'Big Decision, Bigger Opinions' Recap

Bringing Up Bates "Big Decision, Bigger Opinions"

• The entire family is in town, so they all gather at Norris Dam for an outdoor dinner. 
• Before the Bates leave the park, Kelly reminds the girls not to overwhelm Tori with too many opinions while she is trying on wedding dresses.
• The next day, the ladies arrive at Renee’s shop for goodies and girl time. Tori has her hair and makeup done while the other girls try on bridesmaids dresses. “For me being a sister-in-law, it’s just really special that Tori included me,” says Whitney.
• The bridesmaids gowns are gorgeous. Renee has sewn three different styles (all long length) in the same color (a beautiful shade of purple). Each girl chooses the style they want to wear.
• After Tori is all dolled up, she starts trying on bridal gowns. The first dress is fitted, has long sleeves, and is lacy with a champagne-colored layer underneath.
• “I’ve been to those wedding dress fittings, and, hey, I’ve tried to tell them, you try on one you like, don’t try on another,” says Lawson. “That’s just like, if you find a girl you like, stick with her. The shopping is over.” Nathan agrees.
• The second dress is similar but is pure white and has a heavier lace. Most of the ladies strongly prefer this dress over the previous one, but Tori prefers the first. She tries on another pure white gown, but she still really loves the first dress.
• Tori ends up choosing the first dress, with a few small changes. “Looking up there at her and seeing my little tomboy Tori, and I’m thinking, ‘Where did the years go? She’s fixin’ to get married!’” says Kelly.

'Save the Date and Decisions to Make' Recap

Bringing Up Bates "Save the Date and Decisions to Make"

• Tori and Bobby ask Gil and Kelly on a double date to discuss wedding dates. “As we were kind of talking through things, we realized, graduation might be a long time to wait,” says Bobby.
• The newly engaged couple nervously tells Tori’s parents that they are hoping to tie the knot in December.
• “I would normally say, ‘No, that’s probably not the best idea,’ but that’s kind of what happened to and my wife,” says Gil. “Once you know this is the person God wants you to marry, I don’t think there’s a reason to torment yourself for another year or six months if you have the ability, the means to go ahead and get married.”
• Back at home, Kelly, Tori, Bobby, and Erin sit down to start planning for the big day. “When [Kelly] finished making that list, I think they was ready to elope!” says Gil. The Bates are very familiar with all the work that goes into a wedding.
• “I already got my colors--my favorite two colors--gray and blue,” says Callie, proudly. “Callie, you’re only eight,” responds Addallee. “I know, but I already picked my wedding colors,” says Callie.
• Kelly suggests going with a wedding dress designer in Kentucky who was recommended by the Bates' friends (ie the Duggars), and Tori agrees. Kelly and Tori head to Mt. Sterling, Kentucky, for a consultation with Renee Miller.
• Tori isn’t quite sure what she wants, so Renee shows her several different styles. She ends up really liking a lacy dress with champagne satin underneath. Tori admits she is indecisive, so she plans to come back with her sisters to try dresses on, hoping they can give her some advice.
• Nathan is hosting his annual lake party, which started off several years ago with family but has turned into a guys only event. “Girls are not invited to Nathan’s lake party,” says Callie. “I think it is not fair that we don’t get to go.”
• Nathan, Gil, and a handful of other guys head to a rental house for a mini retreat, filled with water activities and Bible study.

'Bates Sports Special' Recap

Bringing Up Bates "Bates Sports Special"

Look back at the Bates’ Most Memorable “Sports Spectacular” Moments...

“I don’t think any Bates would ever make it to the Olympics,” says Tori. But did you know that one Bates made it to the qualifying rounds? Gil was a high school state champion wrestler and qualified to try out for the Olympics.

Basketball
Trace is practicing for Crown College basketball tryouts with his friends, and Lawson joins in for a game. Trace and Lawson get along great, unless they’re playing sports. “When it comes to sports, the problem is, he wants to be the star, and I just want the ball any time,” says Trace.

