Spontanious

Some friends and I got together Monday night and said "hey, let's go on a road trip." So, tomorrow (tuesday), after work we are driving to Cali!! Ha ha, yeah we are random and spontaneous but it should be fun. We are heading to Santa Clarita where we will spend New Year's Eve at Six Flags Magic Mountain and maybe visit the beach. We are poor so we will be living off of cup o' noodles, pb & j, and granola bars but what is new, right? Maybe we'll get fancy and hit up the McDonalds dollar menu :) Well, that is it for now. I'll update when I get back and hopefully have some good pictures and funny stories to blog about. Love ya'll!!

Colbs

Christmas time!

I have always enjoyed this time of year in the past. However last year and this one have been a little difficult because Danny is gone and I loved to share Christmas with the one I love. I have had a hard time not letting it get to me and not letting myself get depressed over it. One of the few things I have found that helps is to "count my blessings." So I thought it would be nice to post a list of a few things/people I am thankful for. Here it goes, in no particular order:

1. Danny for being such an amazing missionary, supporting me in all that I do, honoring the priesthood he holds, making so many memories with me, and for being my best friend and the love of my life!
2. My entire family especially for putting up with my whining and crying over the last little while.
3. My academy friends for helping me accomplish so much.
4. Dan's parents for making me feel like part of the famiy and helping me stay close to him while he is so far away.
5. Luke for all of the Sunday drives, Sunday chats, and concerts we've shared and for being the little brother I never had
6. Sam and Erica for always thinking of me and inviting me to do fun things, you guys make me feel so loved!
7. Whit and Jed for always being there for me and for having the cutest kids in the world...they are one of the few things that can always bring a smile to my face :)
8. My Young Women for always making me laugh, teaching me so much and letting me be their leader.
9. Austin and Carly for being one of the cutest couples around and painting a picture of what I want my future to be like.
10. My co-workers for listening to me and dealing with my bad attitude sometimes
11. My Academy teachers for teaching me how to be a cop and making me run until I puke and then some more ;)
12. My fellow Young Women leaders (Debra, Candi, Julie, Julie, Sarah, Bobbi, and Kelli) for being amazing examples to me and always being there for me and being amazing sychronized swimmers :) ha ha
13. Ali for being amazingly strong, keeping me company for the duration of two years and reminding me of how far I've come...hang in there Al!!
14. Katie Crablegs for being a good friend and reminiscing about our boys
15. Kent because he is a super awesome/strong kid and it's fun to be with him again
16. Hannah also for keeping me company and for enjoying Wal-Mart with me
17. Celeste for always talking me through things and giving me hope that tomorrow will come
18. My parents for letting me crash at their place still..and eat their food...and paying my insurance..and everything else
19. My car for not breaking down, getting me where I need to go and giving me a quiet place to think and ponder life
20. CSI for keeping me entertained on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday nights
21. NCIS for being the best show in the world and keeping me entertained on Tuesday nights (ha I am a dork yes)
22. My friends that are currently serving missions (Dan, Cody, Trav, Quinn, Clark) for taking two years and dedicating them to serving the Lord and doing it so diligently
23. My computer for making it possible for me to post this blog and also enjoy facebook
24. The Gospel for giving me standards and a foundation to base my life upon
25. The Yankees for spending billions of dollars and still sucking it up, showing us that when it comes down to it, it's all about team work...it's okay guys we will get them next year
26. The Scriptures for providing me a place to find answers and to grow closer the the Lord
27. My Grandpa Bylund because even though I was only two when you died, I know you are watching over me from heaven and I know you can hear me when I go visit you and talk to you..I can't wait to see you again :)
28. Elder Loveridge (Neil) for teaching Dan all he knows and for delivering the best Christmas present I have ever received
29. All the people in the Czech Republic for taking Dan in, feeding him and keeping him safe for me
30. The quilt Danny made for me because it keeps me warm and gives me something to snuggle with
31. The build-a-bear Danny gave me before he left because it gives me the chance to hear him tell me he loves me every night
32. All of my music because sometimes music is the only thing that keeps me sane
33. The Springville Police Department for letting me do so many ride-alongs with you guys and giving me a taste of what the job is really like
34. This Christmas because it's the last Christmas I have to celebrate without Danny!!!
35. All the other people/things that I have failed to mention because I am so richly blessed and when I take the time to look at the big picture...my life is wonderful
36.Most importantly my Heavenly Father and my Savior Jesus Christ for being the only constant in my life and providing me comfort when no one else could...and for giving me all of these blessings

Thank you to all of my friends and family...I'm sorry if I missed you. Know that I love you and I appreciate all y'all do for me and I wish you a very Merry Christmas!!

