Oh what a day

You only turn 18 once. The year of responsibility, (limited) freedoms, pre-adulthood, blah, blah, blah. I didn't get to spend this birthday with Tommy (or last years for that matter), and was still going to be attending the ridiculous last week of school this year as well. I figured the day was going to be pretty lame, boring, the list goes on.

7 days earlier:

Me: (to my parents) "I really only want to meet Kyle Beckerman for my birthday. No presents, no money, nothing. Just him."

Parents: "Well, we can talk to Tyson (awesome brother who is assistant trainer for Real) and see what he thinks."

Me: [sigh].

3 days after that (the fam came down for a birthday dinner all por mi):

Dad to Tyson: "Did Amy tell you that all Carly wants for her birthday is to meet Beckerman?"

Tyson: "No, I didn't know that, but I can see what I can do." [me letting out a discouraged sigh, yet again]

30 minutes later:

Me opening birthday card numero uno from Tyson and Amy: 'Happy birthday, time to rejoice, blah blah blah.... Unless you want to meet KYLE BECKERMAN!' [me laughing, screaming, and acting very happy, because I was indeed very happy]

I figured this wouldn't be happening for some time, and wasn't expecting it anytime soon.

June 2nd (the BIG day):

Plans were to check me out of school at lunch, because I thought my parents were so graciously taking me to lunch because they love me. Which was partly true, but he was going to be meeting us there. (I had no knowledge of this little surprise). Lunch kept getting pushed back, but I wasn't expecting anything, so I just figured my dad had to work later than planned. We finally take off, heading for who knows where down in Sandy. So many yummy, delicious places to go eat around my house, yet we go to Sandy. I'm just so trusting of my parents, so I actually believe my mom who has told me that my dad had to drop a fellow co-worker off at the auto mall to get his truck fixed and we would be enjoying lunch at Paradise Bakery. Why here, you may ask when you know that we passed an Olive Garden and Chili's (both are fantastic!) and that was my exact thought. But we went to lunch there anyways. Turns out he couldn't make it due to a meeting, so my brother called my dad to say that we needed to get some clubs he had just boughten from one of the players for Amy. [me still not suspecting anything is going on].

10 minutes later (we're pulling up to the Rio Tinto Stadium):

Me: "Mom! I am going to walk where Kyle Beckerman has walked."

Mom: "You should have brought a ball, you could have ran the field."

Me: "I am going to go lay on the field, and roll around in it's goodliness."

(getting out of the car to walk in, still no idea what's about to happen. un player exits the building)

Me: "What if I see him?? You'll have to pull me off of him before he calls security!"

(my brother meeting us at the first set of glass doors to welcome us in. e exchange greetings and he tells me Happy Birthday. I walk to the second set of glass doors, and guess who is standing but a few feet from me, waiting to make all my birthday dreams come true. Kyle Beckerman himself. At this point, I lose all self control, and I am screaming, jumping up and down, and eventually running over to where he stands. I literally had to stop myself from hugging him before we'd 'officially' met.)

Me: "Oh my gosh... (deep breath) You are... so good at soccer. And I love your hair..." (clearly I was having a hard time thinking clearly, much less talking without sounding like an idiot)

Him: "So I hear it's your birthday... (clearly he was a little terrified by my excitement of meeting him) So I signed this jersey for you.."

And then.. He hugged me. Twice! And we got a few good old pictures with him while he asked me about my plans for the summer and fall (obviously to hang out with him everyday, duh!) and was super nice.

It was indeed the greatest birthday of my life, and just maybe the greatest day of my life up to this point!! I couldn't believe it, and no one could believe my reaction.