Golf
The older guys take the little boys on a golfing outing. “Lawson and Nathan and Trace taking Jackson, Warden and Isaiah out to teach them golf makes me think of the blind leading the blind,” says Zach.

Mock Police Academy Training
The guys join Zach for a mock session of training at the police academy. “The main goal is to irritate you and make you mad and push you to the limit to see what you do under pressure,” says Lawson.

Downhill Skiing
Nathan arrives late, so Kelly shows him what she learned. “Nate, I’m going to be teaching you, but that doesn’t mean I know how to ski good, it just means that I remember facts good,” says Kelly. After a few minutes, Nathan says he’s ready to hit the slopes. According to Gil and Kelly, Nathan would have no problem going down a black diamond without a single lesson.

Ice Skating
Four days before he marries Michael, Brandon goes ice skating with his future brothers-in-law. The other guys enjoy horsing around, while Brandon takes it slow but still somehow manages to walk away with a gash in his head.

Wrestling
With the rest of the family watching, Lawson and Nathan each try to beat their dad at wrestling. Gil prevails, although Nathan still thinks he won.

Football 
Growing up, Gil was the quarterback of the high school football team and was consumed with sports, but he has higher hopes for his sons. “I think Gil loved sports so much, it was hard for it not to be number one,” says Mama Jane, Gil’s mom. “He didn’t want his boys to have sports as their number one. He wanted Christ first in their lives.”

'The Best is Yet to Come' Recap

Bringing Up Bates "The Best is Yet to Come"

• Tori, Carlin, and Josie are getting ready for a triple date with their guys. “It takes Tori, Carlin, and Josie about, probably two years to get ready,” says Callie.
• When Bobby, Evan, and Kelton arrive, they present their ladies with flowers, and then the three couples head into downtown Knoxville. “Kelton has lived here in Knoxville for quite some time, so he kind of knows all the cool places around here, and we’ve not really gotten around as much,” says Josie.
• Do the three couples have a chaperone? Gil and Kelly say they are chaperoning themselves and that they trust them to do the right thing. “Our goal is to help them be safe and happy in the long run, but really it’s got to be in their heart to want it as well, and I really do think it is,” says Kelly.
• “If I didn’t trust that they all had the right heart motive about it, they probably wouldn’t be going on a triple date at all, or any date,” says Gil.
• The guys, who are all 22 years old, take the girls to Blue Coast Grill and Bar for a meal.
• Throughout the day, Evan and Kelton are jokingly asking when Bobby plans to propose. He laughs it off, but in all seriousness, he actually does have the ring with him. He shows it to Kelton and explains that he told the Bates to be ready in case he decides to get down on one knee during the triple date.
• After the meal, the couples walk around the shops at Market Square, and then photographer and family-friend Taryn Yager pops out of nowhere to do a mini photoshoot. “I see Taryn, and I’m thinking, ‘Who in the world would invite a photographer unless something big was about to happen?’” says Tori.
• Bobby ends up deciding that the setting isn’t intimate enough for a proposal.
• Later, Bobby holds a meeting with Gil and Kelly to discuss the big day. Bobby and Kelly are ready for it to happen, while Gil jokingly says that he’s in no hurry and would be completely fine if Bobby waited another year.
• To clear his mind, Bobby hits up the disc golf course with Kelton after the conversation.
• Back at the house, Tori, Carlin, and Josie sit down to study, but the topic quickly turns to engagement. Carlin says she thinks Josie and Kelton could easily get married before she and Evan do. “No,” says Josie. “We’re going to take it slow. I’m so young.”
• In an interview, Lawson, Whitney, and Zach discuss the increasing complexity of Bates proposals and the fact that the bar is always being set higher. “Some of the proposals are more proposing to the family,” says Zach. “They’re coming anyways. You’re not going to shake them free. Evan a bad proposal isn’t going to run this family off.”
• On the day of the proposal, Bobby shows up at Crown College with his parents to surprise Tori. The surprise is successful, and Erin and Carlin pull Tori into a room to do her hair and makeup.
• Tori, Bobby, and Bobby’s parents jump into a convertible and head across the state line into North Carolina. Meanwhile, Gil and Kelly are picking up food at Louise’s Kitchen in Black Mountain. They set up a picnic at beautiful Linville Falls and wait for everyone else to arrive.
• After lunch, Gil and Kelly go on ahead to Wiseman’s View, where they set up rose pedals, candles, and flowers. Tori, Bobby, and Bobby’s parents arrive, and Bobby’s mom sneaks ahead to place the ring next to the flowers.
• Tori starts seeing the rose pedals on the ground, as she and Bobby walk down the steps to the overlook. “Every step down that trail, we’re getting closer and closer, and my heart’s beating faster and faster,” says Bobby.
• They make it to the spot of the proposal, but it takes Bobby a few moments to locate the ring. When he does, he grabs Tori’s hands and tells her how much he loves her. “Life is really short, and it goes by so fast, but I know I want to spend mine with you. Life is going to fly by, and we have so much to look forward to afterwards, but as long as we’re here on this earth, as long as God allows, I want you to be my wife. I want you to be the woman that I spend my entire life with. Tori Layne, will you marry me?”
• “It’s so pretty,” whispers Tori when she sees the ring. “I mean, yes of course! Oh my goodness, I love you.” The two hug, and the parents cheer from a distance before coming over to congratulate the couple.
• Tori exclaims how weird she looks with a ring, so Gil jokes that he's going to take it off and let her wait a few more years.
• “It was an absolute perfect day, and I could not have asked for anything better,” says Tori.

