Simply Stewarts: SURPRISE!!!!

With the help of Joshua’s parents we pulled off a huge surprise that has been in the making for over a year. I cannot thank them enough for helping us to pull this off. As the day of our arrival got closer and closer, Charity kept asking them if they were sure we were not coming. They had to keep telling her we could not come and had to keep seeing the look of disappointment on her face.

About a year ago Joshua and I began discussing that we would go to South Carolina this year to see his sister graduate from high school. We also decided that we did not want to tell her, but to surprise her!

As soon as this school year began Josh’s Dad found out her graduation date and it was sooner in May than we were hoping. She would graduate on May 18^th, and Luke would still be in school. We were hoping she would graduate closer to the end of Luke’s school year so we could drive out and stay a week and a half or so, but it did not look like that was a possibility.

So, we decided that we would fly out and make a long weekend of it. Not only did Charity, not know about this, but neither did Luke. There was NO way we could trust Luke not to tell his Aunt Charity about this!

As her graduation got closer and closer Charity would say how she really wished we could go out there, but she understood that Luke was still in school. Each time she said it, it broke our hearts to hear her, but we became more and more excited about the surprise that was planned for her.

On the MORNING we were to fly to South Carolina we woke Luke up and told him about the trip! He was super excited to find out we were going to South Carolina for a long weekend, but he was beyond excited to hear that he was going to fly there!

This boy has wanted to fly in a plane for a LONG time!

Josh’s parents went back and forth on how to let Charity find out that we had come, but in the end, this is what happened.

Josh’s Mom and Dad picked us up from the airport and we made a stop for lunch and at the store for some poster board and markers. Luke needed to make a sign for his Aunt Charity.

Charity's Bubba made a sign too.

We went to their church to make the signs and waited for her to arrive. The Music minister of the church called Charity and told her she needed to go up there early for band practice.

We hid and waited.

Luke was beside himself and could not wait to scream SURPRISE at the top of his little lungs! Truth be told, I was super excited too!

And THIS is the face of a girl who had NO CLUE that her Bubba, Sister, and Nephew had flown into town see her.

(can I just say it is stressful taking pictures of a surprise! I was shaking and so worried that none of them out turn out.)

It took her a second to realize that we were standing there, but when it all clicked, she set down the guitar and began to cry as she went over to Josh.

They stood like that for a while. The stress of planning this was beyond worth it in this moment. I tear up every time I see this picture.

These two are like twins, 16 years apart.