Jessa, Ben and Their Brood: Making a (Diaper) Mountain out of a Mold House

[Nysha]

I liked the song that went with the video. They all seemed to genuinely have a good time, even Ben & Jessa looked less stressed than usual.

[farmgal4]

2 hours ago, Madtown said:

Video of a walk in a nature preserve. Some screenshots.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CfbqZ33DcJ4/

Henry is beyond cute!  I would love to adopt him.  Ivy’s messy hair makes her look like a ragamuffin.  How hard can it be for Jessa to brush it and then put it up in a ponytail or pigtails every morning?  SMDH.  

[dargosmydaddy]

I'm raising my eyebrows more over her outfit choice, which looks more like "church service" than "nature walk." At least she does appear to be wearing sneakers; Henry only has sandals (though they're not flip flops, so Jessa is already outdoing her parents in the providing-your-child-with-some-semblance-of-footwear-appropriate-to-the-activity category...). Meanwhile, Spurgeon got sneakers AND a hat, because firstborn sons rate!

[Salacious Kitty]

5 minutes ago, farmgal4 said:

Henry is beyond cute!  I would love to adopt him.  Ivy’s messy hair makes her look like a ragamuffin.  How hard can it be for Jessa to brush it and then put it up in a ponytail or pigtails every morning?  SMDH.  

Jessa seems to prefer those ragamuffin curls on all of her kids. 

[GeeGolly]

On 6/29/2022 at 3:37 PM, wilsie said:

Because you obviously can't have too many Immanuel Baptist churches in that area, Ben's church is in Springdale.  

I have no idea how churches work. Who makes financial decisions in the smaller churches?

[Zella]

1 hour ago, GeeGolly said:

I have no idea how churches work. Who makes financial decisions in the smaller churches?

I think it can vary quite a bit by denomination and individual church. 

[sagittarius sue]

2 minutes ago, Zella said:

I think it can vary quite a bit by denomination and individual church. 

I agree.  I think with a very small group there might even be just the pastor deciding.  At my church we have pastors, a board, several committees, and on major decisions voing at a congregational meeting.

[GeeGolly]

3 minutes ago, Zella said:

I think it can vary quite a bit by denomination and individual church. 

Is there a way to find out with Ben's church? Could it be possible that Jessa and Ben or Jessa, Ben and JB are 'the church'?

[Zella]

3 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

Is there a way to find out with Ben's church? Could it be possible that Jessa and Ben or Jessa, Ben and JB are 'the church'?

I don't honestly know how easy it would be to find out without being a member. One option is seeing who owns the building. Maybe poking around their website and seeing if there was a board. 

About 20 years ago, my grandparents attended a church where the finances were controlled by one person who was not the pastor for years. It made them very uncomfortable. Other places they've attended there was a small board and treasurer was one of the positions that rotated. My grandmother was asked to be treasurer at one of those churches and declined. Often the pastor has less control than people may think. 

Edited June 30, 2022 by Zella

[Zella]

FYI the property has been owned by the church since the mid-80s. I don't ever remember there being a Duggar connection here, so my guess is this is not a Duggar-run church. My guess is that Ben has a boss of some sort, possibly a board, and that he does not have sole financial discretion. 

Edited to add: I am finding a non current nonprofit corporation for a church with that name and at that address, and it doesn't have the usual Duggar suspects listed. 

Edited June 30, 2022 by Zella

[iwantcookies]

It’s nice that the family is spending time together outside. Fresh air and adventures! Kids were probably very happy! 
 

Ivy is such a darling little girl!

[Nysha]

20 hours ago, dargosmydaddy said:

I'm raising my eyebrows more over her outfit choice, which looks more like "church service" than "nature walk." At least she does appear to be wearing sneakers; Henry only has sandals (though they're not flip flops, so Jessa is already outdoing her parents in the providing-your-child-with-some-semblance-of-footwear-appropriate-to-the-activity category...). Meanwhile, Spurgeon got sneakers AND a hat, because firstborn sons rate!

