Lexi Mae, 1 Month Old

Lexi Mae Webster just passed her one-month milestone! Born on January 26th, she traveled with Alyssa, John, and Allie Jane up to East Tennessee two weekends ago to meet the rest of the Bates clan and celebrate I Love You Day.

 Lexi Mae Webster, 1 month old

Brandon Keilen and Michaela Bates Keilen with Lexi Mae Webster

Photos courtesy of Alyssa and John Webster, brandonandmichaela.com

Paine Family Adds 2 More Members

What's cuter than a 21-month-old little boy in overalls? A 21-month-old little boy in overalls cuddling a baby goat, of course!

Both Erin Bates and Chad Paine have fond memories of growing up with goats, so they decided to grow their family by two more by adding twin baby goats. With two kids, a dog, and two goats, the Paines are now a family of seven.

According to Erin, Carson absolutely adores the goats, whose names are Bubby and Sissy (see pictures below). The Bates siblings have enjoyed them, as well.

 Carson Paine

 Carson Paine

Carson Paine

Photos courtesy of chadanderin.com

Bates House Fire

"I wake up, and the fire alarm is going off, and Jeb is saying, 'Lawson, the laundry room is on fire, and Judson is in there.'"
-Lawson Bates

This Thursday on Bringing Up Bates, the Bates are caught off-guard when their laundry room erupts into flames. Lawson and Trace jump into emergency mode and order everyone to leave the house, but when they find out Judson is in the laundry room, what they were hoping was a small, contained fire quickly escalates into a life-or-death situation (promo video below).

Photo/video courtesy of UP

Keith the Piano Player

This week on Bringing Up Bates, Kelly took her family on a tour of her hometown--Spartanburg, South Carolina. (Click here to read our recap.) On the show, they visited her old house, her high school, and an iconic local restaurant. In this deleted scene, Kelly takes everyone to a piano store to meet a man who played piano for her dad's revival meetings.

Photo/video courtesy of UP

'Sweet Home Spartanburg' Recap

Bringing Up Bates "Sweet Home Spartanburg"

• As part of her 50th birthday celebration, Kelly takes the family to her hometown--Spartanburg, South Carolina. They meet up with Kelly's mom (Meema) Kelly's sisters (Kay and Kim) and Gwen, a gal who lived with Kelly's family, and are able to walk through the house where Kelly and her siblings grew up. (The couple that lives there now had agreed to give them a tour.) Kelly also had a brother, Chip, who passed away.
• Kelly admits she was the "tattletale," "brat," and "baby" of the family and that she used to sit up in a tree by the road and take detailed notes on the things she heard her siblings say and do so she could report back to her mom. She says she especially enjoyed listening in on Chip's conversations with girls that he brought home. 
• The mom of 19 also used to sneak into the bathroom through a closet while one of her siblings was showering and dump cold water onto them.
• After the tour, the Bates rake leaves for the couple to thank them for opening their home. They all enjoy jumping in the leaves, even Kelly and her sisters. "I think that gave us kids the first clue that they were really going back to their childhood," says Erin. The four girls also pray together.
• Kelly was in third grade when her parents got divorced. She stayed with her mom in South Carolina, and her siblings moved to Tennessee with her dad. "It was a very difficult thing to go through, but it also made me who I am today," shares Kelly. "I think we took something that was hard, and I think all of us, children and parents, tried to learn from it and turn it into something positive."
• After her parents' divorce, Kelly says she poured herself into her studies. She takes the family to her high school and introduces them to her two favorite teachers. "[My mom's teachers] helped develop in my mom such a love for education and learning...so to meet those people who gave her that love for learning...[we are] grateful for them because it has definitely played a role in all of our lives," says Michael.
• One of Kelly's science teachers takes the family into a science classroom to do an experiment. 
• "[My kids] are homeschooled, and the ones that haven't gone to college yet, they've never really sat in an actual classroom at desk, where the teacher is up front drawing on the board, so I think they were curious and interested," says Kelly. 
• Later, the Bates head to an iconic local restaurant, The Beacon, to meet up with Kelly's childhood friends. Her best friend, whose name is also Kelly, had called a bunch of their classmates to invite them, and quite a few showed up. Kelly has tears in her eyes as she shares the impact that each of her friends had on her life.
• Down in Florida, Alyssa and John Webster are looking forward to the arrival of Lexi Mae.

