Bontragers and Bowers Engaged

[JermajestyDuggar]

I would wear something different on Friday and Saturday. And I would really try to give them the same amount of money as I would if they were all separate. 

As a guest, I would prefer all three weddings to be in two days. I hate traveling for weddings and traveling out of state to three different weddings in a short span of time would annoy me. 

But if I was in the weddings, I doubt I would enjoy it much. It sounds exhausting to be honest. 

[hollyandivy]

12 hours ago, HereticHick said:

Yeah, I agree to all this.  Do think that they will just use the same sanctuary decorations (flowers, etc.)  for both weddings?  I have a feeling that both receptions might be in the Bontrager's big barn--where they have their Labor Day shindig? WIll they recycle the reception decorations? I mean, this will be super economical and I respect that (death to the wedding-industrial complex!!!) but like you said, poor Brynn.

 

Maybe the three girls come to a consensus regarding all the decorations? Then there would be no "poor Brynn"

[HereticHick]

I am mystified about the Bowers source of income. They just bought their farmhouse + land near the Bontragers last fall; they have a giant-ass tour bus. They seem to be living quite comfortably-- nice home furnishings, nicely dressed kids. I can't believe Daddy's 2 documentary films bring in enough income to keep them all fed and pay the mortgage on the house. I know that they sometime have little booths at conferences, and they probably sell CDs of their singing (but those type of CD sales rarely make a profit over the  recording + production + shipping costs).

I can see how "love offerings" + grifting from friends while on the road can keep them in food, gas and laundry quarters, but I don't see how they are paying the mortgage (or paying for upcoming giant wedding receptions)

[BirdgirlH]

7 hours ago, HereticHick said:

I am mystified about the Bowers source of income. They just bought their farmhouse + land near the Bontragers last fall; they have a giant-ass tour bus.

 

I can see how "love offerings" + grifting from friends while on the road can keep them in food, gas and laundry quarters, but I don't see how they are paying the mortgage (or paying for upcoming giant wedding receptions)

Yes I'm mystified too! With the Bontragers I can sort of see that with their farm and hotel and a lot of the adult kids making their own money how they can survive. But the Bowers??? The kids are mostly young still and the oldest (Carolina & Cassidy) just do SAHD stuff and help their dad with orders etc. I really don't get what they mean when they say "the Lord gave us a bus" / "the Lord gave us a house". He obviously didn't just drop it in front of their feet from heaven, so how is this happening?? Are they really good at finding Christian millionaires with no family ties who want to give them money for their "ministry"?

 

[JemimaPuddle-Duck]

I didn't realize the Bontragers were going to be playing this week in Fairbanks, Alaska. (We have mutual friends.) I wonder if they're driving. I suppose I could just check their website. 

[JermajestyDuggar]

5 minutes ago, JemimaPuddle-Duck said:

I didn't realize the Bontragers were going to be playing this week in Fairbanks, Alaska. (We have mutual friends.) I wonder if they're driving. I suppose I could just check their website. 

Their summer tour is extremely northern. So Alaska and Canada will be most of it. 

[closetcagebaby]

1 hour ago, JemimaPuddle-Duck said:

I didn't realize the Bontragers were going to be playing this week in Fairbanks, Alaska. (We have mutual friends.) I wonder if they're driving. I suppose I could just check their website. 

Ugh keep the fundies out of my hometown please. They've got enough problems. 

[HereticHick]

All 3 Bontrager engagement announcements are on their local newspaper website now at http://www.kalonanews.com/life/engagements/

[JermajestyDuggar]

3 hours ago, HereticHick said:

All 3 Bontrager engagement announcements are on their local newspaper website now at http://www.kalonanews.com/life/engagements/

Well they obviously live in Amish/Mennonite country. Did you see all the last names of the other couples engaged?

Borntrager, Gingerich, Stutzman, Miller, and Yoder...

[neurogirl]

@HereticHick The engagement announcements state that Cassidy Bowers runs a lawn care business with her brother, and that Carolina Bowers works for Green Earth Design/Landscaping, and at the Bontrager hotel, the Dutch Country Inn. A cursory google search did not reveal if Green Earth is the Bowers lawn care business, but I would assume so. Another source of income for the fam much like Lawson's business helped pay the bills for the Bateseseses.

Brynn Leppert also works at the Dutch Country Inn, and as a piano instructor. I'm guessing she at least knows Carolina Bowers well enough by being her coworker, and is okay with the triple wedding weekend. Also, I'm hopeful she will follow in the steps of Erin Bates Paine and continue to teach piano as a wife and mother.

Speaking of, would Carolina and Cassidy have to stop their employment activities once married? I know a woman's place is in the home and all that, but they work for only family/future family businesses, and the Bontragers in particular seem less work averse than other families followed here!

[HereticHick]

1 hour ago, neurogirl said:

@HereticHick The engagement announcements state that Cassidy Bowers runs a lawn care business with her brother, and that Carolina Bowers works for Green Earth Design/Landscaping, and at the Bontrager hotel, the Dutch Country Inn. A cursory google search did not reveal if Green Earth is the Bowers lawn care business, but I would assume so. Another source of income for the fam much like Lawson's business helped pay the bills for the Bateseseses.

Brynn Leppert also works at the Dutch Country Inn, and as a piano instructor. I'm guessing she at least knows Carolina Bowers well enough by being her coworker, and is okay with the triple wedding weekend. Also, I'm hopeful she will follow in the steps of Erin Bates Paine and continue to teach piano as a wife and mother.

Speaking of, would Carolina and Cassidy have to stop their employment activities once married? I know a woman's place is in the home and all that, but they work for only family/future family businesses, and the Bontragers in particular seem less work averse than other families followed here!

