Jessa is Courting! All Things Duggar Family - Part 7

[ThisOlGirl]

I know there has been some speculation about whether the adult Duggars get their own TLC contracts/paychecks. If they do, maybe that's why Boob isn't worried about whatshisface being able to take care of Jessa. Maybe she has a little chunk of change saved up and they'll be alright for awhile. Maybe she'll continue to get some TLC money until the show is cancelled.

Say....wouldn't that make Jessa the....

BREADWINNER????? The scandal!

ETA: And now I have to head over to DListed to see of my imaginary gay boyfriend Michael K has weighed in. He loves him some Duggar snark!

[singsingsing]

I know there has been some speculation about whether the adult Duggars get their own TLC contracts/paychecks. If they do, maybe that's why Boob isn't worried about whatshisface being able to take care of Jessa. Maybe she has a little chunk of change saved up and they'll be alright for awhile. Maybe she'll continue to get some TLC money until the show is cancelled.

Say....wouldn't that make Jessa the....

BREADWINNER????? The scandal!

Good point - if Jessa's not getting her own portion of the TLC money yet, surely she will after she is married. Maybe Jim Bob is counting on the show running for another few seasons and figuring the money Jessa gets from that will help support them - though come to think of it, I can't imagine it would be that much.

[donks]

Well, if it's really happening i hope she's happy. I hope this was her decision and i hope he's good to her.

[marmalade]

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.

Depending on how many shows they air a week, Jessa's birthday might happen at the very end of the season run. If they could drag it out to one episode a week for a while, TLC might be able to put together a slapdash engagement episode taped on her birthday (21st...during November sweeps...I'd almost count on it). The birthday engagement isn't original, but it would trump Jill's special birthday, lunch with her parents and a new cross to acknowledge her special day.

[Mama Mia]

It seems like it would be pretty easy for them to get by, and that's probably why the age isn't an issue. They have rental properties they could live in, the boy operates some sort of car related business , that fits right in with the other Duggars businesses, and I'm sure there is some money from the show for a cushion. Plus the area they live in is very inexpensive.

[CallmeChaCha]

That is exactly hoe Anna and josh behaved. That and tons of hand sex.

Its so sad that they don't get to experience this. There were quite a few of my crushes in Jr high who turned out to be major assholes.

Did Anna pick out her wedding dress or did she make it? I wonder if this time we'll get treated to another visit to Kleinfeld. That way we can listen to Jinger describe everything as "interesting..."

[marmalade]

Anna's dress was worn by either Esther or Rebekah. She only said it came from a sister, but never elaborated. Pris obviously wore another dress.

[tuckerphez]

So I've been creeping through Ben's twitter, and in between all of the Jesus stuff, some tweets have given me hope.

Feb 9: "Though hope is frail it's hard to kill..." - this is from the song "When You Believe" from the Dreamworks movie Prince of Egypt. Prince of Egypt basically tells the story of Moses and freeing the slaves, blah blah. BUT - Moses's wife, Tzipporah, is an awesome lady that doesn't take shit from anybody, fights back when she's captured, and Moses has to earn her respect to become worthy of her love.

Also it's a semi-secular movie.

Jan 19: making breakfast. - he can make some sort of meal for himself! Without making a woman do it!

Jan 16: College...working hard to get that 4.0. - He cares about his grades! In college!

Also a lot of his tweets have the hashtag #TNDO which urban dicitionary tells me stands for "Take No Days Off" and is the name of an athletic apparel company. Either way, that is the opposite of Smuggar's life.

[Adrienne83]

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.

I was going to post exactly this! Though I was thinking that maybe the engagement episode would be cut before the actual proposing, and Ben would propose during the beginning of next season's first episode.

[lilith]

So, do we call him J'Ben now????? :think: I wonder if they will move into Mary's house now. The one formally occupied by the Sumugger family....

It's gotta be Bessa. Especially as Jessa was called Jessa-Blessa when she was younger.

