19 Kids and Counting: 5 and 29 Years, Respectively

Not everyone celebrates their anniversary ON their anniversary, but acting as if JimBob and Josh (who have July and September weddings, respectively) were celebrating at the same time was a little odd. If Marcus was two months old, that would suggest it's the beginning of August for the younger generation, but there were no other obvious clues as to when JimBob and Michelle were celebrating. However, the hot air ballooning idea was pretty neat... I've been looking for a fun way to celebrate my upcoming 30th birthday, and doing a hot air balloon trip up in Napa might just be the ticket!

Another note... there was an advertisement for Two and a Half Men on TLC, during 19 Kids and Counting. This makes me upset, as I feel like I can usually count on this programming block to be positive and safe for the entire family, which Two and a Half Men is not.

19 Kids and Counting "Anniversaries to Remember" (S07E17): Josh and Anna are celebrating 5 years of marriage, and Jana and JoyAnna head to Washington, DC to help Josh with a surprise. [they know how to pack better than that! and what was with the guest bunk beds?] Josh asks his sisters to take Anna for the day so he can do something with the kids, so the ladies go for a manicure in Old Town Alexandria. [why did they bring a suitcase of baby girl clothes if Marcus is only two months old??] Josh spends some time getting different individual and group shots of his three children. [haha, Jana and Joy picked out the outfit options for Josh.] Then, Josh and Anna go for a fancy dinner at Bond 45, and both get the New York Strip steak. [what pin was Josh wearing?]

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Meanwhile, in Arkansas, Michelle and JimBob celebrate 29 years of marriage, and JimBob asks the kids to help with some surprises. JimBob tells Michelle what to pack for an overnight trip, and Josiah chauffeurs them to Terra Studios to enjoy some outdoor art and try to make some glass art. [I hate how JimBob always thinks something will be easy until he tries it!] The other kids meet them at the War Eagle Mill, where they assist in preparing the restaurant's specialty: beans and cornbread, which Michelle loves. [it would have been cuter if that was a meaningful meal for them for some reason.] The couple heads to a motel for the night, and JimBob tries to barter the price. They get up early the next day and head to ride in a hot air balloon, even though Michelle is afraid of heights. [that's another pet peeve of mine... JimBob always trying to force his family into doing things that are outside of their comfort zones.]

There was also an "Anniversary Game" segment with the girls and guys answering questions. For the classic Duggars, we learn that their first date was to a restaurant, where Michelle wore a pink formal gown and realized that JimBob was the man for her. [because we saw a lot of Josh and Anna's relationship on the show, I wasn't as interested in their responses.] Michelle is asked what JimBob does to let her know he's in the mood, and she says he raises his eyebrows. He says he goes "hey! hey! hey." [won't do either now, haha!] When Josh is in the mood, he cleans the bedroom and turns down the sheets. [this also made me laugh.] JimBob uses three cans of hairspray each month and dated Michelle for seven months before getting engaged. [haha, Anna leans in for a kiss and Josh doesn't go for it. Michelle thinks of JimBob's motto as "Buy Used and Save the Difference," but he says it is "Be Fruitful and Multiply." [amusing that he chose that one over Michelle's pick...]