On tonight’s 19 Kids and Counting, the family does an interview with Erica Hill about family, marriage, courtships and new babies. As I’ve expressed before, one topic I wish they discussed more was the older kids’ plans for higher education….But maybe that’s changing, now that there are a few college graduates in the family! The latest to earn that distinction is Ben Seewald, who earned an associates degree from National Park College last weekend.
Proud wife Jessa Seewald boasted about the accomplishment on Instagram during the weekend, saying of the picture above, “Had a wonderful weekend in Hot Springs with the @seewaldfamily! @ben_seewald, congrats on your graduation, Babe! #CollegeGrad.” She also shared a video of him accepting his diploma:
Because his home with Jessa is some 3.5 hours from the physical campus, Ben completed much of his degree in political science online. According to the National Park College website, it is a secular institution that “averages approximately 3,000 credit students per semester enrolled in college courses blending liberal arts with occupational education to prepare students to enter the workforce or transfer to a four-year institution.”
Following in the footsteps of older sister Jill Dillard, Jessa started documenting the growth of her baby bump yesterday with a selfie at 16 weeks and 1 day. Although she didn’t look particularly thrilled (lingering morning sickness?) in the picture, she seemed much more excited when posting an update the day before.
“So awe-inspiring to read about #BabySeewald’s growth from week-to-week! #16Weeks,” she captioned a picture detailing the baby’s development. “‘For You [God] formed my inward parts; You knitted me together in my mother’s womb. I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are Your works; my soul knows it very well.’ – Psalm 139:13-14”
She also looked positively lovestruck and joyful in a picture her in-laws posted during the weekend celebrations:
Cousin Amy Duggar accused of stiffing producer Someone who may not be as happy right now? Cousin Amy, who reportedly refused to pay the associate producer of her recent TLC specials. “They don’t want to pay me because they are very cheap. They thought I was just trying to be nice,” Jamie Slocum told Radar Online last week, referring to Amy, her mom and her grandma. “They could get their butt[s] sued off for doing what they are doing.”
Jamie claimed he helped negotiate the specials for Amy and they agreed in a contract that he would receive 15 percent of her earnings from the show. He said he was not only billed as associate producer, but also co-wrote the episodes and penned many of aspiring musician Amy’s songs. When time came for the family to pay up, however, Jamie said they accused him of being greedy.
“They were saying, ‘You’re the devil because you want money’… They called me a ‘snake in the grass!’ Just because I want to make a living doesn’t make me a bad person,” he said. “They just want to make money now that they are on their way.”
No one from the Duggar family has commented on the accusations.
19 Kids and Counting airs on TLC tonight at 9/8c.