[Invernessity]

Marmalade, Anna's dress was her sister Rebekah's. Rebekah's husband wrote a post on a blog after her wedding in which he mentioned that Anna had worn his wife's dress.

[Invernessity]

People magazine posted an update online about Jessa and Ben's courtship with quotes from both of her parents, and a little background into this relationship.

[OkToBeTakei]

People magazine posted an update online about Jessa and Ben's courtship with quotes from both of her parents, and a little background into this relationship.

http://www.people.com/people/article/0, ... 45,00.html

Could a Duggar daughter be preparing to start a family of her own?

Jessa Duggar, 20, the third daughter of Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar of Tontitown, Ark.,has entered into a courtship with Ben Seewald, 18, who lives in nearby Hot Springs, Ark., PEOPLE confirms.

The couple's relationship will be featured on the family's TLC show, 19 Kids & Counting, which returns Tuesday at 9 p.m.

"We are so excited for Ben and Jessa," Jim Bob, 48, tells PEOPLE. "They are enjoying getting to know each other and are recommending sermons to one another."

Keep up with your favorite celebs in the pages of PEOPLE Magazine by subscribing now.

So what are the differences between courtship and dating?

Jim Bob explains: "Courting is getting to know each other in a group setting, both families spending time together and the couple setting goals together to determine if they are meant to marry. With dating, a couple will often pair off alone and that sometimes leads to a more physical relationship."

Jessa and Ben met in church, Jim Bob says, and then asked to correspond via text and on the phone. The Duggars agreed – and were kept in the conversation as the couple texted each other, mostly asking each other questions about theology and scripture.

"Jessa has a very steady personality," says Michelle. "It has been interesting to watch their interactions because for her personality type, they share very similar beliefs. It has been fun to watch them and both of our phones are going off back and forth, ping, ping, ping."

"Courtship is not just about having fun," she continues. "You are really considering if this person could be your life partner – you pray about it and see what happens."

Though other men have approached Jim Bob to ask if they could begin a relationship with Jessa – as well as his other older daughters – Jim Bob says that Ben is the first to make the cut.

"He's the first one she has shown interest in that has a spiritual focus and legitimate calling about ministry work," he says. "When a guy is pursing your daughter, you want to check him out and see if there are any red flags and with Ben, there hasn't been. He is very sharp. It appears like a match made in heaven."

Like her older brother, Josh, whose courtship with now-wife Anna was documented on their reality show, Jessa will save her first kiss for marriage.

"Dad allowed them to do a side hug when they were officially courting," Michelle, 47, explains. "Jessa and Ben have said that was the only contact they would have, when they initially greet each other, when he comes to visit for their first hello, they have a quick 30 second or less side hug and a goodbye side hug and they agreed that would be the only contact they should have."

"They want to wait on the physical relationship until later," she adds. "If there is an engagement that comes about, they will work together on their goals and standards for that."

Michelle and Jessa Duggar with Ben Seewald

COURTESY OF JIM BOB DUGGAR

Jessa and three of her sisters – Jana, Jill and Jinger – have just completed the book Growing Up Duggar, to be released next year, about their relationships, including their thoughts about boys and what goes into deciding who and when to marry.

"It is sweet as a mom to watch Jessa go through this," says Michelle. "She's always been the organizer in our family unit and right now she is a little distracted. She and Ben are open to encourage others who may be considering relationships that you can stay morally pure and wait for the one God has for you and then on your wedding day, begin the physical aspects of your relationship."

"All the girls are excited for Jessa," says Jim Bob, whose other children are Joshua, 25 – who is married to Anna, 25 and has Mackynzie, 3, Michael, 2 and Marcus, 3 months –, twins Jana and John-David, 23; Jill, 22; Jinger, 19; Joseph, 18; Josiah, 17; Joy-Anna, 15; twins Jedidiah and Jeremiah, 14; Jason, 13; James, 12; Justin, 11; Jackson, 9; Johanna, 7; Jennifer, 6; and Jordyn, 4, and Josie, 3, who was born prematurely).

