ON Friday morning we headed off to Silver Dollar City. I have to say, I REALLY enjoyed this park and I wasn't expecting to. I would love to go back again now that we know where everything is. The kids were just fantastic all day long - all 12 of them.
Madison and I rode the Wildfire 3 times! I think it is my new favorite roller coaster. 
Of course...
Gettin' some sugar from this little cutie pie...
Had to put the daddies in jail - the kids loved it...
OK -so on to the good stuff... While Rachel and I were waiting with the babies for everyone else to get off the swings she whispers my name and starts jerking her head to indicate I needed to check something out behind me. I look around - wondering if I am supposed to see someone in a ridiculous outfit or something. I don't see anything. I look back at her and she is dying for me to see what she sees. Finally she says "I just saw Mr. Duggar!!" I look in the direction she pointed and there was a man in a brown shirt walking with a little blonde boy. "Are you sure?" "Yes!!!" she says. SO I ran after him. But by this time he was gone - I had lost him.
I get back to Rachel and she says she really thinks he was taking his son to the bathroom and that perhaps they will be walking back. While we wait we notice what seem to look like little Duggars down past us - the direction the Jim Bob look alike came from.
Sure enough - in just a few minutes, Jim Bob Duggars comes walking down the path with his son. I went right up to him and introduced myself and told him a little about our two families. He was SO gracious and kind. He chatted for a few minutes with Rachel and me. We mentioned that we'd love to meet the rest of his family, especially Michelle, and he invited to come down to the pavilion where they were hanging out when our kids were done with the ride.
We were so excited. I mean, Rachel and I were giggling and smiling like we had just met A-list Hollywood celebrities. We'd talk about something and then laugh as say "I can't believe we are going to meet the Duggars!!!" We were quite silly. Then Madison gets off the ride and comes over and says "Was that the Duggars dad??????!!!!!" She was more excited than we were (or so I tell myself).
SO, we went down to where the Duggar crew was hanging out. No cameras. They were just there as a family. As first we just saw kids -no parents. It was fantastic how well behaved they were and how the older ones watched after the younger ones. I went over and met Jessa. She told me her mom would back in a minute. Then Madison and I met Josiah, Joy-Anna, James and we think one more (we lost count!!).
Finally Michell came back and Jim Bob pointed to us (where we were ever so nonchalantly hanging out pretending to watch our kids on the kiddie coaster). They waved us over and met both of our families. All I can say is that they are every bit as gracious and sweet and kind as they seem on tv.
We thanked them for being such a wonderful example of a loving family and being so gracious, especially to those who believe nothing like they do. They turned it all back to the Lord and praised His grace. They chatted with us about field trips they had taken near where we live. It was really cool to meet them. They also mentioned that after 7 is when they thought about not having more kids - haha.
We told them not to try and call all their kids over for the picture. They were all so content where they were but two of them jumped in this shot (one posing with Michelle and the other carrying the cup in the corner of the photo)....
Then Rachel and started texting friends and continued to giggle every time we looked at each other. We are such dorks!! (Donna - it made me think of you chasing after Michael Jackson in a theme park!!)
SO, we continued the day of rides and fattening foods . Everyone had a blast. Piper finally did sleep for a little bit on Daddy's back (thanks Sunny! That thing was a life saver and SO much better than mine!)...
How very fun! Did it inspire you to have more? ;-)
ReplyDeleteYou should invite them to dinner next time they are in your area....you would totally make a great episode....get your kids to sing while they are filming and you've landed yourself your own series!
So much fun and excitement in one day! I can't believe you meet the Duggars. It's nice to hear that they are every bit as nice as they seem to be :)
ReplyDeleteKRISTI! I have been smiling like crazy reading this post!!! I feel like I just lived this moment, too! I would LOVE to meet the Duggars and tell them everything that you did. They are one nice family. And to think that she was pregnant the entire time and hadn't broken the news yet!!
ReplyDeleteI'm so happy that y'all got to meet them. They do seem so gracious---you can tell it by their faces in the pictures. And speaking of faces, is Michelle wearing bronzer in that first pic?!
I was so excited about Jim Bob and Michelle that I forgot to mention the other part of the post! Is Silver Dollar like a western theme park? It looks cute:) I love the picture of the Daddies in jail. All of the kids look so happy! Looks like a fun day!
ReplyDeleteI am so excited for you! I don't really get into the who's who fo TV and all but I would really LOVE to have met them. What a great family, that is obviously doing something right!
ReplyDeleteWay to go right up to them and introduce yourself! Good girl!
Oh, how fun! I came over from Donna's blog. :o) I love to watch the Duggars' show. What a neat day! We used to go to Silver Dollar City in Tennessee when I was little. That's what Dollywood used to be called back in the early 80s. Love all the photos! I would have been giggling with delight, too!
ReplyDeleteP.S. My oldest sister and BIL have eight children--all theirs, too. They are missionaries in Spain. You should hear all the comments they get over there (worse than over here). But even I get crazy comments when I say my sister has eight kids. :o) Never a dull moment, and all kinds of fun!
ReplyDeleteOKay, I'm smiling too! Donna directed me to your blog and I LOVED reading about your experience meeting the Duggars. My adrenaline was pumping as I was reading. I'm so glad you went up to Jim Bob and I'm glad you told them the things you did. I would love to meet Michelle and observe their family for a week or so. I love that you got pictures too! What a great memory!
ReplyDeleteDonna - she was SUPER tan. I didn't want to look too closely. She's either been in the sun A LOT or has used something else. I kept saying that she looked so much thinner than I thought (but i guess in most of the taping she is very pregnant) and that she was just SO tan.
ReplyDeleteKristi, I can FINALLY leave a comment on your blog. I haven't been able to recently. WOW! since I have met you through blogging and you have met the Duggars, it is like I have met the Duggars. In fact, I would call them "good friends". HA!
ReplyDeleteKristi - that is really neat! You look like her best friend! I mean, you are so "casual" and suave, it's like you were just all at the park together taking photographs for a blog post! LOL! That is exciting! I am happy for you! And, your kids are getting so grown up! Michelle is right - It's time to have more! :)
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