(From WEEK News 25) - The holidays are a time for families to be together.
For military families, it is a hard time to be away from loved ones deployed or stationed far from home.
The big surprise at the Head Start Child Care Center in Pekin Friday wasn't the guest reader for story time, or the kid's stirring rendition of Frosty the Snowman, complete with egg shakers.
The surprise was for four year old Mylie Adkinson who hasn't spent a Christmas with her dad, ever.
So when Corporal Jacob Adkinson of the Marine Corps found out he'd be home this Christmas he had an idea.
"I was just talking to my fiancee and we decided that it would be a good way to surprise Mylie," says Adkinson.
When her dad walked into her classroom she was speechless. This was the first time she had seen her dad since May.
"I contact her every day, I talk to her on the phone. On deployment it was a little tough, we had to go through emails back and forth," says Adkinson.
Mylie was not the only excited one. The entire school wanted to show Corporal Adkinson their appreciation for his service, and presented him with a giant card, and a heartfelt thank you.
Mylie's teachers were happy to be in on the surprise.
"We were just thrilled, we were so excited to be a part of it, when they mentioned that this might happen, we were excited to just be part of it," says Miss Mary E and Miss Mary K, Mylie's Teachers.
And what did Mylie think about all of the excitement? "I'm glad my daddy's home," she says.
