I (Ellie) had the privilege of being Renee Miller's guest at her new bridal shop in Mt. Sterling, Kentucky, on the day that Joy-Anna Duggar chose her wedding gown. It was a blast to spend the day with Renee; her lovely assistant; her photographer, Carrie Wilson; the film crew; and, of course, the Duggars. We truly had a wonderful day, and I have a lot of details to share with you. Stay tuned!
I have spent time with the Duggars on multiple occasions, including some of the recent weddings, and it is always a joy. On this particular occasion, it was just Grandma Duggar, Michelle Duggar, Jana Duggar, Jessa Duggar Seewald, Jinger Duggar Vuolo, Joy-Anna Duggar (now Joy-Anna Forsyth), Johannah Duggar, Jennifer Duggar, Jordyn Duggar, and Josie Duggar.
Ben Seewald came in for a short time at the beginning, but he took Spurgeon and Henry to the park while Joy was trying on dresses. The Dillards were still in Central America, but Jill was able to dial in via video chat for a few minutes.
Before the festivities began, the folks at Spoonful of Sugar provided food and sweets for everyone. Co-founders Danielle and Donna gave me a tour. Everything is made from scratch and tastes incredible. Mt. Sterling is the idyllic small town, with a beautiful downtown area, historic buildings and welcoming, down-to-Earth residents.
After lunch, everyone met back at Renee's store (next door to Spoonful of Sugar) for the main event. The cameras rolled as Joy-Anna tried on several dresses that Renee Miller had designed with her in mind. The Duggars gathered on plush couches to watch, while the rest of us stayed behind the scenes.
Partway through the day, Jessa slipped out to retrieve Henry so she could feed him. When he was done eating, Jordyn picked him up and brought him over to where I was sitting. Henry is a big baby, and Jordyn is a little girl, but she handles him like a pro. The two of them have a special bond, and it is clear that Jordyn loves being an aunt.
Jordyn asked if I wanted to hold Henry, but before I could respond, she had gently plopped him in my lap. (I adore babies, so I wasn't about to complain!)
Jordyn and I chatted while I held Henry. I asked her what she is studying in school and was impressed to hear that she is learning division. She had only recently turned eight, which would put her in second grade if she was in public school. (I attended public school and did not start learning division until the end of third grade.)
Photo courtesy Carrie Wilson Photography
Visit TLC.com and Carrie Wilson's Facebook page to see more photos from Joy's dress day
I didn't learn division til 4th grade. It's nice you girls had a nice day out. Thanks for sharing Ellie!
ReplyDeleteI learned it in fourth grade too!
DeleteBack at the beginning of May, Jordyn would've been just finishing out 2nd grade if she were in public school (if she'd just turned 8). Now she would be in 3rd grade.
ReplyDeleteThey are home schooled, she maybe ahead and the probally do school yr round.
DeletePublic school curriculum/standards can vary from state-to-state. I was a public school teacher for many years before retirement and both multiplication and division were introduced in our second grade math curriculum.
ReplyDeleteThat is great Ellie! I am glad you got to have such a wonderful time with the duggars!
ReplyDeleteWhy did Jessa have to "slip out" to feed Henry? They're obviously using formula. We saw Ben mix a bottle. Do you mean that Spurgeon is on the formula and Jess is indeed breast feeding Henry? If not, then anyone could have fed him, Ben, Michelle, Grandma, one of the many sister-aunts...
ReplyDeleteThis is absolutely none of your business!! It is very possible that a baby can have both breast milk and formula. The measure of a mom is definitely not measured by the milk her baby receives.
DeleteSpurgeon is the one that is using formula
DeleteIs it normal for a child that age to be on formula? Are there toddler formulas now that there weren't 40 years ago?
DeleteSturgeon is almost two years old. He does not need formula. Regular milk is fine. Why is he still drinking baby formula from a bottle anyway?
DeleteJessa breast feeds Henry
DeleteWhy are you all being so judgemental? This is not your child, let her raise her children as she sees fit. Yes she is nursing Henry and using formula (possibly). I had to do that with one of my babies. Don't judge the small bits and pieces you see TV. Even if the formula is for Spurgie still not your place to judge! You all do not know her at all how can you be so rude to someone you do not know. Be kind you would never talk this way to a stranger on the street. Jess nor any of the Duggars deserve your judgment!
