New Maxwell post - more cleaning house!

[YPestis]

Another note about the ugly furnishing...the Maxwells probably see it as idolatry or whatever to covet expensive and pretty furniture. They probably feel as long as the furniture is functioning, then there's no sense in buying new, or more updated ones because that's worshiping pretty furniture or something.

[WonderingInWA]

Another note about the ugly furnishing...the Maxwells probably see it as idolatry or whatever to covet expensive and pretty furniture. They probably feel as long as the furniture is functioning, then there's no sense in buying new, or more updated ones because that's worshiping pretty furniture or something.

I'm not sure that's true. They outfitted their stupid bus, Uriah, with pretty leather bench-type seats awhile back. Before that, they had some old couches and recliners for seating on the bus. I think when it's Steve's idea to move forward to something modern and expensive, it just happens. Not sure what happened to the furniture they had on the bus before. Maybe they gave it to the elderly.

[WonderingInWA]

Another note about the ugly furnishing...the Maxwells probably see it as idolatry or whatever to covet expensive and pretty furniture. They probably feel as long as the furniture is functioning, then there's no sense in buying new, or more updated ones because that's worshiping pretty furniture or something.

I'm not sure that's true. They outfitted their stupid bus, Uriah, with pretty leather bench-type seats awhile back. Before that, they had some old couches and recliners for seating on the bus. I think when it's Steve's idea to move forward to something modern and expensive, it just happens. Not sure what happened to the furniture they had on the bus before. Maybe they gave it to the elderly.

[Sola]

I'm not sure that's true. They outfitted their stupid bus, Uriah, with pretty leather bench-type seats awhile back. Before that, they had some old couches and recliners for seating on the bus. I think when it's Steve's idea to move forward to something modern and expensive, it just happens. Not sure what happened to the furniture they had on the bus before. Maybe they gave it to the elderly.

Such a good snark, deserving of being said twice :lol:

[Justme]

Also, Nate married at 24. Chris was over 31 at marriage. It took him a long time to find a wife. Chris had several more years to save for furniture.

Also, can't let silly things like furniture take the place of iphones and computers! Gotta have the latest and best technology! :lol:

[Patsy]

What happy times for a little girl as she pretends to be busy.

Not fun, 'happy'. Not playing, 'pretending' to be 'busy'. Pretending to be busy is pretty much all the Maxwells fill their tiny, smothered lives with...

[WonderingInWA]

Such a good snark, deserving of being said twice :lol:

Woops -- sorry for the duplicate post! :)

[Phyllis Styne]

Here's a listing on Santa Fe Street in Leavenworth.

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhom ... 6011-86631

Maxwell Land is in a 1000 block of Santa Fe IIRC and the houses are newer but the same rather spacious grounds around the houses, big yards, I mean. I don't begrdge the guys buying their homes for cash but does the Maxwell Overlord (steve) mention that the homes might be smallish and in need of repair IOW roofs over the heads and lots of upkeep and updating to do? I laughed at the idea that new furnishings are idolatrous until Overlord Steve says they aren't. And Terri is right there backing him up with her strong voice and stern expression. 6 of the 8 Maxwell Children may never get married but boy Terri and Steve found their matches in each other.

[gardenvarietycitizen]

As I recall from the Uriah posts (part of what attracted me to their blog!) when they bought the bus it didn't have much in it at all, not regular bus seats or anything. Before they retrofit it, there's pics of them putting regular recliners into the pretty much just open space in there.

[Justme]

As I recall from the Uriah posts (part of what attracted me to their blog!) when they bought the bus it didn't have much in it at all, not regular bus seats or anything. Before they retrofit it, there's pics of them putting regular recliners into the pretty much just open space in there.

Yup! I remember how proud they were that they finally had seatbelts!

[YPestis]

I'm not sure that's true. They outfitted their stupid bus, Uriah, with pretty leather bench-type seats awhile back. Before that, they had some old couches and recliners for seating on the bus. I think when it's Steve's idea to move forward to something modern and expensive, it just happens. Not sure what happened to the furniture they had on the bus before. Maybe they gave it to the elderly.

Well, what's good for Steve isn't always good for the rest of the family. Steve is also fanatical about being frugal and all that. He may see anything beyond utilitarian use by others as frivolous. I've noted that Steve enjoys fixing and building. Uriah is given the royal treatment by Steve because it's a hobby he ENJOYS. Maybe Steve dispenses more money onto Uriah because he likes this project so much. Nathan and Melanie buying newer furniture is worshiping nice furniture, Steve spending money is worshiping Steve, which is ok. It's the same story we hear in many patriarchy societies where control of money is the purview of the male. In many households, the men will still expend money on tobacco and drinks while their pregnant wives starve and children scavenge in garbage dumps for food. What's good for the goose is better than what's good for the gander.

[Haligh the Liar]

I'm sitting here getting more and more sad for Sarah Max. Her plight resonates with me more than that of any other SAHD, probably because I'm also a 30 year old single woman, and also because her circumstances are so much more limited than those of other fundies.

