Maxwell 40: Wearing Their Vests in an Apartment for Fun

[Tatar-tot]

Anna 2 just seemed so frail.  My SIL went through chemo and I forgot the toll it takes on your body.  
 

With the Maxwell clan they are just one giant social bubble.  They do not interact with the rest of society.  

[lilith]

28 minutes ago, Tatar-tot said:

Anna 2 just seemed so frail.  My SIL went through chemo and I forgot the toll it takes on your body.  
 

With the Maxwell clan they are just one giant social bubble.  They do not interact with the rest of society.  

That’s the impression they give on the blog, but they do interact more than they show.

Apart from Church of The Elderly and the boys work, Mary runs her kids bible club, they have local neighbours and what some would call friends who drop by, they visit other families and attend their functions - we know they’ve been at Duggar weddings and graduations and I’m sure they attend similar events with other families they’ve connected with over the years. The younger Maxhellions have gone on mission trips, Anna and Mary volunteer at Operation Christmas Child, Sarah has flown to stay with friends a few times we know of over the years, including to help after the birth of babies which I’m sure happens more often than we are told.

The blog presents a world that only consists of Maxwells and extended family but even there we get hints of interaction with a wider circle and I’m sure those hints are indicative of much more interaction than we are told about. 

[kpmom]

4 hours ago, lilith said:

 

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.

I just hope he didn’t exhaust himself crying over all the immodesty. ?

[IReallyAmHopewell]

So much to snark about here: "Tears were shed as Anna Marie and crew pulled into the driveway. We’re so very grateful for her safe arrival home. The flights went great, Simon Peter did superb, and Anna Marie didn’t have nosebleeds."

What pretentious prose! UGH. Simon Peter did superb.....LY

6 hours ago, LurkerOverThePond said:

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.

Amen. Get a thesaurus, honey! "Children," "Kids," "Family"???

[MamaJunebug]

12 minutes ago, IReallyAmHopewell said:

So much to snark about here: "Tears were shed as Anna Marie and crew pulled into the driveway. We’re so very grateful for her safe arrival home. The flights went great, Simon Peter did superb, and Anna Marie didn’t have nosebleeds."

What pretentious prose! UGH. Simon Peter did superb.....LY

Amen. Get a thesaurus, honey! "Children," "Kids," "Family"???

Bunch, passel, posse, cadre, contingent, team, group, squad, club ... and that’s all just off the top of my head. 

ETA: Coterie, flock ....

Edited July 22, 2020 by MamaJunebug

[HerNameIsBuffy]

6 minutes ago, MamaJunebug said:

Coterie

Idk MJB, that word is as fancy as a top with contrasting buttons!  

[Black Aliss]

 "you were missed"

It's been noticed frequently by me that the passive voice is used way too often at Chez Maxwell. It must have been taught in the SOTDRT curriculum. 

[deborahlynn1979]

5 hours ago, lilith said:

Isn’t that Elissa?

No. Elissa is in the yellow shirt. They were both there.

[usmcmom]

I kind of feel sorry for Anna Who Married Jesse for being there without him. Maybe he was there and we didn’t see him?  That’s a lot of “special family time” to endure with in-laws for one so newly married, in my opinion. 

[Lgirlrocks]

I’m sure Steve is more upset by this short dress than anything else. 

[Bethy]

44 minutes ago, usmcmom said:

I kind of feel sorry for Anna Who Married Jesse for being there without him. Maybe he was there and we didn’t see him?  That’s a lot of “special family time” to endure with in-laws for one so newly married, in my opinion. 

I thought the same thing. Especially given the fact that they didn't move into the neighborhood, so I'm assuming her interactions with her in-laws have been pretty limited. I would've been okay hanging with my in-laws for something like this a month or two after our wedding, but I knew my in-laws well because we dated for years in-person, not long-distance for a couple months.

Just now, Lgirlrocks said:

I’m sure Steve is more upset by this short dress than anything else. 

