Meeting Michelle Duggar, aka Caroline dies and goes to heaven!

Caroline cracks me up! She is a LOVER of reality television. We have some shows that we watch together--Say Yes to the Dress, What Not to Wear, and 19 Kids and Counting (soon to be 20 Kids and Counting). We enjoy laughing and commenting and just hanging out together.

Recently, the Duggars (19 Kids and Counting) has been her favorite. She watches them over and over again and knows them all by name. At first, I will admit, I was unsure about this crazy family. Were they giving Arkansans a bad name? Could they really be that nice? Was it any kind of healthy to have a gajillion kids? But, because they spent so much time here when their youngest, Josie, was born 3 months early, we ended up having a few friends/acquaintances in common. These people all went on and on about how normal and kind and fun and sweet and, well, normal the Duggars are. And in the end, unless I want them chiming in on how many kids they think I should have, I guess I should leave it between them and God when they stop reproducing. They are debt free and raising successful and well mannered kids. I think sometimes my disdain for them came more from my insecurities about struggling to raise my four when they seem to embrace and thrive with the chaos of their 19.

Whatever your views, my sweet Caroline looks up to those wholesome girls and given the direction that Miley Cyrus' life is heading, I am happy for some role models and tv shows that I can leave the room while she's watching and not have to worry about her getting sassy or wanting to make out with a boy when she's 9. So when I heard that Michelle (the matriarch of the Duggar family) was going to be speaking to a group of women at our church, I knew that I would have to check Caroline out of school and let her come listen.

She. Was. Thrilled!! We got to meet Janna (oldest girl) and Josie (youngest girl for now) and when the brunch was over . . . .

I mean, could Caroline be smiling any bigger?!

Michelle was every bit as sweet as she seems on TV and there was no entourage with her like Kate Gosselin insisted on. She had some great tips on parenting and not losing your patience. (Too bad Caroline was there and can hold me accountable! Ha!)

Anyway . . . look for us on the next season of 20 Kids and Counting because TLC was there filming and you never know, we might be on!!