Kai Olivas was doing math with his class at Trail Ridge Middle School when his dad came to visit.
The middle schooler’s jaw dropped before he rushed into his dad’s arms for a long overdue hug to the applause of his classmates. Kai hadn’t seen his dad, Oomar Olivas, since last October and Thursday was their first time reuniting.
Olivas has spent the last 12 months in the United Arab Emirates and Syria serving in the Colorado Army National Guard. He returned Thursday, surprising Kai and later his daughter, Zoe Olivas, during her volleyball game at Skyline High School.
“Life is full of its own anxieties and I don’t need to spread that in my family, so I figured give them excitement over anxiety,” Olivas said of the surprise.
Olivas has served in the Colorado National Guard since 2011. He said it felt good to finally return home.
“The first breath of crisp Colorado air was something I’d been waiting for for a long time,” he said. “I’m really grateful to be home, see the colors in a place with trees. It’s really nice.”
Kai was beyond excited to see his dad, and a bit lost for words.
“I was just shocked,” Kai said, adding that he thought it was going to be another three months before his dad's return.
As for the first thing he was going to do with his father, Kai knew exactly what he wanted: “Video games.”
The two love to spend time together playing video games, and Kai specifically looked forward to playing Minecraft once again with his dad.
“We have a level that we play together. He’s left it alone until I got back,” Olivas said.
