A 10-year-old boy got an incredible reward after completing an inflatable obstacle course – crossing the finish line to discover his military bonus dad had returned home from a 10-month deployment. Deacon Truax, from Holt, Michigan, hadn’t seen bonus dad Anthony Almazan, 34, for almost a year while the United States Army Reserve staff sergeant was deployed to the Middle East. To Deacon and his biological twin sisters, Adalyne and McKenna, both aged nine, Anthony is like a father, as he stepped into their lives around four years ago, their mom, Lindsay, 37, said. Anthony's time overseas was also the kids' first experience of one of his deployments, making it extra tough on Deacon, his sisters, and their bonus sister, six-year-old Isabella, Anthony's daughter. But it was Deacon who struggled the most: he is the only boy in a house of four girls when Anthony is away, and every night he slept with a Build-A-Bear Anthony had given him. Each milestone of the deployment the family would video call Anthony overseas – but it was never quite the same. And so, when Lindsay discovered her boyfriend was set to return home in the summer, she started working on a surprise reunion for the kids. She decided to host an army-themed birthday party for the twins on July 8, for which she rented an inflatable obstacle course.
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LifestyleTranscript
00:00 On your mark, get set, go!
00:04 10-year-old Deacon is racing through this obstacle course
00:08 without even knowing a huge surprise
00:10 is waiting for him at the finish line.
00:12 It was Anthony's first overseas deployment
00:17 away from his and his girlfriend's kids,
00:20 who he met four years ago.
00:22 Ever since Lindsey and I have been together,
00:26 taking the kids in and trying to be the best father figure
00:28 I could to them, and they've grown on me a lot.
00:31 I treat them just as much as my own kids.
00:33 They look up to me every single day,
00:35 and they bring me lots of joy every single day.
00:38 I just miss them every time I'm away.
00:42 Before deploying, he even gifted them all stuffed animals
00:45 with personal voice messages inside.
00:48 It was something that each kid individually
00:54 had special with me and them.
00:56 [whispering]
00:59 And so every time they push that button,
01:00 they have that special recording.
01:02 Deacon slept with his every night.
01:06 But after 10 months, it was finally time
01:09 to hear Anthony's voice in person,
01:12 right in time for the twin girls' birthday.
01:16 I've been gone for military events in the past,
01:18 missing their birthdays.
01:19 And so, you know, after being home from the deployment,
01:21 I was like, I have to get something.
01:23 I have to do something to get there to their birthday
01:25 to surprise everyone.
01:27 Who's here?
01:27 [laughing]
01:33 - You're too slow to get out of bed.
01:39 [laughing]
01:41 - Who's here?
01:41 - It's gonna be so exciting.
01:46 - I know.
01:47 Deacon had no idea his bonus dad had come home either.
01:52 On your mark, get set,
01:55 go!
01:56 - He's over there on that side.
02:06 [laughing]
02:10 - He's gonna be here for our party.
02:14 - Hi buddy.
02:15 - He was so excited and got the biggest hug ever
02:18 and just brought lots of tears to both of us.
02:22 That was just a great moment.
02:24 - That was a surprise.
02:26 - Yeah.
02:27 Everybody went hugs.
02:29 Going hugs.
02:30 - It was just the best feeling in the world
02:32 to be able to see y'all all at once.
02:34 Especially him, you know, being us two guys in the house
02:39 and me being back there.
02:40 And he was kind of the man of the house while I was gone.
02:43 So he was like a big relief when he got to see me
02:46 and I got to see him.
02:47 And it was just lots of joy for that day.
02:50 Take as many videos as you can with your kids,
02:52 spend as much time together as a family,
02:54 cherish every moment.
02:56 And just can't make up that time lost
03:00 with the kids and the family.
03:02 Take the time, make the memories.