I live only a few hours away- do you think there is any way I could kidnap her or at least meet up with her for an afternoon? I could pretend to be seeking the LORD, if that's what it would take.

[amandalea22]

Hi! I had to join FJ out of pure curiosity to ask when the Maxwell's fixed Mary's teeth. I used to read their blog and updates from TWOP. I know that Mary had MAJOR teeth issues to the point that people on TWOP were questioning neglect to leave them in that shape. I seem to remember Steve stating in a blog post that they were going to leave her teeth issues "up to the Lord." Looking at current photos, she does not appear to have these issues with her teeth anymore and I KNOW the Lord couldn't fix the mess of her teeth alone.

[WonderingInWA]

Hi! I had to join FJ out of pure curiosity to ask when the Maxwell's fixed Mary's teeth. I used to read their blog and updates from TWOP. I know that Mary had MAJOR teeth issues to the point that people on TWOP were questioning neglect to leave them in that shape. I seem to remember Steve stating in a blog post that they were going to leave her teeth issues "up to the Lord." Looking at current photos, she does not appear to have these issues with her teeth anymore and I KNOW the Lord couldn't fix the mess of her teeth alone.

Seriously? I never read at TWOP, but I have been reading the blog for many years and never realized her teeth were any worse than any of the others'. Steve has said that he has spent much on orthodontia for his kids, but never elaborated on what that entailed. Mary got braces 2-3 years ago as I recall (it was never announced, she just showed up wearing them) and recently got them off. Her teeth are beautiful (all of the kids have nice teeth). What was wrong with her teeth that would have been anything out of the ordinary?

And just a note -- if I were Stevie, I would have talked to Anna about having gum surgery. That gummy smile is just like Teri's and can be fixed, although not sure of the procedure.

[fluttershies]

Um, unless Mary's teeth were causing her pain or problems eating, why would leaving them alone constitute neglect? My teeth are not very white and are very uneven, but they work fine and I have better things to spend my money on - and this is with cheaper NHS dental care, I can't imagine how expensive US dentistry is.

[amandalea22]

Her teeth were bad! I remember a photo of her with some of her incisors directly behind her front teeth. Surgery was mentioned as the only option but Steve did not want to spend the money. I don't remember how long ago it was but I have followed the Dugger's/Maxwell's since about 2008 on TWOP. I tried to look back through their blog but got bored quickly. Her teeth look great now so I was pretty shocked. I fell out of keeping track of the Maxwell's probably for about two years after I started a new job.

[amandalea22]

fluttershies - I am looking for the post about her teeth. Some problems were mentioned but it's been a while so can't recall what. Here's an old photo though

[WonderingInWA]

Oh, my -- there's a photo I've never seen! I'm guessing (hoping) they ended up with an expander (a mouth roof appliance) to give her proper room for her teeth. They look really nice now and she's turned into a pretty young lady. Not that that will get her anywhere if she's not allowed to socialize outside of the elderly home, but that's another issue...

[fluttershies]

Okay, I do agree that those are teeth that need work - I just get annoyed with people who get horrified by the mere sight of crooked but otherwise healthy teeth.

[WonderingInWA]

Um, unless Mary's teeth were causing her pain or problems eating, why would leaving them alone constitute neglect? My teeth are not very white and are very uneven, but they work fine and I have better things to spend my money on - and this is with cheaper NHS dental care, I can't imagine how expensive US dentistry is.

Not sure what country you live in, but here in the US it is very common to perfect smiles and bites through orthodontia. It is one of the reasons Americans seem to be known for their white smiles -- not necessarily because their teeth are WHITE but because many of them have had their teeth straightened so they actually look whiter (trust me on this -- I lived in England for awhile and was often getting compliments on my white teeth, that really weren't any whiter than anyone elses, but they were straight -- through orthodontia).

We don't have NHS here, but most medical plans have an orthodontia benefit. My son is 12, has had braces since he was just turned 11, our benefit is $1000 on a $5000 overall cost. He has a very normal case, nothing too complicated, will wear them a total of 18-24 months, and will end up with a beautiful smile.

[fluttershies]

Not sure what country you live in, but here in the US it is very common to perfect smiles and bites through orthodontia. It is one of the reasons Americans seem to be known for their white smiles -- not necessarily because their teeth are WHITE but because many of them have had their teeth straightened so they actually look whiter (trust me on this -- I lived in England for awhile and was often getting compliments on my white teeth, that really weren't any whiter than anyone elses, but they were straight -- through orthodontia).

We don't have NHS here, but most medical plans have an orthodontia benefit. My son is 12, has had braces since he was just turned 11, our benefit is $1000 on a $5000 overall cost. He has a very normal case, nothing too complicated, will wear them a total of 18-24 months, and will end up with a beautiful smile.

