Mom and dad’s epic ‘Elf on the Shelf’ surprise goes viral. ‘Our Elves!’

As families continue with their “Elf on the Shelf” traditions, Christy Freeman and Jeff Freeman have set the bar high.

While preparing for their winter cruise aboard the “Disney Dream,” Christy and Jeff Freeman’s daughters, Ava and Mia, were prepared to leave their elves at home.

Snowflake the Elf has been a beloved seasonal member of the Freeman family since last year. And this year, Peppermint the Elf joined the crew.

“Christmas is my absolutely favorite time of the year,” Christy told the Miami Herald. “It’s the love, warmth, joy and remembering the reason for the season. We decided to add the elves as a touch of extra magic, especially because our oldest is growing right before our eyes.”

Like many of the elves on the shelves around the world, Snowflake and Peppermint returned to the Freeman household Dec. 1.

“Snowflake showed up with Peppermint for the season and the magic. We usually take (an) annual family trip and this year we decided to sail on the Disney Dream,” Christy told the Miami Herald.

Christy and Jeff knew this was the “perfect” family trip that would also include Snowflake and Peppermint and their Christmas traditions.

“The elves could travel with us and appear for the girls each day,” Christy said.

“I shared my idea of asking one of the stewardesses to take the elves and have (them) deliver them to the girls at their seat. We always fly on Southwest, mainly for the open seating and customer care. We arrived to the airport and happened to spot a stewardess get off of our plane.”

It was then that the plan was put in motion. Christy and Jeff were able to talk with the flight attendant before boarding their plane as “other family members kept our girls occupied.”

“The days prior, the girls begged Snowflake and Peppermint to come. We did a whole build up, the elves in floats in (the) tub getting the vacation vibes going and then telling them to have a great time,” Christy explained.

“As we boarded the plane, the stewardess did a motion and whispered to my husband, ‘just trust me.’ We get to our seats and settled. The girls again say ‘I wish Snowflake and Peppermint could come. I hope they’re okay.’”

As the family got settled, the pilot made an announcement over the loud speaker.

The pilot told the plane that they were waiting for two VIP passengers. Jeff captured the magical moment on camera and it has since gone viral on social media.

“Ladies and gentlemen, we have our celebrities on board,” the pilot shared in a second announcement. “Peppermint and Snowflake.”

As the flight attendant walked toward Ava and Mia, the girls were stunned. “Our elves,” they shouted.

“The stewardess and the pilots took our idea and ran with it,” Christy told the Miami Herald. “They really added the magic,” adding that the flight attendant “was the best.”

“Since we’ve been on the ship, the girls continue to find them. The elves have also made mischief on the ship ... from the spa to the bridge. We’re going to post a recap of all the ship shenanigans.”

This story was originally published December 11, 2024 at 3:03 PM.