Bontragers and Bowers 2

[JermajestyDuggar]

44 minutes ago, JillyO said:

I would also be very nervous to be so far from my medical provider so close to my due date (she's due in ~3 weeks, right?). But I wonder how much/what kind of prenatal care she has received at all. They've been on the road for months now, so I don't see how she could regularly see her doctor or midwife. I guess we don't really now much about what kind of prenatal care the Bontragers OR Bowerses receive, since it will be the first grandchild on both sides. Do we know anything about Mama Bon or Mama Bowers?

I just know that ma Bowers had two 2nd trimester losses. I could look through their old posts to see if she had Crosby in a hospital. 

ETA: I just checked the blog and she delivered her last baby (a second trimester loss named Courage) in a hospital. So they aren’t against hospital births. 

[ophelia]

Two second trimester losses sounds heartbreaking. I really hope that Cassidy and Carolina receive prenatal care and don't follow that whole "trusting the Lord" crap. 

[hollyandivy]

I can't believe she is still traveling. And they are in Canada right now, I highly doubt they have any kind of heath insurance that would cover them there!

[HereticHick]

Ma Bontrager also had a highly publicized miscarriage. I recall that her church even sent flowers.

 

Joshua Bontrager's latest column of young white male puffery is all about the fundy idol Charles Spurgeon.  Dear sweet Rufus, please lay it on his heart to name his first son Spurgeon. Spurgeon Bontrager.

[pandora]

The Bowers family blog posted that Cassidy and Carolina are due in 3 weeks, and the Bontrager family blog says they're traveling for the next 5 1/2 weeks. I'm surprised Josh and Cassidy went with them for this leg of their tour- I'm still assuming those two will leave the tour and go back to Iowa to have the baby. But even so, it seems like weird planning for the rest of the family to be on tour. They'll be performing without two key players in their current band, and and missing out on seeing their first grandchildren/nieces and nephews for a bit. The Bontragers are big on close family relationships, and it seems like this would be a time when having a huge family could really come in handy. There's going to be two sets of first time parents (likely having babies within days of each other) who would probably benefit from having family close to bring over fresh meals, wash dishes, do laundry, hold the baby while a parent showers, and even just offer reassurance in a time with a lot of upheaval. From the Bowers blog it sounds like C & C's mom and little sister will be flying in once the babies arrive, but one adult and a six year old aren't that much support for two sets of parents with newborns. Maybe Chelsy will come home for a bit to help, and the other Bontrager sis-in-law Bryn could pitch in ( although I know she and her husband Mitch work at their hotel, so who knows what her time looks like). Maybe the Bontragers book their tours way in advance, so I can see them having already committed to this tour and sticking with it, but you'd think in their circles especially people would be understanding if they cancelled to help out and be home when their first grandkids come into the world. 

[Foudeb]

You're looking at it from a "children are precious, mothers have needs too" perspective, you liberal heathen you. Proper Christian women give birth at home ( / on the RV) without a fuss and then go straight back to their helpmeet chores, considering themselves lucky they don't have eleventy other young kids needing their time and attention. The baby cries? ignore it. It's called sleep-training. You need a shower? good time to start blanket-training. The grandparents will have to wait a month to meet the new baby? meh, who cares, they've had a gazillion newborns of their own are are expecting a gazillion x gazillion grandkids, so another one or two is really no big deal.

if the headship is very kind and considerate he might pitch in and prepare a meal or even (gasp, shock, give him a medal) change a nappy, now that's all a good Christian breeder needs to feel blessed.

[anjulibai]

I had a weird dream that one of the Bowers-Bontragers couples announced they were having a boy and they named him Matthew Christopher. Then in the dream I hoped that the other couple was also having a boy, because the other couple would be looked down on if their firstborn wasn't a son.

[HereticHick]

Did anyone read Alison's  column of what she's been reading lately?

http://www.fromallison.com/

The fiction titles strike me as rather juvenile for a 20-something. But I guess that is one of the hallmarks of the fundy SAHD lifestyle-- unmarried maidens are "girls" not women.

I just think of titles like Kipling's Captains Courageous: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Captains_Courageous  as something teens of another era would read.

Same with books by Amy Lefeuvre: https://curiosmith.com/pages/amy-le-feuvre-author-page and G.A. Henty  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G._A._Henty

 

[Palimpsest]

We should give Allison a link to My Lady Bibliophile.  She needs to broaden her horizons and there is always whiteout for any naughty bits.

Being a compulsive reader from early childhood, I've read some really old children's books, including Amy Lefeuvre, Kipling and Henty.  I found the books on missionary book shelves and the British Council Library.  I hated Jill's Red Bag and Daughter of the Sea.  I blank on the rest.  Henty is fucking racist, although The Dragon and the Raven wasn't bad.  It's about King Alfred.

