Sunday, August 26, 2018

Study Break/Date Night

Have you heard Derick Dillard's exciting news? He is now a law school student, and tomorrow marks the start of his third week. For those who have pursued a postgraduate education, you know how time consuming it is. This weekend, he and Jill enjoyed a much needed date night at a sushi restaurant, while Derick's mom watched Israel and Samuel.

Jill and Derick Dillard

Photo courtesy dillardfamily.com

127 comments:

  1. Glad that Jill and Derick can enjoy a night out. Just wish that TLC wouldn't be so "strict" and allow people to have different views and not boot them off the show because of this. Maybe tell Derick to tone it down and not be so vocal, but fire them????? Doesn't sound real to me.

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    1. Derick did more that state his views, he pointed his finger at a specific person and basically said shame on you.

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    2. You are assuming that Derick got fired. If you read what Derick himself wrote, it was his decision to leave the show, with his family. Sounds like it was a mutual parting of the ways.

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    3. Derick stated publicly that it was his decision to leave the show.

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    4. Jean: TLC did not kick Derick off the show, he decided to leave as his family were going in a different direction. This is Dericks own account of things although there are always two sides to every story. Also Derick is free to voice his opinion but in choosing to do so he also had to face the consequences especially as he directed his opinion at his employer and a co star fron another show, TLC were within their rights to sever ties if they saw fit.

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    5. Derek has morals

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    6. Yes, we have freedom of speech, meaning we publicly may say what we want, not that there will be no consequence to what we say. There was no reason for Derick to call Jaz by name, what he did was a very poor representation of how Christians should act, and he is now paying the price. TLC probably told him to apologize or drop out of the show.

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    7. Plenty of people have good morals and know better than to do what Derick did.

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    8. I think if we try to imagine Jesus using a visible platform to insult or demean someone, much less a child, it becomes pretty clear that Derick's actions were not Christ-like nor intended to be. He would do good to learn some humility and decency.

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    9. Paul teaches humility because of this predicament he finds himself in - so people must spread Gods work regardless of societal acceptance

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  2. So Derrick goes to school wearing a suit and tie, then goes on a "date night" with Jill wearing a T-shirt. Jill seems to have a nice outfit on though.

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    1. No matter what anyone wears, or why, someone will criticize it - too dressy, not dressy enough -too modest, not modest enough - looks too expensive, looks too thrifty - looks too fashionable, not fashionable enough - etc.

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  3. I was surprised to hear Derek was going to law school, but it seems like a good idea. I'm glad it's going to keep him and Jill in the US. I really like Derek and Jill and I think Derek got a bad rap out of TLC. Don't blame him and Jill for cutting ties. Wish we could see more of these two, though.

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    1. Debbie, how did Derick get a bad rap out of TLC? They paid for Jill to meet Derick in person in Nepal and then followed their courtship, wedding, mission work, and their life as a young family. The network built a show around Jill's life. They weren't shown in a negative light on 19KC or Counting On.
      The Dillards decided to leave the show. TLC then only commented on the Derick situation once the controversy over Derick's own words reached a point where they could no longer keep silent. The statement only said his statements didn't reflect the opinions of the network and they hadn't filmed Derick in months and weren't planning to in the future. What should the network have done after Derick repeatedly attacked TLC and its programming?

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    2. Anon 5:42. Exactly. TLC handled Derrick well and since HE wanted to leave the show, I don't know why people persist in blaming TLC for his actions.

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    3. I agree 5:42. Tlc was very generous as far as time and money spent on Derick and Jill. If I went to work, and said disparaging things about a co-worker, albeit in a different office, I would expect to be let go.

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  4. Okay, I know sushi doesn't HAVE to be expensive, but...this picture reminds me of what my school counselor told me when I was in school. "Live like a student NOW, or live like a student for the rest of your life!"

    I'm sure there will be people defending the Dillards and stating "It's none of your business how they are supporting themselves", but when I see pictures like this I really do start to wonder.

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    1. Going out to dinner once in a while isn't going to lead to a lifetime of poverty after college or grad school.

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    2. Sushi isn’t expensive.

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    3. You shouldn't be wondering anything - you don't know if they are using a gift certificate received as a birthday, anniversary or whatever present - you don't know if they have a budget of $20 for a once a month date night - you don't know!

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    4. What?? Sushi is very expensive!!

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    5. His parents might have gifted the money so they can do something as a couple BECAUSE it’s expensive to raise a family and study.......