Ivy may be at the stage of picking her own clothes and wanted to wear a pretty dress. I'm sure she has shorts underneath, so she's just as dressed for a walk as the boys. It seems they pretty much stayed on the path, so sandals with socks aren't any less than sneakers, to me.

[dargosmydaddy]

3 hours ago, Nysha said:

Ivy may be at the stage of picking her own clothes and wanted to wear a pretty dress.

I did think of that, and then thought, "Nah, Jessa would never give her kids that much autonomy."

If she did, good for her!

[GeeGolly]

According to Jessa the kids have about 5 outfits in rotation at a time, so Ivy picking her own outfit would be from limited choices which have been 'preapproved'. 

[Cinnabon]

14 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

According to Jessa the kids have about 5 outfits in rotation at a time, so Ivy picking her own outfit would be from limited choices which have been 'preapproved'. 

And I’m sure Ivy’s options didn’t include shorts like her brothers get to wear. 😡

[farmgal4]

12 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

According to Jessa the kids have about 5 outfits in rotation at a time, so Ivy picking her own outfit would be from limited choices which have been 'preapproved'. 

They only have 5 outfits/child??  That’s kind of sad, although I guess you don’t need many clothes when you’re at home all day and don’t go to school. 😢

[madpsych78]

At least ramp it up to 7 outfits per child so that they get a full week's worth of clothing!

[Tikichick]

On 6/20/2022 at 2:24 PM, GeeGolly said:

But they have an indoor plastic slide, just like Jessa did. What more can 2 grade-schoolers, a preschooler and a toddler ask for? 🙃

(the smack my head emoji disappeared)

1 hour ago, GeeGolly said:

According to Jessa the kids have about 5 outfits in rotation at a time, so Ivy picking her own outfit would be from limited choices which have been 'preapproved'. 

58 minutes ago, Cinnabon said:

And I’m sure Ivy’s options didn’t include shorts like her brothers get to wear. 😡

56 minutes ago, farmgal4 said:

They only have 5 outfits/child??  That’s kind of sad, although I guess you don’t need many clothes when you’re at home all day and don’t go to school. 😢

All of these thoughts give me heartburn.   The # of outfits isn't really the point.   Plenty of adults will tell you they realize later in life they grew up relatively poor but had no idea and look back on their childhoods as wonderful times. 

The fact the Duggar grandchildren have such tiny windows on the world and such restrictions that limit their potential is profoundly tragic.   It makes me both sad and angry on their behalf.     

[GeeGolly]

1 minute ago, Tikichick said:

All of these thoughts give me heartburn.   The # of outfits isn't really the point.     

The Seewald kids have TONS of clothes. Jessa picks 5 or so outfits, puts them in rotation for a time and them replaces them with a new set.

[Salacious Kitty]

1 hour ago, GeeGolly said:

The Seewald kids have TONS of clothes. Jessa picks 5 or so outfits, puts them in rotation for a time and them replaces them with a new set.

Does one of the five outfits include church wear or is that somehow a "special" category? Because having only 4 outfits plus church wear would kind of suck. 

[Cinnabon]

6 minutes ago, Salacious Kitty said:

Does one of the five outfits include church wear or is that somehow a "special" category? Because having only 4 outfits plus church wear would kind of suck. 

Do these people even dress up for church? What church do they attend on Sundays?

[GeeGolly]

8 minutes ago, Salacious Kitty said:

Does one of the five outfits include church wear or is that somehow a "special" category? Because having only 4 outfits plus church wear would kind of suck. 

I don't really know. I believe Jessa shared this info in a YouTube video.

[Salacious Kitty]

7 minutes ago, Cinnabon said:

Do these people even dress up for church? What church do they attend on Sundays?

They dress the kids up for church. Not in suits, but not their everyday wear either.

[Cinnabon]

2 hours ago, Salacious Kitty said:

They dress the kids up for church. Not in suits, but not their everyday wear either.

Has she shared any Sunday pictures? And I’m still wondering exactly which church they attend.

