This is a long one...

Even though probably NO ONE reads my blog anymore, I still feel kinda bad about the fact that tomorrow will make ONE MONTH since I've posted anything on here! And the last thing I posted took about 2 minutes! AGH. There have been some super crazy changes here in the Golden household. I guess I'll just try & remember everything now... (insert dramatic dream sequence here)

The very first week of June consisted of going swimming with Sarah Robinson, Caitlyn Bunch & Nica Wijma (yes, she's foreign! lol) we had a blast even though the sun was TOTALLY not being cooperative. We ate Pizza Hut that evening, had quite an interesting trip to the Dollar Store (in which Nica ate her first giant pixie stick!!! They don't have them in Holland!!!) & I was so wore out by the time I got home, I went & got Mom & Dad some food & pretty much passed out. The next few days, I finally got the perfume I ordered from Harvey Prince called "Eau Flirt". That's right, it's like a love potion. No, I'm not a witch nor do I hold up for witchcraft. Anyhow, it's supposed to have the smells of pumpkin pie & lavender which makes men think of home & good memories...& attracts them to you. Now, I realize this makes me look a creepy, crazed, super gullible & desperate woman & I assure you, I am not. But seriously, it was on like EVERY show (Okay, maybe just The Doctors & Dr. Oz) & I had to see if it worked! Crazy enough, the Saturday after I got it, (on a "slow" day) I made over double the tips I have EVER made working a single day! Maybe it was a coincidence or maybe it was because MOST of my customers were men...we shall never know.

The next Monday me & Alexis decided that we were going swimming. So we called up Sis. Joyce Carrell & of course she said we could hijack her pool for the evening. Mom actually went with us & we had a lot of fun. That evening Alexis & Kristina came over & I tried out a recipe I came up with in my own mind based on the Arroz Loco at Lalitos. I bought spanish rice, shrimp & queso cheese & made it...it was DELICIOUS & me & Lex had fun making it. (: After we stuffed our faces we went out to our porch & sang while Blake played the guitar & Mom & Kris backed us up. haha. Sadly, my Daddy was sick from what we THOUGHT was galvanized poisoning (he welds that junk!)...it happens all the time so we gave him some milk & prayed he felt better. There wasn't much we could do in the situation though so we just went on with life. The next day Dad STILL didn't feel better & couldn't even go to work....but more on that later.

 Nica had to go back home the following Wednesday so we decided we would take her to Olive Garden as a kind of "Going Away Party" (they don't have an OLIVE GARDEN in Holland either!!! And she had never been so that's where she wanted to go...don't judge us! lol) The good was amazing of course & she loved it. Afterwards, we drove over to Starbucks & tried the new Mocha Cookie Crumble & it was wonderful of course. We said our goodbyes to Nica, who would be leaving at 5 a.m. the next morning, & signed her book of Americans. lol It was really sad & I definitely teared up...I just got to become friends with her a few months & now she's gone! ): We bonded a lot in that time & I just miss her. But I still get to talk to her on Facebook & she had BETTER come back to Alabama as soon as she can!!!

