January 29, 2018, 6:41 am
When Erin Paine found out that she was
pregnant with her third child, soon after Carson Paine's second birthday and Brooklyn Paine's first birthday, she had to find a fun way to tell Chad. Watch the surprise unfold in the video clip below and on Thursday's episode. Chad's reaction is priceless (as is Carson's!).
Photo/video courtesy of UP
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January 30, 2018, 6:23 am
A few days ago, we posted photos from Lexi's first birthday celebration. For comparison, we thought we would throw it back to April 2016 and share a snapshot of Allie on her first birthday. Do you think the sisters look similar?
Allie Jane Webster, age one
Lexi Mae Webster, age one
Photos courtesy of Alyssa and John Webster
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January 31, 2018, 6:42 am
Nathan Bates and Lawson Bates
In the past six months, Lawson and Nathan have embarked on multiple mission trips. They went on a medical
mission trip to the Philippines with Trace and Carlin in August. Just a few weeks later,
they were in Texas helping to rescue Hurricane Harvey victims, and a few weeks after that, they
flew down to Puerto Rico to help with recovery following Hurricane Maria.
For the past few weeks, "Law" and "Kenny" (as their family calls them) have been over in the Middle East, bringing medical and emergency care to refugees and IDPs (Internationally Displaced Persons). We ask you to pray for the effectiveness of their work, as well as for healing and peace in the Middle East.
Photos courtesy of lawsonbates.com
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February 1, 2018, 7:24 am
It's Thursday, and you know what that means! An all-new episode of Bringing Up Bates is coming your way at 9pm ET/9pm CT on UP. What do the Bates have in store for viewers tonight?
It’s a sweet surprise, as Erin Bates Paine reveals some very unexpected news to Chad. She bakes a cake with her younger sisters and lets them in on the secret. How will the girls react when they realize they’re the first Bates family members to know that Erin is expecting?
Whitney Bates balances motherhood with her new career as a Realtor. At the office, she gets advice from her new boss and walks away with a parting gift that puts a smile on her face.
Trace Bates practices basketball drills with his college buddies. Will a negative attitude halt his chances of making a spot on the college basketball team, or will his friends come up with a solution?
Here's a sneak peek video for you:
Photos/video courtesy of UP
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February 1, 2018, 4:54 pm
Wishing Trace and Jeb a very happy birthday! Trace Whitfield, the 8th oldest Bates child, is turning 21, while Jeb, number 19, is 6 years old.
Trace Bates and Jeb Bates
Photo courtesy of UP
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February 1, 2018, 6:28 pm
Bringing Up Bates "Erin's Surprise Takes the Cake"
- Erin finds out she’s pregnant and is thrilled but very surprised. That evening, while company is over, one of the guests presents Chad with a cake that has the message written on it. He is shocked.
- Later, Addallee, Ellie, and Callie come over to Erin’s to help bake a cake. “When we go to Erin’s house and we make something to eat, she literally lets all of us kids do it all,” says Addallee.
- While Erin and the girls are decorating the cake with strawberries, Erin breaks the news, and the girls are thrilled, especially because they are the first Bates family members, aside from Kelly, who had accompanied Erin to a doctor’s appointment, to hear the big news.
- Erin allows the girls to call the rest of the family and share the announcement. Kelly says she knows Erin is excited to be a mom again but certainly not looking forward to the intense morning sickness or the health complications.
- “I really always envisioned myself with at least three kids because I know me and my siblings had so much fun together, and I love the fact that we were close in age because we did everything together,” says Erin.
- Whitney has officially joined the Bailey and Co. Real Estate team as a REALTOR®! She has taken the three-week class, passed the licensing exam, and is ready to get to work. She brings Bradley and Kaci Lynn over to the family's house so she can go into the office, where she meets with her boss, Justin, to receive pointers for kicking off her real estate career.
- “I worked my way through college, and I was just kind of praying, ‘Should I go back to work? What options are there out there?’ Because I want to be with my babies, but I still would like to do something that helps people and gets out in the community. Real estate was brought up, and the Lord just kind of worked out every little detail.”
