It's 12:43 p.m. I would have sworn that it was bedtime...this is the longest day in the history of days!

Potato and Pancake

When Tyler is mad a common insult is:

"You a Pancake!"

If he's really mad:

"You a TATO!!!(potato folks, my son calls me a potato.)

So, when I came home from the hospital I had a rough patch. I was throwing up(I know you didn't want to know that. I am sorry for possibly ruining your lunch but it pertains to the story so stick with me) I couldn't walk up and down our stairs, I threatened the children's lives if they even came within feet of my incision, and basically overall I think it was the first time in the boys lives they ever saw someone really sick.
Well things have begun to look up for me. I am feeling much better, moving around pretty great and in the last day or so I finally feel like things are starting to get back to normal around here. Hallelujah right?
Oddly enough, as soon as I was on the mend Ethan has developed some strange phantom illness with symptoms unlike any I've ever seen. You diagnose it.

• He has a raging fever...unfortunately our thermometers don't work on his kind of fever. Our thermometers read a cool 98.6 but he has informed me they are broken and he is actually much closer to 300 degrees.
• He can't walk and definitely can't climb stairs. He begs me to carry him( which is definitely out of the question right now) and moans as he slowly drags himself up the stairs.
• He screams if anyone even goes near his leg. His leg hurts SOOOOOOO bad and he doesn't think he will ever be able to walk on it again.
• He actually asked to go to bed early last night because he is "just too sick to be out of bed."

So....any ideas. Should I go along with this? What is going on here?

Out of the Mouth of a Golding

What should you think about while you are praying?
"Flushing the Toilet" - Tyler Golding

"Momma, Ethan keeps taking my eyes out" - Tyler Golding

"Momma, Ethan keeps taking my brain out" - Tyler Golding
(You better believe it took some SERIOUS restraint to keep my comeback to that one to myself!)

"How many times do I have to ask you guys to do something before you'll finally do it!"
-Andrea Golding grumpily muttering under her breath.
"5 times"- Ethan Golding's response

"Ethan quit taking Tyler's eyes out! " Andrea Golding

Ethan: Do you know what I am feeling today ?
Me: No. What are you feeling?
Ethan: I 'm feeling very sasperated. ( Exasperated)
Me: What does that mean.
Ethan: I think it means I am in Love

"I have to tell you about this special kind of banana bread that has real bananas in it. Can you believe that? Banana bread with real bananas!"
- Ethan Golding

Lost that Lovin Feeling!

I am an avid reader. I love books and sadly they are my some of my best friends. But lately I just haven't been able to concentrate on reading. Any book I've picked up in the last month has been tossed aside. I feel my IQ dropping everyday as I absorb more and more reality TV...and yet no book has enticed me.
Well, tonight I finally decided that after the month I've had I don't need any new fangled authors with all their fancy-pants new ideas - I just need a good old friend. So...I pulled out The Complete Works of Jane Austin and Harper Lee's To Kill A Mockingbird. It was as if my best friend was wrapping me up in my softest quilt and telling me my favorite bedtime tale. I'm starting with To Kill A Mockingbird and I'm positive that I am preaching to the choir on this one but just in case one of you has missed this book -PLEASE read it. Read it and then watch the movie. Gregory Peck is amazing as Atticus. Actually, the character of Atticus was named the greatest hero of all time in American Film... he's spectacular! The only thing that would make this evening any better is a Diet Coke and an In-N-Out burger( Hint Hint Preston!)

Plates and Forks

(This picture is completely unrelated but hilarious nonetheless...this is what Tyler dressed himself in. Dirty Shirt on top and Clean Shirt on bottom.)

Last night Preston was reminding the boys of the scripture story we had been reading

Preston: "Remember last night Nephi went back to get the plates from Laban..."

Tyler: " Did him get the forks too?"


We had a good long laugh!

(This is a picture Preston took before surgery...he took some after surgery but I look pretty darn disgusting and don't think the world is ready for those photos!)

It's late, I can't sleep and after watching about 600 home decorating shows I thought I would hobble to the computer and visit my favorite addiction... BLOGGING!! I have missed so many of your awesome blog posts this last week and will try to catch up on the comments.

