Deployed Dad Dresses up as Santa and Surprises Daughters at School after a Year Away from Home

Josh Risher, a happy father, shocked his girls with an unexpected appearance at an event at their school after being on tour in the Republic of Korea for a year and being away from his family. The complete story may be found here.

Kaylee, five, and Christy, eight, were shocked during a performance at their school, Windsor Elementary School in Columbia, in December 2014.

Captain Josh Risher, the sisters’ father, had been absent from his family for a year while on a lonely deployment in South Korea. So, when he eventually returned home for Christmas, he wanted to go all out to surprise his girls.

Risher dressed up as Santa Claus and attended their school’s Christmas performance. Kaylee and Christy were seen in a video capturing the beautiful moment, sitting cross-legged with wide-eyed astonishment like other children, starring at old St. Nick.

Risher then crouched down in front of them and drew his beard down, and the girls’ faces lit up with joy as they leaped into his arms, yelling “Daddy!!!” while other kids and instructors cheered.

Fisher was available to celebrate Kaylee’s sixth birthday on December 11, 2014, in addition to going home early to spend Christmas with his family.

The father of three came at his country one day before the major surprise and spent the night at his parents’ apartment to guarantee the big surprise remained a secret and worthwhile investment.

The look of surprise and bewilderment on his children’ faces, according to the deployed father, was tremendous.

The major surprise, according to Risher, was worth staying another night at his parents’ place. Most significantly, he was looking forward to the surprise’s conclusion.

The deployed father told TheState.com that seeing the shock and bewilderment on his children’ faces was fantastic.

Amanda Risher, Risher’s wife, was also instrumental in the prank’s success. She had told her children that their father would not return until Christmas Eve, which added to the emotional impact of the surprise.

She told the source that she didn’t need to buy anything for Christy, Kaylee, or her three-year-old son, Jack, because having their father at home was all they needed.

She added that the family was going to have a great Christmas. On the other hand, Christy, who was overjoyed, said she felt so good. She tagged her father’s arrival as an “early Christmas miracle.”

The family of five enjoyed the Holiday season together, and it was worth it. To spend more time with his family, Risher decided to move Amanda and his three children to Fort Campbell in Kentucky, where he was transferred.