Sometimes I really love the IHOP webstream... it's so peaceful.

We are praying for a miracle for my friend Amy's baby today. Her name is Livi. Please pray with us.

I have a lot on my mind and nothing to say. Funny how that works.

So yesterday, me and the babies skipped church again. The Richys went. Turns out, it was a good think we skipped. Toby started throwing up in the afternoon and kept it up until just after 9. Poor little guy. Poor me. And my poor washing machine... seems like every sheet, towel and blanket in the house had to go through. Not to mention several costume changes for me and Boby. He would feel so much better after he chucked, he'd just go kinda nuts playing and jumping and ohhhhh nooooooo.... and we were trying to not let him eat but he kept stealing food. It was a funny horrible way to spend an evening. Today, he seems back to normal. Food poisoning, maybe? We ate at Cici's, which has to be a hot spot, bacterially speaking. But nobody else got sick... I was awfully queasy, but no action. So enough about that. Yuck.

So the MOG has been picked or whatever to come try playing backup guitar on this IHOP guy's worship team. If you get the webstream, you will see him, since he'll be playing 6 days a week if he takes the spot. The first day he played he played the way he plays. And that was a no go. So yesterday he played what he thought they wanted, which is not his style at all, and they liked it. It's definitely a new thing for him, not being the front man. I know he'll be thrilled when he finally gets to play with Radiant again in April.
(If you have the webstream, he'll be playing today from 2-4)

In other news, Viking Granny flies up here on Thursday for the weekend! R1 and I will be flying to Alabama for the Call while she's here, but we'll still have a couple of days to hang out with her. And a vacation of sorts in Alabama... no babies... that will be weird. And nice.

WARNING: loud background music..

We had a great weekend... I wasn't going to do Easter baskets because everything is insanely overpriced... but on a trip to my favorite thrift store, I found all Easter merch half off. I got 3 baskets, easter grass, eggs and large stuffed bunnies. 4 bucks. Because I am awesome.

Then I skipped church. On Easter. I'm like the opposite of the holiday churchgoer. But, I went last night. See, here's the deal. No disrespect whatsoever to IHOP. But Sunday morning services around here are so white. Like Whitey McWhiterson and the Cracker Band. WHITE. No soul. So a couple of weeks ago, when I tuned into the Sunday evening webcast here (we'll see if that link works), I saw soul. Eddie James is an amazing worship leader... and they were having CHURCH, y'all. So finally last night we went and it was so refreshing. I probably woulda got my dance on if I wasn't holding babies and wearing cowboy boots. I'll know better next time. So that's my new church. I go to night church with all the college students. Because I need less white in my life.

New pix going up momentarily over at http://www.clarkfamilypix.blogspot.com


Oh, and Richy got his first real royalty check from a guy who recorded You are Holy... I'm so proud of him!

My support group was cancelled last night. It was okay, though, because I already had to cancel. The MOG had the plague. For about 2 hours, he was deathly ill. He made a miraculous recovery during his prayer set at the JHOP. Ah, the JHOP, is the backup house of prayer. Justice, that's the J. Anyways, himself is playing backup guitar for a new worship team. He's doing a good job not being the boss... pretty much.
So that means I did not get away last night. Well, I did go to Price Chopper. But that doesn't really count. And then I stayed up too late and woke up too early. Grumpy, thy name is woman.

Now this snarky Slim character has been asking this question...

I petition the great Smartypants for an answer to my question last week. This is a question that deserves an answer from a great thinker such as you:

Should a law be passed that bans women from being president, or at least a law that states that a male must take over for the week that the woman president is having her monthly?

My Dear Mr. Slim. How closely you walk on this precipice... unaware. Never mind. All my answers are too harsh. I need a nap.

Happy St. Pat's day, folks! Now, this is a holiday I always celebrate. And by celebrate, I mean I wear green. And I pinch non-green wearers. And now that I have chilluns, they are garbed in green. The MOG, affectionately known as Scrooge, does not celebrate holidays. (pretty much) And the fact is, few people really recognize today as a day worthy of note.
Until now.
Evidently, it is a BIG DEAL in Kansas City. 4th largest St Patty's parade in the US. And IHOP makes a giant parade float, and wins the float contest every year. There's an actor on top, doing St Patricks speech in a pretty good accent. And 1000+ IHOPpers march behind the float, and then disperse and do street preaching and great exploits and so on. WEARING GREEN. How cool is that?
Yeah, well, we didn't go. Himself has reinjured his ankle, and it was raining. A lot. So he did his hours in the House o' prayer and I cleaned the House O' Clarks. Maybe we can drive over later and see the end of the parade. Evidently, all the masses get their drink on, and there's free cab service from 3 till midnight or something. I don't drink, but a free cab ride might be cool. Just, uh, take me to Target!
So there you go, top of the marnin to ya and maybe tamarra I will summon Smartypants.

You're probably asking yourself, "Where is Jessica? Why don't she BLOG?" You can rest easy, folks. Here I am.

So I didn't update on the Mama visit yesterday because I wrote such a long blog about my journeys. But we had a great time. We ate out at restaurants, and we ate at my house. Pretty much, we just took it easy and visited. It was great... we were all so glad to see her and we had a lot of fun. I also got her hooked on the IHOP webstream, which I should advertise to all y'all.
So here's the whatsit. You can get the webstream, which is like a continuous internet video, of the happenings of the house of prayer here in Kansas City. If you don't know what I'm talking about, I live 6 minutes from the International House of Prayer. They have prayer and worship 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. And for $10 a month, you can have the house of prayer in your house.
We didn't do it at first... we are wary of new bills... but after a few weeks of me wondering what the heck I was doing here, we subscribed. I now have it playing most of the time. It's amazing how the atmosphere changes with continual prayer and worship, even in the background. The boys fight less, and I don't get stressed as much. Well worth the 10 bucks. Plus, if Richy gets to lead worship up there someday, I'll be able to watch him. So there's your ad. Check it out. theprayerroom.tv.

I have to clean this house. I just don't wannnnnaaaa... but Richy's small group is coming over here tomorrow night. And miles to go before I sleep.

The MOG started his IHOP class today. By the way, when I say IHOP, I mean International House of PRAYER. I wish there were pancakes involved, but alas, it was not meant to be. So anyways, this class... we were both supposed to take it, but the children's class doesn't take special needs kids. Which is lame. We are working on changing that, on a wide scale, but as of now, nope.
So the MOG will be in class the first 3 hours of the day and then in the HOP 4 hours a day. Kinda sucks to be me. Seriously though, I will need a lot of grace for this 10 weeks. I know I'll be lonely, and I hope Toby won't drive me bonkers.
I am getting a membership at the YMCA. They have a variety of adaptive sports for special guys, plus childcare whilst I do whatever I'm going to do... water aerobics, maybe. Scoff if you will, but I think doing something will help with the boredom and such.

Today, I met an online friend at a coffee shop. There is a Christian message board that I have belonged to for about 3 and a half years... deals with infertility, and pregnancy and infant loss and adoption and so on. So today I met Joyce. She has a daughter a few months older than Toby, who she adopted from Kazakstahn... the spelling is iffy there. Anyway, we met at a coffee shop at a church, where they have a playroom and we drank our heated beverages and talked. Very interesting... it's strange when you absolutely do not know someone and then there you are in person. She was nice... her daughter is a sweetie. We talked a lot of spiritual stuff, initiated by me, which is unusual because I prefer to be pretty surface with people.
Maybe I'm changing.

This was supposed to be Existensial thought Wednesday but maybe tomorrow. After all, tomorrow is another day.