Theodore Bates' Birth Video Part 1

Bates fans have been eagerly waiting to hear news of the arrival of Lawson and Tiffany Bates' second son. The proud parents just uploaded part one of the birth story to YouTube. They named their child Theodore Bates and will likely call him Teddy. Tiffany delivered at a hospital in Nashville and had plenty of support, including her mother-in-law (Kelly Bates), her mom (Robin Espensen), and Katie Clark. 

Question and Answer with Kelly Bates

Interviews featuring Kelly Bates are few and far between. After all, life is busy when you have 19 children and 37 grandchildren (No. 37 just arrived this week). Still, Kelly always seems to find time to support the ventures that her family members are involved in. For Zach Bates, that venture is his cooking show, Bates Kitchen. 

Kelly has been a guest on the show a few times since it started in April 2024. She appeared in one of the earliest episodes to share her chicken salad recipe and discuss Callaham family history, and she joined her oldest son earlier this year for a question and answer session. If you enjoyed those segments, you will want to tune in to the latest episode of Bates Kitchen for another interview with Kelly Bates. Some of the questions revolve around food, and others are about life in general. 

In the Kitchen with Mama Bates

Kelly Bates joins her oldest child, Zach Bates, as a guest on his YouTube cooking show, but instead of preparing a meal, Zach interviews his mom. Kelly starts by telling the story of her recent health scare and providing an update on how she's doing. Then the two discuss the Bates' reality TV show, I Love You Day 2025, Zach's picky eating, raising boys, and some of their favorite dishes to cook. At 19:00, Kelly answers a question about her grandchildren, but she has to put her hand over her mouth because she's concerned that she has spilled the beans on an announcement. 

Bates Kitchen: Questions and Answers with Momma Batess

Keilens on I Love You Day and Upcoming Children's Book

Michaela and Brandon Keilen paused their video creating for the month of January, but they are back. Their latest YouTube video is a Q&A. They discuss I Love You Day, the Bates' annual Valentine's Day party. The family will celebrate later this year, due to Kelly Bates' health scare.  The theme is the '50s. The Keilens also mention the children's book that they are working on, and they provide other updates, too.

Kelly's Septic Scare

Last week, Kelly Bates drove to South Carolina to visit Papa Bill and Mama Jane, as she does frequently due to Papa Bill's deteriorating health. While she was there, the back pain that she had been experiencing suddenly became a lot worse. She was admitted to the hospital and diagnosed with a kidney stone and a kidney infection, which turned septic and landed her in the ICU. Gil quickly drove in from Tennessee and refused to leave his wife's side. The Bates kids and grandchildren began arriving, as Kelly's condition worsened and it was unclear whether she would recover. After a lot of prayer, quality care from the hospital staff, and plenty of encouragement from her beloved family, Kelly started to turn a corner. She had her second surgery two days ago and was released from the hospital yesterday. Join us in praising God for her miraculous recovery. Trace and Lydia Bates made a video detailing the situation.

A New Ride for Mama B

Christmas came early for Kelly Bates, in the form of a very large gift. About five years ago, Katie totaled Kelly's car, and she decided to buy her mom an even nicer replacement and give it to her as an early Christmas present. Katie and Travis Clark found what they considered to be the perfect ride for Mama B, but it wasn't local. Travis had to hop on a plane to go pick it up and then drive it through the night back to East Tennessee. If you would like to see Gil and Kelly's reactions to the gift, check out the Clarks' most recent YouTube video.

Cooking with Mama B

Have you heard about Zach Bates' newest venture? He just started a YouTube cooking show called Bates Kitchen. So far, he has shared his recipes for creamy lemon basil chicken, homemade pasta, quesadillas, and chicken alfredo. He also invited his mom to be a guest on the show and share her recipe for chicken salad. In the video, Kelly Bates walks her oldest son through how to prepare it, and she also shares some Callaham family history.

