Tuesday, May 30, 2017

Marriage Advice from the 4 Oldest Duggar Sisters


It's hard to believe that Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar's ninth oldest child is now a wife. Joy-Anna Duggar was just six years old when the Duggars' first reality TV special aired in 2004, and now she's married to Austin Forsyth, her childhood friend of 15 years.

The four oldest Duggar sisters--Jana Duggar, Jill Duggar Dillard, Jessa Duggar Seewald, and Jinger Duggar Vuolo--share memories and words of encouragement with their little sister in the video below. What do you think of their bridesmaid dresses? Jill was the matron of honor, so her dress has extra embellishments.



Photo/video courtesy TLC

100 comments:

  1. How can Jana give marriage advice if she's not married?

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    1. That's a cruel and ridiculous comment. I've never taken the Bar Exam, but I could reasonably advise someone taking it to "study hard, get a good night's sleep and eat a good breakfast!" I'm by no means a defender of all things Duggar, but I think Jana's had enough ridicule and speculation about her (lack of) marital status.

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    2. Mercy!!! I just knew someone would say that. It's says words of advice and encouragement in the explanation. Anyone can do that for someone they love!!!

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    3. Please watch the video before criticizing. Jana didn't give advice. She just made a sentimental comment about her little sister getting married. Of course, she could have given marriage advice if she had wanted to - her parents have set such a good example, she's probably picked up a lot of wisdom from observation. Hers might have been different from Jill's and Jessa's but even unmarried people are able to give a few pointers.

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    4. I think the video may have accidentally been labeled wrong because she didn't give advice (nor did anyone else really). It was more of a congratulatory video.

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    5. Didn't you watch the video? She didn't give any marriage advice. She had encouraging and supportive words for Joy.

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    6. Her parents are great examples and she has learned from them what makes a good, godly marriage.

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    7. I know I wondered the same thing.

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    8. Because some of them in the video was sharing memories and giving Joy words of encouragement.

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    9. Anon @ 3:14 I don't normally watch these TLC videos because of all the stopping and starting, but I watched this one and Jana did not give any advice, she just said she was glad Joy had found a great guy like Austin. Surprised that none of them mentioned having babies, maybe they realise people are fed up with this, or maybe its just been edited out because TLC know people are sick of it.

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    10. Hey, you don't have to be married to give marriage advice. :)

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    11. Back off and leave her alone. She can give advice to her sister.

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    12. I thought that was strange too, but if you watch the video you'll see that she doesn't give marriage advice, just well wishes.

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    13. I'm sure she has a lot of friends that are married and have other examples in her life. She can give her best as an older sister.

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    14. We don't see all the "advice" that Jana might have given. There's a big edit while she's talking.

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    15. 4:46 - What's cruel and ridiculous about it? It was a good question.

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  2. Great to see the young ladies. Dresses seem simple but nice. I hope the newlyweds adjust to life together easily and both support each other emotionally.

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  3. Very sweet! Such precious young ladies. Thank you Ellie and Lily for posting this.

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  4. Oh boy, I feel so bad saying this but sitting there in the dark dresses without their bouquets, they look like they are at a funeral not a wedding. Sorry:(

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    1. Didn't want to say it myself but I thought the same thing.

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    2. If you feel so bad Dawn,don't say it.I don't think they would have that beautiful smile and glow at a funeral

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    3. Most people aren't smiling at a funeral. Their dresses aren't black, and people don't wear matching clothes to a funeral.

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    4. They look like the old widows who would always sit together at an Irish wake/funeral here in Ireland lol.

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    5. Ya definitely not a spring/ summer color scheme. I don't get the fascination with navy blue? It was "the color" when Kate Middleton got engaged.. in 2010! A nice light pink or peach with some greenery would of looked nice.

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    6. I agree 4:31, they are very somber dresses. I don't like them for a wedding. They may as well get used to finding good maternity bridesmaid dresses, because someone is always going to be pregnant at someone else's wedding.

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    7. Anon @ 8:42 I never wear black I don't like it, and as I am very pale skinned and it drains me even more. I always wear something navy if I am going to a funeral because it suits me better. Often at funerals women will wear a little black dress, for this wedding all the girls (with the exception of Jill) wore little navy dresses, so very similar.