Kipling: Captain Courageous isn't bad either.   I never finished Kim, and never liked the Jungle Book.  Kipling is an Imperialist of his time so you can expect some racist language.  I can still quote from the Just So Stories, however.  I think I would still like those animal stories. 

I suppose Allison can't read E. Nesbit to Rebecca.    She was a Socialist.  I loved those children always getting free from incompetent adults and having good adventures:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._Nesbit

But why doesn't Allison identify the books properly, which "The Family" book has she read? 

Quote

 

Oh, The Family! Truth be told, I am still making my way slowly, reverantly through this book. It is one not to be speed-read, but digested over time.

This is undoubtedly one of the greatest, most life-changing pieces of literature I have ever read. It paints an idealistic, Biblical, beautiful vision for family.

Read this one if you believe God created family and want to learn principles of a true Godly family. This book changed my life.

 

I very much doubt it is Jeff Sharlett, The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power, although I highly recommend it.

https://www.amazon.com/Family-Jeff-Sharlet-ebook/dp/B000SFZK3Y/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

 

 

[HereticHick]

9 minutes ago, Palimpsest said:

 

Being a compulsive reader from early childhood, I've read some really old children's books, including Amy Lefeuvre, Kipling and Henty.  I found the books on missionary book shelves and the British Council Library.  I hated Jill's Red Bag and Daughter of the Sea.  I blank on the rest.  Henty is fucking racist, although The Dragon and the Raven wasn't bad.  It's about King Alfred.

Kipling: Captain Courageous isn't bad either. 

But why doesn't Allison identify the books properly, which "The Family" book has she read? 

I very much doubt it is Jeff Sharlett, The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power, although I highly recommend it.

 

Oh me too, but I just wish she could "graduate" to some more adult books.  Even if she has to stick to Victorian morality tales with no naughtiness--is Dickens too racy ? [I know Dickens himself would be not-Christian-enough for the Bontragers] Or Trollope? Wilkie Collins?   How about the Count of Monte Christo?

What about Alexander McCall Smith?  Mma Remotswe is a Christian.

[Palimpsest]

20 minutes ago, HereticHick said:

-is Dickens too racy ?

Oh, yes.  I suspect people like the Bonts want to focus on the myth that Victorians were all squeaky clean, moral, and SAH mothers and daughters.  Dickens writes about poverty, women working, debtor's prisons, and the dark underbelly.  And Little Emily gets seduced.  Thomas Hardy is out too - Tess and Old Father Time who dies because "we are too many."  Not Quiverfull supporting at all.

Trollope would be seen as far too CoE, almost Catholic, and he has way too much insight into the frustrations and restrictions of women.

Wilkie Collins, well not the Moonstone.  We can't have Hindu statues reclaiming their diamonds and there's too much supernatural stuff that isn't of Jebus.

[JermajestyDuggar]

Let the secret relationship speculation begin! That boy is adorable. How could Allison NOT have a crush on him 

I’m just partially joking about this Joe character dating Allison. However I will fully jump on the speculation bus that Bryn and Mitchell are expecting. Bryn is placing her hand over her midsection and it makes me think she may have done this subconsciously. I know it’s a common habit for pregnant women. 

[Lisafer]

1 hour ago, Palimpsest said:

We should give Allison a link to My Lady Bibliophile.  She needs to broaden her horizons and there is always whiteout for any naughty bits.

Being a compulsive reader from early childhood, I've read some really old children's books, including Amy Lefeuvre, Kipling and Henty.  I found the books on missionary book shelves and the British Council Library.  I hated Jill's Red Bag and Daughter of the Sea.  I blank on the rest.  Henty is fucking racist, although The Dragon and the Raven wasn't bad.  It's about King Alfred.

Kipling: Captain Courageous isn't bad either.   I never finished Kim, and never liked the Jungle Book.  Kipling is an Imperialist of his time so you can expect some racist language.  I can still quote from the Just So Stories, however.  I think I would still like those animal stories. 

I suppose Allison can't read E. Nesbit to Rebecca.    She was a Socialist.  I loved those children always getting free from incompetent adults and having good adventures:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._Nesbit

But why doesn't Allison identify the books properly, which "The Family" book has she read? 

I very much doubt it is Jeff Sharlett, The Family: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power, although I highly recommend it.

https://www.amazon.com/Family-Jeff-Sharlet-ebook/dp/B000SFZK3Y/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

 

 

Kipling was so Imperialist, but his writing moves me in a way that not many stories do. But not The Jungle Book so much as The Phantom Rickshaw, Mary Postgate, and They. Henty I found about as dull as sawdust. Wilkie Collins? I really need to reread him now that I can better appreciate his obvious enjoyment of women's bodies. Sheltered as I was in my teens, I still noticed that about his books!

