Jana and Stephen: Slow and Steady Gets the Best Wedding

[skatelady]

8 hours ago, Is Everyone Gone said:

I could actually see Jana working a 9-5 job while married. She spent so much of her life working (not just taking care of the little Duggars, but being that fixer-upper for her entire family), that she's become super industrious and organized.

But I could also see her getting pregnant immediately; if she's planning on ever having kids, she'll have to start soon. I do believe that 35 is considered a geriatric pregnancy. 

And, if she can get 500 wedding guests to keep a secret, then I wouldn't be shocked if we find out after the fact that she's had a baby. Stay tuned for the surprise People spread in 9 months!

[Dr. Harleen]

14 hours ago, GeeGolly said:

How are they putting the primary bathroom there? Can Stephen do real residential house plumbing? Because if I'm seeing it right this bathroom is on the opposite end of the two existing bathrooms and the kitchen, so no where near any existing plumbing.

That's a lot of expensive work.

I just hope they pulled all the permits needed for these renovations and are prepared for the increased tax evaluations that will result. I also live in Nebraska and we have some of the highest property taxes, and with that insurance rates in the country. While their house is not located in one of the more desirable parts of the city, it is still in their best interest that all the technical work is done by professionals and not the “Duggar-way”.

Edited August 31 by Dr. Harleen

[js9548]

About how far is Jana and Stephen's new house in Nebraska from the Duggar compound in Arkansas?

[GeeGolly]

4 hours ago, js9548 said:

About how far is Jana and Stephen's new house in Nebraska from the Duggar compound in Arkansas?

About a 6ish hour drive.

If Jana wants to make money renovating homes, it will never be a TV show. Beyond the tarnished Duggar name, Jana still operates on Duggar time. Also her brothers have always been around to do the heavy lifting.

I do think Jana could have successful reno/garden/farm YouTube channel though.

[Zella]

10 hours ago, GeeGolly said:

About a 6ish hour drive.

If Jana wants to make money renovating homes, it will never be a TV show. Beyond the tarnished Duggar name, Jana still operates on Duggar time. Also her brothers have always been around to do the heavy lifting.

I do think Jana could have successful reno/garden/farm YouTube channel though.

Yeah I think a YouTube channel is a more realistic goal for her than getting a show on a network. Whether or not she'd have the ability or interest in devoting the time to doing it properly, I don't know. But it wouldn't be hard to generate better content than her sisters. LOL 

[Meow Mix]

One thing that stood out to me was that according to her, she and her sisters were staying n the guest room with Stephen there.  I'm surprised JB went for that.  They sure have come a long way from when they freaked out over Jill front hugging Derick at the airport before they were engaged.  

Given all of this, I suspect this engagement was in the works long before the official photos were taken.  They weren't doing all this reno work while Jana was planning a wedding in two months.

[Salacious Kitty]

34 minutes ago, Meow Mix said:

One thing that stood out to me was that according to her, she and her sisters were staying n the guest room with Stephen there.  I'm surprised JB went for that.  They sure have come a long way from when they freaked out over Jill front hugging Derick at the airport before they were engaged.  

Given all of this, I suspect this engagement was in the works long before the official photos were taken.  They weren't doing all this reno work while Jana was planning a wedding in two months.

Nah, Stephen bought the house last year. He may have already been back together with Jana then. I agree that this didn't just start in June. 

[Gemma Violet]

Jana's latest video--venue and wedding dress shopping:

 

Edited September 8 by Gemma Violet

[Tdoc72]

She looked great in everyone. She could’ve worn any style. Glad she found one she liked. I also liked the loaner shoes. 
Pleasantly surprised by the lack of modesty talk. Some of the dresses would’ve gotten a side-eye by the Duggars a while back. I also wondered where Michelle was. 

[Gemma Violet]

4 minutes ago, Tdoc72 said:

I also wondered where Michelle was. 

Maybe Michelle didn't necessarily want to visit the venue, but she ended up missing out on the gown purchase, which came during a spur-of-the-moment shopping trip to the bridal shop after the venue tour.  Maybe they face-timed with her to show her the dress.

[realityfan26]

It looked like there were more people at the venue. I thought I spotted one of the younger girls. I like that Jana knew what she wanted and just went for it. The dress try on did make me wonder how much of the modesty talk was for the show. 

[Salacious Kitty]

I was shocked that Jessa approved the dress. I remember what a fit she had when her SIL Jessica tried on similar dresses for her first wedding. 