I think that's the same tunic/dress that caused so much consternation in the Maher IG stories at Christmas. She's grown taller since then, obviously. Still perfectly modest outside of Maxhell.

[Lgirlrocks]

1 minute ago, Bethy said:

I thought the same thing. Especially given the fact that they didn't move into the neighborhood, so I'm assuming her interactions with her in-laws have been pretty limited. I would've been okay hanging with my in-laws for something like this a month or two after our wedding, but I knew my in-laws well because we dated for years in-person, not long-distance for a couple months.

I think that's the same tunic/dress that caused so much consternation in the Maher IG stories at Christmas. She's grown taller since then, obviously. Still perfectly modest outside of Maxhell.

I agree 100 percent. Sadly they have such strict modesty standards.

[Bethy]

3 minutes ago, Lgirlrocks said:

I agree 100 percent. Sadly they have such strict modesty standards.

And for such young girls. Nate and Mel have actually loosened up a lot. If you look back on the blog, when Abby was a baby (like, crawling, not even walking yet) her dresses and jumpers had extra length added to them because it was apparently super critical for those dimply baby knees to be completely covered at all times.

[IReallyAmHopewell]

2 hours ago, MamaJunebug said:

crew

Can someone do a Photoshop of each Maxwell "Crew" decked out as a Madi Gras "Krewe"? Lots of beads and symbols, pleases! Make their frumpers be Green, Purple, Black, Gold etc. Someone holding up the baby from the King Cake! "Saving the Unborn" one King Cake at a time?

[Fun-Dee]

46 minutes ago, IReallyAmHopewell said:

Can someone do a Photoshop of each Maxwell "Crew" decked out as a Madi Gras "Krewe"? Lots of beads and symbols, pleases! Make their frumpers be Green, Purple, Black, Gold etc. Someone holding up the baby from the King Cake! "Saving the Unborn" one King Cake at a time?

Or maybe a dance crew?

[Fun-Dee]

2 hours ago, usmcmom said:

I kind of feel sorry for Anna Who Married Jesse for being there without him. Maybe he was there and we didn’t see him?  That’s a lot of “special family time” to endure with in-laws for one so newly married, in my opinion. 

There's a picture of the new Anna having what looks like a nice conversation with Gigi.  In most of the pictures Anna seems to be sticking close to her.  If I remember right, Chelsy bonded pretty quickly with Gigi, so maybe Gigi understands and makes an effort to reach out to the "new girls."  

In the few pictures I can see of Elissa, she is wearing either a very tight knee length denim skirt, or knee length shorts.  Maybe there's more than one reason that she is rarely featured in the blog.  

[MamaJunebug]

29 minutes ago, Fun-Dee said:

There's a picture of the new Anna having what looks like a nice conversation with Gigi.  In most of the pictures Anna seems to be sticking close to her.  If I remember right, Chelsy bonded pretty quickly with Gigi, so maybe Gigi understands and makes an effort to reach out to the "new girls."  

In the few pictures I can see of Elissa, she is wearing either a very tight knee length denim skirt, or knee length shorts.  Maybe there's more than one reason that she is rarely featured in the blog.  

It ... never occurred to me that the Maxgals (Sarah, Anna and Mary) might have a time of being a little frosty toward the new “sister in love” who had taken away yet another brother!  But I can see where it could happen. GiGi to the rescue, being warm and welcoming while her granddaughters are busy with the Maxwell version of hazing. 

Also - and I wish this were just the depression talking but it ain’t - I’ve got money on Mel being PG again. Or having eaten too many tacos.... nah. Her body, her choice, my opinion is: she’s hatching. 

[Bethy]

1 hour ago, Fun-Dee said:

There's a picture of the new Anna having what looks like a nice conversation with Gigi.  In most of the pictures Anna seems to be sticking close to her.  If I remember right, Chelsy bonded pretty quickly with Gigi, so maybe Gigi understands and makes an effort to reach out to the "new girls."  

In the few pictures I can see of Elissa, she is wearing either a very tight knee length denim skirt, or knee length shorts.  Maybe there's more than one reason that she is rarely featured in the blog.  

