Monday, June 3, 2019

Meet Ivy Seewald

Great-Grandma Duggar and Ivy Seewald

It's time to introduce eight-day-old Ivy Jane Seewald to the world. Parents Jessa and Ben Seewald present their daughter to Counting On fans in a short video from TLC. (Visit the Seewalds' website to watch.) In the clip, they also share the story behind her name. Her middle name is after Lady Jane Grey, a notable figure in Christian history who lived in the 1500s. She was born on Great-Grandma Duggar's birthday.

For those who haven't heard, Counting On will return to reality TV this fall. 

Photo courtesy duggarfamily.com

93 comments:

  1. This is the second time the Seewald’s have named a child after a British religious person, Henry was named after Henry Wilberforce & now Ivy Jane after Lady Jane Grey. I was wondering do the Duggar’s or Seewald’s have connections to the UK or are they just interested in our religious noble people. I’m very interested to know this. However they decided on the name it’s beautiful in my opinion. Didn’t like Spurgeon at all in the beginning as it reminded me of the character from the movie Deep Impact & it didn’t seem to sit with a cute baby. However I love how they call him Spurgy or Spurg as they are very cute & suit him well. Henry I love it’s a very nice strong name to give your child.

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    1. Spurgeon is named after Charles spurgeon, probably the most famous and most loved British preacher who lived and died during the 1800s. He is my most favorite preacher hands-down of all time.

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    2. His name is Henry Wilberforce. He was named after Michael Henry and William Wilberforce.

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    3. Thank you perelandra, I didn’t know who they named Spurgeon after. So that’s all 3 with names after British preachers/religious people. That was a question too, do they have British connections as they seem very interested in the British religious leaders. I love it when people answer questions, especially as I can’t access the videos in the UK so don’t get all the details. Thank goodness for the friendly people on this blog.

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  2. I wish there were no geographical restrictions for Canadian viewers, I cannot watch any of the TLC videos, the baby announcements, etc.

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    1. I wonder if there are any geographical restrictions on any of the left-wing sites.

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    2. I think the restrictions are a TLC thing. I would assume any videos from their other shows would have the same restrictions. You seem to be implying some sort of anti-Christian bias by the network.

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    3. The geographical restrictions are due to money rather than the Duggars' beliefs. TLC wouldn't have given the Duggars a platform to spread their political and religious beliefs if it was an anti-Christian network.

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    4. look into using a VPN, I can watch any video with no geo-restrictions :)

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  3. Sweet baby! It was good to see the video. Jessa's looking great.

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  4. Jessa doesn't know fashion. Men wear bows (bow ties), pink, ruffles (including tuxedo shirts), and lace. There have been entire designer runway shows with lace for men. Those garments are amazing - blazers, shirts, tees, formal wear, etc. That was another example of the Duggar stereotypical gender "rules." What a sheltered existence they live.

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    1. Fashion is a "here today, gone tomorrow" deal and is basically a personal preference. If the Duggars want to follow traditional gender wardrobe roles , it's no skin off my nose. BTW, I don't know anyone who wears designer runway fashions. If I tried to put my husband in bows and lace, he'd run for the hills. I guess I'm sheltered, too.

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    2. Maybe they think men in lace are disturbing like I do.

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    3. I think she was referring to hair bows!

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    4. Who in the world wants to see a man or boy in lace and pink ruffled anything? No we like our men and boys to look like just that, men and boys.

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    5. She means on baby outfits, stores typically don’t put (hair) bows and lace on baby boy clothes. Also many have Jessa’s brothers wear pink so I don’t think they follow the whole “boys can’t wear pink” mindset.

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    6. Are you serious? My mind boggles at the thought of a Duggar male wearing something pink with ruffles and lace. lol

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    7. Sheltered or not, little boys generally do not wear those things so it is indeed a new thing for them. Maybe someday those boys will be men with a unique fashion sense and those things will apply, but presumably not right now (unless they break into their cousins' dress-up bin?). I have two boys myself and I can't say either of them has ever wanted to wear bows, pink, ruffles or lace! Heck, my six-year-old almost didn't play soccer when his jersey ended up being pink! Thankfully they ended up replacing them before it became an issue!

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    8. No, they live in the real world. You are not going to see lace trim on men's shirts in department stores or on the men on the street. Pink shirts do excist for men but are hardly common. Differences in men and women, including fashion choices, do exist despite some people trying to say otherwise. People who try and pretend this isn't true are ignoring reality.

