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: "The Quest for the Dress"

Bringing Up Bates, "The Quest for the Dress"...

• Kelly and Michaela meet with Kim, Kelly’s older sister, to discuss flowers for the wedding. Kim has a flower shop in Mebane, North Carolina, called Gallery Florist. She has done flowers for each of the Bates kids’ weddings, as well as for Kelly’s wedding.
• Michaela wants cherry blossoms, but since they aren't in season in August, she settles for silk flowers.
• After Kelly married Gil, her mom adopted two daughters. One of those girls, Beth, is getting married the month before Michaela, so Kelly and Michaela meet up with the rest of the family for Beth’s wedding shower. Michaela and Beth are only a year apart in age and are close friends.
• For one of the shower games, guests divide up into teams and create toilet paper wedding dresses. Afterwards, Gil the penny pincher gathers the leftover toilet paper to take home. “Man, look at all this savings!” exclaims Gil. “This is the soft kind.”
• Later, Erin and Chad have a photographer take newborn pictures of Carson. “I have never known why people want to go take pictures of itty bitty babies,” says Nathan. “And then the next thing is, why they always want to take their clothes off and put them in a little bucket or something."
• Michaela, accompanied by her mom, sisters, and sister-in-law, heads to White Lace & Promises in Knoxville, Tennessee, in search of the perfect wedding dress. The bride-to-be wants a simple gown that makes her look skinny and has a train and sleeves.
• As expected, Michaela is hit with an onslaught of opinions each time she tries on a dress. “I’m going to tell you something about the Bates,” says Josie. “They are not scared to say what they think. They just blurt it out. Whitney doesn’t do that, but we do that.” 
• “It is good to be honest,” agrees Whitney. “But you have to do it in a loving kind of way.”
• Tori and Carlin turn out to be the biggest critics.
• After trying on a bunch of wedding dresses, Michaela admits to feeling discouraged. “I was thinking, ‘Maybe we should just elope or have a tiny wedding that nobody is going to see,'” she shares. 
• But before long, Michaela finds exactly what she has been looking for. The gown will need extensive alterations to remove some of the poof and add capped sleeves, but everyone agrees that it is very “Michaela.”
• The only catch is that it will cost nearly $2,000, which is significantly more than Michaela had allotted for in her wedding budget. She resolves to pray about it and make the final decision in a few days. 

Recap: "Boating with the Bates"

Bringing Up Bates, "Boating with the Bates"

• Now that Erin and Chad are home from the hospital with Carson, Chad’s mom, Tammy, is staying with them for a short while to help out.
• Carson arrived one month early, weighing 6 pounds at birth, but miraculously, he was healthy and did not have to be admitted into the NICU.
• Tori goes shopping at Burlington Coat Factory using a gift card that Mama Jane, Gil’s mom, sent as a reward for earning straight A’s in her first semester of college.
• When Tori returns home, the entire family gathers around to admire her new clothes. “Mom, she got a tractor load full of clothes!” exclaims Carlin.
• “Is this, like, my money?” Gil asks his daughter. When Tori assures him that she used the gift card from “Janey,” Gil smiles and says: “I love shopping with Janey!”
• The family begs Tori to model her clothes. “Her outfits were awesome,” says Carlin. “So all you guys out there, don’t mess with my sister.” Tori covers her eyes in embarrassment. “Carlin, stop,” she says, laughing. “She don’t want me to chase them off,” replies Carlin.
• Gil calls a family meeting to discuss plans for the week. Nathan announces that he is going to the lake for a day, and Kelly suggests bringing the entire family. Kelly grew up on a lake. Gil grew up close to one, and he also proposed to Kelly on a lake. Needless to say, the Bates family loves lakes.
• Everyone pitches in to gather supplies, including swimsuits, life jackets, a jet ski, and a lot of towels. (Gil suggests sharing towels, but the girls refuse.)
• The next day, as the family is about to leave for the lake, Michael’s bridesmaid and flower girl dresses arrive. Naturally, some of her sisters have to try them on immediately.
• The Bates arrive at the lake around lunchtime. They are thrilled to have Zach, Whitney, Bradey, Erin, Chad, and Carson join them.
• The Bates ladies swim in stretchy skirts and leggings, but according to Whitney, it really isn’t a big deal. She says you hardly notice it.
• Partway through the day, the skies open up and pour down rain. A strong bolt of lightening makes the girls scream.
• After the storm passes, Gil shows off his extreme waterskiing skills. “Dad is the coolest guy on the planet,” says Carlin. “My dad is an outstanding skier,” boasts Nathan.
• “My children are the funnest people to play with in the world,” says Gil. “They make me feel special, even thought I am just an average person. I hope I can encourage them as much as they have encouraged me.”
• Gil even dives off the top dock. “The problem with me trying to keep up with those kids; I hurt so much more after it’s over,” says the father of 19.

