First comes love. Then comes marriage. Then comes the baby shower to end all baby showers. At least, that’s the way the Duggars do it! On the Tuesday, April 5, episode of Jill & Jessa: Counting On, Joy-Anna Duggar and family friend Sierra were hard at work preparing a baby shower for Kristen Young. (Kristen and her husband, Justin, run Tacos 4 Life, which you may recall was the location of Ben Seewald and Jessa Duggar‘s first date night after the arrival of their son, Spurgeon.)
Joy and Sierra kicked off preparations by baking sugar cookies — or trying to, at least. It turned out neither lady had much talent for cookie-making or decorating, so after a few hours, they decided to outsource the task to a professional. In the meantime, they began making treats that consisted of a healthy mixture of cream cheese, Oreos and powdered sugar.
John-David and Joy Ponder Their Futures
Somewhere in the midst of working on the treehouse (which they agreed was looking more like a “redneck house up on telephone poles”), the Duggars got reflective. John-David waxed poetic about his future. “I’m in a position where I am somewhat financially independent,” he said. “I’m making an income. I’ve got a place to live. Hopefully, one day I’ll get married, have some kids of my own and build my own tree fort, maybe.” He didn’t specify when that might be, though.
Joy also found herself in the hot seat when the topic of her love life came up. Brothers Josiah and Joseph seemed pretty intent on blocking just about any guy who tried to make a play for their sister.
“He’d almost have to be the perfect guy, and he would go through a lot of testing,” Joseph said.
“I think if guys come around, they’re going to have to get through a few guys,” Josiah added. “I say, if a guy shows up to court Joy, there will definitely be a lot of us standing back a little bit, kind of checking him out.”
Even her older sister Jinger chimed in. “I think there are some men that have maybe expressed some interest in her,” she speculated.
So what did Joy have to say about the subject? In a word: nothing. Asked if she could see herself entering a courtship anytime soon, she simply cocked an eyebrow and smiled.
How the Duggars Do Shopping
In an effort to help with the treehouse, Jessa, Joy, Sierra and Anna went shopping for kitchen equipment, so the kids could play-cook while outside. It was a nice enough idea, but the trip soon devolved into a personal shopping expedition for Jessa, Sierra and Anna. (Joy seemed more interested in hanging out with Spurgeon and Anna’s daughter Meredith than trying on clothes.)
As they meandered through a thrift store, Jessa reflected on the Duggar dress code. “Duggar modesty standard is being covered from the neck to the knees, so most dresses are going to need some sleeves added, or maybe a little length if they’re too short,” she explained. So, just in case anyone needed a refresher about the rules, there it is.
Oh, Baby!
Because the baby shower for Kristen was a surprise, Sierra had to leave beforehand to go pick up the unsuspecting mama-to-be, and she put Joy in charge of setting up.
“I don’t think Sierra has ever left me in charge of a party by myself, so this is going to be fun. I want to do it right for her, and I want to do something that is good for Kristen too,” Joy said to the camera.
Jessa and Sierra took Kristen shopping, and then joined her for the world’s fastest pedicure, before finally forcing her to put on a blindfold so they could drive her to the party location. Despite running (really) late, they eventually made it, and Kristen was definitely surprised. She basically burst into tears of happiness upon seeing her family and friends waiting for her. (Because this was a Duggar-organized baby shower, the husbands and boys were included too.)
After playing many games and eating many cream-cheese–Oreo–powdered-sugar balls, guests wrapped up the party with a giant prayer circle over the expectant parents. Then, hopefully, they went home and immediately brushed their teeth.
Tell Us: Do you think Joy will enter a courtship soon?
Jill & Jessa: Counting On airs on TLC on Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET.
