Keilens Celebrate 4 Years

Has it really been four years since we watched the beautiful wedding of Michael Bates and Brandon Keilen? Happy anniversary, Keilens! For fun, we have included a video of the two newlyweds on their Montana honeymoon.

Michaela and Brandon Keilen

2019

Michaela Keilen and Brandon Keilen

2015

Photos courtesy of brandonandmichaela.com

Thanksgiving as Told by Brandon

American Thanksgiving is coming up in just two days, and as you may know, the Bates have a tradition of spending the holiday with Gil's side of the family.

Four years ago, back when Michael Keilen was Michael Bates and she and Brandon were not yet engaged, Brandon shared a video with the extended Bates clan. Using his artistic talents, he created a time lapse video of himself sketching the story of Thanksgiving. The family was blown away. Below is a Bringing Up Bates video that shows clips of Brandon's time lapse, as well as the Bates' reactions.

If you enjoy this blog, be sure to visit Ellie's other blogs (NashvilleWife.com and DuggarFamilyBlog.com).

Photo/video courtesy of UPtv

Keilens Celebrate 3 Years

Do you remember watching Michael Bates marry Brandon Keilen on a past episode of Bringing Up Bates? It may feel like their wedding was yesterday, but they have been husband and wife for three years now. Happy anniversary to the Keilens! To see their wedding photo shoot, watch the video below.

Photo/video courtesy of UP

4th Time's a Charm?

Gil Bates, Michael Bates, Erin Bates, Zach Bates, Lawson Bates, Kelly Bates

"Hands down, three children was our hardest because of their ages."
-Kelly Bates

"After four, it gets way easier."
-Gil Bates

Really? Gil and Kelly raised 19 kids, and yet they say that their most challenging stage of parenting was when they had just three. Why do you think that is? In the scene below, Kelly takes Alyssa out for a day of pampering before Zoey's arrival.

Photo/video courtesy of UP

Great Bates Moment: Zach and Whitney's Engagement

Last week, we shared two Great Bates Moments (an emotional clip of Michael Bates right before she walks down the aisle to become Michael Keilen and footage from Chad Paine's proposal to Erin Bates).

As Zach and Whitney Bates approach their four-year anniversary (December 14th), let's look back at their romantic engagement on September 12th, 2013.

Photo/video courtesy of UP

Michael Down the Aisle

Another Great Bates Moment coming your way! On Tuesday, we shared a clip from Chad Paine's proposal to Erin Bates. The video below was taken just before Micheal Bates walked down the aisle to sweetheart Brandon Keilen. We just love the raw emotion and pure joy written on Michael's face.

Photo/video courtesy of UP

Keilens in D.C.

Just one month short of two years ago, Brandon Keilen proposed to Michael Bates in Great Falls, Virginia, following a perfectly planned scavenger hunt through Washington D.C. The iconic D.C. cherry blossoms were in full bloom, which made a beautiful backdrop for photos.

 Michaela Bates and Brandon Keilen in D.C., April 2015

This weekend, Brandon surprised Michael with a surprise trip to the East Coast to relive their engagement moments. They visited the cherry blossoms, which started blooming just in time for their arrival.

Michael and Brandon Keilen in D.C., March 2017

They also stopped by the exact spot where Brandon proposed in April 2015.

 Michaela Bates Keilen and Brandon Keilen, March 2017

If you have been following our blog for a couple years, you will remember these candid photos from the proposal.

 Brandon Keilen proposes to Michael Bates, April 2015

Photos courtesy of UP, brandonandmichaela.com

Brandon's Hidden Talent

Over the next several days, our opportunities to blog will be limited, but we still have plenty of entertaining Bates content to share with y'all while we're away from the computer.

We went through dozens of video clips from the past four seasons of Bringing Up Bates and chose our favorites (some that aired on the show and some that are bloopers/deleted scenes). For many of you, this will probably be your first time seeing them.

The first clip is in honor of upcoming American Thanksgiving. During Thanksgiving 2014, Brandon Keilen, Michael Bates' then-boyfriend, shares his hidden talent with the Bates family.

(Have you entered our CD giveaway? Click here for info.)

