Coming up on 19 kids and counting!

Love and Marriage
Jim Bob and Michelle talk about their marriage, the ups and downs of it all, before going to a marriage retreat, to help make their marriage stronger. Summary and trivia questions will be posted after the show! 

A Day in the Life of Michelle Duggar and Her Kids

FAMILY MATTERS on 04.29.13

Michelle Duggar19 Kids and CountingBIO

 

Photo: DCI

Question from a "19 Kids and Counting" fan: What’s your daily schedule like on school days?

7 a.m.: Wake up, everyone!

We’re not early birds. We tend to be more of a night-owl family so we aim to get up by 7 a.m. Everybody wakes up, gets dressed, makes their beds, and gives their rooms a quick clean up.

8 a.m.: Breakfast and chores

We have breakfast and then some quiet time around the table. We might do the proverb of the day, depending on if we’re all at the table together at the same time. It depends on the responsibilities that some of the children have going on. After that, we’ll do a quick tidy of the house. It’s not when we do our big stuff like scrub the toilets and mop the floor, it’s just a fast clean to empty the trash, gather the laundry, and clean the areas that they kids are responsible for.

9 a.m.: School starts

We usually start the day with math, English, and spelling, and maybe a little music practice.

Noon: Lunch break

Jinger is my lunch lady right now, so around 11:30 a.m. she’ll start preparing lunch. At noon we eat and then we have a little bit of time around the table where we do "memory lane" (memory exercises) and we memorize scripture and hymns. This is one of my favorite times of the day; scripture is so important to my family.

We’ll do that for 30 to 45 minutes and sometimes I’ll read a little chunk of a book to my kids. We are still in that old-fashioned mode of reading books! I always tell my kids to pick up a book. That book could be their best friend and they can really learn a lot from reading.

1 p.m.: Back to school

After "memory lane" we’ll do book work, which is our science, history, law, and medicine resources. A lot of times we’re all studying the same information -- just reading it together, so we’re all on the same page. Then the kids break and do resources for each grade level. It's called "the bus stop method," where my little ones get off a little sooner and the bigger ones keep working. They’ll go to their separate desk areas where they can work on their projects individually.                 

After that, they finish their music practice. If they haven’t finished all their math, English, and spelling, they’ll go back and work on that, too. Typically, it's free time for them after they’re done with all their schoolwork and music practice.

5 p.m.: Dinner and family time

Jessa is my dinner lady now and she has her team of little helpers in there helping her get dinner ready. After dinner, we have family time. We’ll do work projects together and then we go outside to play volleyball or kickball. You name it -- we do all kinds of outside activities! Even in the winter the kids are outside with their gloves and their noses are pink, but they love outside time all year round.

8 p.m.: Baths, snacks, and prayers

Bible time is at 8:30 p.m. so we all have a snack and then get ready for bed first. We’ll meet in the boys’ room or down in the living room for time with dad. We read the scriptures and talk about what we’re reading. Then we all pray together and say goodnight. The younger ones go to their beds, but my older ones will usually come to our room and talk more until midnight or so. It just depends on what’s in their hearts or what they need to talk about. Then we go to bed and get up the next morning and start all over again!

Have a burning question for Michelle Duggar? Send it to her and it could appear in an upcoming post!

Michelle's blog trivia answers

1. Who in the family is not musically skilled? Jim Bob and Michelle

2. How old was Josh when he learned how to play the piano? when he was three years old.

3. How old do the kids start learning to play music? three years old

4. Do the kids get to chose if they get to play music? no

5. Why do they practice music? to relax the family

Trivia questions answers!

1. Who is leaving for training? Joseph
2. How much has Jim Bob lost weight? Jim Bob gained four pounds
3. How much has Josh lost weight? Josh lost a pound
4. What kind of new hair did Michelle give him? She gave joseph a clean cut for going off for nine weeks.
5. Who shows up when he heads to leave? The whole family goes

Trip to DC!

Josh and Anna packed up Mackynzie and Michael for a weekend trip at DC. They visited the zoo and headed to DC cupcakes shop (another TLC show). 

Here are some photos! 

Michelle gets braces!

Michelle is going thou another round of getting braces. This time it's clear and will only take six months.

Many of her children have gotten braces and this marks the second time that she has had them

Trivia questions

1. Who is leaving for training?
2. How much has Jim Bob lost weight?
3. How much has Josh lost weight?
4. What kind of new hair did Michelle give him?
5. Who shows up when he heads to leave?