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    8. Anon 1:09, that's exactly the image that went through my mind. My husband is Lebanese American and at funerals or wakes, all the older women sit together against the wall catching up with gossip.

      Anon 8:42, people wear navy to funerals almost as often as black. Also, if the death was an elderly person and expected, there will be smiles. Friends and family catch up with one another at these things and it can be more of a celebration of their life rather than a sad occaision.

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    9. The dress color doesn't bother me, as they carried flowers in the beautiful contrasting orange. But it would have been cool for them to have special jewelry or hairstyles.

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  5. These are the most conservative bridesmaid dresses of all the Duggar weddings, I think. I'm wondering if the Forsyths are even more conservative than the Duggars.

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  6. I know we have maids of honor versus matrons of honor and Miss versus Mrs, but how do we know whether a groomsman is married or not, or if a man is married or not for that matter? Shouldn't we be able to tell by their titles?

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    1. And their marital status is relevant - why?

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  7. For growing up on camera giving these video interviews, you think these women would be better at speaking on camera.

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    1. I watched all the congrats videos from all the siblings and if I ever have to hear "y'all" and "amazing" one more time I'm going to cry. The face Jackson makes is priceless though, that's definitely worth a watch

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  8. It would look pretty if all dresses had embellishments, with each lace inset being different. But I thought the color was beautiful!!!

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  9. Then why did you say it!!!!

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  10. The dresses . . . none of the girls have had what I would call pretty bridesmaid dresses (Jinger's were the most formal, but the combination of colors was a little jarring), but these are the "least pretty." I know Joy isn't a frilly kind of girl, so maybe that's just her style. After seeing the bridesmaids' dresses and her bridal gown, I have lower expectations for the rest of the wedding. I'm still excited to see the wedding, but I think the whole thing is going to be visually unexciting.

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    1. That's what I was thinking (6:01), but I couldn't quite put my finger on why these dresses were a let-down. We haven't seen a Duggar wedding yet where the bridesmaid dresses hit it out of the park! Jinger's were all too different color-wise, and the other weddings, the dresses were very underwhelming. There are soooo many gorgeous bridesmaid dresses out there and these kids have big budgets. I don't understand why another wedding went past with less than stellar dresses!

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    2. They may be the least pretty to you but obviously Joy Anna liked them. I am glad we all have different opinions of what is beautiful. Can you image how boring life would be if we all picked the exact same bridesmaids' dresses and decorations for our weddings? Instead of looking down on what others have chosen, why not celebrate the fact that we are all unique with our own tastes and opinions?

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    3. 8:24 - The blogger asked what we thought about the dresses, so I was answering the question. That's what I thought about the dresses. I did mention that I realized they were probably Joy's style. I wasn't looking down on it, I was giving my opinion. The dresses were plain, not "pretty."

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  11. I see that Joy-Anna and her sisters have their hair long and straight for her wedding. Must be what Joy-Anna wanted for her wedding. They all have such pretty hair. My daughter is thirty five and has always wore her hair long and straight.....Jane

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  12. I thought Joy's wedding had a very Godly quality to it. From each picture I saw I got this impression. The dresses are simple but they are nice and elegant and dignified. It seemed like such a peaceful, happy wedding full of love and comfort.

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    1. How did this wedding have a "Godly quality" to it? I see this word (Godly) used a lot on this page but I question whether it's used appropriately. Wouldn't any wedding performed by a person of religion be Godly?

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  13. What do I think of the dresses? You have to be really careful about wearing dark knits when there are professional photographers around. Quite often the bright camera flash makes that fabric turn transparent. Movie stars sometimes get into this trouble when photographed on the red carpet. I did see one picture from the wedding that worried me that the same thing (to a small degree) might have happened with these dresses.

    Whenever I buy fabric for clothing, I always put my hand under it and hold it up to see if any part of my hand might show in bright light or sunshine. Any good dressmaker should know about this potential problem, but you probably wouldn't think of it if you bought dresses online without feeling the fabric first.

