FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - A father who was over 3,000 miles away helping with recovery efforts from Hurricane Helene was reunited with his family in Fresno for the holidays. One of the busiest days of the year for the Fresno Yosemite International Airport might have also been the most candid for this family. "Honestly it feels really unreal, like seeing my kids right now, knowing I haven't seen them in months," said traveler Eduardo Perez. Perez says he has been in North Carolina since October helping clean up the wreckage inflicted by Hurricane Helene. "I'm out there working in North Carolina with a tree company, so I'm cutting trees out there with the FEMA Project," he said. Perez says he was just one of many others longing to be with their families having already missed Thanksgiving. "I left when she was literally crawling and I come back and now she's walking, so that's the craziest part is just seeing my kids grow more and that I'm not there," Perez said gesturing at one of his two daughters held in his arms. Perez adds he will enjoy as much time as he can with his family and friends before he has to return back to North Carolina. "I got my uncle and everybody waiting for him at the house— gonna make some food," his wife said.