JThimm88

Have you ever tried Teamine Eye Complex by Revision? I used to get it through my dermatologist for $60, but Amazon.com does sell it for a little bit less. :) I've had good results with it, wouldn't say amazing, but I did actually notice a bit of a difference, and the dark circles under my eyes are due to poor genetics.

I am being released this Sunday from my primary calling to be called as the beehive advisor in my ward. My question is, what does that calling entail, generally? The counselor from the bishopric who met with me last night didn't say very much, so I'm not sure what to expect. Also, not having gone through personal progress, and technically having a calling in YWs, am I able to do my own personal progress at this time, or must I be a member of the presidency to do so? Oh, one more thing! I also have NO idea how YWs works for the second and third hours of church. What is the format of the class times? I know in primary, I taught my class, then took them to sharing time. How does YWs work in that regard? Do all of the girls to go to class together for one hour and then separate for the other (based on whether they're beehives, mia maids, or laurels)? What is done during each class period? Any information anyone has would be great! Another question -- on 5th Sunday, do advisors still need to attend 3rd hour in YWs, or do they go to the combined 3rd hour with the other adults?

Because I've read lots of positive reviews about this one recipe in particular, I wanted to see if there was any way to either substitute for, even omit, the coffee. Knowing that I can and it probably won't affect the taste all that much leaves me to believe that if I just use this recipe without the coffee, it should turn out fine anyway. :) While re-reading the recipe, it turns out it calls for brewed coffee, which leaves me to wonder, with it being a liquid, if it adds to the moisture of the cake? Would anyone know if I could add water, or even chocolate syrup? Meh, I suppose I'll just have to experiment.

I am curious if anyone has ideas on what I could use as a substitute for ground coffee for in a cake recipe? I know the coffee enhances the taste of the chocolate and would like to know if anyone has had luck in finding something that achieves the same purpose, but is obviously not coffee. I've Googled this, but haven't had any luck, so I thought I'd ask here.

I'm a convert and have never heard anything like this before until last evening. A friend of mine, who has always been a member, mentioned that unless you have 1 year's worth of food storage, you will not be asked to join the saints before the second coming. Instead of asking her in more detail, the whole concept just freaked me out a little bit as my husband and I just barely make ends meet each month, we're lucky if we have groceries, and food storage is just something that we haven't been able to start yet... Does anyone know what on earth she is talking about, if there is a source of some sort, and the validity behind the statement if it is in fact true?

Typo, or possibly (now that I think about it) the girl was anti and just wanted everyone who loved that quote to feel bad about liking Emma and Joseph so much.

Today on the Joseph Smith Facebook page (I don't believe it's affiliated with the Church's official page, just FYI), there was a quote that I loved and thought I'd share (and then kind of create some sort of discussion as I've got a question about a comment that followed the quote). "I feel very anxious to see you all once more in this world. The time seems long that I am deprived of your society, but the Lord being my helper, I will not be much longer. ... My dear Emma, my heart is entwined around you and those little ones. I want you to remember me. Tell all the children that I love them and will come home as soon as I can. Yours in the bonds of love, your husband." -- "Chapter 20: A Heart Full of Love and Faith: The Prophet's Letters to His Family," Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith, (2007) As I read that last bit, it just reminded me that despite having such a great calling in the Church being the prophet and all, that Joseph was a human like anyone else and still found the time to fall in love with his wife, loving her like he loved nobody else. ...But then some girl left a comment that I don't understand as I don't know much about Church history. "if Emma had just not made him feel guilty for leaving the Rockies, what a different church it would be." What did she mean by that? When were they in the Rockies, what were they doing there (had they planned on settling there?), how would the Church have been different, how did Emma make Joseph feel "guilty," as the commentator stated? Sorry if some of the answers to the above questions are common knowledge, but as a convert, my in depth history of the Church is totally lacking considering there are so many things happening every day in the Church in this day and age that I like to keep up with instead. I'm just surprised because the comment that Joseph makes doesn't seem like he felt guilty at all for anything.

