By CAROL STUART
For Brentwood Home Page
Jim Bob Duggar admits that when he and wife Michelle had about a third of their 19 children, they wondered just exactly what they had gotten themselves into. 

The Duggars, the subject of several TLC documentary series including 19 Kids and Counting, will sign their new book A Love That Multiplies at the Cool Springs Barnes & Noble on Saturday night. (By the way, all the family is together on their own tour bus after heading to New York 1½ weeks ago and making their way back home to Arkansas while making book tour stops).

 “We got up to about No. 7, and we thought oh my, what have done here? We had a bunch of kids we were toting around, and we were outnumbered,” Jim Bob said. “But, in faith, we just kept going and really concentrating on trying to keep up the hearts of our children, and really train them to love God and to serve others.

“… We really do consider each child a blessing from God, and each one is very special to us, and each one of them is glad to be here.”

Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar (Photo by Scott Enlow / TLC)

The new book stars out discussing the premature birth of their youngest daughter, Josie, who was born 3½ months early and weighed only 22 ounces. It also talks about their principles, how and why they do what they do, and hopes to help out other parents with tips and topics such as “Do the Duggars date?”

Michelle took the birth control pill when the couple first got married and then went off to have their oldest child Josh (who is now married and has his second child on the way).  But after she got pregnant and miscarried while on the pill, they decided to let God decide how many children they had.

“We started studying God's word, and it says that children are a blessing and a gift from God and we thought ‘Why are we trying everything we can not to have any here if he says they’re blessings?’ ” said Jim Bob, who has only one sibling. “So we ended up just really praying and giving that area of our life to God. Then right that after God blessed us with twins, and then another one and another one …”

Michelle, who calls Josie’s life-or-death struggles as a preemie “the biggest challenge I think we have walked through in our family,” said they aren’t stopping at 19 unless God decides it’s time. The family, who home-schools their children and lives debt-free, has 10 boys and nine girls including two sets of fraternal twins – and the girls would like to even it up.

“It's still in God's hands,” said Michelle, the youngest of seven children herself. “We haven't decided that we're going to stop. We just know that the Lord is the one who gives life and we trust him. And we are so grateful for each child that we have.

“We’re just waiting and trusting that if God seems fit to give us another one, we would be so thrilled to welcome another blessing into our lives. And yet at this time, God hasn’t given us another one yet, so we will just wait and see.”

Asked if they had talked about whether they would want one of their daughters – or sons – to experience having so many children, Michelle said: “It’s so funny because our children talk about it probably more that we would ever think of bringing it up.”

“Of course Josh and (his wife) Anna have already committed, they just would love to have as many God would give them – and they put that in their wedding vows, that was amazing to us,” Michelle said. “And they really have a love for children. So it’ll be interesting to see.

“I think all of our older girls have said they would love to have large family; they think it's been a lot of fun being in a big family. But of course that might not be possible … But they all seem to have that kind of a heart about it, so I guess we’ll see as they get married and start their families what they end up doing.”

Life with the Duggars

With all the children’s names starting with the letter J, Michelle acknowledges and chuckles about often getting their names mixed up.

“If I'm really sleepy and tired, I’ll go down the entire list,” she laughs. “I'll forget who I’m trying to call, or I'll be looking at one and I’m trying to call the other one, and I’ll say the wrong name.

“My mother did the same thing to me. I would even get called my brother and there was only one boy, and she’d do the same thing and I’d think ‘Man, doesn't my mom know my name?’ Now, I understand completely.”

Each child has an older sibling assigned as their buddy, helping them get dressed and things. And the family has a fairly scheduled day, but always ends the evening with free time together before bible reading and bedtime.

“Definitely our days are very busy, and because we chose to home-school – years ago that was a decision we made and it's been such a great thing for our family – our days are spent together 24-7 for the most part,” Michelle said.

A Love That Multiplies, the couple’s second book, goes into detail about their family’s chaperoned courting system with their older children. And the book lists some resources such as the books Before You Meet Prince Charming (for young women) and I Kissed Dating Goodbye (for young men and women).

The latter “really talks about saving your heart, your life for the one God has for you, not playing around dating and all that so you’re not giving away parts of heart and maybe even your purity before God brings the one he has for you into your life,” Michelle said.

Living debt-free

The family’s website, www.duggarfamily.com, also links to a lot of resources Michelle and Jim Bob have relied on during 27 years of marriage including Jim Sammons’ Financial Freedom seminar book and DVD series.

“It literally changed the course of our lives,” she said. “… Really that is what has saved us thousands of dollars and made us thousands of dollars.”

That series, with bible-based principles, not only talks about making out a budget and living within your means, Michelle said. But it also offers information for a couple to be “like-minded as they walk forward in their marriage and their family,” she said.

One chapter covers the five purposes of a home and another – her favorite, she laughs – is about “listening to the cautions of your wife.”

“We purposed to stay out of debt, and then we buy used and save the difference – that’s our family motto,” Michelle said. “So it's almost an adventure for our family. We don't feel like it’s a sacrifice now.”

The Duggars not only buy used vehicles but learn how to work on them, and also buy their clothes from thrift stores and some other items from pawn shops.

“You can save back then for other larger purposes, and knowing you’ve only got a certain amount to work with you really try to get the best bargain,” she said.

“… Our older children, about 12 years and up, have enjoyed going through the seminar, and they are tight with their money and their piggy banks, they don't just spent it anywhere. They go to thrift stores and yard sales because they know they can get more for the money that way.”

More nuggets about the Duggars 

On the TV cameras being around: The TLC crew only follows the family about 2-3 hours a day Tuesdays-Thursday. “They are so sweet; they are really like family. We have grown to love them. They are the neatest people, just down to earth folks,” Michelle said.

On Josie’s premature birth: The family moved 3½ hours away to all be together during their last baby’s 6-month hospital stay, a trying time in their lives, Michelle said. “It was really a fight for her life … She is doing wonderful today. She's a miracle, walking and talking.” She says the other children call it a precious time “in the fact that it drew us closer together as a family and closer to God.”

On tips in the book: A Love That Multiplies includes advice for moms and information on “how we stay close to the family,” says Jim Bob, a real estate investor who works out of the home. “I’ve got some tips in there like Jim Bob's Hobby, talking about my family being the center of my life.” It also discusses what the children are doing for college.