September 2015

Birthdays:
Michelle
Amy

Journey to parenthood:
two months left

Anniversary:
Josh and Anna
Ben and Jessa

Pregnancy updates:
32-35 weeks pregnant

Wedding:
Amy and Dillion

All about grandbabies:
Israel
Meredith
 

Preview: Michelle's High School Reunion

Michelle catches up with old friends at her 30th high school reunion. Will the family be surprised by her past? Later the family gathers to celebrate Johannah's 9th birthday with a horseback riding party.

19 kids and counting "Duggar Girls Go Glam"

The older Duggar girls head to Freshair Salon for hair and makeup styles for Jill's wedding. This is the first time that the girls go to Salons. They normally head to friends who can cut hair and do that for them. The girls get their hair curled and pull back. On the day of the wedding, they all decided to wear their hair curly and mostly down since it's Derick's favorite.

Jana reveals that she is not in a courtship right now. Joy Anna reveals that she doesn't want to enter a courtship right now. She turns 17 years old at the end of this month.

The girls head to try on bridesmaid dresses that are modest and will be able to wear for future events. The girls fall n love with the mint green dress and has to do additional dress to make sleeves and rise the neckline and length. The dresses cost around 30 bucks for each. Jana is the girls main seamstress even through the other girl are proficient at sewing. Jessa and Joy are still working on their sewing skills.

Anna and the kids are learning how to make healthy foods from a friend that they met at the market. For a snack they create, Meatball, grape, pineapple kabobs which Mackynzie and Michael fall in love with. Heather introduces finger potatoes cook in olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper along with green beans and squash; and salmon with peaches. Josh approves of the new cooking while the kids don't enjoy the squash but loves the rest.

Trivia answers #3

1. What is Jim Bob's birthday? July 18

2. How many siblings does Jim Bob have? one

3. How old was Jim Bob when he got married to Michelle? 19

4. How old was he when they welcomed Josh into the world?  23

5. How old was he when they welcomed Josie into the world? 44

Trivia questions #3

Hey guys,

It's the third week of our trivia questions and that means that on Sunday there is a new one. Jim Bob just celebrated his 49th birthday.

1. What is Jim Bob's birthday?

2. How many siblings does Jim Bob have?

3. How old was Jim Bob when he got married to Michelle?

4. How old was he when they welcomed Josh into the world?

5. How old was he when they welcomed Josie into the world?

Make sure that you check out the trivia answers on Saturday!

Trivia answers

Thank you all that were apart of our trivia questions this past week and here's the answers of this week's trivia questions.

1. How long did Derick know Jim Bob before he made his first contract with Jill? 1 year and half

2. How long has Ben and Jessa been courting? 10 months

3. How long were Derick and Jill courting before getting engaged? 5 months

4. How long has it been since Josh and Anna got engaged? six years

5. How many years has Jim Bob and Michelle been married? almost 30 years

Stay tune tomorrow!

Duggar family bio

1. Jim Bob
2. Michelle
3. Josh
4. Jana
5. John-David
6. Jill
7. Jessa
8. Jinger
9. Joseph
10. Josiah
11. Joy Anna
12. Jedidiah
13. Jeremiah
14. Jason
15. James
16. Justin
17. Jackson
18. Johannah
19. Jennifer
20. Jordyn-Grace
21. Josie

Duggar flashback

Michelle sat down with the cameras when she was pregnant with Jordyn and we got a glimpse of what she does as a form of correcting the kids when they act up.

Michelle Duggar's Marriage Advice for Newlyweds

Question from a "19 Kids and Counting" fan: What advice will you give Jill as a newlywed wife to keep in mind throughout her marriage?

1. Be available
First, I’m going to pass on the advice that was given to me by a dear friend Gala. Whenever I speak with groups of other moms and married women, I always share this advice. It’s been the best advice that was ever given to me in regard to my relationship to my husband Jim Bob.

Gala had only been married for three years, but she had very wise advice. I was about six months out from getting married, and was just all bleary eyed and in love. I couldn’t wait to be married and be called “Mrs. Jim Bob Duggar.” That was the dream of my life.