[Gemma Violet]

I noticed that at one point, Jana said, "I kind of like the off-white, but would it go with everything else?"  and Joy answered, "With the champagne, yeah."  I know there have been times on Say Yes to the Dress when a parent, for religious reasons, refuses to approve any dress that's not pure white.  So you go, Jana.   

[Is Everyone Gone]

I liked dress #3 the best, but the dress Jana chose was lovely too.

[Lisa418722]

7 hours ago, Salacious Kitty said:

I was shocked that Jessa approved the dress. I remember what a fit she had when her SIL Jessica tried on similar dresses for her first wedding. 

That was for a TV show and Jessa had to prove how modest she was.  Now that they don't have a TV and it wasn't filmed for another show, the modesty standards are no longer as important.  

[mythoughtis]

4 hours ago, Lisa418722 said:

That was for a TV show and Jessa had to prove how modest she was.  Now that they don't have a TV and it wasn't filmed for another show, the modesty standards are no longer as important.  

I think that is some of it.  However I also think that the underage girls  and Michelle are still following  all the modest/ no pants rules.   So I don’t think JB and Michelle have relaxed their rules.  They just don’t have control of the married daughters.  Those women have realized  that pants/modest shorts do come in female sizes and  shapes and are  therefore acceptable as women’s clothing.  Jana is in her 30s and I think she also  put her foot down and told her parents she was an adult - the court sure treated her as one during her experience there.
 

watching daddy find out he didn’t make the rules at Josh’s trial played a part too.  It also made them realize that covering every bit of skin didn’t make Josh behave or that showing your collarbone doesn’t make decent men misbehave  either. 

  

Edited September 8 by mythoughtis

[Meow Mix]

She looked good in every dress she tried.  I'm glad she got the one she truly wanted and the salon helped with adjusting the top so that it worked for her.  I thought the venue was really nice too.  My only issue was the bride's area didn't look as comfortable as the groom's area.  Maybe a TV and some of the other amenities are something women want too.

[Fostersmom]

3 hours ago, mythoughtis said:

I think that is some of it.  However I also think that the underage girls  and Michelle are still following  all the modest/ no pants rules.   So I don’t think JB and Michelle have relaxed their rules.  They just don’t have control of the married daughters.  Those women have realized  that pants/modest shorts do come in female sizes and  shapes and are  therefore acceptable as women’s clothing.  Jana is in her 30s and I think she also  put her foot down and told her parents she was an adult - the court sure treated her as one during her experience there.
 

watching daddy find out he didn’t make the rules at Josh’s trial played a part too.  It also made them realize that covering every bit of skin didn’t make Josh behave or that showing your collarbone doesn’t make decent men misbehave  either. 

  

I think the older already married sisters started making their own rules once they left the house and felt comfortable. Jinger pretty much adapted like the day after she got married, Jill and Joy over years, and Jessa much longer after.  Jeremy and Derick's moms are both pant wearing educated women who obviously a) raised men who met their religious standards and b) didn't burst into flames by wearing pants or having minds of their own. Ben's family, while maybe not full on Duggar levels, is the closest to what Jessa knew. Plus, Jessa seemed to be bucking for the show to be brought back in its old form for the longest out of all the sisters. Rumor had it Jinger and Jeremy wanted their own show, key word being OWN, not family. So while Jessa might have been mentioned, she wouldn't have been the focus

Meanwhile Jana kept growing closer to Abby, another educated,  pant wearing woman, while she was stuck in the family house, raising the howlers who were left and the lost girls, while her Prince Charming was no where in sight. Jana out of all of them did everything right according to her world, but it wasn't getting her anywhere. When Jana seemingly took the responsibility of a lost M kid, I think she put her foot down and said  her version of "Fuck It!"" and decided to live her own life, got her tiny house,  and made her own path.

[jacourt]

What I liked about the video was the honest joy all the girls were showing towards Jana. It was so very heartwarming. 

[lascuba]

On 9/7/2024 at 11:37 PM, Salacious Kitty said:

I was shocked that Jessa approved the dress. I remember what a fit she had when her SIL Jessica tried on similar dresses for her first wedding. 

Jessa didn't throw a fit, it was a couple of Jessica's relatives who did. The most critical thing Jessa said was something like, "Yeah, it's kind of low" about one of the dresses when the bride asked for opinions. 

