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The Lord God said, It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a helper suitable for him. Now the Lord God had formed out of the ground all the beasts of the field and all the birds of the air. He brought them to the man to see what he would name them; and whatever the man called each living creature, that was its name. So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds of the air and all the beasts of the field. But for Adam no suitable helper was found.

 

Genesis 2:18-20

 

When I was gone every time I'd watch I'd miss FJ.

(And I got 7 more penguins this Christmas.  I honestly don't know who would win a Christmas penguin contest between the Arndt family and mine but it would be close.)

About 1:20...it's when he does his theory voice, not regular voice.

Title is a reference to the Arndt parents thinking that being 30 and living at home with your parents is being "safe". From what I can tell, the Arndts still like filming and softball, and there's now some added weight-lifting. I'm not a Arndt devotee, so I trust that others can add what I've missed.

Carry on, folks!

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Earlier in the evening, not long after dusk, John and I took a drive through the countryside. While gliding over curving rural roads, we talked in depth about the ways in which God has been preparing each of the guys for the moment when he is introduced to his future wife. We all know that it is God who must play the role of matchmaker, and that His timing in that regard will be precise and perfect!

Those poor man-boys will be preparing until they reach their graves!

Don't know if anyone else here reads the Dad's Diary, most posts consist of the following:

Daddy talking about the weather and what scene they are filming for Vine Valley;

Daddy mentioning which fastfood/chain restaurant any combination of him, Cathy, or the kids ate at;

Daddy mentioning where any combination of the kids are at and what they are doing (including the ones who are in his presence at the time);

Daddy spending time one on one with one of the kids and having meaningful discussions on "very important or pressing topics";

imo the diary is sort of creepy, the man-boys and Mary-Elizabeth will never have a life of their own because Daddy Arndt has to know where each and everyone of them is at all times and exactly what they're doing.

WTF???

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I am grateful to God that Cathy and I have been blessed with 37 years of marriage.  It was His goodness — His timing and precision — that caused us to meet each other in the spring of 1973.  It will be fascinating to see the guys and Mary-Elizabeth live out their own unique stories!

Just reading this makes me so angry.  We all pretty much can guess how their "unique stories" will unfold no thanks to Mommy and Daddy Arndt. 

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While on the road today, Paul and I talked — mused — about the possible ways in which God might choose to distribute the finished Vine Valley movie.  We agreed on the idea that nearly everything in the world of media is undergoing a rapid transformation, and that that transformation phase is likely to continue.  According to one source, the Internet will soon pass the medium of television as the most common avenue of communication.

Still filming and no distribution plans provided by God yet.  Brilliant observation about the internet!  Perhaps by 2020 we can look forward to a streaming pay-per-view 10 hour extravaganza of hills and valleys and rivers and Daddy Arndt at assorted ages stumbling around in the snow.

And things are moving more rapidly in their lives!   Although how can one tell how fast a glacier is moving?  I wonder which two are getting antsy?

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The eldest 10 guys joined Cathy and me for a tremendously fruitful discussion last night.  We came together in the living room at about 30 minutes before midnight.  We decided to keep the ceiling lights off so that we could enjoy the the Christmas tree and fireplace more fully.

After settling in, the 12 of us talked and prayed for about 90 minutes, laying hands upon two of the guys who had expressed specific needs.
God seems to be moving at a swifter-than-usual pace as of late, and is asking each of us to toss aside any burdens that are interfering with His perfect plan for each life.

http://thefederalist.com/2016/05/31/the-lgbt-movement-will-self-destruct/

I have no words.

I'm also very surprised that Rick is basically silent about political matters (other than the transgender bathroom debate) considering it's an election year.  Usually he's non-stop rambling about the candidates, abortion and the debates.  Either someone told him to shut up or he's completely off the rails and can only focus on Vine Valley and daily fountain soda trips with one or two of the boys.

I have read many of the threads we have here about them, but am really curious as to what happened to these men and why they don't feel a need or have a desire to seperate from mom and dad. Can anyone point me to that information or thread where this is covered? Or, does anyone know the why, what, how? Thanks.

p.s. I know. My grammar stinks. Apologies.

Did id anyone hear how the classic went?

