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

[church_of_dog]

Well, at least it's not a picture of steaming tongs.....

Or someone waiting in the hall outside the restroom... (although actually I kinda liked that one)

Also, I might go see a band called the Steaming Tongs. :mouse-shock:

[Coco]

oh i just meant that smart phone could be a window into freedom. Instead, it's on top of the ingredients for bland granola taking a pic of the sink. :lol:

Why did Sarah take that pic anyway? What was she thinking?

[HermioneSparrow]

Good grief! Do this people know how a surprise bday really is? I took my mom to Madrid last year and we had lots of tapas and drinks, that's how you do it Steve-O!

They are as boring as a schlong at an abstinence party...

[church_of_dog]

oh i just meant that smart phone could be a window into freedom. Instead, it's on top of the ingredients for bland granola taking a pic of the sink. :lol:

Why did Sarah take that pic anyway? What was she thinking?

The way they decorated the house and wrote on the windows, etc, made me think it was a laying-in-wait surprise for Teri as she arrived home from somewhere. So I suspected the phone was aimed at where she would enter the house or at least enter the room where all the decorations were, so they could capture her "surprised!" face... :mouse-shock: :o :pearlclutch:

[Naga Viper]

Yeah, the phone is set on video mode, so that's probably exactly what that set-up is. "Surprise, Mom! We've got a surplus of granola, Flanders style!"

Poor Mary. I don't usually pay much attention to such things, but those are pretty much dude eyebrows.

[Grimalkin]

Teri is holding s'mores stuff in the pic on the bottom. Maybe they're going to Colorado after all or a camping trip?

If they are only allowed two animal crackers I doubt they actually get to eat s'mores. Especially sisnce they got to indulge in cake at the baby shower. They probably bring out s'more stuf to practice self denial.

[Jana814]

Maybe the surprise is that they didn't have this trip scheduled out two decades in advanced? Watch out, ya'll, the Maxwells are starting to be spontaneous!!

Haha!

[mango_fandango]

Haha!

They said they scheduled it a week in advance. WOAH, SO HARDCORE.

[Tiny Bubbles]

Usually try to keep my photo-diagnosing to myself, but I was surprised to see others here have noticed Mary's increased frumpiness too.

Maybe she's being punished by having her grooming privileges (I hope I'm kidding) revoked, or she's inherited a touch of Teri's depression (no joking here) or she was informed at graduation that her future is at home with Mum and Dad. Why tweeze?

#freemary

[Hane]

Usually try to keep my photo-diagnosing to myself, but I was surprised to see others here have noticed Mary's increased frumpiness too.

Maybe she's being punished by having her grooming privileges (I hope I'm kidding) revoked, or she's inherited a touch of Teri's depression (no joking here) or she was informed at graduation that her future is at home with Mum and Dad. Why tweeze?

#freemary

My theory is that there are fewer road shows happening, hence less impetus to "promote their brand."

[anjulibai]

They've "surprised" her before for her birthday, IIRC.

[salex]

A picture of a phone's camera pointed at the kitchen sink? wtf?

I was trying to figure that one out. Was it their kitchen or the kitchen of the cabin they are renting. You know, the surprise change of scenery for Terri and the girls...

[NotALoserLikeYou]

It's their kitchen. They were filming Teri's reaction to the surprise news that they are taking their annual Colorado vacation.

[fundiefan]

What an unexpected surprise! The Maxwells are going to Colorado in August. Who ever would have guessed? It's so out of the ordinary for them.

Now we'll get a month of pictures on 14ers, feeding squirrels, canoeing in a pond, repeat ad nauseam.

For anyone who misses it, just go to their archives from 2014, 2013, 2012....

[salex]

It's their kitchen. They were filming Teri's reaction to the surprise news that they are taking their annual Colorado vacation.

Oh. :?

Well, then it makes sense that they showed us a sink... :shifty:

[blessalessi]

At first, I thought the phone on video setting meant that they were skyping someone outside the compound to announce a surprise to the other party. Yeah, I know now how stupid that thought was.... :D

I reckon the surprise was just the at home party though. I don't think anyone in the family is imaginative enough to spring a surprise vacation on someone. It probably took the full week just to schedule who would be bringing which dish to the birthday lunch, or whatever it was they did for Teri. :mrgreen:

[socalrules]

I would love to have been a fly on the wall while they planned this surprise. Do any of them know the meaning of the word surprise? Do they really believe going to Colorado in August for thousandth time in a row is a surprise? How could it be unexpected?

