Two-Year Anniversary

Celebrating the two-year anniversary of the Duggar Family Blog! Thanks to all of our loyal readers!

Our goal is to maintain an uplifting website where you can find the latest, factual information about Jim Bob and Michelle and their delightful children.

Proud to serve you,
Lily and Ellie    

"Royal Duggars" Recap

On tonight's episode of 19 Kids and Counting: World Tour, "Royal Duggars"...

• Upon arriving in London, the Duggars head to the extravagant 51 Buckingham Gate hotel, built to accommodate royalty. The children enjoy playing in the bidet. "This my sink," explains Johannah, pointing to the regular sink. "And this is James' sink," explains the little Duggar, as she motions to the bidet. 
• Jim Bob and Michelle practice driving on the "wrong" side of the road with "fixer" Kelly, who admits that she is a bit nervous. (A fixer is someone who coordinates film and television shoots.)
• According to Michelle, Jim Bob is a much better driver, but she is more cautious. "Michelle was excellent," praises Kelly.
• Meanwhile, the children enjoy traditional English high tea. "I don't think we did it the right way," admits Jill. "This is a disaster. The Duggars do not do high tea," jokes cousin Amy. 
• While gathered around the breakfast table, Jim Bob and Michelle give their kids a reality check. "Be extremely grateful to everyone that you see here," reminds Michelle. "This is not normal. This is a very special way to be treated...We need to make sure to express gratefulness." 
• "This is not real life," reinforces Jim Bob. "In just a short time here, we will be back to Arkansas, and we will be cutting grass and scrubbing toilets." 
• The family piles into a double-decker bus to sight-see. First stop: Buckingham Palace. Can you believe that the royal residence is 100 times the size of the Duggar home?
• "London is one of the prettiest cities we've ever been in," says Jim Bob. 
• A highlight for the ladies is a trip to the Hectic Hat Hire. This eccentric hat rental shop has designed hats for Kate Middleton, the royal wedding, and Hollywood movies. Everyone has a good time trying on different hats and practicing their British accents.
• After braving the London Eye, the Duggars enjoy a traditional English meal at the Wheatsheaf Inn. On the menu are Bangers and Mash, Bubble and Squeak, and Toad in the Hole. "Maybe it's the sounds of the animals that we're going to eat?" suggests Josiah, jokingly.
• Despite the Duggars' apprehension, the food turns out to be delicious. "It was some of the best...I've ever had," says Anna.
• The last item on the agenda is Stonehenge. After conducting an engaging tour, archeologist Jilian C. Richards surprises the family with a VIP walk through the center of the stones, which were arranged over 4,000 years ago. 
• Next Sunday: the Duggars in Israel!

Have you been to London? Did you visit any of these places?

"Duggars Abroad" Recap

On tonight's episode of 19 Kids and Counting: World Tour, "Duggars Abroad"...

• To prepare for their 20-day trip overseas, the Duggars pack 26 suitcases of clothing. Before leaving, they head to the store to stock up on some last-minute necessities. "Jim Bob's biggest phobia is running out of socks and underwear," explains Michelle.
• With a crew of 26 (Jim Bob, Michelle, and the children, plus Josh, Anna, Mackynzie, Michael, Grandma, and cousin Amy), the family heads to the airport. (This is the first plane ride for both Josie and Michael.)
• "The main thing is just getting all of our kids on the plane with passports in hand, and if we forget a few things, we'll pick them up along the way," says Jim Bob. 4,000 miles later, they arrive in Edinburgh, Scotland. 
• "The first morning when we got up in Scotland, we were all tired and suffering from a lot of jet lag," declares Jessa. After a short night's sleep, the family heads out to sight-see. 
• The first item on the agenda is the Royal Mile, where everyone is shocked to watch a street performer swallow a sword. Then it's off to Edinburgh Castle. Jim Bob describes the historical landmark as "absolutely beautiful."
• At the Blairgowrie and Rattray Highland Games, the Duggar family--renamed the Mac'Duggar Clan--takes part in a community-wide tug-of-war contest. 
• While at the Games, Jim Bob is seized by a group of Scottish men and forced to wear a kilt. He is not too thrilled about the idea, but when the men pull out their swords (all in fun), he complies. 
• The Duggars hop on a ferry and travel to majestic Ireland, where the highlight is visiting the Causey Farm. The family receives a lesson on how to make traditional Irish Bread and then heads outside to experience a working farm. 
• Amy and Joseph participate in a pig riding contest. While Joseph does pretty well, Amy has a harder go of it. "Amy was really brave to get on that huge pig," says Jinger. "She was like hanging on, and it was running her into the fence."
• After watching Patch the sheep dog in action, the Duggars enjoy their homemade bread and then depart. 
• Onward to England! Tune in next week to hear about their trip.

Have you ever been to Scotland or Ireland? Or maybe you live/have lived there?

Duggar Summer Recap

Summer is coming to a close, and the Duggars definitely made the most of it! In June, they spent some time in the Big Apple--singing, sightseeing, and doing mission work. Then they piled into their bus and set out to promote "A Love That Multiplies," which sold 22 million copies within the first 30 days and has made the New York Times Bestseller list several times since its release in early June.

The evening of our July 7th interview with Michelle and Anna (which is currently featured on the TLC website), the family headed to Atlanta to sign books and visited a local megachurch. The Duggars then pushed onward to Tennessee to visit Gil and Kelly Bates and their 18 (soon to be 19) children. 

Jim Bob and Michelle recently applied for passports for the kids--quite a feat for a super-sized family--and are currently in the process of planning an international trip for later this year. 

We would love to hear the highlights of your summer! Go ahead and share them in the comments section.