Much love,
Colbs.

P.S. Sorry this is so lengthy

My ring

I know, I am a loser. I am no where near getting married...yet I am looking at wedding rings. I guess I just like to dream, which probably isn't helping my situation but oh well. Anywho, I was looking at rings and I decided when I finally do get married, this is what my ring will look like! I love it (plus it's only 999.99 ha, cheap I know).

MEMORIES

Well yet again I have the results of a long, sleepless night. This sounds depressing and while it may be, it's just easier to write about sad things for some reason. I dunno, guess I'm just a pessimist. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the product of three in the morning :)

"Every breath I take, every move I make."

There you are.

A memory standing in my path.

Funny how memories so good, so wonderful...

Can bring such feelings of loneliness and despair.

They begin at age fifteen, nearly six years ago...

The movie theatre where we first kissed, even though it took you a few tries ;)

The long way home we often took so we could spend just a few more minutes together.

Our song that you played on your guitar as you whispered the lyrics in my ear.

The star we spent so many summer nights gazing at and finally named our own.

The restaurant where we shared so many meals.

The path we always walked down, hand in hand.

The bench-where a little prom romance plus your dad made for one awkward moment.

Of course we can't forget the Wal-Mart where your camera incident took place ;)

The park where we had our first big fight.

And the driveway where we shared our last moments together, on that coldest day in July.

Everywhere I turn, you are standing right in front of me.

Everytime I turn around, my heart breaks again.

I long for the day in July when the sun comes out again.

The day when I will turn a corner to see you standing in front of me...and not just in memory.

Busy, busy, busy!

A lot has happened lately but I've been really busy so I haven't been able to post about all of it. I finally have a little time though so this post will incorporate a few events that span out over a month or so.

First...Dan had his first baptism!! Yay! Here is a picture of him and his companion with Karel (the kid he baptized) just before his baptism.


Second...Dan only has about nine months left!!! I never thought I'd say this but it is passing by kind of quickly, but not quick enough of course ;) He loves everything about his mission and I'm afraid that it might take a lot of convincing to get him to come home when his two years is up. We'll see :)

Third...I finally turned 21 and I am now legal. I took advantage of it too! No, I didn't go out and get drunk, but I did go buy myself a gun!! Yeah, I am packing a little heat now :) I bought a glock model 26 9mm, if that means anything to you. I can't wait to shoot it on Thanksgiving!!


Sorry this post is so long...hope all is well with everyone!!
Colbs

UVU Police Academy 2008-02

These are some of my best friends, and a few of the officers that, in a few months, will be keeping your cities safe!

I'm official...kind of.

This Monday was my last day of the first block at the Police Academy. We had a Physical test and a written certification test that day and I'm happy to say that I passed both with flying colors, Yay!!! So on Wednesday we were presented with a certificate saying we are now certified as Special Functions Officers. What does that mean? Well in the exact words of Captain DeMille, "this certificate doesn't mean s***." Ha ha, yeah that kind of humbled us all a little bit. It still feels good to be at the half way point of becoming a real certified Law Enforcement Officer though.

