S09.E04: Duggar Dirty Jobs

[Barb23]

I too noticed Jill mentioned about wearing gloves when selecting wedding band & hoping this meant she was continuing midwife studies. But since she is now "expecting" I think any further studies have gone down the drain. Not that she couldn't continue as many people juggle school, work &family, I don't think she will. Its a shame cuz I really thought she found her calling. I was hoping Derrick & his family would show her what a normal (not Gothard) life is. But by what we have seen, it looks like Derrick has taken a big gulp of the Kool-Aid & taken a seat on the Duggar fame train.

Edited September 17, 2014 by Barb23

[cereality]

JB certainly is confident that no man could EVER walk away from a Duggar daughter, no matter what the family puts him through. Every couple seasons on the Bachelor you have a "couple" that ends up together, then gets a few months to hang out alone before the show airs and without cameras around and truly finds out if they are compatible or not, they stay together through that, and THEN when the show airs -- they break up or have problems as they see what their partner did with other contestants or what their partner said about them in interviews etc.

 

I realize that breaking up doesn't really happen in the fundie world, but the wedding is still a good 6 weeks away. Ben had to sit through an airing of yesterday's episode undoubtedly with 19 people laughing at him. His own parents watched and are presumably pissed and may be calling saying -- I don't know if this is such a great idea. A few more episodes air and isn't it possible that Ben and/or his family pull the plug and say "sorry to break up weeks before the wedding but better now than 6 weeks or a yr from now?!" If this is how they treat him now, does he expect they'll respect him more when he is living in their house and relying on them solely for financial support??

 

Honestly I say it every week but I don't see the desperation for marrying Jessa. She's fine but so are a million other girls at community college who would get with him just bc he's hot. And in NW Arkansas they are likely conservative enough that they would date and marry quickly, so it's not like he'd have to date for 5 more yrs; he could be married to a different girl by next spring if he REALLY wanted.

 

And I don't get the emphasis on manual labor. It's great that JD is so handy -- good for him. But Josh and Derick are clearly not -- evidenced by the fact that they have chosen office jobs. Why is it ok for them and yet not for Ben -- who was an office assistant before this whole mess of a job. I don't think anyone asked Josh or Derick to install a window or a fence or clean a toilet before agreeing to give their daughter's hand in marriage and yet for Ben those hurdles are required??

[cereality]

Honestly I hope the Duggars get some kind of citation from the city/county for using the warehouse as a residence. There are requirements for what can be deemed a bedroom when you are undertaking construction -- I'm pretty sure a metal warehouse with no air conditioning and limited air circulation through those panels which have not been shut with glass -- does not meet the requirements for a bedroom. I know in NYC, a room can only been deemed a bedroom if it has an outside facing window of some kind. I think that's happened before to the Roloffs -- they proudly aired something on TV only to be shut down and fined by their city/county as all the local officials were watching this local "celebrity" family; at least whatever they were doing was not a residence but some kind of zoning thing related to their farm.

[truthtalk2014]

JB certainly is confident that no man could EVER walk away from a Duggar daughter, no matter what the family puts him through. Every couple seasons on the Bachelor you have a "couple" that ends up together, then gets a few months to hang out alone before the show airs and without cameras around and truly finds out if they are compatible or not, they stay together through that, and THEN when the show airs -- they break up or have problems as they see what their partner did with other contestants or what their partner said about them in interviews etc.

 

I realize that breaking up doesn't really happen in the fundie world, but the wedding is still a good 6 weeks away. Ben had to sit through an airing of yesterday's episode undoubtedly with 19 people laughing at him. His own parents watched and are presumably pissed and may be calling saying -- I don't know if this is such a great idea. A few more episodes air and isn't it possible that Ben and/or his family pull the plug and say "sorry to break up weeks before the wedding but better now than 6 weeks or a yr from now?!" If this is how they treat him now, does he expect they'll respect him more when he is living in their house and relying on them solely for financial support??