Her list really does sound a bit juvenile.

[Lgirlrocks]

1 hour ago, HereticHick said:

Oh me too, but I just wish she could "graduate" to some more adult books.  Even if she has to stick to Victorian morality tales with no naughtiness--is Dickens too racy ? [I know Dickens himself would be not-Christian-enough for the Bontragers] Or Trollope? Wilkie Collins?   How about the Count of Monte Christo?

What about Alexander McCall Smith?  Mma Remotswe is a Christian.

The Bates allow their kids to read the Count of Monte Christo. It’s Alyssa’s favorite book, or it use to be back when Kelly Jo blogged. So maybe she is allowed to read it but isn’t currently reading it. 

[AliceInFundyland]

@HereticHick Precious Ramotswe is awesome! One of my all-time favorites.

[HereticHick]

Well hello there, Joe Xiques.

[Please don't ever visit the Duggars, Joe. They will make a big f**ing deal about how they can't pronounce your last name, just like the Bontragers']

I agree that Mitchell and Bryn make be expecting and waiting to announce until after the BontragerBower babies are born.

So perhaps a due date in December? Early January? At least they will make it to their first anniversary without a baby.

OMG y'all. I think this is the page of Joe's brother Bethany: https://plus.google.com/+BethanyXiques

I believe Joe is only 18 [sorry Allison, but maybe your sister Liz can have him in a few years]

And they are friends with the Maxwells!

 

[usedbicycle]

Yup... he's only 18 so not quite in Allison's dating range but you never know, she might pull a Jessa. 

Looks like the families have know each other for a while and that Joe is good friends with the boys. They even attempted a fundie boy band called InTune back in 2016. The Xiques live in Miami which is a not a place I would expect any fundies. Their neighborhood of Miami Springs is an expensive one so they must be reasonably wealthy.

The Bontrager band lost so many members lately that it makes sense to invite some of the kids' friends along the road.

 

[JermajestyDuggar]

Omg I’m dying at the fundie boy band! Thank you for that! I needed a good laugh! 

Poor Elizabeth! If I was forced to hang out with an adorable 18 year old every day of my 14 year old life, I would have been positively love sick. And his being 18 means he probably won’t notice her for another 2 years. At least that’s how it worked when I was a teen. 

[HereticHick]

"Joe X" Yet another homeschooled  fundy male web designer:

https://www.upwork.com/o/profiles/users/_~01ab338061c7789002/

 

I'm going to call him "Joe X" from now on, cause it makes him sound like he's a member of the Nation of Islam! : )

And he and his sister have recorded several things: https://bethanyandjoe.bandcamp.com/album/born-is-the-king

And the whole family: 

 

Oh, and I think this is dad: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joe-xiques-422a9bb 

Grew up and went to college in Puerto Rico, now has a pretty impressive pharmaceutical industry job.

[HereticHick]

The Bowers' old homestead in Keota is now listed as "pending": https://www.trulia.com/p/ia/keota/1256-250th-st-keota-ia-52248--2053664577-- at the original asking price of $319,000

Does that mean they have an offer but it is pending financing?

[Themanda Duggar]

2 hours ago, HereticHick said:

Does that mean they have an offer but it is pending financing?

Until the closing, any real estate transaction is referred to as pending.

[HereticHick]

20 hours ago, Themanda Duggar said:

Until the closing, any real estate transaction is referred to as pending.

Thanks. Does that mean we don't know for sure yet if the offer is for the asking price?

[lexiloumarie]

27 minutes ago, HereticHick said:

Thanks. Does that mean we don't know for sure yet if the offer is for the asking price?

No, until the closing all information is private and not guaranteed. 

[VBOY9977]

I thought they had said they were one day apart?

either way, 5 days is close enough for 2 couples who got married the same day, especially because these aren’t honeymoon babies. I sometimes genuinely wonder if they planned it lmao

[JermajestyDuggar]

46 minutes ago, VBOY9977 said:

I thought they had said they were one day apart?

either way, 5 days is close enough for 2 couples who got married the same day, especially because these aren’t honeymoon babies. I sometimes genuinely wonder if they planned it lmao

I guess it’s possible a due date was changed. A dating ultrasound can change a due date to be more accurate. At first they may have just been going by the first day of their last period. Which is less accurate. And I wouldn’t be surprised at all if the start of their periods were a day apart since they lived together until they were married.