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    1. Quite right about dark knits and flash bulbs... I'll bet the Duggars had no idea.

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    2. One word: Slip! A simple slip under a dress goes a loooooooong way in protecting one's modesty.

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    3. I don't think girls these days know what a slip is. Besides, the flash would still show through the fabric, but you'd be seeing slip, not underwear. It's just an inherent problem with that type of fabric and that dark color. I guess a wedding photographer could post-process it out, but the paparazzi capture women in fabric like that all the time, and they don't fix it before printing.

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    4. Agreed! I went to buy a slip recently for my young lady and they were nearly impossible to find where I live. I ended up altering one of mine- it was a good thing I'd kept it from years ago when I worked in Banking!

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  14. Best Wishes to Joy and Austin! Don't let any of the negativity ruin your happiness! <3

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    1. They're not reading this blog, they're on their honeymoon.

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  15. I agree about the overly long hair. There is a time when long hair is just too long.

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    1. According to who?
      I think their hair is beautiful!

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    2. I can't imagine how Jill stands having all that hair in the tropical climate of her missions, plus the continual water shortages and lack of hot water showers. Hair much shorter would be much cooler and easier to take care of. For Jessa, shorter hair would be more practical for a busy mom.

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    3. That is your opinion and those of us with long hair think women with short hair should grow their hair out. We can all have different opinions without being unkind to each other and making comments on how we think others should look.

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  16. Congratulation and God bless their marriage. Great family despite what anyone can say.

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  17. Beautiful, sweet girls.

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  18. I'm nont a fan of the dresses either but then I remember that Joy is a tomboy at heart so simple and down to earth is her style. I couldn't be more happy for Joy and Austin, not to mention also the beautiful Kendra and Joseph who are now engaged! Great year and full of excitement for the family! God Bless x

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  19. When I look at Jill I think of the Bible verse saying who serves me I will honour.

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  20. Can't wait to see the wedding!
    The bridesmaids look nice and simple just like joy anna she's pretty laid back so everything matches her personality. That's how weddings are special to each couple, it should reflect their personality.

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  21. I'm so glad they didn't exclude Jana just because she isn't married!

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  22. I know it might have been hard to find a dress for Jill at 7 months pregnant but her dress isn't even the same shade of navy as the others. The lace on the sleeves sticks out like a sore thumb. They might have been better getting her a dress that toned in with the other navy dresses, there are so many colours that work with navy, jade or pink for example, or chose a colour from the flowers and went with that. Sorry, it looks a bit messy, but maybe Joy just wanted a relaxed feel to the bridal party, if so job done!

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  23. I feel so sorry for Jana! I would like to see her walk down the aisle. She is so sweet & a pretty young lady! Always a bridesmaid but never a bride!

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    1. Your last sentence... completely insensitive and condescending. I feel sorry for Jana, not because she isn't married, but because she's become the obsession of folks who think having a husband and children is what defines a woman. What about her twin brother? He's not in any hurry to find a wife !

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    2. I wonder why Jana is never the Maid of Honor. She is always just a bridesmaid.

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    3. Jana was Jill's maid of honor

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    4. Wasn't Jana Jill's MOH?

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  24. Any one of their hair looks better than Joys did.....
    Big sisters shoulda helped her with her hair...and ......😳

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    1. I think Jill did Joy's hair. They are very close (buddy team) Plus Jill's wedding hair-do was very similar to Joy's.

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    2. I loved her hair! She looked beautiful and natural. I don't like it when people put on a ton of makeup and do their hair drastically different than normal. They don't look like themselves anymore. It isn't necessary. She should look like how she wanted to look on her wedding day not how you think she should look. Would you post a comment like that on a friend's site? If you don't have something kind to say then don't say anything. There are plenty of people that I don't like how they dress or do their hair, but I don't comment on them.

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  25. I like the colors. I think Joy-Anna was probably very frugal. I'm sure she had to pay for all or part of the wedding because her family is so large. I don't get the impression that Joy or Austin would be too lavish. It looks like it was a special time for all.

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    1. No offence meant to you but TLC foots the bill for these weddings in return for filming them.