She told me: “Michelle, I know you’re so excited. You’re a bride-to-be, but some day you’ll be at this point. I’ve been married three years and I’m still happily married. I have one child, we’re expecting our second and I’m big pregnant. You’ve got to remember this. Anyone can iron Jim Bob’s shirt, anybody can make lunch for him. He can get his lunch somewhere else. But you are the only one who can meet that special need that he has in his life for intimacy. You’re it. You’re the only one. So don’t forget that, that he needs you. So when you are exhausted at the end of the day, maybe from dealing with little ones, and you fall into bed so exhausted at night, don’t forget about him because you and he are the only ones who can have that time together. No one else in the world can meet that need.”

“And so be available, and not just available, but be joyfully available for him. Smile and be willing to say, ‘Yes, sweetie I am here for you,’ no matter what, even though you may be exhausted and big pregnant and you may not feel like he feels. ‘I’m still here for you and I’m going to meet that need because I know it’s a need for you.’ ”

I’ve realized the sweetness of that through the years. While I am always joyfully available for him, in turn, he’ll lay down his life in any way. He will sit there and listen to everything I need to tell him because he knows that I’m there for him, too. I’m meeting his needs, he’s meeting my needs. We’re willing to be there for each other. And each one of us has different needs in a marriage relationship and that’s what’s so precious. I’ll share this advice with Jill so she knows that she’s got to be a wife first and then later, Lord willing, she’ll be a mother. Her responsibility before God and Derick needs to come first. It’s not just me and the Lord; it’s me and the Lord and my husband.

2. Talk about disagreements privately
Another piece of advice, I’ll tell Jill – don’t ever talk about things in front of your children that are supposed to be between you and your husband only. Step aside and say we’re going to talk about this privately. And don’t ever put your husband down in front of your children or other people, especially your families. Talk privately. We always say in our family, we praise publicly, but we correct privately. And that’s marriage advice that I would give to anyone.

3. Get marriage advice when you need it
There are going to be those times in your marriage where you might not always agree; you might not see things eye to eye and sometimes you may need a trusted third party to be a counsel for you in your marriage. Feel free to go to that trusted wise counsel that you both respect and get counsel when you need it. We have all been there. Yes, we have a oneness with spirit in Christ, but there are times that we need others to give us life counsel. So be willing to go seek it together.

It’s important to note that you can get marriage counseling in a lot of different ways. Your friends are very quick to offer advice, but it might not always be the wise advice you need to hear. Another option is to listen to to messages from scriptural teachers together. Through the years as we have gone to marriage retreats, Jim Bob and I have tried to take time out as a couple to listen to messages from other couples that have either learned from their mistakes or from others with the Christian perspective that we share. Even if you can’t afford to get away for the weekend, that’s fine. In our early days, we’d often plan a romantic dinner and listen to readings together and have grandma babysit. It would strengthen our relationship.

Jim Bob and I say we have the best love life ever because we’re so experienced now, but we are also still learning about each other and it’s just great. I’ve gone back and reread some books that were helpful to me and I’m writing out notes to share with Jill. I’ll be giving her a little bridal package that has lots of things that she’ll need for the honeymoon. Jill is very understanding of a lot of things because she’s a midwife and she’s helped a lot of mothers. But there are still a lot of things that I want to share with her before her wedding night. For me, it’s a whole different perspective because I’m sharing this information with my daughter.

And even fellows need a lot of help! These guys need to know they can’t go into this thinking they’re all macho. They need to get their knowledge from the right perspective to go into things with the right ideas.

For Michelle’s recommending reading for newlyweds, visit the Duggar Family website.

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

Going the Distance for Love Preview

While Jill and Jim Bob are in Nepal, visiting with Derick Dillard, who has something important to ask Jim Bob, Michelle decides to spend time with Jessa and talk to her daughter about her courtship with Ben.