Ah yes, I was confusing the two of them then. I have not read D&C 119 in its entirey but will be doing so to gain further insight on the topics. To be honest, I had no idea what the United Order was until you all mentioned it, which now sheds some light on things! Thank you for the clarification all!

I was just curious, not knowing where to look for this information exactly, if anyone knows if the Law of Consecration has ever been practiced since Joseph Smith restored the gospel? I was also wondering if the Law of Consecration is something that be practiced and then stopped and then started again if need be? I understand the basics, but those were just 2 things I wasn't too sure of!

Family size: 2 adults, 1 child under 1 -We live in an apartment complex, we get free water (also free garbage removal, free laundry on site as well) -Electric, on average per month: $20-$30 -- we rarely turn our lights on during the day and just leave the blinds open, so this helps us save a few bucks in our situation -Gas, on average per month: $20-$30 -- we also don't crank up our heat (it's set at about 68 degrees), if it's not a total necessity to be turning it on, we don't and just use blankets; oh, and our A/C is broken and nobody has come to fix it yet, so we haven't been able to use it -- that always helps save a buck or two Our apartment is also only 800 square feet, so it doesn't necessarily take too much to get it lit, warm, or cooled off. :)

That was probably my thread -- I had written asking more about nightgowns that were a little bit on the cuter side (something silky, perhaps, that I could wear to bed and still covered the garments). Or at least that was what I had been trying to get at. Probably didn't come out that way though!

Well, now I feel like I'm going nuts, for every single apartment application that I've looked at (both here in Rexburg and in a few cities in Wisconsin near where my husband's family and my own reside) have all asked for account numbers for checking/savings accounts. Hm, hm, hm. I mean, like I stated earlier, never had a problem doing so in the past 2 years we've been here, but you just never know. Thanks for all the answers everyone!

My guess is that as long as she's looking at a *young* single adults (YSA) ward, that she'd be okay to attend one. The age range in YSA wards in generally 18 (graduated from high school) to 30 ... or is it 31 (I can't remember, we even had a guy in my old YSA ward who finally was sent to a family ward at 32)? Like staytrue2faith mentioned, you can find a YSA ward (or heck, any other ward) on LDS.org or Mormon.org. Here is a link to the location map. Though I did my homework and it looks like there is only an Ann Arbor 2nd ward specifically in Ann Arbor, which is a family ward. The nearest YSA ward? Hill Street YSA ward (in Ypsilanti -- not sure how near/far that is in regards to Ann Arbor, but it is in the Ann Arbor Michigan stake).

In our current complex (we've been here for almost 2 years), they asked for account numbers, but I check our bank account frequently and no money has ever been drawn. We still give them checks to pay our rent from, so I was just wondering. And actually, the complex we are looking into moving into is all the way back in Wisconsin (so no longer one of the places here in Rexburg where we currently are). JudoMinga probably has it right. I Googled this subject and couldn't find much, but someone did also mention the 3x rent as well.

I'm curious to know why apartment applications ask for your checking/savings account numbers? Is it to simply verify that you do have a bank account, or do they actually go and see just how much $$$ is in each of those accounts? Is it for some other reason? I never thought about it when we applied to live in the apartments we're currently living in, but as we're possibly making a move across the country and looking at applications, I just had the question pop into my mind!

That was a typo. I meant Sept. 1989. Thanks for catching that, I'll edit it as to not further confuse anyone else!