Photo/video courtesy of UP

Happy 1st Anniversary, Keilens!

One year ago today, Michael Bates and Brandon Keilen recited their marriage vows in front of family and friends and became husband and wife. Happy one-year wedding anniversary!

 
Photo courtesy of UP

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.

Shoes Stash & Sibling Sweetness

In this episode of Name That Bates, we learn that Whitney loves shoes and that Michaela (aka Michaella or Michael) frequently changes the preferred spelling of her name. Check out this video:

Video courtesy of UP

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.

New Bates-Keilen Wedding Photos!

The day you have been eagerly awaiting is finally here! Michael's wedding episode, Bringing Up Bates "Wedding Bliss and a First Kiss," airs tonight at 9pm ET/8pm CT on UP. Check out these sneak peek photos:

Erin (Bates) Paine applies the bride's makeup

 Michael ("Michaela") Bates smiles as she dresses for her wedding

 Bridesmaid Jana Duggar touches up Michael's makeup before the ceremony

 Michael comforts Callie, who is sad that her sister will be moving to Chicago

 A unique decoration, courtesy of Bates Tree Service

 Michael's bridal party

 Michael and Brandon snap a picture before the ceremony

 Gil Bates, doubling as pastor and father of the bride, 

walks oldest daughter Michael down the aisle

 Michael and Brandon pray with their parents during the ceremony

 Jana Duggar shows her support with a smile

 Brandon's parents light candles on the stage

 Lawson Bates performs an original song, "I Will Always," during the ceremony

Ring bearer Judson Bates tries to sit still during the ceremony

 Michael and Brandon share their first kiss!

 Michael and Brandon pose with Michael's sisters and nephew

(Addallee Bates, Callie Bates, Ellie Bates, and Bradley Bates)

 Jana Duggar and Michael (Bates) Keilen

The Bates-Keilen wedding party

 The newlyweds pose with Michael's parents, Gil and Kelly Bates

Mr. and Mrs. Brandon Keilen

 Michael and Brandon head to their getaway car

Honeymoon-bound!

Click here to watch a promo video of the wedding episode.

Photos courtesy of UP

Bates Engagement Stories

We saw Brandon Keilen propose to Michael, but have you ever wondered about the details of the other Bates couples' engagements? In the following video, Zach & Whitney Bates and Erin & Chad Paine share their stories and show never-before-seen footage of those special moments.

Zach and Whitney's Engagement

Erin and Chad's Engagement

Videos courtesy of UP

Recap: '15 Kids and an Empty Nest'

Bringing Up Bates "15 Kids and an Empty Nest"...

• Brandon arrives in Tennessee, and the wedding week begins! When asked if he is ready to get married, the groom-to-be responds: "I don't know if people would say I'm ready, but I'm wanting to get married."
• "It hasn't been too stressful, with all of the people that have been helping out," says Michael.
• Gil accompanies the couple to purchase their marriage license at the courthouse. "Do you have other children?" the clerk asks Gil. "Oh yes ma'am," Gil replies. "We're going to be down to a manageable size I think. We're only going to have 15 kids at home." The clerk drops her scissors in shock.
• Before transferring their attention to wedding preparations, Gil and Kelly take the little kids on a special rollerskating outing at a local park. "Everybody's a good skater but Mom," says Kelly. "I'm the only one." She hangs on to Gil for dear life as he takes her around the park. "This is fun," says Gil. "No, this is not fun," replies Kelly."
• While racing with the boys, Gil takes a few tumbles but doesn't sustain any injuries.
• Meanwhile, the older boys take Brandon on an outing of his choice. He picks the Knoxville Ice Chalet. "We have done very little ice skating," admits Lawson. "We love rollerblading and [we are] decent at that, but when it comes to ice, it's a total different ballgame."
• Just when the boys start feeling comfortable on the ice, they are faced with some competition. "I was getting good at it, and then these two girls came out," says Lawson. "They started doing this stuff that, hey, I ain't seen nothing like that except in the Olympics."
• The girls attempt to teach the boys a few tricks. Brandon elects to play it safe and not participate, but he ends up skating over a puddle of water and wiping out. Although he bleeds quite a bit, the gash to the head that he sustains could have been much worse. The staff members bring out first aid supplies and help Brandon off the ice.
• "It wasn't as bad as it looked, but I will say this: Nobody wants to have a big bandage on their head on their wedding day," says Nathan.
• "I really think Michael is going to kill us, Nathan," says Trace. Lawson buys Brandon a cowboy hat to hide the injury. 
• "We are all cowboys," says Lawson. "It's just who we are. Brandon is not a cowboy. He's a Yankee, all the way. And I thought, 'Man, what better gift to get him than a cowboy hat?'"
• Michael hears about the ordeal before Brandon returns to the house and says she is "beyond panicked." She is relieved to find out that her husband-to-be has only sustained a minor injury.
• The sisters and bridesmaids, including Jana Duggar, gather at Erin's house for girl talk and candle making. The gals are surprised to hear that Michael is not nervous about the wedding or the wedding night.
• Later, Gil and Kelly, Erin and Chad, and Michael and Brandon enjoy dinner at Calhoun's on the River. "There is no way to put into words the emotions that I have been through this week," says Michael, as she balances the sorrows of leaving her family with the thrills of starting a new adventure with Brandon.  

