'Sweet Home Spartanburg' Recap

Bringing Up Bates "Sweet Home Spartanburg"

• As part of her 50th birthday celebration, Kelly takes the family to her hometown--Spartanburg, South Carolina. They meet up with Kelly's mom (Meema) Kelly's sisters (Kay and Kim) and Gwen, a gal who lived with Kelly's family, and are able to walk through the house where Kelly and her siblings grew up. (The couple that lives there now had agreed to give them a tour.) Kelly also had a brother, Chip, who passed away.
• Kelly admits she was the "tattletale," "brat," and "baby" of the family and that she used to sit up in a tree by the road and take detailed notes on the things she heard her siblings say and do so she could report back to her mom. She says she especially enjoyed listening in on Chip's conversations with girls that he brought home. 
• The mom of 19 also used to sneak into the bathroom through a closet while one of her siblings was showering and dump cold water onto them.
• After the tour, the Bates rake leaves for the couple to thank them for opening their home. They all enjoy jumping in the leaves, even Kelly and her sisters. "I think that gave us kids the first clue that they were really going back to their childhood," says Erin. The four girls also pray together.
• Kelly was in third grade when her parents got divorced. She stayed with her mom in South Carolina, and her siblings moved to Tennessee with her dad. "It was a very difficult thing to go through, but it also made me who I am today," shares Kelly. "I think we took something that was hard, and I think all of us, children and parents, tried to learn from it and turn it into something positive."
• After her parents' divorce, Kelly says she poured herself into her studies. She takes the family to her high school and introduces them to her two favorite teachers. "[My mom's teachers] helped develop in my mom such a love for education and learning...so to meet those people who gave her that love for learning...[we are] grateful for them because it has definitely played a role in all of our lives," says Michael.
• One of Kelly's science teachers takes the family into a science classroom to do an experiment. 
• "[My kids] are homeschooled, and the ones that haven't gone to college yet, they've never really sat in an actual classroom at desk, where the teacher is up front drawing on the board, so I think they were curious and interested," says Kelly. 
• Later, the Bates head to an iconic local restaurant, The Beacon, to meet up with Kelly's childhood friends. Her best friend, whose name is also Kelly, had called a bunch of their classmates to invite them, and quite a few showed up. Kelly has tears in her eyes as she shares the impact that each of her friends had on her life.
• Down in Florida, Alyssa and John Webster are looking forward to the arrival of Lexi Mae.

'Shakeups, Steak, and Showtime' Recap

Bringing Up Bates "Shakeups, Steak, and Showtime!"

• Lawson is thrilled to receive a bunch of copies of his new CD. “When you finally get a mastered product on a disk, that’s something special, and being able to bring it in and show the family, it’s a really cool moment,” says the budding country musician. “When the boxes showed up at the door, I was just praising the Lord.”
• Lawson is preparing for a big charity concert in Knoxville benefiting the East Tennessee Children’s hospital.
• Zach and Whitney drop Bradley and Kaci off at the family’s house so they can go on a dinner date. It’s their first time eating at Ye Olde Steak House, the restaurant where Gil and Kelly used to order celebratory meals from when they had a baby.
• The “little” Bates couple will soon celebrate their three-year wedding anniversary. Zach has recently switched from night shifts to day shifts. Bradley always waits eagerly by the door for his dad to come home.
• “Do you remember though when we first got married and you asked me if you could be a cop?” Whitney asks Zach. “I was like, ‘No, you can’t be a cop; no way.’ Now I can’t imagine you doing anything different.”
• “I’m loving my job, but more than anything, I love having a family,” shares Zach.
• Emily Ann Roberts is unable to make it to the charity concert, so Lawson asks Carlin to sing Emily Ann's parts. Carlin says there is no way she can fill Emily Ann’s shoes, but Lawson believes in her.
• It’s the evening of the show, and the music is scheduled to start in 45 minutes. The computer system goes down, and the family members and friend who are helping are having difficulty scanning the tickets.
• “There was a little bit of confusion,” says Kelly. “A little bit of confusion?” responds Gil. “Maybe a lot of confusion,” corrects Kelly.
• The show finally starts, and the fans are hyped up. Lawson is disappointed when he forgets the words to one of his songs, but he quickly moves past it. “Mess-ups happen, but taking it light and watching people’s reactions, making sure they’re enjoying themselves, I think is a lot more important than perfection,” says Lawson.
• Lawson and Carlin’s “I Have Decided to Follow Jesus” duet ends up sounding great.
• At the end of the concert, Lawson brings AJ and two other kids from the children’s hospital up on stage to sing “Jesus Loves Me.”
• “Here are little kids that are very sick,” says proud father Gil. “They have been through some of the hardest times in life, and yet, they’re there to sing a song to encourage us. It was a moving moment.”
• “I can’t even begin to say how proud I was of Lawson,” says Zach. “The hardest person in the world to impress is your big brother, and Lawson has impressed me above and beyond.”