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    9. And everyone let out an audible sigh, for the gendefluid spokesperson has announced itself as only it can do—obnoxiously.

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    10. Um, isn’t Ben wearing a pink shirt in this video? And doesn’t she dress the boys in bow ties often? What else do you want from her? You know what she’s talking about with sweet girls’ clothing and you know there’s a difference.

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    11. Jessa may have said pink, ruffles’ and lace, but if you look at the colors she’s used with Ivy so far they are rather gender neutral. I think the idea that little girls wear pink and little boys wear blue has softened over time, however is not likely to go away....thank goodness! Just love those ruffled tights and frilly dresses.

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    12. 4:01 PM- you are so right!!! :))))

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    13. "Jessa doesn't know fashion". And you do? Fashion designers run the gamut of tastes and just because you see something on a runway does not mean it will appeal to or look good on everyone. Besides, trends change at the drop of a hat. If wardrobe choices are something you feel a need to criticize, you're a very shallow person, indeed.

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    14. Jessa knows a lot about fashion. Remember that fashion video she shot with Jinger where they explained how to dress stylishly in stretchy cotton skirts paired with baggy T-shirts, cardigans, and flip flops? Stylish!

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    15. Sorry but that comment sounded so silly that it made me laugh. My husband is super open to trying new things, he loves colors and has a pink shirt and a bright pink polo, but you'll never make him wear anything with lace ! LOL And we do not live in rural America (nothing wrong with that, I have tons of friends in the Missouri countryside and love that state) but in France !

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    16. I personally love to see a man in lace or in pink, or heels, or in blue T-shirts. My small 3-yr-old sons’s favorite color is pink! To each their own. Confidence is beautiful. Confining ideologies are not. Gender norms are made-up.

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    17. AmyRybJune 4, 2019 at 12:03 PM
      REAL MEN WEAR PINK. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH A PINK SHIRT OR WHATEVER. BUT YOU ARE VERY DISTURBING WITH NOT WANTING A CHILD TO PLAY SOCCER, JUST BECAUSE THE SHIRT WAS PINK...GIRLS PLAY ALSO, AND SOME ON THE SAME TEAM WITH BOYS SO YOU ARE JUST TEACHING YOUR SONS THEY SHOULD BE ASHAMED OF THE COLOR PINK IN ANYTHING TO DO WITH THEM...HOW SHAMEFUL YOU ARE.

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  5. Congratulations she's beautiful!

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  6. the video isn't working for me.

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  7. Grandma never looks happy

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    1. Sometimes as we age our face wrinkle just right and give us an angry or grumpy look. It’s happened to me, people say “are you mad” all the time....it’s just my face now sorry.

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    2. Except for all those pictures of her smiling that we've seen for years and years.

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    3. 1:01 AM -- As we age, our mouths often turn down. It's from losing muscle tone in our faces. As a result, some people's resting faces look like a sad face. It might happen to you. Don't judge a book by it's cover. I'll bet you Grandma is happy.

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  8. I'm from the UK and can't watch the video please could you do something to sort that out would love to watch

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    1. Agree Jennifer, I can't see the video either in the UK. Still have no idea of the significance behind the name either.

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    2. Nothing the blog owners can do. The issue is a TLC problem. There is a contact us link on their website.

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  9. Love her name and the significance behind it! Glad Jessa finally got a healthy baby girl.

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  10. Unfortunately I can’t see the video in UK due to “geographical restrictions” 😢

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  11. Congratulations on the birth of your daughter. I love the name Ivy Jane you picked and espcially love the meaning behind her name and that you named her after Lady Jane Grey. I actually did my history report back in 2014 for my leaving cert on Lady Jane Grey.

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    1. Anon @ 5:34, what is a "leaving cert"? I am thinking it might be a certificate that you get when you leave high school in Britain or maybe Australia? This is just a guess!

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    2. I don’t know about Australia but a leaving cert isn’t something you get in the uk. We have GCSE exams at 16 & A levels at 18 which can qualify you for university. That’s in England, Northern Ireland & Wales. The system is different in Scotland where it’s Standard grade exams at 16 & Scottish highers at 18 (think iv got that right for Scotland) hope that’s helpful.