 

Honestly I say it every week but I don't see the desperation for marrying Jessa. She's fine but so are a million other girls at community college who would get with him just bc he's hot. And in NW Arkansas they are likely conservative enough that they would date and marry quickly, so it's not like he'd have to date for 5 more yrs; he could be married to a different girl by next spring if he REALLY wanted.

 

And I don't get the emphasis on manual labor. It's great that JD is so handy -- good for him. But Josh and Derick are clearly not -- evidenced by the fact that they have chosen office jobs. Why is it ok for them and yet not for Ben -- who was an office assistant before this whole mess of a job. I don't think anyone asked Josh or Derick to install a window or a fence or clean a toilet before agreeing to give their daughter's hand in marriage and yet for Ben those hurdles are required??

Yea, can you imagine if Anna's parents suggested that Joshy move to Florida- live in the camper and do manual labor all day, clean their dirty bathrooms and such?  

 

IMO, Ben is caught up with a pretty girl at the moment.  I don't think he's really that religious- he just thinks of getting under Jessa's long skirt.  Once that happens and he has to suffer through this family shit on a daily basis - I really think he will cheat and they will end up divorced.  You can only  push a man so far.  

 

Anyone have any thoughts on where they will live?  Does Boob have another house out there?  If they were smart, they would high tail it back to LIttle Rock and tell JD where to stuff his fence and cleaning supplies.  

[Fuzzysox]

Oh bingo and a half.  That's immediately what I thought.  They claim the kids put these courtship rules in place themselves, but then Boob says, "we told her she is not allowed to be over in Ben's room by herself".

 

I was mentioning something about this in the Jill thread (she is in la-la-land these days) and each episode makes it so much clearer.  These kids have zero real world experience.  Why is a 21 year old girl doing nothing day in and day out?  So much so that she can hang out with her boyfriend and make him sammiches.  Girls her age should be preparing for marriage by trying to finish their degree, or working hard full time so she can have a career.  The Duggars are full of shit when they mention they do allow their kids higher education if they want.  They are bred to be there for their man.  And that's fine and dandy, but there needs to be back up.  One day there will be no more show. Michelle and Boob are going to get older and will pass one day.  What if something happened to their husband and the parents are already dead? What if husband gets laid off? I'm sure they think 19 out of 19 of their kids will get married, follow courtship rules, men will work, women will stay home and pop out their own 20 blessings.  But unfortunately, life doesn't go that smooth.  By these kids doing nothing day in and day out, not prepping for their future (outside of the Duggar bubble) in any way, shape or form is just going to backfire on them, big time.

Yes it will!! My mom grew up this way. Daddy takes care of you til you get married then your husband takes care of you. When she didn't want to stay married and my parents separated my mom had no job skills and became a  single mother. It was pretty bad. She was never taught to be independent, never learned how to drive and now I have to do everything for her and drive her everywhere. Not the life that she had me living. I'm married but if something happened to my husband I know that I can find a job because I'm educated and learned to drive in order to get to said job.

 

Best of luck to these fundie girls. They will be forever slaves because they were never taught to be independent.

[abseedee]

And Bin. Oh-my-god, he's not the sharpest tool in the box (emphasis on tool). I am totally convinced that the judgmental pious rants on his Facebook page are penned by his dipshit father, because Bin can't even string a coherent sentence together. 

I'm also thinking that it could be Pa Seewald.  Latest one on FB is about atheists having no morals.

 

Anyway, it looked like at one point Ben wanted to gag.  Heck, I wanted to gag when I saw that filthy toilet.  I'm sure JD wouldn't have cleaned that toilet without gloves (if he even cleans toilets) and could have at least given Ben a pair. 

 

As much as I don't care much for Ben I hate the unsafe living quarters given to him and the grunt work they are subjecting him to do.

[cereality]

Josh and JB would have pitched a fit if Josh had to do anything for the Kellers other than pledge to the dad that he had prayed about marriage and was committed to having kid after kid. Frankly even any legit questioning about Josh's car lot would not have been taken kindly -- like if Anna's dad had asked to see the books or wanted to come see the business to make sure it was a legit business -- I suspect Josh and JB would have been totally insulted and moved on fast.

