Jessa is Courting! All Things Duggar Family - Part 7

[sunshine]

No, they began courting in Jan. '08 and got engaged in June. They were ENGAGED for 3 months with a total of almost 9 months from courtship to the altar. We never saw the courtship on TV; they didn't begin filming for the series until Mother's Day of that year (remember the Today Show in NYC and the "obedient" ducks in Nashville?).

However, we don't know how long they've REALLY been courting. Ben may have been given the OK to post that pic last week, but who knows if he's been holding it back for a while? We know his family visited the Duggars in June, but were there visits before that?

The People article claims that they met in church. Someone's pants are on fire. Boob would never hear the end of it if he admitted the truth that Ben (or his family) divulged: he somehow finagled a meeting with Jessa after seeing her on TV.

Oh, he won't work for Gothard. More likely to work for Dougie; their family doesn't appear to follow ATI at all, but love Dougie. That's all good with Boob; he may prefer a Gothardite, but they support Dougie. Hell, Be-all and Mullet are practically besties what with all the MOTY teas Mullet is honored to receive from VF.

Are you saying the Jimbob all-knowing could not see through a possible rouse? That is one of the reason why their church is based on invite only to protect his beautiful, widely publized daughters.

[tlcarlaw]

Josh's courtship lasted 2 years and Anna had a deadline of age 21 that she wanted to get engaged. If it wasn't for Anna's deadline, she would have been married sooner. And, yes. It sad that I know this.

:angry-banghead:

actually it was 20. I don't know how long they courted but they defiantly got engaged on her 20th birthday.

[veron1que]

I would suspect that they have been courting for a while (couple months maybe) based on the fact that he is already saying that he loves her in his tweets. They probably waited to announce it to make sure it was going to work and also more importantly to wait until the start of the new season to drum up interest in the new season.

MTE, now I'm very curious about the "burden"

[singsingsing]

actually it was 20. I don't know how long they courted but they defiantly got engaged on her 20th birthday.

Yeah, Anna didn't want to get married UNTIL she was 20. I think it was married, not necessarily engaged... Did they really court for two years? That's a long time in fundieland. Ben is 18 but seems to have his own business, so I could see them engaged by New Year's and married in the first half of 2014.

[twinmama]

Ooh I wonder what their "letter" will be! With J and M already taken, at least they still have a lot of options. If Josie gets married someday she'll have to find 20 names that begin with Q or something.

[Mela99]

Looks like Jim Bob is making the 'contact' rules like he did for Josh & Anna - I saw no mention of Ben's parents in the article aside from the families spending time together. I'd love to know if his parents have any real say in things or whether Ben would essentially become a Duggar.

I always thought that was weird. I thought it was the girl's family who set the boundaries.

[anjulibai]

Jessa doesn't seem like the type that would go for the one letter naming. I see her doing more trendy types of names.

[Kira]

ONTD has picked up the People magazine story. The comments are hilarious.

[Coconut Flan]

I don't remember Josh and Anna courting for two years. I thought they met at the snack bar in Texas and were married the next year. It seemed to take a few months to reach the official courting stage after the first contact. There seemed to be discussion with the two fathers more than the intendeds IIRC.

[NotALoserLikeYou]

I wonder if we will get a bunch of B name babies now? Brianna, Braeden, Bartholomew...Bob Jim.

Jessa is supposed to leave and cleave, go to his family. I wonder if the duggars can handle that...

[JenniferJuniper]

No one in their right mind should marry an 18 year old boy.

Someone up thread mentioned that they seemed like junior high aged kids with crushes on each other. From a relationship experience standpoint, that's exactly what they are. We all remember what those first crushes were like. They were exciting and fun and - almost always- fleeting. I think it's very sad that these two can't just date each other until they get a chance to figure out it shouldn't be anything long term. Even if Jessa does figure it out, Boob and TLC are going to make it hard for her to back out; the episodes are probably already being planned.

