Bates #2 Turns 31

Wishing Michael (Bates) Keilen a very happy 31st birthday! Coincidentally, Jana Duggar also turned 31 this month. Like Michael, Jana is the second-born in a family of 19 kids. The two have been friends since childhood, and Jana was a bridesmaids in Michael's wedding. Fun fact: Did you know that there's a story behind Michael's name? You can read all about it in our post from June 2015. 

 

Brandon Keilen and Michaela Keilen

Photo courtesy of UPtv

Bates #2 Turns 30

Happy 30th birthday to Michael Keilen! Michael "Michaela" is the second oldest of Gil and Kelly Bates' 19 children. She will celebrate her fifth wedding anniversary this year and is currently enrolled in nursing school in East Tennessee.

Michaela Keilen and Brandon Keilen

December 2019

Photo courtesy of keilencorner.com

Modeling and Moving In

Michaela Keilen, Kelly Bates, Erin Paine

 

Only one week to go until Carlin and Evan's wedding special! This Thursday on a new episode of Bringing Up Bates, the future Mr. and Mrs. Stewart set their house up, work on a duet for the ceremony, and pick up their marriage license. Meanwhile, Michael and Brandon settle into their Tennessee home, and Michael shares her nursing school plans. You'll also witness a photo shoot for the Bates Sisters Boutique.

Gil Bates, Carlin Bates, Evan Stewart

 

Lawson Bates and Gil Bates

 

Kelly Bates

 

Kelly Bates and Tori Smith

Thursday, November 14
7am ET: The Best is Yet to Come
9pm ET: Home is Where the Heart Is NEW!
As their wedding day gets closer and closer, Carlin and Evan get busy fixing up their future home. With all the unpacking, can they find the time to finish writing the duet they plan to sing at the ceremony, or will this turn into a musical disaster? Now that Michaella and Brandon have moved back to Tennessee, the eldest Bates daughter is anxious to settle into her new house. While the family helps her move in, Kelly Jo chats with Michaella about her nursing school plans. Meanwhile, Carlin, Whitney, and Erin have a photo shoot for their new dress business, and many of the Bates try their hand at modeling. And later, our busy bride checks off one last remaining item on her wedding to-do list, as she and Evan head to the courthouse to get their marriage license! 30 Minutes


Photos courtesy of UPtv

The Giggly Bates Bunch

Michael Keilen

"...It was definitely a humiliating time, and I don't think any of us older kids there forgot it."
-Michaela Keilen

"My parents have always focused, not as much on the sound of the music, but [on] the joyful part and the good attitude and encouraging people, which is great. But a lot of times we would mess up."
-Lawson Bates

UPtv has a new web exclusive Bates video series called Bates Legends. You'll enjoying hearing the Bates siblings tell entertaining stories from their childhood, like this one about something that happened while they were singing at a nursing home.

Photo/video courtesy of UPtv

Dancing, Moving, and Designing

Gil and Kelly Bates

 

On tonight's new episode of Bringing Up Bates, "A Dance with Dad & a Wedding to Plan," Carlin and Gil head to a local dance studio for a lesson.

Gil Bates, Carlin Bates, Kelly Bates

 

Having a daddy-daughter dance at her wedding is Carlin's dream, and Gil wants to make it happen, even though the Bates don't dance. Kelly comes along for support and learns a few moves, as well.

When Michael and Brandon Keilen come to town to search for a place to live once they move back to East Tennessee, they visit a rental property with Gil and Kelly. 

Michael Keilen, Brandon Keilen, Kelly Bates, Gil Bates

And it's time for Carlin to choose a location for her May wedding, but making such a big decision is not an easy task for the bride-to-be. She tours a couple venues with Kelly, Erin, Whitney, and Everly.

 

Whitney Bates, Erin Paine, Everly Paine, Carlin Bates, Kelly Bates

The ladies try to envision Carlin's wedding and how it will look at the different venues. 

 

Kelly Bates, Carlin Bates, Whitney Bates

Also wanted to share the summaries for the next two new episodes of Bringing Up Bates:

Thursday, October 10, 9pm: A Baby Grand Plan
Carlin has the perfect wedding venue but needs to start nailing down all the details, including decorations and a game plan in case it rains on her special day. Later, her wedding dress has finally arrived, but when she tries it on, it is desperately in need of major alterations. Back in Nashville, Tori and Bobby are ready to move, but their tiny moving truck is no match for all of their belongings. Lucky for them, Gil is a master packer. Can he bring his expert skills to the rescue? And, with all the church renovations nearly complete, all that’s left is to set up the gorgeous new baby grand piano before the first service. 30 MINUTES 


