Webster House Tour

Alyssa and Zoey Bates give fans a tour of the Webster home

 

Viewers have stepped inside the Websters' Florida home dozens of times on Bringing Up Bates, but the segments are usually filmed in the living room and kitchen. What does the rest of the house look like? Alyssa Webster just filmed a house tour and uploaded it to YouTube. (Click here to watch.)

The Websters' home has three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Allie has her own room, but she sleeps in an adorable tent in Lexi and Zoey's room when Alyssa and John host overnight guests.

Photo courtesy of Alyssa and John Webster

April Bates Showers

Two weeks ago, the Bates family threw a bridal shower for Carlin Bates and Evan Stewart, who are anxiously awaiting their May 25th wedding. Yesterday, the family held a baby shower for Josie and Kelton Balka, in honor of their daughter, Willow Balka, who is due July 25th.

Kelton Balka and Josie Balka

Photo courtesy of Josie Balka

Bates #16 Turns 12

Wishing Ellie Bates a very happy 12th birthday! Ellie is No. 16 in the Bates family lineup.

Ellie Bates and Everly Paine

Addallee Bates, Brooklyn Paine, Bradley Bates,

Carson Paine, Kaci Bates, Ellie Bates

Callie Bates, Addee Bates, Ellie Bates

Photos courtesy of UPtv

Granny and Pawpaw

Gil Bates and Everly Paine

"Mom goes crazy over the grandkids. They go to the store, you can't complete the store trip without a toy for all the grandkids. You go somewhere to eat, it isn't complete without getting them all ice cream or something."
-Jackson Bates

Gil "Pawpaw" Bates and Kelly "Granny" Bates love being grandparents, but Kelly is a little quicker to admit the fact that she's old enough to play the part. In this web exclusive video, the Bates parents play Play-Doh with Judson, Jeb, and some of the grandchildren.

Photo/video courtesy of UPtv

Watch 'Bringing Up Bates' Full Episodes

The Bates are on break, but you can now watch the first three full episodes of Bringing Up Bates. Episodes 801 and 802 were released last week and the week before, as we announced, and 803, "A Proposal to Plan & Wedding To-Dos," is now available. The links to all three are below. This is the last episode from season eight that the network will be uploading at this time.

Bringing Up Bates 801 "Big Apple Bride"

Bringing Up Bates 802 "Ultrasounds, Wedding Vows & a Bride to Be?" 

Bringing Up Bates 803 "A Proposal to Plan & Wedding To-Dos"


Photo courtesy of UPtv  

Bates Easter Photos 2019

Happy Easter! How did you celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ? Below are photos of a few of the Bates couples in their Sunday best.

Kelton Balka and Josie Balka, 26 weeks pregnant

Spent Easter with Kelton's family

 

Brandon Keilen and Michael Keilen

Spent Easter with Brandon's family

 

Whitney Bates, Kaci Lynn Bates, Bradley Bates, Zach Bates

Photos courtesy of Josie and Kelton Balka, brandonandmichaela.com, Zach and Whitney Bates

Bates Sisters' Boutique Now Open

THIS JUST IN! Three of the Bates sisters (Carlin Bates, Erin Paine, and Whitney Bates) have just started a clothing boutique, and as of right now, it is open for business. The website is BatesSistersBoutique.com. Below are previews of a few of their dresses.

The girls' goal is to offer dresses that are modest, feminine, and cute at a low cost. How does less than $40 per gown sound? They have sizes through 3XL. They are not offering international shipping at this time, but if you live abroad, perhaps you can find a friend to make purchases on your behalf and send them to you.

Photos courtesy of Taryn Yager Photography

Lawson Bates Concerts, Spring 2019

Have you ever had the pleasure of attending one of Lawson Bates‘ concerts? We have heard from lots of readers who are hoping he will plan a show in their area. Well, we have a couple upcoming concerts to share, and we are told that Lawson will be planning more in the near future.

