Recap: "A Birthday to Remember"

Bringing Up Bates "A Birthday to Remember" (season finale)

• Gil beat his dad at tennis for the first time on his dad's 50th birthday. Now Nathan wants to beat Gil at wrestling on Gil's 50th birthday. Gil and Nathan consider going all out in professional wrestling attire, but they resolve to wear T-shirts and jeans to maintain their standards of modesty. Nathan thinks he is the winner, but the rest of the family says Gil is.
• Next, Lawson challenges Gil, but the Bates dad wins that match pretty easily. "Lawson is the best talker in our family," says Gil.
• Nathan has been planning a surprise 50th birthday party for his dad for several months. Kelly and the older kids meet at Zach and Whitney's to discuss details. "I think he's got an idea that something's going on, but there's no way he knows the magnitude of what we're doing," says Nathan.
• The kids are inviting family members, high school and college wrestling buddies, men Gil has ministered to, and pastors who have impacted Gil's life over the years. 
• "There is no way we can get this done," says Carlin. But Nathan has high hopes.
• "I just want to know how they come up with all them ideas," says Zach after his family leaves. "I couldn't hear myself think." The oldest Bates kid has grown accustomed to his quite life with his wife and infant son.
• Kelly takes Gil out for a romantic, one-night getaway to Maple Grove Inn, a bed and breakfast build in the late 1700s, so the kids can plan.
• "You have been such a good husband because you have made our marriage a priority," Kelly tells Gil that evening.
• "I don't know what's in the future, but I know Who holds the future, and I'm looking forward to what He's going to deliver," says Gil.
• Tori and Carlin go shopping for food. The girls pay with gift cards because Tori says their dad checks his bank balance "like every five minutes."
• Carlin attempts to come up with a few skits highlighting special moments from Gil's life to perform at the party, and Lawson writes a song for his dad.
• The kids finish cleaning and decorating just as guests start arriving from all over the country. Gil and Kelly pull into the driveway, and Kelly blindfolds her husband he can't see all the cars. They walk in the front door, and everyone yells "surprise."
• "Where did y'all come from?" Gil exclaims. He starts tearing up right away.  
• The kids act out Gil and Kelly's first date, which Gil didn't show up to. Zach reads a letter he wrote to his dad, and Lawson performs his song. Gil is touched that his kids and wife planned such a special surprise party and that so many people traveled so far to attend.
• Season two of Bringing Up Bates will premiere in June and run for 13 episodes.