CIBOLO, Texas – On Wednesday afternoon, U.S. Army Maj. Brandi Burrowes made a surprise visit to see her three children. She traveled to Steele High School in Cibolo all the way from Afghanistan.
"They are way bigger than when I left and way more adorable," said Burrowes, a critical care nurse.
Burrowes said technology is a great option for staying in touch from the Middle East, but that there is nothing like an in-person hug, especially since she hasn't seen her children in almost a year.
"I love them dearly, and they have done nothing but make me extremely proud in my absence," Burrowes said.
Her oldest, Taj Burrowes, is a senior at Steele High School. He plays wide receiver on the football team.
"A lot's going on right now. I missed her," Taj said.
The second oldest is Taj's sister, Tae. She is a junior varsity cheerleader, also at Steele. She is young enough to enjoy high school, yet old enough to worry about her mother living and working in and out of war zones.
"I heard they had, like, some problems when she first got there, so I was worrying and stuff like that," Tae said.
Brandi Burrowes’ youngest child, BJ, plays in the Dobie Junior High School band. He, too, had to take a moment to soak in the fact that his mom was really there.
"Pretty shocking. Pretty shocking," BJ said.
Summer Ellis is a friend and former battle buddy of Maj. Burrowes. Ellis orchestrated Wednesday's meeting. It was supposed to be a complete surprise. As it turned out, however, Brandi Burrowes’ children use the same cellphone tracking app she does.
"She was in El Paso and then the connection went out, and I was, like, ‘What else would she be doing? The next time I checked, she was 16 miles out before the phone went dead,” Taj said.
"That's the trick that I use. So for parents out there, that's how I track my kids. I can find out when they leave school. I didn't know they could do it to me," Brandi Burrowes said.
She said although her children are almost all grown up, one thing will never change.
"They'll always be my babies," Brandi Burrowes said.