My mom (who raised me) and birth mother are pretty close. They know each other. I've always grown up knowing my birth mother as my "cousin" due to a marriage that occurred (and has since been ended, but that's not the point). That being said, she would not be hurt if I "contacted" my birth mother, because I talk to her on a somewhat regular basis as it is (just via Facebook, but...) and my mom is fully aware of this. :) I talked to my mom last night, and if anything, we're both in agreement on one thing: I'm not particularly seeking a mother/daughter relationship with my birth mom. I am totally okay with just going on as things have been, with her as my "cousin." My mom also said that's okay, that she's not going to force me to have anymore of a relationship with birth mom than I already have. Also, birth mom has never, in all 22 years, given my mom the impression that she wanted to step in and acknowledge that she's my birth mother. I guess I just like my life the way that it is. I have a mom, dad, and 4 sisters. We have this whole dynamic that just works for us. Birth mother is now married and has a 7 year old daughter, and the dynamics of her family life probably work for her, otherwise it's possible that she might have felt the need to tell us who she was. But she never did. She also told my mom, when the adoption first went through, that if my parents didn't want her to have anything to do with us, she would step back. Well, my parents never told her that, and yet still gave her an in... I don't know, the way things are right now just works, and I'm finding that this news still doesn't really change things. Doesn't change who my family is, in my eyes. I just don't think that any party is going to be hurt in this whole ordeal if we just acknowledge that it's the truth, yet move on from it because it doesn't change who my mom really is. The one who raised me and has been there for me all these years is my mother, in my eyes. It might as well be that she gave birth to me because our connection will always be strong, blood related or not. :)

See, the same thing with my birth mother. She was doing drugs at the time, I just found that out, and I know her current living situation; it's not the best. I don't know, I'm just very blessed to be a part of the family I am a part of. Dang. Here I was thinking I came up with a new word. Oh well, new to me!

To be honest, I don't think I would have appreciated or understood the sacrifices made by both birth mom and adoptive parents had I been told when I was younger. Being older, and being a parent, I am eternally grateful for the decisions made by both parties. There was a time when I was in 3rd grade and my older sister was in 8th. She told her friends about the adoption, and then "rumors" went around the school and got back to me. It made me cry. I guess if I had found out at that point that it was true, personally, I would have felt like I didn't belong, that my birth mother didn't want me, etc. I just know that it came to my knowledge at this point in my life because I can handle it better. I think my mom made the right choice in telling us later in life. But that's just me. But YET... there is still a part of me that wishes I was never, ever told. I would have been totally okay with that too. Yep, definitely still trying to come to terms with this all!

Bini, thanks for sharing your experience. I definitely am interesting in hearing yours and others. I appreciate your answer to my question, by the way. :)

If anything, I feel closer to them because I never have felt any different, really. Even when I suspected it, I preferred not to really let my mind go there because I've never wanted to be anything but a daughter to my parents and a sister to my sisters. They've done an amazing job in making me feel like I'm theirs because I am. :) I got lucky. I know not every situation is like that. Many people find out they're adopted and suddenly begin the search for their birth parents, which is fine, but in the meantime, push their actual family away. I guess I couldn't understand doing that in any case of adoption because the family that's doing the adopting? It seems to be very noble of them. There are so many children that need homes, so many children that need to be given opportunities like I was, and it's all thanks to the people like my parents who choose to adopt that some of us have that chance.

That's something I thought about last night actually. The thing we have yet to overcome with this whole ordeal is that while Stephanie knew my mom planned on telling us some day, she does not know that day was yesterday. So, I guess once she finds out, and things aren't as bumpy as I'm guessing they will be, I will definitely get that information!

