Airman Surprises Daughter at School

Most parents couldn't imagine being gone from their kids for more than a few days, but one mom in the Air National Guard was gone for four months; so she decided to make her homecoming a surprise. Ashely Hughes met her fiancé and mother, Julie Hughes at Peoria International Airport Thursday. At the same time, her unsuspecting daughter sat in her third grade class at Peoria Heights Grade School, thinking it would be a few hours until the reunion. Julie Hughes counted the things their family had to catch up on; ""my birthday, her birthday, Thanksgiving, our anniversary, Christmas and New Year." Their reunion was emotional after Ashley got off the plane, but there were more tears to come. They went straight to a very special third grade classroom in Peoria Heights. Jordyn thought she was going to pick her mom up at the airport that evening, making the surprise even sweeter. She said one of the best parts of having her mom home was "talking to her in real life," instead of on the phone. "I have been waiting four months to see that little face again," Ashley Hughes said. "I want her to be proud of me and to see her face when I walked in... it was perfect, it was perfect." Julie Hughes said she still has a house full of decorations. Since Ashley was away in December they were all going home to celebrate a late Christmas.