felipe and I got to the airport really early yesterday - our flight was leaving at 8pm and we arrived around 4pm...we didn't want to risk anything with holiday traffic leaving Manhattan. Grace and I kept in contact via text and I kept her updated on our flights arrival.

When we landed in Milwaukee at 10:15 (only 15 minutes late!) I sent mom a video on her iPhone - earlier in the week I had lip synched to Raffi's "Christmas Time's a Comin' " while in front of our tree at home. I sent the video to her as a little hint - because the chorus goes "Christmas time's a comin' and I know I'm going home..."

Grace knew then we were on our way out of the terminal, and so watched for us and was ready to film mom's reaction - which you can see in the video above. I was walking straight towards her, and she was looking directly at me but it didn't register to her that it was me. It wasn't until I waved at her that her jaw dropped and she recognized that it was actually Felipe and I walking toward her.

Best surprise ever. Merry Christmas to us!! and to all of you too!!