The Great Thanksgiving Surprise of 2008

Last week I was homesick. Very homesick. Because I go home for Christmas each year, I almost never go home for Thanksgiving. It's hard to justify paying for two plane fares in such a short amount of time. But since I was very, very homesick (did I mention I was homesick?), I decided to check out fares. And last Tuesday I found (and promptly purchased) a roundtrip ticket from Denver to Seattle for $154.

I needed accomplices, so I told my sisters Sarah and Bekah. Sarah would have the biggest secret-keeping challenge because she lives with my parents. Bekah and her husband, Ezra, agreed to pick me up at the airport. Yesterday I received and encouraging text message from Sarah: "Mom and Dad don't have a clue!" I arrived Wednesday night without a hitch and spent the night at Bekah and Ezra's.




This morning I helped Bekah prepare part of the meal. She and Ezra were hosting his family and ours — a total of 13 guests! As we prepared the food we plotted. "I think you should hide and wait for a few minutes after they get here," Bekah suggested. "It would be more dramatic."

So around 1, when the Hadfam rolled in, I scurried upstairs and waited in the hall. Unfortunately, my dad almost immediately got on the phone with my uncle. Ten minutes later he handed off the phone to my mom so she could talk to my aunt. Sarah came upstairs to say hi and sympathize about my predicament. It was then that she suggested a brilliant plan: When my parents were off the phone, she would ask them to pose for a picture. She would count to three and start rolling video, at which time I would burst forth with my surprise.

Mom finally got off the phone and I heard my cue. I raced down the stairs. The look on their faces was pure shock. Then Mom hugged me and cried and everyone cried. It was great. So I had a wonderful Thanksgiving. And it's kind of special when you get to make others' holidays extra-special. I told Mom and Dad I hoped this wouldn't cause disappointment in the future when I don't show up. Dad's response was that they'll just get me home every year. Yay! Happy Thanksgiving, my friends.

(If you have Facebook you can
watch the video.)