Websters Dress for Church

Can you believe it's almost May? The Webster family of four took a snapshot that we just have to show you. It's too cute not to! Lexi Mae is already three months old, and Allie Jane just turned two. For those wondering, Alyssa's shirt is from Paisley Kate's Boutique.

Allie Webster, John Webster, Alyssa Webster, Lexi Webster

Photo courtesy of Alyssa and John Webster

Ellie Bates Turns 10

Wishing Ellie Bridget Bates a very happy 10th birthday! Ellie is No. 16 in the Bates family lineup, and she is known for selflessly looking for ways to serve and be an encouragement to those around her. According to Kelly, she is also very sensitive, like her dad.

Photo courtesy of Up

#TBT Big Sandy 2012

This week, the Duggars and Bates (as well as a bunch of other Christian families) are gathered in Big Sandy at the annual homeschool conference. (Visit our Duggar blog to view photos.)

In honor of Throwback Thursday, we decided to share this clip from United Bates of America, the short TLC reality TV series that the Bates starred in before being picked up by UP (no pun intended). The video features both the Duggars and the Bates and shows footage from the 2012 homeschool conference.

Photo/video courtesy TLC

Bates Wedding Bells?

"I know some people that want to get married next, but I don't know if they're ready to get married next."
-Erin Bates Paine

So far, four of Gil and Kelly Bates' 19 kids are married (Zach, Michaela, Erin, and Alyssa), one is in an official courtship (Tori), and another (Carlin) is in the get-to-know-you stage with her boyfriend. In the video below, Erin and Chad Paine discuss which sibling they expect will be the next to tie the knot. What are your predictions?

If you enjoy this blog, check out our other blogs (NashvilleWife.com and DuggarFamilyBlog.com).

Photo/video courtesy of UP

Special Delivery From Pilot Nathan Bates

Having a brother who can fly a plane sure does come in handy when you're in a long-distance relationship! In this deleted scene from the Bringing Up Bates season five finale, Nathan delivers Bobby Smith into Tori's waiting arms, just in time for the annual Bates Couples Dinner. What do you think of Nathan's landing?

If you enjoy this blog, check out our other blogs (NashvilleWife.com and DuggarFamilyBlog.com).

Photo/video courtesy of UP

Over Yonder?

Is it "over yonder" or "over there"? The Bates are split on this one, but Gil Bates is adamant that his way is the correct "Southern" way. Check out the video below, and enjoy the rest of your weekend!

If you enjoy this blog, check out our other blogs (NashvilleWife.com and DuggarFamilyBlog.com).

Photo/video courtesy of UP

Double the Trouble

Allie Jane Webster and Lexi Mae Webster

How many of you have pushed a double stroller that's absolutely impossible to maneuver? Alyssa Bates Webster has found one that she loves, and she says it makes life with two kids a whole lot easier. It's the BabyTrend Sit N' Stand. Go ahead and share any tips or words of wisdom you have for surviving life with two children.

If you enjoy this blog, check out our other blogs (NashvilleWife.com and DuggarFamilyBlog.com).

Photo courtesy of Alyssa and John Webster

Watch Bates Episodes For Free

The season five finale of Bringing Up Bates aired last Thursday, and season six premieres June 1st. (Don't worry, Up is airing six super-sized episodes in the meantime--visit our Showtimes page for more details.)

For those who haven't been able to tune in, the network just posted the first three episodes of season five to its website. The links are below.

Note from Up: The full episodes are restricted to U.S. IP addresses only. Those located outside the U.S. will automatically be redirected to the Up homepage.

Bringing Up Bates, Season 5 Episode 1
Bringing Up Bates, Season 5 Episode 2
Bringing Up Bates, Season 5 Episode 3

If you enjoy this blog, check out our other blogs (NashvilleWife.com and DuggarFamilyBlog.com).

Photo courtesy of UP

Bates College/Career Update

 Lawson, Josie, Carlin, Tori, Trace, Nathan

Four of Gil and Kelly Bates' 19 children are married and out of the house, but what about the non-married siblings who are finished with high school but still living at home? They are all preparing for their futures in different ways.

Lawson Bates (No. 4, 24 years old) devotes most of his days to his budding music career, splitting time between Nashville and Rocky Top.

Nathan Bates (No. 5, 23 years old) has been in Mississippi for a few months, working on his commercial and instructor pilots licenses. He took a big test last week and plans to be home for a while.

Tori Bates (No. 7, 21 years old) is in an official courtship with Bobby Smith. She attends The Crown College of the Bible and will graduate with an education degree in May 2018. Tori's current plan is to wait until after graduation to get married. Bobby finishes school in Florida this May and has thought about moving to Tennessee to be closer to his girlfriend.

Trace Bates (No. 8, 20 years old) is also taking classes at Crown. He had hoped to be a trick rider for the Dixie Stampede, but that hasn't worked out yet. He and Tori, Carlin, and Josie enjoy carpooling to school each morning and having each other as a support system. Trace has not announced his major.

Carlin Bates (No. 9, 19 years old) is working on her music major at Crown. (Hear more from her in the video below.) She is also getting to know Evan Stewart of Nashville, although the two are not in an official courtship.

Josie Bates (No. 10, 17 years old) is studying cosmetology at Crown.

If you enjoy this blog, check out our other blogs (NashvilleWife.com and DuggarFamilyBlog.com).

Photo courtesy of lawsonbates.com, video courtesy of UP

The Big 3-0!

 

 Erin, Carson, Chad, and Brooklyn Paine

Wishing Chad Paine a happy 30th birthday! Chad, whose full name is Charles Stephen Paine III, is the first of Gil and Kelly Bates' 19 children and four children-in-law to hit this milestone.

Zach Bates will turn 30 in December 2018, with Brandon Keilen and John Webster following in fall 2019 and Michaela Bates Keilen celebrating her 30th birthday in January 2020. Chad and Erin are four years apart in age.

If you enjoy this blog, check out our other blogs (NashvilleWife.com and DuggarFamilyBlog.com).

Photo courtesy of UP

Little Bates Family Easter Photos

 Zach, Whitney, Bradley, and Kaci Lynn Bates

Are you ready for a complete cuteness overload? The little Bates family did an Easter photo shoot with friend and photographer Taryn Yager, and the results are absolutely adorable. Enjoy!

 Zach Bates and Kaci Bates

 Zach and Whitney Bates

Zach, Bradley, and Kaci Bates

 Bradley Bates

 Zach, Whitney, Bradley, and Kaci Lynn Bates

 Whitney Bates and Kaci Lynn Bates

Bradley Bates and Kaci Bates

If you enjoy this blog, check out our other blogs (NashvilleWife.com and DuggarFamilyBlog.com).

Photos courtesy of tarynyagerphotography.com

Bates' Farm-Themed Games

Did you catch last night's season finale episode? (Click here to read our recap.) The Bates' I Love You Day games sure were a hoot! Watch the highlights in the clip of deleted scenes below.

Photo/video courtesy of UP

'A New Baby Born and Love All Around' Recap

Bringing Up Bates "A New Baby Born and Love All Around"

• Kelly and the five youngest boys arrive at Alyssa and John’s house in Clermont, Florida. “My family’s very last minute,” says Alyssa. “I didn’t find out who all was coming until literally the day before they came.”
• The following day, Kelly takes Alyssa out for some mother-daughter time. Alyssa explains that she doesn’t want a bunch of people in the room during her labor. Kelly says she was the same way and that she and Gil will wait in the reception area.
• Kelly accompanies Alyssa to her midwife appointment at The Birth Place (a birthing center). Alyssa is hooked up to a monitor for a short while after the midwife hears an irregularity in Lexi’s heartbeat, but she is relieved to find out that everything is fine.
• Gil and the rest of the family arrives, and he and Lawson lead the kids in a nerf gun war at their rental house. In the middle of the game, Kelly receives a call from John that causes her and Gil to rush over to the birthing center. Lexi Mae Webster arrives just over one hour later.
• “It doesn’t matter how many grandkids we have,” says Kelly. “They’re all special. They’re all different.”
• Alyssa is discharged just a few hours after the birth, and her siblings are thrilled to come visit, both at the birthing center that evening and at her house the next day.
• Back in Tennessee, the Bates are planning their annual I Love You Day celebration, which will be coupled with Mama Jane’s birthday party. The theme is “down on the farm.”
• When everyone arrives for the festivities, the older sisters go out for pedicures and girl talk. Erin and Carlin tell the story of how Erin set Carlin and Evan up. It’s actually quite simple. Kelly was speaking at a banquet, and Evan was sitting at a table with Carlin and Erin. Carlin explains what happened: “[Erin] is like, ‘So, you know, I really would like you to be my brother-in-law. I mean, Carlin’s single. Are you single?’”
• “Evan is perfect for Carlin,” says Alyssa. “He is so patient with her.”
• Tori drops a bombshell: She’s getting married in May! Her sisters are shocked, but then she clarifies....next May, after she finishes school.
• “I’m not planning my wedding,” says Tori. “I’ll pick my colors, and then everyone else plans it.” What if everyone disagrees? “Then I say y’all fight it out,” says the bride-to-be. “I ain’t doing it.”
• The night before I Love You Day, all the couples have a steak dinner at the rental cabin where the out-of-town guests are staying. Nathan delivers Tori and Bobby but is quickly asked to leave. “Come back when you’ve got a girl,” says Kelly.
• When I Love You Day finally rolls around, Mama Jane is shocked when Gil and Kelly present her with a new rocking chair, made by Chad, that has everyone’s signatures shellacked on it.
• “Oh my gosh!” exclaims Mama Jane. “You children are way too much! I don’t want to ever die.”
• Kelly leads the clan in a bunch of fun, farm-themed games, including a pig calling contest.
• Later, Zach, Chad, and John take Bobby and Evan shooting. They also share relationship advice. “Our boys are very protective of their sisters, and no guy is good enough,” says Kelly.
• Opening gifts takes more than an hour with so many people. Michael causes tears to flow when she passes out heart key chains with Kelly’s father’s handwriting on them. They say “I love you. In His grace, Granddad Callaham. Psalm 56:3.”

Season 5 Finale Tonight

Tonight is the night of the Bringing Up Bates season five finale! Rest assured that this is not the end. Season six premieres June 1st, and UP has six specials in store for viewers in the weeks ahead. (See our Showtimes page for more information.) Be sure to come back to the blog after the show for our recap.

Thursday, April 13, 2017
8pm: Working Up An Appetite
8:30pm: The 'Cubs' Land in Chicago
9pm: A New Baby Born and Love All Around (Season Finale)
Love is the air for Bates Family! Gil, Kelly Jo and the kids head to Florida to await the arrival of Alyssa and John's second child, Lexi Mae. Counting down the days to her delivery, Alyssa checks in at the birthing center for a checkup, but will complications with the baby's heartbeat delay her delivery? Before the big I Love You Day celebration, the Bates sisters come together for a spa day and dish about Carlin's new boyfriend. Later, it's a 'Down on the Farm' theme for this year's I Love You Day celebration, where the entire Bates family honors Mama Jane during the festivities.

Meeting Lexi Mae Webster...

Girl time over I Love You Day weekend (Tori drops a bombshell)...

Couple's steak dinner the night before I Love You Day (for couples only, as Nathan quickly finds out)...

Celebrating I Love You Day and Mama Jane's birthday (pig calling contest, anyone?)...

Kelly reacts to a sentimental gift from Michael...

A special present for Mama Jane...

If you enjoy this blog, check out our other blogs (NashvilleWife.com and DuggarFamilyBlog.com).

Photos courtesy of UP

Chatting with Carlin Bates' Boyfriend

 Evan Stewart and Carlin Bates

We know you all are eager to hear more about Carlin Bates' budding relationship with boyfriend Evan Stewart. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee, which is only about three hours away from Rocky Top, so the two have been spending quite a bit of time together.

In the video below, Erin Paine, who helped set Carlin and Evan up, has the couple over for dinner to talk about their friendship that might soon turn into an official courtship. The clip is a sneak peek from tomorrow's Bringing Up Bates season five finale episode.

If you enjoy this blog, check out our other blogs (NashvilleWife.com and DuggarFamilyBlog.com).

Photo/video courtesy of UP

Erin on Raising a Large Family

 Erin and Chad Paine

Growing up, Erin Bates Paine often wondered how her parents handled all the work that comes with raising a super-sized family, but looking back, she says it has certainly been worth all the energy her mom and dad have invested.

"I hope that [Chad and I] can bless others the way my parents have really been an encouragement to people they meet," Erin shares in an UP interview, shown in the video clip below.

If you enjoy this blog, check out our other blogs (NashvilleWife.com and DuggarFamilyBlog.com).

Photo/video courtesy of UP

Double Bates Birthday, Take 3

 Alyssa, John, and Allie Webster

Every year, the Bates family celebrates four double birthdays. Today, Carlin Bates is turning 19, and Allie Webster is turning two.