Recap: Duggars Take Flight

Joseph is taking off for training at the Air Land emergency resource team in big Sandy. He is heading to gain training for saving others and will last nine weeks. Jim Bob and Michelle decided to give their son

an 18th birthday and leaving party. It's the first time that the family is just sending one child away. Right before he leaves, Michelle gives him a new hair style.

Josh and Jim Bob are surprise when their trainer arrives for a pantry check where he is not so happy on what he finds. Later on, the boys are stepping on the scale where Jim Bob gains four pounds while Josh lost one pound. The boys are going to do a new weight training. Michelle and Anna encourage their husband with everything that is happening. 

Now it's time for Joseph to leave and the family decides to meet him at the runway and John David is going to be flying his brother along with their family. In Texas, he gives his son a handshake and that he loves him and goodbye.

Update on Anna's pregnancy: Anna is currently seven and half months pregnant with their son.

Trivia for the week!

Alright we are finally back with the weekly trivia! Happy Birthday Jason! 

1. Who in the family is not musically skilled?

2. How old was Josh when he learned how to play the piano?

3. How old do the kids start learning to play music?

4. Do the kids get to chose if they get to play music?

5. Why do they practice music?

Jason's birthday

Today is Jason's birthday and he is turning 13 years old today. He is the 12th child of the Duggars to enter teenager year 

Jason's birthday trivia!

Jason's birthday is on Sunday!

1. How old was Jason when they first started their show?
2. How old was he when Mackynzie was born?
3. How old was he when Michael was born?
4. How old was he when Josie was born?
5. What is his favorite bible verse?

Trivia questions from last week's show

1. Who  was josh afraid of?
2. Where did the boys plant a garden?
3. Where did the girls plant their garden?
4. Where does Jinger and Jessa volunteer at?
5. How many does did Johannah and Jackson raise?

Recap from Pushups and Planting and coffee and Carictures

This week Josh and Jim Bob are getting a new trainer who happens to have a conman friend between them.  It's the former NFL Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Steve Conley. Josh admits that he is scared since he doesn't have any physical fitness right now. He feels embarrassed since the fact his body doesn't know what he is doing. Steve orders the boys to cut of any of their favorite food like tater tot casserole and also telling them to put on some workout clothes on.

Michelle and the kids are learning how to plant a garden during one of their home school lesson. The younger kids bring out some kites that they make out of garbage bags like the older boys. Michelle says that her younger boys will learn how to do things from the older kids.

Jill and Jana are helping one of their clients giving birth and get to meet their baby girl.

On the second part of the show Jessa and Jinger are getting to volunteer at "Mama Carmen's Espresso Cafe" and they hope to raise money for uniforms for a orphanage in Guatemla. The girls hope that all their friends and family come and help. Jinger and Jessa asks their younger brothers and sister to create a jar where people can donate some money. The girls get there bright and early to learn how do the things that they will be doing. Jessa admits that the family are not morning people and having to be somewhere by 5:30 in the morning is not what they want to do but Jessa sees the positive that God wanted them to see the sunrise. Jinger drinks two large cups of coffee and many espresso since she is big on coffee. Jessa reveals that her sister drinks about three cups of coffee. Jinger reveals that she is trying to make her coffee down to two cups so.

Amy arrives at the coffee place to get something to drink and then comes back with Grandma Duggar for another coffee break. Then it came to their family and it takes about 10 minutes to get everyone done. The girls think that they did a very good job since the people did not complained if they messed up their orders. The girls managed to raise 1,010.41 which will help many kids. Jessa reveals that she loves helping others because they are getting blessed themselves. Jackson and Johannah are hoping to buy something for Josh and Anna's new baby boy by drawing caricatures and managed to raise 10 dollars for the new gift.

Why no trivia on April 14

I did not get a chance to write new trivia for it and so i will be writing three this weekend

Spring cleaning trivia Answers

1. what does Michelle do for spring cleaning? Cleaning and organzing
2. Who does the duggars give things to do? friends or sale them at a yard sale
3. Who are the sidekicks when Grandma does the laundry? Jinger and Joy Anna
4. who are the washers in the kitchen? Jedidiah and Jeremiah
5. what are the biggest areas in the house? Kitchen and Laundry room

Trivia questions from the show

1. What was Michelle making at the beginning of the show?
2. What did Josh and Jim Bob order?
3. What did Anna say about her and Josh changing during their marriages?
4. How much does Jim Bob and Michelle weight?
5. what did Priscilla convice Josh and Anna to do?