Recap: "Erin's Little Miracle"

Sorry for the delay in posting the recap of Thursday's episode. The technical difficulties were finally resolved, so I (Ellie) woke up early this morning to finish it off before leaving for church.

Bringing Up Bates, "Erin's Little Miracle"

• As Carson's due date grows closer, Erin and Chad make the finishing touches on the nursery.
• Chad surprises Erin with a night away at The Oliver Hotel in downtown Knoxville. Erin is in shock as they walk into a beautiful hotel room and Chad presents her with a gift basket filled with her favorite things.
• "It's my job to make sure that, occasionally--at least every day--that she gets pampered somehow," says Chad, who takes his wife for a mani-pedi, something he is clueless about but knows Erin will love.
• Later that evening, Erin and Chad browse through furniture and decorations at a small vintage shop downtown. Chad works eight hours a day at a metal recycling company, but on the side, he enjoys refinishing furniture and hopes he can turn that hobby into a full-time job someday.
• Chad treats Erin to a romantic dinner and gives her a long, sentimental letter.
• Meanwhile, Michael and Brandon continue preparing for their wedding.
• Kelly's sister Kay, who is a baker, brings over different flavors of cakes for the bride and groom to sample. They choose strawberry and plan to do a small tiered cake for pictures and larger sheet cakes for the guests.
• Brandon suggests a white cake with cherry blossoms. (He and Michael got engaged in Washington D.C. when they cherry blossoms were in bloom, so that is the theme of their wedding.)
• Michael's bridesmaids are Erin, Tori, and Jana Duggar, as well as Angie, Becky, and Christy Keilen (Brandon's sisters). She is having Kelly as her maid of honor because her mother is her best friend and she doesn't want to have to choose between three sisters.
• The Bates ladies browse DaintyJewells.com for bridesmaid and flower girl dresses. Michael's plan is for the flower girls to wear the Dreaming in Vintage gown and the bridesmaids to wear the A Night in Paris gown.
• Tori, Carlin, Josie, and Katie head to a local thrift store with Judson and Jeb to buy baby outfits for Carson. “Jud and Jeb are a handful to handle in a public place,” says Gil.
• On the way home, the crew stops by to deliver the clothes to Erin, who is thrilled. She and Chad cannot wait to meet Carson. “Anytime I see baby clothes now, I get so excited,” says Erin.
• For several nights leading up to Carson’s birth, Carlin sleeps at Chad and Erin’s house because she wants to be there to support her sister and brother-in-law.
• Erin wakes up one night with painful contractions about five minutes apart. Dr. Vick instructs Chad to bring her to the hospital. While they are leaving the house, Erin’s water breaks, and her contractions become even more intense.
• As soon as Erin is checked into the hospital, she starts insisting on an epidural, but at that point, she is only 1 cm dialated.
• “The one consoling thought to me during the whole labor was, ‘I’m about to see Carson,’” says Erin.
• Kelly joins Erin and Chad in the delivery room, and Gil stands on the other side of the curtain, pacing and praying.
• “I think that was probably the most helpless I’ve ever felt in my entire life,” says Chad. “All I could do was hold her hand and just try to talk to her.
• About 30 minutes after arriving at the hospital, Erin stats screaming, “I’ve gotta push! I’ve gotta push!” Before long, she is 7 cm dialated, and Kelly tells her that it’s time to have the baby. “And at that point, I think I realaized that, ‘I don’t think I’m getting an epidural,’” she says.
• Carson arrives less than two hours after Erin’s water breaks. Both Chad and Erin cry tears of relief and joy. “I really can’t put it into words, to have something that we hoped for for so long,” says Chad, as he holds his son soon after delivery.
• “You guys, I thought I was going to die,” shares Erin, looking at her mom. “If you did that nineteen times…”
• After the delivery, Dr. Vick explains that Erin had a placenta abruption, which means the placenta lining had separated from the uterus. That was the reason she had such intense contractions. If Carson had not arrived so quickly, the Paines could have faced serious complications.
• “God worked it out,” says Chad. “God knew there wasn’t time for an epidural.”
• It isn’t long before several of the older Bates kids arrive to meet their nephew. Erin had told her mom that they could come as soon as she got an epidural, but of course that never happened.
• “Holding Carson was just literally overwhelming,” says Michael.
• “I’m just so grateful that God answered our prayers, and Carson’s here,” says Erin. “I can’t wait to see him grow up.”