A Trip Down Memory Lane with Kelly Bates

An all-new episode of Bringing Up Bates is coming your way tonight at 9pm ET/8pm CT. As part of her 50th birthday celebration, Kelly takes her family to her hometown of Spartanburg, South Carolina.

The Bates meet up with Kelly's mom and sisters and tour her old house, which reminds Kelly of all the pranks she used to play on her siblings. They also stop by Kelly's high school, visit with her two favorite teachers, and watch an exciting science experiment.

To top it all off, Kelly and her best friend, whose name is also Kelly, host an unofficial class reunion at a local restaurant. The mom of 19 speaks candidly about the impact her parents' divorce had on her. Scroll down for TV listings, snapshots, and a promo video.

Thursday, February 23, 2017 
8pm ET: I 'Donut' Know What I'd Do Without You
8:30pm ET: Shakeups, Steaks, and Showtime!
9pm ET: Sweet Home Spartanburg (NEW!)
10pm ET: Sweet Home Spartanburg

Photos/video courtesy of UP

Preparing for Lexi Mae (Video)

"Everyone tells me that your second is so much different than your first, but this baby kicks so much and is so active that I think I'm going to have a wilder child than Allie."
-Alyssa Bates Webster

Tomorrow on Bringing Up Bates, check in with Alyssa and John Webster in Florida, as they await the birth of their second daughter. Although she struggles with morning sickness, Alyssa has made progress on updating the girls' bedroom. Allie Jane has moved into a toddler bed and vacated her crib ahead of Lexi Mae's arrival (see video below).

Photo/video courtesy of UP

Erin the Prankster

"Probably the most practical jokes I've heard from her family are actually from this sweet little girl right here."

-Chad Paine (pointing to Erin Bates Paine)

In this entertaining webisode, the Bates discuss pranks and reveal the biggest family prankster. Would you have guessed that it's Erin? To her credit, she says she always had at least one accomplice.

Does your family pull pranks?

Photo/video courtesy of UP

'I Love You' Day 2017

Over the weekend, the entire Bates family gathered in East Tennessee to celebrate I Love You Day (the Bates' version of Valentine's Day). The married couples came in for a visit, as did Gil's two siblings and their families and his parents, who live in South Carolina.

The Bates clan takes I Love You Day very seriously. (Click here to view photos from last year's celebration.) Rather than do a big family gift exchange at Christmastime when the married kids have other obligations, they decided several years ago to draw names and buy gifts for each other in February.

Check out these snapshots from this weekend's festivities:

 Allie Jane Webster

 Zach Bates gives daughter Kaci Lynn Bates her first valentine

 Lawson Bates and niece Kaci Bates

 Josie Bates, Lawson Bates, and Carlin Bates enjoy the warm weekend weather

 John Webster, Lexi Mae Webster, Papa Bil, Mama Jane, 

Alyssa Webster, and Allie Jane Webster

Whitney Bates and Kaci Bates

And these are photos that were taken last week by Lawson Bates: 

Zach and Whitney Bates

 Zach and Whitney Bates

Photos courtesy of thebatesfamily.com, lawsonbates.com, Zach and Whitney Bates, John and Alyssa Webster

Kelly's Childhood Pranks

"The kids' favorite part of the whole trip...was mom telling about all the trouble she got in as a kid."
-Lawson Bates

Coming up this Thursday on Bringing Up Bates, Kelly Bates gives the family a tour of her childhood home. Her children find it interesting to see where their mom grew up, but they especially enjoy hearing about one of the pranks she used to play on her siblings. Kelly Jo was certainly a sneaky little girl!

Photo/video courtesy of UP

Southern Speak: Remote or Clicker

What's your vote? Is it a remote, a clicker, or something else? Watch the video below to hear what Erin Paine, Lawson Bates, Kelly Bates, Jackson Bates, Gil Bates, and Trace Bates say it's called.

