Recap: "Love is in the Heir"

Bringing Up Bates "Love is in the Heir"

• Nathan, Jackson, and Warden return from spending Thanksgiving with Nathan’s girlfriend Ashley, who is from the Bronx. Because of the distance between them, Nathan and Ashley are not able to see each other very often, so they decide to spend the holiday visiting family and friends together. 
• Nathan invites his parents on a lunch date at a local BBQ joint to have some “large talk,” which means he has a very important matter to discuss.
• Nathan shares that he has talked with Ashley and her parents and that he feels the Lord’s guidance in their relationship. He plans to ask Ashley to begin an official courtship, although the two have been boyfriend and girlfriend for several months.
• “For our family, courtship is kind of like what other people would call going steady,” explains Kelly.  While Ashley loves New York City, she has said that she would be happy living in East Tennessee. Nathan admits that he would not want to move to the Bronx.
• That evening, everyone helps decorate the house for Christmas. Kelly and the girls decide to go with a more rustic, country theme, so Gil brings a rusted metal lampstand in from the barn. Using greenery and lanterns, the gals are able to turn it into a festive decoration.
• Nathan calls a family meeting and announces his plan to ask Ashley to begin a courtship just before Christmas. His siblings are ecstatic. “I do have some opposition, but that’s just for selfish reasons,” shares Lawson. “We’ve been free men forever, and I know how this thing goes…I’m going to be the lone survivor here at the house.”
• “[Lawson] told me that he’s read some studies that show that once a guy gets a girl, his career goes downhill,” says Kelly, laughing.
• Zach and Whitney head to Dr. Vick’s office to have their first ultrasound with Baby #2. At 1.5 inches long, Baby is very active, unlike Bradley, who, according to Zach, was lazy while in the womb.
• Whitney elects to do a blood test to find out the gender, as it is still too early to tell on the ultrasound. She guesses that the baby is a girl, and, as we know, she is correct!
• The kids prepare a special meal for Gil and Kelly in honor of their 28^th wedding anniversary. They set up a small table in the master bedroom and serve salad with strawberries, blue cheese, and walnuts; rolled chicken breasts with ham and cheese in the middle; fries; and green beans.
• “My mom and dad’s marriage is very important to us because you don’t see many marriages that are that well off,” says Isaiah.
• According to Kelly, having the kids involved in their anniversary made it more meaningful than it would have been if they had gone out to celebrate. 

Nathan's "Large Talk" with Mom & Dad

On tonight's new episode of Bringing Up Bates, "Love is in the Heir," Nathan Bates goes to lunch with Mom and Dad so the three can have a "large talk." Find out what that term means in the video below. (Click here to watch another preview of "Love is in the Heir.")

Thursday, March 31st 
9pm ET/8pm CT: Love is in the Heir
Whitney's expecting! She and Zach have their first ultrasound to check on the baby. Gil and Kelly Jo have shared 19 kids and 28 years together, so the happy couple celebrates their wedding anniversary with a romantic dinner and talk of new things to come. Nathan calls a family meeting to share some exciting news!

Photo/video courtesy of UP

Next Stop...Hollywood?

This week's segment of Name That Bates, hosted by Trace Bates, 19, features Lawson Bates, 23, and Nathan Bates, 22. The boys discuss potential genres and actors if their life stories were featured in a movie. Do you think they should play themselves, as Lawson suggests?

 

Photo/video courtesy of UP

Nathan's Big News

Nathan Bates has an exciting announcement to make on this week's new episode of Bringing Up Bates! What do you think it will be? Post your guess as a comment comment, and then watch this preview video for the answer:

Photo/video courtesy of UP

Bates Easter Pictures

Hope you had a wonderful Easter weekend! Here are a few photos of various members of the the Bates family all dressed up for Resurrection Day.

