Justin and Claire: Woe Is Me

[SorenaJ]

I think a Christmas engagement and an early spring wedding. 

[Bluebirdbluebell]

I wish people would see her as young too. The outside looks don't matter. 

They seem to have a known for the perfect length of time. They've known each other while so it's not like they barely met. But they haven't known each other since childhood, so hopefully they met as teenagers and hit it off versus a longterm arrangement where they would have pushed at each other as children. 

Of course it wouldn't surprise if they had known each other when they were younger. Look at all the other daughters-in-law and Austin.

I think Valentine's Day wedding before she turns 20. I also wouldn't be surprise if they had a longer televised courtship and waited a long time to get married. 

[Whydon'ttheyspeakintongues]

4 hours ago, Dominionatrix said:

Duggar Data says that Claire’s mom, Hilary, was homeschooled herself, so they are likely deeeep fundie. 

Yes Claire seems to be a third generation fundie which seems rare to me - most of the families seem to be parents who had some kind of conversion as young adults, raised fundie kids who then pull away a bit and raise (maybe/hopefully) less-fundie kids.  

[ignorantobserver]

Oh, interesting ! Is this the first third generation fundie we will see married ?

[Topaz]

Just now, ignorantobserver said:

Oh, interesting ! Is this the first third generation fundie we will see married ?

Nurie Rodrigues is a 3rd gen and got married a couple of months ago.

[Italiangirl]

I was coming to say the same about precious Nurie @Topazbeat me on the time. I think that many 3rd gen are still too young to be married, also there aren't many since is harder to make enough money to sustain a family with no education and no experience, on one income. 

[baldricks_turnip]

1 hour ago, Italiangirl said:

I was coming to say the same about precious Nurie @Topazbeat me on the time. I think that many 3rd gen are still too young to be married, also there aren't many since is harder to make enough money to sustain a family with no education and no experience, on one income. 

I haven't followed many fundie families beyond the Duggars, is it common for fundie families to have 'no education and no experience'? I can fully understand the lack of education since many choose homeschooling regardless of their suitability to teach or the time they have to devote to it with a constant stream of toddlers and babies to distract. But I always assumed that fundies would encourage a wide range of trades and other skills so that they can be as independent of the worldly folk as possible. If I had a gaggle of children and didn't believe in tertiary education I'd be trying to get myself a plumber, an electrician, a carpenter, a butcher, etc.

[Imaginary_Wonderland]

Is Justin the youngest boy? I haven't been keeping up the Duggars for a year or two now. I still think of the younger boys being early-mid teens. 

[QuiverFullofBooks]

44 minutes ago, Imaginary_Wonderland said:

Is Justin the youngest boy? I haven't been keeping up the Duggars for a year or two now. I still think of the younger boys being early-mid teens. 

He’s the second youngest of their biological sons. Jackson is the youngest; he’s 16 but seems much younger. The Duggars also have custody of Michelle’s 12-year-old great-nephew, Tyler. He and Jackson hang out together a lot, which seems odd when you consider their actual ages.

[Snarkasarus Rex]

47 minutes ago, Imaginary_Wonderland said:

Is Justin the youngest boy? I haven't been keeping up the Duggars for a year or two now. I still think of the younger boys being early-mid teens. 

Second youngest boy. Jackson is 16.

[JermajestyDuggar]

To wrap your head around how young Justin is and how long the Duggars have been on TV, Justin was the youngest in the family when they filmed their first special. He was a baby and Michele was pregnant with Jackson. 

[Gobsmacked]

A boy who attended school with my two got married at 18. Two babies followed. He is now 24 and divorced. Two young children without their Dad and a young Mum bringing up two smalls by herself. He has at least been in full time employment throughout and is qualified with a trade. I look at my two - one at college, one learning a trade and count my blessings. 

[Italiangirl]

He was such a cute and lovely boy, it strange to think he will get married soon. Even if they will drag a little bit and get married around February 2021 before Claire's birthday he will still be so young. I hope there is another courtship coming out soon so he will be pushed back and allowed to get a little bit older before marriage 

[Mama Mia]

I am just shocked at how long this has been going on and how many photos of them there are! Casually looking through Instagram there’s a ton. And they are standing VERY  close and are clearly very much a couple, not just group photos where they keep them spaced out a little to quell suspicion. I know the photos were private - but How was this just a vague rumor and not 100% known? 

Remember back when Jim Bob did that weird announcement of Jessa and Ben courting because it had been leaked by someone in one post or photo? 

But this was somehow kept under wraps  - and he’s living with her family ? I know that’s very different than  most teens living together -  But still - 

[OHFL2009]

2 hours ago, baldricks_turnip said:

I haven't followed many fundie families beyond the Duggars, is it common for fundie families to have 'no education and no experience'? I can fully understand the lack of education since many choose homeschooling regardless of their suitability to teach or the time they have to devote to it with a constant stream of toddlers and babies to distract. But I always assumed that fundies would encourage a wide range of trades and other skills so that they can be as independent of the worldly folk as possible. If I had a gaggle of children and didn't believe in tertiary education I'd be trying to get myself a plumber, an electrician, a carpenter, a butcher, etc.

That's essentially what the Bateses have done. Other than Brandon, who works for IBLP, all of their sons-in-law work in trades. Chad has a construction company (that also appears to employ a few Bates sons), John's family has an HVAC company, Kelton owns a plumbing business that Bobby works for, and Evan is working towards becoming an electrician. 