Recap: A duggar say yes

In this week's episode of 19 kids and counting, Ben and Jessa give us a look inside of their courtship and how their relationship began. Ben and Jessa met at the Duggar family church. Jessa and Ben exchanged phone numbers to get to know each other. Ben decided to get the premission of Jim Bob and Michelle to court their daughter before asking Jessa.
Ben is 18 years old and lives in Hot Springs, Arkansas with his parents and six younger brothers and sisters. He owns his own business which is a windshield repair and is a freshman at National Park Community College. Jessa told us that Ben is tall, dark and handosme which was pretty much what was on her list of what she wanted to marry.
Jim Bob and Michelle along with 17 of their children revealed their sister as an energetic, strong-willed child. They also told us that she likes to tell it how it is, loyal to her family and friends. She tries to keep a good handle on her emtions. John David reveals that his sister is opinionated.
Jim Bob and Michelle make the announcement that their daughter is courting to the rest of the family right after it's becomes offical. Jim Bob and Michelle talk to the new couple that just because they are courting doesn't mean that they have to be maried really fast. Jim Bob joking suggest that they wed about four or five years down the road. He just wants his daughter and Ben to work on building their relationship on trust and God's love.
Later on the show, Jim Bob and the boys want to clean up some yard work and what better way to test Ben's character about taking care of their sister. They have him come out and help.
Meanwhile Jessa and the girls are busy getting ready for dinner. Michelle wants to help encourage Jessa on cooking since Jessa thinks that she is a bad cook. After the boys are finished, it's time for dinner. Jim Bob and Michelle asked Johannah to stand between Jessa and Ben since they just started the courthip and have decided to wait on the physical until they are married.
Jessa and Michelle are heading to Hot Springs to visit Ben's family members so they can get to know the other family. Jessa and the older girls are upstairs packing. They want to spend a lot of time together since they might be soon be leaving if God is wanting that.
Jill and the other girls know that marriage is not going to happen in age order because God works in his own time and not what we want him to work. Jinger and Jessa have always been close since they are 14 months apart. Jinger thinks that it's bittersweet since her sister is in a courtship and might be leaving.
John David filies his mom and sister down to where Ben lives. Ben drives a truck which only has the front seat and that means that Michelle has to sit in the middle to protect the new couple's relationship.
Ben and Jessa are going on a date with Ben's parents and so Michelle watches the kids while they go out so Ben's parents can get to know her daughter. Jessa and Michelle get to meet Ben's extended family when they come over for BBQ and fellowship.
Back home while Jessa and Michelle are away, Jim Bob takes care of the youngest girls. Jim Bob takes the kids to pizza and ask them what they think of Ben which has nothing but good things.
Jim Bob asked his daughter, Jennifer, about if she has plan to married some day and she doesn't have any plans.
Jim Bob thinks that both Jessa and Jill's coursthips will bring more guys forward to seek the older duggar girls and maybe even some of the boys.
* This is the first time that there has not been an opening of all of the family. *

Happy Valentine's day blog

Michelle Duggar on Celebrating Valentine's Day

FAMILY MATTERS on 02.12.14

Michelle Duggar19 Kids and CountingBIO

 

Question from a "19 Kids and Counting" fan on Facebook: How do you celebrate Valentine’s Day in your house? Is it just you and Jim Bob or does the whole family celebrate together?

We often celebrate Valentine’s Day as a family. It’s a really special time with the whole family getting around the table and spending time together. Last year, our older daughter, Jana, decided she was going to do a big Valentine’s banquet for our family. We had a beautiful spread on our table; everything was pink, red and white. We took pictures and made a special event of it. It was our way of expressing our gratefulness and our love for each other and the family, and celebrating how much family means to us. It’s so important to nurture that relationship. It was a day of love and fun and fellowship for the whole family.

Of course a lot of times for Valentine’s Day, Jim Bob and I will go on a date, but one of our favorite things to do as a family is to help throw a banquet for the single moms that we know. We want to bless the single moms; those that are widowed, divorced or abandoned, the women that are often forgotten during Valentine’s time.

My dear friend Debbie Query and her daughters teach our children music -- all the music ability that the kids have in violin is because of them. Debbie is a widow with four children; their father was tragically killed in a car accident. They have been amazing mentors and role models especially for my older girls.

Anyway, their family does an amazing widow’s banquet. They put it on, and our family participates in that. The children set the tables and serve as the waiters. They’ll put on black bowties, white shirts, black pants, and serve the meal. Sometimes we’ll have harpists or other musicians play beautiful music during the banquet. It’s very special.

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

Trivia questions #2

Thank you so much for checking out the first trivia questions of the new year

1. When was the first time that we were introduced to the duggar family?

2. When did Michelle told the world that she was pregnant with Jordyn?

3. How many months older is Mackynzie then Josie?

4. How many months older is Jordyn then Josie?

5. When did the duggars announced that Jessa was courting Ben?

Trivia answers

1.  How old was Josh when Jana and John David was born? Josh was about to turn two

2. How old was Josh when Joseph was born? Josh was about to turn seven

3. How old was Jana when Josie was born? Jana was 19 years old

4. How many years since Michelle had a baby? 4 years now

5. True or False: Was Jana born before John David? True!

The Duggars' Favorite Christmas Traditions

Question from a "19 Kids and Counting" fan on Facebook: How does your family celebrate Christmas?