Another Bates Baby

In December, we posted the heartbreaking news of Lawson and Tiffany Bates' miscarriage. Before Christmas, they actually found out that they were expecting again, and they just made that announcement public. 

In their latest YouTube video, they show Tiffany telling Lawson. They also show the moment when they share the news with Kelly Bates over FaceTime and then ask her to make them an appointment with Dr. Vick, the Bates family's trusted OBGYN. Lawson writes a sweet letter to the baby, as well. He or she is due to arrive in early summer 2024.

Sewing 11 Prairie Dresses

"My mom pours her heart into I Love You Day, and I feel like my siblings do, too. My mom starts planning months in advance."

-Michael Kielen

After seeing all the beautiful costumes that the Bates wore for their Little House on the Prairie themed I Love You Day celebration, many of you have wondered who made them. If you guessed that Michael played a big role, you're correct, but the work was far from drudgery for her. 

In their latest YouTube video, Michael and Brandon Keilen discuss their preparation for the Valentine's Day party. Michael, who loves sewing, says it was "like a dream come true" to have an opportunity to design and create 11 dresses. While she made the outfits, Brandon built a wagon to give the kids rides during the party. 

Still, the Keilens insist that matriarch Kelly Bates is the real MVP when it comes to preparing for I Love You Day. "I am truly amazed at how my mom does this over and over and over again because she thinks of every single person," says Michael.

Bates 'I Love You Day' 2024

If you are a long-time fan of the Bates family, you've likely heard about their annual gathering for Valentine's Day, which they call 'I Love You Day.' Every year, Kelly Bates plans a big costume party for the entire family and a separate dinner for all the couples. For the past several years, they have chosen a theme and have awarded prizes for the best costumes. 

This year, the theme was Little House on the Prairie. The festivities took place this weekend, and Carlin and Evan Stewart have already shared footage of both the costume party and couples dinner on YouTube.

2022: Bible characters

2021: Noah's ark/animals 

2020: Roaring '20s

2019: Chivalry/medieval

2018: Growing Old Together

Tori Bates is Married!

What a lovely afternoon watching Tori Bates become Mrs. Bobby Smith at a beautiful wedding in Knoxville, Tennessee! The purple and silver, alongside white trees, made for a gorgeous, wintry setting. As expected, the wedding party was made up mostly of siblings. The audience laughed and cried as Pastor Gil Bates officiated the ceremony with the perfect combination of tenderness and humor.

Tori was glowing in her stunning Renee Miller wedding gown. (I--Ellie--was invited to join the Bates ladies the day Tori chose her dress.) The lemon-blueberry wedding cake, made by Kelly Bates' sister Kay, was simply divine.

We enjoyed exchanging hugs and hellos with members of both the Bates and Duggar families. The Duggars are close friends of the Bates, and most were in attendance today. We were also thrilled to chat with a few followers of our blogs.

Details of Tori and Bobby's special day can be found at People.com.

'Doggy Dilemmas' Recap

Bringing Up Bates "Doggy Dilemmas"

