The Tithof family surprises their grandparents for Christmas.Photo:Lexi Tithof/Tiktok
Lexi Tithof/Tiktok
Every year, Mary and Dale Tithof open their Michigan home to host what they lovingly call “A Tithof Christmas" with their family members.However, with their five children and 10 grandchildren now scattered across the country — from Florida to Texas, California to Ohio — the couple has grown accustomed to smaller gatherings in recent years. Often, only two of their five children’s families (those who also live in Michigan) have been able to make it over for the holiday celebrations.
However, this year, a few of their grandchildren were determined to make the holiday special for their grandma and “Poppy.“Lexiand Alli Tithof, two of the couple’s Michigan-based grandchildren, coordinated with their cousins, aunts and uncles to surprise their grandparents with a Christmas celebration that they hoped would be unforgettable.
“This past year has been kind of hard for them” Lexi, 21, tells PEOPLE exclusively of her grandparents. Mary’s sister, Norma, and her husband, Frank — who Lexi says were her grandparents’ closest friends and the people they often spent the holidays with — died earlier in the year, within a month of each other.
Determined to do something to lift their grandparents' spirits, the sisters began brainstorming ideas on how they might be able to get their whole family in one place for the first time in nearly five years.“Definitely credit to my older sister, Alli,” Lexi says. “She created a group chat with all of [the cousins] and was like, ‘Okay, guys, we have to do something.’ "
The Tithofs surprising their grandparents.Lexi Tithof/Tiktok
The Tithofs with their grandparents.Family Surprises Grandparents with Sleepover.
Family Surprises Grandparents with Sleepover.
Coordinating flights, schedules, and accommodations for the five children, 10 grandchildren, three great-grandchildren and spouses was no small feat. Lexi admits that some of the family needed more convincing than others, particularly their California relatives, who worried about potential travel delays. One of their cousins based in Florida had also recently given birth to twins, raising concern that flying with their toddler and two new babies would be too much of a struggle.
But Alli’s initial text to the family convinced them to trek out to Michigan to see their grandparents.
“The initial text that Alli sent kind of guilt-tripped everyone,” Lexi shares. “Because it was like, ‘We don’t know how much time they have. When are we ever going to be able to do this? Everyone can make the time.’ So I think once they read that, they were like, ‘Okay, we have to do it.’ "
Despite some logistical kinks, like where to house the dozens of extended family who arrived in Michigan for the night before the surprise (they ended up staying at Alli and Lexi’s family home) and where to park the next day so as not to alert the grandparents to the surprise prematurely (in the parking lot of the high school across the street), the family was able to pull the surprise off.In avideo posted to Lexi’s TikTok account, the family can be seen gathering in the snowy front yard of Mary and Dale’s house, wearing matching black, long-sleeve shirts that read “Tithof Christmas 2024” that Alli designed and ordered off of Etsy.“I gotta get a picture, hold on!” said the Tithofs' grandpa in the video, standing in the front doorway.“They were shocked,” Lexi adds. “My Poppy started crying, which I rarely ever see.”
Alli also made sure to come to the house prepared, so as not to stress out her grandparents with the arrival of the 22 extra family members.
Mary Tithof hugging another family member.Family Surprises Grandparents with Sleepover.
source: people.com
