Moody, AL – Moody Elementary first grade student Kayleigh Ruff hadn’t seen her dad since the day after Christmas.

With the help of school administrators, her mother, Lacey Ruff, teacher Katherine “Katie” Harmon, and Leeds Chick-Fil-A, Kayleigh got a big surprise at school last week.

After being deployed with the Air Force in Turkey for four and a half months, her dad Sgt. Blaise Ruff, returned home.

“I’m so excited,” Sgt. Ruff said before surprising Kayleigh in her classroom. “I cannot wait to see my kiddo again.”

Sgt. Ruff had arrived at the airport only an hour earlier and came straight to Kayleigh’s school with wife Lacey.

Kayleigh’s teacher, Katherine “Katie” Harmon was leading the students in songs about soldiers and had been teaching the class about the Fourth of July. Students wrote letters and drew pictures to send to Kayleigh’s dad, but those did not have to be sent to the post office.

Sounds of children singing trailed into the hallway as the Chick-Fil-A cow stood with balloons and Sgt. Ruff stood anxiously awaiting to see his daughter again.  The Chick-Fil-A cow entered the classroom while the children were singing, followed closely by Sgt. Ruff.

As soon as she saw her dad, Kayleigh ran into his arms. He picked her up in a tight hug and she wouldn’t let him go. The other students continued singing as the adults in the room had tears in their eyes.

“I didn’t even know that they were behind me until Mrs. Harmon said look behind me and I ran up to my dad,” Kayleigh said. ”I was so happy because I was like missing my day so much like after Christmas he had to leave.”

The family continued to hold each other while the students sang songs. Some, Sgt. Ruff sang along. Kayleigh only left her father’s side to bring him two little presents that she had in her cubby. 

Mrs. Harmon brought a thick manila envelope to Sgt. Ruff filled with the letters and drawings the first grade class had done, many of the letters saying thank you and several drawings of the American flag.

After the students sang, the class had Chick-Fil-A chicken nuggets and a cookie cake to celebrate.  Mrs. Harmon put a t-shirt on Kayleigh that read, “Outta my way! I get my daddy back today!”

“It was an overwhelming reaction seeing how excited she was,” Sgt. Ruff said. He wasn’t sure how she would react to the surprise.

“”Just seeing how tall she has gotten since I have left, she talks different, sounds different, looks different – you miss a lot,” Sgt. Ruff said.

He doesn’t know how long we will be home this time, sometimes getting orders to ship out on short notice, but he wants to make the best of the time he has with his family.

“You get lost in certain moments,” Sgt. Ruff said. “It’s not about the time you spend away but the time you spend together.”