'New Beginnings' Recap

Bringing Up Bates "New Beginnings"

• The idea of some of the Bates ladies starting a boutique had been thrown around for a while, until Carlin finally decided to give it a go. Erin and Whitney were eager to join the venture.
• Chad, Erin, Whitney, Zack, and Carlin get together to discuss the Bates Sisters Boutique. They have applied for a business license and are working on the website. When the topic of the return policy comes up, Erin is embarrassed to admit that she once wore a dress with the tag on and then returned it. “That’s probably not very honorable,” she admits. “I took good care of it.”
• “One of my biggest things for the business is to help other young moms and girls find dresses that are affordable but also comfortable and stylish," says Erin. "Carlin, of course, and Whitney are more stylish than I would be considered. I am more about comfort."
• Kelly takes Addie, Ellie, and Callie to the high ropes course at Ijams Nature Center. Kelly has been very busy with Carlin‘s wedding, and she wants to spend some quality time with her younger girls. “I’m not very adventurous, but I will do anything for my kids,” she says.
• “There’s a lot of ways you can describe my mom,” says Lawson. “Very adventurous when it comes to seeing things, scenic places, but some of those adrenaline rush things, not her cup of tea.”
• The ladies do great on the easy course. “There was one little moment where Callie started getting nervous,” says Kelly. “She started getting scared. Then she started panicking.” Kelly and the sisters encourage her, and she is able to push through and enjoy the rest of the outing.
• But then Kelly starts freaking out. “The girls were really patient with me, but I was determined to do it just for them,” says Kelly.
• The Bates appreciate their mom's can-do attitude. "It is super fun when our mom takes us out somewhere because she doesn't just sit back," says Addallee. "Whatever you do, she'll do it with you."
• "Well I'm really proud that my wife is willing to do things that are very uncomfortable for her and scary for her just because she loves the kids," says Gil. "She wants to be the mom that's there for every kid for everything they do."
• Carlin and Evan are honored that their wedding shower is the first official event in the new church building. The parents and grandparents each share a word of marriage advice. Kelly encourages them to continue holding hands, hugging, and kissing, even when they're married. Gil tells them to always put the other person first. Denese Stewart urges them to kiss goodnight and cautions them against going to bed angry. Paul Stewart reminds them to continue going on dates. Everyone laughs when Papa Bill tells Evan to listen to Carlin. "Just remember this: If she's not happy, you're not going to have a good time."
• The most thoughtful gift is from the mother of one of Carlin's piano students. It's a painting of Portland Head Light, the Maine lighthouse where Evan proposed.
• "Watching my family standing around in the room and all of them working and taking their time to invest in our lives, there's nothing like it," Carlin says, with sincerity.
• The episode ends with the dedication service at the new church building. "Our hearts were just overflowing with gratefulness," says Kelly. Evan's family is present, and they sing for the congregation before Gil begins to preach.
• "It's amazing how God, since it's His church, has been involved doing some miraculous things, says Gil. Having a building for his flock to call home is a dream come true for Gil.

'Shall We Dance?' Recap

Bringing Up Bates "Shall We Dance?"

• In Louisville, Tennessee, Chad, Erin, and Trace arrive at the home of clients Emily and Eric Cochron. They are designing a baby nursery. “Any time me and Chad are working together, we’re in our element,” says Erin.
• The goal is to create a cute but practical nursery. “Decor and practical going together is like sweet tea on a hot, summer day,” says Chad.
• “I think Erin, sometimes, in her love for what she does, could easily bite off more than Chad could chew,” says Zach.
• When they return a couple weeks later, they unveil the finished room, which includes a pine accent wall built by Chad. The Cochrons are very happy.
• At Campbell County Airport, Nathan is reminding Katie how to do a pre-flight inspection of the airplane.  “I love learning new things,” says Katie. “I’m always trying to do everything I can that’s productive with my free time, so Nathan has been encouraging me to work on a pilot’s license, and I have been working on it, in between cosmetology and everything else going on. It was kind of just spur of the moment.”
• Most of the Bates agree that Katie isn’t a great driver on the road, so they are nervous about her flying an airplane.
• “Nathan is an incredible flight instructor,” says Katie. “He is very patient, but he also puts a lot of confidence in me, and I don’t know that I’m ready for that…”
• Katie successfully takes off and then goes over the procedures for a stall. “So basically, we put all of the power into the plane and point the nose to the sky,” says Katie. She ends up doing flips in the sky.
• “…I love flying, but it is a lot more complicated than driving a car, so it is going to take a lot of practice and a lot of hard work,” says Katie.
• Later, Gil, Kelly, and Carlin take Evan, Erin, and Chad to the dance studio for a group lesson. “You’re going to love this,” Gil tells the newbies. “It’s going to be so fun.”
• “I’m a little nervous about the dancing because I don’t want to open up the can of worms that any kind of dancing, anywhere, in any atmosphere, with anybody is something we think is okay,” says Gil “However, a daddy daughter dance, a husband and wife dance, I think can be sweet, sentimental, and romantic in the right setting.”
• At Josie and Kelton’s apartment in Powell, Tennessee, the Smiths are over for a visit. Kelton and Bobby return from work, as Bobby is now working with Kelton. The guys encourage the girls to go out to dinner so Bobby and Kade can show Kelton the ropes of being a dad. Kade is a very calm baby. “Take as long as you want, but hurry back,” Bobby jokes.
• Bobby shows Kelton how to change a dirty diaper. “It’s honestly right down my line of work,” says Kelton, laughing. “Leak prevention, that’s what I’m all about.”
• Josie is in her second trimester and is no longer sick. “I’m ready to be done already,” she tells Tori over dinner at Aubrey’s.

