This Is Just To Catch You Up.

There is nothing special gonna go down in this blog post today. You won't want to re-read it or post it on your friends Facebook page or call your momma and read it to her over the phone. Not that you do those things, but I like to imagine the LA Times is abuzz over some of my recent writings.

Anyway...

1. I didn't post yesterday because I woke up at 3AM with a migraine. A migraine! Let me set the record straight: I am not a person who gets migraines. At least I don't think I do. I have headaches here and there, no more or less than the next person, but what I had yesterday was the kind where you can't sleep yet you can't keep your eyes open, you have to shut off the ice maker just to shut off the hum, and no amount of headache medicine will do so you pull out the big guns - Vicodin.

I finally started feeling relief but around noon, when the pain meds wore off it reared its ugly head and took me down again. I came home and tried to sleep but couldn't. Tried to eat but couldn't. Right about the time Mr. Patrick cranked up the mower right outside my window I thought for sure I was going to die. (And I thought the ice maker was loud.)

All is well now. Its been 24 hours, I feel like a new woman, but I have no ice for my tea.

2. I am into my second week of the Believing God Bible study at church. My friend, Karli and I are leading it. We were hoping for 15 women and God sent 30! We are so excited and happy to see what God does with this study but I will admit, I haven't done this study since I was pregnant with Elisha and so some of it really floods my mind with memories, some sweet, some bitter, and its opening up some new emotions in me.

Last night as we were sitting on the couch together the AG saw my little blue bracelet that Beth Moore suggests you were during the nine weeks of your study. He touches it and says...
"I see you are wearing your blue bracelet again."
"Yep."
"I remember the last time you wore a blue bracelet like this."
"Yep."
"I remember what you were believing God for."
"Yep."
"It didn't happen."
"Nope."
"And you're still believing Him?"
"Yep."
"Good to know."

And so he asked me what things I was believing God for this time and I told him. And I was surprised, as was he, that when I said them out loud they were requests that I had not made of God in a very long time. Things that I had asked God for, flippantly, as a young wife or young girl, but things that I had no business receiving and likely wouldn't have known what to do with them if I had. But they are of the utmost importance to me now and they are things I am truly believing for and I won't let go of until I see Him move.

3. If you were wondering above who Mr. Patrick was then you can check that out here, unless you are my mother-in-law, then I beg you not to read it!

4. The Oscars are coming on this weekend and for the first time in my life I am going to an Oscar party. In all my years I have only gone to one and it was because I threw it and I swore I'd never do it again because the people at the party talked! Can you imagine? So I've decided to go to the party, take my dessert to the party and even have fun at the party. But if anyone decides to talk while George Clooney is on the stage or if someone comments on how ridiculous Nicole Kidman looks when they know full well she is perfection - then I will just get my purse and leave. I am THAT fun at Oscar parties! For pete's sake people, that is what the foreign language and technical parts are for.

5. Ronnie is coming into town tonight. I am so excited to see him I think I am going to smother him with kisses, so I hope he's prepared for that. I am making him a big breakfast and a big lunch (because the man can eat!) and the one thing he has most certainly requested, the absolutely-un-enjoyable-to-make but oh-so-wonderful-to-eat Coca Cola Cake. Here it is, if its new to you, but hope to goodness it isn't! Enjoy!

1 cup Coca-Cola
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 3/4 cups sugar
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows

Preparation
Combine Coca-Cola and buttermilk; set aside.

Beat butter at low speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugar; beat until blended. Add egg and vanilla; beat at low speed until blended.

Combine flour, cocoa, and soda. Add to butter mixture alternately with cola mixture; begin and end with flour mixture. Beat at low speed just until blended.

Stir in marshmallows. Pour batter into a greased and floured 13- x 9-inch pan. Bake at 350° for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven; cool 10 minutes. Pour Coca-Cola Frosting over warm cake; garnish, if desired.

Coca Cola Frosting

Ingredients
1/2 cup butter or margarine
1/3 cup Coca-Cola
3 tablespoons cocoa
1 (16-ounce) package powdered sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Preparation
Bring first 3 ingredients to a boil in a large saucepan over medium heat, stirring until butter melts. Remove from heat; whisk in sugar and vanilla.

Garnish with 3/4 cup of chopped pecans, toasted.