Double Bday: Bates #8 and 19

Another year has begun, which means it's time to restart the Bates birthday list. The family has already checked off four in the month of January, and today is the first double. Trace is 25, and Jeb is 10. That is a big milestone for Gil and Kelly because it means that all of their 19 children are officially in the double digits. Happy birthday to Trace and Jeb!

 

Trace Bates with girlfriend Lydia Romeike; Papa Bill and Mama Jane

 

Brandon Keilen, Michael Keilen, Judson Bates, Jeb Bates, Callie Bates

 

Photos courtesy of @tracewbates; keilencorner.com

Gil's 57th

Happy New Years Day! And happy 57th birthday to the Bates dad! Do you think you would enjoy having a birthday on January 1st? 

 

Kelly Bates, Gil Bates, Nathan Bates

Bringing Up Bates Season 10

 

Gil and Kelly Bates

Bringing Up Bates Season 8

 

Gil and Kelly Bates

Bringing Up Bates Season 6

 

Gil Bates and Jeb Bates

Bringing Up Bates Season 4

 

Gil Bates, Elle Bates, Callie Bates, Addallee Bates

Bringing Up Bates Season 3

 Photos courtesy of UPtv

Judson and Brandon's Birthday

It has been just over two weeks since the Bates have celebrated a birthday, which is a pretty long stretch of time for this family. But yesterday, two Bates family members turned another year older. Happy 32nd birthday to Brandon Keilen, and happy 11th birthday to Judson Bates! Fun fact: Brandon met Michael before Judson was born. 

 

Brandon Keilen, Michael Keilen, Judson Bates, Jeb Bates, Callie Bates

Dollywood

Photo courtesy of thebatesfamily.com

Bates Season 11 Premiere Date

 

Judson Bates and Jeb Bates

The UPtv network just announced the premiere date for Bringing Up Bates season 11. The Bates will return with new episodes on Thursday, February 10th, at 9pm ET/8pm CT!

By that point, Nathan Bates and Esther Keyes will be married, as will Katie Bates and Travis Clark, so there will be plenty of wedding footage to watch.

Photo courtesy of UPtv

Season 11?

 

Jeb Bates, Kelly Bates, Gil Bates

We know you have been looking forward to the premiere of Bringing Up Bates season 11 since new episodes wrapped up in June. There is nothing to share on that front, but we will let you know as soon as the season start date is announced. Until then, season 10 will be available for weekly streaming on UP Faith and Family, beginning next Friday (August 20th). 

Photo courtesy of UPtv

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Eve to our wonderful readers! We hope you will remember the true reason for the holiday, which is the birth of Jesus.

Do you recall watching the premiere of Bringing Up Bates on New Years Day 2015? That means the six-year anniversary of the Bates family’s UPtv debut is almost here. When the series began, the five youngest Bates children were itty bitty. Jeb was 2, Judson was 4, Callie was 5, Ellie was 7, and Addee was 8. Now, Jeb is 8, and Addee is 14. We hope you enjoy these “then and now” photos of the not-so-little Bates siblings.

 

Judson Bates and Jeb Bates

 

 

Callie Bates

 

Addallee Bates and Ellie Bates

 

Jeb Bates and Judson Bates

Callie Bates, Addallee Bates, Ellie Bates

 

Photos courtesy of Taryn Yager Photography (tarynyagerphotography.com)/@thebatesfam; UPtv

Judson and Brandon

Happy double Bates birthday to Judson Bates and Brandon Keilen! Judson is turning 10 years old, which means he is now in the double digits. And Brandon is 31. Happy birthday, guys!

 

Judson Bates and Jeb Bates, season 8

 

Judson and Jeb, season 1

Look how much they've grown!

 

Brandon Keilen and Michael Keilen

Photos courtesy of UPtv

A 'Man Thing'?

Judson Bates, Lawson Bates, Jeb Bates

Kelly Bates: "I do not know if this is a man thing or if the boys just get this from you."

Gil Bates: "Now wait a minute."

Kelly Bates: "Y'all are all terrible about not reading directions to something."

What do you think, is it a "man thing," or just a "Bates man thing"? During quarantine, Lawson, Judson, and Jeb help Kelly put together a shelf for an organizing project (video below). But will they successfully complete the task without looking at the instructions? 

 Photo/video courtesy of UPtv

Calle Turns 11

Happy 11th birthday to Callie, the 17th Bates child!

Callie Bates and Jeb Bates

 

Callie Bates

 

Callie Bates and Gil Bates

 

Photos courtesy of @thebatesfam; UPtv

Bates' Father's Day 2019

Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there! And to Gil Bates, Zach Bates, Chad Paine, John Webster, Bobby Smith, and Kelton Balka!

Jeb Bates and Gil Bates

Photo courtesy of UPtv

Zoey's Unicorn Party

Zoey Joy Webster celebrated her first birthday yesterday at the Websters' home in Florida. Just as she did for Allie and Lexi, Alyssa went all out with decorations and desserts for the party. The theme was unicorns. To see photos of Allie and Lexi at their first birthday parties, check out Thursday's post.

Lexi Webster, Zoey Webster, Allie Webster

Alyssa Webster and Zoey Webster

"Granny" Kelly, "Pawpaw" Gil, Judson Bates, and Jeb Bates attended, as did John's family, who live in the area.

