Mortons are back from Paraguay...

[hoipolloi]

16 minutes ago, fundiefan said:

I have never bought that they barely talked. The families had spent years together. Noah was in at least two of the S'Morton weddings and the Sanders family was in attendance at all of them. They did the NYE cosplay together every year. They traveled in the exact same circles with the exact same families, as both blogs attest to. Do they really expect people to believe that these 'kids' spent years together but never talked?

If that is actually the truth, the families are all even more fucked up than I thought. Put all the kids together but don't let them talk to anyone of the opposite sex/certain age/what the fuck ever.

Re: bolded. Exactly. As we've noted before, these people and their "yoke fellows" all live & move within relatively small social circles. It is highly unlikely that Dorothy & Noah did NOT have a reasonably accurate perspective on each other prior to beginning their courtship. Of course, this reality makes the blog accounts all the more bizarre in so many ways. 

[SolomonFundy]

23 minutes ago, fundiefan said:

I have never bought that they barely talked. The families had spent years together. Noah was in at least two of the S'Morton weddings and the Sanders family was in attendance at all of them. They did the NYE cosplay together every year. They traveled in the exact same circles with the exact same families, as both blogs attest to. Do they really expect people to believe that these 'kids' spent years together but never talked?

If that is actually the truth, the families are all even more fucked up than I thought. Put all the kids together but don't let them talk to anyone of the opposite sex/certain age/what the fuck ever.

I've wondered over this in the past. There aren't many logical reasons for them to downplay Noah and Dorothy's friendship within the family. The Sanders' posts about this courtship have always struck me as a bit passive-aggressive. Maybe their first pick wasn't Dorothy, but Noah's was? There's just a lot of subtle coldness in what they wrote. This in particular sounds a bit disapproving:

Quote

So for the next week Noah prayed about it and was able to ask us girls some more questions since we had a close relationship with Dorothy. Gaining some insight of her personality, strengths and weaknesses, etc…without having to actually interact with her.

 Had the roles been reversed, the Mortons wouldn't have included a passage that mentioned Noah finding out about Dorothy's "weaknesses", among other things, from his sisters. And there are better ways of saying "he wanted to understand God's will before he spent more time with Dorothy" other than "...without having to actually interact with her" [emphasis mine].

Then there's the bit about Noah being "released" to seek a wife, which could be interpreted as a sign that Noah already had expressed interest in Dorothy, but the family was hoping to starve it out by making him wait. However, there were obviously other factors at play within the family, so maybe I'm reading too much into it. 

[JMO]

I did find it interesting that when Addie reminisces about the times the families spent together many "female" (in their world) activities are mentioned.  Sewing, bridal parties for big sisters, reading P & P, doing hair.  Some were not: playing cards and building barns and eating ice cream for example.  I wouldn't doubt if the teens were encouraged to not talk to the opposite sex.  They probably had a superficial idea of each other and saw each other grow but were not allowed to have deeper discussions and certainly no one on one time.  I'm sure Noah had her in mind for a long time otherwise he wouldn't have had a quick answer for his dad when he was given the go ahead. 

I think if I had the energy I'd do "A Morton (post) a day in the month of May".  Sadly life will probably get in the way.  Maybe I'll just binge and purge some posts today!

 

[hoipolloi]

Just now, JMO said:

I did find it interesting that when Addie reminisces about the times the families spent together many "female" (in their world) activities are mentioned.  Sewing, bridal parties for big sisters, reading P & P, doing hair.  Some were not: playing cards and building barns and eating ice cream for example.  I wouldn't doubt if the teens were encouraged to not talk to the opposite sex.  They probably had a superficial idea of each other and saw each other grow but were not allowed to have deeper discussions and certainly no one on one time.  I'm sure Noah had her in mind for a long time otherwise he wouldn't have had a quick answer for his dad when he was given the go ahead. 

True but for all the reasons you cite, it seems quite likely that Noah & Dorothy were able to scope each other out pretty thoroughly in spite of not being allowed to spend time together by themselves.

There is a fair amount of WTF in these families, another aspect of which is the oldest daughter Lora Lynn. She's the child of a first, never-talked-about marriage of Tim's (Daddy's). LL actually went to college where she met her now-husband. 

[JMO]

I can't resist.  My favorite Morton related item, Kressant's wedding:

At around 14 minutes he discusses the 10 steps of a biblical marriage.  Around 23:30 he starts to discuss how he prepared Kressant for being the perfect bride for Mike.  Including the fact that she was never allowed to think about or talk to boys and that he prevented her from outside influences that would make her think she didn't need a man to help and protect her. 