• Warden, Judson, and Jeb head over to the Paines’ house to help Erin and Chad train Max the puppy. Max is great at sitting on command, but he doesn’t quite understand fetching.
• Lawson visits the local children’s hospital with music friend Emily Ann Roberts to sing for patients.
• “Seeing situations where children are challenged to go on…it makes you realize, ‘I should be really grateful for all the things I get to experience in life,’” says Gil.
• “When we were done and we had met all the kids, I was already ready to plan the next time to go back,” says Emily Ann. “It’s amazing to meet all of them and just see how positive they are...”
• Kelly’s plan to tear down Gil’s shed and use the concrete slab for a basketball court was vetoed by Gil, but he and his sons work together to make a court in the side yard. Lawson comes outside just before the concrete truck is scheduled to arrive, but he is wearing nice clothes. “When I saw him come out there, I said ‘Nah, he didn’t come out here to pour concrete; he came out here to watch,’” says Nathan.
• “No, I came out there to pour concrete,” responds Lawson. “It’s like this, I figure if you do it right, you won’t get dirty.” His dad and brothers finally convince him to change. The concrete truck doesn’t show up, so Gil has to call another company and make an appointment for the next morning.
• The following day, everything is going great, until the Bates run out of concrete just before the end of the project. “Dad, being frugal as he is, got the bare minimum of concrete we needed,” says Jackson. 
• Thankfully, they are able to make it work, and the finished product looks great. The kids add their hand prints and names to the edges of the court. 
• Up in Chicago, Michaela and Brandon are loving married life. “Marriage has been the most incredible adventure,” says Michaela. 
• As a surprise for Kelly's 50th birthday, Brandon is working on a video that will feature his sketches and some poems. “In making a video, I don’t have a conventional process or setup,” he explains. “Basically, it’s whatever I can rig so that the camera is the right distance from the paper that it’s recording.”
• Michaela spends her days working as a nanny, sewing girls’ dresses for the business she is starting, and scrap-booking. “Everyone in the family has always predicted and said Michael is going to be the one that has a really, super large family," says Kelly. "She loves children. She rejoices when another person is pregnant as much as we do, but at the same time…there’s got to be that feeling of, ‘I wish I could be pregnant and join them.’”
• When Michaela and Brandon had been married about six months, they started realizing that most of their friends and siblings were expecting by that time. In this episode, they have just celebrated their one-year wedding anniversary and are considering visiting a specialist.
• “There’s definitely the excitement of wanting to start a family," shares Michaela. "It was always my dream as a little girl. It’s been amazing, just having each other, but then realizing at the same time, there’s just maybe some complications and some difficulties."
• Brandon shares some very wise words on the subject: “That area is an area we want the Lord to have control in, and for a lot of people, that means kids can come along just as soon as possible, but for us that hasn’t been the case. I still see that in the Lord’s hands. He’s just saying no for now. We hope it’s not no for always, but it’s no for now, and it hasn’t been wasted time. The most important thing in life is not all the things you can accumulate, but really see the value in what you have been given. In Michael, I have just been given a treasure that I couldn’t have asked for."

Recap: 'Plans, Bands and Mashed Potatoes'

Bringing Up Bates "Plans, Bands and Mashed Potatoes"

• Erin gathers her siblings to discuss a surprise weekend getaway for Kelly's 50th birthday. "This is going to be a complete surprise, so the main thing is that nobody talks about it," Erin tells the little kids. Judson and Jeb claim they can keep a secret, but that remains to be seen.
• A few weeks ahead of Lawson's concert tour, he has the band over to rehearse. Some of the members don't know the songs, so the practice is a bit rough. "I'm sure that the pressure is setting in and that Lawson is starting to feel nervous," says Kelly.
• Later, Gil and the boys discuss building a "basketball goal" in the yard. They have been playing on gravel for more than 10 years and have been saving money to pour a slab of concrete. 
• "When you learn how to play basketball on gravel, you have home court advantage over anyone that comes to your house because most people don't have that talent," says Nathan.
• Everyone has their own idea about where the court should go. "Lawson always has the perfect plan, no matter what anyone else says," says Erin. They decide to shoot for it. Whoever makes a basket makes the final call.
• "I know one thing for sure," says Kelly. "You boys definitely need a court. You need some practice. How about y'all take up a different sport."
• Kelly suggests the guys tear down the junk shed and use that concrete slab for their court. Gil says that will cost too much money. "That doesn't cost a dime, darlin,'" says Kelly. "One match."
• So Kelly decides to shoot a basket. "I've never even seen my mom throw a basketball, in her life," says Zach. And she makes it! 
• "When I saw my wife make that shot...I'm kind of shaking in my boots," says Gil. It still might be a while before the actual project goes down though. The Bates do operate on Bates time, after all.
• Warden heads over to Erin's house, which is about 30 minutes away, for a cooking lesson. He makes chicken, mashed potatoes, rolls, salad, and cookies.
• "In a lot of households, the guys kind of do these things and the girls do these things, but in our house, it's not really that way," says Lawson. "It's all hands on deck." Zach jokes that he is the best at everything because he is the oldest.

