Maxwell 40: Wearing Their Vests in an Apartment for Fun

[IReallyAmHopewell]

15 hours ago, freejugar said:

I don't know anything about children, but isn't it developmentally appropiate for kids to get excited about birthdays and to talk about it all the time? It's cute imo.

My son is 25 and still drives us insane, lol. We have a rule about when he can start talking about his birthday. Until about age 17 it would have been CONSTANT otherwise--esp about the gifts he wanted (always wildly out of the do-able price range!). Now at 25, he is still over-excited but takes the teasing about it in stride. And, he's pretty realistic now on the price of gifts!

[church_of_dog]

12 hours ago, mango_fandango said:

Anna Marie is coming home soon. Her immune system is low and she’s going to an airport and flying... not a good idea right now. NOT GOOD. 

It's too bad they don't know John David Duggar.  I hear he's a pilot! ?

2 hours ago, petrushka said:

second choice spouse.

This seems unfair to Joe and unkind to Elissa, especially if she were to read here.  Most people have the ability to fully love more than once in their lives, and most of us look back with relief that we didn't marry our first boyfriend or girlfriend (or if we did, that we had the option to reassess as we grew).

[Bethy]

1 minute ago, church_of_dog said:

This seems unfair to Joe and unkind to Elissa, especially if she were to read here.  Most people have the ability to fully love more than once in their lives, and most of us look back with relief that we didn't marry our first boyfriend or girlfriend (or if we did, that we had the option to reassess as we grew).

It's really not reasonable to look at Joe's first engagement the way we would look at a typical engagement. He had probably spent more time interacting with her father than with her, and had just "decided" that this was the one. There's a lot of that thinking in fundiedom - you don't need to "feel" love for your spouse, you just need to decide that this is who you're marrying and that's that. They'd never touched or spent time alone. They'd never gone on a traditional date. A lot of us felt that their now-scrubbed blog claims of "two hurting families" after the breakup was a little over the top considering the two of them were basically set to enter into an arranged marriage.

It's interesting that Joe was initially set to marry someone from a family of [temporarily] hardcore Maxwell leghumpers (their now-defunct blog showed their descent from large-but-fairly-normal into Maxwellian thinking and back out again) but has now, in his marriage to Elissa, shown signs of being far less legalistic than his family of origin. Plus, unlike his older brothers, he's had the stones to minimize his family's exposure on the blog. That .7 miles of distance from the mothership can't be the only reason for this!

[mango_fandango]

The thing about the kids’ birthday celebrations is that it’s nothing really special. All their family gatherings seem to involve a meal together, a game or two and Bible time. It’s also the same thing for every kid. Sure, you get different games, but that’s it. And the candle-in-a-single-cookie thing is just sad. Joshua was eight, why not have eight cookies and one candle per cookie? 
The fact that they’re having to ask readers for more creative ideas speaks volumes. The Maxwells have zero imagination.

[SassyPants]

I don’t think the Maxwell men had full autonomy in choosing a spouse. I think Steve chose those mates. So, if the failure is on any one person, it’s on Steve. 

Edited July 21, 2020 by SassyPants

[petrushka]

34 minutes ago, church_of_dog said:

 

This seems unfair to Joe and unkind to Elissa, especially if she were to read here.  Most people have the ability to fully love more than once in their lives, and most of us look back with relief that we didn't marry our first boyfriend or girlfriend (or if we did, that we had the option to reassess as we grew).

Mea culpa--that remark by me was unnecessarily sharp.  What little I can glean of Elissa from the blog points to a pretty capable person.  Joe probably learned some very good life lessons from his breakup with Elizabeth Munck.  He just came off rather smug to me as I read his courtship story with Elissa.  

Perhaps I need to take a break from Maxhell.

[usmcmom]

14 minutes ago, petrushka said:

Mea culpa--that remark by me was unnecessarily sharp.  What little I can glean of Elissa from the blog points to a pretty capable person.  Joe probably learned some very good life lessons from his breakup with Elizabeth Munck.  He just came off rather smug to me as I read his courtship story with Elissa.  

Perhaps I need to take a break from Maxhell.

(Bolding mine) Was Joseph the one who, in his courtship story, wrote something like “I had never considered her an option...” ?
 

I agree with you; they are all very smug about their relationships  

 

[kpmom]

28 minutes ago, usmcmom said:

(Bolding mine) Was Joseph the one who, in his courtship story, wrote something like “I had never considered her an option...” ?
 

I agree with you; they are all very smug about their relationships  

 

I believe that was John writing about Chelsy.  But, I agree, they do come across pretty smug.

They really believe (or so they claim) that God tells them when it's time to marry, and who to marry.

So who was wrong in Christopher's broken engagement and Joseph's broken engagement?  God?

[Quiverfulloftwins]

My girls birthday is August 20th.  They are already excited but sad that COVID has made a regular party out of the question. We are going to go to my parents house the Saturday after my birthday and my Dad is going to rent a bouncy castle/ water slide of them and my sisters two kids who live next door to my parents to play on.

[HeartsAFundie]

"A little fun and a ton of Bible".  I think Jana814 just came up with the name for the next thread.    