 Callie Bates

 Carlin Bates, Isaiah Bates, Josie Bates, Lawson Bates

 Zach, Whitney, and Bradley Bates 

(Whitney is due June 25)

 Brandon and Michaela Keilen

 Erin, Chad, and Carson Paine

with Papa Bill, Mama Jane, and Mama Jane's siblings

 Alyssa, John, and Allie Webster

Photos courtesy the Bates, Keilen, Paine, and Webster families

The Very Photogenic Bradley Bates

You're not going to want to miss this adorable video of Bradley Bates' birthday photo shoot with talented photographer Taryn Yager. Wishing you a blessed Easter!

Photo courtesy tarynyagerphotography.com/video courtesy of UP

Ice Cream Balls

Zach and Whitney have a special surprise for the kids at Bradley's first birthday party: ice cream makers in the shape of plastic balls. And surprisingly, they work!

"Those boys were making all that energy into something sweet we could all enjoy," says Gil, smiling. Check out the video below, and visit Amazon to purchase your very own YayLabs Play and Freeze Ice Cream Ball Ice Cream Maker.

Photo/video courtesy of UP

Recap: Bringing Up Bradley

Bringing Up Bates "Bringing Up Bradley"

• Kelly and Carlin visit Once Upon A Child to shop for birthday presents for Bradley. Kelly goes all out, and Carlin tries to convince her to take it down a notch or two. “He don’t need no more toys,” Carlin tells her mom. “Y’all spoil him.”
• The rest of the kids agree. Now that Kelly is a grandmother, Zach says she is in “full spoil mode.” “We all wish we were grandkids,” adds Josie.
• Looking back on the shopping trip, which was more of a shopping spree, Kelly admits that she may have gone overboard. “When I got to the register and heard the total, I thought, Gil is going to absolutely die when he hears how much I spent!” admits the mom of 19. The tab is $176.97.
• Later, Carlin accompanies Lawson to a photo shoot for his upcoming album, to be released this spring (if everything goes according to plan). Taryn Yager, a friend who has become the unofficial Bates family photographer, takes the pictures inside her in-home studio.
• It takes a little while for Lawson to loosen up, but by the end of the photo shoot, he’s posing like a pro. Taryn’s pictures turn out great!
• Lawson hopes to do a tour for this album. Since fall 2013, he has released one CD and two singles.
• The Bates family heads over to Cove Lake State Park, which is where Zach and Whitney began their courtship, for Bradley’s first birthday celebration.  Whitney goes all out with decorations, arriving five hours early to set up.
• “I found out real quick in this family, you don’t let them know what your skill is because you’ll be recruited to do that from then on for all the events,” says Whitney, smiling. Until now, she has kept her decorating expertise a secret.
• For the younger kids, the highlight of the party is kicking plastic balls filled with ice cream around the room. If you have ever seen a hamster ball, they look similar to one of those. All you do is load ice and a few other ingredients into the ball and then kick it around until it turns into ice cream.
• Surprisingly, the ice cream balls work! “Best thing ever!” says Judson.
• The gift table is quite overwhelming. During the party, Chad looks at Erin and says: “Erin, we can’t do this for Carson. We wouldn’t have a place to put it.”
• Towards the end of the party, Zach and Whitney invite both sets of their parents, as well as Zach’s grandparents, up to the front of the room and give them each two wrapped frames, containing two pictures from their maternity photo shoot.
• Gil and Kelly don’t have their reading glasses on, so it takes them a few moments to realize what’s going on. Everyone starts screaming when the announcement is finally made that Zach and Whitney are expecting baby No. 2.

Whitney Bates the Party Planner

We have a second video preview of tonight's episode to share! (Click here to view the first one.) Bringing Up Bates "Bringing Up Bradley" airs at 9pm ET/8pm CT on UP.

Photo/video courtesy of UP

Spoiling the Bates Grandbabies

Are you pumped for tonight's new episode of Bringing Up Bates, "Bringing Up Bradley"? The show starts at 9pm ET/8pm CT, only on UP (video preview below).

Time is flying, and the Bates' first grandbaby, Bradley, is turning one! Kelly Jo and Carlin look for gifts, but their outing goes overboard and quickly turns into a shopping spree. Lawson puts his best face forward at a photo shoot for his new album. Later, the family gathers for Bradley's birthday party, and Whitney shares a big announcement.

