Chelsy and John Maxwell 3: Will There Be a Welcome Home Party?

[fundiefan]

On 2/6/2018 at 8:17 AM, Cat Damon said:

What a great idea! For my cousin's wedding shower, we did a "holiday" theme where each guest got a holiday in their invitation and they had to bring decorations so at least for their first year of marriage, they could have something to put up for each holiday. I really really liked that idea and it made shopping so much more fun than buying wine glasses or dish towels- at least for me, and my cousin didn't need any of those things anyway.

We do a holiday auction(and, yes, it's a holiday auction and everyone is very adamant about it being referred to as such becauset one of the charities we donate proceeds to is for immigrant resettlement organized by the Jewish Community Center) at work every December for two local charities. Every year there are at least ten long bins full of gift wrap & supplies and every year, they go for way, way over value. 

I'm always impressed that sometihng so seemingly basic is one of the biggest hits. 

[usmcmom]

55 minutes ago, fundiefan said:

We do a holiday auction(and, yes, it's a holiday auction and everyone is very adamant about it being referred to as such becauset one of the charities we donate proceeds to is for immigrant resettlement organized by the Jewish Community Center) at work every December for two local charities. Every year there are at least ten long bins full of gift wrap & supplies and every year, they go for way, way over value. 

I'm always impressed that sometihng so seemingly basic is one of the biggest hits. 

I'd probably be one bidding on that stuff. I love wrapping paper, gift sacks...all of it. I am always in the lookout for masculine gift wrap because that seems hard to find. The Dollar Tree is one of my favorite places to by sacks. They have a really good selection. 

[WhatWouldJohnCrichtonDo?]

5 hours ago, usmcmom said:

The Dollar Tree is one of my favorite places to by sacks. They have a really good selection. 

I've started getting reusable bags to use as gift bags as much as possible. I get cute ones for kids at Dollar Tree and Target that have cartoon characters. Our Kroger affiliate, Fred Meyer, sells cute reusable shopping bags with cats, dogs, teapots, cowboy boots, teddy bears, and more for 79 to 99 cents. They change their selection every month or so, so I just check to see if they have any new styles when I'm there. For Christmas, we pretty much just used those bags. 

[Curious]

On 1/27/2018 at 6:55 PM, lilith said:

We’ve recently found out that 8 other families attend the nursing home church. Assuming that they aren’t counting the three married Maxwell sons as seperate families that’s an ok congregation for a “church” in a nursing home run by an untrained and unordained lunatic. Chelsy might be ok there - shes done nursing home ministry all her life. But I think she will miss the activities, structure and community of a large church.

Just what people in a nursing home need.  A captive audience to weird jesus beliefs and constant talk of death.  I really hope attending "church" is voluntary.  Based on my experience in various facilities, there are some people that just want someone to talk to/pay attention to them so I'm sure they are fine with the Maxwells.  However, some people are still very "with it" and are none too happy about their current situation (my husband always managed to find those people and befriend them or maybe they found him...) and want something more stimulating than being talked to and sitting in a hallway or the dining room parked in front of a tv all the time.

I don't think any of the facilities have had a similar situation (because it's kinda weird, maybe).  I don't recall them even asking me about religious preference.   They did in the hospital every time, for all the good it did.

Also regarding Poor Sarah.  I felt like as soon as she was (I am assuming) allowed to get that puppy, it was a sign that she was resigned to being the one that takes care of Steve and Teri when the time comes.  That puppy was her consolation prize and meant to fill the space a husband and baby would take up in her heart.   I hope I'm wrong, but the fact the dog seems to be Sarah's dog vs  a family pet really makes me think Sarah is resigned to her fate.   

Steve is going to have to marry off at least one of the girls at some point I think just for appearances.

How many people are still in "the family" (vs "the extended family") now?

@lilith I'll set up a forum and get you permissions for keeping up the update like in the duggar and uh other forums that have them.  I have been without power in my office/no computer for 5 days so am trying to catch up on stuff.  If I don't get it done by Monday, ping me again about it, please.

[Curious]

On 1/31/2018 at 5:51 AM, Captain Obvious said:

Well they did have a "party" of some kind, but Chelsy hosted it herself.

Shock horror - Sarah praised a non-Maxwell!

And I have to comment on the portrait of J & C in the background. I bet it was one of Mary's efforts. Hmmm - what's the bet that that gets put away when the Maxwells are not around?

Also - what the everlasting fuck is going on here? 

I hate Pinterest.  I went to google to look for something like this.   Decided it was a "luffa wreath"   Next thing I know I'm somehow looking at Grinch wreaths and other crafty Grinch stuff.  I probably would have been there for hours, but then I noticed this and thought it would be perfect for Chelsy to use for the holidays this year:

http://eighteen25.com/2016/12/footprint-christmas-ornaments/

I still think it's a luffa or mesh wreath, but didn't find an exact copy of it before I was sidetracked by the Grinch somehow.

