Welcome to the Bates family blog! Gil and Kelly have been married since 1987 and have nineteen children. Twelve of their children have been married. They have thirty-two grandchildren with one on the way due June 2025. They have four children and eight grandchildren in heaven.
Tuesday, June 30, 2015
June in review!
This month they had no birthdays but the grandchildren turned eight months (Bradley), two months (Allie) and one month (Carson).
Zach and Whitney just celebrated their 18 month wedding anniversary. Gil, Zach, Chad, John just celebrated Father's days!
Preview: Blessings... and New Beginnings?
With Erin and Chad’s due date looming, the whole family gathers for
their baby shower. Erin’s friend Kelsey comes for the occasion and helps
put together a sentimental surprise that leaves Erin speechless. Nathan
and Lawson’s friends from New York, Ashley and Anastasia, also visit
and the kids have fun showing these city folk a real country adventure!
Monday, June 29, 2015
Bates Family Blog - Swing Set Surprise
Hi y’all!
I hope everyone’s enjoying (or at least surviving) the summer heat!
In tonight’s episode of “Bringing Up Bates,” the kids finally got a swing set! I’ve wanted one at the house for the longest time and the fact that we were able to pull it off as a surprise was a miracle in itself. It’s hard to keep a secret in this family!
As parents, we try to seek out learning opportunities for our children and it seems we never have to go very far to find them! Here’s the latest life-lesson stop on the way to “Bringing Up Bates”
and a few things that didn’t make the show…
When we need to make a family decision, sometimes we take a family vote. Our little ones love to be involved in making “grown-up” decisions and as parents, it’s important to us that our kids feel involved and heard. So, the latest case on the Bates family docket was finding a place for our chickens to live. That’s right, we now have chickens!
In our family, there’s never a shortage of opinions but at some point, we have to settle on one decision. Even when majority rules, someone is bound to get their feelings hurt or feel disappointed. When this happens, we encourage everyone to choose better attitudes. Rarely is it easy to go from being disappointed to feeling encouraged but all things are possible with God and we teach the kids that an attitude isn’t a feeling, it’s a decision. The most important thing is that we’re a family that works through whatever life brings us, be it big or small, together.
How does all of this relate to tonight’s episode? Well, the swing set was the result of working together toward a common goal and learning the lesson that when you think of others before yourself, somewhere down the road, you’ll reap the kindness you’ve sown!
On another note, I had so much fun house hunting with my mom because it means we are one step closer to her moving here. I know she wants to be with her grandkids and we are all just as anxious! Now, we just have to find the right house so that dream becomes reality.
Love,
Kelly Jo
I hope everyone’s enjoying (or at least surviving) the summer heat!
In tonight’s episode of “Bringing Up Bates,” the kids finally got a swing set! I’ve wanted one at the house for the longest time and the fact that we were able to pull it off as a surprise was a miracle in itself. It’s hard to keep a secret in this family!
As parents, we try to seek out learning opportunities for our children and it seems we never have to go very far to find them! Here’s the latest life-lesson stop on the way to “Bringing Up Bates”
and a few things that didn’t make the show…
When we need to make a family decision, sometimes we take a family vote. Our little ones love to be involved in making “grown-up” decisions and as parents, it’s important to us that our kids feel involved and heard. So, the latest case on the Bates family docket was finding a place for our chickens to live. That’s right, we now have chickens!
In our family, there’s never a shortage of opinions but at some point, we have to settle on one decision. Even when majority rules, someone is bound to get their feelings hurt or feel disappointed. When this happens, we encourage everyone to choose better attitudes. Rarely is it easy to go from being disappointed to feeling encouraged but all things are possible with God and we teach the kids that an attitude isn’t a feeling, it’s a decision. The most important thing is that we’re a family that works through whatever life brings us, be it big or small, together.
How does all of this relate to tonight’s episode? Well, the swing set was the result of working together toward a common goal and learning the lesson that when you think of others before yourself, somewhere down the road, you’ll reap the kindness you’ve sown!
On another note, I had so much fun house hunting with my mom because it means we are one step closer to her moving here. I know she wants to be with her grandkids and we are all just as anxious! Now, we just have to find the right house so that dream becomes reality.
Love,
Kelly Jo
All about Bradley: Eight months old!
I feel that I was just posting his birth blog and now he is already eight months old. It's hard to believe that we only have four more months of his monthly updates.
Happy 8th month old birthday Bradley!
Sunday, June 28, 2015
Our July Birthday cover!
