Safe at Home 5: Something Happened in Arndtland and It's Finger Lickin' Good!

[church_of_dog]

Who is the woman standing in the background?

[Howl]

7 hours ago, Audrey2 said:

I want to know what the young woman thinks about white shorts. Would she be okay owning a pair?

Good point. I wonder if she and Cathy have had "the talk." 

[JermajestyDuggar]

7 hours ago, church_of_dog said:

Who is the woman standing in the background?

There are lots of non Arndts at the house for the home church. That’s the thing about the Arndts. They never cloistered themselves. They are actually quite social. They seem to know a lot of people, they play softball with ordinary people, and they photograph mainstream weddings. They are actually pretty different from the Duggars, Bateses, and Maxwells that way. 

[divadivine]

But, does this young lady play softball and like filming the never ending  Vine Valley? 

[Howl]

Speaking of Vine Valley -- maybe she enjoys washing pumpkins in the bathtub.  It's certainly that time of year. 

 

[Red Hair, Black Dress]

18 hours ago, Suz8710 said:

I do seriously wonder if most of the older boys were so wrapped up in caring for and entertaining the under age (at the time) siblings that the oldest basically let their entire 20’s years of dating pass them by. 

It's not just caring and entertaining, it's actually spending 15-20 years supporting 16 people.  Even with more than one Arndt man-boy working it takes a lot of $$$$$ to support 16 people and Rick's film auteur hobby.   None of the boys could afford to get married  because everything they earned went to support the mothership.

What woman is going to marry a man who still lives at home and tells her all his money goes to support the parents/siblings, not the family he might create with her?

Edited October 26, 2020 by Red Hair, Black Dress

[Elegant Mess]

11 hours ago, Howl said:

Good point. I wonder if she and Cathy have had "the talk." 

And does she know about the bizarre birthday ritual?

[EmainMacha]

So, who is breaking the news to @nelliebelle1197?

Paging @HerNameIsBuffy- something happened in Arndtland!

[GreyhoundFan]

2 hours ago, Elegant Mess said:

And does she know about the bizarre birthday ritual?

Maybe she'll be the first addition to the birthday ritual.

[Naga Viper]

2020, man. We really are gonna see Vine Valley before the year is out, aren't we?

NGL, some small part of me will be disappointed if this truly signals the end of the Arndt Mystique. At least the most central part of it. OTOH, I guess we can look forward to plunging into the great wild unknown now that the crazy train is finally leaving the station.

[JenniferJuniper]

52 minutes ago, Naga Viper said:

NGL, some small part of me will be disappointed if this truly signals the end of the Arndt Mystique. At least the most central part of it. OTOH, I guess we can look forward to plunging into the great wild unknown now that the crazy train is finally leaving the station.

I feel the same way, but we mustn't count our penguins before they've hatched!  She still has time to run for the hills....er, Valley.

I'm not surprised it's Luke though.  We've not gotten to know much about the middle and younger offspring, but of the first five or so, he's always seemed a little more "normal" than his brothers.  And he's cute.  

But if a manboy does marry, what then?   Would they be allowed to live off-campus?  If not, will they have to live in the big house with Rick, Cathy and the 20-somethings?  Or could they live in the Old Boys' house with the 30 and 40 somethings?  Which would be worse?

[JermajestyDuggar]

If Luke does get married, the grandchildren will become a big focus for the family. I could easily see Rick and Cathy stomping many boundaries and butting in when it comes to their grandchildren. 

[AmazonGrace]

Things arndt never going to be the same again.

[HerNameIsBuffy]

I have been swamped with real life but fortunately I was notified about this HUGE development via text last night....so looking forward to catching up here tonight! 

The Arndt's have no news for years and they wait until I'm busy?!  It's like they don't care how this affects me at all!

Hugs and a care package to @nelliebelle1197 !

[hollyandivy]

On 10/26/2020 at 10:35 PM, JermajestyDuggar said:

If Luke does get married, the grandchildren will become a big focus for the family. I could easily see Rick and Cathy stomping many boundaries and butting in when it comes to their grandchildren. 

I just hope, a whole bunch (all) of them get married and there will be so many grandchildren that Rick and Cathy get overwhelmed!

[quiversR4hunting]

13 minutes ago, hollyandivy said:

I just hope, a whole bunch (all) of them get married and there will be so many grandchildren that Rick and Cathy get overwhelmed!

and I hope they all move at least 3 hours away in all directions so Rick & Cathy can't just drop in all the time. (I am sure they won't because so many are in their 30s with established careers(?).

