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Are the Duggars hillbillies?

The answer to that question may seem obvious at first, but it’s more complicated than it appears.

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Sure, they’re Arkansas evangelicals who breed like rabbits, regardless of whether or not they’re able to support more children.

But they’re also at the center of a multi-million dollar media empire that’s made them one of the most famous families in their home state.

With the possible exception of those Duck Dynasty guys, how many hillbilly families can make THAT claim?

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So the Duggars have some big points in the non-hillbilly column.

But then there are stories like this one that sound like the setup for a Jeff Foxworthy joke:

For the second time, Kendra Caldwell and her mother, Christina Caldwell, are pregnant at the same time.

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Yes, that’s not a set of circumstances that you encounter very often, but Kendra — who’s married to Joe Duggar — and her mom have been down this road before.

We learned over the summer that Kendra is pregnant with her third child.

But it just came out today that her mother is expecting her ninth kid.

Photo via Instagram

We should probably clarify a few things in order to make this very weird situation seem slightly less weird.

1. Nine might sound like a lot of kids, but bear in mind that these people belong to the same community that produced Michelle Duggar, mother of 19.

2. Two simultaneous mother-daughter pregnancies might also sound strange, but it’s important to note that Christina is only 18 years older than Kendra.

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So yeah, still weird.

But maybe slightly less weird, given the full context?

To be honest, we’re grasping at straws here, people!

Photo via Instagram

Yes, it’s more than a little strange that Joe and Kendra’s kids will be older than some of their aunts and uncles, but those once they get started, those Arkansas evangelicals just don’t stop breeding.

So you can be sure the Duggars don’t think there’s anything weird about all of this.

And even if they did, they wouldn’t say anything.

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The two families are extremely close.

Joe’s father Jim Bob is rumored to have developed tremendous respect and admiration for Paul Caldwell.

Paul, of course, is Kendra’s father, Christina’s husband, and the pastor of the Duggars’ church.

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Hard as it is to imagine a figure in Jim Bob’s life that humbles him, it looks like Paul Caldwell may fit that very bill.

It’s been rumored that Joe and Kendra entered an arranged marriage after Jim Bob and Paul worked out the terms.

Of course, if that’s true, then the arrangement appears to have worked out for all parties involved.

Photo via Instagram

After all, Joe and Kendra are reported to be the the happiest of all the Duggar couples.

Things worked out so well that it’s been rumored that Jim Bob tried to repeat his success.

He reportedly tried to arrange a marriage between Kendra’s sister, Lauren Caldwell, and one of his other sons.

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Hey, we hope it works out for them.

Of course, it would make the Caldwell family tree that much more confusing. But they’re used to that.