Keep Guessing!

Hello Readers!!
I am seeing some great answers to Thursday's Duggar Trivia, but no one has answered all 7 correctly yet. You have all come very close, though. Keep guessing, and hopefully I will be able to announce the winner soon. =]

More Duggar Trivia!

Duggar Trivia is back! Post your answers as a comment, and we will reveal the answers soon.

    1. Which two Duggars had their wisdom teeth pulled in the 18 Kids and Counting episode "Duggars Under the Knife"?

    2. For how long has Michelle Duggar home-schooled her children?

    3. How many bathrooms does the Duggars' rental home in Little Rock have?

    4.Why did the Duggars move to Little Rock?

    5. According the Michelle, which of her sons is very shy and quiet?

    6. Do the Duggars have TV service? Do they have a TV?

    7. Are the Duggars musically inclined?

"Duggars Dig In" Recap

There has been a lot going on in the Duggar home! One morning, Jim Bob called his four oldest daughters together and told them that he had a surprise. Their dad is famous for his surprises! When he shared the Bible verse "The life of the flesh is in the blood," Jinger's eyes widened. She turned to her sisters and whispered, "Oh no!"

Josie is receiving blood each day, so the Duggars wanted to help. If their blood types don't match up to Josie's, their blood will go to someone else in need. Jana, Jill, Jessa and Jinger love to help people, but they were all a little apprehensive. However, they all agreed that Jim Bob was even more nervous! Michelle calls him the "biggest kid of all," and this name proved to be true when he winced so badly that he blew out his vain. The nurses had to draw blood from his other arm. For his braveness, Jim Bob was presented with a cuddly teddy bear!

Other than a little bit of dizziness, the 5 Duggars made it through. They were thankful to Joy-Anna, who served as their support team.

Fact: If all the Duggars gave blood,  they could save about 60 lives!

Next, the Duggar girls went grocery shopping. They have to shop often, and in small quantities (only 2 or 3 carts!) because their Little Rock house does not have near as much food storage space as their Springdale pantry, which is almost the size of a mini-mart. Michelle is proud of her daughters for adapting and "rising to the challenge" of taking care of the house and the little ones. But we must not forget Grandma Duggar. Lots of her work is behind-the-scenes, but the family could not do it without her!

Back at Arkansas Children's Hospital, the nurses informed Michelle that Josie Duggar had reached 2 pounds! She was given a feeding tube to eat her mom's breast milk. The procedure was difficult, as they had to stick an 8-inch tube down her throat to her small intestine, but little Josie did very well.

Keep checking the blog for more Duggar updates! 

1 Hour Until "19 Kids and Counting!" Duggars Dig In

Good evening, Duggar fans! In one hour, at 9:00/8:00 Central, a new episode of "19 Kids and Counting!" premieres. Watch Duggars Dig In on TLC. The family is settled into the Cornish house, the home they are renting until Josie is released from the hospital. Taking a trip to the grocery store is no easy task for a family with 19 kids, and there is sure to be some fun along the way! Viewers will also see Josie and get an update on her progress. Don't miss tonight's episode!
I will post the highlights of the show tonight, after it premiers. 

Duggar Trivia Winner!

Thanks to everyone who responded to the recent Duggar trivia questions! The only person to answer all 5 questions correctly was Jennifer Sottolano. Great Job, Jennifer! Here are the correct answers:

    1. Which Duggar learns to drive in the 17 Kids and Counting episode "Duggars Learn to Drive"?  Jinger

    2. To what country have the Duggars traveled on missions trips over the past few years?  El Salvador

    3. Can you name all 19 of Jim Bob and Michelle's children, in birth order? Josh, Jana, John-David, Jill, Jessa Jinger, Joseph, Josiah, Joy-Anna, Jedidiah, Jeremiah, Jason, James, Justin, Jackson, Johannah, Jennifer, Jordyn-Grace and Josie. 

    4. What is the first and middle name of Josh and Anna's daughter?  
        Mackynzie Renee
 
    5. How old were Jim Bob and Michelle when they got married?  
        Jim Bob was 19; Michelle was 17, almost 18.

Duggar Trivia!

Test you knowledge of the Duggar family with a few trivia questions. Post you responses in the form of a comment, and we will announce the correct answers soon.