I think we do it a bit different in our family. Early in our marriage, Jim Bob and I really wanted to focus on the real meaning of Christmas. And so, we didn’t focus on Santa. We kept that idea out of the whole celebration, we explained to the children who Santa Claus was historically, but focused on his good deeds and his ministering to children. We tell them about the true person of Saint Nicholas, but we don’t sensationalize him. In fact, when our first kids were young, we probably didn’t even bring that up at Christmas time. It was usually at a different time of year that we explained the whole idea of Santa Claus and Saint Nicholas.

Our goal was to bring out the real meaning of Christmas. It was Christ’s day, the holy day of mass, Christ mass and what we’re celebrating is the day that Christ was born. We explained that to them from the beginning and how it is a huge celebration. We really make it a big deal. Right after Thanksgiving, around the first of December, we begin to prepare and get excited about Christmas day and how we’re going to celebrate the coming of Christ and how he came into the world.

It’s an exciting time. We decorate. It’s a big birthday party for Jesus. We make banners and put them all around the house and put out our nativity scene. We’ve got a big beautiful nativity that has the Christ child in the manger, Joseph and Mary and some of the wise men and the shepherds. That goes out on our counter and then we surround it with pretty white lights. And so, that’s our big emphasis.

We have fun decorating and baking and doing all that, too, but I hope and pray that my children know that when they come out of our home and start their own homes that the central focus truly was the birth of Christ and how he set the example giving his life, how we in turn should be truly grateful for what Christ gave. And as we in turn give from our hearts the joy that God has given us, giving to others is really what I would hope that my children come away with as the focus of celebrating the Christmas season.  

We frequently do mission trips before Christmas. That has been probably one of the best things we’ve ever done for our children. It teaches them about giving to others. When they come back from those mission trips right before Christmas, I’ve often heard them say, “Mom, I just don’t even think I want to go Christmas shopping. I don’t want anything. I have no needs.” I’ve been so grateful to hear how it’s impacted their lives. Truly in America, we are so blessed. We are so lucky that we have a home and a warm place to sleep when the majority of the people in the world are sleeping on a dirt floor and have barely anything to keep them warm at night. We don’t take it for granted.

I think in doing all of those things we make our own traditions. We have fun memories here at home and yet our heart’s desire is to give our children an even bigger vision for the world. And it’s really not about us, but we can make special family memories. And it can be just as simple as sitting down and reading together and coming up with a creative way to share that good news with somebody else.

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

flea market finale

Jim Bob and Michelle called their kids to the living room to talk about their flea market and the goal of raising one. When Michelle announces how much money they want to raise 10,000 dollars. Jinger doesn't know if that can be done. They have five days to get it all done.

The first day, Jim Bob and Michelle headed to a local radio station to promote the market.

The second day, the family is trying to get more things by hosting a drop off location.

Three day, Michelle has the little girls paint signs while the older girls cook some cookies. while the boys organize the stuff under the tents.

Two days before- the girls head outside to make sure that everything looks neat. Michelle manages to find a pair of Josie baby shoes and she admits that she misses having a baby in the house. Jessa convinced her mom that they are going to be with another baby girl.

The night before, jinger checks out all the shirts and grabs a couple of her favorite shirts and claim them hers.

Right before the event, the family gets a big surprise when Josh comes with his wife and children complete surprising them and helps out with the market.

The family has everything from a live action, bake sale, concession and a carnival which allows the buyer to dunk a duggar. Michelle heads around to tally up how much is earn which Josie reveals at the end.

The girls raise 80 dollars on hairbows and ping pong while the boys raised 122 dollars on their knives.

At the end of the event Michelle reveals that they raised 18,471.50 clearly beating their doubles.

Michelle and Jim Bob have an announcement to make..... Jessa is courting a young man named Ben.

anniversaries with Jim Bob

Michelle Duggar on Anniversaries with Jim Bob

FAMILY MATTERS on 10.09.13

Michelle Duggar19 Kids and CountingBIO

 

Photo: DCL

Question from a "19 Kids and Counting" fan on Facebook: How do you usually celebrate your wedding anniversary with Jim Bob? Any particularly memorable ones?

It’s different every year depending on what we are able to do. Often we might get away for just an evening. Last year, our children surprised us and they planned a whole getaway overnight for us in a nearby hotel.