On 1/31/2018 at 11:44 AM, Odd1Out said:

Well we know where that blue wreath came from now. 

The drawing by Mary, I assume, makes sure J & C are not actually touching. 

I’m hoping that diaper box had something else wrapped in it and not actually diapers. 

 

I’m glad to see J & C being so lovey-dovey but John needs to let chelsy sit in a chair once in a while. She’s either on his lap or on the floor. 

To be fair, she may just like sitting on the floor.  Before I was disabled, I sat on the floor way more often than furniture and had someone followed me around with a camera during my first marriage or the relationship after it there would probably be tons of photos of me sitting by a man's feet....out of choice.   I wanted to sit with them watching movies or whatever, but found the floor more comfortable than most furniture.    I did not, however, sit on laps cause I was an adult.

[mydoggoskeeper]

Soooo <looking at calendar>, isn't it about time for the post-nuptial pregnancy announcement?  Or now that Chelsy is a Maxwell and not a Bontrager are we not going to get the early news?  

[JermajestyDuggar]

54 minutes ago, mydoggoskeeper said:

Soooo <looking at calendar>, isn't it about time for the post-nuptial pregnancy announcement?  Or now that Chelsy is a Maxwell and not a Bontrager are we not going to get the early news?  

I think Chelsy will wait until she's 10-13 weeks before she announces. She waited awhile to announce her engagement and she hasn't been on her blog much since the wedding. I think she keeps quite busy with her home renovations and trips to see the Bontragers. 

[Curious]

On 2/6/2018 at 11:21 AM, Granwych said:

Just read Teri's "Mom's Corner,"  and she's right about keeping the chastising short & sweet.  Interestingly, in the pictures of the Maxwells' at-home kids, they appear to be taken before John and Chelsy's wedding, with John but no Chelsy..  If I were her, I'd be pissed--there was plenty of time to get another pic, schedule or  no.

Steve and Teri's rules about family are just as odd as the rest of their beliefs, IMO.   No one considers immediate family members "extended family" just because they are married and/or no longer live in the familial home.   It's dumb and I think it's really code for "no longer under my direct control."  So if one of them gets a notion to do something non-Maxhell approved Steve can say it's not his fault.

I did not have a great relationship with my parents and was an only child, so I don't fully understand the sibling relationship, but I think if I had siblings and was suddenly considered "less than" them because I was no longer feeling at home and (probably) had less access to see them whenever I wanted I would be pretty hurt.

Can the spinster sisters just go randomly visit "extended family" or does it have to be on Steve and Teri's schedule?   Can one of them bake a pie and just drop by to chat and have coffee with Melanie or NRAnna?     What about visiting Chels since she doesn't yet have a houseful of kids and has moved away from her family and church which were very active and social?

All that to say, I'm pretty sure Chelsy has been around the Maxwells long enough to realize they are weird and have weird ideas about family.  I really hope she can make even small changes in the family or at least with John.   Her family doesn't seem like they are scared of "others" or the outside world and hopefully, John and Chelsy will trend more toward how her family works than his as they have children.   I also hope if that happens, little mini John or mini Chels can help the other grandchildren learn to have fun.

It would do some good for all of them to have their world shaken up a little and realize that it isn't the end of the world if someone actually enjoys life rather than existing in wait of death.

[gameofunbeknowns]

3 hours ago, Curious said:

Steve and Teri's rules about family are just as odd as the rest of their beliefs, IMO.   No one considers immediate family members "extended family" just because they are married and/or no longer live in the familial home.   It's dumb and I think it's really code for "no longer under my direct control."  So if one of them gets a notion to do something non-Maxhell approved Steve can say it's not his fault.

This is spot on. Could anyone imagine the blowback if any of the spinster sisters were in a picture with a woman wearing a sleeveless shirt who has tattoos like the ones of Elissa and her cousin or the picture of the ABC girls with Melanie’s fundielite sister? 

From a business perspective though I think Steve’s model is incredibly unwise. It’s my opinion that the movement is veering in a way more modern direction. With the most famous families of the movement (Duggars and Bates) wearing pants, watching television and adopting slightly different doctrinal beliefs, I can’t fathom the Maxwell brand surviving at all for much longer.

If it were me, I’d make Chelsey and John the new face of Maxwell brand. But this is Steve of course....so...never gonna happen.

[SPHASH]

According to the Bontragers instagram Judgy Chelsy is sending out very late NY cards.

[JermajestyDuggar]

15 minutes ago, SPHASH said:

According to the Bontragers instagram Judgy Chelsy is sending out very late NY cards.

I guarantee that was her job premarriage. They are getting one last year of this job out of Chelsy because she will be too busy with a newborn next year.

[fundiefan]

I painted yesterday and today I cleaned up and put things back together. This included cleaning the ceiling fan. 