    1. Which Duggar learns to drive in the 17 Kids and Counting episode "Duggars Learn to Drive"?

    2. To what country have the Duggars traveled on missions trips over the past few years?

    3. Can you name all 19 of Jim Bob and Michelle's children, in birth order?

    4. What is the first and middle name of Josh and Anna's daughter?

    5. How old were Jim Bob and Michelle when they got married?

Josie Duggar Update: Growing Stronger Each Day

And now for an update on Josie Duggar:
Josie's nurses and doctors predict that she will be able to go home in about a month, near her March 18th due date. Mother Michelle is thrilled to be able to hold her baby now, and father Jim Bob continues to be devoted to his beautiful new daughter. A few weeks ago when Josie began sucking on her fingers, her parents were overjoyed. "That's the first time I've seen her do that," remarked Jim Bob.
Back at the Cornish house, the Duggars' "home away from home," Grandma Duggar and the older girls have their hands full keeping up with household chores and taking care of the little ones. Aside from Josie's good health, the family has recently celebrated yet another benchmark: 18th child Jordyn, just over a year old, is learning to walk! The Duggar kids love to watch her toddle around and help her up when she falls. Jordyn has a lot of energy, just like all her brothers and sisters.
What do you think?

"Duggars Movin' Out" Recap

This evening on 19 Kids and Counting, "Duggars Movin' Out," we saw the Duggars move into their temporary home in Little Rock. Moving day was a challenge, but the family decided to keep it simple and take only bare necessities. The hope is that Josie will be strong enough to go home in mid-March so they can return to Springdale with their healthy new addition.

The house they are renting is over one-hundred years old, and the kids have enjoyed exploring every nook and cranny; they especially like running free in the the attic ballroom. The couple who built it were avid supporters of birth control, and Jim Bob Duggar jokes that the original owners would be turning over in their graves if they knew that a family of nineteen children was leasing their home.

The show ended with Josie at 30 weeks gestation. She has good days and bad days, and Michelle describes the journey as an emotional roller coaster. The Duggars love spending time with their precious daughter and are very thankful for the prayers of people around the world. Amidst their trials, this experience has brought the family closer together. Tune in next week to see Josie's progress and check back in with the Duggars.

What experiences have you had with moving? How do you keep everything organized? 

Duggars Movin' Out!

Don't miss "19 Kids and Counting" tonight! Tune into TLC at 9/8 Central for Duggars Movin' Out. The Duggar family has leased a house in Little Rock while Josie stays in the NICU at Arkansas Children's Hospital. Grandma Duggar is in charge, and she and the older kids will have their hands full getting the new house ready and keeping the little ones in line.
If you missed "19 Kids and Counting" Duggars Fly South last Tuesday, there will be a rerun tonight at 9:30/8:30 Central. Watch as Josh and Anna take their daughter Mackynzie down to Florida to spend Christmas with Anna's family. Josh has the time of his life with a friend of the Keller's who also happens to own an airport!

Duggar Family Fact: How Can the Duggars Afford their Vehicles?

Do you wonder how the Duggars have several vehicles, including a huge bus with over a dozen beds, and are still debt-free? After all, a new car can cost $20,000, or even $40,000, and their big bus would cost hundreds of thousands of dollars new. So how on Earth can they afford all that? The answer is that the Duggars always buy used cars; they have never purchased a new vehicle.     
Do you buy used vehicles? Why or why not? If so, where do you purchase them from? Carmax? A local dealer?

Michelle's Advice to Mothers: How to Keep your Sanity

Mother of 19 children, Michelle Duggar is often called an expert on raising kids. As Josh's wife Anna says, "She's a walking baby encyclopedia!" So what is Michelle's secret? How does she keep her sanity? The Duggars are very thankful to now have their older girls to help out, but what did they do back in the day when they had five children under the age of five? Michelle says that she has always taught her children how to sit quietly and play with a toy or listen to a story. This gives the mother a chance to relax and teaches the child patience and self-control.
What do you do to relax while parenting little ones?

Duggars Serve at Miriam's Kitchen

Anna volunteers at Miriam's Kitchen in Washington DC

May 2009

Jill and Susannah Keller (Anna's sister) slice watermelon

May 2009

 More watermelon!

Michelle chops some greens

May 2009

Jim Bob grills up something tasty

May 2009

Jinger pitches in

May 2009

Jim Bob and Jessa serve food

May 2009

Michelle and Jessa whip up a tasty meal

May 2009

Jessa grabs some tomatoes for a dish at Miriam's kitchen in Washington DC

May 2009

How do the Duggars Save Money?

If their is one thing that having 19 kids has taught Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, it is how to save money. Over the years, they have learned many out-of-the box ways to stretch the dollar. The Duggars built their 7,000 square-foot dream home completely debt-free by paying as they went along. They saved money by using a Kodiak Steel Home Kit and continue to reap the rewards of purchasing a wood stove for heat. The family also makes homemade laundry soap, saving almost $60 per month. Believe it or not, the older girls have learned how to do their own perms, which would otherwise cost over $150 each! There's a lot to learn from a big family like the Duggars, and their money-saving techniques are one of the most helpful.

