Duggar-Sized Tree Fort

When John-David Duggar and Joseph Duggar hear that Jana Duggar is hoping to build an outdoor playhouse for the kids, they come up with an even better idea. What begins as a simple structure sitting on the ground quickly turns into a Duggar-sized tree fort. Take a look at these two videos:

Photo/videos courtesy TLC

Recap: "Duggar Daughter Dates" and "Duggar-Sized Wedding Planning"

Tonight on TLC...

19 Kids and Counting "Duggar Daughter Dates"

• Ben and Jessa head to a local shooting range (the same one Jessa went to for her 18th birthday) with Jason as their chaperone. Ben has a small pick-up truck, which makes chaperoned dates a bit tricky. "Joe and John-David don't come with us a lot," says Ben. Ben jokingly points out that once he and Jessa get married and no longer have to bring chaperones everywhere they go, there will be a lot more room in the truck.
• Both Ben and Jessa do very well at the shooting range, but Jason thinks his sister is a better shot than Ben.
• Derick takes Jill on a hiking date for her birthday, accompanied by chaperone James. "For me it's not awkward being a chaperone because I'm just here for the food," says James, who ends up getting carsick during the drive.
• After hiking to a beautiful lookout point, the three enjoy a picnic lunch of bread, cheese, humus, and figs, packed by Derick.
• Meanwhile, Michelle takes Jennifer, who has been straining her eyes while doing schoolwork, to the eye doctor to get fitted for a pair of purple glasses. Jim Bob, Michelle, and Jill also wear glasses.
• Michelle says that Jennifer, who turned seven in August, usually has a very serious look on her face but that she does smile from time-to-time. 

19 Kids and Counting "Duggar-Sized Wedding Planning"

• Jill and Derick, along with Jessa, visit the home of their official wedding baker, who also happens to be one of Jill's midwifery clients, to choose a flavor of cake for their big day. The couple decides on French vanilla cake with strawberry filling and off-white, butter cream frosting. In addition to a fancy wedding cake, Jill and Derick will also have sheet cake for their guests.
• Jessa says she plans to go the nontraditional route and serve ice cream instead of cake at her wedding. Stay tuned to see if Ben agrees!
• The next step for Jill and Derick is finding a wedding venue; they bring Michelle along to help. The first two locations don't end up working out. Magnolia Gardens has a maximum occupancy of 300 guests, and Springdale Country Club is sizeable but is too fancy for the Duggars' tastes. "We're more barefoot and backyard kind of people," says Michelle. 
• The third venue that Michelle, Jill, and Derick visit is Cross Church, which holds a very special place in the Duggars' hearts. Cross Church is the church where Jim Bob grew up and is also where Jim Bob and Michelle married in 1984 and renewed their vows in 2009. The church can easily accommodate all 3,000 guests that Jill and Derick have invited, so they decide to book it.
• The Duggars are planning Jill's wedding on a budget. According to Michelle, Jill mentioned the idea of setting a wedding budget even before Jim Bob and Michelle brought it up. 
• Back home, Jim Bob splits the kids into three teams, led by Joseph, Jeremiah, and Jedidiah, to build soap box derby cars from kits that the children found online. They quickly discover that the kits are missing wheels but end up assembling as much of the cars as they can. Jim Bob plans to organize a race once the wheels arrive. 
• In Washington D.C., Anna, who enjoys doing hands-on activities with her children, helps Mackynzie, Michael, and Marcus make and decorate concrete paver stones. The project ends up being very messy, but the stones turn out great.

Duggar Timeline of History

Picture this. You turn into the Duggars' driveway, enter through the gate, and drive down the long, gravel driveway to the house. You grab a spot between the bus and one of the family's many Suburbans. You enter through the side door and are greeted by 10-year-old Jackson, who smiles and says, "Do you know which Duggar I am?"

To the right is the elliptical Michelle uses every morning before her kiddos wake up, while texting with Cindy, her exercise accountability partner and best friend since first grade.

To the left is a 28-foot timeline plastered on the wall leading down the hall to the Duggar-sized dining room table. The timeline is produced by Answers in Genesis and features detailed, full-color drawings of various stages of Earth's history. Sticking with their modesty standards, the Duggars used a permanent marker to draw full sets of clothes on the timeline figures. A description and preview of the Adam's Chart of History Timeline is available on the Christian Book website.

2 New Specials Tonight on TLC

Last week was the season finale of 19 Kids and Counting, but the Duggars are back tonight for two new episodes that are all about cousin Amy Duggar. Tune in to TLC at 8PM EST/7PM CST for two, hour-long specials of 19 Kids and Counting.