[MamaJunebug]

Anyone else impressed - negatively, of course - by Steve’s arm thrown over Teri’s torso to rest on her leg?  “Invading her private space” is not something I’d normally think about in a photo of a couple married 40-odd years, but it popped to mind immediately.

”Stay down, Teri!”

”This is my Teri, no one else approach!”

”I need to stretch and I don’t care where or how, or whom I inconvenience, to do it.”

Smugwell. 

[Maggie Mae]

I hope there is more in Maxhell than what they share. I don't really have a problem with the cookie and candle - maybe they get another birthday from their parents. I never liked cake and I hated candles dripping and little kids spitting on my pie "to help" so the maxwell cookie alone seems perfect to me. But the Maxwell Grandparents and aunts don't seem to know each other at all. There's never talk of favorite songs, favorite foods, favorite colors, activities, anything. Just Bible time and "servent's hearts." Is grandkid A into trucks or sharks or history? No idea. What's their favorite Bible story (since we know they aren't reading Make Way For Ducklings or Harold and the Purple Crayon.) Do they like spaghetti more than burritos? I'm not big on cheap one use decorations or party junk but at least give the kid something personalized - a mini pie, a grocery store cake to share with their siblings, a mp3 player with some music, idk. Even a banner or drape or towel that says "Happy Birthday." but I guess if they put too much effort into a child's birthday, they will have to do more for Jesus's Birthday. And it's my opinion that the Maxwells don't put that much effort into anything. How can you if everything has to be done in 15 minute increment? 

[moreorlessnu]

4 hours ago, SassyPants said:

I don’t think the Maxwell men had full autonomy in choosing a spouse. I think Steve chose those mates. So, if the failure is on any one person, it’s on Steve. 

...And how much do you want to bet Steve pinned the blame on Joe?

 

4 hours ago, IReallyAmHopewell said:

My son is 25 and still drives us insane, lol. We have a rule about when he can start talking about his birthday. Until about age 17 it would have been CONSTANT otherwise--esp about the gifts he wanted (always wildly out of the do-able price range!). Now at 25, he is still over-excited but takes the teasing about it in stride. And, he's pretty realistic now on the price of gifts!

Who hasn't done some pre-birthday planning months in advance? Ever had a really good meal/experience and said, "We should come back for So-And-So's birthday in 7 months"?

[browngrl]

4 hours ago, mango_fandango said:

The fact that they’re having to ask readers for more creative ideas speaks volumes. The Maxwells have zero imagination.

Too bad Steve and Teri can't even dip a toe into the secular world because then they could do what every other person does: google. I'm not a "kid person" but I try and do nice things once in a while for relatives and friends who are children. I look up activities, decide which will work for me and plan out a day (hidden bonus: scheduling!!!!). It is easy . Sure some of the activities might be what some people call fun and probably none involve death or a discussion of Steve's vasectomy but it is for a once a year treat so why not live a little?

[lilith]

7 hours ago, SassyPants said:

I don’t think the Maxwell men had full autonomy in choosing a spouse. I think Steve chose those mates. So, if the failure is on any one person, it’s on Steve. 

I’m pretty sure Steve didn’t choose Chelsy (her families large following and internet presence impedes on his all important control over every piece of released information, then there’s her whorish flaunting of her knees and arms and non neutral makeup) and if he chose Elizabeth it was under pressure from Joseph - that family was far too fun. 
And it seems likely Jesse was introduced to his bride by Chelsy and her family and look where that led - having FUN in an apartment owned by some heathen miles away from Maxhell HQ. Steve’s grip is slipping - next thing we know one of the sisters in love is going to introduce Mary to a Godly Young Man. 

 

Edited July 22, 2020 by lilith

[Bethy]

3 hours ago, moreorlessnu said:

...And how much do you want to bet Steve pinned the blame on Joe?

Obviously we don't know what went on behind closed doors at the mothership, but didn't Steve write a post (I can't find it right now, and I'm leaning toward it was a Corner, not a blog post) that was a big backhanded smack at Elizabeth and her dad for advertising that she was "marriage-ready" when she was, in fact, not?

[HermioneSparrow]

6 hours ago, Quiverfulloftwins said:

My girls birthday is August 20th.  They are already excited but sad that COVID has made a regular party out of the question. We are going to go to my parents house the Saturday after my birthday and my Dad is going to rent a bouncy castle/ water slide of them and my sisters two kids who live next door to my parents to play on.

I share my birthday with your girls, and that sounds so much fun! 

I'm not planning anything on my birthday other than chilling at home with a glass of wine.

[usmcmom]

New post up. Anna Marie is home and seems to have had a good trip, relatively speaking. I’m sure she is exhausted. I hope she can rest well at home. 

[Bethy]

1 hour ago, usmcmom said:

New post up. Anna Marie is home and seems to have had a good trip, relatively speaking. I’m sure she is exhausted. I hope she can rest well at home. 

Yes, she looks exhausted but I'm sure that's to be expected, given the fact that she just finished chemo and had an early morning getting to the airport.

I wonder if her sister came with her as was the original plan? If she did, the Maxes did an absolutely masterful job of making sure she doesn't appear anywhere in the photos.