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    6. Good grief! Either people are complaining because they eat too much cheap Chick-fil-A and get a "free shake" for Jill's birthday or whatever is was.. Now they're complaining over them eating an EXPENSIVE meal! Wow! We're free to eat what we want, aren't we?

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    7. Uh, no it's really not. I spend roughly $30 on sushi, that isn't that much. If you think it is then maybe you should consider getting a real job...

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    8. I would never spend $30 on sushi or consider that "not much," and that's with a really good "real" job. Give me $30 and I could buy meat for a whole week of tasty meals.

      If you invested the $30 sushi money each week into an account with a 5% return, you'd have $50,000 in that account after 20 years. Put it in an aggressive growth fund with a 10% return, and you have $85,000. This is how things that "aren't that much" add up over time.

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    9. The cost of sushi really depends on how good the sushi is. High end sushi restaurants can charge more than a hundred dollars a person. Not saying the Dillards went to such a place, of course. BTW bad sushi can also be expensive if you wind up in the ER from food poisoning.

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    10. Nobody's business what they eat

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    11. @12:15. Yes bad sushi is bad hah. Made that mistake when I started college and consumed food at the $5 plate sushi 🍣 missed 2 days of work as a result

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    12. Sushi is expensive. Not sure how one could afford it as a non working student. I worked and went to school and could barely afford mac n cheese or cheap Chinese lol

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    13. to anon 11:24, you do make me laugh. I can one up you! Give me $30 and I can buy a month's worth of beans and rice. We used to use water for cereal with a few drops of milk and bar soap doubled as shampoo. As we got better paying jobs, we decided to 'splurge' on having a few more items.

      If you put money into an 'aggressive' strategy, you have a high chance of losing it all. To keep the math simple, $30/wk x 50 wks/ yr = $1500 x 20 yrs = $30 000 so you could even stuff that in a sock drawer to save. For most banks, you need to have a decent amount to start with to open an account that would give 5% return without paying a lot of fees. So your explanation does not really work out well for most people.

      There is a middle ground between over-spending versus never having enjoyment. As someone who grew up in poverty and worked hard to make a great life for myself, I say to you -- chill out and have a wonderful day! :)

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  5. Does Derick's mom live close to them?

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  6. TLC needs to let them back on the show, I miss them.

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    1. If Derrick is going to law school, he really doesn't have time to be an actor on a TV show. He says he quit so I don't think they'll be back.

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    2. They chose to leave, and all actions have consequences

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  7. All the best wishes for Derick in school and for Jill and boys while he is super busy. Date nights are important - always keep time for get always. Also nice to hear that Miss Cathy had the boys, I know how much she loves them and it was apparent Israel loves her.

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  8. Although they have nothing to say about it, I wonder what Jim Bob and Michelle think about this? I recall they said when they were first married they used to watch television and that one day they realized that television was keeping them from spending time with each other and communicating with each other so they decided to do away with it. That could be said for anything really.....reading, cell phones, studying, working tons of overtime, etc. according to them anything that takes you away from your spouse so much. just curious.

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    1. Cell phone addiction may rank as one of those things, like TV, that takes you away from spending quality time with your spouse. Working overtime, reading and studying should be considered as a necessity to improve your quality of life. It all depends on the goals the couple has set for themselves.

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    2. That's why they're called cell phones. You become a prisoner to them.

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  9. Congratulations!! That's awesome!! You both look great too!

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  10. 'Counting On' isn't the same without the Dillard-Duggar family! ❤

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    1. I think this season of Counting On has been the best yet. I miss the Jill and Derick we saw on 19 kids. Something changed with them and Jill seemed unhappy on Counting On. I don't know if it was the fall out from the Josh scandals or stress from mission work, but her whole demeanor changed.

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    2. Jill's demeanor has changed a lot since she married Derick. That unhappiness you saw on CO sure seemed real.

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    3. Jill now has two children, perhaps what we are seeing is the stress of parenthood. Change can also have a huge impact, first they are missionaries, then Derick is doing ministry school, now law school. They moved from the large house to a much smaller Duggar rental. They left Counting On which was a regular source of income. I’d say she has experienced a huge load of stress in the last year and a half. I know I’d lose myself in all that change.

