As Airplanes Fly

I'll start out by telling you that yes, Taylor passed his stage 3 of commercial piloting license. Was it easy getting there, no! Let me tell you why. Summer passed by as fast as a sun rises and then a sun set, like it always does. Before we knew it, Taylor was expected to get 40 hours of flying in a month which was more than he was use to because he is a full time student and part time employee at Pepperidge Farm. If he wanted to stay on track for graduation, he had to do it. After talking to his employer, and negotiating with his flight instructor, they designed a schedule and made a plan for him to accomplish these daunting 40 hours. Of course at the end of the 40 hours is a flying test and that flying test took place on the same day as the "Add or Drop" date at the university to take the class he needed to take. It was stressful to say the least. During this time, I got a little taste of the pilots wife life. Pretty much I saw Taylor very little. This was especia...

It's a tradition in my family that when someone has a birthday or a special time in their life, we do a family car wash. This is where the special person we are celebrating, lays on their back as the rest of the family rubs their hands on their back, with the occasional booty poking for jokes. I had just been through another break up and was again, single. But it was my birthday and we were not going to think about that. I was 25 at the time and I honestly didn't feel that different. Most people feel old at 25 because they think "A quarter century". But not me, I felt comfortable.  It was dad's turn, and these words have stuck by me from that moment and especially in the moments I question if I can be a pilots wife. "Collie, you are confident and independent." It wasn't until recently that I understood why God had given me the life of independence - As a pilots wife, it is imperative to be independent. Ya, I had heart breaks, lonely times, and...

I was walking between the HYPR building, on my way to the Education building at Utah State University, when my right pocket started vibrating. Taylor and I had been engaged for 2 months so when I saw him calling - smile. I knew Taylor had been wondering what to change his major to since he decided he didn't really want to be a teacher. It was then, on the phone, he wanted to get my thoughts. I had no idea he was thinking of becoming a pilot and we didn't really think it was an option because of how expensive the program is. He explained how he talked with the advisor about his Air Force military benefits and how he would be able to get school paid for if he enrolled in aviation. He was calling to see how I felt about him being a pilot. This moment is something I have returned to a million times, and it is one that brings so much peace into my life. We had been praying for him to know what to study and to later do with his career. I have to say that up until that moment, Heaven...

When Taylor and I first met, it was actually out on the softball field, preparing to play a game for our Skills PE class at Utah State University. We were both enrolled in the Kinesiology (The study of body movement) degree with an emphasis in teaching. It was Taylors first semester ever in collage, since leaving the military and it was my millionth semester.  We both desired to be teachers, but Taylors drive to teaching was to be a football coach. And not just any football coach, he wanted to be Coach Taylor - Just like the Coach Taylor in "Friday Night Lights". Taylor expressed to me that it was through that movie that he saw his future of being a high school football coach. I also desired to be a coach, but instead of coaching boys to throw balls, I wanted to teach girls and boys how to throw girls (Cheerleading). However... It wasn't long into the program of Kinesiology and teaching that Taylor realized he wasn't so into the whole idea of teaching as he was wit...

This is a video of one of the first time's I was able to see Taylor prep the plane, do his flight plan, and take off! So exciting.

It's March 2018 here in Logan Utah. Taylor and I are students at Utah State University living in a cute gray house. The snow has roofed everything white, and it is BEAUTIFUL. Taylor and I will go snow shoeing tomorrow at Toney Grove up Logan Canyon. I wanted to share a little bit about Taylor and I so you have a background of where we are coming from. Lets start with Taylor. Taylor is tall, blond and handsome! First time I saw him with his hair freshly cut, beard trimmed, and in his work out clothes, I thought to myself "now there is a man". Not to mention his, make your ankles weak, deep country accent and southern hospitality... I was a goner from the start. I literally felt my stomach flip upside down and jaw drop like an anchor dropped it to the floor when he mimicked the words form the movie "Sweet Home Alabama" - "Why you wanna marry me anyhow?... So I can kiss you any time I want". Ya... I died. I was his. Taylor had just moved to Utah aft...