"Husband" Tag (except I don't really have a 'husband'...yet)

Alright Whit I'll do it, but only because I'm bored and I wish he was my husband :)

Full name: Daniel Preston Wilding.
How long we've been married: 0 years 0 months.
How long did we date: We've been dating for 5 years and 5 months.
Who eats the sweets: I do, definately. He's never even had a cavity if that tells you anthing.
Who said I love you first:Honestly, I don't remember but I think he did.
Who is taller:Danny
Who sings better:Dan does for sure, I think I'm tone deaf ;)
Who is smarter:Depends. Street smarts, me. Book smarts, Dan is a freaking genius.
Who does the laundry:Right now we both do our own (it would be tough to do his laundry all the way from the Czech Republic) but I'm sure when we're married I will.
Who pays the bills:Right now I'm the only one with bills to pay, so I do.
Who sleeps on the right side of the bed:Well, you see we don't sleep in the same bed yet..so no one I guess.
Who mows the lawn:We both do.
Who cooks dinner:We both do, Danny is actually a pretty dang good cook and he tells me he's getting better. I'm excited to see if that's true.
Who drives:Mostly him, but I drove once in a while.
Who admits they are wrong:Yeah, Whit got it right. Us Bylunds are stubborn so that would have to be him.
Who asked who out first:Ha ha, he did. We were in junior high so it was one of those phone calls and you ask "will you go out with me?" Ha ha. There is acutally a funny story behind that, but it's too long to put on here.
Who wears the pants:I think I do...comes with that Bylund stubborness.
What does he do that surprises you:Lot's of things, but there is one that I miss the most. I love people to play with my hair and everytime we would watch a movie he would willingly let me lay on his lap and he would braid my hair for hours, he is so cute!
My favorite feature on him:His eyes and his curly hair (when it gets long).
My favorite quality he has:Lots. Hard worker, high standards that he never strays from, and he never holds grudges...he loves everyone no matter who they are or how they treat him.
Does he have a nickname for you:He calls me babe and Colbs.
His favorite food:He loves pasta and chicken. Actually, Dan just likes to eat. Ha ha, he will eat all of his meal and then half of mine when I don't finish it. He should weigh like 250 pounds based on how much he eats, but he's skinnier than a bean pole :)
His favorite sport:Probably soccer. But he likes to watch all sports.
Our favorite thing to do as a couple:Before he left we watched a lot of movies, but I think when he gets back our favorite thing to do will be hiking and spending time outdoors.
Does he have any hidden talents:He's dang good at ping pong. I already mentioned he can braid pretty well. Probably the most impressive is that he can sew. Before he left he made me a giant quilt that he designed and pieced together and everything all by himself!
What do you admire most about him:A couple things. One, what he is doing right now...I could never do it. Two, no matter how bad I piss him off...I never doubt that he loves me and I know that there is nothing I could do to ever make him not love me.
His favorite color:Red, unless it's on a guitar then it's white.
How did he propose:He hasn't proposed yet, but I'm excited to see how he does!!!

See-food

My future father in law and I had a bet on a race that we ran back on Labor Day. If he won, I had to eat three pieces of shrimp. Of course, even with his senior citizen status, he wasted me. So after much delay...I ate three pieces of shrimp this last Saturday. He was nice enough to give me the breaded kind, although I think he only did that because he didn't want to get ralphed on ;)

T-minus three minutes!

So..we had a physical fitness day for the academy today. We ran the mile and a half course that we have to run for our test (minus the 300 meter sprint) and I shaved off three minutes from my last time!! I was so happy. Hopefully I can keep it up and pass the test that we have in like two and a half weeks. Also for our test we have to do 21 consecutive push-ups (which I passed, but just barely) and 29 sit-ups in one minute which I also passed (I did 50 in one minute, I was happy). Last thing is the jump...17.5 inches vertical...piece of cake!! Getting in shape hurts, but it is so worth it to see all the results :)

Fun? Or just bored?

I usually don't do these things but I was listening to music and I had a few extra mintues since class was cut short due to it being Physical Training day. So I thought...what the heck.

Here are the instructions

1. Put your iTunes on shuffle.
2. For each question, press the next button to get your answer.
3. YOU MUST WRITE THAT SONG NAME DOWN NO MATTER HOW SILLY IT SOUNDS!
4. Tag your friends who might enjoy doing the game as well as the person you got the note from.

