Grandparents sent life-size cardboard cutouts of themselves to family for Thanksgiving

Missy and Barry Buchanan knew that the coronavirus pandemic meant they wouldn't be able to gather with their extended family like they normally do for Thanksgiving. So, they decided to come up with another way to make sure they were able to be together...in spirit. Well, in cardboard. 

Instead of risking their lives, Missy and Barry decided to send their kids and grandkids life-size cardboard cutouts of themselves. It's a hilarious idea, not to mention, way safer than gathering in person. 

Missy told Newsweek, "My husband and I fall into the 'vulnerable age' category, so we made the decision a few weeks ago that we would not travel to either the Texas Hill Country where our son and family live or to California where our daughter's family live.

"With the rising COVID numbers, we thought it was a good opportunity to show younger generations that we could have fun 'celebrating' even thought we were not together physically. For us, it's all in the attitude... and we chose to bring some laughter to a challenging situation.

"So my husband and I took a full-length photo on our porch and sent it off to an online service and had them ship the 6 ft.-tall cutouts to where our adult children and grandchildren live." It's just incredible. 

The best part is that they didn't warn their kids what was coming. They just told them to look out for "a rather large box" that would have something in it they could use for their Thanksgiving table.

One of the families put the cardboard cutouts in their front windows to spook the neighbors! The possibilities are endless and hilarious. 

Missy says that their grandkids got a real kick out of it. Their three-year-old grandson even propped them up in his room and has whole conversations with them. 

Granddaughter Clara said, "We walked up and opened the door of our garage and they're like, right in front of us. I thought it was the real Ama and Poppi, then I looked around and I'm like, 'No.'"

Grandson Quinton said, "[It was] a little bit scary when I walked in the front door. They were just standing there. I got a little bit freaked out."

Now that grandma and grandpa are in three places at once, everyone can be together for the holidays. And everyone will stay completely safe. It's a pretty foolproof plan. 

Missy told WFAA, "I want to show our younger generations that we can be apart, but we can still be a part of each others' lives and our celebrations."