Recap: Bringing Up Bradley

Bringing Up Bates "Bringing Up Bradley"

• Kelly and Carlin visit Once Upon A Child to shop for birthday presents for Bradley. Kelly goes all out, and Carlin tries to convince her to take it down a notch or two. “He don’t need no more toys,” Carlin tells her mom. “Y’all spoil him.”
• The rest of the kids agree. Now that Kelly is a grandmother, Zach says she is in “full spoil mode.” “We all wish we were grandkids,” adds Josie.
• Looking back on the shopping trip, which was more of a shopping spree, Kelly admits that she may have gone overboard. “When I got to the register and heard the total, I thought, Gil is going to absolutely die when he hears how much I spent!” admits the mom of 19. The tab is $176.97.
• Later, Carlin accompanies Lawson to a photo shoot for his upcoming album, to be released this spring (if everything goes according to plan). Taryn Yager, a friend who has become the unofficial Bates family photographer, takes the pictures inside her in-home studio.
• It takes a little while for Lawson to loosen up, but by the end of the photo shoot, he’s posing like a pro. Taryn’s pictures turn out great!
• Lawson hopes to do a tour for this album. Since fall 2013, he has released one CD and two singles.
• The Bates family heads over to Cove Lake State Park, which is where Zach and Whitney began their courtship, for Bradley’s first birthday celebration.  Whitney goes all out with decorations, arriving five hours early to set up.
• “I found out real quick in this family, you don’t let them know what your skill is because you’ll be recruited to do that from then on for all the events,” says Whitney, smiling. Until now, she has kept her decorating expertise a secret.
• For the younger kids, the highlight of the party is kicking plastic balls filled with ice cream around the room. If you have ever seen a hamster ball, they look similar to one of those. All you do is load ice and a few other ingredients into the ball and then kick it around until it turns into ice cream.
• Surprisingly, the ice cream balls work! “Best thing ever!” says Judson.
• The gift table is quite overwhelming. During the party, Chad looks at Erin and says: “Erin, we can’t do this for Carson. We wouldn’t have a place to put it.”
• Towards the end of the party, Zach and Whitney invite both sets of their parents, as well as Zach’s grandparents, up to the front of the room and give them each two wrapped frames, containing two pictures from their maternity photo shoot.
• Gil and Kelly don’t have their reading glasses on, so it takes them a few moments to realize what’s going on. Everyone starts screaming when the announcement is finally made that Zach and Whitney are expecting baby No. 2.

Recap: "Time to Reno-Bate"

Bringing Up Bates "Time to Reno-Bate!"

