John and Abbie Pack the Airplane

John-David Duggar and Abbie Burnett pack their airplane
 

"We put a lot of stuff in the airplane. Fortunately, we have an airplane that can haul a lot of stuff, and we took advantage of that."
-John-David Duggar

John and Abbie Duggar already revealed the location of the honeymoon they took a few months after the wedding (see our post from four weeks ago), but where did they go immediately after becoming husband and wife? No one knows! In this video, you'll see them loading up their airplane with all kinds of supplies.

Photo/video courtesy TLC

Driving with Jackson

Jackson Duggar's driving lesson

"I'm kind of nervous to practice driving with this police officer, but I think it will be good practice for me."
-Jackson Duggar

In case you missed the scene from last week's episode that featured Jackson's driving lesson, we have embedded the clip below. Jim Bob Duggar and a few of the Duggar brothers take him into town for a lesson with a local police officer.

Photo/video courtesy TLC

Derick's Braces

Derick Dillard, Israel Dillard, Sam Dillard

For those who have wondered about Derick's braces and orthodontic work, here is an explanation...

Derick chose to have braces put on his teeth four years ago because his doctor recommended it, but jaw expansion surgery was a prerequisite in order to make room in his mouth. Unfortunately, the surgery moved his midline over, which means that his top two front teeth are no longer centered, and fixing them is likely not worth the hassle. Derick hopes to get his braces off soon.Below is a photo of Derick before his surgery.

Jill Duggar and Derick Dillard, 2014

Photo courtesy dillardfamily.com

Hopes for the Future

Joseph Duggar and Kendra (Caldwell) Duggar

At the end of last night's episode, the producer asked the married Duggar couples what their hopes are for this year.

Jessa and Ben Seewald
Due with Baby #3 on June 3rd
Ben: "It will be fun to see these little ones interacting with a new brother or sister."

Jinger and Jeremy Vuolo
Jinger: "Watching Felicity grow this year...and seeing her little personality come out."
The Vuolos also announced yesterday that they are moving to Los Angeles. More info can be found in our March 25th blog post.

Joseph and Kendra Duggar
Kendra: "I think we would be thrilled to have baby number two. Since my mom just had a baby, I think for me it's just kind of given me a baby itch recently."
Joe: "We are planning on building a house, as well as still doing the car stuff. We'd be happy to have more kids, but all in God's timing."
Kendra: "We'll let Garrett grow up a little bit."

Josiah and Lauren Duggar
Josiah: "The first little one is with the Lord right now after a miscarriage, but looking forward to maybe expanding our family."

Joy-Anna and Austin Forsyth
Joy: "Gideon is started to walk kind of, not really by himself, but I think he'll be walking within the next month. Hopefully I'll either be pregnant or having a baby within the next year, so that will be exciting, going from one to two."

Last night's Counting On season finale episode is available on the TLC website (link below).

Counting On "A Bachelor No More"