They sent us to supper -- they had gotten us a giftcard to pay for the meal. While we were eating our meal, a couple of our boys delivered us a flower bouquet. On the bouquet they’d attached a note that said that we had reservations at a nearby hotel for that evening. And so unbeknownst to us, when we had left the house to go out to dinner, my daughters had packed our suitcases and sent us away for the night!

The boys that came to deliver our flowers had a second set of keys for our car, so they put our luggage there and sent us off to the hotel. It was really funny: I’m sitting having an anniversary dinner with Jim Bob and the kids had planned everything. It was such a surprise and that made it so fun.

But other times, on our anniversary night we might just go out for dinner and have Grandma come over and babysit. So it just varies from year to year depending on what we can afford to do. And sometimes we’re surprised -- we don’t even have plans and so our children surprise us!

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

a big idea and flea market challenge

On tonight's episode "a big idea" and "flea market challenge

Josh and Anna have some family coming into town. Anna's family drive about 12 hours to come visit and meet their new grandson Marcus and tour Josh and Anna's new home. Anna decides that she wants to venture out to D.C. alone and success manor of doing a parallel parking in the busy city. Meanwhile Josh has grown to save money when Anna packs his lunch everyday.

Michelle and Jana take Josie to visit the place that she spend three years of her life there. She gives the nurses and Dr. Arrington hugs. Jana and Josie play in the playroom since Michelle is going to into the nicu to pray for the families. 

Jim Bob handles Josie accident really well by taking her upstairs to get change where his oldest daughters take over. Michelle is the normal potty trainer while the girls help clean up. Jim Bob decides that it's time for the family to hold a garage sale or for their instance a yard sale to get some more space.

Flea market challenge

The whole family gets ready for their yard sale where Jim Bob and michelle give two teams 50 dollars to see if they can turn it 100. Jim Bob reveals that he has to encourage his older children to get their ideas but he is getting used to dealing with opinions that conflict with his. The girls use their money on hair bows and wooden ping pong guns while the boys get a bucket of knives.

Michelle and Joy Anna go through all the baby clothes to put in the flea market. Michelle reveals that this is the first time in about 24 years that they didn't have a baby in diapers and its a new change for them. The couple have been praying about adoption and michelle is learning to accept this chapter in her life.

While Josh is at work, Anna wants to take the kids to a mommy and me playgroup. Anna is a little nervous about taking all three of her children on the sub way. While at the playgroup, mackynzie enjoys the group while Michael learns that Anna isn't leaving him. Anna loves being able to talk to other moms and she wants to go there more.

back to school!

Back to Homeschooling with the Duggars

FAMILY MATTERS on 09.03.13

Michelle Duggar19 Kids and CountingBIO

 

Photo: DCL

Question from a "19 Kids and Counting" fan on Facebook: How do you monitor how the kids are doing with homeschooling? Do they have tests that they take every year? And how do the kids feel about going “back to school” in the fall?

In the state of Arkansas, we take tests every year just like the public school kids do, so at the end of each school year, we will go and take our standardized tests. Every state is different on how their homeschool laws work, but we file our letter of intent to homeschool at the beginning of each school year. We start in August and do a little through the summer, to keep up with things like music lessons and reading. My kids are always reading. They’re usually reading either science or history books -- keeping their minds busy with good reading material, a lot of biographies and that sort of stuff.

Our schedule changes depending on the season of life that we’re in. Right now, we’ve got a lot of older children that are working, driving, and coming and going. Often, I will have a schedule on the wall and then six months later, I’ll switch it up a little bit and change the times that they’re going to be practicing their music or doing their science, history, or law, etc. I switch it up just because it makes it a little bit more interesting than always doing the same thing at the same time. Usually we do breakfast, lunch and dinner about the same time, but all those other things can move around in the schedule. And that makes it more fun for them.

Their excitement about going back to school is probably the same as everyone else’s kids. When they’re young, it’s always so exciting to get back or at least get started on schoolwork. The first time, they feel like big kids and they’re in school. They’re just thrilled.

My bigger ones that have been through it year after year see it more like going back to the grind. Once we’re in that routine, I can tell everybody really is glad to be back -- even though they might not say it! There is the comfort of being in that routine again. We’re checking off our list. We’re accomplishing this stuff. And we’re actually remembering all this great stuff we have learned!

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

Mother's day 2013

Happy Mother's day to Michelle, Anna, and Mary Duggar. We also want to wish all the mothers out there a happy mother's day as well.