[Glasgowghirl]

I thought the Scotland football team having an 8 game unbeaten run and being 1 game away from actually qualifying for something was sign of how crazy this year was but an Arndt courtship tops that, what next Sarah Maxwell and Jana Duggar entering courtships, Jill Rod discovering that less is more when it comes to makeup, The discovery that unicorns are real. Anything appears possible this year. 

[Smee]

Have the Arndts ever said if they subscribe to courting vs dating? Is a public video with someone coupled up a sign that an engagement is imminent like it would be for other fundies, or is breaking up still a viable option for them?

[JermajestyDuggar]

4 hours ago, Smee said:

Have the Arndts ever said if they subscribe to courting vs dating? Is a public video with someone coupled up a sign that an engagement is imminent like it would be for other fundies, or is breaking up still a viable option for them?

My guess is that they want their children to do what they did. The Arndts didn’t court. They dated. I bet they will expect their children to date similarly to them. But of course they better not have sex before marriage. 

[JenniferJuniper]

5 hours ago, Smee said:

Have the Arndts ever said if they subscribe to courting vs dating? Is a public video with someone coupled up a sign that an engagement is imminent like it would be for other fundies, or is breaking up still a viable option for them?

Courting, according to Rick, even though he and Cathy apparently started out dating.  My guess is that Luke and his lady friend are fairly far along in the process.

Now whether they allow kissing pre-marriage is another question, and I wouldn't be shocked if that's okay with them. 

[Howl]

I wonder if there will be a formal throwing of a washcloth in through a bathroom window ceremony.  

[meep]

I know most of the families in their sphere date, they don't court. 

[SolomonFundy]

On 10/29/2020 at 9:22 AM, JenniferJuniper said:

Courting, according to Rick, even though he and Cathy apparently started out dating.  My guess is that Luke and his lady friend are fairly far along in the process.

Now whether they allow kissing pre-marriage is another question, and I wouldn't be shocked if that's okay with them. 

Agreed, though this goes way back. I remember when they were on one of those early "mega family" TV specials back before the last kids were even born, they referred to their eldest son's relationship as a courtship. Whatever was happening there obviously fizzled out (this would have been nearly 20 years ago), and I don't think I've seen many references to relationships of any kind since then.

[Howl]

Which reminds me. How many cars are owned by the Arndt family Borg? Would Luke have to send a requisition request up the line to reserve a car in the car pool to go out on a "date"?  Would there be brotherly chaperones?

This is a serious question: Are finances handled as a collective or have the chi-men each started an account on their own?  I hope it's a hybrid where they kick into the family finance account, but have been saving like  mofos for the day on a far horizon where they begin an independent life and start creating their own baseball team.  If that's the case, Luke might have a substantial nest egg. 

What skill does Luke have that would support a mega family?  He's an adult man who hasn't worked towards buying his own house, his own car -- have these men even established their own credit?

So. Many. Questions. 

It must be said that a satellite house on the property would not be a bad thing.  The land is paid for and there is a huge work force that could build a house pretty quickly.  

Please refresh me on Rick's profession before he became a professional inseminator. 

 

[JenniferJuniper]

1 hour ago, Howl said:

Which reminds me. How many cars are owned by the Arndt family Borg? Would Luke have to send a requisition request up the line to reserve a car in the car pool to go out on a "date"?  Would there be brotherly chaperones?

This is a serious question: Are finances handled as a collective or have the chi-men each started an account on their own?  I hope it's a hybrid where they kick into the family finance account, but have been saving like  mofos for the day on a far horizon where they begin an independent life and start creating their own baseball team.  If that's the case, Luke might have a substantial nest egg. 

What skill does Luke have that would support a mega family?  He's an adult man who hasn't worked towards buying his own house, his own car -- have these men even established their own credit?

So. Many. Questions. 

It must be said that a satellite house on the property would not be a bad thing.  The land is paid for and there is a huge work force that could build a house pretty quickly.  

Please refresh me on Rick's profession before he became a professional inseminator. 

 

Before he retired to become Pope of his own religion, Rick owned and operated a transcription company.  His older sons, including Luke, handle the business now, and although I'm sure they are hurting now in the pandemic, they appear to be a pretty successful operation.   Luke also use to run a laptop repair service with one or more of his brothers, although I can't imagine that's much in demand now.

But you raise a good question.   Is Rick a Jim Bob Duggar who controls all the finances or have the boys been allowed to prepare for their individual futures?  I don't know for sure, but I would guess there are no individuals in the Collective.  The plan has always been for the boys and their families to build houses on the land so they could all live happily ever after on the compound.  And while I'm sure it was fine for the Kennedys who jetted in and out of Hyannis in the summer months with the wives probably managing to avoid each other most of the time, I really can't imagine too many women wanting to spend their lives in Arndtville.   Assuming it ever even comes to pass.  Rick lives in a fantasy world.