Photo courtesy TLC

'A Bachelor No More' Recap

Counting On "A Bachelor No More" Parts 1 and 2

• A few days ahead of the wedding, the couple is in Arkansas making their unity candle, as well as candles for their moms. Jennifer is their chaperone. When asked what scent they should choose for Michelle, she says: “Mama likes laundry smell. She puts it in her car.” They end up doing lavender.
• “I was not looking for a husband, so meeting John, it really happened overnight, but it really was the right thing, so there was a lot of peace in it,” says Abbie. John claims that he started planning the engagement at the start of the courtship. John and Abbie are getting married six months after they met, at the same church where they met.
• Wedding coordinators Jana Duggar and Duggar friend Laura DeMaise, along with the Duggar brothers, pack up supplies and head to Oklahoma. “We’re taking extra things that we probably won’t need, but just in case,” says Jana. “Might as well be packing up and moving somewhere for like a year.”
• Would any of the Duggars consider eloping?
• Jana: “…At some point in time…I think every single couple has said, ‘Let’s just elope.’”
• Jason: “I might consider eloping. She would say no way, whoever she is. I think it’s probably just not a Duggar thing to get eloped because we want all the friends to be there.”
• Jedidiah: “Almost all girls want like a ceremony, and so even if you elope, you’re still going to have a ceremony later on, I think, and so you might as well get it over with...well not get it over with.”
• The siblings arrive at the airplane hanger to start decorating for the reception. They create a massive, flowy decoration for the ceiling, made of tablecloths. They say they are using redneck engineering. “Redneck engineering is using whatever you have to fix whatever you might need to fix, y’all,” explains Austin.
• When Jeremiah considers putting a ladder on a forklift, Jana nixes that idea. The group leaves the hanger at1am, and they start decorating the church later that day. Working with one’s siblings isn’t always the easiest thing. “We all had our own opinion…” says Jedidiah.
• Meanwhile, Josiah and Lauren are at their house practicing the song they will be singing at the wedding. “There’s not a day that I don’t think about the little one or wake up crying or something, or…thinking of memories we could have had,” says Lauren. She and Josiah say they are trying to praise the Lord for how good he is, even though they are hurting.
• “I’ve never seen someone who has served their wife so much,” says Lauren. "I wish our baby could have seen how wonderful a daddy he.” After her miscarriage, Lauren was so weak that she couldn't walk, so Josiah carried her around.
• The day before the wedding, the rest of the family is on their way to Oklahoma. “Whenever I am back at my family’s house, I feel like I more or less morph back into that role as older sister,” says Jessa, as she makes sure the little girls have their dress shoes.
• The bride and groom arrive, and the rehearsal goes off without a hitch. The man officiating the wedding is Bob Gray II, the pastor at the church that John attends whenever he is in Texas. “We are very ready to have our first kiss,” admits John. “It is [hard to wait], but yet it’s not. We’ve consciously made that decision.”
•  After the rehearsal, there is still a lot to do at the hanger. The “light guys” end up taking longer to set up the lights than expected. Jana is stressed out, but she keeps her cool. Friends of the Duggars come together to lend a hand.
• The wedding day finally arrives! Abbie’s nursing school friend does her makeup, and her sister Maggie does her hair. Her maid of honor is her older sister Hannah. John’s best man is Joseph. While the wedding party gets ready, the other siblings are at the hanger finishing up.
• While taking pictures with his groomsmen, John is told by the photographer to look like Zoolander and Blue Steel. The siblings say they don’t know what Zoolander is, but Jeremy does. 
• For additional wedding details, check out our recap of the wedding preview. 
• “She took my breath away,” says John of the moment he saw Abbie walking down the aisle. “[John] was just standing up on the stage grinning from ear to ear,” says Abbie.
• After the pastor speaks, Abbie’s dad officiates the vows, which the bride and groom wrote. We posted them last year. Click here to read them.
• “I’m happy that she gave me the nickname of Sugar Muffin,” says John. Abbie refers to him as Sugar Muffin in their vows. The other siblings think it's a little strange. “I wouldn’t want to be called Sugar Muffin,” admits Lauren. “[Josiah] calls me Sugar Baby.
• What’s the deal with the first kiss? John kisses a few other body parts, including Abbie’s hand, forehead, and cheek, before making it to her lips. “I planned the first kiss,” says John. “I wanted to take my time and take it slow.” He had given Abbie a heads-up on what he wanted to do, and she though it was tender. What do the siblings think?
• Joseph: “That was a different method...”
• Kendra: “It was their first kiss, it was great, but it was a little bit awkward to watch.”
• Lauren: “I was like, ‘John, just, just please kiss her on the lips, just please.”
• Jason: “By the third, forth one, I was like, ‘Aright, go get a hotel room.’”
• Jinger: “No I will never forget it.”
• Some of the couples, including Jim Bob and Michelle, jokingly reenact the first kiss. 
• At the reception, John and Abbie cut their cake and feed it to each other. “We were really thankful for everybody who came,” says Abbie. “We felt really loved.”
• After a little while, the bride and groom jump into their getaway plane, but not before they both hug Jana and thank her for everything. After lifting Abbie into the plane, John does a safety check of the outside before they take off. They do a fly-over, and then they’re gone.
• While Jinger and Jeremy are still in town, Jessa and Ben announce their pregnancy and June 6^th due date. Later, they share it with the rest of the family. Everyone is ecstatic, as they always are when a Duggar pregnancy is announced.
• "I think we would be thrilled to have baby number two," says Kendra, who admits she has a baby itch. She and Joe are planning on building a house. 
• Josiah and Lauren say they are looking forward to expanding their family, Lord willing.
• "Hopefully I'll either be pregnant or having a baby within the next year," says Joy. 

