Maxwell 30: Buying a Vest Debt Free

[nelliebelle1197]

15 hours ago, Coconutwater said:

Probably because he’s not playing by Steve’s rules and Christopher is. I hope Joseph and John are moving away from the insanity a bit. 

I really think it has more to do with the fact he is working on a real career with secular clients and appearing on Tits2 won't help him network in Vegas at those conventions.

[Dru]

On 4/27/2019 at 12:49 PM, freejugar said:

Here is  last year's

https://blog.titus2.com/2018/03/23/the-second-annual-spring-grandmas-picnic/

Why oh why does a grown up woman  get in a slide  for children?

I also go down slides at the park and I don't even need a child's prodding. Lol I think they're fun.

On 4/29/2019 at 12:26 PM, PennySycamore said:

I was looking at the uses of eye patches.  I knew about their use for eye injury and surgery which, of course, means that they're gone once you are healed.  But they are also used non-continuously to treat amblyopia (lazy eye).  The child wears them 4 to 6 hours a day on the stronger eye to, hopefully,  to make the weak eye stronger.  I think the typical course of treatment is about 6 months. 

My sister had to wear a patch for this exact reason and it did the trick for her.

On 4/29/2019 at 12:47 PM, usedbicycle said:

I almost thought it was Mary in this picture. I've been reading the Bontrager blog for many years now and I don't think I've seen Chelsy in a long denim skirt. Her style has always been knee-length skirts and tight tops, even in winter.

I was hoping that she would she would keep her blog updated and maintain some of her opinionated 'spark' in Maxhell but that doesn't seem very promising..

Let's not forget Chels just had a baby a could of months ago. She looks great but I'm guessing she's not quite ready to jump back into her old wardrobe. Also she's at a yard work "party". I like to think I dress relatively stylishly in my day to day life but I look like a complete mess when I'm doing yard work.

On 4/30/2019 at 5:25 PM, louannems said:

I was just reading from Chelsey's blog.  I was reading quickly through her comments following her birth announcement.

One woman stated her dissatisfaction that even 3 months post birth, Chelsey still was unable to share her birth story. Chelsey responded, saying she was able, but not willing, to share her story. 

She also said the commentor was free to unfollow if she felt disappointed. 

She didn't say she was unwilling? She said she just hadn't yet.

On 5/4/2019 at 5:43 AM, lilith said:

I’m guessing home looking after the other kids. It’s not like Teri or the Aunties could if it wasn’t scheduled a year in advance. Sarah seems to have somewhat more flexibility when she’s not writing.

And speaking of Sarah, it occurred to me when she was shilling her iPhone case and mentioned fitting in a license and credit card, do Anna and Mary even drive? I know Sarah learned quite late (so did I, but not cause I needed Daddy’s permission) but I’ve never seen or read anything to imply Anna and Mary drive or go anywhere they couldn’t walk without Sarah, a parent or a brother/sister in law along.

Anna definitely drives. Not sure about Mary.

19 hours ago, SPHASH said:

Smug Joe turned 30 in April, why no birthday post for him?

And the family looks really happy here:

This photo struck me too. Man.

[IReallyAmHopewell]

Since the only mountain I've ever hiked is Mulaje, can anyone tell me if someone other than a Maxwell would write/say this:

"He loves summiting 14ers!"

You are looking at the birth of MaxHell in that picture, I believe. Taken minutes after poor Terri's last moment in jeans/shorts and after her last gulp of Pepsi. Only Kool-aid served after that.

2 hours ago, Dru said:

22 hours ago, SPHASH said:

Smug Joe turned 30 in April, why no birthday post for him?

And the family looks really happy here:

Read more  

This photo struck me too. Man.

 

[Eternalbluepearl]

Sarah said Christopher can make almost anyone laugh. Funny, I never imagined the Maxwells laughing...

[crunchycarrots]

On 5/5/2019 at 1:24 PM, SPHASH said:

Smug Joe turned 30 in April, why no birthday post for him?

And the family looks really happy here:

Is it just me, or is anyone else getting Ted Bundy vibes from Steve in this picture? 

[lilith]

1 hour ago, crunchycarrots said:

Is it just me, or is anyone else getting Ted Bundy vibes from Steve in this picture? 

Except Steve only kills the happiness and hopes of the young women he encounters.

[MamaJunebug]

4 minutes ago, lilith said:

Except Steve only kills the happiness and hopes of the young women he encounters.

Worst of all, he’s killed those things in the 3  young women he begat!

[Tatar-tot]

2 hours ago, crunchycarrots said:

Is it just me, or is anyone else getting Ted Bundy vibes from Steve in this picture? 

That is the best advertisement ever to have a vasectomy.  

[SPHASH]

43 minutes ago, Tatar-tot said:

That is the best advertisement ever to have a vasectomy.  

You win the internet today!