July will be here really soon! We can't believe that the family only have one birthday this month so we are ready to reveal it for you all!
Lawson is the family's only birthday for the month of July! :)
Saturday, June 27, 2015
In the works!
We are currently working on some new things for the blog! We will keep you updated on this when we make the new announcement. We are super excited to share this with you all.
Friday, June 26, 2015
Recap: Movin' in with Meema
***** Special Thank you to Alisa on her recap of the show! The owner, whom normally does the recaps, is currently on a camping trip until Sunday night ****
Gil and Kelly take Josie and Trace to the orthodontists for braces. Gil tells us that the orthodontists will give him five per cent discounts for each child that needs braces so by the time Jeb will need braces the orthodontists will be paying him instead of paying the dentist. Later on Kelly's mom and sister come to town cause Meema decides she wants to move closer to her grandchildren they decide to go house shopping when the come to the first house the love the view of the lake but it is not handicap accessible for her husband and it does not have a master bedroom on the bottom floor which is very important. They decide no on the house when they come to the second house they fall in love with it but it's not handicap accessible either for her husband because on the outside their is no railing for him to hold to get into the house. Kelly decides they should stop looking at houses and look at lots available to build a house accessible for Meema and her husband to make it their own. The next Kelly and Gil decide to surprise the kids with a swing set Gil and the older boys are going to build but they all have an opinion on where to put it. Kelly and her mom along with Whitney and Bradley decided to take the kids to Ponderosa Zoo so the boys can get started on the swing set. At the zoo they kids get hands on fun with animals by feeding the animals right out of their hands. While at the zoo Kelly calls Gil and ask what time she should be coming home Gil says 5:30 which only give them 25 min to finish with on the only the two side frames up they boys hurry to get the top post on before Kelly and the kids get home. Gil and the boys get the top on just in time as Kelly and the kids pull up the kids are excited when they see what the boys have been doing while they where away. Later it is time for Meema to go back home they family is sad to see her leave but they now it is a see you later as she will be living closer to them very soon.
Gil and Kelly take Josie and Trace to the orthodontists for braces. Gil tells us that the orthodontists will give him five per cent discounts for each child that needs braces so by the time Jeb will need braces the orthodontists will be paying him instead of paying the dentist. Later on Kelly's mom and sister come to town cause Meema decides she wants to move closer to her grandchildren they decide to go house shopping when the come to the first house the love the view of the lake but it is not handicap accessible for her husband and it does not have a master bedroom on the bottom floor which is very important. They decide no on the house when they come to the second house they fall in love with it but it's not handicap accessible either for her husband because on the outside their is no railing for him to hold to get into the house. Kelly decides they should stop looking at houses and look at lots available to build a house accessible for Meema and her husband to make it their own. The next Kelly and Gil decide to surprise the kids with a swing set Gil and the older boys are going to build but they all have an opinion on where to put it. Kelly and her mom along with Whitney and Bradley decided to take the kids to Ponderosa Zoo so the boys can get started on the swing set. At the zoo they kids get hands on fun with animals by feeding the animals right out of their hands. While at the zoo Kelly calls Gil and ask what time she should be coming home Gil says 5:30 which only give them 25 min to finish with on the only the two side frames up they boys hurry to get the top post on before Kelly and the kids get home. Gil and the boys get the top on just in time as Kelly and the kids pull up the kids are excited when they see what the boys have been doing while they where away. Later it is time for Meema to go back home they family is sad to see her leave but they now it is a see you later as she will be living closer to them very soon.
Thursday, June 25, 2015
True Inspiration
Yesterday, Lawson got the chance to sing with AJ to surprise Peyton Manning on his charity Golf tournament.
Last year AJ was diagnosed with multiple inoperable brain tumors. Lawson says that he is a fighter and true inspiration. He needs our prayers.
Proceeds from the game went to the children hospital and PeyBack foundation. If you would like to support the hospital we will be putting the links down below.
https://donate.etch.com/?_ga=1.109638853.1937087231.1422915105
Check out AJ's page on facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Prayers-for-AJ-Cucksey/591788604282567
Proceeds from the game went to the children hospital and PeyBack foundation. If you would like to support the hospital we will be putting the links down below.
https://donate.etch.com/?_ga=1.109638853.1937087231.1422915105
Check out AJ's page on facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Prayers-for-AJ-Cucksey/591788604282567
Recap writing!
The owner of the page is currently camping with her family and won't be able to write the recap.
If you would love to write the recap and send it to our email duggarsfan@gmail.com
We will post it tomorrow morning!