Vuolos Leaving Laredo

Jeremy Vuolo and Felicity Vuolo

"This is going to be my first time living in a big city, and I'm really excited."
-Jinger Duggar Vuolo

Over the past year, Jinger and Jeremy Vuolo have made a number of trips to Los Angeles, California, as Jeremy has been taking online courses from The Master's Seminary. In July, the Vuolos will be leaving Laredo and moving to LA so Jeremy can pursue graduate studies at the seminary.

The couple also plans to attend John MacArthur's Grace Community Church. Although they are looking forward to this move, they say they are very sad to leave the friends they have made in Laredo. You can click here to watch a short video message from the Vuolos on the TLC website.

You may remember Jinger saying years ago how much she loved New York City. Well, she will finally have a chance to experience life in a big city!

Photo courtesy jingerandjeremy.com

Garrett's 1st Beach Trip

Garrett Duggar with grandma Christina Caldwell

"It's just amazing...realizing that she's already done this how many times over and how painful and challenging and hard it can be, but that she's done it anyways. It gives me a greater appreciation for everything that she's done for me."
-Kendra Caldwell Duggar

Tonight is the season finale of Counting On. It's a sad day, isn't it? The two-hour episode premieres at 9pm ET/8pm CT on TLC. Tune in at 3pm ET/2pm CT for a marathon of the six episodes that have aired so far this season. Visit our Showtimes page for all the details, as well as a summary of tonight's episode.

In case you missed last week's episode, below is a video clip of Garrett's first beach trip with Joe, Kendra, and Kendra's family.

Photo/video courtesy TLC

John and Abbie in Branson

This weekend, John and Abbie took a short trip to Branson, Missouri. They especially enjoyed seeing the story of the biblical character Samson brought to life at Sight and Sound Theatres. The Duggars have been to Sight and Sound multiple times over the year. Do you recall watching them as part of the cast of Noah on 18 Kids and Counting "Duggars On Stage" back in 2009?

John and Abbie Duggar

If you enjoy this blog, be sure to visit Ellie's other blogs (NashvilleWife.com and BatesFamilyBlog.com).

Season Finale Airs Monday

We have some good news and some not-to-good news. Let's start with the not-so-good news. Monday's new episode of Counting On will be the season finale. Isn't that too bad? But the good news is that TLC is rerunning all six shows that have aired so far this season, followed by the two-hour season finale featuring John Duggar and Abbie Burnett's wedding. (Full TV listings can be found on our Showtimes page.)

The network has not yet set a start date for the next season, but rest assured that the Duggars are still filming.

Photo courtesy TLC

New Photo of Garrett, 9 Months

We posted the link to an eight-month video update on Garrett Duggar, and some of our readers asked for a newer photo of him. Garrett will be ten months old on April 8th.

Garrett Duggar, 9 months old

Photo courtesy joeandkendra.com

John and Abbie Serve in the Philippines

John and Abbie in the Philippines

"Going on this trip together really has helped both of us just to be able to see how we can help other people in the world with the skills God has given us."
-John-David Duggar

Last night on Counting On (be sure to read our recap), we watched engaged couple John Duggar and Abbie Burnett travel to the Philippines for a medical mission trip Do you remember back in the day when John-David and Jana Duggar worked as first responders? That training has come in handy for John as he seeks to address both the physical and spiritual needs of those who attend the clinics (video below). Abbie relies on her nursing degree.