• Now that three of the ten Bates girls have left the nest, the remaining seven sisters decide to give their bedroom a makeover. The room had previously been decorated with all of Michael's pictures and love letters from Brandon. 
• "We are definitely going to make some rules about boyfriends being on the wall," says Josie. "My rule is that they can have one picture by their bed."
• "The problem with trying to come up with a plan or idea in our family is that there's so many opinions," says Tori, as she and her sister sit down with Kelly to make a plan.
• Josie chooses a dark gray shade for the walls and is able to convince a few of her sisters to support her. Tori and Kelly, on the other hand, are a little skeptical, even after the girls paint the room.
• Josie, the head interior designer, assures them that the curtains and decorations will tone it down. She's right! When the room is finished, everyone loves it. Kelly says the girls did a great job combining what she calls an "urban" wall color with rustic, colorful decorations.
• While the girls are in the middle of their redecorating project, Lawson and Nathan return home from a trip to New York to visit Nathan's friend Ashley, whom viewers met last year on "Blessings...And New Beginnings?" Ashely comes back with the boys to spend a week with the Bates. 
• Nathan and Ashley having been getting to know each other for the past several months. "Something's up, I think," says Trace.
• Meanwhile, Zach and Whitney work on a redecorating project of their own. They are at the tail end of modernizing their house, a process which has included knocking down walls, repainting, and installing trim. 
• Whitney has decided that their pure white couches no longer match with their white walls and black picture frames. She and Zach head to a furniture store to pick out a brand new black leather couch and love seat.
• When the couch and love seat are delivered, Zach and Whitney are both very pleased. "I love it," says Whitney. "It just makes the whole room feel like it's finished."
• Later, Tori, Carlin, and Kelly try out a new recipe, honey-mustard chicken. (Tori is currently on break from college, where she is pursuing an education major.) Now that Michael is gone, Tori and Carlin say they are spending more time cooking.

Recap: Back Seat Bates

Bringing Up Bates "Back Seat Bates"

• Chad shows Erin the design he has created for the cover of her upcoming Christmas album, which she recently recorded in Nashville.
• The Paines reveal that this is not the first album cover that Chad has designed for Erin. Before they were "together,' Erin enlisted Chad's help in designing her Down Home Gospel CD cover, but she was secretly just looking for an excuse to spend time with him.
• "I jumped at the chance," admits Chad. "I saw an opportunity, and I was like, you know what, I've never done this before but I'm going to find out how."
• After finishing his training at that Blount County Regional Training Academy, Zach asks his instructors if he can bring his family back to give them a taste of what he went through. 
• The first item on the agenda is pursuit driving. Everyone grabs a helmet and piles into old Sheriffs cars. "They don't know what they in for," laughs Zach.
•  Carlin screams the entire time, as do many of the others. 
• " It was better than any roller coaster in the country," says Lawson. "These guys can drive."
•  Callie is quite upset to see her mom take part, as she's afraid that something is going to happen to her. Zach, the driver, promises to be careful. 
• "I should have gone to the bathroom first," comments Kelly. "Mom, please don't say that," responds Lawson. 
• Kelly reveals that one of her greatest fears is car wrecks. "I've got a house full of bad drivers," says the mom of 19. "I've got certain kids I won't even drive with."
• Kelly holds Whitney's arm and screams for Zach to let her out, but Zach keeps driving, laughing hysterically. "It's too bad he's too big to spank," says Kelly at the end of the ride.
•  The next activity, for the older ones, is target shooting, but first the instructor lectures them about gun safety.  
• Next, Zach leads the guys through an obstacle course, which leaves Gil on the ground trying to catch his breath. "My dad's probably the toughest 50-year-old I know," says Zach. "But man, it pushes you to your physical limit."
•  A day at the Police Academy leaves the Bates feeling very appreciative of their law enforcement officers and the instructors who train those man and women.
• Later, Lawson takes Kelly, Carlin, and Josie to the local children's hospital where he has been visiting sick kids. 
• The child who is most excited to see Lawson is AJ, a little boy with a tumor pressing on his optic nerve who has become a close friend of Lawson.
• Everyone fights back tears as Lawson plays guitar and sings with AJ and several other young children at the hospital. 
• "We've tried to encourage all of our children to be involved in some kind of ministry outreach that would be a blessing to other people," says Kelly.

Recap: Sweet Tea and Sit Ups

Bringing Up Bates "Sweet Tea and Sit Ups"...