Photo/video courtesy of UP

More From the Websters

Last week, we posted a Name That Bates video in which Alyssa and John Webster reveal their ideal family size. Learn more about the Websters in the clip below:
 

Photo/video courtesy of UP

Mystery Girl #2

On last weeks episode of Bringing Up Bates, Nathan Bates introduced his "mystery girl." Readers have since been asking about another "mystery girl," who has made multiple appearances on the show.

She is the one holding Callie in this snapshot from "15 Kids and an Empty Nest," as Michaela models her wedding dress.

She is also standing next to Kelly in this photo from last weeks episode, "Time to Reno-Bate!" watching as the girls repaint their bedroom.

So who is this "mystery girl"? The answer is quite simple: Her name is Courtney, and she is a family-friend who helps around the house.


Photos courtesy of UP

Bates Boy in the Kitchen

"If you're at this house and it's a time where people should be working, nobody sits around..." (Nathan Bates)

When Nathan walks by the kitchen as Tori, Carlin, and Josie are preparing dinner, they recruit him to help cut chicken breasts. But is he able to complete the task as quickly as the girls can? Find out in the video below!

Video courtesy of UP

Nathan's Mystery Girl

You all have been asking about the "mystery girl" who helped the Bates girls redecorate their room on last night's episode, "Time to Reno-Bate!"

Her name is Ashley, and she was briefly introduced on the show. Lawson and Nathan had just returned from a trip to visit Ashley and her family in New York City, and they brought Ashley back to Tennessee to spend a week at the Bates house.

We first met Ashley last year on "Blessings...And New Beginnings?" when she and her sister Anastasia first visited the Bates.

On last night's episode, Nathan revealed that he and Ashley had spent the past few months getting to know each other. "We try to see each other about once a month or so if we can," said Nathan. "I've been thinking and praying over the past, you know, four or five months that me and Ashley have been talking."

Stay tuned to find out where their friendship goes!


Photo courtesy of UP

Recap: "Time to Reno-Bate"

Bringing Up Bates "Time to Reno-Bate!"

• Now that three of the ten Bates girls have left the nest, the remaining seven sisters decide to give their bedroom a makeover. The room had previously been decorated with all of Michael's pictures and love letters from Brandon. 
• "We are definitely going to make some rules about boyfriends being on the wall," says Josie. "My rule is that they can have one picture by their bed."
• "The problem with trying to come up with a plan or idea in our family is that there's so many opinions," says Tori, as she and her sister sit down with Kelly to make a plan.
• Josie chooses a dark gray shade for the walls and is able to convince a few of her sisters to support her. Tori and Kelly, on the other hand, are a little skeptical, even after the girls paint the room.
• Josie, the head interior designer, assures them that the curtains and decorations will tone it down. She's right! When the room is finished, everyone loves it. Kelly says the girls did a great job combining what she calls an "urban" wall color with rustic, colorful decorations.
• While the girls are in the middle of their redecorating project, Lawson and Nathan return home from a trip to New York to visit Nathan's friend Ashley, whom viewers met last year on "Blessings...And New Beginnings?" Ashely comes back with the boys to spend a week with the Bates. 
• Nathan and Ashley having been getting to know each other for the past several months. "Something's up, I think," says Trace.
• Meanwhile, Zach and Whitney work on a redecorating project of their own. They are at the tail end of modernizing their house, a process which has included knocking down walls, repainting, and installing trim. 
• Whitney has decided that their pure white couches no longer match with their white walls and black picture frames. She and Zach head to a furniture store to pick out a brand new black leather couch and love seat.
• When the couch and love seat are delivered, Zach and Whitney are both very pleased. "I love it," says Whitney. "It just makes the whole room feel like it's finished."
• Later, Tori, Carlin, and Kelly try out a new recipe, honey-mustard chicken. (Tori is currently on break from college, where she is pursuing an education major.) Now that Michael is gone, Tori and Carlin say they are spending more time cooking.

New Episode Tonight

Tune in to UP tonight at 9pm ET/8pm CT for an all-new episode of Bringing Up Bates, "Time to Reno-Bate!"

