FamTeam Update

[MatthewDuggar]

1 hour ago, 16strong said:

I spy at least one photoshopped shirt. They just can't take a photo without changing the color or someone's shirt, can they? Don't the manboys all own the rainbow in shirts by now?

ETA: Cathy sure dresses sexy for a fundie. Trying to bring all the (man)boys to the yard.

Cathy is quite modestly dressed in this photo actually.  She's usually in short shorts. 

It simply wouldn't be an Ardnt Family Christmas Photo if they didn't fart around editing the colors.  They are all gifted in learn-it-yourself graphic design.

[HerNameIsBuffy]

1 hour ago, anjulibai said:

Thanks. Interesting that one of the younger ones went with a beard. 

Also, the one in the purple (I need to learn their names :P) looks like his shirt was changed color. 

That's John and I agree it looks changed.  

[Anonymousguest]

I thought the people shirt looked funny too. Why in the world...?

[MatthewDuggar]

8 hours ago, JenniferJuniper said:

Latest FamTeam photo.  Some of the boys are clearly getting a bit long in the tooth, as the saying goes.

@JenniferJuniper - I'm just curious where you found this photo?  I didn't see it on famteam.com 

[JenniferJuniper]

15 minutes ago, MatthewDuggar said:

@JenniferJuniper - I'm just curious where you found this photo?  I didn't see it on famteam.com 

It's on their court reporting site.

 

http://www.arndtreporting.com/index.php

[gustava]

They give me the creeps.

[Mary C Doates]

3 hours ago, gustava said:

They give me the creeps.

They freak me out more than almost every other fundie family we discuss (I think the Naked Roast Sitter is worse, but it's pretty obvious why :p). 

[Suz8710]

Sadly (?) I find their strangeness appealing. If I were a single fundie lady, I'd be purposing to meet one of them. Preferably Paul. Or the one in yellow. A few of the others would do as well...

Don't judge me! 

[Handmaiden of Dog]

They are definitely one of the families I would like to have lunch with, not the boys so much but Cathy would be interesting to talk to.  "Do you ever long for grandchildren?" "Do you think you will all still be together in 10 years?" "Does Wizzy have a beau?"  Hint, hint.  Just to see what she said.

[umsami]

Didn't somebody post about the seven farmgirls or some such thing?  Maybe we should arrange a co-ed softball game and see what happens?

It's got to be so very frustrating for the younger Arndts looking at their brothers and thinking.... "Dang, I can't even hope I'll one day get married because they haven't."

[MatthewDuggar]

1 hour ago, Suz8710 said:

Sadly (?) I find their strangeness appealing. If I were a single fundie lady, I'd be purposing to meet one of them. Preferably Paul. Or the one in yellow. A few of the others would do as well...

Don't judge me! 

The Ardnt's don't "purpose" - wrong fundie version.  They actually sound and speak like normal Americans aside from the strange accent/speech variance.

[gustava]

13 hours ago, umsami said:

Didn't somebody post about the seven farmgirls or some such thing?  Maybe we should arrange a co-ed softball game and see what happens?

We like the seven sisters FAR too much to match them with the Arndt kidults.

[JenniferJuniper]

14 hours ago, Handmaiden of Dog said:

They are definitely one of the families I would like to have lunch with, not the boys so much but Cathy would be interesting to talk to.  "Do you ever long for grandchildren?" "Do you think you will all still be together in 10 years?" "Does Wizzy have a beau?"  Hint, hint.  Just to see what she said.

We hear so little directly from Cathy.   When she does talk, it's almost always about what the kids are up to, whether it's schooling for the younger ones or what around-the-house projects she has the older ones working on for her.  I can't recall her ever talking about religion or their lifestyle (waiting for God's best to court, for instance.)

She's clearly 100% on board with Rick's craziness and whatever it is they've done with these "kids", but I'm not sure anyone would would get much out of her about anything. It seems she defers fully to Rick in all non-domestic areas.

But I would like to know what she really thinks.  Looking at the latest photo, it's undeniable now that some of the men are advancing towards middle-age.  The ones that aren't court reporting on a regular basis  are spending all "working" hours on Vine Valley. That's a lot of adults working on their narcissistic father's vanity project, a project that is clearly going nowhere.

Her family appears to be sane and non-fundie and she has a lot of siblings, mostly sisters.  Do they ever pull her aside and ask WTF is going on?  Or have they given up bothering to address anything with her?

All I know for sure is that Rick is nuts and as far as we know, no one has ever informed the emperor that he isn't wearing any clothes.

