Year in Review

I got my journal out today...and was so embarrassed to see that it hasn't been written in since August!! I am GOING to better at that next year. But I was thinking about everything that has happened this year(and most of it not recorded in the journal) and thought I might do a year in review for the blog. Like a big catch up session. It was really fun to remember all that we have done this year and see how much the boys have changed in the last 12 months.
1. The first event of this year...was our big move from Washington to Arizona. I remember it being a LONG drive in a small car.I remember being both excited at exploring a new place, very sad to leave our family in Washington, and nervous about Arizona's heat. Ethan was devastated to leave his grandma and kept saying, "Mommy my heart hurts." I hated to see him so heart broken. We took over a lease on a very small apartment and lived there for a little over three months while our house was built. One of my favorite memories of those three months was the fact that Preston and I slept on the ground(not even a mattress) for three weeks. Finally we got our mattress and we slept on our mattress in the dining room. I remember Bob and Jaqui and their two girls coming and looking for a place to move into and while they were there Ethan and Tyler slept in the bathroom. Tyler in the tub and Ethan right next to the toilet. Those three months made FINALLY moving into the house so much more exciting.
2. The next big event was buying our first house. We bought a speck home so it was only framed when we put down our money. It was so fun to watch it change everyday. I really feel so blessed to finally be in a house. I've loved painting and sometimes repainting when the color didn't turn out quite right, hanging curtains,blinds,chandeliers,and ceiling fans. We're hoping to put a backyard in by this fall.
3.Friends coming and going.Every time we move we've made so many new friends...but with our move to Arizona I wasn't expecting to make so many old friends. My sister, the Orton's, and Bob and Jaqui all moved here after we arrived in February. I really think it helped Ethan get over his heartbreak over grandma to have Lucy and Marcie(his cousins),Macy and Charlie, and Aunt Lindsey to play with. We've also met so many great people here in Arizona.We've loved Casa Grande and all the friends we've made here.


4. Lindsay Owen's Wedding. That was a big event for me. Lindsay was my best friend in high school and she joined the church my senior year and so it was so sweet for me to be with her in the Nauvoo Temple when she was married! Preston and I had my grandma watch our boys and we celebrated our 5 year anniversary while we were in Nauvoo. We stayed in the cutest bed and breakfast for a few days and it was so nice to go out to dinner without having to cut up anyone else's food. I grew up near Nauvoo and I was so excited to show it to Preston, we had a great time.

5. Ethan and Tyler have changed so much this year. Ethan turned four in June and celebrated with a huge Pirate party. He's changed so much and it's been really fun to watch him learn to ride a bike, go to preschool and so much more. Tyler has changed so much this year, he talks now which is a huge accomplishment for him...I was sure that it was never going to happen. He has become such a boy, always growling like a monster, shooting webs at me like Spiderman, and tackling Ethan. Those two have become best friends this year and nothing makes me happier that watching those two love each other.(Also, I would say nothing is more frustrating than when they fight!!)

Wow...this could possibly be the longest blog in the history of blogging!!! Sorry. It's for posterity...right? There were a lot more events of 2007 that I considered blog worthy but considering the book I have just written maybe I better stop here. I really have loved looking back over the pictures of this last year. I am very glad that I started a blog...it's inspired me to take so many more pictures, which I was failing at before. This year has been fun...I can't wait to see what's coming next year!

Christmas has come and gone. It was a lot of fun having our first Christmas in our first house. I thought I would post some pictures of the last week


So the first - these are the Christmas plates the kids and I made...sadly I didn't take any pictures of the kids cooking, it was a bit stressful making that many treats in one day and so pictures were forgotten.

In Preston's family it's a tradition to go to The Old Spaghetti Factory right before Christmas...so we headed off and had a really nice time on Saturday. I never understood why Spaghetti was a Christmas tradition before but after being with Preston's family for so many Christmas's it really feels "Christmasy"(is that a word?) I think we will keep it going every year.
On Christmas Eve we had the Elders and Lindsey and her boyfriend over for dinner. It was fun to have more people here for the day. My memories of Christmas are of lots of people being crowded in one house, so it was lot of fun to have them here. That night we exchanged presents with my sister and Matt and you will not believe what she got me...are you ready for this?
A RED KITCHENAID MIXER. I am so excited to bake all kinds of creations with it. Lindsey is such a great sister and she's so generous and I am so glad we got to spend the holidays with her this year.( and I am not just saying that because of the mixer.)
Christmas was a blast. Ethan and Tyler are at such a fun age this year. Ethan kept saying," This is the greatest day of my life." They loved every second of it.

Ethan trying out his new easel.

Tyler loves his new car track he was saying,"Vroom, Crash," in this picture.