[Odd1Out]

On 5/5/2019 at 7:21 PM, lilith said:

I know she was depressed and part of Steve’s cure was the reversal children, but that picture, before they went fully crazy, is the most at peace I’ve ever seen Teri. I’ve seen her with big grins, but they never reach her eyes. The kids all still have light in their eyes too. Compare it to the one above holding baby Joseph a few years later.....

I see the opposite in the pic with Terie and the three oldest. She looks like she’s worn out and barely keeping it together on her child’s birthday. And so Steve gave her 5 more to care for. 

I just don’t understand why the Maxwell’s insist of throwing a little insult into each of their birthday announcements.

Happy Birthday Chris, you were not the perfect child your father envisioned! Have a great day. 

[Dandruff]

1 hour ago, Odd1Out said:

I just don’t understand why the Maxwell’s insist of throwing a little insult into each of their birthday announcements.

Happy Birthday Chris, you were not the perfect child your father envisioned! Have a great day.

Maybe the "happy" in Happy Birthday rubs them the wrong way?

[nvmbr02]

2 hours ago, Dandruff said:

Maybe the "happy" in Happy Birthday rubs them the wrong way?

I'd laugh but it seems too close to the truth to be funny. 

[SolomonFundy]

It's been a while since we translated a post from the original Maxwegian. Christopher's birthday post really inspired me, though, so here's my take on What Some May Call An Acknowledgement Of Birth:

Quote

Christopher, the second born Maxwell, turns 40 today! Happy Birthday!

Translation: Today we make references to Christopher,  the kid who was probably supposed to be a girl, and whose redundant gender is possibly the only reason mom and dad had me before the reversal.

Quote

Chris is the mischievous little boy with bright blue eyes, who was so naughty his preschool teachers threatened to expel him.

Translation: Chris developed dangerous signs of a personality from an early age. Check out Keeping Our Children's Hearts™ for the cure to this unfortunate condition.

 

Yes, he's sitting perilously close to non-sister females. He has repented.

 

Quote

Chris was also the guy who broke his arm–doing what? His own words when Mom asked: “I parachuted out of the swing.”

Translation: Christopher was on a swing, unsupervised, for an extended period of time. This resulted in a broken arm and a significant loss of Teri's bathroom privileges. Ladies, remember! Even when you think you are entitled to a few moments alone to cry in the shower with a can of Pepsi, YOU ARE THE MANAGER OF YOUR HOME, and you are NEGLECTING YOUR CHILDREN.

 

Quote

Take heart, moms. This guy grew into a true man of God who loves the Lord with all his heart, soul, and strength.

Translation: Take heart! He repented of the momentary lapse of solemnity that resulted in the broken arm, too.

 

Quote

Christopher loves the elderly. About ten years ago, he worked through the steps needed for one of our friends to move from the nursing home back to her own home. A process that would have been impossible for her to have done on her own. Christopher made Mary Lou so happy. That’s true joy. He faithfully visits friends from church who are in rehab, bringing joy with his tribe of little kids.

Translation: Christopher experimentally tested a theory he had about the ability of a person to live outside of the rigorous control of a locked and regimented environment. The subject of his experiment somehow managed to live in her own home without 4:00 AM Bible Time, or mandatory 7-layer salad infusions. He was quickly married off to prevent any possibility of his subversive ideas from spreading to the other middle-aged Stay At Home Children.

 

Quote

Christopher is a hard worker. Even in his teens, he and Nathan ran their own mowing business. Nathan recalls memories from their time. He wasn’t sure who worked the hardest: they both seemed to think they did. And the quirky customers they had! Like the one who waited for them when they arrived to warn them not to mow over the new tree. The tree was 15 feet tall.

Translation: Christopher and Nathan mowed some lawns once, and consequently, the whole family is still talking about it 20 years later. After speaking to Steve on the phone to book lawn mowing appointments, their customers were so skeptical of the family's ability to understand basic logic, that they felt the need to be physically present to explain that large trees should not be mowed.

 

Quote

Christopher has a heart for ministry. He shared with young people across the country and Canada on our trips. He also has been very influential on the blog before he got married. See his awesome Ambassador Series.

Translation: Christopher did as he was told.

 

Quote

Christopher loves his adorable family. We’re so grateful for Anna Marie and what a perfect couple they make. Christopher is the kind of daddy who includes his kids in projects, and often wears a backpack when mowing so the current baby (with ear protectors) can be with him.

Translation: Most of us still find it kind of novel to see a grown man act in a caring way towards his children. It's so adorable the way he demonstrates basic interest in his kids, and occasionally spends time with them even though his Home Manager is right there, and could be doing it for him. 

 

Quote

There is more I can say, but the post would be too long!  Please leave Christopher a birthday comment below.

Happy Birthday, Big Brother!

Love,
Sarah

Translation: Take note, MOM... I wrote THIS MUCH about Christopher for his birthday, and what's more, I COULD HAVE WRITTEN EVEN MORE. And he's not even my freaking FIRSTBORN DAUGHTER. Just saying.

 

In other news, there's a new post up that consists of an absolutely precious picture of Benjamin with Ellie. No snark; that is a seriously cute kid. 

