Using A Decoy
The day of their parents’ return was sure to be a whirlwind of emotions. The girls were preparing themselves to share the amazing surprise with their parents and their excitement was tangible. However, the sisters had planned a bit of misdirection first.
They decided to start things with a distraction in the form of a visit from eldest daughter, Heather. Heather arrived at the house, ready to greet them as they arrived. Every moment was captured on a camera they had set up outside.
Up All night
At 7 AM, Hollie and Haley were awoken by the alarm after not enough hours of well-deserved rest. The girls literally worked until they dropped after finishing the paint job on only half the kitchen.
The kitchen cabinets were also not done, half needed a second coat of paint and half needed their first coat. The sisters had to hustle, this was their last day of work before their parents arrived the next morning. The Christmas surprise needed to be ready.
Hearts On Their Sleeves
Hollie decided to take the camera into the car with her on the morning of the sixth day. She wanted to show her parents just how exhausted they both were. She asked Haley how she felt, and her sister said, “I feel like I’m in the army.”
Then Hollie talked openly in front of the camera about her feelings, showing off the “stress acne” that had flared up. The girls still had a bit of painting to do, after which they could return all the furniture.
An Enticing Introduction
The moment had almost arrived as Hollie whispered, “We’re so nervous,” to the camera. As the Schoonovers’ car was coming down the driveway, the girls stood and waited, with the camera rolling on the last few minutes of the Christmas surprise.
In the end, the sisters decided to use part of this sequence in the opening of the video they would end up posting on YouTube. The girls were unable to sit still and hurried from the camera to the window, to make sure that they were not going to miss their parents’ arrival.
Off The Trail
When Karen and Chip Schoonover pulled into the driveway, relaxed and recharged after their week-long getaway, they immediately felt that something was up. Outside the car, Karen started looking around the yard to try and figure out what was going on, just then her four daughters came out of the house together.
Karen and Chip, who only expected three, exclaimed: “Hey! Hey! What are you doing here?” to eldest Heather. They were overjoyed by the unexpected visit and surprised to see her at home.