Recap: 'The Wedding To-Do List'

Tonight on Bringing Up Bates, "The Wedding To-Do List"...

• Michaella calls Brandon to tell him that Wallace Memorial Baptist Church has agreed to let them use the church for their wedding. The church has a youth lock-in that weekend, so the Bates and Keilens can only set up for the wedding the day of, and the reception must be over by the early evening.
• The Bates family has a fabulous oral surgeon who works with their budget. Zach, Michaella, Erin, and Tori have all had their wisdom teeth pulled, and now it's Lawson's turn.
• According to the family, Lawson has a pain tolerance of zero and is very melodramatic when it comes to dental procedures.
• On the day of the surgery, Gil brings a camera to capture Lawson's entertaining post-op for Kelly, who stays home because she is prone to fainting during the kids' medical emergencies. The mom of 19 can handle pain herself, but when she sees her children in pain, it makes her feel lightheaded.
• When the procedure is over, Lawson plays up the severity of his condition, but he manages to take a selfie on the drive home.
• Brandon comes to Tennessee so he and Michaella can meet with a wedding coordinator friend, shop for wedding bands, and choose brown tuxedos. Tori and Carlin go along as chaperones.
• Most people would consider 500-800 guests to be a massive wedding, but according to Nathan, "anything under 1,000 is a small wedding." Lawson agrees. Brandon, on the other hand, considers a small wedding to be one with around 50 people. Michaella and Brandon are going to have less attendees than all three previous Bates weddings.
• Although Michaella's wedding is going to be big, she and Brandon are committed to keeping it cost effective, which makes Gil very happy. "Sometimes when I see [my dad] crying when the girl is walking down the aisle, I wonder if he is crying because he is losing his girl, or if he is crying because he is seeing all the things he bought that he is just discovering," says Nathan. 

Recap: "Life Lessons"

Tonight on Bringing UP Bates, "Life Lessons"...

• The Bates family has a designated school room, which is filled with computers, but many of the children do their schoolwork on the living room couches.
• "I describe our school like a three-ring circus, because I've got all the way from kindergarten to senior high school," says Kelly.
• Kelly explains that she and Gil "had the advantage of going to college." She majored in human services with a minor in special education. Gil and Kelly say that going to college broadens a child's opportunities.
• Gil lost his job when he and Kelly had eight kids and had to learn a trade to keep his family afloat.
• Kelly loves having the freedom to personalize each child's curriculum, and she encourages her older kids to be involved in that process. "My mom is a genius," says Carlin.
• The older kids also help tutor the younger ones. Tori (19) has especially enjoyed assisting her mom in the schoolroom, which prompted her to pursue a teaching degree at The Crown College of the Bible. Tori is enjoying her classes and the opportunity to meet new friends.
• At the end of Tori's first full semester of college, several family members gather around the computer as she checks her graces. Straight A's! "That tells me one thing," says Gil, beaming. "You've got your mama's brains."
• Nathan heads down to Mississippi for a month to study under an aviation instructor, who is also a pastor, in order to earn his pilot's license. He plans to use this certification to enhance his mission work, which he is pursuing full-time. Gil and Kelly are thrilled for Nathan, but they are sad to see him leave.
• When it comes time for Nathan to fly home with his instructor, the family drives to the runway to meet him. It is a rainy day, and Kelly is concerned for her son's safety.  "If this is a bad landing, my mom's never going to ride with me in an airplane," says Nathan.
• Nathan's landing is a success, and everyone runs over to the plane to greet him.