With the three eldest sisters out of the house, the remaining Bates girls decide it's time to redecorate their bedroom. And Zach and Whitney are doing a little redecorating of their own, as they head out to shop for a new couch to spruce up their home. Later, the girls test out a new recipe for dinner.

Photo/video courtesy of UP

First Photo of Kaci Lynn Bates

Zach and Bradley Bates accompanied Whitney Bates, who is 25 weeks and five days pregnant, to her doctor appointment yesterday. The family of three was thrilled to "meet" little Kaci Lynn Bates via ultrasound. According to Whitney, Bradley keeps trying to talk to his little sister's picture.

 Whitney Bates and Bradley Bates look at photos of Kaci Lynn Bates

Photo courtesy Zach and Whitney Bates

It's Time to Reno-Bate!

On tomorrow's new episode of Bringing Up Bates, the Bates girls set out to redecorate their room. Now that three of the sisters are married and out of the house, the seven remaining ladies have decided that it's time for change

 Tori Bates, Carlin Bates, Kelly Bates, Callie Bates, Josie Bates, Katie Bates

 Carlin Bates and Kelly Bates 

with a "mystery" girl whom UP plans to introduce soon

 Katie Bates, Josie Bates, Carlin Bates, Tori Bates

 The seven unarried Bates girls

 Katie, Josie, Carlin, Tori, Ellie, Addallee, Callie

 Everyone helps prepare a meal

Photos courtesy UP

Exclusive Flexi Clip Deal

The winners of our recent Flexi Clip giveaway are Melissa F. and Irene. Congratulations, ladies!

For those who are interested in making a Flexi Clip purchase, Sarah from Lilla Rose has extended a special Buy-3-Get-1-Free sale to our readers. This offer is good through Saturday, March 19th, at 11:59pm ET.

How Many Websters?

How many children do Alyssa and John Webster hope to have? Where would they travel on a second honeymoon? Find out in this week's segment of Name That Bates, hosted by Tori Bates.

Photo/video courtesy of UP

Paines Announce Due Date

With a family of 19 kids, there's always exciting news to share.

In early January, Zach and Whitney Bates announced their second pregnancy. On Valentine's Day, Erin and Chad followed suit, revealing during the family's annual dinner that they, too, would be welcoming baby No. 2.

The surprises kept coming, as Zach and Whitney shared the gender and name of their unborn child. Late last week, Erin and Chad made the same announcement, following with the due date a few days later.

Zack and Whitney's second child, a girl named Kaci Lynn, is due June 25th. Erin and Chad are due to welcome their daughter, Brooklyn Elise, on August 30th, although Erin says she will be induced early.

Expectant mother Erin suffers from a blood clotting disorder and had to take heparin shots twice a day throughout her pregnancy with Carson. This pregnancy will require similar treatments. Although Erin dreads needles, she has said multiple times that her babies are more than worth it.

"While Brooklyn was a surprise, we feel so blessed and so excited that she’s on her way, and we couldn’t be more in love with Carson," Erin told She Knows.


Photos courtesy Taryn Yager Photography

It's [Another] girl!

Soon after Zach and Whitney Bates announced that they are expecting a baby girl, Kaci Lynn, on June 25th, Erin Chad Paine have revealed that they, too, will welcome a baby girl this summer. 

The Paines have also chosen a name for their daughter, which they shared exclusively with She Knows. (Click here for more details.)

Video courtesy UP/SheKnows.com; Photo courtesy Taryn Yager Photography

Recap: Back Seat Bates

Bringing Up Bates "Back Seat Bates"