[twin2]

I would love to have been a fly on the wall while they planned this surprise. Do any of them know the meaning of the word surprise? Do they really believe going to Colorado in August for thousandth time in a row is a surprise? How could it be unexpected?

Because it wasn't in the daily schedule! No time was planned to announce they were going on what some might call a vacation!

I does surprise me they do surprises for Teri. Given her complete dependence on scheduling.every.single.minute. plus her love of lists.for.everything. I can't see her a person who likes surprises much.

[twin2]

At first, I thought the phone on video setting meant that they were skyping someone outside the compound to announce a surprise to the other party. Yeah, I know now how stupid that thought was.... :D

I reckon the surprise was just the at home party though. I don't think anyone in the family is imaginative enough to spring a surprise vacation on someone. It probably took the full week just to schedule who would be bringing which dish to the birthday lunch, or whatever it was they did for Teri. :mrgreen:

I think this once again shows how poor Sarah's writing is, she can't clearly described what happened.

From what I can tell, Teri had a 'surprise party'. As part of this 'surprise party' she was told they would be going on what some might call a vacation to CO. What I'm unclear on, is if this was her bday it was a surprise bday party and the telling her about the trip was her present. Or if it wasn't and it was just a surprise party to tell her they are going on what some might call a vacation to celebrate her 60th bday.

[RebelYell]

I too noticed Mary's descent back into frump....poor girls! The soul must be sucked right out of them on a daily basis...I know, that's already established. Anna's hair looks super dry and thin too. I send good vibes for their health, physically and emotionally.

[Coco]

I too noticed Mary's descent back into frump....poor girls! The soul must be sucked right out of them on a daily basis...I know, that's already established. Anna's hair looks super dry and thin too. I send good vibes for their health, physically and emotionally.

Perhaps from fasting too often and a lack of protein, or even abundant food, in their diet. :|

re: bolded, their dad has control of their thoughts, they can't have a thought he wouldn't approve. Their mom may break down if exposed to dust or things even slightly out of the established order. And they can't leave without permission from these parents. No wonder they can't burn bright, there's so little oxygen in their prison.

[NotALoserLikeYou]

Couple of interesting things.

The timing was incredible. Dad and Mom were going to an out-of-state conference that Monday through Friday.

The "kids" we're alone for 5 days

Meanwhile, Jesse slipped off to the store to buy donuts.

He's free to come and go as he pleases? Must be nice being a male.

[blessalessi]

I does surprise me they do surprises for Teri. Given her complete dependence on scheduling.every.single.minute. plus her love of lists.for.everything. I can't see her a person who likes surprises much.

Having seen the update, I'm guessing Steve kept them all hanging on about whether there would be a vacation, in case they made an idol of it.

When he realised he couldn't afford for everyone to stay in hotels for the conference, he probably relented on the vacation idea, so that the chidults would be kept super busy with the preparation, for the whole time he was away.

And the smartphone video... they probably had them set up in every room, so Steve could keep an eye on things from his iphone, while he was away.

Teri probably burst into tears at the surprise because she was so fricking relieved that she wouldn't have to take part in the what-some-might-call-excessive-packing routine, for this one year.

[RebelYell]

Perhaps from fasting too often and a lack of protein, or even abundant food, in their diet. :|

re: bolded, their dad has control of their thoughts, they can't have a thought he wouldn't approve. Their mom may break down if exposed to dust or things even slightly out of the established order. And they can't leave without permission from these parents. No wonder they can't burn bright, there's so little oxygen in their prison.

Yeah, it makes me a little claustrophobic just thinking about that atmosphere. I truly truly do feel for the Maxwell Spinsters. Hi Steve! :? Could you next have Sarah blog about how happy and healthy everyone is so we can all be convinced? 8-)

[blessalessi]

I think Mary looks fresh-faced and lovely, still. In the holiday packing photos she does, anyway.

I don't really follow eyebrow trends though. I regularly get behind on my own eyebrows, and I only really get them done because of the extra harsh effect that my eyeglasses have on my facial expression, if I don't differentiate between the two browlines. :lol:

However, if there has been a change in Mary's self-care/grooming, then I wouldn't be surprised if she had been deliberately discouraged from making an idol of her countenance. I think I read somewhere that Sarah started wearing make up when she came of age, but that she stopped after a while because the family all told her she looked better without it.

Mary may just not like having the camera stuck in her face all the time, though. The Duggar scandal will have pissed over any "friendships" the younger Maxwells may have developed during those trips to the TTH, and Mary may have begun to realise how small her world is becoming. Poor kid. :cry: