FamTeam Update

[FaithAndReason]

On 1/15/2016 at 8:26 PM, MatthewDuggar said:

And the Vine Valley post production continues in full force.  I don't think Rick can set his mind to anything else.  A few recent excerpts:

Our Vine Valley post-production department continues to quietly blossom.  Nearly every member of the family is involved in some manner!

 

We are still planning to film in upstate New York next month!

 

Luke continues to help me find “lost” or missing Vine Valley footage.   He knows how to find misplaced video files!  Today he managed to locate footage that had been shot on July 31 (of last year) at the stone church ruins.  The clips that he found are essential to a scene that we are trying to complete!

 

I am impressed by the way in which the guys and Mary-Elizabeth have been developing our little “Hollywood of the Midwest”!  Paul and some of his brothers held an audio effects meeting on the lower level this evening, and seem to be breaking new ground.  Such gatherings have the atmosphere of an informally-run classroom, or (to use another analogy) an inventor’s laboratory.

An inventor's laboratory?  They do know that movies with audio effects have already been invented in the real world, right?

[Elegant Mess]

5 hours ago, nokidsmom said:

...thinking about Rick facing the wrath of a manboy realizing he threw away the best years of his life in servitude to parents who as leaders of their family cult who had no intention of letting him go, crippled his chances of having his own life and taking advantage of the fruits of his labors, it is rather terrifying.

Whatever psychological manipulation is going on in that household is clearly very effective, especially when you consider that the guys work out quite regularly and could all easily overpower Rick physically.   I don't want physical violence to happen to anybody, but if any of the guys should get frustrated enough, could a physical altercation happen?

[MamaJunebug]

25 minutes ago, Elegant Mess said:

Whatever psychological manipulation is going on in that household is clearly very effective, especially when you consider that the guys work out quite regularly and could all easily overpower Rick physically.   I don't want physical violence to happen to anybody, but if any of the guys should get frustrated enough, could a physical altercation happen?

Maybe that's why Chapstick Cathy always has her hand on the belly of the current birthday boy -- holding him back from saying, "This year, dammit, I get to start my own life!" - and punching his dad and outrunning his mom for a car and the road to Chicago!

[nokidsmom]

43 minutes ago, Elegant Mess said:

Whatever psychological manipulation is going on in that household is clearly very effective, especially when you consider that the guys work out quite regularly and could all easily overpower Rick physically.   I don't want physical violence to happen to anybody, but if any of the guys should get frustrated enough, could a physical altercation happen?

I don't know about a physical altercation, though most of the guys could overpower their dad.  I was thinking more along the lines of the sheer, raw rage that Rick would face even if no hands were raised.   Just seeing that would absolutely blow him out of his Vine Valley soft focus world. 

[Elegant Mess]

20 minutes ago, nokidsmom said:

I was thinking more along the lines of the sheer, raw rage that Rick would face even if no hands were raised.   Just seeing that would absolutely blow him out of his Vine Valley soft focus world. 

Yeah, there's that, too.  Especially if more than one should be involved.

[gustava]

6 hours ago, nokidsmom said:

I know I shouldn't have any but thinking about Rick facing the wrath of a manboy realizing he threw away the best years of his life in servitude to parents who as leaders of their family cult who had no intention of letting him go, crippled his chances of having his own life and taking advantage of the fruits of his labors, it is rather terrifying.  Though it would be deserved. 

Hmmmm......  Interesting to speculate on the manner of leaving.  Would an Arndt manboy move out in a huff....or slip away?

[JenniferJuniper]

6 hours ago, nokidsmom said:

I know I shouldn't have any but thinking about Rick facing the wrath of a manboy realizing he threw away the best years of his life in servitude to parents who as leaders of their family cult who had no intention of letting him go, crippled his chances of having his own life and taking advantage of the fruits of his labors, it is rather terrifying.  Though it would be deserved. 

It's interesting to note which sons he spends time with.   You hardly ever hear him say he had a "meeting on wheels today" with some of them.  Others seem to meet with Dad much more frequently.

At first I figured it was because some of them are more critical for the financial well-being of the family and work may well be a major topic for Rick.  (God forbid he himself ever go back to working for a living.)   But I have noticed that John's name (#2 son) pops up with great frequency, more so than the other working sons.

As it happens there was another meeting with John today.

 

Quote

John and I took another drive today, and enjoyed an uplifting “discussion on wheels.”  My car serves as a sanctuary or retreat, ideal for one-on-one (or one-on-more) conversations.  When a need arises, we lay hands upon each other and ask for a fresh and  “customized” (that is, specifically tailored to a situation) helping of His forgiveness, love, and healing.  God wants to break our chains so that we can go forth, in His name, to break the chains of others.

 

So I'm beginning to think John may not be as content as Daddy wants him to be.

[HerNameIsBuffy]

Just now, JenniferJuniper said:

It's interesting to note which sons he spends time with.   You hardly ever hear him say he had a "meeting on wheels today" with some of them.  Others seem to meet with Dad much more frequently.

At first I figured it was because some of them are more critical for the financial well-being of the family and work may well be a major topic for Rick.  (God forbid he himself ever go back to working for a living.)   But I have noticed that John's name (#2 son) pops up with great frequency, more so than the other working sons.

As it happens there was another meeting with John today.

 

 

So I'm beginning to think John may not be as content as Daddy wants him to be.

Anyone know what the laying on of hands means in this context.  I've only heard of it in relation to faith healing.

[clueliss]

So the discussion wheels = you are trapped and cannot get out of chats with dear ole dad.  

[HerNameIsBuffy]

Just now, clueliss said:

So the discussion wheels = you are trapped and cannot get out of chats with dear ole dad.  

Sounds like a recipe for passenger seat phobia to me.

There were times growing up I wish my dad was more expressive.  He was a really great dad in many ways but heart to hearts weren't something he was ever comfortable with.  If you needed someone to solve your problems you went to dad, if you needed someone to listen to your problems who would be supporting and non-judgmental you went to mom.  And believe me, in my family no one ever deviated from that.

And while I'm sure there's a middle ground this thread is really making me appreciate my stoic, practical, 'If you're going to get emotional please call your mother" father.

All he talked about in the car was sports and where we wanted to go eat.  

[mstee]

It'll be fascinating to see where this family is in 20 years. If some- or all- the kids are at home caring for their elderly parents. I can't imagine a single one not leaving but at this point it seems plausible. What are they going to do when the parents die? 

[Jana814]

I hope some of them marry & get out of the house. 

[Dandruff]

They lay hands upon each other in the car?  Does Rick at least pull over first?

[nokidsmom]

2 hours ago, gustava said:

Hmmmm......  Interesting to speculate on the manner of leaving.  Would an Arndt manboy move out in a huff....or slip away?

Personally I think that the smartest way for one to leave would be slip away.   Go out on a job assignment and not come back.   A big dramatic departure would probably cause Rick to chain the rebellious manboy in the passenger seat (with the help of other chidults who haven't figured things out yet) for a very, very long "discussion on wheels". 

Seriously if any manboy made the decision to leave known, the family would come together to talk him off the ledge as they would see it.  It would be a complete family affair to make sure the manboy backs down.   Best to just quietly take off.

[Handmaiden of Dog]

As always with this family you have to ask, "But what about the sex drive?" The desire to procreate is almost overrides all other desires in most healthy young men, so what happened to these guys?  Faulty genetics?  Or sheer brainwashing?  I would assume brainwashing except that they go out into society and are exposed to other ways of living. How often are cultural taboos against sex 100% effective?  It is so bizarre that it would be interesting to study these guys for science just to see what went haywire.

[Georgiana]

I don't think any of the manboys will leave until Wizzie does.  I think that if Wizzie marries and gets "out into the world", her brothers may come visit her and it will be like a Manboy Halfway House.  I don't think all of them will leave, but I think one or two might realize the big, bad world is not so terrible and get out there.