 

[nokidsmom]

I suspect that if Cathy's family ever tried pulling her aside, they have probably given up by now.   It entirely possible they never said anything even if they were all WTF.    I know some of my extended family didn't care for how my Maxwellian parents handled things with me and my sisters, but as far as I know, no one ever said anything to either my Mom or Dad out of respect for their right to parent as they saw fit.  Since our basic needs were met and there wasn't any abuse (at least in the typical sense), there really wasn't much they could say or do about it.

Rick is probably the type who's convinced he's never wrong (a lot like my Dad BTW) so telling him what he might be doing wrong wouldn't get anywhere.

I would love to know what the extended family thinks of this. 

[JesusPony]

Y'all have me convinced that it's guilt over the finances that has kept the older man-boys in indentured servitude. Maybe they've been told that when Vine Valley is a blockbuster hit, the family will have enough money to sustain itself and the older boys will be free to set off on their own. Also, at that time, a giant penguin that poops magical jelly beans will appear in the skies over Kansas, heralding an age of world peace.

Back in reality, Vine Valley must be entering it's second decade of production now, Rick and Cathy are fit and healthy and will probably live to be 100+, and even the youngest boys are approaching adulthood. Something has to give. We need a Man-Boy Rebellion!

[JenniferJuniper]

2 hours ago, nokidsmom said:

I suspect that if Cathy's family ever tried pulling her aside, they have probably given up by now. 

Cathy's parents have both been dead for 5 or 6 years but were devoutly Roman Catholic. Her dad was a deacon.   I can't imagine they approved of Rick pulling her away the church.  Her dad also paid for the older sons to attend Catholic schools for a year or two when Cathy had a lot of little ones and was helping Rick run the business.

During his diary at the time both of her parents were seriously ill, Rick seemed a little resentful of the time Cathy spent with her parents.  He didn't spend much time talking about their deaths.  (nor did the manboys).   On the other hand, he spent a great deal of time writing about and mourning his very elderly grandmother when she died.   I get being very sad over the loss of a grandparent, but Cathy lost both her parents within weeks of each other.

It could be that Cathy didn't want him talking about her parents in the very public "diary".  Or it could be that Rick was just being a selfish dick and maybe there was friction between him and Cathy's mother and father.

[Jana814]

12 minutes ago, JenniferJuniper said:

Cathy's parents have both been dead for 5 or 6 years but were devoutly Roman Catholic. Her dad was a deacon.   I can't imagine they approved of Rick pulling her away the church.  Her dad also paid for the older sons to attend Catholic schools for a year or two when Cathy had a lot of little ones and was helping Rick run the business.

During his diary at the time both of her parents were seriously ill, Rick seemed a little resentful of the time Cathy spent with her parents.  He didn't spend much time talking about their deaths.  (nor did the manboys).   On the other hand, he spent a great deal of time writing about and mourning his very elderly grandmother when she died.   I get being very sad over the loss of a grandparent, but Cathy lost both her parents within weeks of each other.

It could be that Cathy didn't want him talking about her parents in the very public "diary".  Or it could be that Rick was just being a selfish dick and maybe there was friction between him and Cathy's mother and father.

This is great information thanks!!  I knew Cathy came from a large family. (Saw pictures with all of her siblings when she was young).  Cathy may not have wanted the personal information about her family online.

But what an ass being upset over his wife spending time with her sick parents. This sounds like Steve Maxwell and Anderson would do.  Not that if Zsu's mother was sick Steve would allow her to see her. 

[quiversR4hunting]

1 hour ago, Jana814 said:

This is great information thanks!!  I knew Cathy came from a large family. (Saw pictures with all of her siblings when she was young).  Cathy may not have wanted the personal information about her family online.

But what an ass being upset over his wife spending time with her sick parents. This sounds like Steve Maxwell and Anderson would do.  Not that if Zsu's mother was sick Steve would allow her to see her. 

All these patriarchy asses seem to forget Exodus 20:12

Quote

Honor your father and your mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.

For Rick, SteveA, SteveM, Ken, Cabinetman, etc - that means if you deny your wife the ability to honor her mother and father (by serving them when they are sick) then you, the almighty head of the family, are breaking one of the 10 Commandments.

[MamaJunebug]

4 hours ago, JesusPony said:

., Also, at that time, a giant penguin that poops magical jelly beans will appear in the skies over Kansas, heralding an age of world peace. ...

Lovely thought, but the Arndts live in southern Illinois. Poor Kansas is suffering enough.  

