20 minutes ago, HereticHick said:

With all the "Duggar Construction" brothers and brothers in law in the area, I just don't understand building a new house vs. rehabbing a rundown one.

 

also, is that house 3 bedrooms, max? And no basement? I guess they don't intend to cram 19 kids into it

I guess this means that Derick doesn't intend for his future stellar law career to ever take him away from NW Arkansas. The US Supreme Court can rest easy now.

So they will be, at most, 10 miles away from the Duggar compound.

I’m going to take a guess:

This was quick and easy compared to rehabbing a house with the help of your brothers. It only took a few months and was likely inexpensive. These home builders only have a few home plans to choose from and if you don’t make any upgrades or major changes, the house is built pretty quickly. 

@ViolaSebastian I agree. It seems no matter what happens somebody has to find something worse to bring up. (Speaking generally of the "but the starving children" type, not of anyone specifically.) There's always someone who has it worse. There's always a worse disaster. That doesn't mean we can't care about the "lesser" ones too.

And honestly I don't get the "leave politics out of it" posts either. Yes, all world leaders are likely to comment. But no, the majority of them don't try to armchair quarterback the response to it. 

I've been to Notre Dame. It's a place I know. It's important, and beautiful, and historic, and over 850 years old. It's instantly recognizable to most people in the Western world, and the images of it on fire look like a disaster movie come to life - where a beloved landmark is destroyed as a metaphor showing the destruction of civilization. I can be sad about that. It doesn't mean I don't feel sad for the hungry homeless guy on the corner, too. It doesn't mean I don't feel even worse for the Black churches that were attacked and burned.

When my church burned down, many people came and gathered around as the firefighters were controlling the fire. Some prayed, some just watched, but all were horrified. And while we've gotten no financial assistance I'm aware of (we're using insurance and our own building fund), we got a ton of other help - while the fire was still burning several other churches (all of other denominations) were offering to let us meet in their facilities. The city let us use their community center without charge for Sunday services until we were allowed back in the undamaged part of our church. Our Vacation Bible School that had been scheduled for the next week was held at the Methodist church down the street (we're Baptist, btw). Community members were coming up to the church leaders on-scene and saying "I know a really good stained glass restorer" and "I have some good pictures of the building if you need them to help rebuild" and things like that. As soon as the fire was out, the firefighters and community members started carrying things that could be salvaged out of the sanctuary. Including the pastor's mother's bible that had been inside the pulpit, which was very important to him. And he wasn't even there, he was traveling in Europe when the fire began.

In disasters, people are inspired to help. The bigger the disaster, the more inspiration. It's just human nature. 

I seem to be only capable of posting either novels or one liners. Sorry.

Oh Lori. You can raise your daughters one way but that doesn’t mean they will follow. My mom didn’t want me to get more than an associate degree because of the cost. I made a choice to get a bachelors and it had helped me. I may not be where I want to at the moment but I’m working on it. 

I was raised in a Jewish Christian home with two loving parents. My dads love for people and Christ shown so bright. I never believed. I always questioned. As an adult I came to terms that I don’t believe in god. I will always be Jewish though. 

Marriage and kids are a wonderful thing if that’s what you want. God gave us free will for a reason. I think it’s more important to raise a nice, kind, and giving of themselves person then a stay at home wife or a career driven, without college, husband. True Christians are to live like Christ. Give your possessions to the poor and follow him. Jesus never said anything about stay at home wives/mothers. He never said anything about husbands working so wives don’t have to. 

With all the "Duggar Construction" brothers and brothers in law in the area, I just don't understand building a new house vs. rehabbing a rundown one.

also, is that house 3 bedrooms, max? And no basement? I guess they don't intend to cram 19 kids into it

I guess this means that Derick doesn't intend for his future stellar law career to ever take him away from NW Arkansas. The US Supreme Court can rest easy now.

So they will be, at most, 10 miles away from the Duggar compound.

I'm good with books. I'm good with experiences (of all varieties). And you don't HAVE to get my kid anything - really. If you want to send him a card - he would be absolutely delighted. Throw in a few stickers - even better. 

But - directed to my mom's cousin who insists on "buying" my son things - don't scrounge around in your old AVON stuff to find something at that 6 year old boy might like. She also gave him (at age 4) a stack of cards that she'd stamped. For birthdays, etc. Her expectation - she told me as much - was that he'd hang on to them until he was a grown up and then would send them out to people. He was FOUR. 
This year -for his birthday -  he got a coffee mug that was made to look like a Christmas drum, with a scary teddy bear inside the mug. And two packets of hot cocoa that she clearly had around the house. 
Really - I have ZERO expectation that this woman would give my son something for any holiday. ZERO. She doesn't have to do anything. So please stop with the garage sale rejects. Or the cheapest quality toy you can find that will break before we get home. He doesn't NEED anymore toys. 

I also don't want her to do any experience things because that means I'd have to experience HER and I try to limit that. She's nuts.