Dan and Colbs

AUGUST 20, 2009

2009-08-19T22:11:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-12T09:56:00.000-07:00

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...

2009-06-17T00:09:00.000-07:00

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?

2009-05-07T22:22:00.001-07:00

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

2009-04-21T23:00:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-04-07T14:45:00.000-07:00

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.

2009-02-03T21:53:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-29T18:49:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-18T20:58:00.000-08:00

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

2009-01-13T21:25:00.000-08:00

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!!!

2009-01-01T23:16:00.000-08:00

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 :)

Spontanious

2008-12-29T23:10:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-12-17T20:06:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-04T22:02:00.000-08:00

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

2008-12-01T21:31:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-11-24T13:47:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-24T06:43:00.000-08:00

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.

2008-11-20T17:08:00.001-08:00

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)

2008-11-12T13:32:00.000-08:00

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

2008-11-03T14:54:00.000-08:00

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!

2008-10-29T22:41:00.001-07:00

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?

2008-10-20T21:17:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-10-09T20:52:00.000-07:00

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"

2008-10-05T19:11:00.000-07:00

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?

2008-09-22T22:49:00.000-07:00

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!

2008-09-14T16:38:00.000-07:00

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....

2008-09-09T20:17:00.000-07:00

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!!

2008-09-04T21:57:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-21T00:59:00.000-07:00

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

2008-08-18T08:28:00.000-07:00

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!!!

2008-07-20T16:23:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-29T22:11:00.000-07:00

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

2008-06-21T21:11:00.000-07:00

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!!!

2008-06-17T20:31:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-06-10T20:11:00.000-07:00

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?

2008-06-10T20:00:00.000-07:00

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!!

2008-06-07T16:26:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-17T21:35:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-17T20:59:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-04-17T20:39:00.000-07:00

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

2008-04-17T20:19:00.000-07:00

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...

2008-04-17T19:53:00.000-07:00

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!