Cops are such jerks...

Really.  Ask anyone and they'll tell you.  Cops are jerks.  And I'm really, really, really G-rated when I say "jerks"... if you really want to know how people feel about cops get on Twitter and in the search engine enter the word "cops" and man, oh man, will you ever find out how people feel about the police.  Actually don't do it... I'll just give you a taste...

Cops muder (murder) niggas at night.

I shouldn't say that, I'm biased. I hate cops no matter what they do.

HATE the COPS.

I hate State cops but whatever., I also can hold my own.


Its funny how I hate cops, but yet I can sit n watch da show...(won't type the rest of the tweet).

Do cops really make you feel safer? When I see a cop I usually get an upset stomach even if I didn't do anything.

...dirty cops... na filthy cops

And those are the ones that I could post on my blog and still not get phone calls... and I know that first one is a little over the line... forgive me, it is important to get my point made.

Well, "call me biased" but I'm not buying it.  I happen to know a few cops, some better than others, and I for one am a HUGE FAN of the Thin Blue Line.  I know it's important to let everyone else know that you're yor strait thuggin' it and the cops can (insert explicit), but I think it's time you take some of your own advice.

5 days a week I hear my husband load his gun for work.  And 5 days a week my prayer stays the same... "Father, I pray that he won't have to use his weapon today, but if he does, I pray he is faster and more accurate than the other guy."

I know Hubs is not only well trained, but he is skilled at what he does and he's smarter than the average bear.  I know that he has 6 reasons to come home every night and I know that we serve a Mighty God who is on the side of law and order.

Today I have been beyond touched by Shawn Brams posting on Facebook about Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin, Officer Craig Birkholz who was shot in the line of duty.  I'm posting a few of his photos here and hoping that he won't mind.

What I've been especially touched by, is reading that Officer Birkholz has a young wife... a young widow now.  I've wept for her today, especially while watching a YouTube video of the funeral procession with Jeremy Camp's song, "There Will Be A Day"... the outpouring of love and support from the police community is overwhelming.  Yet, she buried her husband today and as she lays in bed tonight she'll be acutely aware of the place beside her that's empty... assuming she has the courage to sleep in their bed at all.

I don't know anything about Mrs. Birkholz.  But, I do know that she's a woman in need of prayers, tonight, tomorrow and for years to come.  Would you please take a moment to pray for her?

Do me one more favor... the next time you're pulled over by a cop, ask yourself if he's being a jerk, or if he's just doing his job.  And here's a little tip... try telling the truth without expecting to "get out of it."  I know a certain cop that would really love it if one person he came in contact with during the day didn't lie to him.  And it wouldn't hurt if you said, "Thank you".

True Confessions of the Broken Baby Maker

For our first 2 children we were really excited to tell people that we were expecting.  We knew that the people that we loved most would rejoice with us.
When Turkey Bottom #3 came along ... well, shock reigned.  TB#2 was only 4 months old when we found out that I was expecting again.  In my mind when Ben announced that I was pregnant AGAIN at church the whole congregation let out a collective gasp.  That's really how I remember it.
Then came TB#4.  I don't remember thinking that our family was going to throw a party when we announced that we were having ANOTHER baby. 
We had the longest break between #3 and #4.  Hannah and Emma are 18 months apart.  Emma and Benjamin are 12 months, 9 days apart (those 9 days are very important to me).  So between Benjamin and Gabriel there was a gap of 2 years and 2 months!  It was a huge milestone, especially since my uterus was so thin when Benjamin was born that the surgeon claimed he could see through my uterian wall (at the incision).  We had prayed earnestly that God would allow 2 years between TB#3 and TB#4.  I needed that break.
 There was some discussion during pregnancy #4 of having my tubes tied.  There was no pressure from the doctors though I could tell the nurses thought I was crazy.  4 c-sections in 4 years seems to be a big deal... or maybe already having 4 kids and thinking about having more is a big deal??
19 months after the incredibly collicy TB#4 came the incredibly joyful TB#5.  So for those of you trying to keep up... I had 5 Turkey Bottoms in 75 months via c-section.  Again, I don't remember thinking that our parents and friends were going to be excited to hear the news that we were expecting #5.  I think they were all holding their breath and praying that I would finally get my tubes tied.

And so it was.  I had my tubes tied.  Hubs and I were confident that we were making the right decision... the best decision based on the condition of my baby maker.  I was tired of c-sections and the large number of complications that I have following them.  I'm allergic to surgeries.  Really.  When they read my allergies to me they have to take a deep breath in the middle of the list.  I'm allergic to latex.  I'm allergic to adhesive tapes.  I'm allergic to Benzoine... the surgecial glue that they use in place of stitches or staples.  I'm allergic to Codiene (sp?) which means that most of the pain meds that they would normally give me I can't take.  Spinals make me vomit.  On top of all of that I'm an incredibly hard person to find a vein to put an IV into... which has always been weird to me since my skin is practically translucent... anywho, because I'm a "hard poke" I always have to have more than one nurse attempt to get more than one needle into my hand or inside of my wrist.  I could really go on and on about all the things I HATE about c-sections.  Not the least being women who deliver vaginally and tell me how easy I've had it... I could smack them.  I still might actually.

And while I was tired of c-sections Hubs was tired of having a wife who was tired of c-sections.  Not to mention a wife with serious baby blues.  We should just call the "baby blues" the emotional rollercoaster of a seriously psycho woman.  Hubs was also tired of getting up in the night with a baby... which he did at least once a night for me... he's my hero!

So here's the thing.  I had my tubes tied.  It was the right choice.  But, there was always the hope that maybe God might open my womb one last time.  Because if anyone could defy the odds and have another one (or maybe even twins) it would totally be me!

