The Duggars recently celebrated the birthday of their daughter Joy-Anna’s boyfriend Austin Forsythe, inviting him out to have a hearty meal at a favorite hotspot.
Photos on the official Facebook page of the Duggar family show Joy-Anna and Austin out on a date and escorted by folks Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar. The 19-year-old reality TV star has been dating her 23-year-old beau since November. The couple enjoyed a meal at Chocolate Mess at the Marketplace Grill in Springdale.
While one image shows the pair posing with the Duggar parents, another photo featured just the two of them with Austin looking affectionately at Joy-Anna.
“Happy 23rd Birthday, Austin! We had a great time going on our double date with you and Joy this weekend!” the Duggars wrote about the photos. “We are loving the time we are getting to spend with you as you and Joy court, and we are so excited to see what the Lord has in-store for you and our sweet Joy!”
Aside from this birthday date, Joy-Anna and Austin also made an appearance together at Jinger Duggar’s wedding, who tied the knot with former soccer player Jeremy Vuolo in November.
After TLC’s ‘Counting On’ season 2 finale, the pair officially announced their courtship. In a video released by the network, Joy-Anna revealed that she was surprised when Austin first proposed to her. Despite courting just this year, Joy-Anna and Austin have known each other for the past 15 years.
“Hey y’all! I’m Joy Duggar and this is Austin,” Joy-Anna told producers and posted the footage on the Duggar family website.
"I just asked her to enter a courtship with me,” Austin said as he sat beside Joy-Anna.
“And I said yes!” the Duggar daughter said in return. “We’ve known each other for a long time.”
“Almost 15 years. I picked this spot because last time we were here together was August 1, 2015,” Austin added.
“There was a whole group of us that came up,” Joy-Anna recalled. “And we were just hanging out and it was really late at night, stars were just gorgeous. For me that’s really special, but then just being with him. And then now it’s even more special because it’s where we start our courtship.”
For the upcoming season of ‘Counting On,’ their relationship is expected to be featured, including the day of the proposal. TLC alreadyreleased a teaser clip for future episodes of the family’s spinoff series.
It remains uncertain whether these new episodes will serve as a continuation of the recently-concluded installment, but viewers can expect even more Duggar adventures.
After watching Jinger and Jeremy tying the knot, the ‘Counting On’ season 3 episodes will offer flashbacks to the time when the couple was just making the preparations for the big day.
Fans can also look forward to Jessa Duggar-Seewald’s second pregnancy with husband, Ben. The couple is set to welcome their second child in February, and scenes from the teaser trailer feature Jessa going for a pregnancy checkup to her sister and midwife, Jill Duggar-Dillard.
“It could be the same baby with just good variability in the heartbeat or it could be two different babies,” Jill teased her after speculating that Jessa might be expecting twins.
The ‘Counting On’ season 3 premiere has already been set in January 2017 on TLC.
