'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: 'A Birthday and a Birdie'

Bringing Up Bates "A Birthday and a Birdie"

• Gil and Kelly have a tradition of giving a purity ring to each of their daughters on her 16^th birthday. It’s Katie’s turn, and her older sisters help her find an outfit to wear for her dinner date with Mom and Dad. Katie says she isn’t a dressy person, but they insist she wear something fancy.
• “Watching these young girls grow up to be young ladies is really hard for a dad,” says Gil.
• When the producer asks why the guys don’t get purity rings, Zach jokingly responds that “the guys in this family don’t get a lot of free things.”
• “Don’t worry about the ring,” says Lawson. “But if you want to get me a new saddle, maybe even a new pickup truck.” The younger boys say they would love a steak in place of a purity ring.
• At the restaurant, Gil and Kelly explain the significance of the ring. “This is valuable, but your purity and your life is way more valuable than any ring or trinket or anything in the whole world,” shares Gil. 
• Katie will wear the gold heart ring--a symbol of her commitment to stay pure, the talk she had with her parents, how much her mom and dad love her, and the goals she has set for herself to pursue godliness--on her right ring finger until her wedding day.
• “Going into this dinner, I was really nervous, not really knowing what to expect, but it was just great spending time with Mom and Dad, and they made me feel really special.”
• Later, Gil and Kelly, who have been looking for a permanent meeting place since they started their church plant more than three years ago, visit the building that they recently secured. It doesn’t have a steeple, so they are having one added.
• Papa Bill and Mama Jane (Gil’s parents) are visiting from South Carolina. Gil, Papa Bill, and Lawson go on a golfing outing. “He’s just been one of my best friends, and I look forward to any chance to be with him,” says Gil of his father, who is 78.
• “Lawson is a card,” says Papa Bill. “He is very funny. Lawson enjoys golf, but this game doesn’t quite go as well as he hoped it would.
• Gil asks his son if he needs to have a “large talk,” which is Bates code for, “Are you interested in any girls?” Lawson says no; he is married to music right now.
• Papa Bill offers up wise advice: “Just remember, whatever decision you make today will determine what decisions are available to you tomorrow.” 
• At dinner that night, Gil and Kelly single Katie out. “She was ready to hide,” laughs Kelly. “She does not like attention.” While they eat, the family shares birthday praises. Gil's words bring everyone to tears.
• Carlin: “Katie never ceases to make me laugh.
• Erin: “Katie is like one of my best friends. I would kind of like to adopt her if mom would let me.”
• Mama Jane: “Katie tries to make sure I don’t say anything that’s not acceptable. And that’s been a little problem with me through the years. Things I think just come out. But she corrects me.”
• Kelly: “You’re just so content and so grateful for anything.”
• Gil: “When I’m getting stressed out about stuff, you say, ‘Dad, it’s alright. It’s going to be okay.’ You help me get the right perspective on things.”

Win Lawson's New CD

Who doesn't like free stuff? We're giving you another chance to win Lawson Bates' new CD, What Country Means to Me! Follow the prompts on the Rafflecopter widget below to enter to win one of four copies.

Winners of Lawson's New CD

Our giveaway is over, and we have chosen the winners! These five readers will receive a copy of Lawson Bates' newest CD, "What Country Means to Me.'

Sara L.
Blessing Counter
Britt B.
Tiffany H.
Beth L.

Thanks to everyone who entered the raffle. If you didn't win, we encourage you to pick up a copy of the CD. (It would also make a wonderful Christmas gift.) Visit Lawson's website to order a physical copy for $15, or visit iTunes to order the digital version for $9.99.

