UPDATE: We caught up with the mother and daughter a year later for Thanksgiving 2017. They were celebrating 'Thanksmas' again.
Heather Slaughter is moving to Orlando next year; the best gift Cheryl Nauss could ask for!
ORIGINAL STORY: We all know the saying "everybody has a story." So among all those hundreds of shoppers out there Thursday night, we knew we would find some good ones.
13 Action News came across one mom and daughter duo whose bond may be more special than most.
Heather Slaughter moved to Shanghai four years ago to teach English.
Her mother, Cheryl Nauss, still lives in Las Vegas. Nauss is battling a disease that makes her become progressively more blind every day.
Slaughter only gets to visit her family once a year so they make sure to make the most of each one.
Because of that, Slaughter and her family decided they would be celebrating Thanksgiving and Christmas all in one. They call it "Thanksmas."
"The first annual Thanksmas!" Nauss said.
Thursday morning, the family opened presents beneath the Christmas tree.
Thursday afternoon, they ate a turkey meal with Christmas placemats and Christmas decorated wine glasses.
Thursday night, the mom and daughter duo headed to Kohl's to shop for new outfits for the Carrie Underwood concert they are seeing together this weekend. The tickets were a gift from Slaughter to her mother.
"I'm really proud of her," said Nauss. "I've taught my daughter she needs to spread her wings and not worry about me. I'll be fine."
The ladies made sure to make their first "Thanksmas" one to remember.
"She and I have just spent every day.....it's been wonderful," Nauss cried.
Slaughter goes back to Shanghai on Tuesday. They hope to see each other again next holiday season.