Benefit Concert for Bates' Hometown School
Friday, April 26, 2019
7-9pm
Location: Lake City Elementary School, 402 Lindsay St, Rocky Top TN 37769
Concert will benefit the Lake City Elementary 5th graders' safety patrol trip to Washington D.C.
All tickets are general admission and can be purchased on Lawson's website.
Tickets will be delivered via email.

Benefit Concert for Parker's Promise
Friday, June 14, 2019
7:30-9pm

Legacy Christian Church, 1150 Rockaway Rd, Senoia, Georgia 30276

Tickets: $45 (Ultimate VIP Fan Experience) and $85 (Premium Ticket)

Tickets will be delivered via email and can be purchased on Lawson's website.

Ultimate VIP Fan Experience: Meet and greet with Lawson Bates before the show, along with photo opt. VIP includes private Q&A session with the band where you can hear sneak peeks of new songs and possibly get access to exclusive merchandise. Please arrive by 5:30pm
Premium Ticket: Meet and greet and photo opt – Please arrive by 6:20pm

*Apparently, Senoia is the filming location for a popular TV show called The Walking Dead 

Photo courtesy of Lawson Bates, Taryn Yager Photography

Chad Turns 32

Today is Chad's 32nd birthday. Do you remember how he celebrated his 30th? Erin took him on a weekend getaway, and she decorated their cottage with clever signs like, "You took my Bates Bait." Happy birthday, Chad!

Chad Paine, Brooklyn Paine, Erin Paine, 

Everly Paine, Carson Paine

Photo courtesy of chadanderin.com

Josie at 25 Weeks

Josie is 25 weeks pregnant with Baby Balka, due July 25th! She and Kelton announced the gender and name last month. In case you missed it, it's a girl, and her name will be Willow Kristy Balka. The photo below was taken in Charleston, South Carolina. Josie and Kelton took a long weekend "babymoon" trip this past weekend.

Josie Bates Balka, 25 weeks pregnant

April 2019

Photo courtesy of Josie and Kelton Balka

Bates Grands, Spring 2019

Kade Smith with "Granny" Kelly Bates

To brighten your Bates-less week, we have some new photos of a few of the Bates grandchildren to share. Gil and Kelly Bates' 10th grandbaby is due in July.

Carson Paine and Kaci Bates

Brooklyn Paine and Kaci Bates

Photos courtesy of thebatesfamily.com, chadanderin.com

Watch Bates Episode 802

New episodes of Bringing Up Bates are off the air for the next few months (exact return date to be announced soon), but the network has just released another full episode--802, "Big Apple Bride." The link, as well as the link to 801, is below.

Bringing Up Bates "Big Apple Bride"

Bringing Up Bates "Ultrasounds, Wedding Vows & a Bride to Be?" 

Photo courtesy of UPtv

Home from the hospital

Tori Smith, Bobby Smith, Kade Smith

"Of anything I've ever done to make my parents proud, I feel like this is the best thing I could possibly give them, the perfect little gift."
-Bobby Smith

"There's no words. It's the coolest thing ever, it's the happiest feeling ever. I'm totally running off adrenaline right now, and I just want to go show him off to everybody."
-Tori Bates Smith

Tori is giddy with excitement as she and Bobby arrive home from the hospital with newborn Kade. Bobby's family and Kelly stop by, and they all soak in Kade's first hours at home. Below is an extended scene from Thursday's mid-season finale.

Speaking of being home from the hospital, Alyssa Webster was discharged yesterday after her heart procedure on Thursday. 