Photo/video courtesy of UP

Jackson and Addee's Double Birthday

 Jackson Bates and Addallee Bates

It's another double Bates birthday! Just two weeks after Trace Bates and Jeb Bates celebrated their birthdays on February 1st, Jackson Bates and Addallee Bates are also turning one year older. Jackson is 15, while Addallee is 11.

As the 12th of 19 children, Jackson is often referred to as Zach's twin. The family claims the two look and act alike, and they both enjoy learning about history and reading books. Jackson is also talented at drawing.

Addallee is #15 in the Bates family lineup and has two brothers and two sisters below her. The Bates love how thoughtful she is towards others. Weighing only 4 lbs 13 oz when she returned home from the NICU, Addee was the smallest Bates baby. Surprisingly, she claims that her favorite food is salad.

 Addallee Bates

Jackson Bates

Photos courtesy of thebatesfamily.com/UP

'Shakeups, Steak, and Showtime' Recap

Bringing Up Bates "Shakeups, Steak, and Showtime!"

• Lawson is thrilled to receive a bunch of copies of his new CD. “When you finally get a mastered product on a disk, that’s something special, and being able to bring it in and show the family, it’s a really cool moment,” says the budding country musician. “When the boxes showed up at the door, I was just praising the Lord.”
• Lawson is preparing for a big charity concert in Knoxville benefiting the East Tennessee Children’s hospital.
• Zach and Whitney drop Bradley and Kaci off at the family’s house so they can go on a dinner date. It’s their first time eating at Ye Olde Steak House, the restaurant where Gil and Kelly used to order celebratory meals from when they had a baby.
• The “little” Bates couple will soon celebrate their three-year wedding anniversary. Zach has recently switched from night shifts to day shifts. Bradley always waits eagerly by the door for his dad to come home.
• “Do you remember though when we first got married and you asked me if you could be a cop?” Whitney asks Zach. “I was like, ‘No, you can’t be a cop; no way.’ Now I can’t imagine you doing anything different.”
• “I’m loving my job, but more than anything, I love having a family,” shares Zach.
• Emily Ann Roberts is unable to make it to the charity concert, so Lawson asks Carlin to sing Emily Ann's parts. Carlin says there is no way she can fill Emily Ann’s shoes, but Lawson believes in her.
• It’s the evening of the show, and the music is scheduled to start in 45 minutes. The computer system goes down, and the family members and friend who are helping are having difficulty scanning the tickets.
• “There was a little bit of confusion,” says Kelly. “A little bit of confusion?” responds Gil. “Maybe a lot of confusion,” corrects Kelly.
• The show finally starts, and the fans are hyped up. Lawson is disappointed when he forgets the words to one of his songs, but he quickly moves past it. “Mess-ups happen, but taking it light and watching people’s reactions, making sure they’re enjoying themselves, I think is a lot more important than perfection,” says Lawson.
• Lawson and Carlin’s “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus” duet ends up sounding great.
• At the end of the concert, Lawson brings AJ and two other kids from the children’s hospital up on stage to sing “Jesus Loves Me.”
• “Here are little kids that are very sick,” says proud father Gil. “They have been through some of the hardest times in life, and yet, they’re there to sing a song to encourage us. It was a moving moment.”
• “I can’t even begin to say how proud I was of Lawson,” says Zach. “The hardest person in the world to impress is your big brother, and Lawson has impressed me above and beyond.”

A Concert and a Date Night

A new episode of Bringing Up Bates is coming your way in less than six hours! It kicks off at 9pm ET/8pm CT on UP.


As they show opens, Lawson Bates receives a bunch of copies of his new CD, "What Country Means to Me." The family rejoices with him as he opens the boxes and reflects on the hundreds of hours of work that went into creating the album.

Zach and Whitney Bates drop their kids off with the family and head to Ye Old Steak House for a date night. They reflect on all that has happened in just three years of marriage.

When the night of the show rolls around, Lawson becomes nervous when a few hiccups cause things to go less smoothly than expected.

In an emotional moment, Lawson is joined by three of his little friends from the children's hospital, who help him sing a round of "Jesus Loves Me." The crowd is in tears, especially proud dad Gil Bates. 

Lawson honors children's hospital patient AJ, whose family has become close friends of the Bates.

Despite her trepidation, Carlin Bates agrees to join Lawson on stage for a duet.