IF SOMEONE SAYS "IS THIS OKAY" YOU SAY?
Roll right

WHAT WOULD BEST DESCRIBE YOUR PERSONALITY?
For the pier

WHAT DO YOU LIKE IN A GUY/GIRL?
Stumbleine

HOW DO YOU FEEL TODAY?
High on the mountain top

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE'S PURPOSE?
Paranoiattack

WHAT IS YOUR MOTTO?
Houses on the hill

WHAT DO YOUR FRIENDS THINK OF YOU?
An ode to no one

WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT VERY OFTEN?
In another’s eyes

WHAT IS 2+2?
Beautiful Zion, built above

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR BEST FRIEND?
Ground on down

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Heart of a champion

WHAT IS YOUR LIFE STORY?
Throw away your television

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GROW UP?
Child-heart losers

WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE PERSON YOU LIKE?
Trumpet, trumpet! Toot! Toot!

WHAT DO YOUR PARENTS THINK OF YOU?
Where boys fear to tread

WHAT WILL YOU DANCE TO AT YOUR WEDDING?
Gotta be somebody’s blues

WHAT WILL THEY PLAY AT YOUR FUNERAL?
Mr. Soul

WHAT IS YOUR HOBBY/INTEREST?
Come, ye disconsolate

WHAT IS YOUR BIGGEST SECRET?
Agenda suicide

WHAT DO YOU THINK OF YOUR FRIENDS?
Holes in the floor of heaven

WHAT'S THE WORST THING THAT COULD HAPPEN?
Surf wax America

HOW WILL YOU DIE?
Unanswered prayers

WHAT IS THE ONE THING YOU REGRET?
California

WHAT MAKES YOU LAUGH?
Guerilla radio

WHAT MAKES YOU CRY?
Skinned knees and gapped teeth

WILL YOU EVER GET MARRIED?
Cold cold heart

WHAT SCARES YOU THE MOST?
Feelin’ the same way

DOES ANYONE LIKE YOU?
Give a man a home

IF YOU COULD GO BACK IN TIME, WHAT WOULD YOU CHANGE?
Xyu


WHAT HURTS RIGHT NOW?
Lily

WHAT WILL YOU POST THIS AS?
Love you till the end

450 is the magic number of the day!

Not that I'm counting days, because really I'm not. But I wrote in my journal today and realized that it has been 450 days since I have seen Dan. That's a long time. Sad thing is...I still have like 300 more days until I get to see him again. That's okay though, it will be so worth it and as much as it seems like my future is just a never-ending dream...people keep telling me it will really happen. So I'll believe them. Until then I'll just keep on keeping, after all, what more can ya do?

"Hell Week"

So I decided to name this last week "hell week" because that's what it was, in a nut shell. At school we had five days of p.t. (physical training) in a row. And of course it's not the regular pansy p.t. that I'm used to from high school and stuff. No it's run three miles every day (up a giant hill mind you) then when you finish, go back and get your classmates who aren't finished yet. After that, we will all come in and stretch for five minutes then we'll do at least 60 push-ups and sit-ups and those stupid things where you have to lay down, raise your legs six inches off the ground with your legs straight and hold it. If someone drops, then we hold it longer, if everyone's not at six inches...then we wait until they are. Ha ha, it was painful but it was actually kind of fun because it's getting my lazy butt into exercising, plus I got to watch one of my classmates get laid out flat on the ground by some random girl. Something I (and I'm sure he) will never forget :)

DANNY!! ...or should I say D to the a to the nny?

Last week was a tough week...mainly because I am so stressed out and I didn't get a letter, instead I got an email saying 'sorry I was way busy and didn't have time to get to the post office this last week but I mailed it out today, and it has pictures.' I can't really complain about that, Danny is amazing and never leaves me room to wonder whether he loves me or not! Anyways, so on my way home from work I drove as fast as I could to the mailbox and behold...there was my letter with a wonderful memory card!! YAY! I was so excited, I ran in and grabbed my computer and put the card in. I love seeing how Danny is still the same Danny that I said goodbye to 14 months ago (well mostly the same, as you'll see from the video I'm not so sure I know exactly who he is these days, ha ha) and I love to hear his voice, even if it's just for a few seconds. Anyways, I love the pictures and I was fortunate enough to get a few videos as well, here is one of my favorites. Aparently you learn a little more than just missionary work on your mission. What a dork!! But once again, that's why I love him...you never know what to expect!