I think they will all continue to work, I bet none of them are doing this full time. At least until they get pregnant. I've always been impressed that Alison Bontrager is allowed to work at the family hotel, without a parent or brother to "protect" her. I do feel bad for the 3 brides-- I bet many of the gifts are going to be 3 of the same thing--so lets hope they have very similar tastes! I bet the Bower girls will have a joint shower too.

[Jana814]

I can see doing a joint shower because it would be easier on everyone only have to come to 1 party. Maybe they can have separate cakes if they do 1 party. 

[JoyJoy]

17 minutes ago, HereticHick said:

I think they will all continue to work, I bet none of them are doing this full time. At least until they get pregnant. I've always been impressed that Alison Bontrager is allowed to work at the family hotel, without a parent or brother to "protect" her. I do feel bad for the 3 brides-- I bet many of the gifts are going to be 3 of the same thing--so lets hope they have very similar tastes! I bet the Bower girls will have a joint shower too.

Mitchell and Bryn have a Target registry.

[BirdgirlH]

Apparently Josh & Cassidy will continue to tour after getting married (with the Bontragers, I assume)

[JermajestyDuggar]

One of their posts said the double wedding will be at the farm Friday, the single wedding will be at the church Saturday, and a family reunion will be Sunday. They normally have a big gathering on Labor Day Monday but they are too busy that weekend. I would have to agree, lol.

[JermajestyDuggar]

So the Botragers are near the end of their tour and I noticed a recent picture from a colony called Acadia Colony. These people do not look Amish or Mennonite. Maybe Hutterite?  I'm unsure of their religion but in this picture, two girls seem to have Albinism. I'm going to assume it's due to having a smaller gene pool. Albinism isn't deadly but it causes eye and skin issues. I wonder if these folks ever try to vary the gene pool. Maybe through adoption or maybe arranging marriages with other colonies? 

[BiblebeltCath]

Jermajesty, I googled and it seems like you're right. I've read a couple books about Hutterites and it seems they do try to marry people from other colonies. However, I'm not sure that that allows for much variation in the bloodline. I don't think they have a bunch of converts knocking at the gates all the time, so they're probably all descended from a limited gene pool.

[JermajestyDuggar]

7 minutes ago, BiblebeltCath said:

Jermajesty, I googled and it seems like you're right. I've read a couple books about Hutterites and it seems they do try to marry people from other colonies. However, I'm not sure that that allows for much variation in the bloodline. I don't think they have a bunch of converts knocking at the gates all the time, so they're probably all descended from a limited gene pool.

I've known of quite a few Amish that have adopted. I wonder if that is because they also want to vary the gene pool. The Hutterites might look into that if the genetic issues get too bad.

[HereticHick]

4 minutes ago, BiblebeltCath said:

Jermajesty, I googled and it seems like you're right. I've read a couple books about Hutterites and it seems they do try to marry people from other colonies. However, I'm not sure that that allows for much variation in the bloodline. I don't think they have a bunch of converts knocking at the gates all the time, so they're probably all descended from a limited gene pool.

I also noticed the Albino girls. Amish in the US are well known for having a higher rate of genetic diseases that the rest of the population due to intermarrying, so I wouldn't be surprised inf Hutterites have the same problem. [See http://www.pennlive.com/news/2016/02/genetic_disease_is_ravaging_la.html for example]

And Acadia is a Hutterite Colony.

Looking forward to the Duggars and Bowers posting more wedding details. I also want honeymoon plans!

 

[JermajestyDuggar]

56 minutes ago, HereticHick said:

Looking forward to the Duggars and Bowers posting more wedding details. I also want honeymoon plans!

I'm sure you meant to say Bontragers not Duggars. However I think A LOT of fundies will be at this wedding. Duggars included. I'm quite excited for a triple fundie wedding weekend filled with lots of known FJ fundies. Plus the Bontragers know how to throw a nice party. So the weddings will be cute and fun I'm sure. 

[HereticHick]

12 minutes ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

I'm sure you meant to say Bontragers not Duggars. However I think A LOT of fundies will be at this wedding. Duggars included. I'm quite excited for a triple fundie wedding weekend filled with lots of known FJ fundies. Plus the Bontragers know how to throw a nice party. So the weddings will be cute and fun I'm sure. 

Yes, thanks!! And the guests will get an actual meal at the reception, and homemade desserts galore.  

I predict mason jars and little twinkly lights. And more chalkboard frames than you can shake a stick at.

[JermajestyDuggar]

9 minutes ago, HereticHick said:

Yes, thanks!! And the guests will get an actual meal at the reception, and homemade desserts galore.  

I predict mason jars and little twinkly lights. And more chalkboard frames than you can shake a stick at.

Yes! So Pinteresting cute! And I bet the bridal party will be in nice attire. I can't imagine tshirt dresses and I'll fitting suits on Bontragers. 

[mango_fandango]

On 09/06/2017 at 10:31 AM, BirdgirlH said:

So it turns out Charlie's only 18 (the Bowers published their kids' ages): 

Carolina - 22
Cassidy - 19
Charles - 18
Carver - 15
Christian - 13
Crockett - 11
Chapman - 9

Campbell - 8

Crosby - 6

Carver, Crockett, Chapman and Crosby??? Dafuq? Those aren't first names!!! I don't really like the surnames-as-firstnames thing, it'll always just look wrong to me. I know it can be fairly common-ish in America, and it's catching on here. I'm assuming those four are all boys...

[Hortense Peyrac]

Crosby is a girl, and her entire name is Crosby Virginia. She's called Gini, Crosby or Spice by family, it seems.... 

[Lurky]

@mango_fandango Glad you said it, because every time I've looked at that list of names my brain has shut down in protest.  Campbell seems an androgynous name too, and I find it really interesting when Fundy families with strict notions of genders differences give their kids ambiguous names.