Roslyn

Back during the Browns planning their "re commitment ceremony" the wives piled into the family wagon and headed to San Fransisco of all places to shop for dresses. Leaving Kody back at the cult de sac to care for all of the children single handed. The wives quickly discovered that they didn't find "modest" dresses that fit their real world figures, but they shopped, tried on dresses and filmed it all. I believe that is also where they enjoyed a round of beer tasting as well. Meanwhile Kody dumped many duties onto Aspyn naturally and showed clearly how little he knew about handling the kids on his own. Little Truely must have just been forgotten and she became ill, and severely dehydrated. Aspyn and Mykelti mentioned being up with her through the night and she wouldn't settle. I always got the sense that she was never really separated from Christine very much at all. When the wives returned Truely became worse, Christine was convinced that she was just under the weather and had the flu. But when she was trying to talk to Truely she saw her eyes going crossed. Aspyn or Mykelti said something that "yea, that was happening", so she wasn't having normal "just the flu" symptoms, but geez...Aspyn was a child, not an adult. Christine rushed her to the doctor who sent her straight to the emergency room to find that she was so severely dehydrated that her kidneys were shut down. She was admitted and round the clock care etc for a week (if I remember correctly). In the end I think care and meds brought her kidneys back on line without dialysis, but the filming on the show did make it look like it was very touch and go. Whether it was that severe, or if it was played up we won't know. But the photos of Truely in the hospital showed that she was a very sick little girl.

Exactly! Her body language hasn't lined up with her words for a very long time. Kody's reference to breaking chains with Robyn is kinda funny because it's Meri who has a giant mortgage chain holding her there. She obviously hates being there, but is stuck because of finances. She might hold her hand out and tell Kody she doesn't want him around...but she sure gets pissy when she needs a handyman asap and he is nowhere to be found.

Some thoughts after viewing... For the question of did Meri want Kody to ACTUALLY stay away or is he being set up to have to fight for her… she did skirt that question and then turned it around with a “we need a break until we can come together”. Hmmm, sorry Meri that isn’t an answer. Men aren’t mind readers and when you set them up like that it can bite you in the ass when they listen to you and think that is what you want. “Why did you fall in love”. First I think this is an interesting way to phrase it, I would think more “how” did you fall in love. Read their book and God himself reached out of the heavens and pushed them together, Kody fasted for two days and then in the euphoria of his fast realized Meri was his one and true soul mate. But I think Kody likes to balloon things up into great metaphoric divine moments. However listening to Kody tap dance that Meri looked at him with respect and adoration and he was excited that they were going to “build a family together” makes me think that is where his respect for her began to dwindle. He thought he was going all in! He and Meri were chosen to be together by God and they would lay the foundation on this Earth for his exaltation for eternity. She was expected to fulfil this grand role and she failed. Instead of becoming the rock solid foundation that the family was built upon she became the poorly constructed foundation that will forever need work just to keep the rest standing, with more attention and family resources being leached from other projects to continually repair and repair issues that continue forever. (How is THAT metaphor for you Kody!!??) YES, Kody is all about the family. In polygamous groups the man is in charge of keeping his family in control, if he fails then he falls in his place within the church group. Now naturally they really don’t follow their previous church group that anyone can see, but I’m sure that training is pretty deep within him. Meri’s face of stone as Kody says that her leaving will affect “ my ego more than my feelings”. Wow. Just wow. Sadly Meri is waiting in vain for Kody to just throw himself on the floor and cry out “Meri!! It’s your choice…but I NEED you to stay, I can’t continue without you!!”. Sorry Meri, that ain’t happening. We saw the other interview with him stating that his love is “platonic” and his trust is “pragmatic”. And who can ever forget when Kody was "designing" jewelry pendants for his wives and he compared Meri to "a loyal dog". Yup... ALSO! Interesting how Kody has acted on the show as though he NEVER believed Meri was ever leaving, yet he clearly states that he thought she was definitely leaving back then and in the other interview thought that she was having a “full blown affair” when on the show he states that she is “making friends” and just talking on social media. Hmmm…with such a broad swing its difficult to figure out what to believe. Ahhh. The on camera dig!! When Kody looks and points at Meri about “making the effort” to put the pieces together. And the burning bridge crap was so much CRAP! Meri’s “its all good…” was anything but. Mariah definitely ensured that she would get plenty of one on one face time. She does seem more relaxed…but I think she is really enjoying her spotlight. With the older kids…and all their attention with Mariah. Did anyone get the sense that Mykelti wasn’t too thrilled that zero attention seemed to be on her? She seemed really off and when everyone had told their versions of Mariah’s coming out with each of them the interviewer had to specifically point and say “what about you two?” meaning Mykelti and Tony as a unit. The same when Maddie was giving her old news about being pregnant and Mykelti only showed any emotion when "oh shit" came out of Maddie's mouth. At the end…did anyone catch what Kody said when they were discussing “plans” for a 5th or 6th wife? Kody said how they “weren’t planning” on Robyn, and then Robyn responded but then he kind of mumbled “and we weren’t planning on Christine” but then they moved on pretty quickly. I really think that life inside Christine in a really tough life. She has to live in that light and fluffy rainbow fairy land because if she really thinks about her life in a deep way she will feel the years of distain that man has for her. That pain would most likely send her hard and heavy to her bottle of happy pills and a bottle of wine. She hardly got a word in, and the few things she said were in her super weird voice anyway. She tried to join in when Robyn was preaching about their church and homosexuality. Christine tried to break in and Robyn expertly ignored her, something I think happens a lot. I remember a couple of episodes back when in a couch scene Christine was trying to talk and Robyn used the "S" in the word she as a long "shush".....shutting up Christine pretty quick.