'A Baby Grand Plan' Recap

Bringing Up Bates "A Baby Grand Plan"

• Kelly, Carlin, Erin, Carson, and Everly go back to Castleton Farms, the wedding venue that Carlin has chosen. They bring Kim, the Bates’ trusty wedding coordinator. The venue owners were able to work out a price that the Bates can afford.
• “My biggest question is always the one that Carlin doesn’t want me to ask,” says Kelly. “What about the rain? Is there a backup plan?” The woman giving the tour assures them that the venue has two indoor spaces.
• “The thing that I’m most excited about…is seeing my little girl’s dreams come true,” Kelly says, tearing up.
• Gil and Kelly arrive to help Tori and Bobby pack up their Nashville apartment. “I am super excited about moving back with the family and being around them,” says Tori. “I miss them, and a lot is going on right now, and I was missing out on all of it.”
• “We have always dreamed that our children would live close to us, and we’re getting the news that three out of the four out-of-town couples may be coming home, and my heart is just full,” says Kelly. “I’m looking forward to some one-on-one granny time with Kade.”
• “The year that God gave us in Nashville was absolutely incredible,” says Bobby. “My number one goal is to be just everything I can for my wife and my little boy and the family that God has given us.”
• When Gil brings the 16-foot, do-it-yourself moving truck that the Smiths have reserved, some of the family members think it’s way too small, and others think there will be plenty of space. Gil, the master-packer who used to work at UPS, gets to work. “We have a secret weapon,” says Bobby, referring to Gil.
• Gil starts to doubt himself, but he successfully fits everything in the truck…barely.
• Later, Gil and some of the kids show off the new church building, which is almost ready for services. “Music has always played a huge part in my family, and for Dad’s church, the piano really is his number one instrument right now,” says Erin.
• Everyone is thrilled when piano movers deliver the baby grand that Gil chose for the church. “It’s exactly the one we’ve been praying for for like six years,” he says. Gil tears up as Callie plays a beautiful song. He leads the kids in a prayer thanking God for the instrument and asking Him to use it for His glory.
• Erin was previously the church pianist, but she now plays for another church. Carlin has filled the role, and Kelly hopes that she will pass the torch to Callie one day.
• Carlin, along with some of the girls, go up to Kentucky to have Renee alter her wedding dress.
• “You would think that when a girl finds her dream dress, that, hey it’s the dream dress, it’s perfect, but along with that comes alterations and fixing things and changing things” says Whitney. “If it doesn’t fit just right, it just doesn’t work, and guys don’t understand that.”
• “Take that same statement and substitute dress for husband,” says Zach, chuckling. “Get ready, Evan!”

'A Dance With Dad & A Wedding to Plan' Recap

Bringing Up Bates "A Dance With Dad & A Wedding to Plan"

• Carlin, Kelly, Erin, Everly, and Whitney are searching for a wedding venue for Carlin and Evan. They are planning for 600-800, with the potential of up to 1,000 guests. They visit Whitestone Inn, which is where Chad proposed to Erin. Carlin loves it and is ready to commit, but after visiting Castleton Farms, she starts imagining having her wedding there. Vineyards, white pillars, and fancy stairs—it’s absolutely beautiful.
• Back at the house, Gil, Zach, Nathan, and some of the kids assemble a doghouse that they purchased for their new dog, JJ (Johnny Jr). The project takes only 35 minutes, and the dog loves his new house.
• Next up is Carlin’s dance lesson with Gil, in preparation for the daddy-daughter dance that she wants to have at her wedding. “So Carlin actually convinced Dad to go to dance lessons,” says Erin. “I do not know how she did that.”
• Carlin jokes that they are going to start with a slow dance and then “crank it up.” Of course that’s not going to happen on Gil’s watch. “With dancing also comes bad chemistry that happens sometimes on the dance floor, so we never did the dance because it came with a lot of baggage, but this is not that kind of dancing,” explains Gil. Did you know that the Bates dad was prom king in high school?
• “In past years, we avoided all dancing,” says Kelly. “Carin has assured us, she just wants this to be a wholesome, very thoughtful type of dance. And the more she talked about it, the more we want her to have her dreams.”
• “Growing up, we did not do dancing,” says Zach. “I think Mom and Dad are really excited for it, and it’s interesting how the family’s evolved.”
• Kelly accompanies Gil and Carlin to their dance lesson at Dance Tonight. Kelly says she is picturing what she calls a flowy “Ginger Rogers” dance. During the lesson, Gil dances with Carlin, while Kelly dances with the instructor. “I’m not a person with a lot of rhythm,” admits Gil. “I don’t’ want to be the double left-footed guy out there.”
• But Gil is determined to get the hang of it. “If it makes her feel that special, it’s worth trying to do it,” says the father of the bride. “I want it to be a special day.”
• Later, Michael and Brandon, along with Gil and Kelly, visit a rental house, owned by a friend and located in the town of Norris. “It’s been a matter of prayer for several months now, the potential of us moving home for me to go back to school,” says Michael.
• The house is a lot smaller than the place they are moving from in Chicago. “It’s definitely a downsize,” says Brandon. “Cute little place, but it’s definitely smaller.” It’s a great area, though. The Keilens are hoping to move by May, which is only a couple months away.
• “My heart is just so full now right now because my little girl is going to be coming home,” says Kelly.