Bringing Up Bates "Bobby's Happy Camper"
- “I’m extremely excited that Bobby is finally moving here,” says Tori. “Life is just going to be grand. Everything is going to be easy. Well, not really, but I like to think so.”
- Here's Judson's take on the situation: “Bobby’s moving up to Tennessee so he can marry [Tori] and so he can engage her and so he can (makes kissing motions with his hands).”
- Zach and Whitney meet Tori at the camper, owned by a friend, that Bobby will be staying in before the wedding.
- Later, Erin and Chad stop by to help Tori make welcome signs. One says, “Welcome to Tennessee, God’s Country,” and the other says, “Bobby, this is my commitment to you: I will pamper you in your camper.” Both have colorful doodles on them.
- Josie and Jackson bring Kelton over so he can take a look at the leak under the kitchen sink. Kelton ends up having to fully replace the faucet.
- “Raising girls is a bad deal,” says Gil, who likely has three weddings (Tori, Carlin, and Josie) coming up in the near future.
- Down in Pensacola, Bobby picks up the custom ring from Jewelers Trade Shop, the store where his dad purchased his mom’s engagement ring. Bobby is blown away when he sees the finished product.
- When Bobby and his parents, Robert and Sheri Smith, finally arrive in Tennessee, Tori is on cloud nine. “They’ve had to be apart for so long,” says Sheri. “So for him to be able to get up here and get to know the family better…it’s the best thing right now.
- As Tori helps Bobby unpack, she asks him where the ring is. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,”responds Bobby, chuckling. “What’s a ring? I don’t even know why we’d be talking about a ring.”
- Bobby brings his parents over to the big house and gives them a tour before they have to leave. “I don’t think I was quite prepared for the tour, and I don’t know if they were either,” says Gil, laughing. “They might be glad Bobby’s in a camper.”
- “Whenever company is coming to the house, it’s a super big deal to my mom that the house is clean and…perfect,” says Tori.
- The Bates are thrilled that Bobby has decided to move to Tennessee ahead of the engagement and wedding. Tori and Bobby are starting to make plans for the future, and there's always a chance that their ministry will lead them out of Knoxville after Tori graduates in May 2018.
- “I’m really glad Bobby’s willing to make a sacrifice to really invest in us getting to know him better and him getting to know the kids better, and he really acts like he’s happy about it,” says Gil. “I’m really grateful.”