I suspect it is Kody referencing the fact that Robyn was "trapped" in her first marriage after having her purrity stolen from her and then only after being freed (from her ex filing for divorce) and wandering filled with hopelessness until Kody rode up in his white sports car Lexus and S A V E D her. It most likely has something to do with her catch phrase on twitter too. Love gives us wings...they like metaphors and stuff. Love gives you wings and lets you fly free cause Kody's love saved her etc etc. You can insert your own gagging noises as needed...

I watch because for me I want to see the body language when they say what they say. Very often the two don't line up. None of them lie convincingly. Plus being able to see facial reactions as others talk...Robyn has the best poker face these days. Meri's face and foot gives her away in a heartbeat.

Janelle has never discussed any details of her first marriage, but was mainstream LDS until her "calling" to convert, as she had the hots for Kody. I am only assuming that Meri's brother wasn't fundamental in his beliefs, but mainstream for Janelle to have married him. In this clip video at tlc, it definitely feels as though Janelle converted solely to "join Kody's family" because "it made no sense" until she converted. It's interesting tho, both Janelle and Kody talk about how their relationship is better at the time of that conversation (I'm thinking it was filmed in the season1-2 time) and that is the time when Kody and Meri's relationship was breaking more apart. Another layer to the Meri/Janelle story...could Meri hold a grudge against Janelle because as Kody grew away from Meri, as he grew closer to Janelle? http://www.tlc.com/tv-shows/sister-wives/videos/falling-in-love-with-janelle/

Kody/Meri/Mariah did an interview for abc news nightline. I found it on the abc website after seeing someone mention it at CJs blog. An interesting view..at first talking about Mariah's big coming out announcement, but asking questions about the catfish time and the state of their marriage. It's funny how they said they were the first to marry in the family, but never mentioned the fact that they have gone through the "legal" divorce. Interesting that Kody states quite plainly that he only trusts Meri on a "pragmatic" level, and at the time of the catfish he believed that Meri was having a "full blown affair". I don't care what the show "shows" us, those two are so done with each other.

I have often wondered if the real reason behind the marriage restructuring really had something to do with lining up a better bankruptcy. I don't know how Robyn has the online "business" structured, but with her and Kody married there would be a larger total with combined assets than just Robyn alone. Put it on camera how it's for the family, and for the kids...but deep down I thought that it was a move for future financial reasons. That's a good reason to keep it hush hush and set things up before hand. They had revolving bankruptcys before the show, all of them, so I'm sure Kody still thinks about things in that way.

Yes! And Yes. I remember the story of the young girl backing out and Janelle and Kody having lunch together without Meri knowing. I guess I'll have to dig about and see if I can find my copy of the book now. Funny how that tell all has just vanished. Only one tiny snippet exists on youtube, to show that yes, it did exist. How I wish that person would have saved the whole thing! "Kody...you weren't attracted to Christine?" "That is an understatement" Fucking cruel.

In a way...haven't they already?

Just Meri's body language and cold hard stares shows quite a lot toward how she is dillink with her fiillinks! Her foot is wiggling so hard that even in her facial close ups you can see her head swaying. Just like Dorothy in Wizard of Oz, Meri is wiggling her grey footey slippers saying inside her head.."there is no place like my wet bar, there is no place like my wet bar..."

Thank you CofCinci! I didn't think someone could go to the Academy and graduate then skip away with a "Thanks!! I just wanted the education...not a military career. I'm off to make my family now!"

When they first mentioned him attending on their twitter accounts they said he was going to the USAF Academy, but then redacted that because he was actually accepted into the USAF Prep School, but then the following year I remember them saying that he is now going to the Academy. His Instagram is private but it states this at the small part that is shown. https://www.instagram.com/hunter_elias01/

I just re-watched the segment with the older kids. Hunter is asked about his future military career and he says he is "thinking about it". I don't know much of anything about how the military works with the military schools, but with him being in the USAF Academy I might be stepping on a limb to say that a military career is kind of what graduates do. Am I wrong? Can you go to that school and then NOT have a military career, at least for a shorter time than the usual 20 years life service?