"All of our family is involved in this relationship. It is an exciting time."

Well, well, well.

Nice find Invernessy!

[OkToBeTakei]

"Dad allowed them to do a side hug when they were officially courting," Michelle, 47, explains. "Jessa and Ben have said that was the only contact they would have, when they initially greet each other, when he comes to visit for their first hello, they have a quick 30 second or less side hug and a goodbye side hug and they agreed that would be the only contact they should have."

Creepy as fuck.

So a thirty second 'side' hug.

Can we call it hipbone sex? Please? PLEASE? :lol:

[Peas n carrots]

This looks to be his sister, so I'm guessing they probably are on the light side.

p2g-OEVZo4o

She's quite a dramatic presenter.....

OMG...jeans?!?!?! I can't believe JB approves of this guy and his family.

[Worldofchances2giveu]

The last line of the People article is very creepy.

"All of our family is involved in this relationship. It is an exciting time." I mean that just screams healthy and normal....

[Mela99]

The last line of the People article is very creepy.

"All of our family is involved in this relationship. It is an exciting time." I mean that just screams healthy and normal....

I wonder what would happen if the guy and girl were totally on board with each other and the families just didn't click.

"Well, I don't want an annoying relative. NO marriage for you!"

[scc12]

I'm guessing the new letter for baby names will be D,since that's all there is left.So there should be some easy picks from that.

[nelliebelle1197]

Definitely not me! I don't think 'courting' is better than dating.

The side hug exception is very important to note - it means Jessa and Ben are making these choices on their own! /sarcasm

Hopefully they'll also chose to abstain from handsex.

I have to admit, Jessa was always my favourite. I can't quite imagine her becoming another Anna or Michelle though, so I'm curious to see what happens.

I think there's a possibility that by marrying someone 'younger', Jessa feels she might be able to influence Ben into a more 'fundie-light' direction.. though if he's into football and working out (at least he won't start looking like Josh after the wedding?) he already sounds pretty light. I'm surprised JB even considered him.

Is there any indication this is the direction to which Jessa aspires? The most dangerous thing about these people (not just the Duggars, but far right evangelicals) is to think their multitude of offspring think any differently and are chaffing to get away from the religion and culture into which they were born and in which their entire world view is grounded. I just always find these comments kind of bizarre.

[floridiot]

It's gotta be Bessa. Especially as Jessa was called Jessa-Blessa when she was younger.

Yes, my vote is Bessa for the couple and J'Ben...bc I have a feeling Ben is gonna be more of a Duggar than Jessa is a Seewald.

[homeschoolmomma1]

Jim Bob and Michelle must be crying in their breakfast made by the J'slaves. No Today show...

[SwissGirl]

I doubt this is Jana's decision. Jim Bob must have decided that it's time to marry Jessa. I mean, Jana is all into Journey to the heart (or whatever it's called), Jill likes to deliver babies and Jinger is still very young. He could not let Jessa take a decision about her life and projects. If Jessa is married, no more worries about her. Closed matter.

Who's next? Jana?

[OkToBeTakei]

:lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol: :lol:

Just saw this in the comments...

You are free to believe what you choose, but so is Michelle Duggar. Shame on you for being critical of their beliefs when they harm no one, and set a good example for how to leave the least carbon footprint possible; bet their family leaves less of one than yours does.

:shock: :shock:

Tell me there are not people in this world that are really that stupid?

By the looks of the comments on that article apparently there are many :lol:

[Handmaiden of Dog]

the boy operates some sort of car related business , that fits right in with the other Duggars businesses,

The car lot has been sold. JD may still have a towing business but he seems more involved with his appointed position as...(brain freeze here) um...guy who wears a gun and ?

[twinmama]

Creepy as fuck.

So a thirty second 'side' hug.

Can we call it hipbone sex? Please? PLEASE? :lol:

GASP! They're hipboning!? Dirty!