[floridiot]

MTE, now I'm very curious about the "burden"

Ditto. Hope its something extra juicy...like she's already pregnant. Stranger things have happened. Probably something more mundane though. Like she stubbed her toe causing her to use the Lord's name in vain and the personal guilt is being compounded by being threatened with another JTTH to make sure it never happens again.

[Kira]

Marmalade said Josh and Anna started courting in January 08, were engaged in June and married in September.

[lizziesmom]

[quote="JenniferJuniper"

Someone up thread mentioned that they seemed like junior high aged kids with crushes on each other.

[veron1que]

Ditto. Hope its something extra juicy...like she's already pregnant. Stranger things have happened. Probably something more mundane though. Like she stubbed her toe causing her to use the Lord's name in vain and the personal guilt is being compounded by being threatened with another JTTH to make sure it never happens again.

That would be exciting, but I can't imagine how a duggar daughter would have the opportunity to hook up with a guy. I feel like they are never alone. Plus I'd imagine they are quite bashful about sex. I mean Priscilla couldn't even speak of the deed as a married woman in the episode about courting.

[Ralar]

Ohh, I like J'Ben. But they need a couple name. Josh and Anna are the Smuggars, what fun can we have with the name Seewald?

J'wad?

[Queen Of Hearts]

My money is on them already being engaged. I don't believe TLC or the Duggars would allow this Courtship news to be leaked unless it was a done deal. My guess is this season we will see courtship footage, with an engagement filmed and shown at the end of the season (this was likely done and filmed fairly recently)... cliffhanger! Next season will be the wedding planning and VSE wedding.

[Ralar]

I wonder if we will get a bunch of B name babies now? Brianna, Braeden, Bartholomew...Bob Jim.

Bob Jim. Lol!

[Mela99]

J'wad?

It's so childish, but I hear the name 'Seewald' and I can see nothing in my head but a fat little tourist with a bad Boston accent visiting SeaWorld.

"Seeeewaaaald? We're visiting Seeeewaaalddd to see the orrrrrcaaaas."

[marmalade]

I don't remember Josh and Anna courting for two years. I thought they met at the snack bar in Texas and were married the next year. It seemed to take a few months to reach the official courting stage after the first contact. There seemed to be discussion with the two fathers more than the intendeds IIRC.

They met at a snack bar when Smuggar was 18 and Anna was still 17 (between their birthdays). That would have been 2006. They started courting in January 2008, engaged on Anna's birthday, June 2008, married on what would have been my dad's 80th birthday, Sept. 26, 2008.

It's sad that I know this timeline so well. It's also on their website for anyone who questions its veracity.

[Guest]

It's so childish, but I hear the name 'Seewald' and I can see nothing in my head but a fat little tourist with a bad Boston accent visiting SeaWorld.

"Seeeewaaaald? We're visiting Seeeewaaalddd to see the orrrrrcaaaas."

I just laughed so hard I cried. This is why I love FJ.

[Coconut Flan]

They met at a snack bar when Smuggar was 18 and Anna was still 17 (between their birthdays). That would have been 2006. They started courting in January 2008, engaged on Anna's birthday, June 2008, married on what would have been my dad's 80th birthday, Sept. 26, 2008.

It's sad that I know this timeline so well. It's also on their website for anyone who questions its veracity.

Thanks for looking it up. The meeting two years earlier must have slid out of my mind. I was pretty sure they didn't formally court for two years though. So it did take them almost two years to get to official courting after meeting.

I expect that Jessa and Ben are either engaged now or close to it for us to get the courting announcement unless announcing the courtship was the contingency to get another season.

[veron1que]

Id guess that they are not engaged but that a date (such as jessas birthday) has been selected for the event to be filmed. I'm going to say its going to be a season closer, with erins engagement as the season opener that teases at the idea of a duggar daughter relationship.

[AnywhereButHere]

The People site just crashed my computer, and it took about 15 minutes to restart. My poor laptop is apparently in as much shock as I am at the news. :)

[Chicken bones]

Jessa is certainly taking on her mother's picture-slouch in these recent photos.