"I 'Donut' Know What I'd Do Without You" Recap

Bringing Up Bates "I 'Donut' Know What I'd Do Without You"

• It's fall break 2016. Tori and Bobby met each other one year ago through a mutual friend, who happened to be Bobby’s roommate. “Their first meeting was at the beach,” says Kelly. “Daddy told Tori… ‘Whatever you do, Tori, don’t dive in too soon,’ and Tori said, ‘It’s too late.’” Courtship is new to Bobby, and when he talked about starting a courtship soon after meeting Tori, Gil advised him to get to know Tori better first.
• The Bates are spending fall break in Pensacola, Florida, with Bobby, and Tori is convinced that Bobby is going to ask her to start a courtship.
• Lawson, Nathan, Carlin, Josie, and Jackson arrive at the Pensacola condo 30 minutes before the rest of the family. Bobby recruits them to help decorate for Tori’s arrival. They put up signs, balloons, and beach-themed décor to remind Tori of the first week she met Bobby. One of the signs says: “Of all the fish in the sea, I’m so glad you chose me.” Another says: “In my ‘court’ room you have been found guilty because you have absolutely and completely stolen my heart.”
• The decorations give Tori a pretty good idea of what’s coming, but she doesn’t know when it will happen.
• Later that afternoon, the family goes mini-golfing at Fast Eddie’s Fun Center. While they golf, Tori and Bobby share a few hugs. Kelly says the courtship rules have gotten a bit more relaxed over the years.
• The next morning, the Bates meet up with Bobby’s family and John and Alyssa for a dolphin cruise.
• Bobby pulls his parents, Gil and Kelly, and Alyssa aside to discuss plans for the sunset dinner that evening. “I think you should surprise them all and just get engaged,” jokes Alyssa. “Dad would be the most surprised.” “Who invited her to this conversation?” responds Gil, laughing.
• The next event is parasailing. Tori is scared at first, but she ends up enjoying it. “When we got up there, 600 feet away from everyone else, that was really nice,” she admits.
• That evening, the moms, Alyssa, and one of Bobby’s sisters set up a table on the beach, while Gil and Bobby’s dad pick up food for two from Outback Steak House.
• When everyone leaves and Tori and Bobby arrive at the dinner spot, Bobby gives Tori a beautiful infinity bracelet. “I know this is one step along the way, but are you ready to go with me?” he asks Tori. She says yes! The parents come out to congratulate them, and then they leave so the couple can enjoy their dinner.
• “You pray when your children are born about who they’re going to marry and will God bring the right person along,” says Gil. “I think Bobby and Tori are definitely moving in the right direction.”
• “More than any of the other couples, I think when I’m looking at Tori and Bobby, I’m looking at a little Kelly Jo and Gil in a lot of ways,” Kelly adds. Gil jokes that they might just end up having 19 kids.

'Surprise! Kelly Jo's Big 5-0!' Recap

Bringing Up Bates "Surprise! Kelly Jo's Big 5-0!"

• When Kelly’s 50^th birthday rolls around, Gil tells her he is taking her on a romantic overnight. Little does she know that the kids are planning a big surprise.
• “Mom is turning 50,” says Lawson. “That just doesn’t seem right.”
• “Old changes every year,” states Jackson, wisely. “When you turn 20, 20’s not old anymore. Fifty is. When you turn 50, 50’s not old anymore. Eighty is. When you turn 80, you’re old.”
• When Mom and Dad finally pull out of the driveway, the kids kick it into high gear so they can get out of the house quickly. “Now honestly, I think the only key to being on time places is leave Mom and Dad behind,” says Tori.
• Erin, the head planner, thinks Kelly suspects something is up, but when she receives a phone call from her mom asking where she thinks Gil might be taking her, she realizes her mom is clueless.
• Erin and Chad, Zach and Whitney, and most of the siblings arrive at the cabin, located near Chattanooga. Erin assigns bedrooms and starts decorating, while Zach makes pasta for dinner.
• Gil sends a text to the kids saying he is five minutes away, but the kids tell him to stall. “There was a cemetery off to the left,” says Gil. “I said, ‘Hey, I bet there’s some Civil War people buried in there!’” That gives Erin enough time to assemble all the kids in the kitchen. The owner of the cabin greets Gil and Kelly at the door and pretends they have arrived at a bed and breakfast.
• When Kelly walks in and hears the kids shout “Surprise! Happy birthday!” she is completely shocked.
• The Websters arrive later. The next morning, every wakes up early and heads to the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum to ride a train. Kelly says she has loved trains every since she was little. When her parents got divorced, her dad moved to Chattanooga and would take Kelly to the Chattanooga Choo Choo when she visited.
• The family meets up with the Keilens and enjoys a picnic at a local park.
• Later that evening, it’s time for presents. Kelly is blown away when she receives a new wedding ring from Gil. (She lost hers when she let Jeb play with it.) Then everyone shares praises and tears of joy. “It just got really emotional really fast,” says Nathan.
• To top it all off, the kids show Kelly a video featuring Brandon’s drawings and praises from the kids. 
• "It was special for us to see that we had been able to give back just a piece of what she's done for us over the years," says Michael.
• "It was definitely the biggest thing that's ever been done for me by anybody, and the fact that they all did it together..." says Kelly.