Temperance

Anna said less than two months ago on social media that she was NOT pregnant, just "overdue for a diet" (her own words). I thought she might be, because she was wearing a dress she also wore while pregnant. (In Touch magazine confirmed it was the same dress.) However since she admits she has been gaining weight without being pregnant; it's not really a sign that she is. (As someone who has some weight issues, I try not to judge people on that issue.)

Jana and Jill are wearing the Duggar's favorite color: mustard. Jana's outfit would be nice if she lost the mustard dress, but an unmarried Duggar girl must not appear in public without a skirt. Kendra seems to have a petticoat on, but the green is nice on her. I try not to snark too much on the clothes, so the mustard dress is the only thing I would lose.

If I had to sit through whatever event they were attending (trying to avoid mentioning it by name), I would have rather forced smile myself.

@Barb23 Anna and Mary Maxwell are both in their twenties. Mary is 22 and Anna is about 25/26. Sarah Maxwell is 36. I have known a lot of women who wore no make-up, jewelry, and dressed like the Maxwells do now, and still had no problem finding husbands. I think the real problem is they're not meeting people especially eligible men and they would have trouble to talking to men if they met them. I don't think they have much confidence in interacting since they've been isolated much of their lives from other people. Anna Marie and Chris have 5 children in 8 years. Anna and Josh Duggar have 5 children in 10 years. I do like that none of the Maxwell brides were teenagers. Most of the Maxwell brides were older than most of the Duggar/Bates brides. @ChiCricket There was a hilarious rant by a father about how men don't care about your eyebrows. (You can google it.) Both the Maxwell eyebrows and the Rod eyebrows have been commented on, but I don't think men care about eyebrows.

I don't think that's true. Kelly Bates's mom isn't fundie, as far as I know and my internet research showed. One of the things that annoys me about that generation of fundies meaning ( Kelly and Gil, JB and Michelle, Steve and Teri Maxwell, etc.) were all raised non-fundie and had the benefits of living in the real world. Then they became fundies and didn't give their adult children much of a choice on how they get to live their lives. The one exception that I can think of is JIll Rod, who was raised fundie.

That still doesn't mean that she made it about her. Her non-answer about Ben probably means she doesn't want to tell us where he is or what he's been up to, which may be something both she and Ben are trying to hide. She also is saying that what she likes to share with people are homemovies featuring her kids and not her or Ben and it doesn't mean anything. She does answer that she and Ben are fine. I would agree that she was evasive and didn't directly answer either question. She did somewhat answer why he is not on her social media videos a lot of the time. I also think the person asking the question was being a little nosy and that there may have been subtext that Jessa did answer.

I didn't see her answer as all about her.

Well both Marjorie and Lauren Duggar claim/have some hispanic heritage. Nathan Bates was dating/ courting a young woman named Ashley Sayler, who is black and mixed race. Ashley is on Instagram and you can learn more about her on the FJ Nathan Bates thread. Basically I think the Bates and Duggars would be okay with some who shares their beliefs marrying into their families. I think this is especially true of the Duggars, who seem less hung up about race than the Bates.

and weightloss! (This is meant to be kind -of a joke. I do think Kate has lost a good deal of weight and is on a special diet now, but I also overestimated how much weight she lost. )

I also expect some announcements next week; they're going to dump all Duggar news together (like in a recipe). Maybe JB will arrange to due a gender reveal during the wedding like he got Joe to propose to Kendra at Joy's wedding. Now I'm trying to think of how that would work. Maybe the wedding cake could reveal it when they cut into it! Maybe Abbie will wear a pink or blue garter and when they do the garter ceremony, the sex will be revealed! That's kind of cute except they don't do the garter ceremony, which I can understand. As for Si and Lauren, I thought she might be pregnant after I saw the photos of her in the mountains with Si and her family.

Fun Fact: Longhorn Steakhouse is owned by the same chain as Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Bahama Breeze, etc.

Michelle did the robocall in August 2014. Josie was born in December 2009. By then she was 4.5 years old and she seemed most likely to live. They had already been on television since 2007. For someone experienced in doing voiceovers/talking heads etc., it would take an hour or two (maybe less) and she probably wasn't too far from the TTH. I agree that the robocall was mean-spirited and ill-advised, and unfair to transgendered individuals. I disagree that Josie was in particular danger and that her mother should never leave for any reason. (I probably would be more worried about Josie than Michelle is, but then I'm a worrier and Michelle is not.)

Jinger said something (can't remember what) that made me think he was helping her with style. As far as I know she hasn't had plastic surgery. She went/was put on a major diet and lost at least 60 pounds.

I actually kind-of like the hats and prefer them to the bow.

At least he is looking at her in this photo. There have been dozens of photos when he's looking up or away and she's looking up or towards him with that devoted gaze. The worst are the photos where he's looking straight into camera with a thousand yard stare. There are at least two looking straight into the camera including the wedding photo Jinger posted on his birthday where Jeremy stares into the camera. My guess is TLC was filming and/or took the picture.

Or Michelle.

I have the feeling the Duggars are sitting on a few announcements that they will reveal either when John gets married or when the show comes back.

I disagree that Lauren picked Si, because of Counting On/19 kids, etc. I think "she" picked him, because she was raised IBLP, grew up going to Big Sandy and the Duggars are part of the same community. Also her father seems to want to marry his daughter (and maybe even daughters or sons) off to the Duggars. Like a lot of these young girls/women, I doubt she'd be getting married if she wasn't a fundie. It makes me sad that these young women are pushed to make these decisions at such young ages. She is a pretty young lady and she probably will have a baby sooner than later.

I've seen unmarried Bates girls wear skirts like that short (Carlin?), but many fundie skirts are just above the knee. They made a video. She died in a hospital. It's possible she tried to have a home birth, but that is unclear. Remember Joy and Jill Dillard both gave birth in a hospital, but both tried to have a homebirth. Jessa also was rushed to a hospital after the birth.

nevermind

She is wearing a jumper, but her hair covers the straps. I don't think there's a scarf; it's just the way the skirt hangs. I'm not a fashion plate, but I don't think those clothes are flattering. (Particularly the jumper). Fundie skirts are so short, compared to old Gothard standards. (According to her Instagram, that Jumper is in style. I feel so old.)

@cereality You were totally right about those ties. They looked like wallpaper.

I knew Catholics who made similar jokes about wooden spoons. Usually I was led to believe it was a normal kitchen spoon. I think that oversized "spoon" is supposed to be a gag gift.

I think I read somewhere there was some reasoning behind the Ys in the names. Jordyn was to make her name more girly, and the name is still relatively popular for girls. (Jordyn spelled like this was 162 in 2017 on the US popularity charts for girls.) MacKynzie (this spelling) is allegedly a nod to their accents. They pronounce Ben "Byn" and Kendra "Kyndra" so what not use a Y instead of an E? (I'm not southern, but would pronounce Kynzie if that's what she wants.) Anyway substituting a Y for an i or e is a fairly common spelling change.

I think Spurgeon is still very cute, and I think Jessa will have another soon since they're young and don't believe in birth control.