It would be a massive understatement to say that 2021 was a big year for the Duggar family — and not necessarily in a good way. The majority of this year will forever be marred for the former 19 Kids and Counting stars by Josh Duggar's trial and the heartbreaking evidence that was released in court before he was convicted. But that wasn't the only thing that happened in this super-sized family over the past 12 months.
As usual, there were plenty of babies born, pregnancy announcements made, and courtships and weddings that took place, along with other huge life developments for some of the Duggars. A few of the sisters got major hair makeovers (with Jill even dyeing her hair for the first time) and made big changes in their wardrobes (looking at you, Jana!).
Here are all the biggest moments in the Duggar family in 2021. It's undoubtedly been a roller coaster for them (to say the least), and it'll certainly be interesting to see what 2022 brings for these former reality TV stars.
Kendra & Joe Welcome Their Third Child
In February, Kendra and Joe Duggar's third child (who they called their tie-breaker) was born: a baby girl named Brooklyn Praise, who joined older siblings Garrett and Addison. "Feeling so grateful and blessed," they wrote when they shared the news with fans on Instagram.
Justin's Wedding to Claire Spivey
February was a big month for the Duggars. Three months after their engagement (and Justin's 18th birthday), these two newlyweds debuted their wedding photos from a ceremony they kept as private as possible in Claire's home state of Texas.
Jed's Wedding to Katey Nakatsu
Somehow, Jed managed to keep an entire courtship and engagement under wraps, not announcing that he and Katey Nakatsu had tied the knot until after the wedding had already taken place. In early April, he shared the first photo from their nuptials.
"We have enjoyed quietly developing our relationship over the past year and every moment together has been amazing! I'm so grateful God brought Katey into my life and excited to share with you all that today she became my wife!" he wrote in an Instagram post on April 3.
Josh's Arrest
Fans were shocked when news broke on April 29 that Josh Duggar had been arrested by federal agents on child pornography charges. Though he was held in jail at first, he was eventually released on bail to stay with the Reber family (who are friends of the Duggars) as he awaited his trial.
Jinger & Jeremy Release a Book
In early May, Jinger and Jeremy Vuolo finally released the book they'd been talking about all year — a memoir they wrote together called The Hope We Hold. It seemed to be a hit among their fans, especially since they disclosed some personal stories from their lives that they'd never shared before.
'Counting On' Gets Canceled
Not too long after the news about Josh's arrest had broken, TLC made the call to cancel Counting On. "TLC will not be producing additional seasons of Counting On. TLC feels it is important to give the Duggar family the opportunity to address their situation privately," the network said in a statement at the time.
Jessa Welcomes Her Fourth Child
After suffering a miscarriage, Jessa and husband Ben Seewald welcomed their fourth child, a baby girl, in July. They named her Fern Elliana Seewald, and so far, it seems like she's fitting in just fine with her rambunctious siblings, Spurgeon, Henry, and Ivy.
Jana Starts Wearing Pants
Since Jana still lives at home with parents Jim Bob and Michelle, it was a pretty big deal that she made the choice to wear pants, even though it's never been something her parents encouraged for her and her sisters. She looks good in her expanded wardrobe!
Jinger's Big Makeover
Though Jinger has always been the Duggar most willing to go bold with her hair choices, this time, she made her biggest transformation ever. In July, she showed off her shorter, darker 'do after having long hair all of her life — and yes, she looked great doing it.
Katey's Pregnancy Announcement
In September, Katey and Jed announced some big news: They are expecting their first child together. Katey's due date is in spring 2022, and though the couple hasn't shared much about her pregnancy yet, they were both immediately excited to find out that they were going to be parents in the vlog they posted when they got the good news.
Jeremiah Announces His Courtship
In October, Jeremiah announced that he is courting Hannah Wissmann, so it looks like another Duggar wedding might be on the horizon in 2022. "Getting to know each other has been one of the greatest joys of our lives! We are excited to start sharing our story with all of you and to see what God has in store for our future," he wrote in his caption.
Anna Gives Birth to Baby No. 7
Amid Josh's legal issues, Anna was busy welcoming her seventh child into the world. In October, baby Madyson Lily was born, though Anna took her time announcing the birth. That's hardly surprising given the circumstances of what was going on in her family at the time.
Jill Goes Blond
Jinger wasn't the only member of the family who made a major hair change this year. Jill also dramatically transformed her look by taking her brown hair and going blond. She happily showed off the results of her makeover on Instagram in early December.
Josh's Trial Begins
At the end of November, Josh's trial began and a jury met to discuss his fate after he was charged with receiving and possessing child sexual assault material (CSAM). For more than a week, he sat in the courtroom with Anna supporting him every day. Various Duggar family members took turns witnessing the trial, though not all of them were there to support him.
Josh Is Convicted
At the end of the trial, the judge and jury handed down Josh's verdict: He was found guilty on all charges. Though he won't be sentenced until early 2022, he was immediately taken into custody and will wait for his sentencing hearing behind bars. He could be sentenced to as long as 20 years.
Jana's Misdemeanor Charge
Shortly after Josh's conviction, news broke that Jana had faced a child endangerment charge while watching children in her family. Though Jana stayed silent on the matter at first, she eventually opened up in a statement she shared on Instagram.
She explained: "I was babysitting a few months ago when one of the children wandered outside alone. A passerby who saw the child called the police. This resulted in a written citation, as well as a follow-up with child welfare, which concluded that it was an accident and the child was unharmed."