- Whitney’s schedule is very flexible, and she is able to do the bulk of her work from home or at the office on the days Zach is off. If she happens to have a meeting while Zach is working, both sets of parents live ten minutes away and love to babysit.
- “It’s like a daycare play care center,” says Zach of his parents' house. “You’ve got five little boys Bradley’s age and two or three little girls…all throwing toys and fighting and having fun. I am so excited for Whitney and so proud of Whitney for all the work that she’s put into this real estate license.”
- Trace is trying out for the Crown College basketball team, and a couple of his friends are over at the house teaching him basic drills. “Most of the kids have been doing it for ten, fifteen years…and Trace is walking in kind of cold turkey,” says Gil.
- One of the guys tells Trace that Trace's biggest obstacle is his negative mental attitude. He makes Trace do ten pushups for every negative remark, and before long, Trace's mental attitude has improved.
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February 2, 2018, 10:31 am
Last night on Bringing Up Bates, we watched Whitney Bates meet with Justin, her boss at Bailey & Co. Real Estate. She is excited about her new career but needs some guidance in order to get started. In the web exclusive clip below, she pays another visit to Justin to learn how to start her first listing.
Photo courtesy of Zach and Whitney Bates; video courtesy of UP
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February 4, 2018, 11:55 am
This weekend, the entire Bates family gathered at Bates Headquarters (aka Gil and Kelly's house) for their annual I Love You Day celebration. Valentine's Day is still more than a week away, but when you're coordinating the schedules of three dozen people, it isn't always possible to get everyone together on the actual holiday.
The theme of the party was "Growing Old Together." As you'll see in the photos below, the Bates had a ball, and some of them went all out. The film crew was present, so rest assured, you'll see plenty of hilarious footage soon.
Carlin Bates and Evan Stewart
Erin and Chad Paine
Photos courtesy of thebatesfamily.com/Carlin Bates, chadanderin.com
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February 5, 2018, 8:30 am
We hope you all had a fantastic weekend, whether you watched the Super Bowl or spent your Sunday doing other things. Yesterday, we received troubling news about a student at Crown College, the school that many of the Bates siblings either attend or have attended. We ask you to join us in earnet prayer.
Blake Smith, a 20-year-old student at Crown, has been missing since Saturday afternoon, when he was last seen leaving work. From there, he returned to his dorm room for a short time and then headed out to Admiral Farragut Park, where his parents say he was likely taking a hike. Blake posted a photo of the Tennessee River to his social media page, making that his last known location.
Later, his car, cell phone, and some of his belongings were found at a construction site in Blount County, where Zach Bates attended the police training academy.
According to the Knoxville News Sentinel, Blake's family suspects foul play.
A missing persons Facebook page has been created to provide updates. Those with any information should contact the Knoxville police at 865-215-7000.
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February 5, 2018, 6:16 pm
"Whoever found this picture...they did not get brownie points here. Somebody's in trouble."-Kelly BatesIn this clip, Kelly Bates and Tori (Bates) Smith scroll through several candid photos of themselves and come up with captions. One photo in particular makes Kelly cringe.
Photo/video courtesy of UP
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February 6, 2018, 11:37 am
As most of you know,
Josie Bates recently entered into a courtship with Kelton Balka. The courtship "proposal," which will be aired on an upcoming episode of
Bringing Up Bates, came at the end of an eventful day spent with Josie and Kelton's parents (Gil, Kelly, and Kelton's father). The group went ice skating, among other activities.
The big moment took place at Emerts Covered Bridge in Sevierville, Tennessee.
Kelton and Josie met a few years ago at Kelton's sister's piano recital, as Erin Paine was the instructor. (Erin the matchmaker was also involved in setting up Carlin and Evan.)
A 2017 college graduate, Kelton has a degree in finance from Pensacola Christian College and is also a certified plumber. He works in his uncle's plumbing business in his hometown of Knoxville and is the oldest of five siblings (three boys and two girls). His mother tragically passed away nine years ago, soon after giving birth to the youngest.