Recap: "Wedding Bliss and a First Kiss"

Bringing Up Bates "Wedding Bliss and a First Kiss"

• As Michael packs up her stuff at home, the girls beg her to reconsider moving out. “The Bates name is diminishing!” says Tori.
• “Y’all make it sound like it’s the end of the world,” says Michael. “It is!” replies Carlin.
• With only 30 hours to go before the wedding, dozens of family members and friends—including the Duggars—work together to decorate Wallace Memorial Baptist Church.
• Michael and the bridal party head to a local nail salon, while Brandon and his groomsmen stop by Prestige tuxedo to pick up their fancy attire. (Click here to see a list of the wedding party.)
• When the topic of the getaway car comes up, Brandon says he has taken precautions to prevent the decorating from getting out of hand, although Lawson, Nathan, and Trace Bates promise they won’t do anything too destructive. “No pepper down the air condition vents,” says Nathan. “No sardines in the floor board.”
• Michael and Brandon decided early on in their relationship to save their first kiss for the altar. “We haven’t practiced it, but we have talked about it,” says the groom.
• "Saving our first kiss was definitely not just an easy thing to do,” shares Michael. “And just looking forward to it tomorrow and knowing that it’s the first for both of us, it totally makes it worth all of the difficulty times that we have wanted to kiss.”
• The girls are running a bit behind schedule, but Kelly isn’t phased. “Michael may want to be on time for the rehearsal, but until tomorrow, she’s still a late Bates, along with the rest of us,” jokes the mom of 19.
• Michael admits she is stressed out, but her wedding coordinator—a family-friend who has coordinated all of the Bates kids’ weddings thus far—puts her at ease. 
• “I guess I have always had a little bit of an organized tendency to me, but learning how to organize Bates weddings has taken time and prayer,” says wedding coordinator Kim Nafziger.
• When everyone meets at the church for the rehearsal, Carlin breaks down crying, and Michael tries to console her. “Everything hit me all at once, that this is really it,” says Carlin. “The dynamic of our family is going to be different.”
• John and Alyssa arrive from Florida, but the Bates hardly recognize Alyssa, who had recently dyed her hair dark brown. (Her locks are naturally light brown.)
• On the morning of the wedding, Michael is eager to tie the knot. “This is the day of my wedding, and I have never been so excited before,” says the bride.
• With four hours to go, both the guys and gals are running behind. “I’m super excited, but I’m hoping everything comes together in time,” says the groom.
• As the seamstress laces the back of Michael’s dress and fits the veil on her head, Callie starts bawling. “This breaks my heart, Mom,” says Michael, as she scoops her little sister into her arms.
• Michael had made it clear that she does not want flower petals to fall during the kiss, so Brandon purchases two confetti cannons for the younger boys to set off.
• Pictures begin, and Gil tears up when he sees his daughter in her wedding gown. “Michaela has never seen herself as someone that wanted to be in the limelight,” says the proud father. “And she has never viewed herself as lovely as we see her. And yet today, on her wedding day, she’s the perfect picture of what we would all consider a lovely bride.”
• Michael and Brandon decide to wait until the ceremony to see each other in their wedding attire, but they snap a picture of the two of them on either side of a door, holding hands and praying together.
• Despite all the delays, the wedding starts at 2:00 sharp. Just before walking Michael down the aisle, Gil shares a special time of prayer with his daughter.
• The grandparents and Brandon's parents enter the auditorium to a live performance of Lawson’s new song “I Will Always.” (Click here for information on how to purchase.)
• The wedding party, starting with matron of honor Kelly Bates, walks down the aisle to Canon in G. “It was an honor that Michael asked me to do that,” says the mom of 19. “Although I enjoy the role of mom…there is nothing like knowing that they’re one of my best friends and I’m one of their best friends.”
• When everyone else is in place on stage, the doors open, the guests stand, and Michael and Gil enter. When asked “Who gives this woman in marriage to this man?” Gil responds: “Her Mother and I and her 18 siblings.”
• A professor from the Bible college that Brandon attended gives the sermon, and Gil officiates the rest.
• After reciting their traditional vows, exchanging wedding rings, lighting a unity candle, and praying with their parents, Michael and Brandon are pronounced husband and wife. “And after I kiss her on the cheek, you can kiss your bride,” says Gil, smiling with pride. 
• The elated newlyweds share their first kiss and then embrace in a romantic hug, as the confetti cannons are set off from the audience. 
• “Knowing that I was his only girlfriend and the first girl he had ever kissed and being able to give that back, it was priceless,” says Michael. “Definitely worth waiting for,” adds Brandon.
• The couple drives away in a tactfully decorated getaway car, which Brandon successfully kept away from his brothers-in-law.