• Gil, Kelly, Michael, Erin, and Carson stop by Vol Market #3, one of the family's favorite Knoxville restaurants. The Bates’ friendship with the owners started when Michael was a child and eventually led to her becoming a full-time nanny for the owners’ children.
• Like Erin, Michael has asked Vol Market #3 to cater her wedding food. “Her menu is going to be y’all’s chicken salad sandwiches, some sub sandwiches and chips and cake,” Kelly tells the owners.
• Everyone has a different estimate of the number of guests that will show up to the wedding. Michael predicts 500-600, Kelly thinks 600-800, and Gil guesses around 1,000.
• Up next is a meeting with the musicians, Emily and Natalie Raynes, who will play as the bridal party enters and leaves the sanctuary. During the ceremony, Brandon is arranging to have a few songs performed that he wrote for Michael.
• Back at home, Kelly tells her family that she needs to lose weight before the wedding. “I need some incentive, so if it’s like a challenge or competition, I’ll be more motivated.”
• The mom of 19 announces her plan: She and Gil will compete, with Tori as her trainer and Lawson and Gil’s trainer. But Kelly doesn’t want to judge the competition by the amount of weight lost, as she is embarrassed to step on the scale. So she suggests that the winner be the person who looks the best in the end. Gil says that Kelly will win.
• “I said, ‘Dad, you want a real coach who knows what it takes to get in shape and look good? I’ll be your man,’” shares Lawson.
• While Tori works out alongside her mom, Lawson’s approach is more hands-off.
• Tori and Kelly spend their time walking and doing toning exercises for abs and upper body. Meanwhile, Lawson drives to a deserted road, pushes Gil out the door, and tells him to run alongside the truck. Lawson sits at the wheel enjoying air conditioning and a cold bottle of sweet tea.
• The little kids pick two bowls of blackberries and beg Michael to make her famous blackberry cobbler. It’s a bittersweet moment, as everyone realizes that they won’t have Michael (or her cobbler) for much longer.
• “Michael, she never wants to be in the limelight,” says Gil. “She wants to be behind the scenes helping somebody.” “She’s always thinking of others more than herself,” adds Kelly.
• A seamstress friend brings over Michael’s finished wedding gown, and the Bates gals break down in tears as she models it. “I’m like the happiest girl ever,” she says. Her sisters and sister-in-law are thrilled for her, but they are all very sad to see her move to Chicago.

Gil: 'They All Push Each Other to the End'

Who do you think is the most competitive member of the Bates family? According to Kelly Bates, all the kids have a competitive spirit. "They get it from their dad," says the mom of 19 (video below).

Recap: "Addee & Ellie's Pool Party"

Bringing Up Bates, "Addee & Ellie's Pool Party"

• Gil fulfills his promise of giving Josie a private tennis lesson.
• “Sometimes we…treat the family like a herd or a flock, instead of like individual people that are valuable, special, important,” shares Gil, as he emphasizes the importance of spending one-on-one time with each child.
• Gil grew up playing tennis and says that his “claim to fame” was when he finally beat his dad on his dad’s 50^th birthday. He is proud of Josie for wanting to learn a new skill.
• Meanwhile, Kelly takes Trace clothing shopping at a local thrift store.
• “All of our boys are probably just as picky about clothes as our girls are,” shares Kelly. “They know brands, they know what they like, they know what they think looks good or doesn’t look good. So I feel like I’m the old lady out of style when I’m shopping with the kids.”
• Trace will graduate high school in December. Kelly asks if he plans to continue working with Gil, but Trace says that he “really ain’t big into that tree business.” 
• The mom of 19 encourages her son to experiment with a few classes at The Crown College of the Bible and reminds him that she and Gil will pay for his first semester, but she assures him that she will be happy with whatever choice he makes.
• Trace thanks his mom for taking him shopping and says he “had an amazing time” with her.
• Addallee and Ellie’s birthdays are in February and April, but the girls have been holding off for an outdoor pool party. Now that summer has rolled around, Gil and Kelly decide it’s time to fulfill the girls’ wish. Whitney’s mom, who has a pool, invites the family over to her house.
• “My parents have always really tried to make every birthday really special, especially for the younger children,” says Lawson. Gil and Kelly make a habit of taking the birthday kid out to a restaurant and then allowing him or her to have a party.
• After the Bates arrive at the pool, everyone jumps in the water while Kelly prepares lunch. “Where’s the birthday cake?” asks Zach. Turns out, Gil was in charge of picking up the food on Kelly’s list, and he bought two boxes of cake mix and brought them to the party.
• “Who’s going to cook a cake mix while we’re in the pool?” Lawson asks his dad. 
• “What about all the things I got right?” says Gil. “You did good, you did good,” Kelly assures her husband.
• Michaela saves the day when she arrives with a store-bought cake. Before chowing down, the Bates take turns sharing praises about Addee and Ellie, which is something they do at every birthday celebration.
• “If you’ve ever heard of constructive criticism, it doesn’t feel too constructive if you’re the one getting it,” says Gil. “But praise, or encouragement…is a powerful, powerful thing.”
• “Affirmation from other people, when it’s real, means so much,” shares Nathan.