Bates' Classmate Missing in Knoxville

We hope you all had a fantastic weekend, whether you watched the Super Bowl or spent your Sunday doing other things. Yesterday, we received troubling news about a student at Crown College, the school that many of the Bates siblings either attend or have attended. We ask you to join us in earnet prayer.

Blake Smith, a 20-year-old student at Crown, has been missing since Saturday afternoon, when he was last seen leaving work. From there, he returned to his dorm room for a short time and then headed out to Admiral Farragut Park, where his parents say he was likely taking a hike. Blake posted a photo of the Tennessee River to his social media page, making that his last known location.

Later, his car, cell phone, and some of his belongings were found at a construction site in Blount County, where Zach Bates attended the police training academy.

According to the Knoxville News Sentinel, Blake's family suspects foul play. A missing persons Facebook page has been created to provide updates. Those with any information should contact the Knoxville police at 865-215-7000.

'Erin's Surprise Takes the Cake' Recap

Bringing Up Bates "Erin's Surprise Takes the Cake"

• Erin finds out she’s pregnant and is thrilled but very surprised. That evening, while company is over, one of the guests presents Chad with a cake that has the message written on it. He is shocked.
• Later, Addallee, Ellie, and Callie come over to Erin’s to help bake a cake. “When we go to Erin’s house and we make something to eat, she literally lets all of us kids do it all,” says Addallee.
• While Erin and the girls are decorating the cake with strawberries, Erin breaks the news, and the girls are thrilled, especially because they are the first Bates family members, aside from Kelly, who had accompanied Erin to a doctor’s appointment, to hear the big news.
• Erin allows the girls to call the rest of the family and share the announcement. Kelly says she knows Erin is excited to be a mom again but certainly not looking forward to the intense morning sickness or the health complications.
• “I really always envisioned myself with at least three kids because I know me and my siblings had so much fun together, and I love the fact that we were close in age because we did everything together,” says Erin.
• Whitney has officially joined the Bailey and Co. Real Estate team as a REALTOR®! She has taken the three-week class, passed the licensing exam, and is ready to get to work. She brings Bradley and Kaci Lynn over to the family's house so she can go into the office, where she meets with her boss, Justin, to receive pointers for kicking off her real estate career.
• “I worked my way through college, and I was just kind of praying, ‘Should I go back to work? What options are there out there?’ Because I want to be with my babies, but I still would like to do something that helps people and gets out in the community. Real estate was brought up, and the Lord just kind of worked out every little detail.”
• Whitney’s schedule is very flexible, and she is able to do the bulk of her work from home or at the office on the days Zach is off. If she happens to have a meeting while Zach is working, both sets of parents live ten minutes away and love to babysit.
• “It’s like a daycare play care center,” says Zach of his parents' house. “You’ve got five little boys Bradley’s age and two or three little girls…all throwing toys and fighting and having fun. I am so excited for Whitney and so proud of Whitney for all the work that she’s put into this real estate license.”
• Trace is trying out for the Crown College basketball team, and a couple of his friends are over at the house teaching him basic drills. “Most of the kids have been doing it for ten, fifteen years…and Trace is walking in kind of cold turkey,” says Gil.
• One of the guys tells Trace that Trace's biggest obstacle is his negative mental attitude. He makes Trace do ten pushups for every negative remark, and before long, Trace's mental attitude has improved.