Gil Bates and granddaughter Allie Webster

Photos courtesy of Alyssa and John Webster, thebatesfamily.com

The Bates Kids Love Katie

Jeb Bates, Judson Bates, Katie Bates

Mom and Dad are away, so Katie and the kids will play. For the first time ever, 18-year-old Katie is watching her younger siblings while Gil and Kelly leave town. And it sounds like they are going to have a pretty good time (video below)...

Jeb: "Can I have ice cream? Eat Popsicles?"

Katie: Of course. What is my name?

Jeb: "Katie."

Katie: "You can have whatever you want. Mom and Dad are gone."

Photo/video courtesy of UPtv

Baby Shower or Mt. Everest?

Judson Bates and Jeb Bates

"The boys do not like to go to showers and stuff. We'd rather be doing something like basketball, football, jumping off Mt. Everest with wingsuits."
-Judson Bates

Well at least he's honest! The baby shower for Tori ends up being mostly ladies, but some of the women drag their guys along. If you watch the episode this week, you'll laugh when Erin heads up one of the games and Chad shares his opinion on it. In the video below, Whitney Bates introduces a game.

Photo/video courtesy of UPtv

Trace and Jeb's Double Birthday

Today is a double Bates birthday! Trace is turning 22, while Jeb is 7 years old. Happy birthday, guys! For an update on Trace's career choice, visit our December 30th post.

Trace Bates and Jeb Bates

 

Trace Bates and Jeb Bates

 

Lawson Bates, Jeb Bates, Bradley Bates

 

Trace Bates and Zach Bates

Photos courtesy of UPtv, thebatesfamily.com, lawsonbates.com, Trace Bates

Bates Dad Turns 54

Most folks spend New Year's Day relaxing and recovering after staying up to ring in the new year, but the Bates have one more thing to celebrate. Today is Gil Bates' birthday! Happy 54th, Gil. We wish the Bates and all our wonderful readers a blessed 2019.

Gil and Kelly Bates

Easter 2018

Gil Bates and Allie Webster

February 2018

Gil Bates and Callie Bates

Bringing Up Bates set shot

 

Gil Bates and Jeb Bates

Bringing Up Bates set shot

Photos courtesy of thebatesfamily.com, UPtv

The Bates Love Christmas

Carlin Bates, Lawson Bates, Josie Bates, Ellie Bates, 

Callie Bates, Addallee Bates, Jeb Bates, Judson Bates 

Are you in the Christmas spirit yet? It's not quite December, but the Bates are ready for the holiday season to begin. In fact, they put up their outdoor Christmas lights at the end of October. (Do you think that's too early?)

To kick off the advent season, we have a Bates Christmas music video to share, featuring some of the Bates kids singing "Go Tell It On the Mountain." This clip was filmed in December 2015.

Photo/video courtesy of UPtv

Judson Turns 8, Brandon Turns 29

Today is the last double Bates birthday of the year. Judson Bates is turning eight, while Brandon Keilen is turning 29.

Jeb Bates and Judson Bates

 

Judson Bates and Callie Bates

Michael Bates Keilen and Brandon Keilen

 

Brandon Keilen and Zoey Webster

 

Brandon Keilen

Skydiving as a 28th birthday present (Michael went at age 18)

Photos courtesy of thebatesfamily.com, brandonandmichaela.com

Trace and Jeb Celebrate Birthdays

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

Bates Thanksgiving in SC

As they have in the past, the Bates are spending Thanksgiving weekend in Honea Path, South Carolina, with Gil's side of the family. Michael and Brandon Keilen headed to Michigan to spend the holiday with Brandon's family, but most of the rest of the Bates clan traveled to South Carolina, including the Websters and Carlin's boyfriend, Evan Stewart.

The camera crew is present, and the Bates are banding together to build a barn. Here are a few snapshots:

Michaela and Brandon Keilen in Michigan

Bates barn building

Lawson Bates, Jeb Bates, Bradley Bates

Photos courtesy of brandonandmichaela.com, lawsonbates.com

33 Bates and Counting

 Gil and Kelly Bates at Norris Dam

As they approach their 30th wedding anniversary this December, Gil and Kelly Bates' nest is emptying quickly. They have...

4 married kids (Zach, Michael, Erin, and Alyssa)
1 child who will be married in December (Tori)
3 single adult children (Nathan, Lawson, and Trace)
2 unmarried adult children who are in relationships (Carlin and Josie)
4 teenagers (Katie, Jackson, Warden, and Isaiah)
5 kids ages 5-11 (Addallee, Ellie, Callie, Judson and Jeb)
6 grandchildren ages 9 months-3 years (Bradley, Allie, Carson, Kaci, Brooklyn, and Lexi)
1 grandchild coming in April (Everly Hope Paine)
4 children-in-law (Whitney, Brandon, Chad, and John)
1 soon-to-be son-in-law (Bobby Smith)

When do you think the next big announcement will be made (ie pregnancy, relationship/courtship, or engagement)?

 Callie Bates

Jackson Bates

 Ellie Bates

Jeb Bates and Judson Bates

Photos courtesy of thebatesfamily.com