DeleteCan't we just let them do their business their own way?
DeleteActually there are toddler formulas called enfagrow....but I know people that breastfeed and supplement with formula too. Lots of possibilities but none of them concern me :)
DeleteSheesh, myob
DeleteThere are special formulas die toddlers. They include extra vitamines and nutritions for that age. And often it's just one bottle for day, just that extra nutritious portion meanwhile the child eats normal snacks. Not necessary to use such formula, but it can help to track that the child gets enough vitamines and doesn't have to get it in pills.
DeleteKeep in mind that they were traveling, and it's a lot easier to mix up some formula than buy milk that you can't keep cold if you're out all day. And remember that Spurgeon wasn't almost two when this was taped, he was less than one and a half.
Deleteif she breast feeds neither child needs formula. spurgeon should be eating people food by now and not be on a bottle at all. kinda sad really.
DeleteThat's awesome that you got to join in on the fun.
ReplyDeleteAs a side note, I home school and my oldest is 7, she's in second grade. She will doing division toward the middle of the year. She also did some multiplication at the end of first grade.
It's amazing the stuff they learn now. I too, went to public school and learned division in third grade.
My son went to public school, but we also tutored him at home because the school couldn't provide the level of reading or math instruction he needed. He started reading by himself at a year and a half old, and in 2nd grade, he asked if we could start teaching him Algebra. By high school, he was enrolled in classes at the local college. I don't consider this exceptional. I consider this to be something that many children can achieve. You can teach a child almost anything if you both put your minds to it. You don't know until you try, and until you expose the child to something that catches his or her interest. The sky's the limit then.
DeleteUmm, reading at 1 and a half is exceptional, most kids at that age simply do not have an attention span that long.
DeleteI disagree 11:58. I don't think children can learn so much so young. Your child was an exception, but there are many children who just can't learn all that at a young age. Children's brains are not as mature or developed like a high school student. There is such a thing as a little child not being able to absorb so much and there is such a thing as pushing their minds too much(By the way I am not saying you pushed your child). The average child cannot be as smart as a high school child.
DeleteIn the state where I live, many school districts offer post-secondary enrollment options and students can attend local colleges, earn free credits, and graduate from high school with two years of college under their belts. My son took this opportunity and it saved a ton of money.
DeleteI don't believe your child was "reading" at one and a half. I am an early childhood specialist. If this was the case he should be in textbooks. Children should be given high expectations and rigor at developmentally appropriate times. Most honors level high-school students can enroll in college level classes and it is quite common. That has nothing to do with asking to learn algebra in 2nd grade.
DeleteChildren as young as 2 can indeed read by themselves. I've seen it. I taught preschool for years. I knew 1 yr. olds who could recite the alphabet and knew letters. By 2, they were sounding out words & letters by themselves (reading). The brain of a young child (or any young mammal) is pre-wired for learning, from birth. You don't need to "push" children. The learning happens naturally. The more they are exposed to, the more they learn. And they do it quickly. They don't need a long attention span because they don't need to sit and study textbooks to learn. Never underestimate any child.
DeleteChildren are really smart, but I think there is such a thing as pushing a child's brain when they are not ready. We need to be cautious and not assume 2 year olds can be as smart as a first grader.
DeleteMy neighbor's twins just turned 2 in August, and this afternoon, I saw them with plastic alphabet letters. They knew which letter was which! They had some toy device that spoke the letters for them when they placed a letter and pushed a button. They were repeating what the toy said. They could find the letters for their names. They are only steps away from reading at this point, if they can recognize letters and are learning phonics.
DeleteI'll never forget the time a few years ago when I was babysitting a 2 year old and he wanted to play with his mother's iPad. I had no idea how to turn it on or use it. Not only did he know, but he knew where to find the games he played on it. Kid was smarter than I was! I think kids these days are much smarter than we give them credit for, and can be taught just about anything, even at early ages.
my grandson less than a year old knew how to interact with his daddys phone...... grandma loves her laptop
DeleteMy eldest was reading and spelling at just under age 2; all from using magnetic letters.By 5, she was reading the daily newspaper. School district refused to allow her to skip kindergarten which was a mistake. They used her as a carrot on a stick for the other students. Only thing she learned that year was from us encouraging her curiosity at home.
