AUGUST 20, 2009

Well, it's here. He's really coming home...or so they tell me. Ha ha, it still doesn't seem real to me but I guess that's good. It keeps me from going crazy :O Anywho, I guess I'll update you tomorrow night, or Friday, whenever I get around to it. Thanks for all of you who have shown me so much love and given me so much support over the last twenty five months (and one day)...I couldn't have made it here without ALL of you!!

Love,
Colbs.

I Dun Did It

My wonderful family, who helped me get here today!

Matt, Me, TJ, Luke and Chris...some of my best buds

Sgt. Hendricksen, one of our firearms instructors and one of the best police officers you'll ever find

Officer Johnson and Myself, she was part of my original academy group but moved up so she could work for BYU

Taking the Police Officer Code of Ethics Oath

Captain DeMille presenting me with my certificate!

Yay!!! I graduated!! The Police Academy is all finished, and to be honest it was a little bittersweet. You would think someone would be ecstatic about completing something that consumed at least thirty hours of your week, on top of your forty hour work week for the last ten months. It is a joyous moment, but I'm also going to miss spending all that time with the great friends that I made. At graduation, Captain DeMille played what he calls the stand up game. He reads something and if it is something you did, or applies to you then you stand up. The things he read off the list made me realize all the good times that we had and the fun memories that we made together. "Rugby", running stairs, doing push-ups for dropping batons, having five instructors breathing down your neck yelling mean things in your ear all while trying to assemble a gun and shoot six targets, scenarios, crashing on skateboards, beating people for simply mowing their lawn, etc. We really are like a family, we had good times, bad times, funny times, sad times, hard times and fun times and we all helped each other through them all. I hope that I get the opportunity to work with some of the fine men that I had the priveledge of attending the Academy with. I will never forget them and I wish them all the best of luck in all they do. Session 020; "let's kick ass, take names, dominate and own real estate!"

And I thought I loved you then...

Six years ago, today. That’s when who I thought was a goofy, nerdy, young man, stole my heart right out from under me before I even realized it was happening. Little did I know that when I agreed to date him, that would be the beginning of the happiest days of my life. I didn’t say the easiest, because believe me they’ve been anything except that, but I don’t regret a minute of them. I’ve learned a lot from him, and even though he’s five thousand miles away I continue to learn from him every day. He is the most amazing and sincere person I have ever met and I am lucky that I have been able to share the last six years with him. Two months from now will be the first time I will see/speak to him in over two years…I’m nervous. I don’t know what will happen from there. However, I do know that no matter what happens my life will be better because of him. I thank my Heavenly Father every day for sending him into my life. He truly is a ‘mortal angel’ as Elder Holland put it. I am excited to see what the future has to hold, and who knows…maybe 44 years from now I can write about this same thing. And if that be the case, I’m sure the title will be the same…”and I thought I loved you then.”

I love you Daniel Preston Wilding!!

P.S.

To Anyone who knows Dan, I'm willing to bet this is just how you remember him. Guitar in hand and a smile on his face :)

Am I Crazy?

A while back I was talking to a neighbor of mine and he informed me that with all the running I'd be doing in the academy, I'd get to the point where I'd actually start to enjoy it. Having loathed running all my life, I thought there was no way that would happen to me. Well, turns out he was right...I actually DO ENJOY RUNNING! When I am stressed, I go for a run. When I am bored, I go for a run. When I need to get out of my house, I go for a run. And when I go for a run, I have to convince myself for like twenty minutes that it's time to head for home, otherwise I'd be out all day and night. I don't know what it is but there is something about plugging in and just going that calms me down and makes me happy. I guess this isn't a bad thing, but I honestly never thought that I would ENJOY RUNNING! Now if only my ankles would agree :)

P.S.
Pretty sure we are almost down to THREE MONTHS!

