Bringing Up Bates "Nathan's New Romance and a Secret Birthday Bash"
- Before Kelly’s surgery, the entire family gets together to surprise her with a birthday celebration. “Now that I’m in my 30s and I realize that time with family is truly one of the most special gifts,” says Michael. “And I think to my mom, it’s more special than anything we could ever purchase for her, is just to be together as a family and share memories.”
- Instead of sharing praises about the birthday person, which is a Bates family tradition, Michael suggest that they share childhood memories. Zach remembers being taught how to read while the little kids were napping. Erin remembers her mom eagerly listening to her practice music, even when she wasn’t very good.
- Callie cries as she recounts how her mom makes her feel special and gives her the encouragement she needs to try new things. “Callie has such a sweet personality,” says Josie. “She just has such a sweet heart, always trying to say good things about other people.”
- “It’s really the most heart-warming and the most sensitive thing that you can imagine, to have that connection with your kids and to be listening to them share things that were meaningful to them,” says Kelly.
- Everyone lays hands on Kelly as Gil prays. Alyssa and John FaceTime in to join the special time. “I know the birthday party meant a lot to my mom,” says Erin. “She had such a personal relationship with each of her children, and they all just adore her.”
- Forty-eight hours post-surgery, Michael comes by to check on Kelly. She is in pain and will have a two-to-four-week recovery with only liquids and purees. But she is very much looking forward to a better quality of life.
- Lawson adopted a dog named Duke and has a K9 trainer come over to the house. Lawson hopes to train him to be a law enforcement dog, but Zach is skeptical. “With a dog at the Bates house, there’s 70 people running around you 24/7,” says the eldest Bates. “Everybody’s dividing your attention, scratching you behind the ear. Mom’s going to curl you up on the couch and read books to you. This dog is not going to be a police dog. This dog will be a police emotional support dog.”
- Tori and Bobby had a big bash planned for Kade’s second birthday, but when some of the family was exposed to COVID, they decided they would just celebrate with Bobby’s parents. They decorate cupcakes at a park pavilion. Kade isn’t too interested, but Kolter loves it. When Kade opens Alyssa’s gift, a golf set, he gets a little more into the party mood.
- Later, Nathan tells his parents about his relationship with Esther from Pennsylvania. They are officially boyfriend and girlfriend. Nathan plans to have Esther come to Tennessee for the Bates’ early Christmas celebration, and then he will go back to the East Coast for Christmas with Esther’s family.
- Nathan asks for advice, and Gil and Kelly encourage him to take it slow. “It means so much to me to have my parents who are excited about being involved in our lives,” says Nathan. “They’re excited about sharing their past experiences. They’re always honest, but they’re very kind and tactful, and they find the best ways to help us navigate things like this.”
Enjoyed the episode, as always. So glad it showed Kelly on the mend and so many of the family members. Also loved the addition of the new dog, but what happened to the puppy they got a few years ago?
ReplyDeleteTime 1:11AM Tues 4/23/21.
ReplyDeleteGreat recap.
I want to wish Kelly a speedy recovery. 😊 Happy 2nd birthday to Kade🎂.
ReplyDeleteI wish Lawson good luck training his dog but I think Zach is right.
Hopefully they show all 3 relationships on the show. I would love to see them. Natasha b
I love how often they use the word "excited." It reminds me of the Duggars. They say they're excited even when they don't seem so!
ReplyDeleteWell, by the time they're getting interviewed, their emotions are probably not exactly the same as when the events they're talking about occurred. The Duggars seem to do multiple episodes of interviews in the same sitting, since they are wearing the same outfits and hairstyles.
DeleteDont forget "super excited"! Reminds me of when the Duggars weren't allowed to use negative words for negative experiences (like trying a new food or activity). They had to say "It was interesting" or "It was different", and only their frowns indicated what they really meant. When they felt strongly that something was bad, it was "REEAALLY different".
DeleteZach is very intelligent. He really understands his family. He's right about the dog. That is not an environment to raise and train a K9 dog.