On to a much more serious note now. I went on to work Wednesday morning not knowing what my day would hold. About halfway through my morning, Mom text me saying they were taking Dad to the doctor...they thought he had congestive heart failure. I was tore up. There I was at work with no way to get to him. My brother was already in Chatt so he wasn't going to come get me in case something happened...my coworker told me to leave & go home...I was so upset but I knew if I went home I would just sit there alone & worry. So instead, I stayed until 8...it may have seemed a little overdramatic but there was a few times I had to go out to the porch & just cry. I didn't know what to do. Mom was really upset too but trying not to show it in front of Dad...& although he was holding it together, I know Dad was a little worried too. They finally got Dad back after FOUR hours at Memorial & he was admitted a little later. Blake had decided to go to Griffin that night before we really knew what was going on & Dad told him to go on...he left at altar call & when I got off work, I rushed to Trenton to meet him. We got to the hospital a little after 9. People had already came in to see him & had laid hands on him...we were so thankful. After hearing about that, I just felt calm. I felt like whatever happened, Dad would be okay. There was days of just tests & getting Dad's sugar under control, monitoring his heart & working on healing his foot which has been hurt for over a year. Dad lost 46 pounds of fluid in only 6 days. He looked better & felt better already! They decided to do an arteriogram on him on Friday morning, we got to the hospital just in time to hear the Doctor come in & say he would have to have open heart bypass. His heart was functioning at less than 20 percent & all 4 major arteries were blocked. When they told us the news, for just a moment I was worried. What if he didn't make it through? I started researching & most importantly texting & calling friends & family to pray for him. So many people touched our hearts by their caring...one person particularly touched me...& if they read this, they'll know who they are... the text I got back was "I'm getting down right now. If there's anything you need, please let me know." I just cried. I knew then that I had some fantastic people in my life...even when the Devil tried to tell me they didn't even want to be my friend. I guess he was totally proven wrong right then. There was such an overwhelming amount of support for us...people calling & texting & coming in to check on Dad every day. Tuesday evening they finally came in to tell us that his surgery would be Thurday morning, that when they said his heart was functioning at 20 percent, they were being generous & it was more like 15, that they would have to do at LEAST 4 bypasses but they wouldn't be sure until they got in there & took a look. Dad wasn't concerned at all. He had so many people come by & lay hands on him & annoint him & some would just pray. He told us even today that he just wasn't scared at all. Even if he had to go, he knew he'd be in a better place & would never know what happened. Of course we didn't want to think that way. They came in & got him around 7:30 & there were already people there. We prayed for him one last time before they took him back & he was on his way. They took us to one waiting room & then another where we finally settled. There were so many people we had to grab all the chairs from the little room next to us just to accommodate everyone. They said the surgery would begin at 10 & be over in around 4 hours. They called every hour to update saying he was doing really well. The mood was so light in our area.. it sounds bad I guess that we were cutting up & laughing but if you know my family at all, you know that isn't hard to believe. And with so many people, the time passed by quickly. Around 2 Dr. Reade came in & told us Dad did remarkable during surgery. "I don't know what to tell you," he said, "we got in there & only had to bypass 3 arteries. All I can say is I'm pleasantly.... pleased." The "Rockstar" of heart surgeries & he couldn't even find the words to say! They went in promising at LEAST 4 bypasses & came out doing only 3! I was honestly giddy! I knew that was something the Lord had done! My Aunt's husband had just went through this a few months ago & she had prepared us for the worst when we saw him in ICU. He would probably be grey looking & look awful. When we got in there, he looked like himself. Of course, he had a breathing tube in so that was odd but otherwise, he looked great to have just had open heart surgery! He would have to stay in CVICU for at least 2 days while they kept an eye on him. He had a few scary moments (like them telling us when he got up for the first time the next day, he passed out.) & he was in so much pain, not from the surgery but from his back & shoulders having to lay all the time that he would just cry. It was heart wrenching. My Dad is a big, strong man & he hardly EVER cries. I've seen it a handful of times in my 21 years so I knew it was bad. But we prayed for him & had others pray too & soon he felt better. He was doing so good that he had TWO doctors come in & tell him midways through his second day that he could go to a room. The nurse quickly stopped that, though, because he couldn't keep his blood pressure high enough without medicine. But by the end of the day she even said he could go to a room if they had one available! They didn't end up getting one though until Saturday though. By 2 o'clock on Saturday (after his surgery on Thursday) we were in a regular hospital room! They told Dad he would be in the regular room for 5 to 7 days....by Tuesday evening, he was HOME! Isn't God great? The nurses told Dad that he surprised so many doctors & nurses with how great he was doing...they've NEVER seen anyone do so good after such a huge surgery! We proudly told them all that it was GOD'S doing & that he had MANY prayers going up for him in that time...all they could do was smile & agree. (: I'm so proud of how the Lord helped my Dad & I want everyone to know it! Dad's still on the road to recovery but he's getting better & better every day...it's just absolutely amazing! We thank EVERYONE who said a prayer for him & who still are. He has a long way to go but I have no doubt he will be just fine!

There is something I would like ya'll to pray for, though. While Dad was in the ICU we got the chance to meet a wonderful family...the Thomas family. Their husband & father had been in ICU for a week when Dad was there...he has strokes & much more going on. They are a very church oriented family & SO very sweet...the Mother asked about us & kept watch on me & Mom the whole time we were in her presence. Such wonderful people...with all they were going through Mrs. Thomas would just say "Ain't God good?" We tried to pray for him & before we left he was sitting up & talking...doing much better! Well, when we got to leave the hospital, we wondered how they were doing & today Mom found out. They had to go back to Memorial for some paperwork & she ran into Mrs. Thomas. Her husband had finally been  put into a room but not long after had been sent right back to the ICU doing just as bad as ever. Mom & I have been trying to pray for them but I would really appreciate if you could send up a prayer for them too. I know if anyone can get a hold of the Lord for him, my friends & family can.

We appreciate all the thoughts & prayers sent up for Dad & for us!
We love ya'll!!!