Yesterday all I was doing was calling my mom to ask her never to get rid of the grand piano she has at her house because some day I would like to have it. None of my sisters play anymore, and I don't due to lack of space for even a keyboard in our apartment right now, but I would love to when we have the room. Well, I never even got to that question because, due to a series of recent events, my mom had some news to tell me. My twin sister and I were adopted by my mom and dad 9 months after we were born. I'm not totally shocked by the news though. I kind of figured it out growing up. One thing led to another. My oldest sister is 21 years older than me, so when I was growing up there was the rumor that she was my mother. She's not, but that rumor planted a seed when I was about 8 or so. There was a cousin-by-marriage, Stephanie. Her dad married my mom's sister, so that made her my aunt's step-daughter. My aunt and her dad divorced after maybe 7 years or so, when Stephanie was around 15 or so. She's my birth mother. When I was old enough to acknowledge meeting her, I'm not sure how old I was, but my oldest sister and my dad both mentioned this, I told them I thought I looked so much like "that girl." ...I'll admit it, there are some strikingly similar features. ...When my mom (the one who raised me) was "pregnant" with my sister and me, I remember looking back at photos thinking, "She doesn't look pregnant." So I asked her about it. She'd always blow off my questions. I think it made her nervous. Well, of course it did. I talked to her about it yesterday and she said she never knew when or how she was going to tell us, but... Last week, my twin sister got a mysterious phone call (we believe it was from my dad's new wife; she's kind of malicious; my dad and mom don't have the best relationship since their divorce, in fact, it's finalized, yet they're still in court trying to figure out some sort of real settlement as far as $$$ goes; oh, my mom called the phone company and got some information that makes us REALLY believe it was her) from a blocked number saying she was sorry we had to find out this way, but Stephanie was our mother. I thought it was crap at the time. I guess I didn't want to believe it. Plus, my sister has developmental issues and people are always trying specifically to mess with her. And then people are just trying to tear our family apart in general. No joke, my extended family is full of some hateful people who have done and said some terrible things specifically to my mom, sisters, and myself in the past. Also, around the same time as the phone call, my sister had went to get interviewed for SSI. She got a letter back in the mail stating that she hadn't listed a previous name, but they found one attached to her name. ...My sister's name is Allison, by the way (mine's Jessica). Well, her SSN had the name "Allison Michelle R****" attached to it. The last name being the same as Stephanie's before she got married a few years ago. ...I still didn't want to put two and two together. Stephanie has a sister named Michelle. Oh gosh, I just didn't want to think about it so I told my sister that was jacked up and she just needed to forget about it because even if it was true it doesn't change who our parents actually are. Plus, I don't have any other previous names associated with my SSN, aside from my maiden name. Well, that whole bit was true, obviously. For whatever reason, when the adoption went through, both of our previous names (Allison Michelle and mine was Jessica Candace after another one of Stephanie's sisters; our first names were kept the same, but my mom changed our middle names; mine is now Claramarie, Clara after Stephanie's mother, Marie is Stephanie's middle name, so it's interesting. Sorry to go off on a tangent, but my husband always thought my middle name was lame because it "didn't mean something," it wasn't "a family name." My husband's family is huge on using family names as middle names, so I'm just glad mine has meaning now) were not supposed to be listed, the records were apparently supposed to be swept clean, pretty much. Mine was, I guess; my sister's wasn't, so that just added fuel to the fire in my mind. And STILL I didn't want to believe it! Anyway, my mom called and told me a lot of things. That when my aunt was married to Stephanie's dad, she was a mean, mean step-mother. Worse than Cinderella. She'd abuse them, get them in trouble with their dad by lying about things they supposedly did, etc. so my mom felt like she needed to step in and be caring to Stephanie and her sisters. Plus, Stephanie's mother, killed herself and it was traumatizing. When Stephanie was 7, she found her mom dead and my mom always thought it was just something she needed to do, be there for Stephanie, because she never really had her mother growing up and my aunt didn't do such a great job either. Well, when Stephanie was 18 and pregnant, had no health insurance, didn't know who the father was (so, no, I have no idea who my birth father is; my mom's not sure if Stephanie ever found out anyway), and suddenly went into labor 4 months prematurely with twins, she called my mom. My mom rushed to the hospital, was there when my sister and I were born, and came to the hospital every day, lunch hour, and night until we were released around our actual due date. We were born in December, due in April the next year. Initially what Stephanie was going to do was take my sister and me, and move in with my mom, dad, and sisters temporarily until