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  11. I'm glad for him and Jill. Unfortunately he and Jill have been getting a ton of bad press since his bold statements about Jazz. I am a Christian and fully understand where Derick is coming from. However, his tactic was way off in terms of how he approached his legitimate concerns for "her". It would have been humbling and a great witness had he publicly apologized for his statements. He looks really good here. Does anyone know when he will be able to get rid of the braces? Best wishes Derick and Jill!

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    1. I agree with you that his approach is what most people including TLC took issue with. I am a Christian and don’t agree with his point of view, I do agree with his right to express it...using compassion for others. An apology to those who’s names he mentioned would go a long way with me in redeeming his image. Different beliefs and opinions can exist together in this world as long as we respect and love each other. I wish Derick the best in his new venture, he’s a lucky guy to have such a lovely family.

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    2. He should not have to apologize!

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    3. Original poster you were right about the braces! I feel bad for Derrick...that surgery he had a while back really messed up his allignment. His two front teeth are not close to being lined up with his nose. I hope he is going somewhere else to have it fixed!

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    4. I don’t think it is anyone’s business what’s going on with his teeth.

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  12. It's such a great blessing that they have someone to look after their children while they are on a date. I have a baby 2 years old and we have nobody to look after him if we want to go for a dinner so we haven't been on a date with my husband for 2 years now.

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    1. I haven't been on a date with my husband in almost eight years.

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    2. My husband is away for work and hardly home, although he loves us greatly, and no family for more than 1000 km! No date night ever for us ha ha. Most people (including all my cousins) don't realize how lucky they are to have family to help. I wish you well.

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    3. I quit dating when I got married!

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    4. Are there no babysitters in any of your areas? I’m not saying that meanly, just wondering more about the situation.

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    5. At 4:56, I'm at 12:58, my husband is in the military. It's hard when you don't live close to your family, and you move every two to three years. You don't know who you can trust to watch your child. By the time, you feel like you know someone well enough and you can trust them then it's time to move again.

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    6. You don't have any friends or neighbors that would babysit for you? That's rather sad. I've always been able to find someone to babysit when I wanted to go out.

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    7. We had a lot of trouble finding trustworthy people to care for our young children.

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    8. To those who asked about babysitters -- it is really hard to trust a complete stranger with your baby. OK for 5 or 6 yrs and up. We moved for a job very far from family. My husband works long hours. I work part-time and bring my baby with me. If I was in my hometown, I would know lots of teenagers or my relatives who I would pay for help here and there. Nope, some of us don't make friends easily. In my neighbourhood, there are retired couples who go south for the winter, a few young couples who seem to be always out drinking, a couple with a new baby and the grandma is there often to help, and one family with elementary school-aged children. I have tried to say hi, even though I am shy, and have been unable to really become friends with anyone yet who would look after the baby. Also, my husband works evenings and nights and sleeps during the day so I would love to have to go out for lunch with him but absolutely no one available to help then. So, go ahead and criticize me, but I am doing my best. I am basically alone all the time with a baby. It is incredibly lonely and overwhelming some days but getting easier with each month.

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    9. 10:01, I’m so sorry you are going through such a hard time right now! I was a young mother in a similar situation many years ago. If you belong to a church there might be teenage girls wanting to make some money who would be willing to babysit. You could ask the youth pastor who is a good choice. Other young moms at church might be willing to form a babysitting co-op. That’s what women from my church did and while you had to take turns watching other people’s kids, it didn’t cost anything for anyone in the co-op.
      Stay strong, I know it will get easier with time.

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  13. anyone i know going to grad school with a family one person is holding a full time job. Who is working in this family? how do they pay rent. if you are going to say everything is family is doing tell us how they are supporting themselves? otherwise people will start talking.

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    1. This family seems to do quite well without ANYONE in it working at paying job. I'm not sure how they do it, but they also can afford to go out on "date nights" too.

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    2. Living off the money they made while on the show, I would imagine, and maybe they invested some of that money somewhere and are living off the residuals. Also, Derick used to do accounting for Walmart. Probably put some of his paychecks into savings.

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    3. Debbie perhaps they didn’t make as much as you think. He worked for Walmart, a company known for not paying top notch wages. If he had all this money in savings why would he need to put a fund me site to finance missionary work?

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  14. Why was Izzy in the show If Derrick says he pulled his family from filming??????????

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  15. Congratulations! And every parent deserves a break whether or not they are in school. I know you will do well Derick. God bless your family.

