'SUN Day, Fun Day' Recap

Bringing Up Bates "SUN Day, Fun Day"

• It's August 21st, and the Bates are gearing up for the solar eclipse. Knoxville is set to experience near-totality.
• In preparation for their solar eclipse party, Kelly makes sure to inform the kids how dangerous it is to look at the eclipsed sun without eclipse glasses. “There’s just no way you can have a party without Mom giving a lesson on what you should not do,” says Addallee.
• Then, Brandon gives a quick science lesson so the kids understand what they will be seeing. Everyone piles in the car to drive over to the home of one of Erin’s friends, who has a pool. She and her husband also have a snow cone machine and a cotton candy machine. “That was like the perfect recipe for party and mess,” says Kelly.
• “I think it’s tough for anybody to just invite the whole mob over,” says Lawson. “That’s a very gracious thing to do, but once we show up and then the reality sets in, it goes from nice and calm to similar to a zoo with no fences or cages.”
• The couple also has a giant inflatable slide, which even enjoys, even Gil and Kelly Jo. Zach has to work, but Whitney brings Bradley and Kaci Lynn over to take part in the fun.
• When the eclipse beings, everyone grabs their glasses and looks up at the sun, amazed. “I think some people were like over the top excited, and Brandon was definitely one of those people,” says Erin. “He had his camera the whole time, trying to take pictures. It was really cute.”
• As the sun disappears, the temperature drops, and the wind dies down. “When all those crickets and frogs started going off, I said, ‘This is a little creepy right here,’” says Lawson.
• “It’s 2:30 in the afternoon, and we saw a couple stars in the sky,” says Katie. 
• Everyone agrees that the eclipse was an unforgettable event. Now that it is done and over with, Michael and Brandon turn their attention to their appointment with Dr. Vick, the Bates’ OB/GYN. “This is the last thing we’re going to do, and then take a break,” Michael tells Erin. “I think there’s a little bit of hope but also a lot of nervousness, too,” says Kelly.
• At the appointment, Dr. Vick performs a hysterosalpingogram, a diagnostic procedure to determine if there is a tubal blockage that could be hindering pregnancy. So far, Michael and Brandon have both had exams, but doctors have not found any reason why a pregnancy would not work. It has been determined that Michael has been hyper-ovulating.
• Through the procedure, a bit of a blockage is able to be cleared, and Dr. Vick concludes that at least one of Michael’s tubes is now open. He instructs her to wait three cycles before discussing potential surgery.
• “Each step has been a blessing and seeing God direct and open doors and just make a way possible,” says Michael. “When I’m having a really hard time…just focusing on all of the positives, to try and think of all the benefits from it. At the top of the list would just be how much closer we’ve gotten to each other. It has a beautiful side, too.”
• “It’s been quite a journey, but I’m so proud of Michael,” says Brandon. “She’s been a trooper through it all.

'Bobby's Happy Camper' Recap

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.”

'Decorating Dilemmas and Job Decisions' Recap

Bringing Up Bates "Decorating Dilemmas and Job Decisions"

• Kelly and Erin arrive in Chicago to help Michaela decorate her new rental home. (She and Brandon recently moved out of their tiny, one-bedroom rental house.) “I have one condition for family coming to help decorate,” says Brandon. “If my wife likes it when they’re done, it can stay.”
• Although Brandon slightly prefers more modern décor, Michaela decides to go with a country/farmhouse theme.
• The three ladies head out to a quilting store to search for fabric to make curtains. Kelly’s ideas prove to be very different than Michaela and Erin’s.
• “At least we got some ideas,” says Erin, as they leave the store without having chosen fabric. “We found out that we don’t want turquoise curtains.”
• “Well, I didn’t find that out, but I’m going with y’all,” replies Kelly. “I’m along for the ride.”
• While the ladies decorate, Michaela shares an update on her journey to motherhood. She has been seeing a specialist for about a year and has done several tests, but they are all expensive. There is one last test she wants to have done by Dr. Vick, the Bates’ obstetrician.
• “The whole journey to find an answer and just see what might be the problem is very emotional,” says Michaela. “I think we’ve tried all of the major tests, and there’s one more procedure that I want to have done. And then after that, just take a break and enjoy each other and maybe start this journey again later if we don’t have an answer.”
• That evening, Brandon and the ladies go bowling at Pinstripes. “Mom had let us know that she was the only person, she said, that was allowed to have bumpers up,” says Erin. “I figure since she’s over 50, that’s acceptable.”
• Kelly is surprised at how competitive Michaela and Erin are with each other. “I do not like for Erin to beat me,” Michaela says firmly, but with a chuckle. “That’s terrible!”
• After bowling, the three ladies stay up late into the night, but the finished product is worth it. Michaela loves her newly decorated house, which means Brandon is happy, too.
• Back in Tennessee, Bobby goes to work with Chad to see about taking over his position at the metal recycling facility, in addition to helping out at the Bates’ church. Chad has been offered a job with a local builder, which is a field he has been interested in for a while.
• Tori, Ellie, Addallee, and Callie come by to pick Bobby up at the end of the day. They make an ice cream run at The Chunky Monkey.
• While they eat their ice cream, Tori asks Bobby when he is going to propose and if he has looked at rings. “Have you ever heard of a surprise before?” asks Bobby. They change the subject.