If you would love to write the recap and send it to our email duggarsfan@gmail.com
We will post it tomorrow morning!
400 blogs and counting!
We finally made it to 400 blogs in one year! This is our first time that we have done this.
What is your favorite blog this year?
New episode tonight!
There is a new episode tonight! We are not sure when we are going to be able to post the next two recaps but we will let you know! :)
Wednesday, June 24, 2015
Timeout Moments with Judson and Jeb!
Jeb and Judson sit down and talk about something but Jeb asked questions about the filming and the interview did not happen. Here is a cute interview of the boys
Be sure to watch the show tomorrow night!
Blogs for the rest of the month!
We have a lot of blogs that are still coming up. We hope that you enjoy them.
Thursday: Recap
Friday: Family blog from the episode
Saturday: Photos from the episode
Sunday: July birthday cover
Monday: All about Bradley: Eight months old
Tuesday: June in review, preview of the episode
Thursday: Recap
Friday: Family blog from the episode
Saturday: Photos from the episode
Sunday: July birthday cover
Monday: All about Bradley: Eight months old
Tuesday: June in review, preview of the episode
Tuesday, June 23, 2015
Preview: Movin' in with Meema
Gil and Kelly Jo take Trace and Josie to the orthodontist to get
braces, and Gil reveals how he can afford orthodontia for so many kids.
Later, Kelly Jo’s mother Meema announces that she wants to live closer
to the kids. So Kelly Jo takes her house hunting, but the task proves
tougher than anyone could have imagined.
Monday, June 22, 2015
Our New cover!
It's been about a month since our last cover change for our blog and we decided to change a few photos from our last one.
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| Our June cover |
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| Our May cover |
Check out our other cover photos by clicking the link here
Sunday, June 21, 2015
Happy father's day
Father's day has changed a lot for Gil. From welcoming his first son, Zach to welcoming his new grandson Carson. We are so excited to share some photos for you.
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| Chad and his one month old son |
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| Gil and Kelly Jo |
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| John and Alyssa with their two month old daughter Allie Jane |
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| Zach and Whitney with their seven month old son Bradley |
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| Zach, Michaella, Erin and Lawson |
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| Zach, Michaella, Erin and Lawson |
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| Lawson and Gil |
Friday, June 19, 2015
Erin's blog: Fearful Times Turn Into Overwhelming Joy
Hi everyone! It’s been entirely too long since my last blog post but things have been pretty busy round’ here! 
For those of you who have followed our story, you know our journey to becoming parents has been filled with heartbreak. Having already been through three heartbreaking miscarriages, I can honestly say, I never knew suffering like I know it now.
In tonight’s show, I was in the last trimester of my pregnancy and Dr. Vick talked to Chad and I about the risk of stillbirth due to a genetic blood-clotting condition I have. Needless to say, hearing the word “stillbirth” sent a cold chill down my spine.
In times like these, you can’t help but feel fearful and helpless because everything is out of your control and you don’t know the answers to your questions and you don’t know how things are going to turnout. It was just all too much for us to handle! The only thing we knew to do was to pray and trust God that He might grant us the incredible honor of being parents to the miracle that was growing inside me.
After months of injections, lost appetite, complete nausea and a myriad of other insufferable symptoms… Charles Stephen IV was born on May 14. We finally met our baby boy and to know that he’s here and he’s healthy is everything. To say that we are in-love with Carson would be a complete understatement! We are wholeheartedly overjoyed!
God has taught us so much throughout this journey and through it, we were able to draw closer to Him and closer to each other. We may never know the answers to all of life’s questions but we can rest knowing that God does.
“We prayed for this child and the Lord has granted us what we asked of Him.” – 1 Samuel 1:27
For those of you who have followed our story, you know our journey to becoming parents has been filled with heartbreak. Having already been through three heartbreaking miscarriages, I can honestly say, I never knew suffering like I know it now.
In tonight’s show, I was in the last trimester of my pregnancy and Dr. Vick talked to Chad and I about the risk of stillbirth due to a genetic blood-clotting condition I have. Needless to say, hearing the word “stillbirth” sent a cold chill down my spine.
In times like these, you can’t help but feel fearful and helpless because everything is out of your control and you don’t know the answers to your questions and you don’t know how things are going to turnout. It was just all too much for us to handle! The only thing we knew to do was to pray and trust God that He might grant us the incredible honor of being parents to the miracle that was growing inside me.