Photo/video courtesy TLC

'To Grandmother's House We Go' Recap

Counting On "To Grandmother's House We Go"

• Joseph, Kendra, and Garrett are in Panama City Beach with Kendra's parents and siblings. "...[Garrett] seems to like the warm weather," says Kendra. "He just gets all relaxed."
• The Caldwells have been vacationing in the same area for about six years. "I definitely love coming to the beach," says Kendra." It's something I've grown up doing. I definitely had to try to convince Joe that it was going to be a good idea because he's not as much of a beach person." "I don't mind the water," says Joe. "It's what's in the water that gets me."
• Kendra's mom is 28 weeks pregnant with her eight child. Near the end of her first pregnancy (with Kendra), she was in a car accident that caused damage to her body. With every consecutive pregnancy, she has had a lot of uncomfortable contractions.
• While they're at the beach, the family splits up, with Joe and Kendra's father as captains, for a 30-minute sandcastle building contest. "I think Daddy and Joe are on the same level when it comes to competitiveness," says Kendra.
• Dad, Lauren, Nathan, and Gracie win because their sandcastle is taller, which means that Joseph gets buried in the sand.
• Jinger and Jeremy take four-month-old Felicity to Pennsylvania to visit Jeremy's parents. "I'm super excited to take Felicity back to my old stomping grounds," says Jeremy.
• Traveling with one child is difficult, but it's much easier than what Jinger is used to. "I cannot imagine traveling through an airport with 19 kids," says Jeremy.
• After spending time in Pennsylvania, the Vuolos drive to New Jersey to introduce Felicity to her great-grandparents, Tony and Ann Vuolo, who are in their 90s. "Oh Jinger, she's beautiful!" remarks Ann. She's elated to meet her great-granddaughter. Jinger says she received the same welcome when she met Ann. 
• "She just totally ignored me, for probably the first five minutes," says Jeremy, laughing. "It was just baby."
• "I knew he was there," jokes Ann. "I knew I'd get to him sooner or later." "You know, I do love you," she tells Jeremy, giving him a kiss.
• Jinger orchestrates a special surprise for Jeremy. While they are in New Jersey, Luis and Cara Robles and their children show up for a visit.
• Just weeks before the wedding, John, Abbie, two of Abbie's sisters, and some friends arrive in the Philippines for a medical mission trip. This is a very special trip because it's what brought John and Abbie together. When Jim Bob, Michelle, and John met Abbie's parents, Abbie's parents mentioned that they had a daughter who was a nurse who wanted to go on a medical mission trip. John told them that Abbie was welcome to come on a trip he had already committed to. "Missions is something that we definitely share a passion for," says John.
• Abbie has been working as a licensed nurse for one year. "I just love taking care of people," she says. She left her job to be able to plan for the wedding
• "I do hope to go back to nursing one day..." says Abbie. "John and I have talked about me getting another job once we settle into Arkansas so that I can keep up my license, and John's definitely for that idea."
• "I fully support Abbie to be able to just continue to keep up her license, as well as be able to be serving others," says John. 
• In the Philippines, the group runs a clinic (with dentists and doctors), administers medicine, provides counseling, and shares the Gospel.
• John and Abbie enjoy trying local foods, including chili ice cream. "It about burned my tongue off," says Abbie.  
• It's time for Jackson to learn to drive! Jim Bob takes him to the Tontitown Police Department to get a driving lesson from a police officer. The Duggar dad is hoping that the officer will be able to share some helpful advice, since he sees a lot of accidents. Jackson drives one of the big vans so that several of the Duggar brothers can come with. Jim Bob brings a pillow for Jackson to sit on so he can see over the steering wheel.
• "We have about ten drivers right now in the family, and we have probably about 40 sitting outside our house," says Jedidiah.
• "The thought of Jackson driving is crazy," says Jana. 
• "Jackson's personality is lively," says Jessa. "He likes to talk a lot."