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  12. Such a sweet photo of Great GMa Duggar and Ivy Jane.

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  13. Haven't we already "met" her? No doubt we can watch her being born next fall too.

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    1. I found that confusing too, but I think the blogger meant the video being Ivy's 1st.

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    2. LOL apparently this is the Ivy marathon

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  14. I don't understand why the videos are blocked due to "geographical location' when we can watch the show on TLC. Of well, the photos show us what a sweet little girl Ivy Jane is.

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  15. Awwww!!! She is a sweet heart. Ben and Jessa must be really proud!!

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  16. Don't forget to add in little Ivy's picture at the top!! Also I cried after the video. It was sooo sweet

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  17. There are so many people in this family it is surprising to me how two people who are not twins share a birthday. I wonder how Grandma Duggar feels about that. She is most likely happy about it!

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    1. I'm sure she's thrilled. My uncle and his aunt (my great aunt) shared a birthday. They loved it. It made a special bond between them.

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    2. My daughter was born on my mother’s birthday & having lost my mum as a little girl on my own 12th birthday it made me very happy that my little girl was honouring her grandmother by sharing the same birthday she had.

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  18. Time for a new headline to add the new 5 grandbabies due by the end of the year.

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    1. You can’t add them till they’re born....several months from now.

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    2. They still can add jessa's baby daughter. And a few months for now add the four grandchildren

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    3. The Seewalds haven't released a picture of the whole family. The header would look better if it was all five of them together instead of Ivy separate from the rest of the Seewalds. It would make the header more cohesive and match the other married siblings.
      Also, a picture of the Vuolos together since there are a lot of recent family pictures of them.

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  19. I would haved loved to see the video but i can t in the Netherlands. I like the picture of great grandma With Ivy.

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  20. That is Jinger and Jeremy’s chair Grandma Duggar is sitting on with Ivy. Did they give them some furniture since they are moving to LA. Congrats on little Ivy’s birth!!

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  21. Wow, Ben seems so much more mature and his speaking on camera is so much better. Aw, he’s growing up! Lol, I’m just being funny, but he was very young when he married Jessa and a little awkward on camera. I would be too. Gorgeous newborn girl.

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  22. If they wanted to salute Lady Jane Grey, why didn't they use Jane as her first name?

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    1. A salute doesn’t always have to be in the first name

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    2. Jane is a very plain name. I wouldn't use it for a first name.

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    3. 9:52- Jane is my middle name- I've always loved it and wished it were my first name.

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  23. I love the way Ivy Jane sounds together! Although it is slightly disappointing that they seem to have created a theme of choosing names honoring some very anti-Catholic historical figures. Nonetheless, it's a new person bearing the name, and a very cute person at that :)

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    1. Lady Jane Grey was literally murdered by Catholics when she was 18 because she wouldn’t convert to their denomination. I wouldn’t have liked them at time either lol Also the Duggar’s aren’t Catholic soooo....

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    2. I know. It’s so disappointing that everyone gets to name their babies what they like, instead of naming their babies what you like.

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    3. 5:45 - I generally agree with you about naming your children what you want. However, it is disturbing that the naming trend shows underlying anti-Catholic beliefs.

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    4. I think the point Anon 4:04 may be trying to make is that they are choosing Christian figures to name their children after, but the figures they have chosen have been anti-Catholic-- despite the fact that Catholics are Christians. Maybe it hasn't been intentional on Ben and Jessa's part in specifically choosing anti-Catholic figures.

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    5. The "figures" you are referring to were Not so much anti-Catholics, but pro-Truth. They stood for, defended, and often gave their lives for God's truth. The Gospel truth. As an ex-Catholic I can testify to the fact that the Church of Rome does not teach truth. Roman Catholics are taught a "works" religion. In other words, the sinner can do certain things or recite certain prayers in order to gain favor with God. True Christians have a gospel of Grace. I thank my Lord for that.

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  24. love the name!
    I'm glad that they have a daughter....those boys will be great brothers!

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  25. HEY, It's soooooooo wonderful to Granny D happy, and looking great!!!!!!!

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  26. Is "19 kids and counting" returning this fall? Or was you talking about "Counting on"? I Would LOVE seeing mum and dad Duggar on tv again!

