The Duggar family became famous through a one-hour special on TLC focused on their extra-large brood, which turned into their own weekly reality series, “19 Kids And Counting”. Through the years, fans have followed the Duggars as they built a new home to accommodate their large (and ever-growing) number, saw the eldest son marry and have three children of his own, and mourned as mom Michelle suffered a miscarriage in 2011. Now, the famous parents are looking to add on to their family…one way or another.
“I would be so grateful if the Lord blessed us with another one. We’re trying at this point and we shall see if that is a possibility. If not, we are so thankful and grateful for the ones that God has given us so far. We are also definitely enjoying our grandbabies! They are so precious!” Michelle said, adding,”We’re praying about if the Lord would want us to adopt.”
The family has seen their share of controversy through the years about their beliefs–which don’t include birth control–but say they genuinely love children and want to have as many as they can.
“We have set up our home to be designed for taking care of children. We love children, and we really believe every child is a special gift from God,” Jim Bob Duggar said.
The Duggars have very strict rules for their children concerning sex before marriage and dating; daughter Jessa has reached the age where she’s ready to date, but first she has to enter a courtship with the boy she likes, which is much different.
“Courting is getting to know each other in a group setting, both families spending time together and the couple setting goals together to determine if they are meant to marry. With dating, a couple will often pair off alone and that sometimes leads to a more physical relationship. Courtship is not just about having fun. You are really considering if this person could be your life partner – you pray about it and see what happens,” Michelle explained recently.
Michelle and Jim Bob count 19 children and three grandchildren among their brood; if Michelle becomes pregnant soon she will be 48 when she has the baby.
Image: Entertainment Tonight screenshot