The Duggar Family's Musical Background

FAMILY MATTERS on 04.12.13

Michelle Duggar19 Kids and CountingBIO

 

Photo: DCL

Question from a "19 Kids and Counting" fan: Your family is so musical! Do all of the kids learn how to play a musical instrument?

Jim Bob and I are sadly not musically skilled at all so wanted our children to learn how to play and read music. Luckily for us, there was a precious widow who went to church with us and offered to teach our children for half price. We jumped at the offer and Josh started taking piano lessons with Nana when he was 5 years old. We call her Nana because we just love her so much, and she still teaches our kids piano now. She comes over every Monday and teaches our younger ones along with Jinger, who is getting ready to do her senior recitals.

We learned that by teaching them the piano first, they get a really strong base in music. Then they can pick up another instrument very easily and transfer that knowledge by reading music. We started out with Nana teaching each one at about the age of 5; they would start with piano and reading music. Later, our dear friends the Queerys started teaching our older children violin with the Suzuki method. Now they teach violin our 3-year-old. They start out with a tiny little foam violin, teaching them the proper way to hold it, how to take care of it and how to put it back in its little case. They begin with just the basics and by the time the kids are four or five they really know how to play.

Some days the kids really don’t want to practice, but it’s not a choice: it’s just like schoolwork, you don’t choose. It’s the same way with math, and English, and spelling. After they really master the instrument, they just love it. It’s like you can’t keep them off of it, once they’ve really gotten where they can play and it sounds good; they’re constantly pulling out their violins or sitting at the pianos and there’s music all the time in our house. Helping them to be consistent with the practice and not letting them give up takes them to a level where they can play anything they want.

There’s something to be said about music and how it speaks to us. By carefully picking the music that our children have listened to through the years, we’ve helped them learn to love and appreciate it. Jim Bob and I are just thrilled since we don’t know how to play any instruments – we just enjoy hearing the beautiful music in our home.

Upcoming on 19 kids and counting!

Pushups and planting
Jim Bob and Josh are surprised when they meet their new trainer, while Jana and Jill have a client who goes into labor.
Coffe and caricatures
Jessa and Jinger are volunteering at a coffee shop, while Jackson and Johannah, draw caricatures to raise money to buy a present for the newest member of the family to be.

Duggar Weight Loss Challenge and Things Are Changing

At the beginning of the show, Michelle is fixing dinner for the kids before Jim Bob and Michelle leave for a date with Josh and Anna. Cincinnati chili is a favorite meal for all the kids. While at their date, Josh and Jim Bob pick fried foods. Jim Bob's dinner had about 1500 calories and 60 grams of fat. Anna reveals that she and Josh have gone up in pants sizes while they celebrate each year of their marriage. In September will mark their 5th year of marriage. Jim Bob and Josh decided they are going change their lifestyle and lose weight which is happily supported by Anna and Michelle. Josie hopes that her father will become smaller. Josh wants to be a role models for his children by losing weight and improving his fitness. Since Jim Bob and Josh decided that it was going to be a competition between father and son, Anna wants to make sure that she does everything to make sure that her husband wins.

The boys decided that they are going to build a green house so they can grow things all year long as Jim Bob and Josh build a gym for the family. The rest of the family helps by cleaning up and making some posters to encourage them as they do this. Michelle says that they are training their family to be there for one another by suporting them and loving on one another to create a stronger family unit. Jim Bob loves that his family is involved with this progress. The boys ask Joseph to help them with the role as a trainer since he works out everyday. Joseph puts the boys thou a hour workout and the boys wake up sore in the morning since they are not use to it.

The boys are headed to get a physical done with many tests. Josh only last on the treadmill for ten minutes while Jim Bob had to push to beat his son's time.

On the second part of the show, Josh and Jim get the results of their tests. Their starting weights are 214 (Jim Bob) and 224 (Josh). The doctor wants them to bring Anna and Michelle. Josh learns that he has picked up over 50 pounds since he met Anna.  Jim Bob gets his waist measured where it's around 43 and says that it's a lot of pizza. Josh learns that he is at risk of diabetes and obese and Jim Bob is right below obestiy. Anna knows that she needs to change the way that she cooks to help with Josh's weight lost. Michelle wants to help show a good example to her children and be there for her grand children so it's a good changes. Josh and Anna decided to donating the bad food to the food bank to help others. Michelle makes a shelf for healthy choices for her husband so that way it will help him.


