Hello laughingheart!
Actually, we do go to heaven, which is what our blessed hope should be, the appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ. His coming to gather us is according to His promise in John 14:1-3
"In My Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I am going away to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and welcome you into My presence, so that you also may be where I am."
So, according to the scripture above, Jesus went to the Father's house to prepare places for all believers. The Father's house would have to be referring to heaven. In support of this, we have other scriptures that state that Jesus ascended to the right hand of God the Father. The fulfillment of our being gathered is found in I Thess.4:13-17. So yes, we do go to heaven prior to the onset of God's wrath and will remain there, where at which time we will return with the Lord when He returns to the earth to end the age and establish His millennial kingdom.
Also, the scripture states that in the resurrection we will become like the angels in heaven and not that we become angels. Regarding this, John says "we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him." We will be resurrected and will have immortal and glorified bodies just like the Lord's.