Last Wednesday I went to the doctor for a follow up on my ectopic pregnancy and recieved some pretty scary news. An ectopic precnancy is a pregnancy that develops anywhere outide of your uterus - usually in the fallopian tube. When I went to the doctor we discovered that I was
a. More pregnant(not a good thing)
b. The Methotrexate shot had not worked(again not a good thing)
c. My abdomen was filled with blood - I had been bleeding internally
d. I needed emergency surgery

Preston rushed me to the hospital where they performed an emergency Exploratory Laparotomy( basically a surgery very similar to the C-Section) and removed my right fallopian tube, A LOT of blood that had been filling my abdomen since the tube had ruptured, and the ectopic pregnancy itself. The doctor later informed me that I was within hours of bleeding to death and that this condition is the leading cause of death among pregnant women( delightful news - isn't it?)

Anyway here I sit at 11pm unable to sleep but wanting to thank some amazing friends! Honestly I am crying right now when I think of how blessed I am. I will NEVER forget how awesome everyone has been!

Thank You to:

Amanda- for the happiness basket, the hours of babysitting, the mudpie in the hospital, and listening to me whine on the phone. You are the greatest and I am so glad you are my neighbor!!

Kelly - You have been so good to me and I will never be able to thank you enough for taking such good care of me. My kids love you and knowing they were in your care made this whole situation so much easier. I am going to spank you for cleaning my house.

Benseyleb - I love you! You two have been the best and am so grateful we met in school. Thanks for calling my bishop and listening to me complain. Please come live with me!!

Linda - Thanks for the calls, warm blanket and treats. I love you!

Emily, Todd and Julie, Sister Frasier, Sarah Mortensen, Katie and Jeff - Thanks you guys for all the food. I can't eat quite yet but the family loves it and it is such a relief to have my kids fed!!!

Katie - You have become such a great friend! Thanks for the Edward picture...he's under my pillow, the Mudpie hospital visit totally cheered me up. It feels so nice to know that I have such great friends there for me.

To our family - This whole experience made me love you all so much more. Thanks for the flowers and calls and concern. Thanks grandma and grandpa for driving literally thousands of miles to help me. I love you!

This felt like my Oscar Speech...but it wasn't. Believe me when I get an Oscar my speech will be MUCH better. I just feel very overwhelmed right now with all the love and kindness everyone had given me. I'm pretty sick still and probably won't be blogging too much for a while but hopefully I'll be back on my feet soon and visiting all of your blogs!

Happy Birthday Ethan
5 years ago today Ethan Taylor Golding arrived!

Just for Mommies

Tonight I took my temperature and left the thermometer on the desk. Later I found Tyler playing with the thermometer. Tyler has singlehandedly destroyed every thermometer we've ever had in this home...and the number is not a few....so I informed him that the thermometer was "just for mommies, not for Tylers."
This is what I heard for the next 10 min.
"Dis is for Mommies, not for Daddies"
"Dis is for Mommies, not for Ethans"
"Dis is for Mommies, not for Jaquis"
"Dis is for Mommies, not for Bobs"
"Dis is for Mommies, not for Amandas"
"Dis is for Mommies, not for Lucys"
"Dis is for Mommies, not for Marcies"
"Dis is for Mommies, not for Hudsons"
"Dis is for Mommies, not for Papas"
"Dis is for Mommies, not for Austins"

I learned a lesson today. There is a power in food. Let me explain. By six o'clock yesterday I ...

...Spent 7 hours in the E. R.
... had Been the subject to 3 ultra sounds...I had the insides of my body memorized.
... had Not eaten a thing and was starving!
... had hypothermia. Why are hospitals so darn cold?
...Given my blood till I was sure there wasn't any left
... was told I had and Ectopic Pregnancy
...learned there wasn't going to be a baby
...spent 4 dollars a gallon on gas...come on folks can a person get a break?
...was given a shot of Methotrexate and screamed.
... watched too many episodes of Fresh Price of Bel-Aire.
...spent and arm and a leg at the hospital( literally it costs an arm and a leg...I am auctioning a couple of limbs on eBay if you are interested)
...cried a lot.