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  16. So happy for you guys. It's so important to have time alone as a couple. You are so blessed to have family to help! I also have a big family and i really appreciated it when my kids were young.

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  17. Just finished my Masters Derick, it’s hard, but you can do it!

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  18. Must be nice to be able to go out to dinner so often without kids while being in school full time.....

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    1. Yes it is nice

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    2. Yep, it's nice, and it's so nice of you to be happy for them.

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  19. Thank you so much for providing this updated news for Derick, Jill and their children. I miss seeing them on Counting On! I'm so glad they were able to have a date night night. I pray for God's blessings upon this previous family and wish Derick much success in law school!

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  20. I am glad that you keep us up on Jill and Derick.

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  21. This isn't related to the current post, but is Gma Duggar missing from the pictures on the banner at the top of the page? I hope that she is ok!

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  22. Hey Lily and Ellie,
    The Bates website doesn't work for me for a couple of weeks now. It's not my laptop because I tried it on different laptops as well. Is it the country I am in? (the Netherlands) Or is it something else?

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    1. Hi there,

      Thanks for the heads up. We have other readers from the Netherlands, so that isn't the problem. Can you try pasting the link into your web browser? batesfamilyblog.com

      Let us know if that works,
      Lily and Ellie

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  23. As much as I have liked Jill in the past, I think many people will not like her as much if she continues to just show pictures of her not working and going out doing fun things with her husband while he is in a program that is expensive and requires massive studying time. Although they could answer that it is none of our business, it would be nice to hear how they are managing expenses. Perhaps they are living with family. Perhaps Jill is working. If they want to remain in the public eye, they should share some positive things about themselves.

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    1. Jill is a stay at home mom so while she isn’t making a pay check, she is indeed working

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    2. Being in the public eye does not mean they have to tell us anything at all. That is their choice. Get your own life and stop criticizing others please

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    3. Please stop criticizing this kind christian family. Alot of these unkind negative people could benefit from some christian therapy for sure. Prayers going out to all the nitpickers!

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    4. Why all the hateful comments? Don't even look at their pics/blogs if you are do jealous of them. Prayers to all

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    5. We love your family Jill and Derick!!

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    6. Congratulations! You will succeed Derick. I have faith in you. You are such a good husband and father.

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    7. Spending time with your spouse IS a positive thing.

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    8. People who are in the public eye but don't tell the public anything don't stay there very long. You can't be both public and private. They cancel each other out.

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    9. And yet the Duggars have been managing it for years, 11:10.

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    10. They do not owe "us" anything. It's not as if "we"are paying them for info. Geez people!!

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    11. I think many people are questioning how Derrick and Jill are affording Law School because it's just common sense that two adults and two small children like to eat, have a roof over their heads, and clothing on their backs...all of which require money that has to come from somewhere. Anyone over 18 who's ever been out on their own and gone to college knows how hard it is for one person to make it with a full-time job (time-wise and paying out for living expenses, groceries, clothing, college tuition and books). As neither Derrick nor Jill work a full-time job, it's only natural that people would ask how they're able to afford it. It's nor jealousy or "being nosy"- if you're succeeding at something that a lot of lower-middle class Americans are struggling with and you could help them with advice, why wouldn't you want to share with others how you're managing it? My oldest nephew just did a few years' worth of working 50-60 hours a week for FedEx, rarely ate out /bought anything, living mostly on Ramen noodles so that he could afford to go to college debt-free for one year. He'll be working part-time while he's in school. I'm sure he'd love to know Derrick & Jill's financial advice for affording college with no jobs. My husband would to, as his job's adversely affecting his health. We've been debt free for 14 years, but we'll both need to work full-time to pay for his college and support our one child. We're not jealous; we just want to know how we can succeed in this too like Derrick & Jill.

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  24. When you're not married, you go out on dates. When you're married, you go out for dinner. I don't know why they have to make this night out sound like something it's not. They (and their family and friends) are the only married people I know who talk about "dating" each other. For people who treat marriage so seriously, why make it sound like it's only dating?

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    1. Actually, "dating" your spouse is practiced by many, many people. It's not "dating" in the sense that they're acting like they're not married, which is what your comment seems to say. They're going out for a special time together, similar to the outings they enjoyed before they were married. Many of us know what they mean by the word "dating".

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    2. Anon @4:53 I agree, its ironic that this family are so careful to say they don't 'date' prior to marriage they 'court', but once they are married everytime they go out they are on a 'date'!