she could get on her feet. Well, she never did do that. Instead she told my mom she had some place to stay (her dad kicked her out of the house, by the way, which was why my mom offered up her home to her). But before the eventual decline of the offer, arrangements were made for my parents to become foster parents, regardless of Stephanie's being there they still needed to do so if we were going to be living with them. Which is why when we were released from the hospital, we didn't go home with Stephanie. We went home with my mom and dad. During the time we were in the hospital, Stephanie decided she couldn't "do it," raise us, so she was going to give us up for adoption but didn't want my sister and me separated. She knew that if the state took us over, they probably would have because "nobody would want a healthy baby plus the responsibility of a child with special needs." Maybe that was true, maybe it wasn't. But it never became an issue because my parents and sisters discussed it and they wanted to take us into their family. The adoption didn't go through for about 5 more months after that though, so my mom was always worried that Stephanie would change her mind, but she didn't. We were legally adopted into the family in September of 1989. Stephanie told my mom that if my mom wanted a closed adoption, she'd stay away, but that never became a problem because my mom has so much love in her heart that Stephanie was around every now and then when I was growing up, I just knew her as my cousin. I'm 22 years old and I'm glad I found out when I did. Had I been in my pre-teen or teen years, I probably would have not handled this situation the way that I did. Of course I cried. I suddenly panicked that my family would feel like they didn't need to love me anymore because now the cat was out of the bag, I didn't really belong. ...But I quickly put all of my fears aside. God had a plan for my sister and me. He gave us a life. Like I said before, Stephanie didn't have health insurance, my sister and I only had a 5% chance of living; but my parents stepped in and took care of us from the get-go. It's thanks to them that we're still around today. I'm so appreciative of them, and of my sisters, too. We've had some amazing times growing up. I've been blessed with so many things that I shouldn't even have. It's funny, but now I feel "special" in a good way. Special because this family who didn't need to love my sister and me, didn't need to bring us into their hearts and home, did and still do every day. Nothing changes how I feel about my mom, dad, or sisters. They were worried the truth might. Well, my mom and sisters were. My dad, I personally think he had something to do with the whole ordeal getting out as he threatened my mom throughout the years that he was going to tell us, when she wasn't ready to, and knowing his personality and what he's done, I'm guessing he's probably happy to be rid of us for good now that we know we're not really his daughters (he left my mom, sisters and myself when I was 8, by the way, and hasn't had too much to do with us since). Despite all of that, I still love the guy. But yeah, it's kind of interesting to find this news out over the phone and be so far away from my family. I'm in Idaho, they're in Wisconsin. So I'm going home in a few weeks for a wedding and all I want to do is give my mom and sisters hugs and give them a million thanks for loving me and Allison the way that they have. :) Oh, and I guess to create more of a discussion: 1) Is it terrible of me if I don't want to really seek out a mother/daughter relationship with Stephanie? She did mention over the years that she wasn't really looking to start one with us, that things were fine the way that they were. I'm just nervous that the pressure will be on from others to do so. 2) Has anyone else been in this situation? How did you feel? I do still feel a little bit weirded out by it all, it's a lot to take it; what can I do to make myself feel more comfortable about it all? EDIT: 3) Is this something that I should tell my children some day? I guess that's more of a personal decision and nobody here can give me a yes or no. It's not like I feel it needs to be kept a secret, but I'm wondering how they would then feel about my family? I'm not sure how this affects children of adoptees (I just made up a word!), if it ever does at all. Does anyone have any thoughts on this? EDIT: A few more thoughts: my mom is so, so, soooo amazing. She has enough love in her heart to love her 3 birth daughters (my older sisters) AND my twin sister and me all equally! Now, I've always wanted to adopt, regardless of the fact I've got my own child, but my husband throws out the "Yeah, but you'd love your birth children more than your adopted ones" as if that's going to kill the desire. Well, now I know for a fact that I can have the same love in my heart and love all of my children equally, regardless of where they come from, if we ever do adopt! Also interestingly enough, as most people know, I'm a convert. My family is Lutheran, not LDS. Yet, God knew he was putting me into a family that would set me up with the basics of the gospel so that when I was old enough to make a decision, I would choose His Church. :) This makes me happy. It's amazing how things work out!

Glad to see you two thought it was good. :) Hubby and I are probably going to go see it next week. I'm excited!

Awesome, awesome quote. It's exactly what a lot of us needed to hear right now. Thanks for sharing this one, Pam!