So... let's just say it wasn't a shinning moment in my life. We headed out and I was feeling pretty low. While my prescription for Vicodin was being filled we headed over to In-n-Out for dinner.
There was something about that dinner that cheered me up.
I ate every ounce of that cheesy, greasy, starchy burger without one ounce of guilt
And as I ate I...
...felt grateful to live in 2008 where modern medicine saves lives
...thought of my two sweet boys whose faces had been in my mind all day in that cold room.
...was thankful that Preston had been by my side the whole way. He did great with his Kleenex duties.
...was grateful to be going home to my own bed
... felt a tender mercy - surprised to feel a comforting peace come over me, reminding me of the Lord's love for me, strengthening my faith, and filling me with gratitude.

I guess that's why it's called Comfort Food.

Uno, Dos, Tres...
How to play this game. Post these rules on your blog; List 3 joys, 3 fears, 3 goals, 3 current obsessions/collections, 3 random surprising facts about yourself. Tag 5 people at the end of your post by leaving their names.

Joys
1. Cuddled up with the green quilt, the air conditioning on full throttle, and reading a really good book(Seriously does it get any better than that)
2. Nothing makes me happier then when my boys love each other.
3. Eating out. Sad I know, that it is on my top 3 joys but I love, love, LOVE, eating out. I love just sitting and talking while you wait, I love that I don't have to clean it up, I love that everyone can eat something different and I don't have to make it!

Fears
1. Losing someone I love....haven't dealt with that in life yet.
2.Losing my teeth. I have this reoccurring nightmare where I fall down the stairs in front of a group of people, stand up and all my teeth are on the ground...I get stressed just thinking about that dream.
3. Failing my children. Probably my biggest fear is that I won't raise my children right... that due to something I did they will become criminals.

Goals
1. This one is more like a dream...to travel to Europe-especially to Spain with Preston one day.
2. To not eat the rest of the cheesecake in the refrigerator...it's calling my name!
3. Spend more quality time with my children.

Obsessions

1. Books. Seriously, I get a little too excited to go to the library. I LOVE coming home with a bag so full of books that I can hardly carry it.
2. Egg Rolls...I haven't eaten one yet BUT they are all I can think about these last few weeks.
3. Vampires and Werewolves....I'll just leave it there.

3 Surprising Facts About Yourself
(This is hard...I think people who know me would find VERY little surprising)
1.I'm a major klutz and spent a good portion of my childhood visiting the hospital! (Really are you surprised?)
2. I've always dreamt of writing a book - I'm working on a really good one about a boy named Harry who's a wizard...I'll let you read it when I'm finished.
3.Brad Pitt is my brother...shhhh don't tell anyone he likes to keep it a secret.

I tag - Amanda, Katie, Kelly, Lynsey and Lindsey

Ethan has been begging me for something lately. What does a near 5 year old little boy want so desperately? Toys? Movies? A Trip to Disneyland?

Good Guesses but NOPE!!! Ethan has been begging me for a Chore Chart. Yep, that's right he is dying for a work order!!! Who is this boy? He has even bargained with me, " Mom if I go to bed really good for a week will you please give me a chore chart?"

You may be wondering what the heck is wrong with me. "Why hasn't she given the boy a chore chart," you may ask. I'm asking that of myself too. I recognize, acknowledge, and accept the fact that there are mothers all over the world who are begging their sons to," Please clean your room," who are bargaining and bribing these sons in hopes that they will just make their bed once a month...I have no excuse - I am filled with shame.

So this afternoon I told Ethan that I needed to deep clean the bathroom and this my dear friends is what I discovered a few minutes later....

I LOVE THIS BOY!!!!

Summer Fun

We had a blast today with fun summer activities. Elise and Dustin invited us over to their AMAZING pool. We had a great time and completely wore the kids out. Ethan was a champion swimmer and was swimming across the whole length of the pool.

Then the Hartwig's hosted the funnest(is that a word?) neighborhood FHE. We watched Cars - Drive-in style.

Enjoying the show...I'm the only person who can be cold in an Arizona summer!

Couldn't make it through!