Recap: "A Big Bates Thanksgiving"

Bringing Up Bates "A Big Bates Thanksgiving"

• Erin visits her doctor to determine the gender of her baby. The results are written on a piece of paper and sealed in an envelope, which Erin will give to her cousin Katherine so she can bake a cake with either pink or blue inside. "I am a super curious person, especially when it comes to what my baby is," says Erin.
• The family packs up and heads to Gil's parents' farm in Honea Path, South Carolina. Mama Jane and Papa Bill prepare to feed a few dozen family members for Thanksgiving Dinner.
• Gil's parents have owned their farm since they moved to the area when Gil was in third grade. Now, his brother and sister each own a house and several acres of land on the property. Gil and Kelly also own several acres.
• The entire family gathers together, including Michaella's boyfriend, Brandon.
• On Thanksgiving Day, Callie accidentally slams Jeb's finger in a door. Later, during the annual family football game (married guys versus single guys) Zach injures his knee. But no one ends up in the emergency room, so the Bates consider it a good day.
• Growing up, Gil spent a lot of time playing sports. His parents say he had a hard time balancing athletics with other priorities. Now that he has kids, he encourages them to put Christ first, which means they don't play organized sports.
• The Bates put on their matching outfits (purples, blues, and grays) and take family photos. Chad the photographer organizes the pictures.
• Bill and Jane rent a tent for Thanksgiving Dinner because their house isn't big enough to accommodate their growing family. After the meal, the Bates move inside and reflect on what they are thankful for. "There was probably not a dry eye in the place," says Gil.
• Kelly's response is the most touching: "I'm really thankful that y'all are so forgiving because I know as parents, we have let you down so many times. There have been times that we were upset with y'all that we shouldn't have been, or that we should have cut you slack and we didn't, or that we were impatient. And y'all have put up and endured and even encouraged us along and are so forgiving. And many times we look back and we feel like failures as parents, and we feel like we've let y'all down in so many ways. And y'all are the greatest kids in the world. Y'all encourage us so much. I just love every one of you.
• Gil says he is thankful that his wife had the idea of leaving the size of their family up to God. He thought it was crazy at first, but looking back, he says it was one of the best decisions he has ever made.
• Everyone gathers around as Erin cuts into the cake baked by her cousin. The inside is blue, which means she and Chad are having a boy!
• To end the night, Lawson plays piano while Papa Bill and Mama Jane dance. Mama Jane tries to teach Nathan. "Nathan cannot dance," says Michaella.
• The following day, the Bates (everyone but Michaella, who is returning home to Tennessee to work, and Brandon, who is flying back to Michigan) gather up their belongings to head down to Florida.
• The family talks about how different Thanksgiving will be in 2015. "Bradley might have a girl in his life...a sister," says Zach. "Zach, be serious!" responds Whitney.
• "There might be a couple more wives, or girlfriends," says Nathan. "I am not getting married before next Thanksgiving," confirms Lawson.