• Chad shows Erin the design he has created for the cover of her upcoming Christmas album, which she recently recorded in Nashville.
• The Paines reveal that this is not the first album cover that Chad has designed for Erin. Before they were "together,' Erin enlisted Chad's help in designing her Down Home Gospel CD cover, but she was secretly just looking for an excuse to spend time with him.
• "I jumped at the chance," admits Chad. "I saw an opportunity, and I was like, you know what, I've never done this before but I'm going to find out how."
• After finishing his training at that Blount County Regional Training Academy, Zach asks his instructors if he can bring his family back to give them a taste of what he went through. 
• The first item on the agenda is pursuit driving. Everyone grabs a helmet and piles into old Sheriffs cars. "They don't know what they in for," laughs Zach.
•  Carlin screams the entire time, as do many of the others. 
• " It was better than any roller coaster in the country," says Lawson. "These guys can drive."
•  Callie is quite upset to see her mom take part, as she's afraid that something is going to happen to her. Zach, the driver, promises to be careful. 
• "I should have gone to the bathroom first," comments Kelly. "Mom, please don't say that," responds Lawson. 
• Kelly reveals that one of her greatest fears is car wrecks. "I've got a house full of bad drivers," says the mom of 19. "I've got certain kids I won't even drive with."
• Kelly holds Whitney's arm and screams for Zach to let her out, but Zach keeps driving, laughing hysterically. "It's too bad he's too big to spank," says Kelly at the end of the ride.
•  The next activity, for the older ones, is target shooting, but first the instructor lectures them about gun safety.  
• Next, Zach leads the guys through an obstacle course, which leaves Gil on the ground trying to catch his breath. "My dad's probably the toughest 50-year-old I know," says Zach. "But man, it pushes you to your physical limit."
•  A day at the Police Academy leaves the Bates feeling very appreciative of their law enforcement officers and the instructors who train those man and women.
• Later, Lawson takes Kelly, Carlin, and Josie to the local children's hospital where he has been visiting sick kids. 
• The child who is most excited to see Lawson is AJ, a little boy with a tumor pressing on his optic nerve who has become a close friend of Lawson.
• Everyone fights back tears as Lawson plays guitar and sings with AJ and several other young children at the hospital. 
• "We've tried to encourage all of our children to be involved in some kind of ministry outreach that would be a blessing to other people," says Kelly.

Tonight: Back Seat Bates

A new episode of Bringing Up Bates premieres tonight at 9 PM ET/8 PM CT on UP.

Zack takes his family to the Police Academy to give them a taste of what he went through. Then, Lawson visits AJ, a young cancer patient whom has been mentoring, and Chad helps Erin design the album cover of her Christmas CD.

Check out these videos:

"Back Seat Bates" Promo Video

Exclusive Scenes (NoahPOPTV)


Videos courtesy UP/NoahPOPTV

Episode Summary and Exclusive Photo

Jackson Bates smiles from the front seat of a Sheriff's car

The week is halfway over, which means that another episode of Bringing Up Bates is just around the corner.

Inspired by Zach, the rest of the Bates family has decided to go through police training of their own, with help from the local Sheriffs department. Later, Lawson has a singing gig at a local hospital, and Chad helps Erin design the cover for her upcoming Christmas CD.

The show starts tomorrow at 9pm ET/8pm CT, only on UP.


Photo courtesy of UP

Shoes Stash & Sibling Sweetness

In this episode of Name That Bates, we learn that Whitney loves shoes and that Michaela (aka Michaella or Michael) frequently changes the preferred spelling of her name. Check out this video:

Video courtesy of UP

New Family Photo

Happy Monday! The Bates recently took a new family photo that we thought we would share with you. What do you think?

Made up of Gil and Kelly Bates and their 19 kids, 4 sons and daughters-in-law, and 3 grandchildren, the clan is currently 28-strong. Come this summer, after Erin and Whitney each give birth to their second child, the Bates family will hit 30 members!

Photo courtesy of UP

Shopping with Alyssa, Carlin, and Josie

"I'm sure the boys had good intentions about catching fish, but we weren't really believing it, so some of us girls decided to go buy dinner," shares Josie on Thursday's episode--click here to read our recap. She and Carlin take a trip to the grocery store with Alyssa and Allie.

Even though Alyssa spent 19 years as a Bates, she has grown used to shopping for her family of three. "That's like my list for the month," comments Alyssa when Carlin pulls out a grocery list that she considers short. Check out this video:

Photo/video courtesy of UP

Carlin Bates: 'It was crazy cool'

Whether or not you were able to tune in to last night's episode of Bringing Up Bates, you'll enjoy watching this deleted scene.