[HerNameIsBuffy]

Just now, MamaJunebug said:

Lovely thought, but the Arndts live in southern Illinois. Poor Kansas is suffering enough.  

I'm in Illinois and like jelly beans - the red ones.  Hope it heads north.

[JesusPony]

Since the magic penguin won't appear until Vine Valley is released to box office success, we probably shouldn't get too excited about the exact location of the jelly beans yet.  

[MatthewDuggar]

There was a youtube video that talked a bit about Cathy losing both of her parents in a close amount of time.  I don't think she actually said anything in the video but Rick commented on how she took it very hard. (as would be expected)  I know they the manboys visited them quite often and I believe (correct me if I'm wrong) that her dad would buy fish for them to stock the pond.  

I just don't know what to say anymore about Vine Valley.  It's just a bit odd that all of them would get so heavily involved in such a hobby.  It almost seems to run their lives.  We hear all about the little details but nothing about what the story is actually about.  Something about a man, played by Rick, that is going though a mid-life crisis of sorts, meets mysterious Cathy, baseball is involved, it's winter, and he somehow find Christ?   Riveting...  Did he ever say if his character suffered any "flaws", drinking, gambling, etc?    Also they seem to be focusing heavily on the visual editing, never a mention of the audio.  Maybe it's a silent film like the ones the manboys did.

 

 

 

[16strong]

1 hour ago, JesusPony said:

Since the magic penguin won't appear until Vine Valley is released to box office success, we probably shouldn't get too excited about the exact location of the jelly beans yet.  

Huh. I thought they were in Erika's room, the flavor to be chosen by her. One bean per babysitting session.

[Pastors Daughter]

14 hours ago, MatthewDuggar said:

(snip) I just don't know what to say anymore about Vine Valley.  It's just a bit odd that all of them would get so heavily involved in such a hobby.  It almost seems to run their lives.  We hear all about the little details but nothing about what the story is actually about.  Something about a man, played by Rick, that is going though a mid-life crisis of sorts, meets mysterious Cathy, baseball is involved, it's winter, and he somehow find Christ?   Riveting...  Did he ever say if his character suffered any "flaws", drinking, gambling, etc?    Also they seem to be focusing heavily on the visual editing, never a mention of the audio.  Maybe it's a silent film like the ones the manboys did.

Rick has talked about the sound effects "department" at least weekly now for a while. Paul heads up the audio, but he has a number of boys who work with him on collecting needed sound effects and editing them.

 (From Dec 18 Dad's Diary):  "Paul has been faithfully leading our blossoming Vine Valley post-production  department.  He continues to specialize in the area of audio effects, as does Luke.  James is trying to clear his schedule so that he will be able to join them, as he has always appreciated — and understood — the mysteries of sound. The Vine Valley movie will require many sound effects (a bat striking a ball, a person falling into the snow), and the audio team will be on a mission to find them — or create them from scratch!"

They will never finish. They will continue working on this thing until they (as it has been necessary in the past over and over) need to redo whole portions because it is too obvious the parts are not continuous. A hobby or project for a person or family is a fun, bonding, and wonderful thing if everyone truly enjoys it, but . . . move on people. This isn't ever really going to happen. I especially want them to put it aside since it seems to have been a roadblock and EXCUSE to moving on in life in general for the manboys.

 

[nausicaa]

15 hours ago, MatthewDuggar said:

I just don't know what to say anymore about Vine Valley.  It's just a bit odd that all of them would get so heavily involved in such a hobby.  It almost seems to run their lives.  We hear all about the little details but nothing about what the story is actually about.  Something about a man, played by Rick, that is going though a mid-life crisis of sorts, meets mysterious Cathy, baseball is involved, it's winter, and he somehow find Christ?   Riveting...  Did he ever say if his character suffered any "flaws", drinking, gambling, etc?    Also they seem to be focusing heavily on the visual editing, never a mention of the audio.  Maybe it's a silent film like the ones the manboys did.

 

He's a professor from the big, bad City who doesn't believe in God because of his intellect and pride. There may be some excessive whiskey imbibing thrown in there as well. He is in Vine Valley on some sort of sabbatical when he has the bright idea to take a walk in a snowstorm. He finally lunges into a barn for protection. Cathy, a good Samaritan who feeds the local hungry with the contents of one Little Red Riding Hood basket, seems to live in the early 20th century as the rest of Vine Valley, and yet wears Liz Claiborne pants and Wet'n'Wild lip gloss. She saves him physically and--wait for it--spiritually! Baseball ensues.

There is talking. With flat A Midwestern accents. In a secluded New England town in the early 20th century.