 

I can get why Pa Seewald is calling out JB. I thought it was a bit much if it was just because JB was making him wait until he could maybe provide for her. But living on JB's property and cleaning toilets to prove your worth as a son in law -- WTF!?

 

And where exactly were those bathrooms? I know JB owns a bunch of commercial properties and warehouses, but if that's what the bathrooms look like -- clearly those properties haven't been rented in years. But if they're running a business (property rental) and that business requires providing services like cleaning -- wouldn't they have those big carts that janitors have, along with huge gloves etc. rather than making their future son in law scrub that bathroom with his bare hands?? I felt bad for Ben when he said he used to be a germophobe and asked his mom for a biohazard suit for when he had to clean a bathroom -- presumably one in his home that gets cleaned every week or so and thus doesn't look like that one.

 

I feel like one of them -- either JB/Michelle or Ben or Jessa made a comment about where they'll live after marriage. I hope they high tail it back to Hot Springs where he resumes his office job, community college or whatever else he'll do to make ends meet, and I hope Jessa supports that -- i.e. I will live in a studio apartment with you working 2 jobs, if it means that we get away from my parents. I hope she doesn't convince him to stay on her parents' property to be treated like the loser son in law forever. Honestly if I was Ma and Pa Seewald and I cared one bit about my son I'd be leaning HARD on him to cancel (or "put off") the wedding having seen last night's episode. They have to have some huge doubts about how he's being treated -- if they had any notion of "JB will set him up with a career just like Josh" -- they can put that to rest. Josh is their son and he'll be given the opportunities that get him to DC, while Ben will be relegated to whatever manual labor JB and JD can dig up and he had better be grateful for it. If he refuses to leave, if I was his parents I'd at least make him be very clear with Jessa that the day (or hour) after marriage, they are out of there and to Hot Springs -- be it an apartment or his childhood bedroom until he can afford an apartment.

[Adeejay]

Anyone have any thoughts on where they will live?

 

They won’t be getting a mini mansion ala Jill and Derick that’s for sure.  Based on the way they treat Ben, I wouldn’t be surprise if it’s the converted warehouse.

[zenme]

Maybe they'll move into Josh and Anna's old place.

[truthtalk2014]

Personally, I hope that right after they marry (if they do), Ben gets her to the honeymoon bedroom and gives her a good spanking for burning all those rolls and making him put up with the cult.  And, I also hope she enjoys it.  

 

And then, since he is the man and in control- whisks her off to California where they make a secret sex vid that gets released to TMZ.  

 

One can only hope. 

 

I just think Ben has a bit of kink in him.  Hoping this blessed union can last- because some of the fundies that I knew thought that oral sex was a sin.  

Edited September 17, 2014 by truthtalk2014

[joanofarch4]

I'm hazarding a guess that the deplorable treatment of Dim Bin is a producer-driven plot to (what else) drive ratings...  Not that this is any excuse...

[ginger90]

I think the Ben nonsense is very much Jim Bob driven. It's right up his alley to be an ass to a male. Or perhaps TLC wants us to feel sorry for Ben, turn and like him, and it works out for both?

[SmallTownMom]

Jim Boob said last night that Ben and Jessa, just the 2 of them, are not allowed to be alone in a room.  Way to trust your kids.

 

Also, Ben could be doing anything all by himself in that room with dead deer looking down on him.

 

Hope he doesn't go blind.

[joanofarch4]

"Why did JoyAnna paint a large red 'a' in the center of her plate?"

 

I can't remember; did she color it scarlet?

Edited September 17, 2014 by joanofarch4

[mimionthebeach]

There was a moment when Jessa was sitting at the table with JB before Bin came in. I didn't catch what he said but Jessa said, rather emphatically, "I AM gonna marry him." Maybe daddy's treatment of her intended is payback for her defiance.

[DangerousMinds]

 

I'm also thinking that it could be Pa Seewald.  Latest one on FB is about atheists having no morals.

