I have several friends sitting on the edge of their seats waiting for this post! I want to note that I specifically asked Michelle if she minded me writing about our experience on my blog. She graciously said yes.
The kids and I loaded up the car Wednesday morning, December 21, and made our way to Nate's annual check up (all good), then both kids' orthodontist appointments (Nate is expecting braces in March!). From there, we hit the interstate and were on our way to Springdale! We lived in Springdale for 3 years prior to moving to Little Rock, so I was familiar with their family before they had their tv show. I just knew of them, but God crossed our paths several years later...
We arrived around 4:00, pulled up to the gate, and I texted Michelle "We are here!" No reply. I tried calling, got her voice mail. So, I made Nate get out and push the call button on the gate. It rang, no answer. Hmmm…. what to do? So, we sat there for a minute until the UPS driver pulled in behind us. "Do you know the code?" he asked. No, we did not. "Do you know them? I know the code." I explained it was our first visit and that no one was answering my calls. So, he pushed in the buttons and we were on our way down the drive! We pulled in, parked and there were 2 ladies getting something out of the car. I thought I recognized one as "Grandma Duggar," but wasn't sure who the other one was. I introduced myself and once the momentary look of confusion passed, they invited us in. (It was Grandma Duggar and Jim Bob's sister, Deanna.) We walked in, and were greeted by Jessa. She was so sweet and quickly told us to make ourselves at home, that her mom had taken Josie for a doctor appointment. The kids and I were taking it all in when Josiah offered to take us on a tour of the house. He showed us every room in the house, explaining various rooms and pointing out all the musical instruments, washers/dryers, microwaves….but most impressive was the prayer room. It was a small room with a rocking chair. Michelle said that was the one space she would not trade for anything. Oh, and the pantry! It looked like a small store. Ok, maybe not quite. But it was very large. It had a garage door for easy access after trips to the store! There was a family-style kitchen that opened to the living area, then there was a commercial-type kitchen for major cooking. There was a water/ice area with pens to write our names on them. I must tell you, to not have ever met the majority of this family, we immediately felt at home and comfortable with everyone.
I have read some of the negative comments people post on various websites, and I quit reading them because they were so judgmental. After meeting this very special family, I can tell you they deserve none of the criticism they receive. Jim Bob and Michelle have some of the most kind, loving, talented, beautiful children I have ever met. It didn't matter that they had just met us! The little ones were following Allie like shadows, and the older boys had Nate outside throwing a football in no time. And then there is Josie. Wow. What a little miracle she is! If you watched their show, you saw how tee-tiny this sweet baby was. I was continually amazed at her. (the speech therapist in me was particularly amazed!) You would never know this sweet little (but tough) girl was born weighing less than 2 pounds. God is using this family in a mighty way.
(It is late, and I'm not very organized in my thoughts, but I wanted to get something written before I forgot! So, excuse me if I jump around….not much editing going on now!)
We got to help Jinger celebrate her 18th birthday with an ice cream buffet. The whole family watched her open her gifts, and sang Happy Birthday to her.
We were treated to several impromptu songs on the piano….but my favorite was the harps. It was the most heavenly music.
To show how unselfish and kind this family is, the kids and I were given Jim Bob and Michelle's room to sleep in while we were there. Michelle and Josie slept in the girls' room, and Jim Bob slept in the boys' room. They wouldn't have it any other way. Allie ended up getting a little cold, so she didn't get to sleep in the girls' room like she had wanted.
Michelle showed me the program from baby Jubilee's service. They honored her sweet little life in a great way. Michelle was holding up very well, but I know deep down her heart was broken. There is so much love in that family….I can see why they always feel there is room for one more.
On Thursday night, we loaded up the van and a couple of suburbans and drove to Gravette to go Christmas caroling with a good friend of Michelle's, who was also widowed at a young age. There were several families represented - I didn't count, but I know it was probably 30 or 40 people. What a blessing to go to homes and sing to those who needed a visit. As we prepared to leave, huge snowflakes began to fall! It was beautiful and we all praised God for such a nice surprise!
One of the funniest things happened on the way home. One of the little ones made her way up from the back of the van to tell Michelle she was feeling carsick. Michelle quietly said she was sorry, we were almost home and to go get buckled. So, she turned around and made her way back. All of a sudden, the kids were yelling, "Johanna's finger is stuck in the back door!" Jim Bob's reply was "How in the world did it get stuck in the back door?" It was quickly resolved, but Michelle said silly things like that happened about every 30 minutes in their house. I made a couple of observations: one, each child received attention from their parents. Jim Bob was walking through the house, and one of the little ones was playing the guitar. Most people would've just walked right by, but he made a point to stop and tell her what a great job she was doing. The other thing I noticed was Michelle never seemed harried or frantic or stressed. She kissed boo-boos, fed children, got cough drops for me, signed books for a friend who dropped by….and still found time to visit with me. I left feeling like I had been visiting with friend I had known my whole life.
I wish I could write more details, but I'm ready for bed. I'll try to write more things as I think of them, but know this - they are a very special family, we had a wonderful time, and I am blessed to call them friends!
(love you, Michelle!)
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