Recap: "Doctor's Orders"

Tonight on Bringing Up Bates, "Doctor's Orders"...

• Gil and Kelly sit down with Michaella to talk about the budget for her wedding. As they did for their first two daughters who were married and plan to do for each of their daughters, the Bates will give Michaella a sum of money for her wedding. If she and Brandon want to spend more, they will have to raise their own funds.
• The Bates' extended family members have helped keep wedding costs down. Kelly's sister Kay is a baker, and her sister Kim owns a flower shop.
• Kelly, Michaella, Erin, and Whitney search for a church that can accommodate 500-800 people and is available on the date Michaella and Brandon have chosen (August 15th). The couple's wedding colors-- pink and brown--also must look good inside the sanctuary.
• The first church doesn't work with Michaella's colors. She really likes the second church, but Erin is convinced that it won't hold enough people. Kelly takes videos to send to Brandon.
• "All of my family is very opinionated, and it can be very helpful, but at the same time, my list of important things doesn't necessarily match their list of important things," says Michaella.
• Unfortunately, the ladies soon find out that church No. 2 is not available on August 15th. Michaella admits she is nervous because she and Brandon cannot change their date.
• The third stop is Wallace Memorial, and everyone loves it. The church has a youth lock-in on August 15th which they have to figure out if they can work around. The Bates know that if it is God's will, the date will work out.
• Meanwhile, Aunt Kay (also known as "Kay Kay") comes over to show the little ones how to decorate a cake. The kids especially enjoy eating the icing.
• Before long, the cake decorating class turns into a food fight, which Kay admits she instigated. "I covered Kay Kay's glasses with icing, pink icing, so she couldn't see anymore," shares Callie, giggling.
• "This was a very successful thing," says Kay. "It was very messy, but messy can be fun. You need to teach kids how to have fun in the kitchen and not make it a chore."
• Erin wakes up early one morning with painful contractions, so she and Chad head to the hospital. The doctors give Erin medicine to stop the contractions, and they give the baby a steroid shot, in case he arrives early.
• After those complications, Erin's doctor decides to schedule weekly appointments and ultrasounds. "It's hard for me not to live in fear," says Erin. "It's scary, and you just want to be sure that everything is okay."

Recap: "Brandon Pops the Question"

Bringing Up Bates, "Brandon Pops the Question"

• Brandon Keilen calls Gil to share his plans for the big proposal. The Bates all love Brandon and say it's about time that he ask Michael to marry him.
• Brandon wants Michael to have a unique engagement ring, so he brings sketches to Harrington's Fine Jewelry in Chicago to start the design process. 
• The white gold ring features a big stone that represents God as the center of Brandon and Michael's relationship, surrounded by each of their initials (M and B).
• Brandon texts Michael to tell her that he is planning a trip to Washington D.C. and will be staying with his sister, Angie. Michael asks her parents if they mind if she goes along. Gil suggests that Michael surprise Brandon in D.C, so Michael makes plans to stay with Angie but does not tell her boyfriend. Little does she know that she is part of a much bigger plan. 
• Meanwhile, Gil and Kelly are secretly planning to fly to D.C. 
• Michael arrives in D.C. and surprises Brandon at Angie's apartment. (Angie sends Brandon on an errand and has Michael greet him at the door when he returns.) 
• Michael arrives on a Sunday, and she and Brandon spend the day sightseeing with Angie and another of one Brandon's sisters, Becky. "Anxiety was kind of mounting as the day was getting closer," says Brandon, as he makes final plans to execute the proposal the following day.
• Back home in Tennessee, the kids use the iPhone app Find My Friends to figure out that their parents are no longer in Florida. They put two and two together and realize what is happening, and they are thrilled.
• The next morning, Brandon and Michael visit the D.C. cherry blossoms at the Jefferson Memorial as the sun rises. Brandon tells Michael that he has to leave for a few hours to do work and hands her the first clue of a scavenger hunt.
• "Brandon, he gives 'thoughtful' an entirely new definition," says Michael, touched that her boyfriend planned something for her to do in his absence.
• The scavenger hunt takes Michael and Becky on a trek across the city. Angie and a third Keilen sister, Christy, are helping behind the scenes. At each location, Michael watches a video made by Brandon and cries at his thoughtfulness.
• The last clue takes Michael to Great Falls Park, Virginia, where Brandon is waiting with flowers and the ring. 
• "Michael, I want to say three things to you," Brandon tells his girlfriend. "The first thing is: I love you. The second is: I want to spend the rest of my life with you. And the third is a question: Will you marry me?"
• "Yes!" responds Michael. "I've wanted to from the very first day I met you."
• The couple shares a few hugs before their parents come out of hiding. 
• Brandon and Michael are planning their wedding for August 15th.