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    3. When they say date night that means that no matter how brief or how long a couple has been married, to keep marriage fresh and new and fun, you can "date" your spouse. You can look at him or her with that same sparkle in your eyes from back when you first started dating. You can hold hands and be close, all the things you both did when you first fell in love. You go on dates alone no kids, just you two lovebirds.💏

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    4. Actually, date night is a popular term used by married and unmarried couple alike.

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    5. I think it's a silly term for married couples to use. You never heard it used before a few years ago. It sounds so contrived, like "babymoon."

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    6. Not true, 11:09. 25 years ago I babysat for couples going on their married "dates".

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    7. Contrived? A date is still a date when you are married. Why the negativity? What are they supposed to call it? I think the people making the negative comments wish that they had married date nights but don't for whatever reason.

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    8. Going out when married is still considered dating

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    9. Yes you can date your spouse

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    10. These people must have been absent on the days their teachers and or parents taught them the phrase " if you can't say something nice then don't say anything at all".

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    11. I love married dating

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    12. I date my spouse once a month at least

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    13. Good for you jill and derick, having date night!!

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    14. I’ve been married over 30 years. We’ve been saying date night for over 20 years. Perhaps the term is more common in some places than others.

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    15. I hear some sour grapes? Some sound jealous cause maybe their other half doesn’t do “date” night. Date night and babymoon are about the same thing, time alone with your spouse without the kids. It’s not silly or contrived, just a nice way to stay connected.

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  25. So happy for you two! People are just jealous of your blessings. I only wish to have a strong and loving marriage like yours someday

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  26. So good to spend time alone together. Do it as often as you can

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  27. My spouse and i have 7 young children and we make it a priority to have one date night a week if possible even if just for an hour. Every couple needs this time

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  28. Miss you guys so much. Glad that you are doing well and your boys are gotgeous!

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  29. Your boys are gorgeous

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  30. So happy for derick and jill. I wish you many blessings and may God continue to bless your family

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  31. You are such a sweet couple. I admire you both.

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  32. All of the duggar girls are so pretty. I admire them for how they carry themselves.

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  33. There are comments here about finances of the Dillards and who works I think God allowed the Duggars and the Bates to be on TV to show people what a Christian family lives like. This shows if you teach the Bible and live by it you can be blessed by God. As for how they pay for things, the daughters wrote their book and made money from it and from the show. They are extremely fortunate to have had the opportunities that have come their way. Many true Americans haven't had opportunities such as this, still even though we have much less, God wants us to be happy for them and to thank him for what we do have even though it is much less and we don't go on vacations or go out to eat.

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    1. I am a Christian and I don't live like the Duggars, and neither do the majority of Christian families I've seen in my 37 years as a Christian. I was taught that is is Grace that accounts for our blessings in life, not God rewarding our behavior according to rules people thought up to make us appear righteous (and I am very thankful for that).

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  34. The Duggars haven’t used their show as a platform to see how a large Christian lives their life ever since the first special 14 kids and pregnant again. The show was more interesting when it was just a yearly special. Now it’s just about courtships weddings and babies. Same story line. Yawn.

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  35. I am curious if the whole family moved to Little Rock or is Derick commuting? It seems a little far for a commute, right? Just curious.

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    1. The law school is in Fayetteville at the University of Arkansas' flagship campus. The Duggars and Dillards are local to the area.

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    2. They seem to be bouncing around between rentals lately, so they’re mobile enough to relocate. Though I thought I saw him say somewhere that it’s close enough to where they’ve been living.

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  36. He is looking good again!

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  37. Do these young married couples regularly attend Sunday church services? I read that once they start courting they seem to skip church so I get the feeling they don't resume again once they're married. Of course, with little ones to get ready I guess they have an excuse not to go.

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    1. Plenty of parents, including my own, had “little ones” to get ready and did get them ready on time for church!

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    2. There have been several Sunday at church pictures of Ben and Jessa, Derick and Jill, and Austin and Joy and their children. I think they attend regularly.

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    3. I have five young children and am pregnant. We go to every church service unless someone is sick. It takes a lot of work to get everyone ready, but you just have to wake up early and plan ahead.

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  38. I love jill and derick. Sweet couple.

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  39. I hope to someday have the kind of marriage jill and derick have

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  40. So proud of you Derick!

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  41. I think it is very sad that people aren't allowed to voice there beliefs freely. Missing the dillards

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