DeleteI thought this post was about Joy's dress appointment?
DeleteThanks Ellie for sharing that with us. I live just down the road from Mt Sterling in Lexington Kentucky I really love it there in that sweet town
ReplyDeleteThis was quite the expedition to find a wedding dress, especially so close to the wedding date. It probably would've been cheaper and less hassle to fly the dress designer herself to the Duggar home, with the sample gowns in tow. Or, better yet, patronize a local business. I suppose this was all done for filming purposes. Poor Joy seems very confused and uncomfortable. I wonder if she would have preferred a small wedding, with just family, less fanfare.
ReplyDeleteWhy did you need so many people to pick out a wedding dress, especially when the person picking it out doesn't like shopping and appeared very undecided in what she wanted. Why wait until 23 days before the wedding to get a gown? I guess they do things differently in the South.
DeleteI think brides can still find gorgeous, affordable statement wedding dresses off the rack. There are so many bridal outlets now-a-days. Jinger was the type of sophisticated bride that having a designer made sense. I think Joy would have had a lot more options at her local bridal salons-but it would not probably had been as television viewer worthy. She was a lovely bride, but the dress was very nondescript. I have seen many more beautiful, simply designed, modest dresses in the stores than this one designed specifically for her.
DeleteJean she wanted her sisters their when she tried on wedding dresses.
DeleteIt doesn't matter that we think she could have found a dress somewhere else or one that "we" think would be prettier. Joy picked who she wanted to get her dress from. She had no idea what she wanted, so it was a blessing to have someone help her out. They took two dresses to combine into one. You can't do that at other bridal stores without paying for two dresses. She was very pleased with her dress and that is all that matters.
DeleteI pictured Joy to have a laid back outdoorsy wedding. Wearing a beautiful but simple wedding dress with cute boots. This dress although nice, still did not 'look' like Joy's style.
DeleteI didn't really think the dress "looked" like Joy either. I think she might have been more comfortable in a simple white satin classic A-line dress with a scoop neck and short sleeves (or sleeveless). The sleeves seemed too fussy and looked even binding and the waist was unnaturally high for a petite young lady (visually cutting her proportionally 1/3 to 2/3). Joy, on the other hand, was lovely and her hair beautiful. I especially loved her brown sandals. :)
DeleteI think the dress with polkadots sleeves looked best for the theme of her wedding ,,,
Deletewith straw on the floor and all that stuff....sorta country...
Joy and Jill were both so obsessed with their height for their wedding days. Jill went barefoot (oy) and Joy commented that she would wear flats because Austin didn't want her barefoot (oy). Both said they didn't want any height from their shoes so as to maximize the height difference with the groom. Such a weird thing to be obsessed with.
Delete8:04 PM -- I think you're right.
Deleteat 743pm--- thanks hon, , ❣
DeleteI made my wedding out of white Swiss-dot material..
40 years ago ❗️.... .so there you go .💙 ☺️
How fun that you were able to go with them! Jordyn sounds like a sweetheart.
ReplyDeleteElli, I'm really glad you got to experience the bridal dress selection with the Duggar family. I did find it somewhat painful to watch. Joy was so indecisive which is somewhat normal for first time bridal dress shopping. But her lack of enthusiasm, not only for this but the whole experience, was sad. Maybe a small family wedding would have suited Joy better. Perhaps her hesitation comes from having such strong older sisters. She has tagged along for all her life. Now she needs to find herself, and her own God given gifts. I think Austin will be good for Joy. When she faulters, he doesn't decide for her but builds her up to a place of confidence. To be able to do that is a gift. I hope Joy finds her own inner strength, especially with the baby coming.
ReplyDeleteI agree 100%. Renee had a beautiful selection for her, and brides usually delight in trying on dresses, but she had no joy in the process. She actually seemed sorrowful. It was really sad to watch and made me wonder what else might be going on.
DeleteThat wasn't sorrow, it was stress. Although, I think Joy could have been more polite, since Renee took the time to make her SIX dresses.