Monday's surgery ended any hope of that.  There will be no more Driscoll babies. At least not naturally born... through the miracle of adoption my prayer is that we will add more turkies someday.

Having babies is more than adding to my collection of children.  Having babies is really truly adding life to our home and to our world.  Life.  The beautiful miracle of life.  It brings tears to my eyes.  God has used my body as an instrument to bring life into this world.  Every stretch mark is a road on the map of my life's journey.  I am a mama.  And in that reality I am beyond blessed.

Every moment of morning sickness, every moment of being exhausted and moody, every ache and pain and side effect of having those 5 c-sections... every moment worth it.

My baby maker is broken.  But, I will continue to rejoice in the life that fills my home and praise God for my Turkey Bottoms and the journey He has given me.

Something B-I-G is about to happen... are you in?

Have you heard?

Something B-I-G... something really H.U.G.E. and pretty much FAN.TAB.U.LOUS is going to rock your world.  I'm so excited!  No, I'm so very very very excited that I can't sleep!

So there are a few things that I really love.  I mean LOVE!
Here's a list of a few:
 #1 My God and Savior - nothing in the world compares to this kind of love
#2 My Hubs and my Turkey Bottoms - ahhhhh, what would my world be like without them?  I hope I never have to know.
#3 My extended family - some of my biggest fans and I am who I am because of their influence in my life.
#4 My church family - we all need prayer warriors, accountability and like-minded friends
#5 Adoption - I'm not sure that #5 is the right place for this... but I love, love, love adoption!  Someday Hubs and I will add to the Turkey Bottoms via adoption.
#6 My At Home America family - I love this company, these products and these ladies that share my passion!

So ... have you heard... it's going to be B-I-G!  And there's lots of hints in this blog already.

SAVE THE DATE - APRIL 8TH!

Stop, drop and THINK!

Recently Ben and I started a Bible Study with 4 other couples in the church.  We missed the first 2 lessons because of babysitting conflicts, but made it to the third lesson.  The thrust of the lesson was teaching people how to start thinking Biblically.  Which for me translates how do I get my kids to think biblically... how do I get them to think by using the Bible as their filter.

Which lead me to this next critical question.  How do we teach people to think?

Take a look around and it will become quickly obvious that people no longer spend much time thinking.  I can think of a million examples of this... but I'm sure my readers can THINK of a few of your own.

This question was brought up again today while reading over a couple of Facebook status updates.  Honestly, Facebook is a breeding ground for people who simply don't think, which is a whole other discussion!  Today, one of my younger friends posted that he's "Wondering if I should gauge my ears"...

.

He wants to look like this!

Now, personally my immediate answer to this question is... "No.  Yuck.  Who would do that?"  But, I don't believe this is a moral issue, per se, and it's between him and his parents.



So here's the part that really made me want to slam my head repeatedly against the wall (good thing I'm a thinker and was able to resist...) one of the young man's friend was very supportive of this idea and had this to say to the nay-sayers, "You can't say its stupid or gross untill u try it."   I decided to copy and paste his response from Facebook, so that I wouldn't misquote him.  Let's see how many holes we can find in his logic...





"You can't say its stupid or gross untill u try it "



Anyone coming up with anything that refutes this line of reasoning?  I know it's pretty solid.  I apologize for this, but I really don't have to try drinking my own pee to know that it would be both stupid and gross to do.  What do you have in mind that you wouldn't have to do to know that it's both stupid and gross?  Think about it and hit me up with your answers! :)

Team Hoyt and Team Driscoll

I posted a video off of Youtube before this post.  Please take time to watch it and then return here for my amazing insights!

I have heard of The Iron Man before, but have never watched it... let alone participated.  I believe it is the hardest triathlon in the world.  It consists of a 2.4-mile (3.86 km) swim, a 112-mile (180.25 km) bike and a marathon (26.2 miles 42.195 km) run, raced in that order and without a break. (Um, seriously, without a break?  How about a few months in between?).  The swim begins at 7 AM and to complete the race you must finish by midnight... the same day.  Forget completing it by midnight, I would drown in the first 100 yards.

Rick Hoyt could never participate in the Iron Man without help.  It was a physical impossibility.  Doctors told Rick's parents that he should be institutionalized.  And today he's an Iron Man.  His father, Dick Hoyt, has a heart condition and still he competes because his son asked him to.  They started off running a charity race for a paralyzed athlete, next came marathons and finally the Iron Man.
As I watch the video I wonder if Ben would do that for our boys.  I think he would.  I know I couldn't.  At least I don't think I could.

Perhaps the most inspirational part of the video is the ending ... the gates of heaven... where those in the stands are cheering and undoubtedly some are crying and the pure joy on the faces of Dick and Rick as they finish the race hard.

And so it is with us.  Apart from our Father we can't even be in the race... let alone have any hope of reaching the gates of heaven.  And because the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world we have faith that though we have sinned and couldn't finish the race set out for us that our God will run on our behalf.  Moreover, he has given His Son to die on our behalf.  What cheers will rise up when we at last arrive at heaven's gates, knowing that we arrived because of the efforts of our loving Father.

 Team Driscoll also has reason to cheer and to celebrate in the love of our heavenly Father.  Many of you have been praying for me and for the biopsy that I had done yesterday.  The test itself was very painful, but the end results are worth celebrating as there is no reason to believe that I have cancer!!!  There are still some issues that need to be dealt with and they will hopefully all be resolved with an outpatient surgery (really 3 surgeries at once) on the 21st of March.  While I don't look forward to surgery ... this will be my 8th in 9 years... it's absolutely better than having cancer!!  Our God is a mighty God and I'm very thankful to my prayer warriors!!

inspiring video team hoyt (read info before playing video)