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.

Recap: "The Purity Ring"

Tonight on Bringing Up Bates, "The Purity Ring"...

• Lawson Bates prepares to sing the National Anthem for 15,000 people at a University of Tennessee men's basketball game. When he first mentioned the idea to his parents, they thought it wouldn't be possible, but Lawson made it happen. "He doesn't give up," says Kelly. "He kept pursuing, and that's encouraging as a parent."
• The rest of the Bates clan attends the game to support Lawson. This is the first major sporting event they have attended as a family.
• Before the performance, Lawson admits he is extremely nervous, but he ends up doing very well. Lawson's parents and siblings are proud of his accomplishment. Gil tears up as he listens to his son sing.
• "It was absolutely awesome," says Carlin. "The crowd loved it," says Nathan.
• Later, Carlin is shocked when she receives a special delivery: a bouquet of flowers, a fancy dress, and an invite to a dinner date with Mom and Dad.
• Carlin is all smiles as she and her parents enjoy a meal at an expensive restaurant, just the three of them.
• Gil starts to cry as presents her with a purity ring. "This is a little gift that we got you," says the father of 19. "It's valuable, but what you are is way more valuable than any gift we could give you, and what God's given you is a wholesome, pure life. And I want you to keep it until the day that I hand you off to some fine young man that loves God, and then he will begin to take care of you."
• Kelly says that she expects Carlin to start forming friendships with guys and to enter into a courtship when she finds a guy she really likes.
• "For us, a purity ring is something we have given our girls, just as a symbol for them and a reminder for them to keep their heart pure and to put God first in their life and to save themselves for marriage," says the mom of 19.
• At Zach and Whitney's house, the couple shares how they are adjusting to life with a new baby. "Whitney is an amazing mom," says Zach. "I'm just blown away. The way her and Bradley bond, you'd think she'd had 20 or 30 kids of her own already." Whitney says her husband is an excellent father.
• The Bates brings a pile of frozen pizzas over to Zach and Whitney's for some family bonding time. Kelly comes up with the idea of getting together every other Friday night, and everyone agrees.

"Nashville Son" Recap

Tonight on Bringing Up Bates "Nashville Son"...