'The 4 Cs: Carat, Clarity, Carlin and Courtship' Recap

Bringing Up Bates "The 4 Cs: Carat, Clarity, Carlin and Courtship"

• The Bates are attempting to pull off two big surprises--Josie's 18th birthday and Carlin's courtship "proposal"--in one weekend.
• "In the Bates family, keeping one secret is hard enough, but two secrets is a whole different story," says Jackson. 
• To throw Josie off the trail, Kelly, Alyssa, Kelton, and two friends from school take her shopping at a store called Josie's Boutique and out to ice cream at Cruze Farm. Gil and Kelly don't allow their kids to start serious relationships before age 18, so this birthday is especially important for Josie and Kelton. 
• Back at the Bates house, Gil and the kids are decorating for the party. Michaela flies down from Chicago, Papa Bill and Mama Jane drive in from South Carolina, and other family and friends arrive, as well. Josie is shocked when she walks in the door and hears everyone yell "Surprise!"
• "When you turn 18, that's a really big deal," says Erin. "Josie, I think she's trying to really push that level, since she's already got a boyfriend, she's already in college." 
• Down in Florida, Bobby stops by Jewelers Trade Shop, the store where his dad bought his mom's engagement ring. He shows the jeweler a photo of a ring that Tori had said she liked. The jeweler tells Bobby about the 4 Cs of diamonds--clarity, cut, color, and carats. (The fifth C is cash.) 
• Bobby is moving to Tennessee in less than two weeks, but the jeweler says he should be able to finish the ring by then.
• The next day, Carlin thinks she is going to the lake with her family and Evan's, but when Evan shows up at the door with roses and a clue. Carlin changes clothes, and she and Evan head out on a scavenger hunt with both sets of parents. The first stop is a lunch cruise on the Tennessee River. 
• Next, they head to the Bates' church, were Carlin teaches Sunday School. They are greeted by the little kids from both sides of the family singing a love song. 
• The next stop is Erin's house, where she and some of the married couples are waiting with dessert and refreshments.
• "[Carlin] was just literally beaming," says Erin, the matchmaker who matched Carlin and Evan. 
• Evan presents Carlin with a scrapbook filled with photos of the two of them, made by himself and one of his sisters. 
• The final stop is Norris Dam, Carlin's "happy place." Before they arrive, the family sets up a fancy table, a big box covered in purple wrapping paper (purple is Carlin's favorite color), and a keyboard for background music. 
• Evan puts a blindfold on Carlin, and he steps behind a tree while she takes it off and opens the box. Out comes a bunch of balloons, and one has a key attached to it. 
• Evan walks back over and sings a song he wrote for Carlin: "Because it's like I'm staring at the stars up in outer space when I'm looking at those eyes on your pretty face. Ya you are my dream come true, so I wrote this song to prove that I love you...And out of this whole world, I don't want another girl. See, I've got my heart locked away, baby, and you hold the key."
• By this point, Carlin is sobbing. She unlocks a small box that Evan is holding and finds a bracelet.
• "So I guess what I'm trying to ask you is, 'Will you accept the gift of my heart?'" says Evan. Carlin says yes!
• "I kind of was thinking that it should have ended as an engagement," says Kelly. "It was so special, I'm thinking, 'Give her the ring, we'll just all cry right now.'" Gil, on the other hand, isn't so excited about that idea.
• The families, who had been watching from afar, walk over to exchange hugs. Carlin and Evan are thrilled that they can now hold hands. They seal the deal with a meal beside the edge of the dam. 
• The Bates end the weekend with the dedication of their new church building. (Their congregation had been meeting in various buildings for about four years.) The Stewarts sing to open the service.