I LOVE this man!

I was looking through all of the pictures that Danny and I have taken throughout the years...and I ended up putting this little slide show together. I did the best I could to put them in chronological order. I just want to say that I am the luckiest girl alive to have found a man like Dan, there are thousands of things I could list that I love about him but it would take a ton of space. So I will just say that I love Daniel Preston Wilding more than words can express, and here are a few memories from Danny and Colbs.

One step closer to living my dream....

I started at the Police Academy today! I was super nervous, not knowing what to expect and all. The instructors are all really nice and my fellow students seem like cool cats so I think this will be good. I have always wanted to be a police officer and at the ripe old age of 20 I am finally old enough to start making that dream come true! Did I mention that at the ripe old age of 20 I'm also the youngest cadet in the class? Also, out of 37 students there are four of us that are of the female gender...we'll show those guys what tough really is ;) So yeah, I'm excited and nervous all at the same time and I will keep you all posted on how it goes! Wish me luck.

Here's a picture I took to send to Dan so he can see what his woman looks like in uniform ;)

My first 5k!!

On Labor Day I ran my first 5k race with the in-laws over in Payson as part of the "Onion Days" celebration! It was freezing cold and raining almost the entire time but I found as I ran that the rain was really a blessing. It kept me nice and cool! The race was fun, I didn't do as well as I had hoped but I finished and that's good enough for me. Unfortunately me and my father in-law had a bet going on the race and even in his 'old age' he wasted me, by like ten minutes. Ha. So sometime in the near future I will be eating three pieces of garlic butter shrimp...yuck!! That's okay though, after I waste him next year he will have to accompany us to Disneyland. What goes around, comes around! Vince and Julie took 2nd place in their division, and Kelli who is one of our good friends from the neighborhood ran the 10k and took 2nd in her division as well. Good job guys!!

Pretending

So sometimes when I can't sleep at night I like to just pick up a pencil and paper (or in these modern days, a keyboard and a blank word document) and write. Sometimes I write the feelings of my heart, sometimes I write random nonsense, sometimes they are one in all, and sometimes I just write about whatever. It's just fun to write...so here is tonights product. And just so you know, it's not meant to be as depressing as it sounds :)

As she wandered around catching up with good friends,
introducing herself to never met family and reacquainting with old,
she forced a smile upon her face and held the tears in.
But in her heart no smile was near.
Sure she was happy for the lovely couple of whose day it was,
for they are standing next to eternity.
They deserve the love they have found.
They are happy,
and they show it.
Because they don't have to pretend.
They don't have to pretend that they are alright,
that the smile on their face is sincere,
that they are content with the situation they are in.
They don't have to pretend that deep down inside,
their heart is not shattered into a million tiny pieces
longing for what seems to be the day that will never come.
The day that he returns to pick those pieces up
and glue them back together with his love that she once held.
The day she can put a real smile on her face.
The day she can answer yes to her wise friend's question "Are you okay?"
and not have to respond the same to his next "Are you lying to me?"
The day when she can stand next to him
and finally be standing next to eternity.
That will be the day,
Her day.
The day she has to pretend no more.

Officer Bylund

Ha ha, that sounds funny. But one day in the near future, that is what I will be known as! Yes, I start at the law enforcement academy on September 9th!!! I'm very nervous but rather excited as well. I have to wear a military style uniform with military style boots, polished and everything. I'm sure it will be quite the site...but hey, watch your rear view mirrors because in a year it could be me pulling you over! :)

One Year!!!

So Friday, July 18th marked Dan's one year! It isn't quite hump day because Dan just informed me that missions there are 25 months since they have nine week transfers. Sucks, but oh well not much difference in one more month. I still can't believe that it's been a whole year since I have seen, or hugged, or kissed Danny. This last year has been hard but I've learned so much from it and I still have a lot to do before he gets home next year...the way time is going now, I better get a move on it.

Music is my life

Good bands anyone? Currently my favorites are: rogue wave, tegan and sara, brand new, dcfc, the faint, the knife, wolf parade, dear and the headlight, the pixies, modest mouse, johnny cash, cursive, coldplay, bob marley, ben harper, and more. Check them out if you haven't heard them and I'm always up for new music if anyone has any suggestions!