DeleteI agree that the older Duggar sisters (Jana, Jill, Jesse and Jinger) have been very strong leaders in that family. I think the middle children (Joy included here) are struggling with being able to function on their own and make decisions for themselves. This whole wedding process has clearly shown that Joy has not figured much out for herself. She's always looking to the older sisters to know what to think/say/do. I trust she will find and be able to act on what SHE likes with Austin's support. There is a lot of responsibility in being a wife and now a mother.
DeleteI can totally relate to Joy. I'm not a very good shopper. I don't like to much frill, I'm casual and simple, but I still want to look nice and like the way I look and the way things fit. It's hard for me to find things that are my style. Especially in a wedding dress!
DeleteI think Joy is a typical middle child. She probably feels she will never measure up in beauty and talents as her popular older sisters, so it is more comfortable and safe to play indifferent.
DeletePoor girl probably just didn't like the attention to be straight on her as she was choosing. I was the same way bridal shopping!
DeleteAnon 1:13, Your wording is so right on with all of what you said,and I agree with it. Austin will be good for her, and yes I believe she will find her inner strength one day down the road! :)
DeleteAnonymous @ 1:13- Your post was beautifully expressed. I agree Austin will be good for her and I love how he encourages her.
DeleteWhen I got engaged, I did not look forward to trying on dresses at all. In fact, I ended up not trying on a single one. I made my gown with a LOT of help from a lady in our church. That may be what Joy felt like ? ?
DeleteWow Ellie. I didn't know you close enough to the Duggar's to go bridal shopping. Kudos to you for truly trying to show all points of view on this blog. Most friends would never sincerely do that.
ReplyDeleteJoy and Austin should have done a court house wedding. Joy had zero interest in this whole process. It was nothing more than a big paycheck and free European honeymoon.
ReplyDeleteAnd gifts! Don't forget the registry and all those gifts you get if you go through the big wedding ordeal.
DeleteWhy do people keep commenting on the paycheck? It's totally legitimate. They agree to be filmed, they get payed.That is the process for reality stars.
DeleteThey didn't go on a European honeymoon. In fact, they stayed around home....Arkansas.
DeleteI think Austin probably wanted a wedding and encouraged her to as well. That's why they complement each other so well. I guarantee she is glad she went through with it- in the end she found a beautiful dress and made a lot of special memories! Good job Joy!
DeleteTotally agree. Joy was totally "joyless". Sorry...couldn't help myself!
DeleteWow. How sad. It's their wedding. Not yours.
DeleteJean...they went to Switzerland. That's in Europe.
DeleteI thought it was Joy & Austin who were photographed in Switzerland, and then in Israel?
Delete@Jean?? They showed pictures of themselves in Switzerland on their honeymoon. Joy said Austin always wanted to go. Followed by Israel all within their first month of marriage. So a really long overseas honeymoon. Not Arkansas.
DeleteJean, not true. They went to Switzerland for their honeymoon.
DeleteWell DUH?....didn't Joy say they were in Switzerland for 10 days
DeleteI think that's in Europe..
Thanks for sharing, Ellie! The first-hand perspective was really fun to read!
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteDo the Duggars answer any direct mail if you send them something?
They gave an email in one of their books
DeleteYou only started division in 3rd grade? Really? Age 8 in Grade 2? Kids here are 7 in Grade 2. I would hope that she was learning division at age 8.
ReplyDeleteMy kids were not only doing division but reading in French and English. All this in a public school.
OP, is this in Louisiana?
DeleteI think some American schools don't challenge kids enough. The more you expect from some children, the more you get. I would hope that there are rigorous homeschooling curricula that allow children to work at their own speed and accelerate if possible. A young age is the perfect time to teach other languages, too.
DeleteAnon@4:06- I taught second grade for many years. Most school districts now have a standard kindergarten entrance age or birthdate cut-off, of Sept. 1. So, you would have second graders that are 7 in the fall, but will turn 8 before the end of the school year. Sometimes there are children whose parents hold them back a year before starting kindergarten, so they would be 8, going on 9, in second grade. When I was a child, back in the 1950's, the cut-off birthdate was Jan. 1.
DeleteMy public school was behind! I didn't learn division until fourth grade 😦
DeleteNot sure where you kids attend school but I am a public school teacher (4th grade) and in our state division starts in 3third grade and is taught for mastery in 4th grade. That is pretty standard as far as all curriculum publishers follow a basic scope and sequence. Maybe your district has adopted or written their own curriculum. Also, there is no foreign language in public elementary schools in our state. You must live in a very affluent or progressive area because that is certainly not the norm.