Garrett Duggar Update

Joseph Duggar, Kendra Duggar, Garrett Duggar

February 2019

"As you can see, he's very curious at this point. He likes to try to sit up right now...but he's not crawling at this point. He's getting close but not quite there."
-Joseph Duggar

Last week, we shared a new video update from TLC, which featured Joy, Austin, and Gideon Forsyth. In February, the network shot an interview clip of Joe, Kendra, and eight-month-old Garrett. The link is below.

Garrett Duggar Update (8 Months)


Photo courtesy TLC

Pie for Pi Day

Are you familiar with Pi Day? In math, pi is an infinite series of numbers starting with 3.14, with makes March 14th "Pi Day." Some folks celebrate by eating pie, which is exactly what Josh and Anna Duggar and their kids did. They baked a family-favorite apple pie recipe from Anna's late grandmother. 

Michael Duggar and Mackynzie Duggar

Photo courtesy duggarfamily.com/Josh and Anna Duggar

Duggars and Cats

"My family had many cats, dogs. My mom has such a spot in her heart for animals. My mom was constantly bringing animals home."
-Jinger Duggar Vuolo

What do the Duggars think about pets, particularly cats? Jinger and Jeremy recently adopted a pet cat, and they love him so much that Jeremy is willing to suffer through his allergic reactions. Some of the other siblings, however, aren't as thrilled about cats. They share their thoughts in the video below.

Photo/video courtesy TLC

Duggars in DC 2019

 

The Duggars place a strong importance on being involved in local, state, and national politics. This week, Jim Bob and Michelle, along with Jana and the younger children, visited Washington DC to see the monuments, visit the Museum of the Bible, and meet with their congressional representatives.

Each year in March, Awake America Ministries hosts a conference called Capitol Connection. The purpose is to connect with, support, and pray for members of government during face-to-face meetings.

 Photos courtesy duggarfamily.com

Flour Bombing with the Duggars

Duggars go flour bombing

Jim Bob Duggar: "It’s going to be a stiff competition. You know what, it’s not whether you win or lose, but it’s how you play the game."

Jeremiah Duggar: "It sure is nice to win, though."

In case you missed Monday's episode (be sure to check out our recap), we wanted to fill you in on the activity that Jim Bob and the Duggar brothers engaged in. It's called flour bombing, and it's the process of throwing bags of flour from an airplane onto a target on the ground. While Abbie tried on wedding dresses with the ladies, John-David Duggar hosted a flour bombing competition for his bachelor party.

Photo/video courtesy TLC

Gideon's 1st Year

Joy Duggar Forsyth, Austin Forsyth, Gideon Forsyth

 

Joy-Anna Forsyth: "This first year has been super easy...compared to most babies."

Austin Forsyth: "I was just going to say a lot of work..."

Given Joy's experience with 10 younger siblings, she might have a better idea of how much work the average baby is....

Gideon Forsyth turned one year old on February 23rd. TLC filmed a video in which Joy and Austin share and update on their one-year-old son. To watch the clip, follow the link below to be redirected to the network's website.

Joy and Austin: Update on 1-Year-Old Gideon

Photo courtesy TLC

Abbie's Modesty Standards

Abbie (Burnett) Duggar has similar modesty standards as the Duggar sisters. On tonight's episode, we saw her preference for tops with sleeves and high necklines reflected in the wedding dress that she chose. Abbie does, however, wear pants.

“I don’t only wear skirts,” she shared on tonight's episode. “[For] my profession, I wear scrubs, and some nurses wear skirts with their scrub tops, but for me, I just found it was more practical to wear a top with pants.”

The Duggar sisters grew up wearing skirts and dresses, although for actives like skiing and boating, they have been filmed wearing pants. Some of the married sisters, including Jill Dillard and Jinger Vuolo, now wear pants on a more day-to-day basis.