Currently attending Crown College, Carlin enjoys cooking, singing, playing piano and violin, and working with the children at the Bates' church. She is very animated (as viewers have noticed), and her family says she is full of initiative. Her favorite foods are Mexican and Japanese, and she is currently in the "get-to-know-you" stage with boyfriend Evan Stewart (no official courtship yet).

Allie Jane was an easy baby but has turned into a busy, talkative toddler. She loves her little sister, Lexi Mae Webster!

Carlin Bates

Photos courtesy of UP

Heartbeat Complications

This week's episode is the Bringing Up Bates season five finale! But don't worry, UP has several specials scheduled as you wait for the season six premiere.

The Bates have a lot in store for viewers on Thursday's hour-long episode. As Lexi Mae Webster's birth approaches, Alyssa Webster is told that the baby's heartbeat is skipping (seen in the video below). Will these complications impact the delivery? Following Lexi's arrival, the Websters join the entire Bates clan in East Tennessee for a "down on the farm" themed I Love You Day celebration.

Photo/video courtesy of UP

Southern Speak 'Fine As___'

Time for another Saturday Southern Speak video! If you were asked to complete the phrase "Fine as ____," what would you say? Share your thoughts in the comments section, and watch the video below to find out how the Bates would finish the phrase.

Photo/video courtesy of UP

Bates in Australia (Video)

Did you catch last night's episode? (Click here to read our recap.) What you won't see on the show is footage of the trip to Australia and New Zealand that Gil, Kelly, and Carlin take while the younger boys spend time in Chicago with Michaela and Brandon.

The video below contains some of the highlights of the Bates' time Down Under. Those who are from Australia or New Zealand, we are curious if Gil's accent attempt is anywhere near what the folks down there really sound like.

If you enjoy this blog, check out our other blogs (NashvilleWife.com and DuggarFamilyBlog.com).

Photo/video courtesy of UP

'The 'Cubs' Land in Chicago' Recap

Bringing Up Bates "The 'Cubs' Land in Chicago"

• It’s January, and the five youngest Bates boys are staying with Michael and Brandon in Chicago while Gil, Kelly, and Carlin are in Australia and New Zealand for speaking engagements. “Mom said she was leaving the country, and I said, ‘Can I have all the little kids?’” shares Michael. “And she said I could have half of them.”
• It takes the boys a few days to adjust to the Keilens’ house rules. They aren’t used to going to bed at 9:30 and waking up at 7:30, nor are they used to healthier food choices.
• Jackson’s reaction to Michael and Brandon’s breakfast crepes is priceless: “Michaela fed us pancake looking things, like a taco pancake with fruit in it.”
• Michael bakes gingerbread and leads the boys in a gingerbread house decorating contest. She makes a rule that they can’t eat any candy while they are working, which is a difficult concept for her brothers to grasp. “At our house, when you’re making the gingerbread house, you can eat the candy as you’re making it,” says Jackson. “Here…if you eat the candy, you lose the privilege of eating the gingerbread house.”
• Michael and Brandon also tell the boys the medieval story that they wrote and are in the process of turning into a picture book. Later, they take the boys to Medieval Times, a medieval-themed dinner theater that features a jousting performance.
• Although her brothers have tested her patience, Michael has had a blast and says she will cry when they leave. “They’ve been so fun, but it’s like having a full-fledged family, suddenly,” says Brandon. “They’ve been a lot of fun, but I’m not going to lie, I’m going to have a sigh of relief.”
• Back in Tennessee, Josie takes the film crew to her cosmetology school. “…It’s a very practical thing,” she says. “I could use it after I got married and do it from my home.”
• “…Being homeschooled and then going to college is a world of difference,” says Josie. “The social aspect is very different…and I guess being by myself was very different…” Courtney Green, a family-friend of the Bates, is also in cosmetology school with Josie.
• Later, Josie styles Carlin’s hair at home. Tori comes in with a bob cut died black and freaks Carlin out. It turns out to be a wig.

New Photos of the Married Bates

Spring has sprung! We have three adorable pictures of the married Bates to share with you. Be sure to tune in to Bringing Up Bates tonight at 9pm ET/8pm CT. (Click here to watch promos and view snapshots.)

 Alyssa Bates Webster, Allie Webster, and Lexi Webster

 Zach Bates, Whitney Bates, Bradley Bates, and Kaci Bates

Michaela Bates Keilen and Brandon Keilen

If you enjoy this blog, check out our other blogs (NashvilleWife.com and DuggarFamilyBlog.com).

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