I'm in the UK, and I'm aware of the fact that orthodontia is more common in the US - I still think it's ridiculous. With the NHS most people don't get free dental treatment, and not everyone is with an NHS surgery for dental care (some areas don't have many NHS dental surgeries, it works a little differently to general medical care), so it still costs money. Having dental work done to correct something that is actually causing a problem (like in Mary's case) is obviously understandable, but spending a lot of money on something purely cosmetic (and $4000 is still a lot of money) seems very wasteful to me, unless you (general you) are very wealthy. For me it's in the same league as cosmetic surgery. Braces are common on teenagers here (neither me or my sister had them but my sister did have some supernumerary teeth removed) but that's about the only orthodontia anyone has here.

[WonderingInWA]

I'm in the UK, and I'm aware of the fact that orthodontia is more common in the US - I still think it's ridiculous. With the NHS most people don't get free dental treatment, and not everyone is with an NHS surgery for dental care (some areas don't have many NHS dental surgeries, it works a little differently to general medical care), so it still costs money. Having dental work done to correct something that is actually causing a problem (like in Mary's case) is obviously understandable, but spending a lot of money on something purely cosmetic (and $4000 is still a lot of money) seems very wasteful to me, unless you (general you) are very wealthy. For me it's in the same league as cosmetic surgery. Braces are common on teenagers here (neither me or my sister had them but my sister did have some supernumerary teeth removed) but that's about the only orthodontia anyone has here.

Well, Americans are (in my opinion) certainly somewhat obsessed with straight teeth. The orthodontists will tell you all the reasons you should seek treatment (to avoid bite issues and grinding later in life, etc.), but it is a common expense here. I BEGGED my mom to take me to an ortho when I was 12 because I hated the gap between my two front teeth and I hated my eye teeth that looked like fangs. Less than two years later I had as perfect of a smile as I was going to get.

Americans obsess about a lot of things (we love to shower, for example!). I don't come from a wealthy family nor am I wealthy but I do feel strongly that my sons should have straight teeth if they want them (my son had an overbite that he was very self-conscious of and my younger son has some other issues, but he's still growing so we don't know what those really will be just yet). Orthodontists make a LOT of money (they go to dental school first, and then specialize), so it really is in many cases an extravagance, but it's also a confidence booster for our kids, and when it comes to self-esteem, you just don't want to be the only kid you know that doesn't have straight teeth. But you have made me think about it more -- and I suppose it's almost a status symbol here. Ugh. That makes me feel squicky.

[VenusDaisy]

Well, Americans are (in my opinion) certainly somewhat obsessed with straight teeth. The orthodontists will tell you all the reasons you should seek treatment (to avoid bite issues and grinding later in life, etc.), but it is a common expense here. I BEGGED my mom to take me to an ortho when I was 12 because I hated the gap between my two front teeth and I hated my eye teeth that looked like fangs. Less than two years later I had as perfect of a smile as I was going to get.

Americans obsess about a lot of things (we love to shower, for example!). I don't come from a wealthy family nor am I wealthy but I do feel strongly that my sons should have straight teeth if they want them (my son had an overbite that he was very self-conscious of and my younger son has some other issues, but he's still growing so we don't know what those really will be just yet). Orthodontists make a LOT of money (they go to dental school first, and then specialize), so it really is in many cases an extravagance, but it's also a confidence booster for our kids, and when it comes to self-esteem, you just don't want to be the only kid you know that doesn't have straight teeth. But you have made me think about it more -- and I suppose it's almost a status symbol here. Ugh. That makes me feel squicky.

Straight teeth have become a big deal here in the US. When I worked for a staffing company, straight teeth was often a desired "trait" employers looked for when hiring for positions such as front office/receptionist. Sad but true.

[WonderingInWA]

Oh, and what I wanted to add is that I was born in 1965. So my generation was pretty much the first one to popularize orthodontia (I think). My mother-in-law is 75 now, but when she was 45, she decided to get braces because her teeth had always bothered her cosmetically. You don't see a lot of 45yo people wearing braces, but it was something that had always bothered her. And I have had several adult friends (30-40 age range) do it in the past few years, too. I don't look at it as a boob job or lipo -- it's your smile.

Our ortho makes a boatload of money (I know someone who has been to his house and it's a palace). But he is one of the nicest people I have come across in the years I've been a mother and he genuinely cares about how his patients feel about themselves. You can hide most bodily "flaws" behind clothing, but you can't hide your smile. Just my two cents.

[freejoytoo]

Straight teeth have become a big deal here in the US. When I worked for a staffing company, straight teeth was often a desired "trait" employers looked for when hiring for positions such as front office/receptionist. Sad but true.

Are you serious?! I had braces to correct an overbite and had two teeth removed (also in the UK) but my teeth are still very slightly crooked and they are a healthy colour, but not the dazzling white you get in the states The dentist asked my sister if she wanted a brace to correct a tooth which was slightly crossed over at the front but she said no.

I understand getting braces for things like overbites or correction for underbites and removing unecessary teeth, but I think it's a waste of money and asking for a lot of pain just to make your teeth absolutely white and absolutely straight.