Thanksgiving surprise: Family picks up daughter and her new boyfriend in costume
PHOENIX - Thanksgiving is all about family, so when one Valley woman told her family she was bringing her boyfriend home for the first time, they made sure his welcome was extra special -- just like they are.
"She keeps saying, 'don’t scare Andy, don’t make too much of it -- you know you are already a little too much,'" Collette Stansel said.
Stasel said she was not about to disappoint her daughter, Jennifer, and her new boyfriend, Andy Erickson. The couple flew in from Alaska for Thanksgiving, landing at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport early Wednesday morning to a very warm welcome.
"No, no, no, I specified please pick me up at the curb because I’m so tired and I thought we could just put the bags right in the car, but now we’re going to slowly shuffle through the entire airport in a pumpkin suit," Jennifer Stansel said.
When Jennifer told her mom she was bringing Andy home, Collette started plotting and planning and headed online to buy the holiday-themed costumes
"Dad is a pilgrim, twin sister is a turkey, grandma is a pilgrim -- will get you some type of costume later," she said. "Mom is a pumpkin, brother is some type of chicken."
Andy didn’t seem very shocked.
"It seemed about right," he said. "She said expect anything. I do have a costume in my bag, yeah. I was told to bring one. I wasn’t told to wear it on the plane though."
In fact, he might fit right in with this fun-loving family.
"It’s OK... it could be worse," Jennifer said.