Sailor surprises family with homecoming at Flour Bluff school
When Liam and Lyla Eaves made their way to the Flour Bluff Intermediate School library Monday morning, they didn't expect for their mother to meet them there.
Not only was it the start of the school day, but their mother, Master-at-Arms Chief Petty Officer Select K. Lindsey Shinn-Tijerina, has been serving the U.S. Navy in East Africa since January. She wasn't expected to come home until around November.
On Monday, Lyla, a sixth grader at Flour Bluff Intermediate School, and Liam, a seventh grader at Flour Bluff Junior High, were expecting a meeting with their military counselor.
"Then it just happened," Liam said. "It was surprising — I didn't know anything about it."
Lyla's classmates and school staff were there to watch the reunion, celebrating alongside the family as the children embraced their mother.
"You're so tall," Shinn-Tijerina said to Lyla as the three hugged. "You were shorter than me when I left."
Shinn-Tijerina was able to keep in touch while deployed through FaceTime, but reuniting was emotional.
"It's not like it used to be. I still had FaceTime even though it was very pixelated and the connection was bad," she said. "But I was able to remain in contact; it was just the time difference. It was a good nine-hour time difference."
Lyla and Liam both have birthdays in November. Shinn-Tijerina was excited to get home early to celebrate with them.
"I'm looking forward to spending time with them again today," Shinn-Tijerina said. "We're going to get back into the groove of everything, holidays and birthdays."
Many families in Flour Bluff ISD are connected to the military. District spokeswoman Kristen Bily said the district has counseling and other resources for military families.
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This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Sailor surprises family with homecoming at Flour Bluff school
