Sarah gives Joe and Elissa a wedding gift.

[Toothfairy]

I wonder how Sarah feels that Elissa is married and has a baby on the way, her brother is traveling and she's still at home waiting for daddy to marry her off. Maybe Joe will advocate for Sarah to get married

[acheronbeach]

I'm guessing Sarah doesn't have her own bank account and can't really go out by herself. It's not as if she can pick something pretty from a store. And it's probably pretty difficult to surprise family members, since she's around them all the time.

Yeah, it's a bit childish and a little odd for a wedding. But considering Sarah's limited circumstances and education, I think it's a pretty cute present.

[bionicmlle]

I thought the "presentation of the gift" photos were so ODD. It seemed that Sarah and maybe Mary/Anna (whoever took the pic of the three of them) popped in to give them a gift because Elissa is wearing an apron as though she was cooking - I'm doubtful she just wears an apron all the time like Ma on Little House. Then, Joe and Elissa are sitting down to receive the gift but are sitting on FOLDING CHAIRS. Who just has folding chairs out to sit on when your sister comes over? Surely there are enough chairs for four(ish) people? If there were more people there, we would have seen a whole family shot and Elissa probably would have removed her apron.

[church_of_dog]

I think it's a nice gift and makes sense in the context of their lifestyle. Joe and Elissa didn't know each other well and didn't spend much time together before marriage, so I'm sure Elissa will enjoy looking at these old pictures of Joe now. What I don't get is why this gift is 8 months late. For people who don't have real jobs and are so into scheduling, the Maxwells don't actually seem that good at time management. Even if Sarah started on the gift after the wedding (I wouldn't blame them for not wanting to jinx it, after all Elizabeth called the wedding off a week before the date) and considering the printing/delivery process might take a while, there's no reason for this present to be so late.

But since the photos were only of Joe rather than of the two of them, she could have had this more-or-less ready to go and only waited until the wedding happened before sending it to the printer.

For that matter, why didn't she have it all ready for the Elizabeth wedding a few years ago, and then perhaps added a photo or two (or ten) of Joe since then -- but all the baby photos, childhood stuff, etc, should have been ready to go years ago...

This thread title isn't sufficiently awkward.

A sweet wedding gift that Sarah recently gifted to Joe and his sweet bride Elissa.

No no, that will never do -- it's [still] far too succinct and grammatically correct. Here, allow me --

A sweet wedding gift Sarah made, that Joe and his bride Elissa were recently gifted with.

:banana-rock:

[Miggy]

I see this two ways;

(1) Sarah is mentally about 12. As a gift from a 12yo to an older brother it's really sweet. Yes, it's really only for Joe but we don't pick on kids for getting things a little wrong, do we? We appreciate what they do.

(2) Sarah could have got together (phone/internet, not in person) with one if Elissa's siblings. They could have organised to do one each in the same style. "Elissa - birth to wedding" and "Joe -birth to wedding". They could have had a third album made up with the title "Jie & Elissa", empty and ready for photos. All three albums could have been presented together. I don't know about others but I would have loved being given that.

MrMiggy was given an album like this for his 40th from his Mum. Nice idea but unfortunately, badly put together. Nothing is labelled so you have no idea when or where pictures were taken. There are elderly relatives pictures so he can "remember them" but he doesn't know who they are. I am working on an album like this for Son 1s 21st. It will include photos, school work, people's stories, etc. but it will be (1) in order and (2) labelled!

[Arete]

This is so sad I can't snark on it. It is not a 12 yr old Sarah giving a gift to an older brother. This is Sarah a young girl who had to step in and be a mother to those five reversal kids Steve forced Teri to have. Sarah isn't giving a gift to a brother here, she is giving a gift to a son. She actually refers to the reversals as " our babies" in one blog entry. She doesn't look sad in Joeseph and Elissa's wedding pictures from jealousy, she is sad because that was essentially her first child getting married, and she is still forced to pretend Teri raised him. The relationship she has with the 5 youngest is maternal, and very different from the relationship with her 2 older brothers.

Damn Steve and Teri for what they have done to her.

[Justme]

Just a silly little thing. The book is called "...birth to marriage". Yet, both cover pictures are baby pictures. Wouldn't it make more sense for one to be a baby picture, and one a wedding picture??? :whistle:

[FloraKitty35]

It's a nice gift idea. I am not going to shade Sarah for this. I've done the same thing for my father for his birthday in 2011 and for my brothers as Christmas gifts the same year.

[nomoxian]

This is so sad I can't snark on it. It is not a 12 yr old Sarah giving a gift to an older brother. This is Sarah a young girl who had to step in and be a mother to those five reversal kids Steve forced Teri to have. Sarah isn't giving a gift to a brother here, she is giving a gift to a son. She actually refers to the reversals as " our babies" in one blog entry. She doesn't look sad in Joeseph and Elissa's wedding pictures from jealousy, she is sad because that was essentially her first child getting married, and she is still forced to pretend Teri raised him. The relationship she has with the 5 youngest is maternal, and very different from the relationship with her 2 older brothers.

Damn Steve and Teri for what they have done to her.

It's mind bending for me to think about how immature she behaves at times, yet how mature she had to be to take care of the younger siblings. I can't imagine the impact it had on her psyche.

[ILoveJellybeans]

It's mind bending for me to think about how immature she behaves at times, yet how mature she had to be to take care of the younger siblings. I can't imagine the impact it had on her psyche.

Fundie teenagers are not teenagers. They have the responsibility of 30 year olds and the rights of 5 year olds. Too young to go out by themselves or make any choices for themselves, but old enough to care for a bunch of small children mostly by themselves. Its confusing really. How can someone not be trusted to leave the house without a chaperone but inside that home they have to cook for a family of 10 while raising a handful of toddlers.

Ugh, and I just called Sarah a teenager again, when my mother had 5 kids by the time she was her age. It is hard to even think of her as older than me.

Its so cruel, and I feel for her as her life is so fucked up and she isn't even self aware enough to realise it as she has nothing to compare her life against.

[doubleT]

Perhaps Sarah waited to give her wedding present on purpose ... that being Elissa being pregnant.

Also, could they not let Elissa take off her apron before taking the pictures of her and Joe with the gift?

[WonderingInWA]

I think the gift is odd for a wedding gift, but I'm sure Elissa enjoys having some photos of her husband from his childhood.

And I agree that this should have been a slam dunk since she should have already had many of these photos ready to go for the Elizabeth wedding.

My guess is they had the family over for dinner and the gift was presented, but Sarah just didn't say that. Why else the folding chairs?