'SUN Day, Fun Day' Recap

Bringing Up Bates "SUN Day, Fun Day"

• It's August 21st, and the Bates are gearing up for the solar eclipse. Knoxville is set to experience near-totality.
• In preparation for their solar eclipse party, Kelly makes sure to inform the kids how dangerous it is to look at the eclipsed sun without eclipse glasses. “There’s just no way you can have a party without Mom giving a lesson on what you should not do,” says Addallee.
• Then, Brandon gives a quick science lesson so the kids understand what they will be seeing. Everyone piles in the car to drive over to the home of one of Erin’s friends, who has a pool. She and her husband also have a snow cone machine and a cotton candy machine. “That was like the perfect recipe for party and mess,” says Kelly.
• “I think it’s tough for anybody to just invite the whole mob over,” says Lawson. “That’s a very gracious thing to do, but once we show up and then the reality sets in, it goes from nice and calm to similar to a zoo with no fences or cages.”
• The couple also has a giant inflatable slide, which even enjoys, even Gil and Kelly Jo. Zach has to work, but Whitney brings Bradley and Kaci Lynn over to take part in the fun.
• When the eclipse beings, everyone grabs their glasses and looks up at the sun, amazed. “I think some people were like over the top excited, and Brandon was definitely one of those people,” says Erin. “He had his camera the whole time, trying to take pictures. It was really cute.”
• As the sun disappears, the temperature drops, and the wind dies down. “When all those crickets and frogs started going off, I said, ‘This is a little creepy right here,’” says Lawson.
• “It’s 2:30 in the afternoon, and we saw a couple stars in the sky,” says Katie. 
• Everyone agrees that the eclipse was an unforgettable event. Now that it is done and over with, Michael and Brandon turn their attention to their appointment with Dr. Vick, the Bates’ OB/GYN. “This is the last thing we’re going to do, and then take a break,” Michael tells Erin. “I think there’s a little bit of hope but also a lot of nervousness, too,” says Kelly.
• At the appointment, Dr. Vick performs a hysterosalpingogram, a diagnostic procedure to determine if there is a tubal blockage that could be hindering pregnancy. So far, Michael and Brandon have both had exams, but doctors have not found any reason why a pregnancy would not work. It has been determined that Michael has been hyper-ovulating.
• Through the procedure, a bit of a blockage is able to be cleared, and Dr. Vick concludes that at least one of Michael’s tubes is now open. He instructs her to wait three cycles before discussing potential surgery.
• “Each step has been a blessing and seeing God direct and open doors and just make a way possible,” says Michael. “When I’m having a really hard time…just focusing on all of the positives, to try and think of all the benefits from it. At the top of the list would just be how much closer we’ve gotten to each other. It has a beautiful side, too.”
• “It’s been quite a journey, but I’m so proud of Michael,” says Brandon. “She’s been a trooper through it all.

