Maxwell 13: And Another One Bites the Dust - John is Engaged

[FloraKitty35]

If Chelsy & John have a green wedding, they should go and get married in Colorado.   

[Captain Obvious]

9 minutes ago, usmcmom said:

As as announcing the engagement, I don't see how the Maxwells think this will play well with their readers. Sarah just mentioned on a recent post that their readers are a valued asset!  They are going to feel a little snubbed reading the news somewhere else. 

Pfft - the Maxwells don't care about their readers.

Their readers would probably have loved to have know Joe was engaged to Elissa, rather than just been surprised with news of the wedding. They probably would also have been interested to know about the overseas mission trips - not just that they happened, but where and the nature of the missions work done. They definitely would have been interested to know that Steve and Teri have presented at the IBLP conference this year - probably the largest audience they've ever presented to.

All that stuff is crack for fundies - the stuff they live for. But we don't hear about it because it either dents Steve's pride to admit they were presenting at someone else's conference, or risks outsiders being able to thwart his plans or contact his precious vulnerable little babies... I mean adult children in their 20s and 30s.

[divadivine]

9 hours ago, Palimpsest said:

And there is some Boyeresque fashion advice in there too.  Including how to take in your jeans.  Oh, my.

At first I thought that said burlesque and I was all like DAMN how did Chelsy pass the good person test? Then I realized what it did say... 

[divadivine]

25 minutes ago, anjulibai said:

ITA.

Still in those black stockings and shoes, though. 

I give her a pass on the shoes. I think she has issues with her feet. As a person who has suffered with foot issues, when you find a shoe that works you wear it. 

We discussed at one time that she may have to wear compression hose, which don’t always look great in nude. They look like compression hose. At least in Black they just look like tights. Her hose match her hem... old fashion tip from eleventy years ago. 

She looks great! The outfit is stylish and modern. Maybe Jinger or Kendra took her shopping? I’d wear that outfit. 

ETA- I think those are Dansko clogs or one of their dress shoes. They are not cheap. They’re an investment but if your feet are bad, they feel amazing. You almost forget you dropped US$150+ for a pair. And you praise Rufus when you find them on sale. Michelle seems to have tiny feet. Those are the ones I usually see on the online clearance sales for 50% or more off. My size 9 1/2 or the European equivalents are always gone. 

[FloraDoraDolly]

9 hours ago, meee said:

Why is Chelsy's name spelled that way, anyway? It makes me twitch.

I'm sure I will offend someone by saying this, but this is most often seen among white Americans of the less-educated social classes. They give their kid (usually a daughter) a name that is trendy at the time of her birth and then spell it wrong to make her seem unique-- Maddisyn, Makynzie, Caylee, Kaitlynne, Ellyssa, etc. Then these same white people make fun of black people for naming their kids Deontay or Lakeisha.

[TatertotAsserole]

1 minute ago, FloraDoraDolly said:

but this is most often seen among white Americans of the less-educated social classes.

I agree with this but only anecdotally. I haven't done a study on what people name their children by income/education-level but from what I've noticed, less educated people of all races tend to be the ones who give their children creatively spelled names. I'd hypothesize that it's because the mothers tend to be younger and therefore into "trends"

 

I grew up in Indiana in the '90s. I went to a mid-low income public school from grades 2-8. My classmates were named Britany/Britnee/Britni/Brittanie, Megan/Mehgan/Meganne/Megyn, Katie/Kadie/Kati. In 9th grade, I transferred to a private school and there wasn't a creative name in my entire class-lots of Emilys, Elizabeths, Leahs, Catherines, Sarahs, and Hannahs. Traditional names with traditional spellings were the norm. The most "creative" name in the class was a girl named Laurel.  I only noticed this with girls names. Boys at both public and private school had generic white boy names (Matthew, Andrew, Lucas, John, Eric, Thomas). 

[Marian the Librarian]

Still nothing on the Maxwells' blog, almost 48 hours after the Bontragers' announcement. Pretty astonishing.

Add me to the list of those feeling positively gleeful at the thought of Stevehovah not micromanaging every aspect of this development. I hope Chelsy lights a fire under the Maxwell daughters!

[Markie]

December Wedding... wonder if they'll go with red and white? A cape would be a nice accessory for Chelsy. I'm going to guess she goes with her three sisters and Johns three sisters as bridesmaids. There are lots of littles to choose for flower girls and ring bearers. Maybe the ABC girls could be Bell Ringers. Chelsy also appears to have friends so maybe a couple will make the bridesmaid count. I imagine John will have his four brothers as ushers, and a couple of hers. She has six brothers. 

Maybe they'll honeymoon in Hawaii! Lol!