Photo/video courtesy of UPtv

'It's a Boy & Maybe One More?' Recap

Bringing Up Bates "It's a Boy & Maybe One More?"
Season 8 Mid-Season Finale

• Tori is in labor. Her goal was to go all natural, but she ends up accepting the epidural so she can sleep and enjoy the birth. She describes the epidural as “heaven on earth.”
• “It’s a rough feeling when you know that your wife may possibly be having your baby, but there’s no way for you to give her any kind of assurance that, “Hey, today’s the day,’” says Bobby. “So it’s just trying to figure out ways to be there for her without really being able to understand how she’s feeling.”
• “Gil’s role at every [grandchild] birth has kind of been, he’s the prayer warrior,” explains Kelly. “He’s never in the room during delivery. He’s usually close by. He’s in the hallway or in the lobby.”
• “Me and Everly were really in close communication with God because she was sleeping and I was praying,” says Gil.
• The nurse comes in to check Tori and determines that she is dilated to 10 centimeters, which means it’s time to start pushing. “What if they go to hand him to me and I drop him?” Tori asks Bobby as the nurses prepare for delivery.
• “I was so excited and absolutely terrified out of my mind,” Tori recalls. “It felt like I was pushing for an eternity, but all of a sudden…that kid shot out of me. It literally felt like I had a big hot air balloon and then somebody just hit it with a hundred knives.”
• The doctor lays him on Tori’s chest, and Tori is so relieved. It’s a sweet moment for both her and Bobby. “Suddenly you feel like everything you do between now and the rest of your life has such huge significance because of this life that is going to be looking up to you,” says Bobby. “And his perspective of what life is and what it means and purpose and everything is going to come from what he sees from these two people right here, and it’s remarkable.”
• Kelly, Erin, and Carlin all enjoy the moment, too. “I just reached my hand out there, and he took his hand, and he just wrapped it around my hand,” says Erin. “I thought I was going to melt. I’m going to remind him of that when he’s like 18, like a beast, I’m going to be like, ‘You loved me first.’”
• After Tori is transferred to the room where she will spend the remainder of her time, Gil and Everly come in to visit. “I hope I never lose the wonder of a new little grandbaby,” says Gil. “Who knows what impact that little person’s going to make on the world. It’s just, it’s incredible.”
• Six weeks later, the Bates are gearing up for their family Christmas party in Rocky Top. Tori and Bobby arrive, and they introduce Kade to the rest of the family. “It was just the funnest time, passing him off, showing him off,” says Tori. “Everybody loved him. He stole the show.”
• Gil and Kelly have a big surprise for the kids. Gil brings out a box and puts it on the floor. The littles open it, and they find a dog bowl. “Oh no! It got away!” exclaims Gil. He goes out onto the porch and comes back in with an adorable lab puppy.
• Johnny, the Bates’ dog of about 17 years, recently passed away, so six-week-old JJ (Johnny Junior) is his replacement. “It’s just the best thing in the world,” says Carlin. “It’s like a new little sibling…”
• Michael and Brandon decorate gingerbread houses with the grandkids. “Coming home for the holidays just becomes more and more of an adventure every year,” says Michael. “I hop right back in my element here.”
• Josie and Kelton arrive later that day. “It’s a crazy time of year for us, and we are both super busy at work,” says Josie. They give Gil and Kelly a gift. It’s a onesie that says “Baby Balka Est 2019.” They are having the 10^th Bates grandbaby in July!
• Josie and Kelton admit they are shocked. “We just got married,” says Kelton. “What does this mean?”
• “We were not planning on this happening so quick,” says Josie. “I’ve never felt anything like it in my life. I’m terrified. I’m super excited.”
• “Josie?” exclaims Nathan. “She’s having a kid? It makes you think, ‘What am I doing with my life?’”
• “I can’t think of a word to describe how wonderful it is,” says Gil about all the excitement. “I would not change one thing.”  

UPtv has not yet announced the season 8 return date, but we will let you know as soon as they do. In the meantime, keep coming back to the blog for Bates updates.

Prayers for Alyssa

Alyssa Webster and John Webster

After experiencing irregular heartbeats for several months, Alyssa Webster was diagnosed with supraventricular tachycardia, a fancy medical term that means abnormally fast heartbeat. Today, she had a cardiac ablation to correct the problem and now has to wait about a month to determine if the procedure was successful. According to the specialist, there is a 50% chance that the abnormal heart rhythms will return. We know that Alyssa would appreciate your prayers as she recovers.