Mel is wearing that flared top and skirt again - the same one from the Father's day pic with her folks. So not a flattering look, and it's really making me curious if there's a bun in the oven. I'm all for people wearing what makes them happy, but as a woman of childbearing age, there are things I don't wear specifically because people will wonder and whisper. I'm not rooting for another pregnancy as those have been so hard and dangerous for her...just morbidly curious.

[Bethy]

1 hour ago, lilith said:

 if he chose Elizabeth it was under pressure from Joseph - that family was far too fun. 
 

 

They were and they weren't. There was that pesky matter of the decorated-for-all-seasons tree and the festive birthday parties, but they were really Maxwelling hard that year. I can't access their older blog posts (they're not on Wayback, and the muncksquiver blog is invited readers only now) but I remember seeing a picture of Elizabeth smiling by the car with her license - in jeans and a hoodie - a few years earlier. By 2012 the girls were all wearing ankle-length skirts, and there's a blog post about how they were too un-unified as a family with the sisters having a blog and the parents having a separate one, and one of the kids having one that never went live, so they were just all going to collaborate on the muncksquiver one. That smacked of the "brothers and sisters as best friends/family doing everything together" mindset of the Mallys as well as the Maxwells. IIRC they lightened up some after the breakup - they were still pretty fundie but not quite so ridiculous. I think the mom was the primary blogger and didn't she have twins, and that was the end of blogging?

[lilith]

2 hours ago, Bethy said:

They were and they weren't. There was that pesky matter of the decorated-for-all-seasons tree and the festive birthday parties, but they were really Maxwelling hard that year. I can't access their older blog posts (they're not on Wayback, and the muncksquiver blog is invited readers only now) but I remember seeing a picture of Elizabeth smiling by the car with her license - in jeans and a hoodie - a few years earlier. By 2012 the girls were all wearing ankle-length skirts, and there's a blog post about how they were too un-unified as a family with the sisters having a blog and the parents having a separate one, and one of the kids having one that never went live, so they were just all going to collaborate on the muncksquiver one. That smacked of the "brothers and sisters as best friends/family doing everything together" mindset of the Mallys as well as the Maxwells. IIRC they lightened up some after the breakup - they were still pretty fundie but not quite so ridiculous. I think the mom was the primary blogger and didn't she have twins, and that was the end of blogging?

I know they went full fundie and were fans of the Maxwell products, but they still  projected a sense of joy and vibrancy that is foreign to the Maxwells. That said, very few families can summon the scheduled beige sameness of Maxhell no matter how hard they try so anyone is going to seem exciting in comparison. 

[LurkerOverThePond]

Okay, that "welcome home" -party was a genuinely nice thing to do. I'm sure Anna Marie was touched by the lovely welcome, and I'm glad they were wise enough to keep their physical distance. Of course, her kids have spent their every waking moment with the aunties and could possibly have caught covid and pass it now on to their mother. Let's hope that's not the case.

Sarah wrote that their flightS went well. So that was not a direct flight with minimum time spent at airport. Hopefully their exposure to other travellers was minimal. And that's a classic shitty move from the Maxwells to pretend Anna Marie's sister does not exist, unless she specifically told "no photos or mentions of me!"...

Looks like 3nna came alone. And now Joe is wearing shorts, too. Blame it on Jesse's bad influence, fun rented apartment living and all!!

It's always nice to see Gigi (my favorite Maxwell along with Arnold and Ellie), though it's clear they are not doing social distancing anymore.

And Sarah, dear, please stop using the word "crew" every fucking time you mention your brothers' kids. It's really getting old and makes it sound like they are part of some ungodly sports team.

Hopefully Anna Marie will get ample time to get adjusted back to "normal life" and is allowed (and is allowing herself) time to rest and feel weak when she does and doesn't have to keep sweet. It must be a huge readjustment for her kids, too, not to mention Simon Peter who practically knows none of his paternal family.

[Italiangirl]

I think the skirt on Anna 3.0 is the shorter I have ever seen on a Maxwell female. The homecoming party idea was really nice but Anna Marie seems very fragile and tired I hope she can rest as much as she needs even if the change will be hard for everyone at the start kids and expanded family both. And yes I agree with the use of crew, it could have been nice if Sarah used it just once but after the second it was already too much for my taste 

[lilith]

2 hours ago, LurkerOverThePond said:

 

Looks like 3nna came alone. And now Joe is wearing shorts, too. Blame it on Jesse's bad influence, fun rented apartment living and all!!

Isn’t that Elissa?

Either way, between whoever is in that denim skirt, Chelsy, Joseph and John there was a shocking amount of knee on show. Steve must have been scandalised that they were flaunting themselves to the neighbourhood like that.

[fundiefan]

I just hope “the girls” will be sticking around daily. Anna cannot be a mother to 6 and a housewife right now. She needs rest and even on good days she will not be physically able to run a home & family. 

She did say her parents were taking her, her sister & the baby to the airport in her her last post, so pretty sure the Maxwells just cut her out of the pictures. Maybe it’s her choice-I wouldn’t want to be blog fodder.