[johnhugh]

Quote

Christopher loves the elderly. About ten years ago, he worked through the steps needed for one of our friends to move from the nursing home back to her own home. A process that would have been impossible for her to have done on her own. Christopher made Mary Lou so happy. That’s true joy. He faithfully visits friends from church who are in rehab, bringing joy with his tribe of little kids.

Also translates as: Chris is hoping to be sole beneficiary when they die.

[Black Aliss]

6 hours ago, SolomonFundy said:

In other news, there's a new post up that consists of an absolutely precious picture of Benjamin with Ellie. No snark; that is a seriously cute kid. 

That photo is adorable. Dare I mention that Jesse takes better photos with his iPhone than Sarah does with her DSLR? Could that possibly have something to do with the fact that he doesn't insist his subject stare at the camera and grin maniacally?

[SPHASH]

Benji is adorable.  I think he is Poor Sarah's favorite as evidenced by her cell phone background pic:

[HerNameIsBuffy]

1 minute ago, SPHASH said:

Benji is adorable.  I think he is Poor Sarah's favorite as evidenced by her cell phone background pic:

I think it’s weird when people have themselves as their phone background.  Really?  Nothing else you’d rather look at many times a day except you own face?

Yes, I’m a cynical old curmudgeon but I give a pass for couples pics in brand new relationships.  

[nausicaa]

20 hours ago, crunchycarrots said:

Is it just me, or is anyone else getting Ted Bundy vibes from Steve in this picture? 

I normally don't like reading into random photos much but man, I can't help but get such a creepy vibe from Steve in this picture. I haven't seen many photos of him when he was younger, and this really helps cast him in a new light for me. 

It's not that he's not smiling. It's the strange supercilious expression and that he's positioned himself in front of his family despite being larger than everyone else. Everything about the photo just drives home his serious control issues. 

[SolomonFundy]

8 hours ago, johnhugh said:

Also translates as: Chris is hoping to be sole beneficiary when they die.

The lost chapter of "Getting A Home, Debt-Free!"

[HerNameIsBuffy]

32 minutes ago, nausicaa said:

I normally don't like reading into random photos much but man, I can't help but get such a creepy vibe from Steve in this picture. I haven't seen many photos of him when he was younger, and this really helps cast him in a new light for me. 

It's not that he's not smiling. It's the strange supercilious expression and that he's positioned himself in front of his family despite being larger than everyone else. Everything about the photo just drives home his serious control issues. 

Yes.  Less like he’s holding his baby and more like he’s holding proof of his righteousness borne out by his reversal working properly.  

And wow - younget pics of Teri just drive home how Anna is her spitting image.  It’s really remarkable how strong that resemblance is.

14 hours ago, Odd1Out said:

Happy Birthday Chris, you were not the perfect child your father envisioned! Have a great day. 

It’s funny - I kind of know how he feels.

my Dad was no Steve Maxwell but he always got me one of those mushy “What is a daughter” cards for my birthday.  He was never  a sentimental man so it was one thing very OOC for him every year.

Once, as a late teen, I happened to mention this...that the only way he could express his feelings for us were in cards.

He matter of factly said he bought whatever serious card said “daughter” on it, didn’t read them, and the only purpose a card serves is to hold money so he was surprised I’d read them.

sorry for thinking you loved me Dad, my mistake!

Hey - at least his disappointment in me wasn’t immortalized in a blog written by my sister.

[Odd1Out]

8 hours ago, SPHASH said:

Benji is adorable.  I think he is Poor Sarah's favorite as evidenced by her cell phone background pic:

A lot of her posts show her favoritism towards him. I’m glad though that she’s close to one of the kids. 

[danvillebelle]

That pic of Benji and Ellie is quite possibly the best photo they've ever posted, IMO.  

What, no pics of Christopher's failed engagement?  Color me shocked.

[Lgirlrocks]

To people who believe courtship is the only way to go you would think a “failed” or broken one would prove their system works. Hey we didn’t touch and got to know each other and realized we don’t work. No one got hurt and no feelings were attached. 

I guess failed or broken relationships make them seem just as worldly. This is why I believe no matter what kind of relationship you enter you should be friends with people of the opposite sex. I think if they were allowed this courtships would be so awkward. Kelly bates changed their courtship model after Zach’s failed one because he didn’t know how to talk to girls. 

[SPHASH]

16 hours ago, Odd1Out said:

A lot of her posts show her favoritism towards him. I’m glad though that she’s close to one of the kids. 

I don't really mind her favoritism towards Benji.  God knows she needs something in her life to give her joy.

[lilith]

On 5/7/2019 at 7:57 PM, johnhugh said:

Also translates as: Chris is hoping to be sole beneficiary when they die.

I wonder if many of the Elderly do leave what they have left to the Maxhell “ministry”. If they’re the only people visiting them regularly, they’re watching the children grow up etc I can see some viewing them as a legit ministry which has given them a benefit they want to pass onto others.