Wow, as an atheist, I am deeply offended by that comment. I wonder how many atheists he knows on a personal level? Poor Bin is doomed to be JB's slave as his dad allowed him a subpar education and then sent him off to get married with no education and skills.

 

I get the feeling Bin will be awkward and inept in bed. I hope for Jessa's sake that I am wrong.

Edited September 17, 2014 by DangerousMinds

[mythoughtis]

Poor Ben, John David just wants to make fun of him.  Some supportive brother-in-law to be. A fiancée that doesn't really know anything bout him, and just tries to give him gushy fake compliments because Mama Michelle told her that's the way to be. 

 

 

John David and Jim Bob think that the Seewalds haven't taught Ben the needed skills to be a husband?

 

Jim Bob thinks a personal assistant is a grunt that cleans toilets and puts up fences?   I don't think Ben has any real interest in being in the Dugger work force.  He is just (as his Dad said in the blog) jumping thru hoops to get permission to marry Jessa .

[DangerousMinds]

So Bin was completely awkward and unfamiliar with the measuring stick. Wouldn't he have had to use one often in his "business" repairing windshields?

[HeyNow]

If I didn't know any better (and hey, what do I know??) I'd wonder if his parents purposely put him under Jim Bob's rule because he wasn't behaving at home.  Because this particular set of circumstances defies any kind of logic, and I don't believe what we're being told.

[GEML]

I think the show demonstrates why the seewalds wrote a tirade about people having to jump through hoops in order to prove their worthiness.

[Fallacy]

Ben is an idiot and if I were John David, I would have been very hard pressed not to tell him so often. He can't even meaure and cut a stick of wood? Seriously. It's not rocket science. I don't feel one ounce of sympathy for that kid. He is clearly enjoying his time in front of the camera and his time with Jessa. He's in this for the sex with Jessa and the fame. He knows that millions of people now know who he is and that would make any 19 year old idiot very, very happy.

 

I would have had a little bit of respect for him if he had actually put in a hard day's work, but like many 19 year olds, he half assed as much as possible and only sort of completed 2 out of the 5 tasks set in front of him.

[Fuzzysox]

What does Jessa bring to the table another poster asked (sorry quote doesn't work sometimes for me ) why BURNT buns her specialty of course. It looked like Bin looked at the plate wondering what the hell did she cook for him. JD just stuffed his face. He is used to crappy canned food and Jessa's famous burnt buns.

[mbutterfly]

Wow, as an atheist, I am deeply offended by that comment. I wonder how many atheists he knows on a personal level? Poor Bin is doomed to be JB's slave as his dad allowed him a subpar education and then sent him off to get married with no education and skills.

 

I get the feeling Bin will be awkward and inept in bed. I hope for Jessa's sake that I am wrong.

BBM lol, I hope you consider the source. 

[cmr2014]

 

There was a moment when Jessa was sitting at the table with JB before Bin came in. I didn't catch what he said but Jessa said, rather emphatically, "I AM gonna marry him." Maybe daddy's treatment of her intended is payback for her defiance.

 

I didn't see that, so I don't know anything about the tone of the conversation, but that's really interesting.

 

Suppose this has been Ben and Jessa's party all along? What if they met, liked each other (wanted to have sex), and wanted to pursue a relationship. Then JB said no -- for any one of the many obvious reasons to put the brakes on this.

 

Then, suppose Jessa rebelled, and said "I'm going to marry Ben, and if you don't like it, we'll elope and make you look bad to your fans."

 

That would explain a lot:

1. Why JB allowed this in the first place

2. Why he treats Ben so badly and wants to humiliate him in front of his girlfriend

3. Why Jill and Derick got the mansion -- this is what "good girls" get. "Bad girls" can go and live in a room in the warehouse.

4. Why they waited so long to get engaged. During their "date," the kid who was chaperoning said something like "if you get married," and they both responded with "oh, we're getting married, all right!"

 

[cereality]

Ben is an idiot and if I were John David, I would have been very hard pressed not to tell him so often. He can't even meaure and cut a stick of wood? Seriously. It's not rocket science. I don't feel one ounce of sympathy for that kid. He is clearly enjoying his time in front of the camera and his time with Jessa. He's in this for the sex with Jessa and the fame. He knows that millions of people now know who he is and that would make any 19 year old idiot very, very happy.