We also want to remind you that the mid-season finale airs tonight at 9pm ET/8pm CT on UPtv.

Photo courtesy of Alyssa and John Webster

Carlin and Allie Celebrate Birthdays

Today is the third double Bates birthday of the year. Carlin is turning the big 2-1, while Allie is four years old.

Carlin Bates

Evan Stewart and Carlin Bates

Proposal trip, September 2018

Allie Webster's 3rd birthday party

Allie Jane Webster with Michael Keilen and Zoey Webster

Zach and Whitney's vow renewal, June 2018

Lexi Webster, Zoey Webster, Allie Webster

Zoey's 1st birthday party, March 30, 2019

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

Prepping for Baby Kade

"There is nothing to compare the excitement that you feel. You've been waiting for months for this moment..."
-Kelly Bates

Kelly certainly knows what she's talking about when it comes to the level of excitement that comes with delivering a baby. After all, she has experienced it 19 times over. In this sneak peek of tomorrow's episode, Tori is finally dilated to 10 centimeters and prepares to meet Baby Kade.

Photo/video courtesy of UPtv

Watch Episode 801

Unfortunately, this Thursday's new episode of Bringing Up Bates is the mid-season finale and will be followed by a short break. But on the bright side, UPtv has uploaded the first episode from this season, episode 801, to its website. The link is below. Episodes 802 and 803 will follow in the next two weeks.

Bringing Up Bates "Ultrasounds, Wedding Vows & a Bride to Be?"

Photo courtesy of Uptv

Carlin's House

With only seven weeks to go until their May 25th wedding, Carlin and Evan are working hard on their house. They are both very excited to start their new life together. This week, they have been painting walls and furniture. We don't have any photos yet, but we hope to be able to share some soon.

Evan Stewart and Carlin Bates

 

Photo courtesy of Carlin Bates

'Ready or Not, Baby Kade is on His Way' Recap

Bringing Up Bates "Ready or Not, Baby Kade is on His Way"

*This is the first segment of the two-part, mid-season finale.

• Two weeks ahead of her due date, Tori is having lots of contractions. Kelly, who had her kids two weeks early, is on baby alert.
• Gil and the guys head up to Brimstone Recreation in the Appalachian Mountains. “Guys’ trips are really, really fun, as long as we’re included,” says Judson. “We make it fun.” Judson and Jeb go along, as do Carson and Bradley.
• Everyone is concerned that Nathan is going to flip a four-wheeler, like he has done in the past. “Because Nathan was in town for this trip, Dad decided there should be a safety meeting, to teach everybody what not to do, all the things that Nathan would do,” says Zach. “Drive like you got manners,” Gil tells everyone.
• At the end of the day, the only person who ends up flipping is Gil, while driving Judson and Jeb. Everyone runs over to make sure they are okay, and they are. “We didn’t hear anybody screaming, so that was a good thing,” says Chad.
• The littlest Bates sibling is eager to tattle on his dear old dad. “Jeb kept saying, ‘Dad, I need to call Mom,’ says Gil. But before Jeb can call Kelly, Kelly calls Gil to inform him that she’s in Nashville with Tori. “It’s miserable,” says Tori, who thinks she is in labor. “If they say this isn’t it, then I’m quitting.”
• After four-wheeling, the guys go skeet shooting and then head back to their cabin. The girls had gone before them to decorate for Zach’s birthday and drop off cheesecake. One of the posters says “over the hill.”
• Gil and three of the boys present Zach with a smart watch, which he loves. “It’s really special because Jackson, Warden, and Isaiah don’t make a lot of money, so if they put together to buy something expensive like that, it’s a big sacrifice,” says Nathan.
• Meanwhile, Tori has arrived at the labor and delivery triage unit and is hoping to progress so she can be transferred to a delivery room. Her water breaks, they transfer her, and she decides to get an epidural. “I don’t blame you,” says Kelly.
• Late that night, Gil and Lawson leave the cabin in East Tennessee to head to Nashville. At around 3am, they pick up Carlin, Everly, and Erin, who has curlers in her hair. They are completely slap happy. “When you put three of the most dramatic Bates children all in the same car, going to a birth, hey, I can only imagine,” says Nathan.
• “We were having the best time,” says Gil. “It was as fun as going four-wheeling with the boys.”
• “Just listen to peaceful music, maybe from Lawson…and then just breathe deep,” Lawson tells Tori over the phone.