• The Bates family is preparing to plant a winter vegetable garden. They have had gardens in the past, but it is been several years. "Eating healthy is a good goal," says Kelly. "That's what we're aiming for, but we fall short a lot of times, probably just because of habit and what's convenient, what's cheap."
• Gil and Kelly disagree about where the garden should sit. Gil thinks the valley is the best place. "I'll tell you what. Water rolls downhill," says the dad of 19. Kelly points to an unused piece of land at a higher elevation. Her rationale? "Water comes from the sky...everywhere."
• Kelly and her supporters decide to give in "with a good attitude," as the mom of 19 says. Kelly asks Gil to consider building a playground on the plot of land she had initially chosen for the garden.
• "When there's a difference of opinion, we try to listen to each person's opinion," says Kelly. "But it comes to a point when you can see from their expressions, their tones, their attitudes that...this has gone a little bit too far. We're not just sharing opinions at this point. There are some hard feelings that are forming."
• The whole family helps Gil plow the land and prepare the garden for planting. Erin's husband, Chad, who grew up on a farm, comes over to help.
• Lawson drives three hours to Nashville to record a new song, which was released yesterday. He took up the hobby of writing music a few years ago. Some of his songs are about his experiences, and some are stories about other people.
• "I am very excited but also very nervous," says Lawson. The 22-year-old has managed a landscaping business for several years and still keeps that as a day job, but he is currently placing more emphasis on building his music career.
• When he arrives in Nashville, Lawson, who has never had vocal training, meets with performer and voice coach Joyce Martin.
• Lawson records at the studio belonging to legendary bluegrass musician Ricky Skaggs. His new song, called "Problems," is a duet with Rachel Leftwich, Rick Skaggs' niece.
• While visiting Music City, Lawson also has the privilege of discussing his career goals with Ed Leonard, president of Daywind Records.
• Upon returning home, Lawson receives accolades from his family when he plays the recording of his song.
• Here is Kelly's take on musical training: "Gil and I never had a musical background and can't even read a note of music, but we felt like it was really important for all of the children to have music lessons just so we could use it for ministry."
• Lawson, Nathan, and Trace are asked who they think will be the next Bates to get hitched. "It will probably be Lawson, or Tori," says Nathan. "Them girls like to jump ship early," adds Lawson.
• Kelly says courtship is a popular topic of conversation in the Bates family, as the kids like to tease each other about potential mates, or lack thereof, and try to match-make.
• Lawson says his parents don't force their kids to pursue courtship over careers, or vice versa. Instead, they tell their children to make their own choices, and they promise to be there to support, encourage, and advise them.

Recap: "Bates Gone Wild"

Tonight on Bringing Up Bates, "Bates Gone Wild"...

• Zach and Lawson take Tori and Carlin out for a driving lesson. "I'm scared to ride with them, so I put it off on Zach," admits Kelly. There is a lot of yelling and teasing as the girls cruise through the hills of Eastern Tennessee, but it's all in fun.
• "Carlin, she's slightly over confident," says Lawson. "The confidence is way ahead of the skill right now." Tori is more cautious. Both girls passed their driving tests.
• "This family lacks good drivers," says Lawson.
• The Bates (minus a few of the older kids) prepare for a camping trip with other families from their church. Kelly gets all the kids involved in packing. It takes longer than it would have if she and the older kids had done everything, but the goal is to teach the younger kids a skill, not to complete the task as quickly as possible.
• Kelly encourages the kids to keep all the camping supplies organized. "Mommy gets stressed without organization," she says.
• Just as everyone is about to leave for the trip, Jeb puts a rock up his nose. Kelly sits him down and tells him to blow out. She is then able to use her finger to retrieve the rock.
• "I don't know why kids put things in their noses," says Gil. "But for some reason, it's a favorite pastime."
• Tori is allowed to drive the van on the camping trip, but as she is pulling out of the driveway, she hits the trailer. Lawson says the family has not let her live it down. "We're tough on cars," admits Zach.
• When the Bates arrive at the campsite, they realize they left a few tents behind, so they have to get creative with sleeping arrangements.
• All the families gather around the campfire, and Gil, who is a phenomenal artist, does a chalk drawing. "Chalk art is a great way to communicate a message," he says.
• The Bates are short of blankets and don't end up sleeping well, but they still have smiles on their faces the next morning.
• "Dad snored all night," says Carlin. "He snores like a frog," adds Tori.
• The crew piles into canoes and goes for a trip down the river. Carlin volunteers to watch eight little ones so her mom can go canoeing.
• "I'm not that intimidated because there's only eight," says Carlin, who regularly watches 25 children in the church nursery with only one other person.
• "Carlin has just a love for children and an enthusiasm to make things fun," says Gil.
• "It was scarier than I pictured," Kelly says of canoeing. The canoe that she is in with Gil and Judson ends up flipping over.
• At lunchtime, the crew realizes that they don't have charcoal, so they resort to using wood, which is a much slower process.
• "My dad is not the best cook," says Katie, as she chows down on a burnt burger.
• As the Bates pack up and leave the campsite, everyone talks about how much they enjoyed the experience.
• "It's always a lot of work, but we do it for the kids and for the memories," says Kelly.