If you enjoy this blog, be sure to visit Ellie's other blogs (NashvilleWife.com and BatesFamilyBlog.com). 

Photo courtesy TLC

'The Abbie Gown' Recap

Counting On "The Abbie Gown"

• In Laredo, Jinger and Jeremy are packing to visit the extended Vuolos in Pennsylvania. “Felicity has her dad wrapped around her little finger,” says Jinger. “Man, she loves her daddy. She pulls at his heart strings, I can see, every day. He’s been a natural, for sure.” Felicity is four months old.
• Jinger runs out to pick up last minute items for the trip, while Jeremy entertains Felicity, packs for the trip, and feeds Jake, the stray cat that the Vuolos recently adopted.
• “I get one-on-one time with Felicity with Jinger out of the house pretty regularly,” says Jeremy. “If it’s been a busy week, I like to try to give Jinger a time to go away and be alone or work out or spend time with friends, so I’ll sit and watch Felicity. And I enjoy it. It’s like a daddy-daughter date.”
• Back in Arkansas, the siblings are at the Duggar guest house setting up a pop-up dress shop. Jana is in charge. They have purchase a five-foot by seven-foot mirror and some mannequins. Jana and the boys build a wooden frame for the mirror and a pedestal for the bride. The wedding is one month away, so dress designer Renee Miller arrives with several wedding dress options for Abbie to try.
• Abbie and her mom and two sisters, Maggie and Carrina, arrive in Arkansas. The Duggar ladies join them in the pop-up dress shop, and it’s time to start the festivities. “The Duggar girls are absolutely wedding experts, so I’m happy to have their thoughts and opinions on…the dresses I try on,” says Abbie.
• Abbie is thrilled to be marrying John, but she admits she will miss her family in Oklahoma. “I’m a little bit of a homebody, lived at home for 26 years, so it’ll be a big change, but a good change,” says the bride-to-be.
• The first dress has too much lace and no sparkle. Abbie is looking for a dress with a lot of sparkle and a little poof. The second dress is pink, which Abbie and most of the other ladies are unsure about. “I didn’t really like the color at all,” says Joy. The third dress has a poofy skirt, and Renee adds a shimmering layer over it. The top is lace.
• The fourth dress is more fitted, which Abbie doesn’t like, but it is the only one with sparkle sewn into it. She ends up choosing dress number three, but she wants Renee to add sparkles to the top.
• “I’m very excited,” says Abbie’s mom, Cheryl. “I haven’t cried at any daughter’s wedding. I’m afraid I might at this one.”
• Abbie has similar modesty standards as the Duggars, including sleeves and high neck lines, but with one big difference. “I don’t only wear skirts,” she admits. “[For] my profession, I wear scrubs, and some nurses wear skirts with their scrub tops, but for me, I just found it was more practical to wear a top with pants.”
• Meanwhile, Jim Bob and most of the Duggar brothers (Joseph, Jedidiah, Jeremiah, Jason, James, Justin, Jackson, and Tyler) join John for a bachelor party. Since John is a pilot, the guys will be having a flour bombing competition. “Flour bombing is dropping bags of flour onto a target from a plane,” explains Joy.
• “It’s going to be a stiff competition,” says Jim Bob. “You know what, it’s not whether you win or lose, but it’s how you play the game.” “It sure is nice to win, though,” says Jeremiah.
• Pilot John-David takes all the “bombers” up. The bombers are Jed, Jer, and Jason. John is making sure to abide by all FAA rules.
• It starts raining, and some of the guys start feeling motion sick. “I usually keep sick sacks in my airplanes because, well I fly a lot of Duggars around, and we know what happens when you fly Duggars,” says John. They guys do well, although no one actually hits the target. Jedidiah is the official winner. His three throws are a total of 197 feet from the target.
• “I think the boys are having a lot of fun today, but picking out a wedding dress is probably pretty fun, too, not for me, but definitely for girls,” says John.