Tegan

Tegan was a fun cat. She had the cutest personality even though her constant toe nipping could get on your nerves a bit. She always had to be in the middle of the action and loved to play with you. She would hide around the corner and attack you when you came around it. She loved to drink from the bathroom sink, she could hop like a bunny and, my all time favorite...she loved to chase deer across our yard!! She was a good cat and we'll all miss her but in the words of Ethan "Tegan's with Heavenly Father." Thanks for the memories, I love you Tegan!!

Thank You!

I turned the tv on this last Sunday and the country music awards just happened to be on. I like country music so I thought I'd watch it for a bit and I'm glad I did. There was one part of the program that really touched me. Even if you hate country, please click this link to watch the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0mm4u2VzDs. I cry everytime I watch it, and I've watched it a lot! It makes me even more proud to be an American and I want to say thanks to all the soldiers who fight for our country. I also just want to add this one thing...I know there are a lot of people who disagree with some decisions our country has made and that's okay. You're entitled to your own opinion just as much as I am to mine. But PLEASE give our soldiers the respect they deserve, they fight to protect our lives and liberties so you don't have to!

Change is good.

I decided it was time for a change, so I went to Nikki at Naturally Yours in Spanish Fork, and told her to chop it off. It's a little different having short hair and bangs for the first time in a while, but I absolutely love it!! Thanks again Nikki!!!




P.S. I couldn't find my camera, so all I have is a low quality cell phone pic...sorry.

Killing Them with Kindness

It really works. Don't believe me? Next time someone is rude, obnoxious, or negative be kind to them. When someone yells at you, don't yell back...and apologize to them. You'll be surprised what kind of outcomes you can get. I've been experimenting with this lately and I, myself have been quite surprised at what it does.

24 - 18 = 6

YES!!! It has been eighteen months since I have seen/talked to the love of my life and my best friend. That means that I only have six more until I see him again! I am so flippin excited and a little nervous, what if I have forgotten everything. Like how to be in a relationship that consists of more than letters and an occasional email? Ha ha, I'm sure it'll be just fine...I mean he'll be in awkward missionary mode for a little bit, right? That should give me time to remember. One thing I am definately excited for is to see this again, it's a sight that I have missed over the past year and a half (I know it's only an air guitar, but Danny always had some sort of guitar in his hand). I love him!

Lessons Learned

This is going to be a really long post. Read it if you want, but beware. It's just another product of my late night thinking sessions. Here is a partial list of some lessons I've learned in the past few years of my life.