[JenniferJuniper]

27 minutes ago, Georgiana said:

I don't think any of the manboys will leave until Wizzie does.  I think that if Wizzie marries and gets "out into the world", her brothers may come visit her and it will be like a Manboy Halfway House.  I don't think all of them will leave, but I think one or two might realize the big, bad world is not so terrible and get out there.

Alas, I don't think she's going anywhere anytime soon.

As she came along late - I think she was 10th or 11th - the boys grew up helping Cathy with all of her household chores, from cooking to cleaning to helping with the little kids.  But in the past few years, Mary has become more and more involved with cooking and baking and as Cathy gets older, I think she's going to become indispensable to the family.

Besides,if Rick won't let his grown up sons out of his sight, it's hard to imagine him letting his only daughter go.

[nokidsmom]

Agree that Wizzy has no more of a chance of leaving than the manboys do.  Their parents need all of them to keep the household going, work to pay the bills, do home maintenance, and above all stick around to help their dad finish his "eternal project" feed into their parents' need for control and inability to let go. 

Wizzy will be absolutely needed to help out as mom gets older.  And all of the family will get used to that and expect it.  The longer Wizzy goes on doing this, the harder it will become for her to leave because this pattern/expectation will become locked in.  I personally witnessed a family member do the same thing and frankly, it was as if she was the family slave. 

[MamaJunebug]

The courthouses the Arndts probably frequent in their court reporting work are all near pleasure palaces of food, drink and comely lady-types.  Anybody else suspect that they actually have dates while they're off the compound?  

And the romance-buzz that attends most weddings -- do the Arndt photographers go straight back Safe At Home once the final shot's been snapped and the equipment stowed, or do they stop along the way? Quite a few casinos and other ... nightlife places in Southern Illinois!

[0 kids n not countin]

Did anyone else notice this "gem" from dad's Diary?

 

Quote

Luke and and I had to be efficient in our conversation, as he had to be back at the house in time for a 3:00 meeting with a bride-to-be (not his bride-to-be, but a potential client for the wedding business).

I don't think anyone would get confused and think the bride-to-be was actually Luke's fiance.

 

 

[MatthewDuggar]

I know it's been said before, but imagine how frustrating it must be for them having to photograph all of these intimate moments at the weddings?  How do they not want to date and explore ever more than they already must want to?

https://www.facebook.com/arndtphotography

For those "in the know", has the business always had the " & Cinema" at the end?  I could have sworn it was originally just Ardnt Photography.  Of course they do wedding videos, but I have a feeling Rick might have had a nudge from the Lord to add the "& Cinema" because of course, they are filmmakers.

[JenniferJuniper]

On 1/18/2016 at 4:10 PM, HerNameIsBuffy said:

Anyone know what the laying on of hands means in this context.  I've only heard of it in relation to faith healing.

Ask and ye shall receive.  Rick posted this today;

Quote

Everyone has been accomplishing things today.  We paused at 2:00 in order to gather for a meeting.   We stayed together for about 30 minutes, and ended it by making a circle around Mark and laying hands upon him.  (He is about to join the Vine Valley after-effects team, and wanted to ask for God’s anointing for this new mission!)

I've long been convinced Dad reads out here.

(The Vine Valley obsession seems to be completely overtaking Rick's life.  He connects nearly everything they do to it in some way.)

[Dandruff]

Quote

Everyone has been accomplishing things today.  We paused at 2:00 in order to gather for a meeting.   We stayed together for about 30 minutes, and ended it by making a circle around Mark and laying hands upon him.  (He is about to join the Vine Valley after-effects team, and wanted to ask for God’s anointing for this new mission!)

I think the after-effects of Vine Valley will be another family project and continued virginity.

[libriatrix]

Laying on of hands in evangelical circles usually means people crowding around someone, reaching out and touching some part of them (shoulder, back, head) and having a group prayer for that person. 

[Handmaiden of Dog]

You are effing kidding me.  They are laying hands on Mark to anoint him as he joins dad's vanity project?!  These guys are so deluded.  How on earth has Rick convinced his spawn that this stupid home movie is so important that they must all devote their lives to making it and must be anointed by God before approaching it.  If this was fiction it would be unbelievable...and quite comical.