Photo courtesy of
tarynyagerphotography.com
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February 7, 2018, 6:14 am
The day that Tori Bates has been waiting for since boyfriend Bobby Smith moved to Tennessee has finally arrived! Bobby surprises his girl during the school day, when she least expects it. Erin Paine and Carlin Bates are standing by to do Tori's hair and makeup before the future Mr. and Mrs. embark on an adventure that ends with a beautiful, diamond ring!
You won't want to miss this hour-long episode. Tune in to UP tomorrow at 9pm ET/8pm CT.
Photo/video courtesy of UP
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February 7, 2018, 4:51 pm
Tomorrow's one-hour special of
Bringing Up Bates is all about Tori and Bobby.
The engagement ring is burning a hole in Bobby's pocket, but he still hasn't come up with the perfect proposal plan, so he turns to Gil and Kelly for advice. Later, the three newest Bates couples (Tori Bates and Bobby Smith; Carlin Bates and Evan Stewart; and Josie Bates and Kelton Balka) head out on the town for a triple date.
Photographer friend Taryn Yager joins the couples for a photo shoot.
But that's not all.
As we saw in the preview clip earlier today, Bobby has another surprise up his sleeve. A little while later, Bobby surprises Tori during the school day and takes her on a special adventure that might just end with a ring!
Photos courtesy of UP,
TarynYagerPhotography.com
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February 8, 2018, 5:03 pm
Tonight's new episode starts in just one hour! Catch a first glimpse in the video below, and come back to the blog after the show airs for our recap.
Photo/video courtesy of UP
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February 8, 2018, 7:00 pm
Bringing Up Bates"The Best is Yet to Come"- Tori, Carlin, and Josie are getting ready for a triple date with their guys. “It takes Tori, Carlin, and Josie about, probably two years to get ready,” says Callie.
- When Bobby, Evan, and Kelton arrive, they present their ladies with flowers, and then the three couples head into downtown Knoxville. “Kelton has lived here in Knoxville for quite some time, so he kind of knows all the cool places around here, and we’ve not really gotten around as much,” says Josie.
- Do the three couples have a chaperone? Gil and Kelly say they are chaperoning themselves and that they trust them to do the right thing. “Our goal is to help them be safe and happy in the long run, but really it’s got to be in their heart to want it as well, and I really do think it is,” says Kelly.
- “If I didn’t trust that they all had the right heart motive about it, they probably wouldn’t be going on a triple date at all, or any date,” says Gil.
- The guys, who are all 22 years old, take the girls to Blue Coast Grill and Bar for a meal.
- Throughout the day, Evan and Kelton are jokingly asking when Bobby plans to propose. He laughs it off, but in all seriousness, he actually does have the ring with him. He shows it to Kelton and explains that he told the Bates to be ready in case he decides to get down on one knee during the triple date.
- After the meal, the couples walk around the shops at Market Square, and then photographer and family-friend Taryn Yager pops out of nowhere to do a mini photoshoot. “I see Taryn, and I’m thinking, ‘Who in the world would invite a photographer unless something big was about to happen?’” says Tori.
- Bobby ends up deciding that the setting isn’t intimate enough for a proposal.
- Later, Bobby holds a meeting with Gil and Kelly to discuss the big day. Bobby and Kelly are ready for it to happen, while Gil jokingly says that he’s in no hurry and would be completely fine if Bobby waited another year.
- To clear his mind, Bobby hits up the disc golf course with Kelton after the conversation.
- Back at the house, Tori, Carlin, and Josie sit down to study, but the topic quickly turns to engagement. Carlin says she thinks Josie and Kelton could easily get married before she and Evan do. “No,” says Josie. “We’re going to take it slow. I’m so young.”
- In an interview, Lawson, Whitney, and Zach discuss the increasing complexity of Bates proposals and the fact that the bar is always being set higher. “Some of the proposals are more proposing to the family,” says Zach. “They’re coming anyways. You’re not going to shake them free. Evan a bad proposal isn’t going to run this family off.”