Before going snorkeling, the Bates take a boat ride to a secluded beach. "I could have just parked me a chair there and stayed all day," says Kelly.

If you missed the show, be sure to read our recap.

Photo/video courtesy of UP

Recap: "Beaches, Boats and Bates"

Bringing Up Bates "Beaches, Boats and Bates"...

• The Bates clan (everyone but Zach, Whitney, Bradley, Michaela, Brandon, Chad, and Tori) head down to Cape San Blas, located along the coast of the Florida Panhandle. “Let's just say, our family loves water,” shares Gil. “They like to get in the water, throw the water, play in the water.”
• When the family arrives at the rental condo, the kids are eager to head to the beach, but they must first wait for Kelly to assign bedrooms.
• At one point, the Bates vacationed in Cape San Blas four years in a row, but weddings and grandbabies have prevented them from taking their annual trip.
• When they finally hit the beach, Carlin helps the younger kids build a sandcastle. “Going [on a] vacation is not just getting away and relaxing,” says Nathan. “It’s building memories and investing in the little guys…”
• How do the Bates dress at the beach? The boys wear swim trunks, while the girls wear skirts made of swimsuit material that come down just above the knee. Both genders wear either a regular shirt or a swim shirt.
• Jeb throws a temper tantrum when his turn on the ocean kayak ends, so Gil takes him back to the condo to have a chat.
• Gil tells Jeb to look him in the eyes and asks him to apologize. Then he does what he and Kelly call Obedience Training. To make sure he is listening, father of 19 instructs his youngest son to clap once, then twice, and then three times.
• “There are always opportunities to help Jeb have a good attitude,” laughs Kelly. “He makes sure we get plenty of practice.”
• On another day, the Bates venture out on a boat to go snorkeling on a sandbar. The younger kids are wary of the creatures in the water and are shocked when their guide catches a horseshoe crab, which Kelly refers to as a “mega ocean roach.”
• The family is thrilled when Alyssa, John, and Allie arrive. While Kelly steps away to take Erin and Carson to the airport, Gil and the boys attempt to catch fish off the shore. 
• Meanwhile, the gals head to a grocery store to buy food for dinner. “For some reason, them girls ain’t got no faith in our ability,” says Lawson.
• The boys’ fishing excursion doesn't turn out to be as fruitful as they had hoped. They only end up catching one fish worth keeping. “Guys, we’re going to be some real skinny people if we live off our fishing,” Gil jokingly tells his sons.
• The week comes to an ends, and it's time to head home. “I hope the one thing the kids take away from the vacation is really the value of their relationships,” says Gil. “Make every moment count with every child every chance you get.”

Tonight: Bates at the Beach

It's Thursday! That means an all-new episode of Bringing Up Bates is coming your way. Tune in to UP at 9pm ET/8pm CT for "Beaches, Boats and Bates" (summary and preview video below).

It's chaos at the Bates' home as the gang packs up and heads to Florida for some fun in the sun. The family hits the beach to play, build sandcastles, and snorkel for the first time. The boys try their luck fishing for dinner, but not everyone is sure about the catch of the day ending up on their plate.

Photo/video courtesy of UP

Biggest Bates Cheerleader

You'll enjoy hearing the answers that Josie Bates, 16, and Katie Bates, 15, give when they sit down with older sister Erin Paine to play a round of Name That Bates. Which Bates is the biggest cheerleader? Who spends the most time reading? Who has the best shoulder to cry on? Find out in the video below!

 

Video courtesy of UP

Watch Full Episodes on UPTV.com

For those who have yet to see an episode of Bringing Up Bates, we have good news to share. The network has uploaded six episodes to its website! Click each link to watch the corresponding video. We will let you know if any additional episodes become available.

Bringing Up Bates Season 1
Episode 101: Meet the Bates
Episode 102: Courtship & Marriage
Episode 103: Bates Gone Wild

Bringing Up Bates Season 2
Episode 201: All Together Again
Episode 202: Future In-Laws?
Episode 203: High Risk, High Hopes


Photo courtesy of UP