[Zella]

44 minutes ago, Cinnabon said:

Has she shared any Sunday pictures? And I’m still wondering exactly which church they attend.

I assume they attend the church where Ben preaches. If not, that hardly seems like a ringing endorsement of his skills as a pastor. LOL

[BigBingerBro]

Isn't their new home adjacent to the church they attend and Bin preaches at?

[Salacious Kitty]

7 minutes ago, BigBingerBro said:

Isn't their new home adjacent to the church they attend and Bin preaches at?

In a word, yes. 

[Tigregirl]

10 hours ago, Nysha said:

Ivy may be at the stage of picking her own clothes and wanted to wear a pretty dress. I'm sure she has shorts underneath, so she's just as dressed for a walk as the boys. It seems they pretty much stayed on the path, so sandals with socks aren't any less than sneakers, to me.

She has white leggings on.  Can’t tell if they’re knee length or rolled up but you can see them a a couple of pics.

[Cinnabon]

1 hour ago, Zella said:

I assume they attend the church where Ben preaches. If not, that hardly seems like a ringing endorsement of his skills as a pastor. LOL

I thought someone mentioned that his church doesn’t even hold Sunday services. So confused!

[Salacious Kitty]

15 minutes ago, Cinnabon said:

I thought someone mentioned that his church doesn’t even hold Sunday services. So confused!

His sermons are posted on the church's website.

[Zella]

I confess I am confused now too. LOL Is he still conducting church remotely or are the sermons recorded during a regular service? 

[Salacious Kitty]

3 minutes ago, Zella said:

I confess I am confused now too. LOL Is he still conducting church remotely or are the sermons recorded during a regular service? 

He's fundie. They've probably had live services for over a year. Now my question is: how large is his congregation?

[GeeGolly]

This is what their website says:

At Immanuel, we value the Word of God. Because of this, we believe our services are to be centered around the Word of God. A typical service at Immanuel will include singing songs, prayer, the preaching of the word, a closing song, and a benediction. We have one in-person service that meets in our main hall at 10:30AM on Sundays.

[Cinnabon]

26 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

At Immanuel, we value the Word of God. Because of this, we believe our services are to be centered around the Word of God.

LOL, isn’t this true of all Christian churches?

[GeeGolly]

I don't recall seeing the Seewalds in church other than for a wedding or funeral, so I have no idea what they wear. The couple of times the Dillards posted stories at church for a non-occasion the boys looked to be in their everyday clothes, as were Jill and Derick.

The Bates on the other hand dress to impress when they go to church, although their kids seem to wear everyday clothes, but most of their kids wear clothes that are mainstream and clothes that fit. Well, except for Erin's kids - they always look like they've stepped off the set of the Waltons. And then there's Alyssa's kids who are gifted homemade matching dresses, almost weekly.

Jessa and Jill don't seem to have the same skill (or care) in dressing their kids as the Bates families do.

[Zella]

29 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

Jessa and Jill don't seem to have the same skill (or care) in dressing their kids as the Bates families do.

That seems to be a Duggar-wide phenomenon too. Probably a side effect of being raised with a communal closet. I will readily admit I am not a stylish person, but I think some of the in-laws probably have a better sense of style than the Duggar girls. I don't particularly care for Lauren, but I often thought she had a cute sense of style. 

[Churchhoney]

18 hours ago, Cinnabon said:

I thought someone mentioned that his church doesn’t even hold Sunday services. So confused!

They didn't list any services for a really long time. Just online recorded sermons.  I got the impression that that might be partly because of the pandemic but likely also partly because the church was really struggling with membership numbers, money, or whatever.....

Now, though, they have one live, on-site service a week, at 10:30 on Sunday morning. No other activities mentioned on the website at thie point, though, as far as I can tell. 

Edited July 2, 2022 by Churchhoney

[Salacious Kitty]

9 minutes ago, Churchhoney said:

They didn't list any services for a really long time. Just online recorded sermons.  I got the impression that that might be partly because of the pandemic but likely also partly because the church was really struggling with membership numbers, money, or whatever.....