[FloraDoraDolly]

34 minutes ago, Marian the Librarian said:

Still nothing on the Maxwells' blog, almost 48 hours after the Bontragers' announcement. Pretty astonishing.

Add me to the list of those feeling positively gleeful at the thought of Stevehovah not micromanaging every aspect of this development. I hope Chelsy lights a fire under the Maxwell daughters!

There is absolutely no reason why the Maxwells should micromanage Chelsy's social media. The Duggars and the Bateseseseseses have to roll out all the major news in their lives to please the executives at their respective TV networks. But the Maxwells don't have a reality show. They don't really have much of a brand to promote anymore. 

[JermajestyDuggar]

So who will be on this guest list amongst the fundies we talk about on FJ? I don't think Jill Rod knows them so she's out. But lots of ATI people will have to be there right? Duggars for sure and probably the Staddons. The Wissmans won't be there since that's when Mathias is getting married. Maybe a few fundies will have to choose the Wissman wedding over this one. The Bontragers have met the Bates family but I don't think they are close. 

[MamaJunebug]

10 hours ago, Coconutwater said:

I bet Steve is fuming. John has always been a bit of a rebel and has hopefully put his foot down on how he wants his wedding done. 

I haven’t read past this post as I reply,  so it may have been disproved already, but I’m hoping this means John is planning to move to Iowa or even somewhere else and if so I don’t care if Steve is indeed out of his tiny mind at the idea that he can’t control this one.  Hope hope hope!!!

18 hours ago, nastyhobbitses said:

don't repeatedly dunk your hand into a deep fryer,

@nastyhobbitses, will you marry me? Pleeeze? We can talk with John & Chelsy about a double ceremony—!

8 hours ago, emesbe said:

My mind is blown. They are touching!!! She is wearing makeup!!

And a RED dress! Majorly, passionately, unterrifiedly red!

[MamaJunebug]

7 hours ago, sableduck said:

I believe it is Bon-tray-ger(as in tiger).  I know Mrs. Bontrager's sister and peripherally some of her children(I babysat them as kids but lost touch. My husband works with one of them now.)  They are definitely not Steve approved.

my husband knows the children better than I do, though my fundie obsession annoys him.  I am going to try to weasel out of him anything he might know about Chelsy.

Apparently they came and sang last spring in my area of New York and visited family. I wish I'd known, I would have gone to see them.

 

@sableduck, it’s been a while since I’ve seen you here. I’m sure You have been around, and I just haven’t crossed paths. Good to hear  from you again!

5 hours ago, fundiefan said:

They're watching their brothers each progressively marry someone a little further outside Steve's reach & control.

Woo — if you’re right, just think : Jesse might marry a Baptist!

Truly sad about Poor Sarah and her sister-daughters, though, because you’re probably right about them. But I hope not. 

[Captain Obvious]

49 minutes ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

So who will be on this guest list amongst the fundies we talk about on FJ? I don't think Jill Rod knows them so she's out. But lots of ATI people will have to be there right? Duggars for sure and probably the Staddons. The Wissmans won't be there since that's when Mathias is getting married. Maybe a few fundies will have to choose the Wissman wedding over this one. The Bontragers have met the Bates family but I don't think they are close. 

Honestly - probably not many. I'd say only the Duggars, and that's only because they went to the other Bontrager weddings, and the Maxwells have been to theirs. I don't think the Bateseseses would be there - I didn't see them at the other Bontrager weddings.

I don't think the Staddons and Bontragers know each other, and I don't think the Bontragers know many IBLP folk either. Their social circles are fairly different, and there's also the Amish/Mennonite thing that separates the two groups as well.

[terranova]

Michelle looks positively amazing in that photo. The slimline skirt suits her.

Was it Elissa's family, or the Muncks that had to delete posts after making an annoucement of some kind? I feel like it was Elizabeth's family.  I hope the Bontraggers have more spine.

[HermioneSparrow]

Agree with the comments about the Maxwell girls, they will NEVER EVER get married, even if Steve and Teri die, I think that motherfucker made them scared enough of the outside world to be "adventurous" and get married at an older stage of life. 

[elliha]

10 hours ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

I'm sure the Duggars will attend this wedding as well since they attended the last wedding and they know the Maxwells. This is a picture of what Michelle wore to the single Bontrager wedding. I'm actually surprised by this outfit. She normally just wears an ill fitting button up shirt and black skirt. It seems she might be branching out a bit. 

I have said it before but my oldest SIL looks a lot like Michelle. They are of a similar age, both dark haired and very pretty in the same way and both looking younger than their actual age. My SIL even held on to 80s hair a bit longer than most but did transition into something more modern than Michelle about 15 years ago. But I still remember what she looked like when she like Michelle was a bit off her time with her hair but still pretty. This outfit is more or less spot on what my SIL would pick which makes it even more appearent. Michelle does slowly seem to move towards a more modern hair cut too. I think that in a year or two she might be there full on.

