SURPRISE!

Last weekend was the final away series for baseball. Adam packed up and loaded his car to head for LA - where his parents would be staying at the team hotel for the weekend and most his family would come to watch him pitch on Saturday. Before he hit the road he met me to look at an apartment, grab some lunch, and pick up my prescription. A hug, a kiss, and he was gone just as fast as he had returned. I was really getting used to him being home again... but ya know what? I was excited for him to leave.... 

Rewind to two hours before we met up. I was REALLY sad Adam was leaving again. He had only been home for three days and one of those evenings was spent at UVU with half of the valley watching baseball. Too. Many. People. Dang Pass of All Passes. And so I was sitting at work that morning before he left and I looked over at my calender... "I only have a few events this weekend..." One team, which had already checked in, two pay on own room blocks that didn't need to meet with me, and one Rugby team that would check in Friday morning... "...I think I will go surprise Adam." Within the next hour I had told everyone I would take a half day Friday, booked a flight and a hotel, talked to Adam's parents (and they are so wonderful and accommodating - they are never late to a game but they agreed to pick me up at the airport and risk being an inning or two late - we were excited to have a little secret and surprise!), and I was set. I was going to California. Leaving work at noon Friday, my flight landed at 2:55 at LAX which was two miles from the field. Done and done. Perfect. Now. Fast forward.

Wednesday night Adam and I talked and decided to Skype Thursday. Thursday night the team played their game, then had a fireside, and at 11 PM while I was finishing packing Adam called, "We are just barely eating dinner.... I won't be able to Skype until tomorrow... Is that okay?" Me: "Yeah.... that is okay...." Adam: "Okay. I am really really sorry. My parents say hi and they wish you were here!" Me: "Yeah. I wish I was there too...." Adam: "I will let you go to bed, but we can Skype tomorrow. Okay?" Me: "Okay. I am excited to SEE you tomorrow! Love you, good night." Adam: "Love you too!"

Little did he know. When I said see I really meant see... and not over some interweb camera. I text him until my flight took off which perfectly lined up with the time he got to the field, so he wouldn't even suspect anything during my two hours off the grid. His parents picked me up. We got to the game. Adam's mom had a Gatorade for him, "Hey Adam," she yelled around the dugout, "I have something for you!" He came to get his drink and then I popped my head out! He just smiled and said, "What in the world? What are you doing here?!" He couldn't really talk because it was mid game and his coaches were riiiiiight there. So all I said was, "Hi! Surrrprise!"

The rest of the weekend was smiles and laughs. Dinner at the marina with his parents. A walk to Venice Beach (dirtiest beach evs) - we saw a man with a parrot, overpriced swimsuits, muscle heads, and lots of people preparing for a Cinco De Mayo weekend. Some incredible pasta at the first restaurant we saw on our turn around from the beach. It was interesting... It was all bars and bars packed at the beach and then the first clean and normal look restaurant about a block down, nearly empty! Plus it was the best pesto I have ever had. If you are ever in that area go to Canali Cafe. And of course there was baseball. On Saturday there was about 20 people form the Miller family there to watch Adam - a huge benefit of having 8 of 10 siblings that live in southern CA.

Oh. And one more thing. My surprise even made it onto the BYU Baseball blog - shoutout to Ralph for thinking I am newsworthy  I feel pretty big time about right now! When we saw my name in it Adam said it made sense because Ralph was asking all about my surprise when Adam was in his room Saturday before the game.

Adam kept saying, "Is this real? Are you really here?" With all the people that did know - his parents, a few of his teammates, and then whoever somehow overheard - I am surprised Adam didn't even catch a hint of it. He said he had no idea I was coming until my face was right there. Now I think I am going to have a hard time topping that surprise... Any ideas for me?

Love,
Deidre