Now, though, they have one live, on-site service a week, at 10:30 on Sunday morning. No other activities mentioned on the website at thie point, though, as far as I can tell. 

That's why I question the size of the congregation. It's got to be in the 10s. 

[Cinnabon]

1 hour ago, Churchhoney said:

They didn't list any services for a really long time. Just online recorded sermons.

Ah, this must be what I remembered reading.

[Salacious Kitty]

They still post Ben's weekly sermon. 

https://www.ibcspringdale.com/

Edited July 2, 2022 by Salacious Kitty

[Churchhoney]

1 hour ago, Salacious Kitty said:

That's why I question the size of the congregation. It's got to be in the 10s. 

Yeah, I think so, too.

From things I saw on the website a few years ago, I wondered whether it was one of those churches where most of the membership aged out, passed on and otherwise left....but where the congregation owns the building so some people are really determined to bring it back. At one point, they seemed to be renting out the building extensively to some local arts groups and such. And then they brought in Bin and some other young guys to preach virtual sermons for free or nearly free, and they started publicizing their growing online sermon collection a bit..... 

Maybe they've attracted a tiny bit of interest by their efforst and are trying now to see if they can make a go of the thing as a live church again or something....

I don't think the odds are very good for something like that. But I wonder whether they aren't trying that now....

Edited July 2, 2022 by Churchhoney

[Suzn]

I really don't understand this.  Why would anyone invest major amounts of money in renovating a property they don't own?  Do they have a  contract of some kind, guaranteeing they can live in the house for some long period with no  or minimal rent?  It's a bizarre arrangement.

[crazy8s]

36 minutes ago, Suzn said:

I really don't understand this.  Why would anyone invest major amounts of money in renovating a property they don't own?  Do they have a  contract of some kind, guaranteeing they can live in the house for some long period with no  or minimal rent?  It's a bizarre arrangement.

well the Duggars have always been proud to claim they do things a bit different....

beyond that, if Travis Story is in any way involved in setting up some legal deal or agreement between the Seewalds and the church they are screwed.

[Zella]

2 hours ago, Suzn said:

I really don't understand this.  Why would anyone invest major amounts of money in renovating a property they don't own?  Do they have a  contract of some kind, guaranteeing they can live in the house for some long period with no  or minimal rent?  It's a bizarre arrangement.

I agree. It's really weird. 

[Future Cat Lady]

What happens if Ben gets fired of moves on to another job?

Even if they were gifted the house, it should be in their names. Maybe there are some financial shenanigans going on.

[GeeGolly]

This is gonna sound crazy, but I think the Seewalds must be becoming the church. Like rent to own or something. Then all the property and the congregation will be theirs. 

I know, crazy!

[Salacious Kitty]

I have a feeling that they will be living there rent free as part of Ben's benefits. That said, he can't be paid that much in actual salary. They're probably relying on YouTube and Jessa's sponsored crap to pay the bills.

Edited July 3, 2022 by Salacious Kitty
Put in future tense since they haven't moved yet

[Cinnabon]

40 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

This is gonna sound crazy, but I think the Seewalds must be becoming the church. Like rent to own or something. Then all the property and the congregation will be theirs. 

I know, crazy!

With a congregation of 10, including the Seewalds 🤣.

[Zella]

43 minutes ago, GeeGolly said:

This is gonna sound crazy, but I think the Seewalds must be becoming the church. Like rent to own or something. Then all the property and the congregation will be theirs. 

I know, crazy!

I think you might be onto something. I know of people who've bought church buildings from the former church. It never seems to end well, and I doubt this will either if that's what they're doing. But it would explain why they're spending money on something that doesn't seem to be theirs. 

[Salacious Kitty]

2 minutes ago, Cinnabon said:

With a congregation of 10, including the Seewalds 🤣.

LOL, I said "in the 10s," so that could mean...TWENTY!!!! 😂