The Duggars have been debt-free since they went through Jim Sammons' "Financial Freedom" seminar years ago. Click here to read more about the tried-and-true curriculum.

What do you do to save money? 

"Duggars Fly South" Recap

Tonight on 19 Kids and Counting, "Duggars Fly South"...

What can be better than sunny Florida during the middle of winter? How about taking a ride in a teeny tiny airplane in sunny Florida. When Josh and Anna took Mackynzie to visit Anna's family for Christmas, Josh took a big risk by going for a ride with one of the Kellers' friends, who also happens to be a pilot. To convince his wife, Josh told her that the pilot had flown thousands of times and had not lost any passengers. Let's just say that that didn't go over well, but Anna finally did let him go.

After the sun began to set and the two weren't back yet, Anna and the family became a little worried. Their hearts stopped when the plane looked like it was crashing and took off again before landing. When Josh was back on the ground, Anna's concerns were put at ease, and the family was able to spend a happy first Christmas with Mackynzie. A highlight for Josh and Anna was going back to Gator Landing, the restaurant where Josh proposed.

Take a Trip with Josh and Anna

"19 Kids and Counting!" is tonight at 9/8 Central on TLC:

Watch as Josh and Anna Duggar take their daughter Mackynzie on her first trip down to Anna's hometown in Florida. If you've never met Anna's parents and family, now is the time! Josh and Anna will also point out special sites from their trip a year and a half ago when they got engaged.

Stop by the blog tonight to read highlights from the show and to post comments telling others what you think!

The Duggars Respond to Their Sons' Life-Saving Act of Kindness

What do parents Jim Bob and Michelle think about Josh and John's Life-Saving Act of Kindness?

Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar teach their children to have a servant's heart and to put the needs of others above their own, so they were thrilled to hear that their oldest sons, Josh and John, helped to save Maddye Plascensia's life last week. Click here to read the full story from February 5th's post.
"I am so proud of my two oldest sons who responded so quickly in helping to save this little girl," commended Jim Bob Duggar. "You pour your life into your children, and it was so encouraging that they had such a quick response and were ready to help. They made a difference."
Maddye is recovering at Arkansas Children's Hospital in Little Rock, which is where Josie, the Duggar's 19th, is growing stronger in the NICU. Maddye had surgery and is doing better but still has a long road to recovery. The Duggar family met the family of Maddye Plascensia at the hospital. They are extremely grateful to Josh and John for helping to save their daughter's life.

Why were Josh and John so willing to help save Maddye Plascensia's life?

Josh and John do not believe that it was luck that put them in the right place at the right time. "I don't believe in coincidences," says Josh. "I think we were in the right place at the right time because God has a plan for Maddye's life. I'm glad we were there."
"I don't believe in coincidences. I believe in divine intervention," John also stated. "I believe God had us here at that time to help Maddye."

What do YOU think about Josh and John's life-saving act of kindness?

A Real Estate Miracle Part Three

So the Duggars sold their commercial property for $250,000, almost 4 times the amount they purchased it for. Searching for a way to reinvest the money, Jim Bob saw a 20-acre plot of land with 37,000 square feet of building space. The property was advertised for $650,000 but had been valued at $1 million! The Realtor laughed when the Duggars offered him $250,000. Still, Jim Bob and Michelle officially made the offer, and the Realtor brought the price down to $450,000. Refusing to go into debt, the couple declined. When the seller came back and told the Duggars that he would take $300,000 for the property, Jim Bob and Michelle stood their ground and kept their offer of $250,000. Out of the Blue, the Duggars received $75,000 from a renter on their other property who decided to buy the land. Now they were able to purchase the 20-acre lot. A few years later, they built their 7,000 square foot home on the west end of the land and were still able to rent out the rest. Now that's a miracle!

Rephrased and Reformatted from the Source: "The Duggars: 20 and Counting!" (Howard Books).

Exclusive: Hear the Duggar's 911 Call

Last week, Josh and John Duggar saved the life of six-year-old Maddye Plascensia. Click here to hear their call with the 911 dispatcher.

Josh and John Duggar Save a Life!

On a recent afternoon, Josh, the oldest child of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, witnessed a fender-bender outside his used car lot in Springdale, Arkansas. Always willing to lend a helping hand, Josh rushed out to see what he could to. Although the accident didn't appear to be very serious, it would have been fatal for six year old Maddye Plascensia if Josh and his brother John had not been there to help save her life.