ReplyDeleteWith Lawson travelling so often, I'm surprised he got his own dog. I've never seen him interacting with the Bates' dog on the show. Perhaps off camera.....
DeleteNot being critical, just seriously wondering, why do the girls “enter a courtship,” and Nathan “ask to be girlfriend and boyfriend.”
ReplyDeleteIt's the same thing they just title it differently. It's still dating Bates style
DeleteIs it though... both Josie and Alyssa have confirmed they kissed their significant others prior to getting married. Alyssa even said her and John kissed A LOT before getting married.
DeleteThank you.
DeleteI think they hyped up the "courtship" stuff for TV. As another poster stated, a few of them admitted to kissing before marriage. That's means they did spend time alone as courting couples. They present themselves one way for viewers, but to a certain degree it isn't really an accurate picture.
DeleteYes, that is very interesting. The important thing it seems is that the relationship is a means of getting to know each other more deeply to discern the potential for marriage. And Alyssa saying they kissed "a lot" is different than Zach and Whitney, whose confession is basically "oops, we slipped". Hard to say how it was for Kelton and Josie.
DeleteBut it would be nice to get insights from them, where they say what the advantage and disadvantage is. The way I see it, it's a toss-up of the "good practice" rationale I was given when I was dating, and the specialness of waiting. There also is the clause of, if you kiss someone, and then break up, will the break-up be more painful? Me and late hubby kissed when we were dating,(just peck kisses) but we were each other's only kisses. Still weighing the pros and cons for second-time round, but met a number of men who'd talk about kissing before talking about more important things.(big red flag!)
Loved the support around Kelly!
ReplyDeleteNathan was very sweet in saying he “asked Esther to be his girlfriend “. Wishing nothing but the best for them. Lawson has a dog; isn’t he always traveling for his music and girlfriend??? When is he home to give his dog consistent care and love???
Like Zack said there are 70 people there all the time I think the dog will be well cared for
DeleteMy feelings exactly. Kinda like a 8 year old boy that says, "but mom, I promise I will take care of the dog if I can have it." Not fair to the dog at all. You have to really commit, especially to getting one certified and K9. Does not make any sense.
DeleteI’ve been wondering about Lawson. Doesn’t he have a position in law enforcement? How could he fulfill his duties if he seems to be traveling all the time?
Delete@9:38—except the dog belongs to Lawson not the 70 other people!
Delete9:17, Lawson isn't in law enforcement.
DeleteLawson seems to have plenty of money and free time.
Delete4:52 - He is a constable. He posted a picture on December 14th 2020 with his constable jacket. He also usually wears a badge. You can see it in his pictures.
DeleteWhere does Lawson actually live?
Delete3:29 Typically, constables are volunteer elected positions. They do not have official police training.
DeleteLOVE the Bates‼️What a loving family and such a testimony to their church and to the world. So happy for Kelly! So happy for everybody courting,engaged and having a baby! God is good!
ReplyDeleteIt’s easy to say that when life is going great. God is good even when there are no romantic prospects, several heartbreaks, and unending infertility. Sometimes it the hardest times in life when you understand that God is really good.
DeleteSo happy for Nathan and Esther! I hope they get engaged soon! Katie is likely to get married in August or September. Nathan could get married this year too if he gets engaged in the next few months. And then also Lawson and Tiffany. Hopefully they will at least be engaged by the end of this year! So much excitement! I wonder if Carlin will get pregnant this year? And Katie could be pregnant by the end of the year if she gets married in the next few months
ReplyDeleteI recently watched the rerun episode of Katie getting her purity ring (the reruns are shown every eary morning, I record them) and Gil asked Katie if she has anyone special in mind and she looked surprised and said no! And said she thinks age 25 is a good number to court! I agree with that.
DeleteWhen will we be hearing about Katie’s up coming wedding?
ReplyDeleteThey’ll post when Katie and Travis share details. It’s only been 2 weeks since they got engaged so I don’t think they have much to share at this time.
ReplyDelete