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    1. Counting On is returning. It's pretty much 19KC with the focus on the married Duggar kids minus Josh and Jill. Jim Bob and Michelle are on the show, though in the background rather than in every episode. It was a natural transition, while forced due to the scandals, since Jim Bob and Michelle are no longer "counting".

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    2. Naw. It's be "Counting On" with endless pregnancy announcements and births.

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    3. Anonymous June 4th 5.20.

      With respect, Lady Jane Grey was executed because she had been set up as a protestant queen by ambitious male relatives after the death of her cousin Edward VI who was also protetant. She was executed by catholic Mary Tudor not because she would not change her faith but because catholic Mary, as Henry VIII's oldest daughter, had a better claim to the throne and wanted to be rid of her rival permenantly. That's the way monarchy worked in those days, Jane Grey would have been executed as a "pretender" by Mary even if she had converted to neutralise any counter claims. Many many catholic and protestant people did die for their faith in those turbulent times after Henry VII broke from Rome. This again was for political and economic reasons/greed more than faith.

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  27. I am catholic and I love the Duggars, and it hurts me that Ben and Jessa named two of their children after ‘anti-catholic’ historical figures. The only thing that makes Jane Grey outstanding is that she was beheaded at the order of Queen Mary. Following the death of Edward V, Mary was taken out of the order of succession although she was his sister, because she was catholic. Edward had chosen Jane as his successor. Jane Grey was not murdered because she was not catholic, but because Mary, who happened to be catholic, wanted to be queen.

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    1. They're not catholic, though, so I'm not sure why you would you expect them to take that into consideration?

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    2. They're not catholic, though, so I'm not sure why you would you expect them to take that into consideration?

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    3. You're so right. This was a power struggle between two rivals for the British throne. Their religion was not really the issue although it gave Mary an excuse to off her rival.

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    4. The Duggars aren’t catholic and probably have lots of disagreements with their theology, they can name their baby after whoever they want.

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    5. The Duggars are Christians not catholic, and they didn’t name their kids after people who were calling for Catholics heads or anything, they just strongly disagreed with their viewpoints.

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    6. Your history is spot on anon 8.10. I must be honest as a catholic myself I see your point very clearly, however I think we all know the Duggar’s opinion on catholic’s, I don’t agree with their religious beliefs either, though I agree everyone has their own religion & I feel everyone should accept everyone’s beliefs, no one is better than another, I believe that. The man who worships a different god to me or a different religion is still a faithful religious person. I must be honest it’s the one thing that does concern me about the Duggar’s & many of their followers who think the only right belief system is the one they follow. I am very happy with my catholic faith so other people can think what they like, I don’t belittle anyone’s belief but not everyone thinks like that, & like you it bothers me the way the Duggar’s go on about catholic’s too.

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    7. Fuzzy: I agree with you. I find it troubling when Christians try to rewrite history to make themselves look good too. I see that with the Lady Jane Grey saga which had a lot more to do with succession to the British throne than who believed which branch of Christianity.

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    8. The Duggars can admire Lady Jane all they want. I've never had a very good opinion of her because she was a party to Edward's attempt to cheat his sisters (Mary and Elizabeth) out of their right of succession. I'm more concerned about how people behave than if they follow the "right" form of Christianity.

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    9. I'm surprised that Christians went with this particular rewrite of history. Lady Jane was an ambitious young woman who wanted to be queen and got Edward to wrong his sister by naming her his successor. If Jane had been able to fulfill her ambition, James would have never been king of England and we wouldn't have our good King James Bibles.

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  28. Meet her? The poor infant's photograph was sold and published by tabloids on the worldwide internet within hours of her entering the world.

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    1. Yeah. But that's what the Duggars do.

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    2. No it wasn’t, they didn’t even announce that she was born until two days later.

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    3. So ,the way I see it, it's an investment for the families future, i however, am happy for others fortune opportunities.Be happy for others, feels good✌🏼

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  29. Congratulations Jessa, Ben, Spurg and Henry on gorgeous Ivy Jane. She is so blessed to be a part of your family!!

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  30. Aww, great grandma and newborn..
    Melts my heart. Precious girls

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  31. Good thing the English supported the true heir to the throne (Mary) instead of Lady Jane Grey so we have the King James Bible.

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  32. My deepest condolences on the loss of precious Grandma Mary Duggar. What a blessing that her latest granddaughter was born on her birthday and she was able to spend time with her before going home to our Lord and her husband.

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