Seeing the wedding again and reading the Morton/Sanders blogs reinforces to me why there were so many intermarriages.  The kids were never allowed to talk to each other but knew who each other were.  They could form superficial attractions with other young adults that they knew were like minded and already had the friendship and acceptance of their families.  Once they are deemed to be of marrying age then off they go with a quickie courtship, a 2 month engagement and a baby 9 months later. 

[hoipolloi]

Also, speaking of small, intersecting worlds, this quote from the Mortons' version of Dorothy's & Noah's courtship story sure sounds like both families went to a VF Father-Daughter event at the Callaway Gardens:

Quote

Then one day, on a Spring afternoon at a butterfly garden in 2005, when Dorothy was 15 years old, she and her Daddy and sisters met three young ladies and their Daddy, who would help shape a lot of her story. 

 

[JMO]

Why can't I quit that video?  I've seen Cap'n Brett discuss his daughter's attributes and pat himself on the back for his fab parenting skills multiple times but it's like a trainwreck.  WHO DOES THAT??  Who brags about sheltering their daughter as part of her wedding ceremony like he's justifying to Mike and his family why she's a good deal?  Most parents are looking out to make sure their SIL is going to be a good husband, not bragging that they prepared their daughter for deprivation and going to the ends of the earth dutifully without complaint. 

[fundiefan]

17 minutes ago, hoipolloi said:

Also, speaking of small, intersecting worlds, this quote from the Mortons' version of Dorothy's & Noah's courtship story sure sounds like both families went to a VF Father-Daughter event at the Callaway Gardens:

 

Oh, yes. They all definitely have VF ties. They have never been overly publicized, but it's impossible not to read between the lines. Plus, I there are posts on Sanders and Morton blogs about retreats, the film festival, etc.

They may not have been publicly waving the VF flag, but they were just as deep as many others.

[fundiefan]

VF love

http://www.roravalley.com/blog/?p=345

VF Father Daughter Retreat

http://www.roravalley.com/blog/?s=retreat

Another Retreat

http://www.roravalley.com/blog/?p=414

More

http://www.roravalley.com/blog/?p=272

VF Connections everywhere

http://www.roravalley.com/blog/?p=573

If I weren't at work I'd dig up the lot of them. But, duty calls. Even on Fridays.

[JMO]

My first #MortonMonday:

I present Addie making a go at being an entrepreneur.  Hmmmmm.  Interesting.

http://mortonclanthree.blogspot.com/2013/05/studio-a.html

 

And for fun:

M/T's engagement.  I believe it was a year before they married, no?  I remember all the discussion about his age being the reason. 

http://mortonclanthree.blogspot.com/2013/11/today.html

[NachosFlandersStyle]

Damn, every time I see this topic at the top I get excited thinking they've actually updated the blog!

[JMO]

Just one more.  This was the first ever Morton post I had read and it captivated me.  The style, the beautiful blowsy pictures.  It drew me into the crazy.  I think it's the quintessential Addie post. 

http://mortonclanthree.blogspot.com/2014/07/summer-flieth.html

 

[nickelodeon]

Okay, I kind of love her. The boysies and their little fluff! The twash can!! "Us kids"!!!

[JMO]

So, doing some math, Addie and the 3 youngest boys are all that are left at home, right?  I think the boys above her and Darth are married and below her Martha and one or two of the boys are married.  I can't keep them all straight. 

Ok, just checked the blog.  She and John/Edwin and Paul should be at home.  The 2 youngest boys are not yet to courting age, I believe.  

[JMO]

I can't help it, here's another.  Read the comments, so telling.

http://mortonclan.blogspot.com/2007/01/here-is-shot-of-daddy-dear-reading.html

[ladyamylynn]

1 hour ago, JMO said:

I can't help it, here's another.  Read the comments, so telling.

http://mortonclan.blogspot.com/2007/01/here-is-shot-of-daddy-dear-reading.html

Oh god I think I'm gonna barf...

[JMO]

I'm grateful my ungodly father didn't force me to mentally and emotionally stunted at the age of 9 and make me get married at 19 to the first boy to smile my way.  I'm grateful not to be physically and emotionally wrecked from having 8 kids in 10 yrs and to not be allowed to be unhappy, cranky, crabby or snarky.  I'm grateful that my ungodly father encouraged me to study and learn and be independent.  

[Pianokeeper]

Addie's writing style is a pretty faithful riff on young adult Anne Blythe.

[fundiefan]

12 hours ago, Pianokeeper said:

Addie's writing style is a pretty faithful riff on young adult Anne Blythe.

It's clear that she is a SAHD with little ambition. She is content to play pretend, use baby talk, and make her writing/words 'pretty'. To substance. No thought. Just basic words from a basic girl with parents who never let her age past 13 because that is not good for a godly wife.