- On the day of the proposal, Bobby shows up at Crown College with his parents to surprise Tori. The surprise is successful, and Erin and Carlin pull Tori into a room to do her hair and makeup.
- Tori, Bobby, and Bobby’s parents jump into a convertible and head across the state line into North Carolina. Meanwhile, Gil and Kelly are picking up food at Louise’s Kitchen in Black Mountain. They set up a picnic at beautiful Linville Falls and wait for everyone else to arrive.
- After lunch, Gil and Kelly go on ahead to Wiseman’s View, where they set up rose pedals, candles, and flowers. Tori, Bobby, and Bobby’s parents arrive, and Bobby’s mom sneaks ahead to place the ring next to the flowers.
- Tori starts seeing the rose pedals on the ground, as she and Bobby walk down the steps to the overlook. “Every step down that trail, we’re getting closer and closer, and my heart’s beating faster and faster,” says Bobby.
- They make it to the spot of the proposal, but it takes Bobby a few moments to locate the ring. When he does, he grabs Tori’s hands and tells her how much he loves her. “Life is really short, and it goes by so fast, but I know I want to spend mine with you. Life is going to fly by, and we have so much to look forward to afterwards, but as long as we’re here on this earth, as long as God allows, I want you to be my wife. I want you to be the woman that I spend my entire life with. Tori Layne, will you marry me?”
- “It’s so pretty,” whispers Tori when she sees the ring. “I mean, yes of course! Oh my goodness, I love you.” The two hug, and the parents cheer from a distance before coming over to congratulate the couple.
- Tori exclaims how weird she looks with a ring, so Gil jokes that he's going to take it off and let her wait a few more years.
- “It was an absolute perfect day, and I could not have asked for anything better,” says Tori.
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February 9, 2018, 7:31 am
"It takes Tori, Carlin, and Josie about, probably two years to get ready." -Callie Bates"They have to be perfect, and if one person wears a really, really good dress, they’re like, 'I can’t wear this, I’ll be ashamed!'"-Addallee BatesCallie's statement might be a bit of an exaggeration, but she's certainly not completely wrong. According to Zach, in the old days when eight Bates shared one bathroom, things were very different than they are now, with the"new family" having multiple bathrooms.
In this web exclusive clip from
last night's episode, Tori, Carlin, and Josie prove Zach's point to be true, as they help each other get ready for their triple date.
Photo/video courtesy of UP
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February 10, 2018, 12:02 pm
The Chicago area has been covered in a thick blanket of snow this week, with more falling this weekend. Michael and Brandon Keilen took advantage of the beautiful winter wonderland with an evening of outdoor ice skating. Do you enjoy skating? Have you been watching the Olympics?
Michael (Bates) Keilen and Brandon Keilen
Photo courtesy of brandonandmichaela.com
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February 12, 2018, 7:01 am
"This looks like a little Shih Tzu in need of a haircut."-Zach BatesWith all the weddings they have planned over the past four years, the Bates have sampled many different types of wedding cake. But what about Greek wedding cake? They try some in this clip, and their reactions are priceless. Have you ever tried Greek wedding cake?
Photo/video courtesy of UP
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February 12, 2018, 5:13 pm
Tori Bates and Bobby Smith have been Mr. and Mrs. Smith for nearly two months. With Tori student teaching and Bobby working and helping out at the Bates' church, this couple has been busy. After Tori's graduation in May, they plan to move to the Nashville area, where Bobby has accepted a job.
Tori and Bobby Smith
Photo courtesy of Tori and Bobby Smith, lawsonbates.com
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February 14, 2018, 7:12 am
On Sunday, Lexi Mae Webster was dedicated to the Lord during church. John Webster's parents (Congressman Daniel Webster and Sandra) and Alyssa's parents were present for the service.
The Websters and Bates
The visit was quick for Gil and Kelly, but they were able to make many precious memories.
Alyssa Webster and Lexi Webster
Gil Bates and Allie Webster
Photos courtesy of thebatesfamily.com
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