Josh told 40/29 News "I went out to see what I could do, and that's when I saw the little girl." Something was blocking Maddye's airway, as she had been eating chicken nuggets when the accident occurred. John Duggar did CPR on the little girl, who was unconscious and not breathing, while Josh called 911. Josh and John are grateful to have been able to help, but they refuse to take credit, telling the public that they were just a small piece of the puzzle. Josh commends the Springdale paramedics for taking over quickly and reviving Maddye.
Maddy Plascensia, who was airlifted to the Arkansas Children's Hospital, is stable but still in critical condition. And listen to this, she is recovering at the same hospital where Josie Duggar remains in the NICU!
Maddye's uncle thanks Josh from the "bottom of his heart," saying that without him, his niece would not be alive.

A Real Estate Miracle Gets Even Better!

To continue the story from yesterday about the Duggars' commercial property miracle...

Jim Bob and Michelle began clearing the property and discovered how much potential it really had. There was even a parking lot buried under the branches and brush. Just thirty days after purchasing the property, a real estate agent brought Jim Bob and Michelle a client who was willing to rent the property for $1,200 a month. The contract stated that the renter could buy the property in 24 months for $250,000. Two years later, he decided to purchase the land for a quarter of a million dollars! This 3-acre lot that the Duggars had bought for just $65,000 had already provided a nice sum of money from the rent checks, and now they were going to receive even more! Come back tomorrow to read about how they invested that money into a property worth $1 million without borrowing any money!

A Real Estate Miracle!

To provide for their brood, Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar have owned several, unique businesses over the years. As newlyweds, Jim Bob worked full time at a grocery store, and Michelle played a few different roles, including substitute teacher and Girl Scout leader. Desiring to spend more time together, the couple started a car lot business, which is what their oldest son Josh and his wife Anna do now. Jim Bob then started a towing business, which he sold several years later.
At that time, the Duggars got involved in real estate. After buying their first plot of land, Jim Bob saw another for sale and could immediately tell that it was a bargain. The couple had committed to stay out of debt, so taking out a loan to pay the $110,000 was not an option, but it had such potential! Over a period of a few weeks, the price dropped by $45,000! The original price was extremely low for a plot of land in that area, and now it was almost half that! But they still did not have quite enough, so the seller agreed to wait until Jim Bob could sell enough cars to purchase the lot. Less than a year later, the Duggars were handed the deed.

Click here to read part two of A Real Estate Miracle, and click here to read part three. 

Duggar Family Website Back Up

The Duggar Family Website has been down for a few days and is now back up and running. It doesn't look like there are any new updates on their site, but feel free to check it out!

Christmas: Duggar Style!

19 Kids and Counting, "Josie Duggar's First Christmas," aired on TLC last evening....

Many fans have wondered how the Duggar family coordinates decorating and gift buying for the holidays. Up until a few years ago, they all bought gifts for each other, but with a family the size of a small baseball team, you can imagine how expensive that must be! Now they draw names, so each person only has to purchase a couple of presents.

This year the Duggar kids made a special gift for their parents. After working for a few months to take professional pictures of each child, they had them bound in a family book. Jim Bob and Michelle were thrilled and completely unaware of what had been going on behind their backs!

Although the Duggars love exchanging gifts, the family has other holiday traditions that they didn't neglect this year, despite Josie's situation. Before leaving Tontitown, the kids all pitched in and baked goodies for local firemen and police stations to show their appreciation. They even put on their annual Christmas party hours before departing for Little Rock! The family spent Christmas at a friend's home near the Arkansas Children's Hospital to be near Josie. On Christmas morning, they all gathered in the living room to tear open their gifts.

A Very Duggar Recipe: Homemade Baby Wipes

Raising children is expensive. One of the ways that the Duggars cut costs is by making homemade baby wipes. Don't worry, this is not a make-work project; it is quick and simple and is a sure money-saver!

Homemade Baby Wipes
A recipe that the Duggars learned from Gil and Kelly Bates, parents of 18--soon to be 19--children (as of December 2011).

• Using an electric knife, if available, cut an entire roll of paper towels lengthwise into two separate rolls. Each will be about the size of a toilet paper roll. The Duggars have tried other brands but have found Bounty to work best. 
• Combine 2 cups of water, 1 tablespoon of rubbing alcohol, and 2 tablespoons of baby oil in a mixing bowl. For extra softness and a sweet scent, add a tablespoon of infant bubble bath. 
• Place one half-roll of paper towel vertically in a clean, 1-gallon container, such as an ice cream bucket. 
• Drizzle the liquid mixture over the paper towel roll. 
• Cut an X-shaped slit into the lid of the container, and place it securely on top of the bucket. 
• After 30 minutes, open the lid and remove the cardboard tube  
• To prevent the wipes from drying out, keep the lid on at all times. 
• Feed the first wipe, from the inside of the roll, through the X-shaped slit for easy access.  

Recipe Rephrased and Reformatted. Original Recipe Source: "The Duggars: 20 and Counting!" by Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar (Howard Books).

For more Duggar recipes, click here.