[Gemma Violet]

Jana's latest video--update on her fixer upper.  Wow, there was a tremendous amount of work to do:

 

[AstridM]

Jana, you can go ahead and live a private life now. 

[Tasya]

1 hour ago, Gemma Violet said:

Jana's latest video--update on her fixer upper.  Wow, there was a tremendous amount of work to do:

 

I enjoyed the video. I think a definite fundy lesson is to, contrary to what they say, wait to get married. JD and Abbie and Jana and Steven (seemingly) are proof of that. 

[jacourt]

Those guys were working very hard moving cabinets. Did they ever hear of a hand truck?  

[MsJamieDornan]

19 hours ago, AstridM said:

Jana, you can go ahead and live a private life now.

And you can leave your piece of crap father out of your videos. Please

[Absolom]

They left all the handtrucks in their storage in AR?  Typical Duggar.

[GeeGolly]

Jana is brave to post a construction video right after her brother is in the news.

[Absolom]

Ignore the family.  She's changed her name and moved.  I bet she finds that liberating.

[Salacious Kitty]

7 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

Jana is brave to post a construction video right after her brother is in the news.

Apples and oranges. Jana is doing a remodel on her honey's own home. Jason was "building" for the market. 

[crazy8s]

1 hour ago, Absolom said:

They left all the handtrucks in their storage in AR?  Typical Duggar.

They have been clear all along they "do things a bit different" 😂

[GeeGolly]

1 hour ago, Salacious Kitty said:

Apples and oranges. Jana is doing a remodel on her honey's own home. Jason was "building" for the market. 

Very true, but there are plenty of followers who might call attention to what a Duggar is doing to the powers that be. I hope they pulled all the proper permits for the plumbing and wiring.

I mean Jinger couldn't sell a donut with followers outing her as a hateful Fundy. But then again maybe Jana is on the "good Duggar" list like Jill.

[Gemma Violet]

Jana's latest video--bridal shower and bachelor party.  (Despite the title, most of the video is additional home renovations.)  The bachelor party consisted of hiking and camping in the woods.

 

Edited September 23 by Gemma Violet

[lookeyloo]

Wow. Jana has a lot to say. She shrugged and said a word or two in all the talking heads back when. Then speculation that she raised enough children and liked her alone time.  Go know!

[Gemma Violet]

Latest video.  Picking up wedding dress, train trip, Stephen's interaction with Jana's nieces and nephews, 5-K run, line dancing, bridal shower, more house renovations (I'm so impressed with Jana's carpentry skills), and a few other tidbits.  Note to Jana:  Wear goggles when cutting wood.

 

Edited October 9 by Gemma Violet

[emma675]

Jana: "I should probably be wearing my glasses as I do this." Proceeds to never wear safety glasses to cut every piece of trim. 🤦‍♀️ It's amazing that every Duggar still has their eyes, fingers, and toes considering how careless they are in construction areas.

Edited October 9 by emma675

[ozziemom]

Jana: Y’all safety first as she proceeds to cut wood without safety glasses. She does seem very happy and Stephen appears to be a nice guy. Still hate a lot of their beliefs.

[Is Everyone Gone]

Jana's post about Jase's wedding weekend:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DA6KT5YOilE/?img_index=8

Jinger and Jill are conspicuously absent.

[Madtown]

57 minutes ago, Is Everyone Gone said:

Jana's post about Jase's wedding weekend:

https://www.instagram.com/p/DA6KT5YOilE/?img_index=8

Jinger and Jill are conspicuously absent.

Jill was there. She did many videos on Instagram of the whole trip and the wedding. Jinger and Jeremy have pictures at well.

[Is Everyone Gone]

1 hour ago, Madtown said:

Jill was there. She did many videos on Instagram of the whole trip and the wedding. Jinger and Jeremy have pictures at well.

Oh I know they were both there. Just that Jana seems to be excluding them from her SM posts.

I must say, given the choice to hang out between Jana/Jessa and Jill/Jinger, I chose Jill/Jinger any day. They're not super amazing or anything, but they do seem more open-minded and less self-righteous and would be more fun at a wedding.

Edited October 10 by Is Everyone Gone

[questionfear]

13 hours ago, Is Everyone Gone said:

Oh I know they were both there. Just that Jana seems to be excluding them from her SM posts.

I must say, given the choice to hang out between Jana/Jessa and Jill/Jinger, I chose Jill/Jinger any day. They're not super amazing or anything, but they do seem more open-minded and less self-righteous and would be more fun at a wedding.