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    2. That is your guess. You don't know that it is true. If someone else was paying, don't you think they would all have elaborate weddings? They get paid to be on the show, but I seriously doubt their weddings are paid for by TLC.

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    3. I've also gotten the impression that the Duggar girls get a wedding budget to work with. Some opt for a bigger wedding and a less expensive honeymoon (Jill), while others keep the wedding "leaner" to opt for a more expensive honeymoon (Jessa).

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    4. Re : their hair........change it up....up do's are very
      becoming......and a lot cooler..
      even for mama Michelle ..✂️

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    5. TLC paid for the filmed honeymoons (Jessa/Ben and Jinger/Babe). The couples and the family didn't drop a dime.

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    6. Tlc doesn't pay for the weddings.

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  26. Dress seems to simple maybe add a belt to break up the dark color

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    1. Or flowers in their hair. Just something. They don't look like they are at a wedding.

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  27. the video wouldn't play, so I don't know what was said, but who is Jana to give marital advice? Jinger has been married, what 6 mo now? I would rather listen to what Anna has to say than these.

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    1. I agree, Anna has been through so much and likely has a lot to say.

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    2. The video was mislabeled. It was about memories the ladies shared. And one who has been exposed to couples who have great marriages can offer marriage advice. This is especially true if one's parents or grandparents have good solid marriages.

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    3. I was thinking the same thing. I would rather take advice from Anna.

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    4. Agreed, Anna has more experience woth anything marital related than these sisters combined.

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  28. Many of the commenters here might benefit from this reminder when commenting:

    T.H.I.N.K.

    T- is it True?
    H- is it Helpful?
    I- is it Inspiring?
    N- is it Necessary?
    K- is it Kind?

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    1. I love this. Thanks for reminding us to be thoughtful in what we say. Maybe that color blue isn't everyone's favorite color, but it suited Joy's taste. And those girls are beautiful.

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    2. Thanks, but Ellie weeds out the worst of the worst and I'm GLAD she lets the rest through. Life is not all vanilla. We have different opinions. Some opinions can open your eyes and make you t.h.i.n.k. in a different way.

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    3. I think people can say they don't like something as long as they are polite about it. Otherwise, one is just lying.

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    4. But then the blog wouldn't be as interesting.

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    5. I agree!!!! THINK!!! 😁

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    6. Philippians 4:8. I have it framed in our family room.

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    7. Many will have different opinions. When you have so many people on a public blog, you will always find varying opinions. For instance, many will think your comment here isn't inspiring or necessary. So, I say try and keep your comments kind, but if opinions dont 100% agree with Duggar values, than I don't think we should attack them. I think sometimes the people on here need to practice what they preach. Just my honest opinion. God bless!

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  29. Each brides maid has chosen her own jewelry. Again what are we seeing on Jana? What is the story behind her pendant? Jana is now the one everyone will always be most curious about. That is a lot of annoying attention to live with. We wouldn't want to pressure her into a miss step, bad decision.

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  30. I love the brides maids dresses.

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  31. I'm very happy for joy Anna and Austin may god bless their marriage I agree with you people about your comments about the beautiful girls with their long hair having long hair is fine and if you want you can always cut it up to your shoulders in the summertime because you know it's going to get hot and it may get up to 100 degrees or more and it should grow back quickly and I hope and I pray for Jana to be blessed by god to have her own husband soon and it's always nice to have a special man to love on in life

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  32. I think this will be my last time to comment because it appears that all this comment box is used for is to criticize, condemn or argue. The few congratulatory comments that are given are way overshadowed by the negative & derogatory ones. Signing off.

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  33. Information from a hair dresser: When someone's hair is way long, it weighs on the roots of the hair in the scalp leading to weak roots and hair loss. I'm afraid these young women have already crossed that 'too long to be healthy' hair length. They all need to take about a foot off of the length to take the stress off at the scalp. To do so, would not be ungodly, for heaven's sake.

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  34. Wow! Jana is extremely beautiful. She looks more like 19...not 27. I'm sure guys are knocking down Jimbo's door lol

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  35. The girls look Amish in their dark blue dresses.

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