[Snarkasarus Rex]

The Duggs, for the most part, have been keeping post-Marjorie courtships under wraps until the couple was ready for engagement. They get away with it because the other family has in$entive$ to keep quiet. 

The only reason we knew Justin had a boo is because he posted Google reviews of his brothers’ businesses...with he and Claire cheek-to-cheek in his profile picture. ?  

[nausicaa]

40 minutes ago, Mama Mia said:

But this was somehow kept under wraps  - and he’s living with her family ? I know that’s very different than  most teens living together -  But still - 

I'm surprised at this too. I'm not speculating that anything untoward has happened, but I would have guessed that in their social circles this isn't done because of "appearances."

[Italiangirl]

31 minutes ago, Mama Mia said:

 

Spoiler

I am just shocked at how long this has been going on and how many photos of them there are! Casually looking through Instagram there’s a ton. And they are standing VERY  close and are clearly very much a couple, not just group photos where they keep them spaced out a little to quell suspicion. I know the photos were private - but How was this just a vague rumor and not 100% known?

This is why I think this will not be a long courtship, they are already together by an entire year, and they are always pretty close in picture 
 

Spoiler

Remember back when Jim Bob did that weird announcement of Jessa and Ben courting because it had been leaked by someone in one post or photo? 

There is no way that at least in their circle this relationship wasn't known as a fact. Plus if you go back and look at old photos/videos you can easily see Claire with all the Duggar. Just recently she was clearly in the back during the Christmas party (when they had all those horrible blondies wings) she was in a picture with the lost girl I this k from October or so of last year... etc 
 

Spoiler

But this was somehow kept under wraps  - and he’s living with her family? I know that’s very different than most teens living together -  But still - 

Maybe it wasn't so under wraps and there was some gossip going around them and this is why they where somehow forced to announce. Is suspected he has lived with Claire's family both because this was what Ben has done when he was courting Jessa and because of COVID and quarantine, if he wants to be considered part of her family bubble he had to be there for a while at least 15 days or so and maybe he is learning the trade from Claire's father 

 

[JanasTattooParlor]

Wait, how do we know he’s living with them in Texas? I didn’t see that information anywhere other than some speculation here. I know Ben lived with the Duggar’s, which seems to be why there’s speculation, but have they said anywhere that Justin is living with them?
 

[justmy2cents]

2 minutes ago, JanasTattooParlor said:

Wait, how do we know he’s living with them in Texas? I didn’t see that information anywhere other than some speculation here. I know Ben lived with the Duggar’s, which seems to be why there’s speculation, but have they said anywhere that Justin is living with them?
 

I think the speculation comes from him being with her family during quarantine and announcing the courtship from there. It gets confusing when speculation is posted as fact, but it’s only speculation.

[FiveAcres]

1 minute ago, justmy2cents said:

I think the speculation comes from him being with her family during quarantine and announcing the courtship from there. It gets confusing when speculation is posted as fact, but it’s only speculation.

The ISB gets a lot of mileage around here. 

[Tangy Bee]

Wow, I've counted 8 photos of this couple scattered all over the internet. Looks like they are very cozy and  smitten with each other. Compared to Katie Bates and Travis, I'd say this couple looks more snuggly. Can't believe I actually said that because I'm not cool with either courtship at the moment. Saw Travis on Tik tok, sitting on the floor playing his guitar and he looked like a "kid". Yes I know he's a legal adult.

[Sullie06]

So my husband and I are high school sweethearts he he was the only serious relationship I had ever had. When we started dating my husband was 16 and I was 18 (he turned 17 the next month) and we were married young (he was 21 and I was 23) but that's where the similarity stops. We waited to have children. We traveled, went to school, worked out our careers and finally had our family ( a very modest 2 kids) when I was 30 and 32. I 100% believe that young relationships can and do work. But they need to be organic. My best friend has been with her husband since they were 15 and 16 and were also married young at 20 and 21. But these Duggar kids and in-laws are forced into these very serious relationships with basic strangers and expected to build a life on very little foundation. That's where the issue comes in for me, not so much that Justin is 17 (almost 18) and I know people who literally married directly out of HS and it worked but again there was an organic relationship that formed. 

[becky_m2001]

29 minutes ago, Sullie06 said:

So my husband and I are high school sweethearts he he was the only serious relationship I had ever had. When we started dating my husband was 16 and I was 18 (he turned 17 the next month) and we were married young (he was 21 and I was 23) but that's where the similarity stops. We waited to have children. We traveled, went to school, worked out our careers and finally had our family ( a very modest 2 kids) when I was 30 and 32. I 100% believe that young relationships can and do work. But they need to be organic. My best friend has been with her husband since they were 15 and 16 and were also married young at 20 and 21. But these Duggar kids and in-laws are forced into these very serious relationships with basic strangers and expected to build a life on very little foundation. That's where the issue comes in for me, not so much that Justin is 17 (almost 18) and I know people who literally married directly out of HS and it worked but again there was an organic relationship that formed. 

My youngest cousin has been with her husband since she was 14. They married right after she graduated from high school and their first baby was born a year later. They have one of the best relationships I've ever seen, but it's so hard to NOT think of her as a little girl since she's so much younger than me! LOL

[ignorantobserver]

6 hours ago, Topaz said:

Nurie Rodrigues is a 3rd gen and got married a couple of months ago.

You are right, I completely forgot about Nurie. But we don't know much about her married life yet. Impossible to tell at this point how the 3rd generation marriages are going to turn out, especially since both in her and in Jason's case, only one partner seems to be 3rd generation, the other one 2nd generation.