Hydi - what a wonderful thread to start! My name is Melody Russell. I've been a member of the church my entire life. (BIC) I'm 44 years old and have been married to a non-member for 23 years now. I'm very active in church and very much in love with my husband. He's a dehydrated mormon (just add water) and doesn't know it. He doesn't smoke, drink, use any kind of tabacco, etc. His only vice is he enjoys his coffee which he NEVER has at home. We don't even have any coffee in the cupboard. But he will drink a cup when he goes out to the "coffee shop" in the morning with the "guys". My DH has had the discussions and just can't grasp it. My heart is broken but I respect his free agency and know that like it or not, when he dies I'm having his temple work done and I'm going to be sealed to him. My DH consented and signed a paper allowing me to get my own temple ordinances in 1997. I gained a new prospective of what the Lord meant by "The great and dreadful day". It was great that I was in the temple getting my own ordinances but dreadful because my DH wasn't with me. I've worked a lot in the Relief Society in my life (the homemaking director when it WAS homemaking) but have been in the Primary for the last 7 years or so. I LOVE the Primary. Twice in the last two months the bisho***** and the Primary President have asked me if I was ready to be released. I told them I would like to stay in the Primary but would go wherever the Lord wanted me to serve. My DH and I have 5 children. A son who is 21, a daughter 19, a daughter 16, daughter 5 and a daughter 3. All my girls are active in the church, my son is not. My son has never received the priesthood. My DH would never give permission for him to receive the priesthood and my son stopped going to church so by the time he turned 18 and could receive the priesthood without his father's permission, he could care less about it. My work history is in emergency medicine. My DH and I own an ambulance service. I took full time ambulance duty for 22 years until my disease of multiple sclerosis deteriorated and I was forced to stop. I miss it terribly. Now I only do all the office work (sending out the bills to the patients and the insurance companies). My DH has had two liver transplants 11 years apart. He contracted a disease that destroyed his bile ducts which in turn destroyed his liver and his colon. Along with his liver transplants he has also had his entire colon removed. He's living on borrowed time. My sister tells me the only reason he's still alive is so he can join the church. He looks like walking death. He's 6'4" and weighs 140 lbs. People ask me why I'm so happy all the time, why don't I complain, especially with all the health challenges that I have been given. I have a firm testimony that in the pre-existence we were schooled and educated about what earth life would involve. We were given a choice of "tests" or "challenges" that would be available on the earth. We were also given the corresponding blessings that came with each. I have a firm testimony that I CHOSE my MS in the pre-existance. How can I possibly complain now about something that I CHOSE. I had lap RNY on 3-8-04 and have lost 82 pounds so far. Because of my MS I have to walk using crutches. I still have to use my crutches but it's a lot easier walking when you're carrying around 80 less pounds. That's it in a nutshell. This is a great thread and I'm looking forward to reading all the posts as they come in. Melody

The first month or 2 I fasted for about 12 hours at a stretch. Then I fasted from food and drank my water. At about 6 months out I could fast almost the whole 24 hours with out side effects. Now it is not a problem. I think each of us different and it should be prayerfully considered.

Thanks! I would love to have the information!! I am trying to glean every thing I can and keep it to a 25 minute segment.

Hi my name is Sherrie and Im a Mormaholic. Sorry I couldnt resist. I am 8th generation Mormon. I was the youngest of 3 girls. I have 2 boys and a girl. The girl - 14 - is bipolar, dyslexic, and ADD. My 5 year old is mildly autistic. My 8 year old is dysgraphic and ADHD. And my husband has Aspergers syndrome. I feel like I live in a nuthouse sometimes. But, I guess that would just make me the head nut. My calling in church is the cub scout Bear pack assistant den leader. I am also the assistant music leader for relief society. I have lived in Texas since I was 8 - I wasn't born here but I got here as fast as I could. I was born in Salt Lake City in the Primary Childrens hospital. (just don't tell any Texans that) My husband and I have been married for 10 years. He was Jewish when we met, and I didnt want to date a non member, so we were friends for a LONG time first, but my daughter (who passionately dislikes him now) thought he was the greatest thing since popsicles, so we hung out a lot, then eventually fell in love. On our first REAL date Amber was tagging along - he asked if anyone wanted dessert, and she looked at him in her 4 year old innocence and declaired "you can be my mommy's dessert!" I guess she knew it was right even then. He agreed to take the missionary lessons before we got married - not to join, but because he believes children should be raised the religion of the mother, and he thought he should understand something about his future children's church. Well lo and behold, he had an unexpected answer while taking the missionary lessons, and he is a member of the church now. His mother will never (in this life anyway) forgive me for taking her son away from his Jewish roots and turning him into a common Goy. She barely speaks to me sometimes. She just says "Well, at least youre not a TRUE Christian." I would explain it to her, but you cant argue with a 76 year old Jewish woman about religion. You'll lose! Well, I need to run - I got a sunburn at my 8 year olds football game today, and I need to go get some aloe on my neck. (hmmmm I guess I really am a redneck, huh?) -Sherrie (-111 and stalled and frustrated!~)

Hey Lexie! I'm a cosmotologist, too! I'm not licensed here though. I'll probably have to go through school again to get certified here since it's been 6 years and it will probably been a good 8 years before I decided to use it again. I would love to do exactly what you're doing. As it is now I'm doing it for friends and family and am just happy to be keeping up on things as much as possible. I can't believe snow in September. That would be unbearable for me. I hear it's beautiful up there, though. Hydi