DeleteActually it entirely depends on when that child's bday falls.
DeleteIf they have late bdays from Sept-Dec like Jordyn does, then kids starting grade 2 would be 6 turning 7 (for bdays from Sept to Dec) or already 7 turning 8 (bdays from Jan to August).
My son's bday is in Sept so most of his peers will have already turned the next age during the previous school year while he starts the new school year and just turns their age.
So Jordyn would be a late Dec bday meaning her peers born in Jan are almost an entire year older but they would still be in the same grade if she were attending a public school.
Times have changed! I was born in the 80s and I learned multiplication in fourth grade and didn't learn division until fifth grade!I was ten years old in fifth grade! I have noticed with my own kids that they are teaching things a lot earlier than they used to. By the time my kids get to high school, I bet they'll be learning things I learned in college! So crazy.
DeleteI didn't learn division until 3rd as well. And you had to have all multiplications mastered. This was considered high math. There was a middle and low math class as well that focused on subtraction and addition for those students still at that level. Nowadays, the schools are more advanced and fast-paced compared to 30+ years ago. When my son was in kindergarten they wrote sentence and started adding and subtracting. When I was there, if you knew your alphabet and could count to 100 you were considered for 1st grade high math and reading. Boy how times have changed!
ReplyDeleteI hate all the comments about my kid did this and my kid did that and more, all while they were in diapers....haha. Stop bragging.
ReplyDeleteIt's not bragging, it's discussion, and examples of differences in different states. Why are you so disturbed by this?
DeleteWell, some of it does sound like bragging. But, in any event, it's sure taken on a life of its own.
DeleteMy daughter goes to public school in Southern California. She’s 7 (almost 8) in 2nd grade and doing cursive and reading short novels like Ramona and Matilda. They start division at the end of 2nd grade. My nephew is 7 and can’t read (his mom claims to homeschool but I’m not sure she really does much of it) yet so I guess different kids are different.
ReplyDeleteActually, many well-known psychologists will tell you that developmentally, boys concentrate on motor skills initially. Pushing, forcing, pressuring ("encouraging") boys to read before they're developmentally ready causes them to intensely dislike reading-potentially for a lifetime. As they master and exceed at motor skills, their brain development catches up and their reading skills generally not only catch up but rival and sometimes surpass girls'.
DeleteHere's a shocker; when I was a girl, I didn't ever even think of my future wedding dress, and when I got married (both times) I could not have cared less about the dress. Just not in my paradigm to do so. Also, some of my kids were homeschooled and some publicly educated. Where we live, you don't even have to start your child in school until age 7, so you can easily be in Kindergarten and be 7, just so all the busybodies on here know. My sons started division when they were ready. There is no age on learning division. As an adult ed teacher, I have people whose families have been here since America began, who are learning division at age 45. Don't be snobs, and don't assume anything, especially about stuff that really doesn't concern you.
ReplyDeleteAgreed! May I add one more? Never assume that because a child or adult hasn't learned something that others have, that the child or the teacher is lazy. I've observed repeatedly that it's often a case of the child or adult's learning style being different than the manner in which the material is presented or taught...and most curriculum is chosen by a small committee, not the teachers actually teaching each subject at each grade level. Most teachers try to hard accomodate a variety of learning styles, but you can only do so much being one teacher with 18-25 kid in each class and 45 minutes per class period to do it (in most cases).
DeleteI just want to say how much I appreciate you using "I could not care less" properly. :) Too many people say "I could care less". Doesn't make sense. Ha!
DeleteEllie and Lilly- following your link to Carrie Wilson's page, some of her Recent Work shots are really inappropriate with some of Renee's dresses "slit down to there". <:0 You may want to rethink that link or post a little subscript disclaimer or warning. :( I would have preferred not to see that.
ReplyDeleteAnon @ 8:59 I had a look at the photographers page and see absolutley nothing inappropriate about any of the dresses in any of the shots. You must be easily offended, the dresses were all beautiful and the shots beautifully staged, no one was showing anything to make them x rated, no warning or disclaimer required imo.
DeleteAre you kidding me. It's a dress shop, you should be able to guess that without there being a disclaimer. Good grief!