I thought I watched them all, but I came across the episode where they go to the Zoo and found it very snark-worthy. Some highlights:

1. Cathy is quite over-the-top manic in this one. Usually she's pretty sedate in these vids, but she really shines. As they go from exhibit to exhibit she just about squeals with delight when they see/find an animal. She channels J'Chelle frequently, using the outing as a home-skooling opportunity. The shocker is she's wearing black shorts!! They are the customary very short length however.

2. The youngest got confused between a giraffe and a zebra (on a previous visit).... At first I thought it was cute and just a minor mistake a kid would make, but of course they played the whole thing again later in the vid and I really think the child seriously had no clue. I'm imaging his only exposure to zoo animals prior to this was a page in his school "manual".

3. Rick was pretty much the bumbling idiot throughout the day as usual. Cracking bad jokes and and trying to impart "wisdom" to the brood. We was complimented once for is keen sense of direction navigating the zoo, (Cathy seems a bit map-challenged). At one point she seemed to be over him "Next time we'll leave daddy at home" after one of his corny jokes.

4. The youngest was all excited to see a big catfish and the entire episode centered around the search for where it was located. Turns out the fish died the previous year and the boy was pretty much crushed. Cathy tries to console him by pointing out the other big fish, but it doesn't seem to work. I was on the edge of my seat waiting for a big long spiritual speech about life and death, but they all pretty much laughed it off and decided the kid would get over it. Pretty secular and passive way of handling it, I thought.

5. The highlight of the trip was seeing the penguins and seeing them be fed. Big surprise.

6. Lastly, it seemed like only a fraction of the family was on this outing. I tend to get confused between some of the middle/older JohnJacobJingleHeimerSchmidts, but it's possible that about 5 of them were doing the filming with 8 different cameras, as usual.

Has a sort of creepy Christina's World vibe.

Who wants to attend?

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Everyone here at “FamTeam University†continues to attend “classes†in such areas as filmmaking (Jude’s students have been receiving some interesting assignments from their teacher), physical training (Paul, Luke, Mark, and Philip have learned many new exercises, and have been passing them on to everyone else), nutrition (everyone has been discovering — and creating — menu items that support health and strength), and many other areas. I have been hosting midday gatherings in which everyone present seeks a greater “helping†of God’s Holy Spirit. Luke has been organizing a speech-communication class, and several members of the family have been sharpening their musical skills.

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It is safe to say that Paul had a wonderful birthday experience today. The festivities began with a morning celebration in the master bedroom, one that saw him (with the help of David) deliver a fascinating and unique It’s the Day Before My Birthday song.

 

An hour or so later, during the early part of the afternoon, Cathy and I took Paul to the Lotawata Creek restaurant for a meal. Paul, ever-generous, invited Mark, Jude, and Philip to come along on the adventure.

 

I'm very sure it was fascinating and unique. How many men on the cusp of middle age can say they had a "wonderful birthday experience" singing and dancing in Mommy and Daddy's bedroom and then embarking on an "adventure" that consisted of lunch at a burger joint with his parents and siblings?

The softball classic, on the other hand, looks abandoned and neglected.

famteam.com/softballclassic/ says

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The next FamTeam Day/Softball Classic will be held on Sunday afternoon, October 5. The event will unfold on “FamTeam Field,†the softball diamond that sits behind the the Arndt family house in southwestern Illinois.

Except October 5th is a Monday this year.

Do we think it died from lack of interest?

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Paul, Cathy, and I had an uplifting discussion in the master bedroom this morning. We talked for about 20 minutes about the ways in which God has “conspired†to keep all of us close to each other. Of course, each of the older guys lives a very idependent life; for example, Jude has covered assignments in Olney and McCleansboro this week, and John, Mark, and Luke have covered jobs at various points in Illinois and Missouri. We are always driving off in various directions — and at times traveling to distant states — and do not have time to learn the details of everyone else’s day. We make a point, when gathered in small or large groups, to catch up on recent developments and news.

(Note the need to always insert some detail about himself no matter the topic.)

But the Softball Classic (Brought to us directly by Jesus!) will serve as a healing balm. "We are convinced that the FamTeam Day retreats and Softball Classic events have also been brought to birth by Him. We continue to sense that we are called to stand firnly and calmly, that we are to remain on 'offense'(in the sense that Jesus did in His earthly ministry), and that we are (as the saying goes) to 'light one candle rather than curse the darkness.'"

I think the Manboys are scared they will be asked by a gay couple to photograph their wedding and they'll get sent to prison if they refuse.