Just finished watching the episode...I really really wish that we could have seen Kody raging about Mykelti and Tony when he said "What did they do, fall out of the stupid tree and hit every stupid branch on the way down!!??" That made me laugh pretty loud. And of course Christine trying her hardest to "keep sweet" saying "...no, no they were naive..." What the sam hell was Meri wearing!? I've never heard of LulaRoe before it came into play with Meri, but if she is trying to do some product placement she needs to think again...that was just horrid. AND it makes her hips and stomach look bigger than I think it really is, especially when she is sitting on the couch. Meri doesn't want to sit on the couch next to Janelle because she is afraid people will start comparing their sizes. Robyn looks quite miserable as well. And...sorry ladies...don't bring up "being mad" and "venting strongly" unless you are willing to discuss it. You look like a moron sitting there pretending to not have even a little clue why on earth you were so angry/frustrated, why you were raging and venting on any poor soul close enough to rage on, and then...oh my...I just can't remember what on earth would make me react in that way... >>insert eye roll<< The interviewer? Wow...not sure what rock they dug her from under, but she looked and acted bored, I'm not even sure she was following along with the answers for any impromptu follow ups because her eyes were glazed over.

Yes, they went into the marriage as polygamists. Kody told the story of having a lot of deep conversations with Meri's father (he had 5 wives if I remember correctly) and her father insisted that his permission for them to marry was fully resting on Kody's promise to live the Principle. Meri wanted Kody...she agreed to polygamy, but learning about her personality through the years, she just isn't cut out for it. Honestly, what woman really is? Janelle once stated in a flippant way that she is in a religion that does not limit a woman's choice of who they marry...even if that man is married. This was during that "discussion" between the Browns and Christine's Aunt who is a anti-polygamist activist and the young girl from the Kingston group (she's also on the Escaping Polygamy show...I can't remember her name...). I have always thought that the reason Janelle converted to polygamy from mainstream LDS is simply because she wanted Kody, and that was the only way to get him.

Basically...Meri and Kody had each other to themselves for three years before Janelle came "into the family". They DO skirt around the details, but somethings came out in their book. We know that Janelle was married to Meri's brother when Meri and Kody met. Her marriage lasted less than a year before she was divorced. Janelle was mainstream LDS and used to joke about how she thought it was "so cool" that she had "polygamous friends" back then. On the show she is quite mum and I believe has only voiced the fact that she was married before Kody...most times she just "re-writes history" by saying how she was single...as if she wasn't ever married. The timeline is very fuzzy as to when she decided to "convert" to polygamy. Janelle went to Kody's Dad's ranch and was trying to find herself by "living in a teepee", when in essence she really only spent like one night...it got really cold...and she went inside kind of thing. I think it was in the book that she said that Kody's Dad wanted her to marry Kody's brother, but she only had eyes for Kody. Janelle's mother was terrified that she had fallen in with a cult and went to rescue her from the ranch...but instead fell for Kody's father Winn and decided to marry him. This happened only months before Janelle and Kody were joined. The exact story is fuzzy again (Brown Family Double Speak and all) but it seemed that Janelle and Kody had lunch and decided she would be his number two. Although they have joked on the show how "Meri chooses all the wives", that isn't how it sounded in the book. Young Kody...eager to prove himself a real polygamist, takes mild-mannered Janelle as Number Two. We all know Meri's personality all too well. She is a Bully! They went into few details along the way, but what they did say had to do with the kitchen and laundry duties and who sat where on the couch. Janelle liked to do the dishes when she got up early in the morning...fussy Meri liked to do the dishes before going to bed, so she could sleep in in the morning. Personalities and styles clash!! Janelle does laundry one way, Meri another etc. Janelle talked about feeling shut out because Meri was very clingy with Kody. Always touching, holding hand and when they would watch TV Meri would close cuddle on the couch, leaving Janelle all by herself in a chair. Also...Janelle would work hard to help the household, and Meri liked to quit what ever part time job she had to travel with him on long weekends etc when he would travel for his sales job. While they like to make it look like it was Meri's overbearing personality and Janelle's passive style that caused the issues...the real blame has never been pointed out on the show. Kody. He didn't step in and make ground rules, set up an existing system. Janelle said once that "we didn't have anyone to talk to and no role models" as the reason that they struggled. Meri didn't want to share her man, even now that is pretty clear. She was the one to set the rules of no PDA in front of each other, meaning in front of her, and equal money to each wife, regardless of children etc. Kody didn't have a clue how to handle Meri or how to lead his family. I think they had zero direction until kids came and then they could at least focus on the children and skirt around their bullshit. Bullshit that isn't dealt with just piles up and this many years later that is one heck of a pile they are dealing with.