Agreed. Even the spouses would be more interesting. I don't think I have much in common with any of them, but I could talk sports with Jeremy and I know enough lawyers to make small talk with Derrick and probably could keep it to funny work stories etc. And I bet both of them are way better at polite small talk. 

[Is Everyone Gone]

2 hours ago, questionfear said:

Agreed. Even the spouses would be more interesting. I don't think I have much in common with any of them, but I could talk sports with Jeremy and I know enough lawyers to make small talk with Derrick and probably could keep it to funny work stories etc. And I bet both of them are way better at polite small talk. 

I also think that Jana and Jessa just don't seem all that pleasant as people. Both seem rather cold and judgmental. Jinger and Jill both seem somewhat clingy (probably due to the abuse and neglect as kids), but overall nice and warm. 

[dargosmydaddy]

Am I missing something? Jessa isn't in her pictures, either. She has pictures with the younger girls (minus Josie), Joy, James, Abbie, and Stephen. Heck, she doesn't even have a picture with Jason, just a picture of him. How is this a slight to Jinger and Jill?

[Tasya]

I have rarely seen Jana pictured at Jessa's house; by contrast, we have frequently seen her in California with Jinger. I think of her siblings, Jana is particularly close to JD and the rest of them are at about the same level.

I don't get the idea that Jill is some ideal of a Duggar sister. Jill was an insufferable smug snitch who fully bought into the family ideal when she was growing up. Just because she seems to have embraced a somewhat crunchy image, I don't think she's changed that much. Personally, I don't read Jana as cold, but rather as introverted. Which in her family has to be difficult to deal with.

If I was forced by some god-awful circumstance to spend time with a Duggar daughter, I would pick Jana and/or Jinger. Jana because I could probably read a book quietly while she did some project and be just fine. Jinger because we could go to Starbucks and be perfectly content not talking much at all. I think Jill is annoying and Jessa, well I'll just say no thanks there. 

[GeeGolly]

For the last 5+ years it seems Jana has spent most of her time with Hannah, Jenny and Jordyn, as well as Joy. Maybe Anna and Laura too. Jessa has been known to hang at the TTH, so they see each other some. But in the last couple of years I think Hannah, Jenny, Abbie and JD have been her chaperones when dating Stephen, so Jana likely feels very close to them at this time. Who knows what it will look like in a year or two now that Jana lives a few hours away.

Jana has no patience for Josie.

Jill and Jinger don't see the family all that much so it makes sense they're not close to their sisters anymore.

[Gemma Violet]

42 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

Jessa has been known to hang at the TTH, so they see each other some.

I remember Jessa was behind the camera when Jana gave her tiny house tour.

[lianau]

3 hours ago, Tasya said:

 

I don't get the idea that Jill is some ideal of a Duggar sister. Jill was an insufferable smug snitch who fully bought into the family ideal when she was growing up. Just because she seems to have embraced a somewhat crunchy image, I don't think she's changed that much.

 

I think this is something that often gets overlooked in certain snark spaces. For almost all of her life Jill was Jim Bob's golden girl, the one who policed her siblings for rule infringement  the most. And suddenly she's criticizing and calling out all the rules she previously enforced and very likely got her siblings in trouble for. If I was one of the siblings I'd be really annoyed by that chain of events. 

[AstridM]

Jana is so introverted that she’s now filming and posting many of her private life events for millions of complete strangers? I don’t buy it.🤷‍♀️

[GeeGolly]

I like Jill just as much as all the sisters, but I agree that she somehow became an unsnarkable hero to some followers.

As far as sibling relationships, none of the sisters were all that close to any of their siblings. Some buddies became attached to their big buddy, but I think only the brothers and Joy had anything close to a friendship within similar aged sibling groups.

Jana was never an introvert. She was a chatterbox who was trained to tone it down.

[Fostersmom]

1 hour ago, GeeGolly said:

I like Jill just as much as all the sisters, but I agree that she somehow became an unsnarkable hero to some followers.

As far as sibling relationships, none of the sisters were all that close to any of their siblings. Some buddies became attached to their big buddy, but I think only the brothers and Joy had anything close to a friendship within similar aged sibling groups.

Jana was never an introvert. She was a chatterbox who was trained to tone it down.

Jana became a mother to her siblings at like 4 years old….. she didn’t have time to be their friend. 

[jschoolgirl]

4 hours ago, GeeGolly said:

Jana has no patience for Josie.

How so? How do we know that?