 

I would have had a little bit of respect for him if he had actually put in a hard day's work, but like many 19 year olds, he half assed as much as possible and only sort of completed 2 out of the 5 tasks set in front of him.

I don't disagree that Ben is an idiot who is in this for sex and fame. So guess what -- JB could have said NO to the courtship. This was very much of a suitor approaches my daddy, daddy checks him and the family out and approves/disapproves the courtship -- scenario. It's not like a normal family where she met him at her school or work or match.com, and her family had to deal. If JB thinks he is so dumb and horny, then say no to the courtship. But if you have decided that Ben is good enough to court, then you should treat him with some respect when he is around your family -- even if it ultimately does not work out. That doesn't mean you have to be buddy-buddy -- because you are still "checking him out." But that means treating him the way you'd treat any guest in your home -- i.e. maybe start with NOT making him scrub the toilets.

[Ripley68]

JB still seems so conflicted about Ben, and they keep saying, "too move this along.." I'm amazed that they are letting Jessa marry him.   While I agree with it's crappy to make him into slave labor....what 19 year old doesn't know how to use a measuring tape?  Hell, my son knew how to use one by the time he was 6!

 

Michelle seems fairly convinced that Ben and Jessa are right for each other.  I think she is transferring her lust for him into the situation.

[CarolMK]

Ugh. I really hope that after their marriage, Jessa and Ben move back to Hot Springs, rent a trailer to live in, and both of them go to work...Ben back to the insurance office and Jessa in a hair salon (or at least get enrolled in school for it). I can't imagine the two of them being married and living on Jim Bob's property and Ben continuing to work as a slave for his father in law. 

By the way, anyone know the ratings of the episodes lately? I wonder if the public will be able to stand another dozen years of  courtships, wedding, and babies 

from the second Duggar generation.

[Almost 3000]

I didn't see that, so I don't know anything about the tone of the conversation, but that's really interesting.

 

Suppose this has been Ben and Jessa's party all along? What if they met, liked each other (wanted to have sex), and wanted to pursue a relationship. Then JB said no -- for any one of the many obvious reasons to put the brakes on this.

 

Then, suppose Jessa rebelled, and said "I'm going to marry Ben, and if you don't like it, we'll elope and make you look bad to your fans."

 

That would explain a lot:

1. Why JB allowed this in the first place

2. Why he treats Ben so badly and wants to humiliate him in front of his girlfriend

3. Why Jill and Derick got the mansion -- this is what "good girls" get. "Bad girls" can go and live in a room in the warehouse.

4. Why they waited so long to get engaged. During their "date," the kid who was chaperoning said something like "if you get married," and they both responded with "oh, we're getting married, all right!"

That actually almost makes sense but I still don't understand what Jessa sees in a kid with no resources. She's just so head strong she's willing to mess up both their lives for some possible independence and misguided hormones.

[Lillybee]

Ben is not the only 19 year old that can't read a tape measure. My ex was a plumbing contractor and hired a few local young men as apprentices. None of them had an idea of how to read a tape. They really got confused by the fraction part of it.

[GEML]

 

Michelle seems fairly convinced that Ben and Jessa are right for each other.  I think she is transferring her lust for him into the situation.

 

I think this is the real issue here.  I think that Michelle is the one who really approves of this relationship and JB is the one who really approved of Derrick.  After all, we have Michelle going around talking about "we're going to have another engagement SOOOON......"  I think she see's herself in Jessa and a lot of JB in Derrick.  And another that Michelle sees herself in must be a good thing.

And that might explain why it seems like Jill keeps raining on her sister's parade - such as putting up the baby registry long before it was appropriate by any standard and when it's arguably her sister's turn to enjoy a little of the personal spotlight.  She's done EVERYTHING right, but because her mother is so self-centered she can't see anything about Jill's relationship to Derrick other than it will be taking away an important part of the household help.  But Jessa meets some guy at church and Michelle is just all gooey and goggle eyed about it.  That has to hurt.