Ethan was so happy to get a new "CandyLand" game becasue Tyler went the Bathroom in his last one!

We're Back

I am finally back. It's been a while with the trip to Utah and Idaho and since we've returned late Monday night we've hosted a Christmas party, had a preschool meeting, had and repaired a flat tire, Preston has had three job interviews, I've done all the Christmas baking and shopping for our family, attended the ward Christmas party where Preston played King Herod, did my December visiting teaching, spent an afternoon at the doctor for Ethan's VERY infected finger, fed the missionaries, sewed more I SPY bags for the Young Women Camp fund raiser than I can count, prepared my Christmas lesson for Young Women on Sunday, and learned and rehearsed the song I will be singing in Sacrament Meeting. Basically what I am trying to say is that things have been busy. But I love it!!! This time of year is my favorite...I feel an added measure of the spirit in our home and I love actually hearing songs on mainstream radio that talk about Christ.
I wanted to post some things from our Utah/Idaho trip. It was really wonderful to see our family, and all the old college friends(Mitch makes a great coconut syrup!!!!) ...We LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!

Here are some Highlights from our trip

Lucy, Marcie, Ethan and Tyler loving the snow
Ethan loved seeing the Snow...none of that in Arizona
Tyler pounding Parmesan Cheese at Chucky Cheese
Ryan and Triana Graduating!!!
Tyler so sleepy that he fell asleep on the cement floor of the Kirkham
Getting to spend some time with Papa
Meeting sweet little Ava!!!
Seeing the Fishbacks!!!(Straders we are still waiting for pictures)
Ava's Blessing
Preston and Austin jumping from the pool to the snow....Crazy!!!!

It is 10:30PM and at 4:00 AM we will be loading the kids into the car for the Long and I mean long( 12 hours to Salt Lake and then 4 more to Rexburg) trip. We are going to see little baby Ava's blessing and all of our friends and family. It will be great to see everyone and I am so excited BUT we'll have to see how the kids are going to deal with 1800+ miles round trip in the car. I am trying to be optimistic but I have a feeling I may never be the same again!!!

HALLELUJAH!!!!!

What a great way to start off the Christmas season. Tonight was our performance of Handel's "THE MESSIAH." It was such a great experience to stand beside people from our community of all different faiths and sing about our Savior. This 252 page piece of musical genius was written by G.F. Handel in 24 days. 24 days!!! Can you believe that? I loved doing this and can't wait to do it again next year, I hope it will become a tradition in our family to start off the season with THE MESSIAH. Each song is filled with love for," The Prince of Peace," and strengthened my testimony. Go out and get the CD it really will get you in the Christmas spirit!!!

Here is a picture of the family right before THE MESSIAH... can't pass up a time when we are all in our church clothes to take a picture!!

Great Dad

Preston is such a great Dad! He helps me so much and this last week when I was sick he ran the whole place. This morning I went downstairs to find him creating the cutest Christmas Pancakes for the boys. What a DAD!

I'm back!!! My last post was Sunday and just a few hours after that post I got really sick. This has been the Golding season of sickness. I feel like we all have been sick continuously since October but this last week was the worst. First Tyler had the stomach flu, complete with all the great things that bug brings, then it was Ethan, we all remember the the throw up mentioned in my last post, then on Sunday it was me. It really knocked me off my feet during a time of year when each day counts. After three days of my sickness getting progressively worse I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with Strep Throat. YUCK!!! I had it a lot as a child but getting it as an adult was a different story. But HOORAY for modern medicine...after a few rounds of antibiotics and some narcotic painkillers I am back on my feet and ready to tackle the Christmas cookies that need to be started, the Christmas letter that needs to be composed, the advent calendar that was half way sown when the fever hit, the Christmas shopping that has barely begun, the Christmas lesson that needs preparing, and the holiday party thats a week away. YES!!!! I love this time of year!

Yesterday could be described in this phrase, "It was the best of times, it was the worst of times."
I'll start with the best. Last night we attended the Casa Grande Electric Lights Parade. It was actually pretty great, there were over 80 floats all covered in lights. The kids loved it and it was pretty cold which helped us get in the Christmas mood. Ethan loved the Santa float and Tyler adored the Lay's Potato chip float because they threw him a bag of Flaming Hot Cheeto's that he DEVOURED!!!
After the parade as we were walking back to the car we ran into a family from our ward. They invited us into their office which was downtown for hot chocolate and cookies. (We are approaching the worst of times part right now.) We had hot chocolate and talked and were having a great time when poor little Ethan began throwing up EVERYWHERE!!! I was covered, he was covered, their BEAUTIFUL office was covered. Ethan has only thrown up twice in his life, once at a Vegas Buffet(and I mean literally on the buffet) and last night at the office. Why does it always have to be at the worst place possible?