[JMO]

Considering that we know that men/boys are not told about sex until 2-3 days prior to marriage via a friendly sit down with Pa Morton, I wonder how/when the girls are told.  Probably the same time by Ma, right?  I may need to hunt this down on the blog.  Sadly there is no search function.  

[JMO]

So I've been skimming through the Morton Blogs from the beginning.  I'm obsessed with mapping out the family tree.  So far I've managed to glean a few birthdays.  I've found a few interesting blog entries.  Turns out Mama used to do a monthly entry on occ summing up the month.

 I found this from Sept 2006:  Mama was expecting a 13th child June 2007 (When Kressant ended up having her first).  I never found another mention of the pregnancy.  She would have been 44/45 when she was pregnant.  

http://mortonclan.blogspot.com/2006_09_01_archive.html

Discussing/protesting Papa's role in bridal selection and how he acts after his sons marry:

http://mortonclan.blogspot.com/2007/09/note-from-mom.html

Discussing that the unwed kids are encouraged to not interact or think of other unweds:

http://mortonclan.blogspot.com/2007/09/and-another-question.html

 

[picklepizzas]

On 5/13/2016 at 11:30 AM, JMO said:

I've decided I couldn't wait until Monday.

Found this gem on the Sanders' blog.  

i present: Darth's courtship: 

http://www.roravalley.com/blog/?p=779

 

I can't, I can't.  They had barely talked and it was decided he should ask about her from his sisters rather than get his own opinion from talking to her. Because of lost heart pieces and all.  

 

THANK YOU FOR THIS! I totally forgot that there was a whole different version of all these events in the sanders blog and have never been through it. yay for yet another rabbit hole! 

and wow their re-telling of the courtship makes it sound even weirder than addie's version. i too had assumed noah and dorothy were fairly close friends due to their close upbringing, and that's why their courtship was able to proceed so quickly. 

[fundiefan]

1 hour ago, JMO said:

Discussing that the unwed kids are encouraged to not interact or think of other unweds:

http://mortonclan.blogspot.com/2007/09/and-another-question.html

 

I love this one in light of Kressant's blog posts on the Smith blog during her courtship. Her adoration of Michael Jr. (she called him 'my Michael Jr.' and/or 'my dear Michael Jr'). I don't think there was a lot of heart guarding going on before that betrothal.

 

 

[nelliebelle1197]

On 5/13/2016 at 2:44 PM, fundiefan said:

I have never bought that they barely talked. The families had spent years together. Noah was in at least two of the S'Morton weddings and the Sanders family was in attendance at all of them. They did the NYE cosplay together every year. They traveled in the exact same circles with the exact same families, as both blogs attest to. Do they really expect people to believe that these 'kids' spent years together but never talked?

If that is actually the truth, the families are all even more fucked up than I thought. Put all the kids together but don't let them talk to anyone of the opposite sex/certain age/what the fuck ever.

The families were friends for years before this. Your first instinct is correct. I don't think they have ever advocated no discussions at all between the sexes. This is the problem with pulling up all this old stuff  and rehashing it without the context from the past!

I think, before reposting a whole bunch of stuff from the old Morton blogs, it might be more beneficial to read the YUKU and archive threads on all of this, when these events were initially posted and discussed contemporaneously with the blog postings.

1 hour ago, JMO said:

So I've been skimming through the Morton Blogs from the beginning.  I'm obsessed with mapping out the family tree.  So far I've managed to glean a few birthdays.  I've found a few interesting blog entries.  Turns out Mama used to do a monthly entry on occ summing up the month.

 I found this from Sept 2006:  Mama was expecting a 13th child June 2007 (When Kressant ended up having her first).  I never found another mention of the pregnancy.  She would have been 44/45 when she was pregnant.  

http://mortonclan.blogspot.com/2006_09_01_archive.html

Discussing/protesting Papa's role in bridal selection and how he acts after his sons marry:

http://mortonclan.blogspot.com/2007/09/note-from-mom.html

Discussing that the unwed kids are encouraged to not interact or think of other unweds:

http://mortonclan.blogspot.com/2007/09/and-another-question.html

 

There are lots of old Morton posts with the family tree already mapped out.

[SolomonFundy]

1 hour ago, JMO said:

I found this from Sept 2006:  Mama was expecting a 13th child June 2007 (When Kressant ended up having her first).  I never found another mention of the pregnancy.  She would have been 44/45 when she was pregnant.  

http://mortonclan.blogspot.com/2006_09_01_archive.html

I seem to remember a blog post (it may have been one of the last that Jeanine posted herself) several years ago that mentioned their "children in heaven". With that many pregnancies, some losses are probably inevitable.