[zenme]

I wonder if Michelle doesn't seem to like Derick as much because he's led more of worldly and secular life than she would have preferred.  Perhaps they've inquired about his dating history, and Michelle didn't like what he had to say.  She was, after all, a hot to trot cheerleader, and according to her bff, was pretty popular and social.  She had more dating experience than Jim Bob (who I believe had none), and she KNOWS what's out there. Ben is just some immature oaf, who probably seems less "experienced."

[BitterApple]

I agree with the above comments. Michelle has zero enthusiasm for Jill's wedding but is dying to baby-sit Jessa's non-existent children. There's definitely some not-so-subtle favoritism going on here. Boob gives Jill and Derick a mansion, but Bin lives in an airless, deathtrap of a room. Michelle has been blase about Derick from day one, but is all googly-eyed over Bin. Veddy interesting...

[GEML]

Derrick might have saved his first kiss for Jill until his wedding day, but I'm betting that he has "made mistakes" and has "baggage" and maybe even gave away "pieces of his heart" before Jill came on the scene. And what's worse is that he doesn't, at least on camera, even acknowledge what a terrible terrible person this must make him!

Meanwhile Jill goes around saying, "Mommy, I want to be just like you," and Michelle hardly even knows that she exists.

What a messed up family they are, when they really don't need to be if they simply acknowledged each other a little more.

Edited September 18, 2014 by GEML

[zenme]

Jill is a mother figure, and take charge kinda girl that Michelle probably aspires to be. Jim Bob seems to favor Jana and Jill. Jealous maybe?

Jessa is...well, she's Jessa Blessa.

[DangerousMinds]

Ben is not the only 19 year old that can't read a tape measure. My ex was a plumbing contractor and hired a few local young men as apprentices. None of them had an idea of how to read a tape. They really got confused by the fraction part of it.

But Bin supposedly had a windshield repair business? Wouldn't measuring be a big part of that job?

[WTFFF]

 

Why did JoyAnna paint a large red 'a' in the center of her plate?

Please God, tell me this kid's been reading Nathaniel Hawthorne and has some dirt on Jill. 

 

 

IMO, Ben is caught up with a pretty girl at the moment.  I don't think he's really that religious- he just thinks of getting under Jessa's long skirt.

 

I don't think Ben is religious in any real sense of the word.  He loves having an excuse to tell people the "right way" they should live their lives, and he loves that he will never have to question anything, ever, because his religion is "right" and therefore he can never be wrong.  He loves that his religion lets him feel like he has the right to restrict other peoples' freedoms because, you know, he personally thinks women who have sex outside of marriage should be punished and gay sex is icky, and with religion he now has a "valid" excuse to tell people that they have to live their lives in a way HE is comfortable with.

 

I see nothing about Ben that shows any sort of real love and devotion for the deity they supposedly believe in.  But I get the exact same vibe from Jessa, Josh, Anna and a fair number of other Duggars, so...he fits right in.  It's the few Duggars who actually seem to believe in charity or caring about someone who can't give you something in return who stand out in this crowd.  

 

And yeah, I think Ben wants to marry Jessa because he thinks she's hot, she's a virgin and she's famous in his world, and now, for absolutely no good reason, people listen to him when he talks.  I'm pretty sure that's all he's looking for in a wife.

Edited September 18, 2014 by WTFFF

[Barb23]

There was a moment when Jessa was sitting at the table with JB before Bin came in. I didn't catch what he said but Jessa said, rather emphatically, "I AM gonna marry him." Maybe daddy's treatment of her intended is payback for her defiance.

This was mentioned on another blog. Boob asked Jessa how it was going with Ben. That blogger said same thing that Ben got the slave treatment because of her defiant answer.

Remember when they were traveling on the stink bus to Erin Bates' wedding? Boob asked Jessa something (don't remember what it was but it was something about Ben & love). Jessa gave him a snarky reply by throwing question back in his face which Boob didn't like. So I agree, he's probably tired of her defiant attitude & this is his payback.