Lesson 1 – no complaining allowed.
Complaining is ugly. It is hideous. Most of all, it is contagious. It brings about dark clouds in your life and the lives of anyone around you. Just don’t do it.
Lesson 2 – “happiness, like faith, is a decision.”
It’s EASY to walk around with your head down, feeling sorry for yourself. It’s EASY to get depressed to the point that all you want to do is sit in bed and cry. It’s EASY to feel that you have nothing to smile about. I don’t like easy things. Happiness is a decision that only you can make, and sometimes it’s HARD to choose. You can choose to have a good day or a bad day. You can choose to smile or frown. You can choose to be a pleasant person to be around, or the person that everyone tries their best to avoid. Happiness can sometimes be a hard decision to make, but I’ve always enjoyed a challenge.
Lesson 3 – prayer is necessary in times of distress and times of joy.All of my life I have prayed when I needed something or when times were tough for ME. If I lost something, I prayed to find it. If I was sad, I prayed to be comforted. If I needed a blessing, I prayed for one. If I was hungry, I prayed to bless the food as quick as I could so I could get to eating. What I have failed to do is pray when I don’t need things. It took experiencing the hardest years of my life to figure out that I need to “pray ALWAYS, that you might come of conqueror…” (D&C 10:5). If you want to succeed when times are hard, or when they are pleasant…you’ve got to pray. It may have been in front of me the whole time, but I’m glad I finally picked up on that…twenty-one years later ;)
Lesson 4 – if you want to find yourself, you’ve got to lose yourself.
This sounds a little bit oxymoronic. However, it’s true. Service is the best, perhaps the only, cure all. Get caught up in it and your life will never be the same. Seriously, make a daily goal to go out of your way to do a kind deed for someone else, perhaps a complete stranger, and see how much better your days are.
Lesson 5 – cry. cry. cry.
Sometimes, especially for girls, crying is a miracle worker. Sometimes crying even when you don’t know why you’re crying, makes your world seem like a brighter, better place. Sometimes it’s good to even put your face in your pillow and scream as loud as you can. A little stress release is wonderful.
Lesson 6 – true, pure love is rare. when you find it, hold on to it with all you’ve got.
Self explanatory. Has anybody ever said something to you that just made you think “wow that is the most honest, loving, unexpected thing I’ve ever heard.” That’s when you know, that’s when I knew, that I had to hold on to this person with everything I have and make sure I am the type of person who deserves their company and friendship.
Lesson 7 – God has a plan and He knows what He’s doing.
Yep, He really does.
Lesson 7.1 – “come what may and love it.”Life sucks sometimes, trials are inevitable. However, like I said in lesson 7, God knows what He’s doing. He won’t put us through trials or hard times that we don’t have the strength to get through. So make the best of them, and learn something from them. “Come what may, and LOVE it.”
Lesson 8 (perhaps my favorite) – Sunday will come.
From a book written by Elder Wirthlin titled Press On.
“I think of how dark that Friday was when Christ was lifted up on the cross. On that terrible Friday the earth shook and grew dark. Fearsome storms lashed at the earth.
Those evil men who sought His life rejoiced. Now that Jesus was no more, surely those who followed Him would disperse. On that day, His enemies stood triumphant.
On that Friday the veil of the temple was rent in twain.
Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of Jesus, were both overcome with grief and despair. The superb Man they had loved and honored hung lifeless upon the cross. On that Friday, the Apostles were devastated. Jesus, their Savior-the man who had walked on water and raised the dead- was Himself at the mercy of wicked men. They watched helplessly as He was overcome by those who hated Him.
On that Friday the Savior of mankind was humiliated and bruised, abused and reviled.
It was a Friday filled with devastating, consuming sorrow that gnawed at the souls of those who loved and honored the Son of God.
I think that of all the days since the beginning of this world’s history, that Friday was the darkest.

But the gloom of that sad day did not endure.
The despair did not linger because on Sunday, the resurrected Lord burst the bands of death. He escaped the grave and appeared gloriously triumphant as the Savior of all mankind.
And in an instant the eyes that had been filled with ever-flowing tears dried. The lips that had whispered prayers of distress and grief now filled the air with wondrous praise-for Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, stood before them as the first-fruits of the Resurrections, the proof that death is merely the beginning of a new and wondrous existence.

Each of us will have our own Fridays-those days when the universe itself seems shattered and the shards of our world lie littered about us in pieces. We all will experience those broken times when it seems we can never be put together again. We will all have our Fridays.
But I testify to you in the name of the One who conquered death-Sunday will come.
In the darkness of our sorrow, Sunday will come.
No matter our depression, no matter our grief, Sunday will come.
In this life or the next, Sunday will come."

California New Years!!!

New Years isn't exactly my favorite holiday, but it was pretty fun. We were at a gas station filling up when we got invited to a hopping party. The kid who invited us was plastered and informed us that at his party there were 20 kegs, piles of weed and three drug dealers. Ha ha...we decided not to attend ;) Instead we headed back to Magic Mountain. Then on New Years Day we woke up, headed to Venice Beach and Santa Monica Pier where we rolled up our pants and had fun in the sun. Then we headed down to Hollywood where we met some stars, and walked down Hollywood Blvd. Overall it was pretty fun...our next stop is Vegas on the way home. Hilary and myself are going to try out the nickel slots and see if we can break even while Steph and Kt boots watch from 20 ft away...ha ha ha. I'll let you know how that goes. Anywho, here are some pictures. Hope you like them and HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!

P.S.
Danny comes home THIS YEAR :)