'Bobby's Happy Camper' Recap

Bringing Up Bates "Bobby's Happy Camper"

• “I’m extremely excited that Bobby is finally moving here,” says Tori. “Life is just going to be grand. Everything is going to be easy. Well, not really, but I like to think so.”
• Here's Judson's take on the situation: “Bobby’s moving up to Tennessee so he can marry [Tori] and so he can engage her and so he can (makes kissing motions with his hands).”
• Zach and Whitney meet Tori at the camper, owned by a friend, that Bobby will be staying in before the wedding. 
• Later, Erin and Chad stop by to help Tori make welcome signs. One says, “Welcome to Tennessee, God’s Country,” and the other says, “Bobby, this is my commitment to you: I will pamper you in your camper.” Both have colorful doodles on them. 
• Josie and Jackson bring Kelton over so he can take a look at the leak under the kitchen sink. Kelton ends up having to fully replace the faucet. 
• “Raising girls is a bad deal,” says Gil, who likely has three weddings (Tori, Carlin, and Josie) coming up in the near future. 
• Down in Pensacola, Bobby picks up the custom ring from Jewelers Trade Shop, the store where his dad purchased his mom’s engagement ring. Bobby is blown away when he sees the finished product. 
• When Bobby and his parents, Robert and Sheri Smith, finally arrive in Tennessee, Tori is on cloud nine. “They’ve had to be apart for so long,” says Sheri. “So for him to be able to get up here and get to know the family better…it’s the best thing right now. 
• As Tori helps Bobby unpack, she asks him where the ring is. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” responds Bobby, chuckling. “What’s a ring? I don’t even know why we’d be talking about a ring.” 
• Bobby brings his parents over to the big house and gives them a tour before they have to leave. “I don’t think I was quite prepared for the tour, and I don’t know if they were either,” says Gil, laughing. “They might be glad Bobby’s in a camper.”
• “Whenever company is coming to the house, it’s a super big deal to my mom that the house is clean and…perfect,” says Tori.
• The Bates are thrilled that Bobby has decided to move to Tennessee ahead of the engagement and wedding. Tori and Bobby are starting to make plans for the future, and there's always a chance that their ministry will lead them out of Knoxville after Tori graduates in May 2018.
• “I’m really glad Bobby’s willing to make a sacrifice to really invest in us getting to know him better and him getting to know the kids better, and he really acts like he’s happy about it,” says Gil. “I’m really grateful.”

'Decorating Dilemmas and Job Decisions' Recap

Bringing Up Bates "Decorating Dilemmas and Job Decisions"

• Kelly and Erin arrive in Chicago to help Michaela decorate her new rental home. (She and Brandon recently moved out of their tiny, one-bedroom rental house.) “I have one condition for family coming to help decorate,” says Brandon. “If my wife likes it when they’re done, it can stay.”
• Although Brandon slightly prefers more modern décor, Michaela decides to go with a country/farmhouse theme.
• The three ladies head out to a quilting store to search for fabric to make curtains. Kelly’s ideas prove to be very different than Michaela and Erin’s.
• “At least we got some ideas,” says Erin, as they leave the store without having chosen fabric. “We found out that we don’t want turquoise curtains.”
• “Well, I didn’t find that out, but I’m going with y’all,” replies Kelly. “I’m along for the ride.”
• While the ladies decorate, Michaela shares an update on her journey to motherhood. She has been seeing a specialist for about a year and has done several tests, but they are all expensive. There is one last test she wants to have done by Dr. Vick, the Bates’ obstetrician.
• “The whole journey to find an answer and just see what might be the problem is very emotional,” says Michaela. “I think we’ve tried all of the major tests, and there’s one more procedure that I want to have done. And then after that, just take a break and enjoy each other and maybe start this journey again later if we don’t have an answer.”
• That evening, Brandon and the ladies go bowling at Pinstripes. “Mom had let us know that she was the only person, she said, that was allowed to have bumpers up,” says Erin. “I figure since she’s over 50, that’s acceptable.”
• Kelly is surprised at how competitive Michaela and Erin are with each other. “I do not like for Erin to beat me,” Michaela says firmly, but with a chuckle. “That’s terrible!”
• After bowling, the three ladies stay up late into the night, but the finished product is worth it. Michaela loves her newly decorated house, which means Brandon is happy, too.
• Back in Tennessee, Bobby goes to work with Chad to see about taking over his position at the metal recycling facility, in addition to helping out at the Bates’ church. Chad has been offered a job with a local builder, which is a field he has been interested in for a while.
• Tori, Ellie, Addallee, and Callie come by to pick Bobby up at the end of the day. They make an ice cream run at The Chunky Monkey.
• While they eat their ice cream, Tori asks Bobby when he is going to propose and if he has looked at rings. “Have you ever heard of a surprise before?” asks Bobby. They change the subject.