I felt so Maxwellian. Then I had to take a shower to wash that feeling away,

[VBOY9977]

The Bontragers just posted an update on John and Chelsy

[Kangaroo]

10 minutes ago, VBOY9977 said:

The Bontragers just posted an update on John and Chelsy

"Chelsy works as culinary and home-culture director, chief encourager, wife, and helpmeet to John".

So I don't follow either family, but this description of what they do for work made me laugh so much.

[VodouDoll]

Home culture director! I die.

[HoneyBunny]

I die too, but at least we get news from the Bontrager blog.  Because we’d never get the same kind of happy update -with photos of things beside cleaning, cooking and playing with kids!- from the Tits2 blog. Instead we get crap in a pan and comments declaring its the “best thing ever, Maxwells, how DO you do it?!?!”. 

[Marian the Librarian]

2 hours ago, VodouDoll said:

Home culture director! I die.

Reminds me of the bloviatory nonsense on the Botkin websites - Advisors to World Leaders, Cultural Change Agents, Keepers of the Eternal Flame, Direct Line To God...

A padded resume is a padded resume is a padded resume. 

[JermajestyDuggar]

12 minutes ago, Marian the Librarian said:

Reminds me of the bloviatory nonsense on the Botkin websites - Advisors to World Leaders, Cultural Change Agents, Keepers of the Eternal Flame, Direct Line To God...

A padded resume is a padded resume is a padded resume. 

But at least the Bontragers are most likely not completely serious. They are probably being a bit cheeky. I would imagine the Botkins are always overly serious about everything.

[catlady]

13 hours ago, Kangaroo said:

"Chelsy works as culinary and home-culture director, chief encourager, wife, and helpmeet to John".

chief encourager?  why?  because of his fragile manhood? 

encourage yourself, John.

(ok, that sounds dirtier than i intended....)

[VodouDoll]

Every time I read about helpmeets encouraging I imagine, like, "Go, John, go! You can do it! Oh, AWESOME, you put on your socks! Nice job brushing your teeth! Woo, you combed your hair! Yay, John!" Like you'd encourage a toddler learning to get himself ready in the morning.

[grammyj]

Awwww. I can't snark on the John and Chelsy blog. They look really happy and I'm happy for them, especially John as I can only imagine what his childhood was like as the "rebel" child. His smile actually reaches his eyes.

Have been checking out Allison's blog. She reported that at her last Womens Retreat, Chelsy did all the cooking.That gal can cook!  I really hope Chelsy is going to introduce delicious and bountiful meals to the Maxwells.  And that she shakes them up with f*n things. I think John is a lucky man.

[Trynn]

One time we were slow at work, and my boss said, "everybody's doing a good job! Trynn, you're doing great just standing there doing nothing. Uh, excellent posture!"

We told him we understood that the general manager had told him to give out more encouraging compliments, but there was such a thing as taking it too far. We all knew Bossy was joking, anyway. 

 

 

[JermajestyDuggar]

9 hours ago, Trynn said:

One time we were slow at work, and my boss said, "everybody's doing a good job! Trynn, you're doing great just standing there doing nothing. Uh, excellent posture!"

We told him we understood that the general manager had told him to give out more encouraging compliments, but there was such a thing as taking it too far. We all knew Bossy was joking, anyway. 

 

 

When I was a teen, my boss always said, "if you've got time to lean, you've got time to clean." 

So we never let him catch us leaning. 

[HereticHick]

Is John the "deputy encourager" in the household?

And it is interesting that they've gone off on 4 business trips in the last two months. I wonder if the "chief encourager" and her family's farming network are trying to hook him up with new clients.

 

PS I'm pretty sure our cat is the "home culture director" in the Hick Household.

Home Culture goals: More naps, more petting, fewer delivery persons ringing doorbells.

[Curious]

14 hours ago, HereticHick said:

PS I'm pretty sure our cat is the "home culture director" in the Hick Household.

Isn't that true of every cat home?

One of my cats is extra salty right now because she's in a cone of shame (she scratched the entire front of her neck open for some unknown reason...no it's not fleas!).  Normally she is a bit salty vs the other cat (her littermate) who is pretty easy going.  Riley takes nuffin from no one!

Today I heard her purposely knocking every. single. medicine bottle off the table..cause cone of shame, you see.  She can't see them now to step over them. 

Because there is NOTHING more pathetic than a cat in a cone of shame she's been getting away with all kinds of things I'd normally scold her for.  She knows she's got me right now so she's taking full advantage.

I got suckered into brushing her for 15 minutes earlier tonight because "MOOOOOMMM I can't groom myself with a giant cone on my head.  I'm mussy!  FIX ME!!!!"  

So our current home culture is trying to guess where she is going to want to lay down and move everything before she decides to throw it on the floor...or my head.