Baby shower for Elissa + What Some Might Call a Vacation!

[Dru]

It's funny because I was surprised not to see John with a Pepsi in the cookout pictures because he usually has one. My lord, all of the perfectly good space in my brain that is wasted with knowledge about the Maxwells.

[Coco]

I'm sure that what some might call a vacation won't stop Steve from letting his family know who is boss...

From articles.titus2.com/dad-the-linchpin/

FWIW, Steve, I think they will "miss" those meetings when you are gone... but not in the way you imagine. Probably in the way that one would miss an extracted wisdom tooth that had been causing pain for so long that the ache had become "normal".

:clap: :clap: :clap:

[Coco]

I'd love to know what he talks with Sarah during those weekly interrogations.

Probably nothing beyond the Bible verse that's speaking to her or the progress of her writing or garden or whatever it is she does to stay busy. There wouldn't be any deep discussions about feeling like she's missing life, because her cruel God would bring her a hubby if she was worthy. No talking about internal anguish because there isn't supposed to be any anguish. So she goes outside and takes close up pics of flowers and rocks.

/guessing

[Coco]

Really good observation, and I agree!

The only benefit of Stockholm Syndrome.

[Coco]

As close as any of the younger Maxwells will come to university. :(

:lol: that's hilarious but sad.

[Coco]

Fixed that for ya. :lol:

Steve has to love that. He thinks he's kept his daughters pristine for Heaven or some sap he can choose and then control, while his sons are stuck in childhood but have (in his imagination) power over any woman, even heathens on FJ.

Or maybe their website is monetized and he needs clicks. :lol: So how are they going to feel when they read about random people enjoying their pics that their dad chose to put online? Used? Owned?

[blessalessi]

Probably nothing beyond the Bible verse that's speaking to her or the progress of her writing or garden or whatever it is she does to stay busy. There wouldn't be any deep discussions about feeling like she's missing life, because her cruel God would bring her a hubby if she was worthy. No talking about internal anguish because there isn't supposed to be any anguish. So she goes outside and takes close up pics of flowers and rocks.

/guessing

Sadly, I think that any internal anguish is very much discussed. It is not OK to show any signs of unhappiness and I'm sure Sarah is reminded often of her need to keep sweet. I think I once saw a blog post where Sarah publicly confessed to having felt negative feelings, and what she was going to do better in future. I think Teri has posted Corners to this effect too. :(

[Elegant Mess]

You just know they keep the same routine on vacation as they do at home. I'm sure it's still bible time, chores, exercise time, stroke Teri and Steve's egos, etc.

Given their obsession with scheduling, I wonder what happens if it takes them a lot more time to do one of their climbs than they allowed for? :think:

[Black Aliss]

There must be forest fires somewhere? The PNW is burning, firefighters are losing their lives and the smoke is flooding the Colorado Front Range, lowering air quality to dangerous levels (and making for some surreal sunsets). Seriously, Maxwells...follow the news sometime!!

Heck, there are currently 10 wildfires burning in Western Colorado! Yes there are wildfires, Sarah! Didn't you look into that before you left home?

OT: The extent of the wildfires in BC, WA, and OR is almost beyond comprehension. Wish the Maxwells would pray for rain in the Northwest, instead of always asking for stuff for themselves.

[Lillybee]

BarS are the cheapest and nastiest hotdogs in my area. Poor Maxwells if they consider that they are considered a trea.

[nokidsmom]

There is so much to do and see in Colorado. Ok, actually I see climbing a 14er as a decent accomplishment IMHO but seriously this is the same damn thing year after year. Staying at the same place. The mountains at the top look the same above timberline. Now, the general area where they are staying is gorgeous but it's not far from other places to go to. Why not go to some ghost towns. Or Durango / Mesa Verde area in the southwest part of the state? Rocky Mountain National Park? There's tons of stuff there but they stay in the same small section of the state every year.

Ground Hog Day in Colorado, what some might call a vacation.

[Eternalbluepearl]

There is so much to do and see in Colorado. Ok, actually I see climbing a 14er as a decent accomplishment IMHO but seriously this is the same damn thing year after year. Staying at the same place. The mountains at the top look the same above timberline. Now, the general area where they are staying is gorgeous but it's not far from other places to go to. Why not go to some ghost towns. Or Durango / Mesa Verde area in the southwest part of the state? Rocky Mountain National Park? There's tons of stuff there but they stay in the same small section of the state every year.

Ground Hog Day in Colorado, what some might call a vacation.