Priscilla and David, who is six months pregnant with Paul, come to visit her sister. Anna gives her sister a lot of advice for her first child while Josh and David are getting David and Priscilla's room ready for them. Josh and Anna reveal that their house is only two bedrooms and one bathroom so the couple has to stay in the camper since the kids are too hard to move back and forth out of their room. Anna has to crawl at the table since Josh had Michael at the time of her coming back to her chair. Josh and Anna decided to go looking for a new house and meets with a Realtor  Anna wants a house that is open floor plan and Josh wants a house that is a decent price.  Josh claims no matter what you dislikes it's all about the money and what you can fix. So Josh and Anna decided that they will just try and make some changes to their current home.

Do the duggars have social media accounts

There is so many fake accounts on facebook, twitter, and instagram of the family and we want to provide you guys with all the information about the family. Jim Bob said that none of their children living in their home have social media accounts.

Here's the links to Josh and Anna's official accounts!

Josh's instagram

Anna's instagram

Josh's personal facebook

Josh and Anna's fan page on facebook

Josh's twitter

Trivia answers: Baby on the way

1. what did michelle say about her children growing up? they will always be her babies
2. what is Jill and Jana doing with their studies? midwife and doula
3. When did Josh and Anna find out about the new baby? when they came back from asia
4. Who help with the baby pumpkin craveling? Amy
5. How did Josh and Anna reveal the new baby? diaper and a chocolate

Baby number 3 due in 2 months

Spring cleaning trivia

what does Michelle do for spring cleaning?

Who does the duggars give things to do?

Who are the sidekicks when Grandma does the laundry?

who are the washers in the kitchen?

what are the biggest areas in the house?

Easter trivia answers

Answers:
1. what was the response from the crowds did the family receive  They were surprise that it was just one big family!
2. Who was in the double stroller at the time? Michael and Mackynzie
3. Why were the people touching the kids that had blonde hair? Because normally you don't see that in their country
4.  How many days did it take the family to see the wall of China? It took the family two days to get across the whole wall
5. What did the family try to do with the people who sell souvenirs? to get the best deal
6. What do the family normally do besides hunting eggs and having candy? celebrate the death and returning to life of Jesus
7.  what do the family do before easter? make cookies and do crafts
8. Who helps the younger kids decorate the cookies? the older kids help the younger kids with decorating
9. what do the duggars do in their kids's bags?  their favorite snacks and not candy.
10. What do the family do on Easter Sunday? have church service and have fellowship.

Facebook!

My admins and I decided to take the weekend off of our facebook fan page and will be back on Monday! We are dealing with a hateful page on facebook and decided to be the bigger people that God calls us to be!

Enjoy your weekend!

Michelle Duggar's Spring Cleaning Secrets

NESTING on 04.05.13

Michelle Duggar19 Kids and CountingBIO

 

Photo: DCI

Question from a "19 Kids and Counting" fan: How do the Duggars do spring cleaning?

Well, we don’t exactly do spring cleaning any more. Spring cleaning was the way I did things years ago when I was the main one cleaning and organizing. Now, with so many of us, it’s not really spring cleaning.  We clean continuously throughout the year. It’s a non-stop process. It’s not like we’re messy, it’s just that life happens.

De-cluttering is really important, for starters. I always tell the kids that if stuff comes in the house, we have to take other stuff out.  We give things to friends that can use them or sell them at a yard sale. There’s just not enough space for everything.

For the cleaning, we all pitch in. We have jurisdictions; these are our areas of responsibility for the kids. For example, the playroom is one person’s jurisdiction. Some jurisdictions have teams working on them. The laundry room is a big one. Nana helped us with laundry for 13 years, now Grandma Duggar has taken over the majority of washing and drying. But Jinger and Joy-Anna are her sidekicks, so that’s the laundry team. Joy-Anna loves to organize and she just can’t stand it when things aren’t organized.  And I’m like, “Well, welcome to the laundry room!” She really keeps it organized while Grandma keeps it clean. She can get it organized really fast; it’s amazing.

