John David is courting Abbie Grace Burnett

[mollysmom]

Oh, I think this will be a VERY quick courtship and a VERY short engagement!

[Daisy0322]

Is it strange they have their joint Instagram account right away? Are they possibly already engaged?

[feministxtian]

Well HO-LEEEE SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT! John David found him a girl! I think this is a good match.

Also, being an LPN, she has a career path to RN/BSN...my stepdaughter started as an LPN, then finished the classes for RN and is finishing her BSN now. But...her husband and his family are huge believers in education. Her mother, hell no...she's the crazy ass JW who refused to fill out scholarship forms for her daughters who had the grade and SAT scores to get full rides to damn near any in-state college. Why? She didn't want them to be more educated than she is. 

[onekidanddone]

2 hours ago, snickers34 said:

Oh hell no! Their loins are quivering harder than Jim Bob's do when Michelle is out of town for 24 hours! These two have been waiting on God like 33% longer than most fundies - they cannot be trusted for a second!

Thank you for that image of JimSlob I will never be able to get out of my head.

[SamiKatz]

If we haven't picked a "ship" name yet, can I suggest "AbbieNormal - ish"?

[Glasgowghirl]

I love the fact he has a sense of humour and doesn't take himself to seriously. 

[J'Lurker]

Can't believe he threw back to the rapture comment! Or... she did?!

What excitement.

[Snarkasarus Rex]

7 minutes ago, Daisy0322 said:

Is it strange they have their joint Instagram account right away? Are they possibly already engaged?

You may be on to something...they may just be waiting until after SiRen's wedding and Baby Vuolo's arrival to announce it.  Just in time for the new season...

[JermajestyDuggar]

3 minutes ago, SamiKatz said:

If we haven't picked a "ship" name yet, can I suggest "AbbieNormal - ish"?

Maybe we can combine their last names and they can be Burgar. 

[BernRul]

Yay I'm actually really happy for them. I think it's because this feels the most like a couple on equally footing. They're around the same age and both work. They've both shown a smidge of independence by fundie standards. Also, her age makes it less likely that they'll have 12 plus kids. They could still have a lot, of course, but it's not the same as with a 19 year old bride.

[precious blessing]

It seems like Abbie got her certification fairly recently? You'd think that'd be something she mentioned quickly when they were getting to know eachother. Maybe John always wanted a spouse that had some independance and some work-ethic, rather than a spouse whose only goal has been to perfect that "adoring wifely gaze" they all seem to have. With that in mind, I assume he'd want her to work as long as she wants. At least, that's my wishful thinking. I'm actually happy for them, John is definitely a catch by fundie standards.

It also makes me wonder if there will be higher ratings/ more views because of the interest in the elder twins and an accomplished fiancee. I wonder if Boob will then allow his girls to pursue more? probably not, but it's all about $$$ and keeping the brand alive so who knows

[amendgitan]

2 hours ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

Her license was issued on 8/7/17. It expires in 2019. I imagine she wouldn’t bother working hard to obtain her nursing license to then not work. She probably has some sort of nursing job. Now how long will she keep working? Who knows.

I can. She may have obtained an education and license so she can care for her future family. 

[Snarkasarus Rex]

1 minute ago, amendgitan said:

I can. She may have obtained an education and license so she can care for her future family. 

Her solid fundie cred aside, I wonder if her education helped seal the deal since Carolyn is living with them now?

[amendgitan]

1 hour ago, Glasgowghirl said:

While I don't expect them to be anything other than fundie or fundie light. I am glad they at least are older, both have work experience and she has a qualification. I can see her working at least part time, Michelle worked with Jim Bob in the early days even after she had the first few kids. If she was a stay at home mum I wouldn't criticise her for either, her choice.

If you're raised to believe working outside the home unchaperoned or when you have kids is a sin, and you continue to be part of a culture that strongly disagrees with women working. how is there choice in the matter?  

15 minutes ago, BernRul said:

Yay I'm actually really happy for them. I think it's because this feels the most like a couple on equally footing. They're around the same age and both work. They've both shown a smidge of independence by fundie standards. Also, her age makes it less likely that they'll have 12 plus kids. They could still have a lot, of course, but it's not the same as with a 19 year old bride.

How do we know she works? 

[JermajestyDuggar]

TLC says she’s a nurse. I suppose they could be lying or stretching the truth....

[tabitha2]

We don’t. We know she is an ATI brat that has a license that she recently got and expires next year. That’s all at this point.  