Recap: "Blessings...And New Beginnings?"

Tonight on Bringing Up Bates, "Blessings...And New Beginnings?"

• Ashley and Anastasia, two friends whom Lawson and Nathan met at a conference, come for a visit.
• The boys recently visited Ashley and Anastasia in their "hometown" of New York City, and now they want to show the girls what life is like in the hills of Tennessee. “…We decided to give them a taste of what the real world is like,” says Nathan.
• The first item on the agenda? Horseback riding. “The most fun part was watching them try to make the horses go in a straight line,” says Lawson. “They did better than I thought,” says Nathan.
• Later, Gil and Kelly take Lawson, Nathan, Anastasia, Ashley, and a few of the other Bates to McCloud Mountain Restaurant, which has a beautiful view.
• The visit goes very well. “Who knows? They just might want to come back again someday,” says Lawson, smiling.
• Kelsey, Erin’s close friend from college, throws Erin a baby shower. The Bates usually invite both guys and gals to their baby showers, but Erin has decided she wants to have one with just ladies.
• As friends and family members gather for the shower, Kelly is stressed out because her other daughters are 30 minutes late, due to a miscommunication over whether Carlin or Tori is supposed to drive.
• At the end of the shower, Kelsey reveals a special surprise she has planned for Erin. She instructs everyone to grab a balloon and release it outside in memory of the babies Erin miscarried before she became pregnant with Carson.
• “It was very, very touching,” says Kelly. “It was a very loving gesture, a thoughtful gesture that I would not have thought of doing.”

Recap: "High Risk, High Hopes"

Tonight on Bringing Up Bates, "High Risk, High Hopes"...

• Erin and Chad visit Dr. Vic to see how Erin is progressing in her high-risk pregnancy.
• Dr. Vic explains that with Erin's condition, there is a risk of having a stillbirth. 
• "This is one of those situations where there is nothing you can do but pray," says Gil.
• "You just have to pray that God knows best and that we're doing everything we can to have a healthy baby," says Erin.
• Back at the Bates house, the younger kids build an underground fort. Gil and Kelly don't have broadcast TV, so their kids spend a lot of time outside.
• Then, Lawson, Nathan, and Trace take Jackson, Warden, and Isaiah to a driving range for a golfing lesson, which, according to Zach, is just "the blind leading the blind."
• When they return home, the older boys load their airsoft guns and try to take the younger boys' fort. The Bates have one rule for airsoft wars: Everyone must wear eye protection.
• The rest of the family watches from the window.
• Erin prepares dinner for Zach, Whitney, and Bradley. According to Tori, "Erin, for the longest time, was the worst cook ever."
• "When Erin cooked at the house, we would say, 'When the fire alarm goes off, dinner is ready,'" teases Zach. Since marrying Chad and having a reason to develop her skills, Erin is now a great chef.
• "Zach doesn't say it much, and he doesn't show it, but he has a hard time watching his sisters grow up and get married and have babies," says Whitney. "It makes him sad."