Agreed! How can one get so excited about this year after year?! The Colorado trip is not a vacation, it's just like being home for them except during cabinet polishing time, they are hiking. If you have to bring your apron and Costco groceries, it's not a vacation. If you're in your 30's and sitting in the backseat with your siblings while your daddy drives, it's not a vacation. Gosh, it sounds so depressing. How do the Maxwell's ruin everything? :cray-cray:

[nokidsmom]

Agreed! How can one get so excited about this year after year?! The Colorado trip is not a vacation, it's just like being home for them except during cabinet polishing time, they are hiking. If you have to bring your apron and Costco groceries, it's not a vacation. If you're in your 30's and sitting in the backseat with your siblings while your daddy drives, it's not a vacation. Gosh, it sounds so depressing. How do the Maxwell's ruin everything? :cray-cray:

Right, they carry on just as if they were home. Costco grocery shopping, preparing and packing food from home, the same family togetherness just as they were at home, there's nothing that makes a true vacation, they are doing the same things just in a different spot. I will concede that climbing a 14er is different because it's not flat Kansas but it's the same regimented family routine.

And yeah, being 30, sitting while Daddy drives and Mom in the front passenger seat is yet just another rehash of trips when you were a kid. Do of any of the older chidults feel any sort of cognitive dissonance while they are sitting there? Like, here am I, a grown ass adult and yet it's the same as I was when I was a kid? I was forced into a similar family vacation when I was 20 (mom got hit with a blast of old road trip nostaglia and insisted we all go) and I absolutely hated it. By that time, I preferred the school trips that I took with other people my age, I was past the road trip in the back seat type of thing.

[SPHASH]

There is so much to do and see in Colorado. Ok, actually I see climbing a 14er as a decent accomplishment IMHO but seriously this is the same damn thing year after year. Staying at the same place. The mountains at the top look the same above timberline. Now, the general area where they are staying is gorgeous but it's not far from other places to go to. Why not go to some ghost towns. Or Durango / Mesa Verde area in the southwest part of the state? Rocky Mountain National Park? There's tons of stuff there but they stay in the same small section of the state every year.

Ground Hog Day in Colorado, what some might call a vacation.

I know a lot of people who go to the same place every year, myself included. But they also go other places too, like Hawaii, Cancun. For myself I like to go to the Black Hills around the 4th of July and visit Mt Rushmore. I take a long weekend and do it. But I also stay in a different campground every time, hike different trails, some years I will go to Crazy Horse, other years Deadwood or Wind Cave. I like to mix it up.

[Maggie Mae]

A lot of people go to the same place every year. Most of those people have homes or time shares in those places though, or they do different things, or visit with friends and family. I don't really mind that they go to the same place every year and climb the same mountains; however, I wish they would go somewhere else as well. Or at least try a new restaurant or even paddleboard instead of kayak. Anything.

Also read the damn news, Maxwells.

[bean]

The Wissmann family recently did a 14er in Colorado - for a glorious brief moment I thought maybe the "friends" they went with could have been the Maxwells, but alas, no.

Not a skirt in sight!

wissmanns.blogspot.com/2015/07/colorado-hiking.html

[VodouDoll]

There is so much to do and see in Colorado. Ok, actually I see climbing a 14er as a decent accomplishment IMHO but seriously this is the same damn thing year after year. Staying at the same place. The mountains at the top look the same above timberline. Now, the general area where they are staying is gorgeous but it's not far from other places to go to. Why not go to some ghost towns. Or Durango / Mesa Verde area in the southwest part of the state? Rocky Mountain National Park? There's tons of stuff there but they stay in the same small section of the state every year.

Ground Hog Day in Colorado, what some might call a vacation.

This is so well-put. And yet, Teri cried with joy when they told her the trip was on after all.

My parents have a time share in Key West and go every single year. They would never dream of missing it. But they do DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES. Their condo has a couple bedrooms so they invite different configurations of friends and family. They do different outings, eat different places, see different things. One year it might be kayacking, another sport fishing, another sea planes to the coral reef. Yeah, there's plenty of reading-by-the-pool time but the rest is changed up annually and and everyone has fun. The Maxwells' lives are Groundhog Day. That's so apt.

[mango_fandango]

There is so much to do and see in Colorado. Ok, actually I see climbing a 14er as a decent accomplishment IMHO but seriously this is the same damn thing year after year. Staying at the same place. The mountains at the top look the same above timberline. Now, the general area where they are staying is gorgeous but it's not far from other places to go to. Why not go to some ghost towns. Or Durango / Mesa Verde area in the southwest part of the state? Rocky Mountain National Park? There's tons of stuff there but they stay in the same small section of the state every year.

