It was an emotional moment.
Two British brothers received an early Christmas gift when Santa surprised them with the return of their military dad.
Chris Gibson, 36, had been in the Falkland Islands for four months serving with the Royal Air Force and sons Declan, 11, and Connor, 7, didn't know when they'd see him next.
The boys’ mom, Abby Gibson, of England, organized the surprise for her sons just in time for the holidays.
“The kids had no idea,” Abby Gibson said. “They knew that their Dad was coming home at some point in November but I never told them the exact date as I wanted it to be a surprise.”
In a video of the emotional moment, Santa asked the boys want they want for Christmas, to which Connor answers “for his dad to come home.” Little did he know his wish was about to come true, as Chris Gibson then walked through the door.
“It was extremely emotional and I can't tell you how happy I am to be home,” Chris Gibson said. "When I saw the boys in with Father Christmas, my heart was racing. I've missed them so much and when Abby started crying, I started crying.”
During his latest deployment, Chris missed both boys' first days of school and his wedding anniversary.
"Chris has been away for such a long time so I did feel nervous in the run-up," Abby Gibson said. "Now he's back; it's just amazing."
Chris Gibson isn’t sure whether he’ll have to return to duty before Christmas, so he is cherishing every moment with his family.
"We're going to relax in front of some classic Christmas movies, enjoy our tradition of baking cookies and mince pies on Christmas Eve and of course track Father Christmas before bed,” Chris Gibson said.