[amendgitan]

Just now, JermajestyDuggar said:

TLC says she’s a nurse. I suppose they could be lying or stretching the truth....

Being a nurse and working as one are two different things though. 

[JoiseyGoil]

Will Josh be John-David’s best man? Will JB and Michelle force John-David to have Josh in his wedding party?

[karen77]

I think the difference between her and Derrick is that he is a guy coming from semi-mainstream. She is female, from an ATI background that was allowed to get a nursing degree... a woman working in an educated field. Completely different matter.

[justoneoftwo]

2 minutes ago, JoiseyGoil said:

Will Josh be John-David’s best man? Will JB and Michelle force John-David to have Josh in his wedding party?

No way, he clearly stated his disapproval and dislike of Josh.  They wouldn't force it because that would come back up.

[amendgitan]

4 minutes ago, karen77 said:

I think the difference between her and Derrick is that he is a guy coming from semi-mainstream. She is female, from an ATI background that was allowed to get a nursing degree... a woman working in an educated field. Completely different matter.

Where does she work? 

[CorruptionInc.]

38 minutes ago, Daisy0322 said:

Is it strange they have their joint Instagram account right away? Are they possibly already engaged?

I was thinking exactly the same thing! Also she is hiding her ring finger / hand in the picture.

Also, I honestly think they may have known each other longer than they say... it is not beyond Duggars / People mag to make times and dates up.

I can't help but think that there is a specific reason the Burnett's deleted their blog. If they are the least bit saavy, they know people might go looking for skeletons... maybe.

Or I'm just being completely stupid - also VERY possible.

[JermajestyDuggar]

2 minutes ago, amendgitan said:

Being a nurse and working as one are two different things though. 

Why is it so unbelievable that a single fundie girl works? Lots of them do! Abbie’s brother John Clay’s wife is actually listed in the credits for a movie. And they have two young children. So obviously she helped with casting of the movie and he allowed her name to be in the credits.

[Georgiana]

2 minutes ago, CorruptionInc. said:

I was thinking exactly the same thing! Also she is hiding her ring finger / hand in the picture.

Also, I honestly think they may have known each other longer than they say... it is not beyond Duggars / People mag to make times and dates up.

I can't help but think that there is a specific reason the Burnett's deleted their blog. If they are the least bit saavy, they know people might go looking for skeletons... maybe.

Or I'm just being completely stupid - also VERY possible.

JD doesn't seem like a "throw caution to the wind" kind of guy.  He's watched his siblings failed courtships.  He's already saying they're "in love".  

I will eat my hat if they haven't already agreed to get married.  Now, they may not be formally engaged yet, but that's just a "plan the proposal" kind of thing (which, if you read most fundie love stories carefully, they always know the man is GOING to propose, they just don't know when.  But they know it's coming, because they do seriously discuss marriage and have to indicate their readiness before the guy gets the green light).  I feel like they've already discussed marriage, are both eager to get married, and the rest is just formalities.  

That's kind of the "sweet spot" for announcing: you've already determined you're headed to the altar, it allows you to get maximum publicity AND maximum paid publicity (because you can release exclusives), but there is little risk of it not working out because you've already had the marriage talk.  

I think the Duggars have adopted the Bates' strategy for courtship announcement: after the couple privately agrees to get engaged sometime in the future, but before the actual proposal happens.  This also allows them to play hard and fast with dates, since they can consider long periods of time "getting to know someone" when in the regular world we would call that dating.  They just don't slap a label on it until the couple are very serious.  It's a bit of a neat trick and disguises how much "dating" actually goes on in this community.  

[amendgitan]

1 minute ago, JermajestyDuggar said:

Why is it so unbelievable that a single fundie girl works? Lots of them do! Abbie’s brother John Clay’s wife is actually listed in the credits for a movie. And they have two young children. So obviously she helped with casting of the movie and he allowed her name to be in the credits.

Their entire culture (ATI/IBLP, IFB), is strictly against single women working outside of either sex segregated jobs or jobs chaperoned by a brother or father or for another family headship (like being Doug Phillips nanny). 

Married women can only typically work at family jobs with their husband or jobs they do from home. 

John Clay was on set so his wife was allowed to be too. 

It is quite clear that they are against women being independent and having careers, or jobs other than the limited ones described above.  We've seen that over and over.  Rarely have we seen an actual fundie woman of this type work an outside, unchaperoned job away from family or another similar family's headship.