I think I saw one of Christines younger daughters with braces in a recent episode, but I can't remember which one.

According to a few bits and pieces that have been stated on the show...Aspyn and Mykelti shared an apartment for a year while they were students. When Mykelti left school (stating that "school is hard") Aspyn moved back home, but she remains a student where Mykelti dropped out. Apsyn herself said something along the lines that her and Christine butted heads over the mothering of the little kids. Aspyn has been the main mothering child (much like Logan's role within Janelles leg of the family being a male role model), and when Kody was stuck with dealing with the kids he always called upon Aspyn to step in because that is a role she has had. Aspyn said she didn't want to live with Mykelti anymore because she was mothery towards her, and obviously moving back with Christine puts her back into that role, so she chose to live with Robyn. No one has talked about if she is mothery towards Robyns kids or not. When the older kids were on the couch talking about Mykelti's engagement Aspyn didn't talk like a concerned older sister, her words and feelings sounded much more like a mother in her concern that "Mykelti wasn't supposed to be with ANYone, she was just supposed to go to Utah to grow up some, then return to school". Christine said that when Mykelti left school she wanted to move back home and it was Christine who said no. She said if it were "just a pause" she might have agreed but she didn't want Mykelti to "move backward, only forward". I take this Brown Family Crypto Speak to mean "hell no, you drop out of school and you can be on your own. You aren't lazing on the couch all day doing nothing." Kody later talked about how Mykelti wanted to go to Seattle and the family said no because they couldn't afford to move her there, or afford to pay to move her back as well. He said she needed to go SOMEwhere, so St George was chosen because she would be watched over by their good friends and business associates (people he borrows money from...) who own the pawn shop. She was living in an apartment that they own, working for their business and I guess for awhile going each night to their house for dinner...up until she started to go to church a lot and found friends then she hung out with friends all the time. But they were completely unaware of her romantic relationship with Tony as well. Even with her commitments to the local LDS mainstream church, the church has still denied her entry.

Hmmm, there is a inkling that the "24 years strong" could possibly be a dig at Meri's marriage that is anything but!?

Robyn only said they didn't have pictures of the two of them. That isn't true. At some time they had a whole spread of just Kody and Robyn with her in her wedding dress and him in his tux, some with that little white car of his. When they show on screen in her bedroom the blow up of the car photo is on her wall.

The episode... Well, it wasn't as bad to sit through as the crying and melodrama that is for sure. It's interesting how it does still show that the wives sit there, play the game and Kody has to jump around and show boat. I think this more relaxed episode is a window on what their gatherings might be like without cameras, all Kody, all the time. He even admitted he is a narcissist. I thought it was interesting that Robyn was distressed at the thought of having questions!? Either for real, or producer driven...who knows for sure. But no one pressed her for the exact TIME of her first Kody kiss. I also thought it was interesting that Janelle (at least acted) like she didn't have a real clue or memory of her first Kody kiss...."oh...yea...I remember a car..." It does go to show that a couple will always know each other better through monogamy. Duh. Meri and Kody had a couple of years together before the tribe came along and once Janelle landed everything became about "The Family" and the individualness fell to the wayside. Aspyns hair...no words are needed. And Garrison. Wow! It is very obvious that the mouthy, disrespectful teen really and truly needed guidance, a male role model and above all a disciplined life. GOOD FOR HIM for joining the military. It looks like he is blossoming into a more grounded and respectful young man. I had my doubt with him, he seemed to be the ring leader of the Garrison/Paedon/Gabe bully brigade. Very true. We will never know the real truth of it, but it wasn't like there weren't lots of other babies around to compare with and to know well and truly that something wasn't right.

I understand Mykelti's desire for feeling protected by Tony. I think Mykelti is a romantic minded little girl. Since I'm the recipient of a husband (of 26 years) who DIDN'T step up and protect me when I most desperately needed it...I do get that. However I think Tony is quite immature for the role of "protecting" in a real world way. He and Mykelti seem to match with each other, they both seem to be at the same maturity level. However...when I hear them talk about it...over and over. I keep getting the mental image of the Office, once again. The "Duel" between Andy & Dwight over Angela when Dwight, pinned with Andy's Prius against the hedge, yells "You can't even protect her!!" and Andy yells back..."Protect her from WHAT!!?? Bears!!??"

Maddie was the failure to thrive baby, I'm still haunted by that photo of her at 6-8 months looking like an overdressed newborn. That many months of poor nutrition when the body is developing will most likely have life long affects. They may not be obvious, but they are there.

Or...she has signed a contract to give them all the announcements through to exclusive shots of the baby. Instead of being paid for each story, she might get paid in a lump for multiples.