Delete*I meant a photography blog.
DeleteI too went back and looked at the photography. Actually, I could not figure out what was inappropriate. They looked perfectly fine to me. No need for Renee or the photographer or Ellie to do a disclaimer. There are a variety of styles for a wide variety of brides. Just because you prefer modest doesn't mean you should be critical or censure someone else's preference. You could have simply stately, "I prefer a modest look." and left it at that.
DeleteAnonymous #2 & #3- You obviously haven't been reading here long or you'd know what a scandal it apparently created on this board with viewers when the TLC interviewer wore a keyhole top during her interviews with the marrieds and the Duggar boys! LOL Those dress layouts be the normal in your world, but they're not for a large number of Duggar fans and viewers here. so, yes, I politely suggested that a warning note might be appreciated. No need to come undone. ;)
DeleteEllie,
ReplyDeleteCould you shed some light on what Derick and Ben do to support their families? I know Derick has a degree in accounting but wasn't sure if he was working as an accountant now that they are back in the states, in addition to their C3 ministry. Jessa has mentioned Ben's work on the show but I feel like it's so ambiguous. Just curious if you knew?
Love this family
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing about the fun day, Ellie. I was hoping you would write a blog post about it. I thought Joy looked great in all the dresses Renee picked out for her to try on, and despite her not seeming to enjoy it very much, I think she did love her custom dress. -- Meg (meginoregon)
ReplyDeleteit sounds like you had an awesome time ellie! how exciting! i thought that ben was especially sweet to go along with all the women so that jessa could still breastfeed henry and be able to help out joy, especially since jill couldnt be there. cant wait to read more about your day.
ReplyDeleteBack to the bottle comment...it does seem that Spurgeon is on formula. Who knows why? Both of my daughters were drinking whole milk at age one. Maybe he has digestive issues? I too wondered why with a date so close, and a disinterested bride, would you go to another state for a custom dress. I think they push plots for the show.
ReplyDeleteJessa has said on her personal pages that Spurgeon drinks milk, not formula
DeleteSpurgeon wasn't drink formula he was drink 2 percent milk. Theyes didn't show that.
DeleteHe use the bottle as a pacifer.
What was Ben mixing up at the sink before they left? He scooped from a formula canister into the bottle and added water. That's not milk. Maybe they're calling it "milk," but it's not bottled cow's milk.
DeleteDo you not have powdered milk where you live? Many people here use it as it is a less expensive alternative to bottled milk.
DeleteIt had Milk in it. Somepeople save the formula canister and put Milk it. To keep it cold when they go on trips. My sister did that.
Deleteare you updating the website banner anytime soon now that joy is expecting and mason is born?
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing your experience, Ellie! :) sounds like a great time. Little Jordyn seems like a very bright girl. Reading the other comments, it appears the school standards vary in different areas. I didn't start learning division until 4th grade, so I was impressed that she is learning it now!
ReplyDeleteEllie, enjoyed hearing about your behind the scenes experience. At the end of her wedding sweet Joy probably shout Hallelujah, I survived all of this wedding planning nonsense...Jane
ReplyDeleteMakes me chuckle at what people comment on after you write a post Ellie! I never would have guessed formula and math would have been the main topic! The post was very well written but formula and math were not what stood out to me... rather a fun trip for the Duggar clan, and you Ellie, to wedding dress shop!
ReplyDeleteThat's funny. I thought the topic of conversation would be bridal/ wedding shopping with family. Instead we heard various debates about when to learn division; what age to send children to school. Over the years I have discovered that kids will learn what they want to learn when they are ready to learn it. It's interesting how this blog can veer off from the Duggars to people's points of view on just about everything. Personally, in spite of a decent education, I would rather discuss the beautiful dresses Joy tried on.
DeleteI noticed how Jessa quickly stooped when she was about to say " no sleeves" about one dress she like that Joy had tried on.
ReplyDeleteI watched last night and enjoyed the episode. Miss Renee sure has an exaggerated way of speaking. Ellie, does it come across so exaggerated in person?
ReplyDeleteEllie, any word on Jana lately? She bought a building last year didn't she? Just wondering how she's doing - the courting and newly married/engaged couples seem to get all the attention. Wish Jana would get a little more screen-time on the show.
ReplyDelete