[WhitneyWhit]

Uh, Jim Bob, what you're doing to Ben was made illegal in this country 149 years ago. Just thought you should know.

[truthtalk2014]

"Why did JoyAnna paint a large red 'a' in the center of her plate?"

 

I can't remember; did she color it scarlet?

I think it was a d that looked like an a.  I guess MEchelle didn't do a very good job with the handwriting homeschooling curriculum .

[Fuzzysox]

You guys are genius!!!! After seeing this picture again, it confirms that Michelle is the one that has the hots for Bin. Look at how hot and bothered she looks!!

 

I think Jessa was disinterested in Bin but something changed in her that all of a sudden she HAS to marry Bin. IDK the whole thing reeks.

 

http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-moms/news/michelle-duggar-blogs-about-jills-pregnancy-jessas-engagement-201449

Edited September 18, 2014 by Fuzzysox

[ghoulina]

About the tape measure - I don't think it was so much that Bin couldn't read it, but he didn't seem to understand how to control it. It kept blowing away, not staying put on the wood he was measuring, and I'm guess he just got so annoyed he did the best he could and hoped it would work.

[GEML]

I think Anna is religious and it shows in a more positive way than not. Yes, she was raised in the Gothard world and says many of the "right" things, but she's done more to open up herself and Josh and their home than the Duggars ever have. I think she was the one who helped Josh move because she had already made one move before, and she knows what it is like, having to rely on yourself and not your parents. I even think that having her sister-in-laws in her home all the time may be an act of kindness, not a desire for free babysitting. She never seemed particularly close to them in AR, and she seems quite capable of taking care of her children, and it's clear that Josh knows how and does so too. Three children that age are a handful, but lots of women do it. But if anyone can see with some clarity what goes on in the Duggar household, it's going to be Anna, who is both insider and outsider. Maybe the visits are for the sisters-in-laws benefit.

[Barb23]

You guys are genius!!!! After seeing this picture again, it confirms that Michelle is the one that has the hots for Bin. Look at how hot and bothered she looks!!

 

I think Jessa was disinterested in Bin but something changed in her that all of a sudden she HAS to marry Bin. IDK the whole thing reeks.

 

http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-moms/news/michelle-duggar-blogs-about-jills-pregnancy-jessas-engagement-201449

I agree about Jessa's disinterest in Ben, at least in the beginning. She didn't seem too thrilled when he asked her to court (at least not as excited as Jill & the Bates girls were). Then again it might have to do with being asked in the Duggar home office with Boob & Michelle hovering.

[Ripley68]

About the tape measure - for me it was more that he didn't know how to keep it from not flopping around (pushing the button down).

[ghoulina]

There's a button??? 

[zenme]

There's a button???

 

LOL! Yeah, on the side.  It will lock the tape measure at a desired point. Helps make it easier to manage. 

[Libby96]

Upthread someone mentioned the skirt with the bedazzled butt that Jessa was sporting this episode. I thought it was cute and looked nice on her, but I wonder how that draws less attention to her backside than a plain old pair of jeans would. But hey, it's a skirt that hits below the knees, so it meets the Duggar Dress Code.

[BitterApple]

The skirt was actually pretty cute and much more modern than what we've seen them wear in the past. I agree though, it was very clingy and drew attention to sinful areas... 

[Barb23]

Upthread someone mentioned the skirt with the bedazzled butt that Jessa was sporting this episode. I thought it was cute and looked nice on her, but I wonder how that draws less attention to her backside than a plain old pair of jeans would. But hey, it's a skirt that hits below the knees, so it meets the Duggar Dress Code.

I don't remember where I read this but in the articie/blog it was discussing the Fundie women's dress code of not wearing pants. Someone said by wearing a skirt/dress, there was easier access for them to have a "quickie" than by wearing pants. Those heathens!

[truthtalk2014]

LOL! Yeah, on the side.  It will lock the tape measure at a desired point. Helps make it easier to manage. 

Well thanks.  I actually learned something today about tape measures.  I always just get someone to hold it for me. lol