'The 4 Cs: Carat, Clarity, Carlin and Courtship' Recap

Bringing Up Bates "The 4 Cs: Carat, Clarity, Carlin and Courtship"

• The Bates are attempting to pull off two big surprises--Josie's 18th birthday and Carlin's courtship "proposal"--in one weekend.
• "In the Bates family, keeping one secret is hard enough, but two secrets is a whole different story," says Jackson. 
• To throw Josie off the trail, Kelly, Kelton, and two friends from school take her shopping at a store called Josie's Boutique and out to ice cream at Cruze Farm. Gil and Kelly don't allow their kids to start serious relationships before age 18, so this birthday is especially important for Josie and Kelton. 
• Back at the Bates house, Gil and the kids are decorating for the party. Michaela flies down from Chicago, Papa Bill and Mama Jane drive in from South Carolina, and other family and friends arrive, as well. Josie is shocked when she walks in the door and hears everyone yell "Surprise!"
• "When you turn 18, that's a really big deal," says Erin. "Josie, I think she's trying to really push that level, since she's already got a boyfriend, she's already in college." 
• Down in Florida, Bobby stops by Jewelers Trade Shop, the store where his dad bought his mom's engagement ring. He shows the jeweler a photo of a ring that Tori had said she liked. The jeweler tells Bobby about the 4 Cs of diamonds--clarity, cut, color, and carats. (The fifth C is cash.) 
• Bobby is moving to Tennessee in less than two weeks, but the jeweler says he should be able to finish the ring by then.
• The next day, Carlin thinks she is going to the lake with her family and Evan's, but when Evan shows up at the door with roses and a clue. Carlin changes clothes, and she and Evan head out on a scavenger hunt with both sets of parents. The first stop is a lunch cruise on the Tennessee River. 
• Next, they head to the Bates' church, were Carlin teaches Sunday School. They are greeted by the little kids from both sides of the family singing a love song. 
• The next stop is Erin's house, where she and some of the married couples are waiting with dessert and refreshments.
• "[Carlin] was just literally beaming," says Erin, the matchmaker who matched Carlin and Evan. 
• Evan presents Carlin with a scrapbook filled with photos of the two of them, made by himself and one of his sisters. 
• The final stop is Norris Dam, Carlin's "happy place." Before they arrive, the family sets up a fancy table, a big box covered in purple wrapping paper (purple is Carlin's favorite color), and a keyboard for background music. 
• Evan puts a blindfold on Carlin, and he steps behind a tree while she takes it off and opens the box. Out comes a bunch of balloons, and one has a key attached to it. 
• Evan walks back over and sings a song he wrote for Carlin: "Because it's like I'm staring at the stars up in outer space when I'm looking at those eyes on your pretty face. Ya you are my dream come true, so I wrote this song to prove that I love you...And out of this whole world, I don't want another girl. See, I've got my heart locked away, baby, and you hold the key."
• By this point, Carlin is sobbing. She unlocks a small box that Evan is holding and finds a bracelet.
• "So I guess what I'm trying to ask you is, 'Will you accept the gift of my heart?'" says Evan. Carlin says yes!
• "I kind of was thinking that it should have ended as an engagement," says Kelly. "It was so special, I'm thinking, 'Give her the ring, we'll just all cry right now.'" Gil, on the other hand, isn't so excited about that idea.
• The families, who had been watching from afar, walk over to exchange hugs. Carlin and Evan are thrilled that they can now hold hands. They seal the deal with a meal beside the edge of the dam. 
• The Bates end the weekend with the dedication of their new church building. (Their congregation had been meeting in various buildings for about four years.) The Stewarts sing to open the service.