Ground Hog Day in Colorado, what some might call a vacation.

I went on holiday to Devon/Somerset once and we stayed in this little cottage. I like to read the visitor's book (where people leave comments e.g. what a lovely cottage, x y and z are good places to eat, a b and c are good places to go etc). You leave your name and where you live. One family who'd stayed at this particular cottage had stayed a total of 20 TIMES, at least. And this wasn't their personal holiday home or a timeshare, they just managed to book it 20+ times. Now THAT'S a little ridiculous. If you stay in the exact same house, there are only going to be so many activities available nearby that are accessible by car and that you can get to within a relatively short space of time. Doesn't this person/family want to explore different parts of Devon/Somerset/wherever they were? Obviously they are nowhere near as big as an entire state but they are fairly big.

Then again, I thought this family were weird, until I read some article in a magazine once by this woman who'd been to the same village in Devon over 170 times, going about once a month. Good for her that she never gets bored, but I sure as hell would. She even mentioned that she'd been to places like Isle of Wight or Cornwall, but they weren't as good as this one village. She does have her own caravan there, but still... She never goes ANYWHERE else, JUST this one village. That sounds pretty damn boring IMO.

[SPHASH]

New post up. They hiked up LaPlata on Mary's b-day. They got up at fucking 3 am that morning. And there was a mountain goat that didn't like Steve.

[Maggie Mae]

New post up. They hiked up LaPlata on Mary's b-day. They got up at fucking 3 am that morning. And there was a mountain goat that didn't like Steve.

Mountain Goats are smart then.

Was it a Mountain Goat or a sheep? Do they have dall sheep that far south? Biologist/CO resident please. These are important questions.

[nausicaa]

A lot of people go to the same place every year. Most of those people have homes or time shares in those places though, or they do different things, or visit with friends and family. I don't really mind that they go to the same place every year and climb the same mountains; however, I wish they would go somewhere else as well. Or at least try a new restaurant or even paddleboard instead of kayak. Anything.

Also read the damn news, Maxwells.

I often go to the same beach for vacation and stay in the same condo (after finally finding one I really like). The difference is I plunk my butt on the beach with some snacks and read and swim all day, unlike my day to day life (and I sure as hell ain't waking up at 3am). It's the best way to just relax and unwind for a week. I don't have to make plans, don't have to worry about driving somewhere and getting lost, don't have to think really.

I'm sure there are some people who would just really like to hike the same mountain year after year. But what are the chances that all seven people in that family a) love hiking, b) love Colorado, and c) are the type to enjoy going on the same vacation every year. And I agree that it seems odd too because they could still do lots of interesting things that are super Christian approved, like camping, fishing, paddle boarding, horse backing riding (women sidesaddle?).

[mango_fandango]

Mountain Goats are smart then.

Was it a Mountain Goat or a sheep? Do they have dall sheep that far south? Biologist/CO resident please. These are important questions.

I know we've brought this up before, but HOW do the girls manage to hike all those 14ers in freaking skirts? Yeah, they're made of tracksuit-bottoms-type material, but that can't be easy. Especially since it sounds like LaPlata was quite steep. Does it snow round where the Maxwells are? Would they still wear skirts even then? I guess they would. Jeez, even the Duggar girls can wear snow pants.

[kpmom]

I wonder what kind of work issue John had that he had to hurry down the mountain?

Or was that just an excuse? :nanner-sex:

Seems like the guys always have an urgent business matter in Colorado. :think:

[church_of_dog]

I wonder what kind of work issue John had that he had to hurry down the mountain?

Or was that just an excuse? :nanner-sex:

Seems like the guys always have an urgent business matter in Colorado. :think:

I like to think that his "work issue" was discovering that FJ has outed him as a real estate agent. :lol:

[bionicmlle]

No birthday post for Mary?

Here, Steve, we'll help you.

It's Mary's birthday! Mary is such a wonderful addition to our family and here today I'll list some qualities, from the family, that we want to be sure to let Mary know we are grateful to the Lord for giving her. We had a meeting and dad and mom thought it would be fun to list out the special qualities that Mary has with the letters of her name! How creative!

Merry (cute, isn't it!? That was mom's)

Aight (that's Jesse's - we're not sure what it means, but he insisted. He said "she aight.")

Respectful (that's dad's - he seemed awfully proud of that one! Good job, Mary!)

Youthful (that's mine!)

Happy birthday Mary!

Love, Sarah (for the rest)