A Duggar Valentine’s Day getaway
UPDATE 7:20p: Good for her. Just spotted a clip from CPAC where Michelle Duggar weighed in on the Komen/Planned Parenthood controversy…
12:51p: People reports Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar are spending this Valentine’s Day alone in New York to celebrate their love – and the season premiere of 19 Kids and Counting:
The Manhattan visit marked the first time the two have been away from the kids since Michelle experienced a miscarriage 18 weeks into her pregnancy with her 20th child, a little girl they named Jubilee.
“I am feeling good physically,” Michelle said. “I am still sad in the fact that we miss our Jubilee, but we don’t grieve as those who have no hope. I am thankful for everything that we have to remember her. She is in our hearts.” In addition, 2-year-old Josie, who was born as a micro-preemie, is thriving and “so independent,” said Michelle. “She is doing so well.”
The couple have decided to keep the reality show cameras rolling in their home and allow viewers to see how the family handles everything.
“I think that really everybody has to deal with loss in their life, and everyone is going to come face to face with death,” said Jim Bob. Added Michelle, “Everyone experiences this. We wanted to celebrate her life.”
19 Kids and Counting is one of the few life-affirming shows on television. The Duggars use their platform to uphold the sanctity of life and also demonstrate a great Christian witness. For instance, on The Today Show today (where they also mention a recent extortion attempt!)…
[HT: LauraLoo; graphic via Discovery.com]
Jill Stanek is a nurse turned speaker, columnist and blogger, a national figure in the effort to protect both preborn and postborn innocent human life.
I love the Duggars! I love how much they love each other and how sweet they both are.
Far be it from me to deny the Duggars a weekend of fun, but I would think fair is fair. Do the oldest daughters, who are now young women, also have the freedom to take such a trip with each other or friends? Maybe these young women would like a break from parents, household chores, and kids? Family vacations are fine, to a point. I wonder if they would enjoy a weekend in NYC, that is with other young people their own age, not hauling around children and diaper bags, or having their father hover over them like Zeus throwing thunderbolts from Mt. Olympus.
I mention the daughters specifically as they are always the ones seen carrying or minding children. Apparently in the Duggar family, child care is “women’s work”.
So don’t get mad folks, I only throw this out there to ponder. Keep in mind these young women nearly lost a mother and sister a few years ago and just lost a sister. Perhaps they could use some time away as well. I bet they would find a weekend in NYC, minus kids and diaper bags, great fun too.
I heard the Duggers are for Santorum. How does that happen? Aren’t they supposed to be backwoods, bigoted fundamentalists? Maybe not. ;)
Hi Hans,
I don’t understand your point.
Well, the Duggars are very conservative fundamentalist Protestants. Much of the press and the left (but I repeat myself) would think they’d be too bigoted to vote for a Catholic.
Maybe they figure its better than voting for a Mormon??
Hopefully, they just think it would be better than voting for the wolf in wolf’s clothing who is currently in office.
Mary,
I see your point…but do you think the girls would want to do that? I think they like to help out and it gives them more experience than many girls. Perhaps they will get a chance to get away, but not sure if it would be all the way to New York. And I think only Josis is still in diapers. ;)
Hi Liz,
Well their parents like to get away, why shouldn’t the daughters who are raising the children and tending the home? Yes I agree, they definitely have parenting experience, they’ve been parenting since childhood.
Do they like all this responsiblity? Does it even matter? Have they ever had any real choices?
Maybe Josie is the only one in diapers but the other children still require care and supervision, and guess who that falls on?
They might get a chance to get away? Why not NYC? Why not wherever they want, they are after all grown women.
I think it’s all great training for future motherhood. Is there a day that goes by without some horror story of a young mother who abuses her child because she can’t take not being able to live her own life without responsibilities?
Hi Hans,
Sorry I don’t agree. Dumping your younger children on older siblings to take care of in order to make life easier for mom can’t be justified as preparing girls for motherhood.
Shirking parental responsiblities would better describe it. How about Michelle practicing motherhood, she had these kids. Her older daughters didn’t.
How about teaching the boys something about parenting by having them haul around kids and diaper bags? Maybe Jim Bob could set an example.
Mary,
I have to concede to your points somewhat, at least. I really like the Duggars, but sometimes you can have too much of a good thing. The males don’t appear to be that involved in care-giving to the young ones.
The parents do seem to be full-time “ambassadors” to the world. They should be concentrating more on their “constituents” - their family.