Wedding Nerves? This Bride Says No

Is Michael Bates nervous about any of the events surrounding the wedding? She says no, but her sisters are surprised. "I remember what I was stressed about before the wedding...but [Michael] says she's not nervous about nothing, so she's better than I was," shares Erin (Bates) Paine (video below).

Watch as Michael gathers with her bridesmaids and sisters for girl talk and candle making just days before she becomes Mrs. Brandon Keilen. Tune in to UP tomorrow at 9pm ET/8pm CT for a brand new episode of Bringing Up Bates (details to follow).

Video courtesy of UP

Gil: 'You're Just Beautiful, Mike'

The wedding countdown has begun! Next Thursday, fans will watch Michael Bates marry Brandon Keilen during an all-new episode of Bringing Up Bates.

If you're in the mood to smile, watch the following video, which shows the family's reactions when Michael finally finds her dream wedding dress.

"You can't get married! Wahhhh! You look amazing!" (Carlin Bates)
"You're just beautiful, Mike." (Gil Bates, tearing up)
"I love this dress! This is what I've been dreaming of." (Michael Bates)

Photo/video courtesy of UP

Michael's Blackberry Cobbler Recipe

Did you tune in to UP for this week's new episode of Bringing Up Bates? Michael made her famous blackberry cobbler for the last time before marrying Brandon Keilen and moving to Chicago. It was a bittersweet day for the Bates family.

For those who are eager to try this Bates delicacy, here's the recipe (video also below):

Michael Bates' Blackberry Cobbler

Ingredients:
1 stick butter
1 cup self-rising flour
1 cup milk
1 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Blackberries or other fruit*

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In the pan you will use to make the cobbler, place the stick of butter and put pan in hot oven so that butter melts. (The Bates family uses a cast iron skillet.)
2. In a separate bowl, combine self-rising flour, milk, sugar, and vanilla. Mix well. Add the blackberries (or other fruit) to the batter.
3. Pour batter into hot pan with melted butter. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes.

Recipe can be doubled to feed a larger crowd.

*The Bates don't specify how much fruit to add, but we recommend 3-4 cups.

 

Photo/recipe/video courtesy of UP

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.

Tonight: 'Sweet Tea & Sit Ups'

Tune in to UP tonight at 9pm ET/8pm CT for "Sweet Tea and Sit Ups," episode two of the third season of Bringing Up Bates. 

Gil and Kelly compete to see who can get in the best shape before Michael's wedding. While Kelly enlists Tori to motivate her and help with workouts, Gil finds that his coach, Lawson, uses a more hands-off approach to whip him into shape (promo video and pictures below). Be sure to come back to the blog after the show for our written recap.

Meeting with the musicians

 Erin (Bates) Paine shares her song ideas with the musicians

 Gil and Michael Bates discuss wedding ceremony logistics

 The crew films Gil's first workout

 The Tennessee summer heat is exhausting!

 Lawson and Gil Bates

Oh, you think you're done? Time for push ups.

Click here to watch another promo video.

Photos courtesy of UP