[nomoxian]

18 hours ago, Palimpsest said:

Now, now.  Be patient.  Sarah is only scheduled to put up a blog post 3 times a week.  John's engagement announcement has to wait in line.

I wonder if the pizza / lettuce cutter post is in queue before they can post the wedding announcement...

[JermajestyDuggar]

8 hours ago, Captain Obvious said:

Honestly - probably not many. I'd say only the Duggars, and that's only because they went to the other Bontrager weddings, and the Maxwells have been to theirs. I don't think the Bateseseses would be there - I didn't see them at the other Bontrager weddings.

I don't think the Staddons and Bontragers know each other, and I don't think the Bontragers know many IBLP folk either. Their social circles are fairly different, and there's also the Amish/Mennonite thing that separates the two groups as well.

The Bontragers have gone to ATI events and the Maxwells have spoken at them so the families do know some ATI/IBLP people. But the Maxwells probably aren't the type to invite every person they've ever met. 

[nomoxian]

12 hours ago, Captain Obvious said:

All that stuff is crack for fundies - the stuff they live for. But we don't hear about it because it either dents Steve's pride to admit they were presenting at someone else's conference, or risks outsiders being able to thwart his plans or contact his precious vulnerable little babies... I mean adult children in their 20s and 30s.

Their blog is there to sell product. Simple as that.

I think they are more cautious now that they realize most of their blog traffic comes from us and not fundie-fans, but even in the past their blog tried to poist them as perfect people, with the undertone that "You can be just like us, so long as you buy our books!"

Why post about weddings? They don't have any book about wedding planning or being a helpmeet. If only they made a book about being a proper husband (the buying a home without debt is the closest thing they have) then they would have a reason to make a sales, err blog post.

HEY STEVE. You are a snake.

[HereticHick]

From a comment on the Bontrager's blog:

"I already knew about this but didn't say anything. Your sister told me back in June and I said I was so happy for you."

 I think John asked Chelsy to court back in June, accompanied by his 2 sister chaperones on their mysterious "mission" trip.

So-- I am guessing that Steve and Teri didn't travel to Iowa for either the courtship proposal or the engagement.

I have a bit of a suspicion that Chelsy is not the ideal Maxhell helpmeet.

[Captain Obvious]

35 minutes ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

The Bontragers have gone to ATI events and the Maxwells have spoken at them so the families do know some ATI/IBLP people. But the Maxwells probably aren't the type to invite every person they've ever met. 

For sure. Considering the number of people they would have met in their conference days, not to mention their IBLP contacts, the wedding could potentially be huge, but won't be unless it's heavily lopsided on the Bontrager side.

Joe and Elissa's wedding was tiny by fundie standards. Looked like there were only 30 or so guests on the Maxwell side of the church. Not really surprising when your actual extended family has been disowned - Steve's side wouldn't have been there and I don't even think that Teri's side of the family (Aunt Tami and her kids i.e. the Maxspawn cousins) was.

There weren't any Duggars at the J & E wedding either. And it's not like Kentucky was in the middle of nowhere - it's a reasonably central location in fundieland.

21 minutes ago, HereticHick said:

From a comment on the Bontrager's blog:

"I already knew about this but didn't say anything. Your sister told me back in June and I said I was so happy for you."

 I think John asked Chelsy to court back in June, accompanied by his 2 sister chaperones on their mysterious "mission" trip.

Except the Bontragers were touring Canada and Alaska in June (and July).

Could John's mission trip just have been to Canada? Eh - I wouldn't put it past them. Those heathen Canucks!

[singsingsing]

This person was told in June, that doesn't mean John and Chelsy only started courting in June. They could've started courting in January, and this person was just out of the loop until June.

[Captain Obvious]

1 minute ago, singsingsing said:

This person was told in June, that doesn't mean John and Chelsy only started courting in June. They could've started courting in January, and this person was just out of the loop until June.

We'll know John has truly rebelled if that is the case. That would be an insanely long courtship by Maxhell standards.

[JermajestyDuggar]

But the real question is...

will JB and Michelle sit front and center at this wedding too? 

[JermajestyDuggar]

Someone said they were sitting together at the Bible Bee last fall. I think it's possible the two of them were getting to know one another better for awhile and official courtship didn't happen until June and then the house was bought in July. Maxwells getting into a courtship is basically like getting engaged. If they are going to officially court, they are definitely planning a wedding within the next year. At least that's how it seems to go for the Maxwells. 

Speaking of the Bible Bee.... If you are new to the Bontragers, know that they always make it to the Bible Bee finals. They do very well in it. Especially Denver.