My 14-year-old twins, Jedidiah and Jerimiah, are my washers in the kitchen. They are the ones that keep the bigger dishes and glasses scrubbed clean. My younger guys, Jason, James, Justin and Jackson, will assist, too. They help dry and put away all of the dishes after the older boys have done the hand washing. We have a dishwasher for the regular dishes and silverware. They all help load that up. So, that’s the kitchen team.

Those are the biggest areas: the laundry room and the kitchen. Some of the other jurisdictions on the list are the pantry, living room, playroom and bedrooms. Basically, everyone has their area of responsibility.  Sometimes, they’ll just keep it spiffed and clean on their own, but other times I’ll have to chime in, especially when it’s time for a deep clean. But they’re all really good about pitching in on each other’s jurisdictions and working away until things are looking good.

Upcoming shows

Duggar weight loss challenge on April 9, 2013
Jim Bob and Josh decide to live a healthier lifestyle, so they challenge each other to see who can lose the most weight in 90 days. Meanwhile, Jason and his brothers decide to build a greenhouse.
Things are changing on April 9, 2013
Anna's sister Priscilla visits, which prompts Josh and Anna to find a bigger home. Jim Bob and Josh get the results of their physical.

Trivia questions: baby on the way!

Be sure and check out the recap before answering these trivia questions. 


1. what did michelle say about her children growing up?
2. what is Jill and Jana doing with their studies?
3. When did Josh and Anna find out about the new baby?
4. Who help with the baby pumpkin craveling?
5. How did Josh and Anna reveal the new baby?
6. Who predicted that the baby is going to be a boy?

Journey to parenthood baby 3: Month 7

It's time for another monthly update!

Josh and Anna have two months until they meet their baby!

Recap: Baby On the Way

Tonight, Josh and Anna are sharing the news of their new baby duggar. Michelle opens up about how it's hard to see her children growing up but they will always be her babies.
 Jill is revealing what she and her sister is studying to go in the world of childbirths. Jill hopes to learns Spanish midwifery terms so she can learn to deliver babies in Spanish  Jana is doing the coaching phase of childbirth and wants to be come a doula. Jim Bob claims that daughters are harder to let go. He claims that they are getting old since their daughters are helping giving birth. Jana knows that her parents are very supportive. Jill and Jana both work at "A mommy's butterfly midwifery" where they see a lot of mommys for their prenatal and postpartum visit. Venessa is overseeing the girls on their education and apprenticeship.
Josh and Anna learn that they are expecting on Mackynzie's third birthday like they did with Michael's pregnancy. They say that it hard to keep a secret from their family especially about their baby since they are always asking about the new arrival coming. Anna plans on a themed dinner where the younger ones don't know what it is but they think that it got something to do with the fall. Anna's meal has tater tots, bite-sized vegetable with pig in a blanket with sliders, and a baby carrier-shaped pumpkin filled with some fruit. Jill doesn't know how she is going to do it since Anna's kitchen is 1/6 smaller then the family. Mackynzie loves helping her mother with cooking but Anna knows that it takes longer when she is trying to teach her to help. Dinner is getting closer and they have a lot of things to do, Anna has Mackynzie and Michael down for a nap and calls in Josh's cousin to help her finish up.

Amy carves the pumpkin into a baby carriage and the head they use a cantaloupe. They are running late and so Anna locks the door to keep the family out to give them more time to finished. Anna loved doing it so they can finished. Amy thinks that she knows what the big surprise is.

The family guesses what the theme is and thinks that Amy is engaged or Josh and Anna are opening a restaurant and wanting to hire the others. At the end of the night, Josh and Anna give out a candy bar wrapped in a diaper to reveal that it's a baby.

Trivia answers

Answers:
1. Who help the family get thou the streets of China? Frank
2. What did Jim Bob tell the little kids how to react when someone came up to them?  they would be a tourist attraction
3. What did Michelle say? smile and be gracious
4. How much did it cost for the family to ride the subway? 8 dollars
5. what did Jackson say? that if he got squished then he would do it back
6. What are Jana and Jill studying to be? midwife and Douala
7. Who's baby was born in China? Scott's daughter
8. who eats a scorpion? Jim
9. What is the last place that the family visits before leaving to go back home? orphanage
10. what didd Josh and Anna learn after getting home? that they were expecting!

New episode tomorrow night

Back from their trip to Asia, Anna invites the family over for a themed dinner that will reveal her big surprise! However she needs Cousin Amy's help of pulling it off. Jill and Jana move into their work as midwives