Duggars' Snow Ice Cream Recipe

As requested, here is the Duggars' recipe for Snow Ice Cream, as seen on Tuesday's episode of "19 Kids and Counting," Duggars Snowed In. Enjoy!

For more delicious Duggar recipes, click here!

Snow Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 1-1/2 to 2 cups sugar, to taste
• 1 teaspoon imitation vanilla or 1/2 teaspoon real vanilla 
• 1 quart heavy whipping cream or half-and-half
• 6 quarts clean, fresh snow (fluffy, not packed)

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine the sugar, vanilla, and whipping cream. 
2. Add snow, 2 cups at a time.
3. Stir until mixture is ice cream consistency.

*This recipe is found on page 160 of the Duggars' first book, "20 and Counting."

Have you tried snow ice cream?

"Duggars Deliver" Recap

On tonight's episode of "19 Kids and Counting" Duggars Deliver...

• Jackson and Johannah admitted that sorting clothes with Mommy is fun. Michelle knows the importance of making household chores enjoyable, especially for the little ones. 
• Michelle and several of the kids helped Jordyn search for her missing shoe, an event that occurs almost everyday in the Duggar home. "Jordyn loves shoes," explained Michelle. "She will find shoes anywhere... and she'll take one."
  
• Later on, Grandma Duggar, Michelle, Josh, Anna, and Mackynzie headed over to What's Kickin, a family-friendly ultrasound studio. While Josh and Anna kept their eyes shut, the technician snapped a photo of the their unborn child, labeled it with the baby's gender, and handed it to over to Grandma Michelle, who was grinning from ear to ear.
  
• Meanwhile, Jessa and Jinger baked cookies and cheesecake and took some of the little ones along to deliver the treats to local police and fire departments. The Duggar started this annual tradition to show appreciation to the men and women who serve their community.
  
• After keeping the gender of Grand-Duggar #2 a secret for an entire week, it was finally time for Michelle to announce it to the family. "It was really hard for me to keep the secret, especially from Jim Bob," the mom of 19 told TLC. Yep, you heard that right. As much as Jim Bob begged and pleaded, Michelle stood her ground and refused to spill the beans to him or anyone else. The camera crew took a poll, and it turned out that most of the family, including Anna, predicted that the baby would be a boy.
  
• When the big moment arrived, everyone gathered in the yard and looked up as a pilot wrote the gender symbol in the sky with smoke. The results? IT'S A BOY!

How often have you been right in predicting the gender of your baby, or of someone else's?

"Duggars All Aboard" Recap

On last night's episode of "19 Kids and Counting" Duggars All Aboard...

• The Duggars celebrated Joy-Anna's 13th birthday! Joy is a bit of a tomboy and enjoys leading the six boys under her but also loves hanging out with and learning from the older girls.
• Jim Bob stayed home with Jordyn and Josie and let Michelle enjoy an autumn train ride through the majestic Ozarks with the older kids. 
• There was a brief snippet of the October radio show interview we did with Michelle where you could hear host Nina Frye's voice and the two of us greeting Michelle. (Click here to listen to the full interview.) "This interview was one that I was looking forward to," said Michelle. Wow! That sure made us feel special!
• On the train, the Duggars witnessed a mock robbery. Masked men rode up on horseback, shooting fake guns, and pretended to hold up the train. The kids loved it! After the train ride, they all went out to ice cream.
• Back home, Jordyn was running around the house, entertaining her dad and Josie. "Jordyn loves to be helpful," Jim Bob told the cameras. "She went and got all the trashcans from the house and started bringing them to me. Sometimes she brings you things you don't need, but we're always very grateful to her." 
• When asked to make a statement about Joy, Jill took the opportunity to poke some fun at her little sister, while Joy hid her face. "I do remember changing her diaper," said Jill. "So I'm glad that she's not wearing diapers anymore. She's outgrown that stage, so now she can help change diapers. Now I can embarrass her."

"Duggars Act Out" and "Duggars Rock & Record" Recaps

On last night's episodes of "19 Kids and Counting..."

• A family from the Friendly Chapel, the church that "adopted" the Duggars while they were in Little Rock with Josie, came for a visit. A couple days later, Jim Bob and the older kids traveled to Little Rock to serve at Friendly Chapel's fish fry, an annual fundraiser for the homeless that attracts over 3,000 guests!
• Michelle headed off to record an audio version of 20 and Counting, the Duggars' first book. To the producer's surprise, she read the entire 228-page book out-loud in just two sittings! Did she get tongue-tied? At times, but the mom of 19 thoroughly enjoyed herself. "I think it was fun getting to read through the whole book," said Michelle. "It reminded me of all those neat memories." She brought Jim Bob along for moral support. While she recorded their first book, he edited their second, A Love that Multiplies. (Click here to pre-order.)
• Back at the house, the Duggar boys got new dos. The family saves $750 each year with home haircuts.
• Jill volunteered to stay home with Josie while the rest of the family took off to Eureka Springs to tour the set of "The Great Passion Play," the largest outdoor drama in the United States. Jim Bob and the older kids were thrilled to be given the opportunity to act as extras in the production.
• While she entertained Josie, Jill, who is interested in pursuing a career in the medical field, studied for a midwifery test. "It's a good bonding experience for me," said Jill. "I love babies, and Josie and I get to hang out together today."

Are you familiar with "The Great Passion Play" of Eureka Springs?

LIVE Interview with Jim Bob and Michelle!

Can't wait until next Thursday, when we go LIVE with Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar on Nina Frye's Living the Dream Mom internet radio show! Do you have a burning question for the Duggars? Post it here! Ladies, have you asked your husbands if they have any questions for Jim Bob?
And remember, if you think of a question while you're listening to the interview on February 10th at 10PM EST/9PM CST, don't hesitate to submit it to the live chat.