Backpacking-Southern Utah

This weekend I was able to go to Southern Utah as a Young Women leader and do a little backpacking with the young women and some other leaders (including Dan's parents). It was very, very hot but it was sooo much fun. We did some hiking at Calf Creek Falls and spent the night there and then the next two days we hiked through the canyons of southern Utah to Death Hollow and up the Escalante River. There is no feeling more satisfying than trudging through sand, water, dirt, bushes and trees with blisters on your feet and forty extra pounds on your back and then stumbling upon a beautiful waterfall or natural arch. If I didn't have a job I would spend every moment of every day exploring the outdoors like I did this weekend, it was a blast!!

5 YEARS!!!

So today is June 17th, that means that five years ago this day me and Dan's story began. Those five years have flown by because they have been the best five years of my life, and Dan's as well (As he claims and I hope would be true). And hopefully it's only the beginning of many more to come!

Only a guy...

So Dan is on the other side of the world, in a very beautiful and historic country that he gets to explore on p-days and what does he do? Takes pictures of a Porsche and himself with a random cat...imagine that! Ha ha he's a dork, but that's why I love him :)

Name anyone?

So I got a kitten a couple of weeks ago, she is sooo cute, but for the life of me I can't choose a name for her. Anyone have any good ideas??

Work is overated!!

So ever since school has been out I have been working two jobs, pulling fourteen hour days! Gag...work is sooo overated. I think that I would rather be poor and happy than overworked and underpaid and miserable. Not to mention tired and lacking a social life.

What happened to the days of no bills/responsibilities?

Jimmy Eat World

I recently went to the Jimmy Eat World concert with Luke (Dan's little bro) and we had a lot of fun. This is the third time I have seen them in concert and they get better every single time!! I love concerts, hopefully this summer will be filled with them!

San Francisco

In September 2007, my friends and I decided to run away for a week and visit the wonderful town of San Francisco, CA. It was a blast! We spent a lot of time riding BART and shopping the streets of chinatown, but we also found time to visit the famous Golden Gate Bridge. We had a ton of fun wandering the streets and just being our goofy-selves.

Should've Been a Cowboy...

After years of deep contemplation and a little encouragement from me, Dan finally realized that being a cowboy is where it's at. Fortunately, he decided to keep a little of that hardcore rocker in him as well...I think he looks pretty good either way!

Ceska Republika

Dan has been on his misison for nine months now and he is loving every minute of it. So far he has served in three areas. His first area was a town called Zlin where he served with his trainer, and favorite companion ever, Elder Loveridge. He stayed in Zlin for a transfer or two and was then transferred to the beautiful city of Prague. He loved it in Prague, especially when he was able to take early morning runs across the Charles Bridge on his p-days. He was just recently transferred to Brno, the second largest city in the Czech Republic. He is now a senior companion, training a brand new missionary. He is excited for the experience of training and in doing so, he has quickly realized just how far he has progressed with the language. He loves the people in the Czech Republic and has made many friends in the short seven months he has been there. The first thing that Dan really liked about the Czech Republic was what they call "Rohliks." They are a soft, breadstick like food that can be found all over the Czech Republic. Dan's favorite food is bread and therefore it was a welcome site for him to see that they love breadsticks so much!

From the beginning...

Dan and I met during the summer of 2003. Our friends started hanging out together and consequently we became friends as well. I wasn't too interested in Dan but he liked me and so I went along with it. I thought it would be a typical teenage relationship-date for a week or two and then call it off-but it obviously didn't work out that way. We started spending a lot of time together and before we knew it, we were falling more and more for each other every day. I quickly realized what an incredible person he is and I fell in love with him without even realizing what was happening. We dated all three years of high school, becoming best friends in the process. We shared so many moments together, both good and bad. We told each other everything and we just knew that we had something special, something different. After high school we continued dating through our first year of college at BYU. On March 1st, 2007 Dan received his mission call to the Prague, Czech Republic mission. We spent every spare minute we had together until he left on July 18th, 2007. So far that is the story of Dan and Colbie, but don't worry...it will be continued soon!