To be continued next week…

Bates Guys Get Muddy

The more mud, the better! Tonight on Bringing Up Bates, the Bates guys get together to celebrate Zach's 30th birthday. Between four-wheeling and skeet shooting, it's a dream of a birthday party for these fun-loving men. But mama bear Kelly Bates is worried for their safety. "Our boys are very adventurous, very competitive," she says. "When you get all of that energy behind the wheel of any type of vehicle, that causes extreme concern for me."

Scroll down for a video, photos, and TV listings. Also, see yesterday's post for a preview of Tori's labor, which will also be on tonight's episode.

8:30pm ET/7:30pm CT: A Proposal to Remember & A Baby on the Way
9pm ET/8pm CT: Ready or Not, Baby Kade is in His Way NEW!
To celebrate Zach’s 30th birthday, the guys hit the road for some bonding time and fun in the mud! But in between four wheeling and skeet shooting, Gil gets news from Kelly Jo that baby Kade is on his way! As Tori works her way through intense labor pains, Kelly Jo and Bobby are by her side, but will the rest of the family make it to the hospital in time, before Kade arrives?
Photos courtesy of UPtv

Carlin's Wedding Party

Carlin Bates' wedding is less than two months away, and she and Evan have shared the details of their wedding party.

Just like the past Bates weddings, it is shaping up to be a family affair. With twelve guys and twelve ladies, it looks like Carlin will get the award for the largest wedding party yet. So far, Erin had the smallest  (five couples), while Tori had the largest before Carlin (ten couples). Michael, Alyssa, Josie, and Zach each had between six and eight.

Carlin will have two matrons of honor (Erin and Whitney), ten bridesmaids (Michaela, Alyssa, Tori, Josie, Katie, Joy-Anna Duggar Forsyth, and Evan's four sisters--Ashley, Kailyn, Maegan, and Brittany), and two junior bridesmaids (Addallee and Ellie). Callie will be a flower girl, as will Evan's two nieces.

Evan's best man will be his brother, Ethan. His eleven groomsmen will be Zach, Chad, Lawson, Trace, Bobby, John, Kelton, Nathan, and Brandon, as well as his brothers-in-law, Ben and Daniel. Jackson, Warden, and Isaiah will be ushers, along with Justin Duggar. Jeb and Judson will be ring bearers.

The officiants will be Gil and the pastor from Evan's church in Springfield, Tennessee (Dr. Frank Gagliano).

To get a peek at Carlin and Evan's registry, check out their wedding website. 

Stunning photo courtesy of tarynyagerphotography.com

To Nashville at Night

Kelly and Gil Bates
Bringing Up Bates "Ready or Not, Baby Kade is on His Way"

"Tell Tori we're praying for her, and tell Bobby it'll be alright."
-Gil Bates

Tori is in labor! Kelly is with her at the hospital in Nashville, and Gil, Lawson, Erin, Carlin, and Everly are on their way. Check out this video preview of tomorrow's episode.

Photo/video courtesy of UPtv

Watch Kade's Arrival

This Thursday, tune in for an exciting, new episode of Bringing Up Bates.

First, the Bates guys surprise Zach Bates with an adventure-packed 30th birthday celebration. And later, Tori Bates Smith goes into labor. You'll be laughing out loud as you watch Gil, Lawson, Carlin, Erin, and Everly try to make it to Nashville in time for the birth. Erin brings her best look for the occasion.

Photo/video courtesy of UPtv