8PM EST/7PM CST 
A Big Announcement 
Take a hilarious and touching walk down memory lane with the Duggars and Cousin Amy as they share some of their favorite family events. And then Amy creates a brand-new memory when she makes a Duggar-sized announcement that none of her family sees coming.

9PM EST/8PM CST

A Duggar Leaves Home 
Amy Duggar is headed to Nashville, y'all! With dreams of becoming a country music star, she and her mom and Grandma are packing up their bags and heading for Music City. Will she have what it takes to make it big in country music?

Recaps: "First Grandson Turns One" and "Thrill Seeking Duggars"

On tonight's new episodes of 19 Kids and Counting:

"First Grandson Turns One"

• Josh and Anna take their kids shopping to buy decorations and food for Michael's 1st birthday. Josh, Mr. Meat Connoisseur, enjoys selecting high-quality barbecue fixings.
• While in the grocery store, Michael--the sneakiest one-year-old on the block--grabs an egg from the cart and chucks it on the floor.
• Anna shows the drawing of her intricate, three-tiered cake to Amy and Joy, and they set to work. The kids decorate the Rice Krispie blocks that will spell out Michael's name.
• On the day of the party, Josh uses his parents' Duggar-sized grill, installed when they completed the house, for the first time. The kids have a blast trying out the inflatables.
• Meanwhile, the master bakers call in backup to finish assembling the cake. Sierra, a friend of Anna's and known as the Cake Doctor, arrives to lend a hand.
• The ladies kick the camera crew out of the kitchen, and the finished product is soon revealed. Sierra is able to revamp the cake and turn it into a beautiful creation that everybody loves. Everybody but the birthday boy. "The person that seemed to dislike the cake the most was Michael," says Anna.

 "Thrill Seeking Duggars"

• The Duggars prepare for another party, this time for Makeda Vanderhoff's 13th birthday. (The Vanderhoffs recently moved to Arkansas and have 21 children, twelve of whom are adopted.) With the help of a few friends, the Duggars prepare dinner for 47.
• It's another big day when Grandma Duggar, Jim Bob, Cousin Amy, and the kids head to Silver Dollar City with a "small" crowd of 50. They are joined by three single moms (one is Debbie Query, the Duggars' music teacher) and their children.
• Michelle and Josie, who is under the weather, spend the morning at home but join the family in the afternoon.
• The group spends the day riding roller coasters. Even Grandma and Jim the Soundman join in on the fun.
• Another birthday? This one is a more intimate affair. Jim Bob and Michelle take Jill to lunch at Green Bean, a restaurant where all ingredients are organic and locally grown, for her 21st birthday.
• A day that many young people use as an excuse to party, Jill prefers to spend with her family. "I really wanted to have a good time with my parents," says the birthday girl.
• Michelle gives Jill a bag of her favorite candies and perfumes, and Jim Bob presents his daughter with a beautiful cross necklace. 
• "She is such a loving person, and that is her, that's who she is," says Michelle.
• While at the restaurant, Jill tells her parents about another birthday surprise that she received ... her first speeding ticket. "I got a nice little birthday card last night." Jill, who is taking midwifery classes, was on her way to a birth.
• At age 21, what are Jill's thoughts on the future? "I'm content being single right now, but hopefully in the Lord's time I will be married." 

Fun facts

-The Duggars use their home intercom system an average of 15 times a day 

-Anna purchased 20 boxes of cake mix for Michael's birthday

Duggar-Sized Dreams

The Duggars are goal-oriented. From Jim Bob down through Jennifer, each family member has personal plans and ambitions. Let's take a look at what they hope to accomplish in the near and distant future.

Jim Bob: "Invest in the lives of my children and grandchildren"

Michelle: "Finish memorizing Matthew 5-7 and start violin lessons again"

Josh: "Go to law school"

Anna: "Make a difference for eternity"

Jana: "Wife and mother"

John-David: "Grow business" (John owns and manages a towing business)

Jill: "Lead many people to Christ; get more medical training; learn Spanish; and go back to Central America"

Jessa: "Serve God and others"

Jinger: "Gain more photography skills"

Joseph: "Read through the Bible three times in the next three years and learn more mechanical & construction skills"

Josiah: "Finish high school; learn more Spanish; and work for Josh & John"

Joy-Anna: "Be a wife and mother"

Jedidiah: "Take photography courses and learn to play bass guitar"

Jeremiah: "Learn to drive and graduate from high school"

Jason: "Get my drivers license and find a cure for cancer"

James: "Learn to fly an airplane"

Justin: "Learn how to operate cranes and do construction work on big buildings"

Jackson: "Be a cowboy and fireman!"

Johannah: "Wear makeup; babysit little kids; and be a Mommy!"

Jennifer: "Be a mommy and take care of my babies"