Thursday, October 17, 9pm: Shall We Dance?
Erin and Chad are teaming up and combining skills to work on a project together. Erin’s interior design skills have been put to good use when it comes to her siblings’ homes, but does she have what it takes to renovate a baby room for a new client? Meanwhile, Kelton gets a glimpse into his future when he spends some time with Bobby and baby Kade. Will this “dad in training” master diaper duty? And in between earning her cosmetology degree, Katie’s also working on getting her pilot’s license. But when she’s up in the air, can she impress big brother Nathan with her in-flight training skills? And later, practice makes perfect. Gil, Kelly Jo, and Carlin have completed their first dance lesson, but now it’s time for Evan and Erin and Chad to join in on the fun! Can they keep up with the instructor’s smooth moves and learn a ballroom dance routine before the wedding date? 30 MINUTES

Whitney Turns 26

Erin Paine, Michaela Keilen, Tori Smith, Kelly Bates, 

Whitney Bates, Carlin Stewart, Josie Balka

Today is Whitney's 26th birthday. The Bates family celebrated all the September birthdays on Thursday evening, and the ladies had dinner at The Cheesecake Factory yesterday to honor Whitney. Happy birthday, Whitney!

Photo courtesy of Zach and Whitney Bates

Michael and Brandon at a Keilen Wedding

Michaela Keilen and Brandon Keilen with Becky and Tim

Over the weekend Michael and Brandon Keilen watched Becky, one of Brandon's sisters, tie the knot in Florida. All the bridesmaids wore different purple dresses, so Michael was able to wear the bridesmaid dress that she wore for Tori's wedding, after having shortened the sleeves.

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

Photo courtesy of brandonandmichaela.com

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

North Pole vs. South Pole

"Everything's beautiful to Mom. Everything goes. There are no dead ends. Everything is just beautiful."
-Erin (Bates) Paine

Coming up this week on Bringing Up Bates, Kelly Bates and Erin Paine head to Chicago to help Michaela Keilen set up her new rental home. But it's no secret that Kelly and Erin have very different ideas when it comes to decorating. You'll see what we mean in the promo video below.

Photo/video courtesy of UP

The Bates' Granola

Last week, Kelly Bates promised to give us the recipe for the granola that Michaela Keilen and Erin Paine made on Thursday's episode. Here it is!

Bates' Granola 

Ingredients:
4 cups oats
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon cinnmon
1/3 cup melted butter
2/3 cup honey
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon nutmeg (optional)
1/3 cup of each (optional):
   Coconut
   Sliced almonds
   Pecans
   Dried cranberries
   Raisins
   Walnuts
   Sunflower seeds

Directions:
Preheat oven to 300F
Mix ingredients together in a large bowl. Spread evenly on a cookie sheet
Bake 10 minutes. Remove from oven, and stir.
Bake for an additional 10 minutes, or until golden brown. 

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

Photo courtesy of UP

Bates Weekend Snapshots

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend. Happy Memorial Day to those reading from the United States. We are grateful for the men and women who have given everything to keep our country safe and free. Below are several new photos of the Bates family.

Gotta love this adorable, patriotic picture. Isn't Callie just the spittin' image of Erin? And Judson looks like a young Gil, don't you think?

Judson Bates and Callie Bates

Carlin Bates met boyfriend Evan Stewart in Nashville (Evan's hometown) for a date night at Maggiano's Little Italy on West End.

 Carlin Bates and Evan Stewart

Zach and Whitney took a family picture (minus Kaci Lynn, who was napping). For those wondering about Whitney's outfit, her necklace is from Charming Charlie's, her dress is from J.Crew, and her shoes are from Belk.

 Whitney Bates, Zach Bates, and Bradley Bates

Bradley Bates and Whitney Bates

Sisters Michaela Keilen and Alyssa Webster traveled from their homes in Chicago, Illinois, and Clermont, Florida, to Tennessee to be in a friend's wedding. 

Michaela Bates Keilen and Alyssa Bates Webster

Photos courtesy Gil and Kelly Bates, Zach and Whitney Bates, Carlin Bates, Alyssa and John Webster

Sewing with Michaela

 Michaela Keilen and friend Emily Raynes

Last night on Bringing Up Bates (click here to read our recap), viewers watched Kelly Bates, Katie Bates, and a family-friend named Emily travel up to Chicago to visit the Keilens. In this deleted scene, Michaela pulls out the brand new, computerized Singer sewing and quilting machine that she received as a wedding gift. The other women help her figure out how to use it, which is no simple task.

Photo/video courtesy of UP

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