Photos courtesy of UP

Prepping for Lawson's Big Concert

We have one final sneak peek scene to share before tomorrow's new episode of Bringing Up Bates... 

Lawson, who is gearing up for a big charity concert, walks around town with Carlin hanging fliers to promote the event. He informs his sister that Emily Ann Roberts, who sings on a couple of the songs on the "What Country Means to Me" record, is not able to make it to the show. Lawson has someone in mind to fill in for Emily Ann, but Carlin isn't sure it's a good idea.

Photo/video courtesy of UP

Erin's Unique Love 'Letters'

"I did not realize that you could just mail things without a package."
-Erin Paine

Happy Valentine's Day! While Erin and Chad were in a long distance courtship, they both enjoyed sending and receiving mail. Chad wrote heartfelt letters, while Erin took a more unconventional approach. In the video below, they recall some of the crazy things she sent through USPS before they were married.

Photo/video courtesy of UP

Adorable Bates Grandbabies

Now that Lexi Mae Webster has arrived, Gil and Kelly Bates have six adorable grandchildren. Last week, we shared a six-month portrait of Brooklyn Paine and a few snapshots from the Websters' recent photo shoot. Now it's time for updated pictures of Bradley Bates, Carson Paine, and Kaci Lynn Bates.

Bradley, the oldest Bates grandchild, turned two in October. His little sister, Kaci Lynn, is seven months old. According to parents Zach and Whitney Bates, the two are inseparable, and Bradley loves giving Kaci hugs and kisses.

 Bradley Bates and Kaci Lynn Bates

As of today, Carson is 21 months old. His little sister, Brooklyn Elise, arrived when he was just shy of 15 months.

 Carson Paine

With two kids who are so close in age, you can imagine how close the bond is between Whitney Bates and Erin Paine.

Whitney Bates, Kaci Lynn Bates, Brooklyn Paine, Erin Bates Paine

Photos courtesy of chadanderin.com, Zach and Whitney Bates

Bates Steak Dinner Date

"When I was in high school, I would have never dreamed I would have been married with two kids at 23."
-Whitney Bates

In this video clip, Zach and Whitney Bates go on a dinner date to Ye Olde Steak House, the restaurant Gil and Kelly Bates ordered a celebratory meal from after each of their kids was born. Life with two babies is busy, but Zach and Whitney take advantage of every opportunity to spend time alone.

Photo/video courtesy of UP

Boat Ride Blues

"One thing you don't want to do is read your kid the story about the Titanic right before he goes on a boat."
-Warden Bates

Unfortunately, Kelly Bates didn't get that memo. During a homeschool lesson before the family's fall 2016 trip to Florida, she read the little ones a children's book about the Titanic and taught them all about what had made the boat sink.

When the Bates boarded a dolphin cruise with Bobby's family, four-year-old Jeb Bates was scared stiff. "I thought I was going to hit an iceberg," he said later. Check out the video below.

Photo/video courtesy of UP

Webster Party of 4 (Photos)

Lexi Mae Webster is two weeks old! Last weekend, the Webster family of four had an in-home photo session with the talented Emily Knuth of Emily Knuth Photography. Here are a few previews of the shoot.

To learn more about Emily, check out her website and Facebook page.

John Webster, Alyssa Bates Webster, 

Allie Jane Webster, Lexi Mae Webster

 Alyssa Webster and Lexi Webster

Lexi Mae Webster

Photos courtesy of Emily Knuth Photography; may not be used without written permission

Official Courtship

"Our courtship is officially official! We’re beyond excited and can’t wait to see what God has in store for our future. Thank you to everyone for your prayers and support; it means the world!"
-Tori Bates and Bobby Smith

Tori met Bobby through a mutual friend over fall break in 2015, and the two started courting during a family Florida vacation over fall break in 2016 (shown on tonight's episode). Tori is attending The Crown College of the Bible near Knoxville, Tennessee, and has three more semesters left in her education degree, while Bobby is a senior at Pensacola Christian in Pensacola, Florida.

The courtship became official during a sunset dinner on the beach. Scroll down to see a snapshot, and visit the gallery on the UP website for more.

Photo courtesy of UP