And I just noticed Calia's skirt in the welcome back pictures - well above the knee - one of those little ones that's just basically ruffles over some shorts. She looks adorable as always but not typical Max for sure! We'll never know of course but I am quite curious what Joe's family wears at home when nobody from the borg is around.

[allyisyourpally5]

Is the little girl in the picture above Tina?

I see that outfit (as many on here do) as perfectly normal! I wouldn’t think twice if I saw a girl wearing that - although I do wonder in the heat if it’s the best option! If I had a daughter I would probably buy things like that - along with jeans, pants  Shorts , other dresses, depending on their taste......

 

It was the photos in the park a little while back with I think Ruthanne wearing a really thick long dress on top of winter pants and I just thought this is so unnecessary - In fact not modest because it sticks out as overkill and defeats the point of modesty because the eye is drawn to thinking “what the heck are you wearing child” - but I know that’s not how they see it. 
 

The birthday corner is grim. I feel sorry for the girls of the family who wrote to the Maxwells. Clearly they used to enjoy ice cream birthdays and going to parties - I doubt they did anything of the sort once that corner had been published! Just deny all simple pleasures to everyone Steve and Teri. 
 

I hope Anna now has a good recovery time and isn’t expected to be back to normal. 
 

The post about how they were all helping Chris just bugged me - the line where they said “Chris is without his biggest support” - I just took that as the most important thing in this situation was Chris and how Chris can go about his day. And I still feel that’s how it’s focused now - not “Anna has finished her treatment and has come home” but rather “Chris has his wife back”. I don’t know, maybe I’m just cynical! But as someone who lost their mom to cancer aged 8 - I hope she recovers. It’s horrible.

[kpmom]

3 hours ago, Fun-Dee said:

Or maybe a dance crew?

Or Burger King crew members?

[lilith]

5 hours ago, usmcmom said:

I kind of feel sorry for Anna Who Married Jesse for being there without him. Maybe he was there and we didn’t see him?  That’s a lot of “special family time” to endure with in-laws for one so newly married, in my opinion. 

But at least she gets to go back to their apartment and have fun. Melanie and NR Anna got thrown straight into full time Maxhell, Melanie with the added pressure of being the only “outsider” in the family and an extended uterus watch. 
It would be hard for anyone to have their in-laws just over the fence but to have in-laws as judgemental and particular as the Maxwells that close would be a nightmare. I bet Teri was giving non optional advice about scheduling housework and planning portion controlled menus as soon as they were back from their honeymoons. 

[sparkles]

20 hours ago, Bethy said:

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?

IIRC, I think an FJer who attended one of their conferences said Steve threw an unnamed Elizabeth under the bus during one of their talks.

I don’t think Steve necessarily picked out the sons’ brides but since some of them met at Maxwell approved gatherings and all of the “children” supposedly have weekly “heart” talks with dad and seek his approval for everything, I’m sure he made his wishes known. 

Joseph in shorts is probably as momentous a development as one of the girls wearing pants would be. Children aside (not including Chris’s) I don’t think I’ve ever seen a Maxwell male in anything but long pants. WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE?!?

I really do hope that NR Anna is given every opportunity for R&R and never, ever feels pressured—either because of her own beliefs or because of passive-aggressive side eye from the extended fam—to do more than she’s currently capable of. 

[courtlylove]

7 hours ago, MamaJunebug said:

Bunch, passel, posse, cadre, contingent, team, group, squad, club ... and that’s all just off the top of my head. 

ETA: Coterie, flock ....

Gang, tribe, mob ...

[Hane]

I’m gonna be *that person* and say that it would have been nice to greet an immunocompromised person by wearing freaking masks.

[anniebgood]

In the pictures with Melanie, the skirt she has on, has obvious leg marks and looks like pants. I guess  since she has been around so long, things like that don't bother Steverino. 

I hope AnnaMarie has lots of help and can eat well and get her counts up.