Michelle Duggar's Blog: Jim Bob's Marriage Proposal

Question from a "19 Kids and Counting" fan on Facebook: How long did it take before Jim Bob proposed to you? Was it a surprise?
We started dating in May, and it was around Christmas when he approached my dad to ask if he could propose to me. My father and mother really loved him; he really had his head on straight. He was such a sweet guy, not your typical kid. He worked really hard and helped his family so much.
His parents were in real estate and they were having a crunch financially with the market being down. Jim Bob worked at a grocery store to earn money and help make ends meet for their family. This was one reason that my dad just thought the world of him. They both had that hard work ethic. Sometimes I would think - this is so crazy! My dad and Jim Bob have such a good relationship, I felt like I didn’t even get to talk half the time. But I was happy because they had a strong bond and had so much in common.
Jim Bob approached my daddy on Christmas Eve and asked him if we could get engaged. And my dad said yes. I’m glad they had a close relationship and enjoyed each other’s company so much because that paved the way for Jim Bob to get permission to ask for my hand in marriage. On New Year’s Eve, Jim Bob got on his knee, gave me a ring and asked me to marry him. Of course I said yes! And I was just blubbering and in tears. I couldn’t imagine marrying anybody else – he was the man of my dreams. We got married the following July.
The proposal was a surprise at first, but I did kind of know. He was definitely trying to get all of his ducks in a row. He got his real estate license and traded in his car as a down payment for our first little fixer upper house. He was eighteen and had already been working at the grocery store for three years before he got his real estate license.
We just knew that we were for each other. There was no question in our hearts, but all the details had to come together to make sure my father knew that Jim Bob was prepared to take care of a family.