After months of injections, lost appetite, complete nausea and a myriad of other insufferable symptoms… Charles Stephen IV was born on May 14. We finally met our baby boy and to know that he’s here and he’s healthy is everything. To say that we are in-love with Carson would be a complete understatement! We are wholeheartedly overjoyed!
God has taught us so much throughout this journey and through it, we were able to draw closer to Him and closer to each other. We may never know the answers to all of life’s questions but we can rest knowing that God does.
“We prayed for this child and the Lord has granted us what we asked of Him.” – 1 Samuel 1:27
Thursday, June 18, 2015
Recap: High Risk, High Hopes
Chad and Erin head to Dr. Vic to make sure that Carson is doing fine. Chad and Erin bring up that someone mention to her doctor about stillbirth and Dr Vic explains that they will keep a special watch on Carson.
Gil knows that the only thing that they can do is pray which is hard for them. While Erin knows that everything that they are doing is to make sure that they have a healthy baby.
The younger kids decided that it's time make an underground fort. Gil and Kelly chose not to have a tv for many years so their kids ended up spending a lot of time outside.
A few of the older boys (Lawson, Nathan, and Trace) took Jackson, Warden and Isaiah down to the driving range for a golf lesson. Zach thinks that it's just the blind leading the blind.
The boys return and the older ones load their airsolf guns to to take over the younger ones fort. Gil and Kelly have one rule when it comes to their airsoft wars that everyone has to wear eye protection. The rest of the family watches from the window.
Chad and Erin decided to invite Zach, Whitney and Bradley over for dinner. Tori reveals that her sister was the worst cook ever but has gotten better. Zach reveals that whenever Erin cook growing up you knew that dinner was ready when the fire alarm went off. Erin is a great chef since she married Chad.
Whitney reveals that Zach doesn't say or show much that he has a hard time with watching his sisters grow up and then get married and have kids of their own. It makes him a little sad.
Gil knows that the only thing that they can do is pray which is hard for them. While Erin knows that everything that they are doing is to make sure that they have a healthy baby.
The younger kids decided that it's time make an underground fort. Gil and Kelly chose not to have a tv for many years so their kids ended up spending a lot of time outside.
A few of the older boys (Lawson, Nathan, and Trace) took Jackson, Warden and Isaiah down to the driving range for a golf lesson. Zach thinks that it's just the blind leading the blind.
The boys return and the older ones load their airsolf guns to to take over the younger ones fort. Gil and Kelly have one rule when it comes to their airsoft wars that everyone has to wear eye protection. The rest of the family watches from the window.
Chad and Erin decided to invite Zach, Whitney and Bradley over for dinner. Tori reveals that her sister was the worst cook ever but has gotten better. Zach reveals that whenever Erin cook growing up you knew that dinner was ready when the fire alarm went off. Erin is a great chef since she married Chad.
Whitney reveals that Zach doesn't say or show much that he has a hard time with watching his sisters grow up and then get married and have kids of their own. It makes him a little sad.
The Great deBATES - When Is The Wedding?
Be The 20th Bates For A Day Sweeptakes
Be sure to check out this website for more information
Wednesday, June 17, 2015
Zach Bates Shares Father's Day Memories - The First Time
Chad on Father's day!
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Preview: High Risk, High hopes
Erin and Chad meet with Dr. Vick to discuss the risk of having a stillbirth and the precautions they must take for the rest of her pregnancy. Later, the couple invites Zach, Whitney and baby Bradley over for dinner while the older boys square off against the younger ones in a giant Airsoft battle!
Monday, June 15, 2015
Countdown to Wedding update #2
Brandon and Michaella have two months until they say I do. They are working on finishing all of the last wedding details and enjoying their time together.
Sunday, June 14, 2015
18 months of marriage
Happy 1 1/2 year of marriage to Zach and Whitney!
It's hard to believe that you guys have been married for 18 months as of today. Whitney has said that her husband is very thoughtful and has many surprises for her.
Ever since Bradley turned six months old, Many of you have asked when they are going to have their second child and right now they are not expecting their second baby.
Ever since Bradley turned six months old, Many of you have asked when they are going to have their second child and right now they are not expecting their second baby.
All about Carson: One month of life!
Chad and Erin are adjusting very well to have this little boy in their lives.
We will see you next month for his second month of life!
Saturday, June 13, 2015
Bates Family Blog - Family (Re)Union
Hi everyone! Welcome to another season of Bringing Up Bates! We’re so
excited to be back and hope each show is an encouragement to you.
Life has certainly been busy for us Bates. Remember last season when Brandon came to visit us? Well.. in tonight’s episode, it was our turn! Gil, Michael and I traveled to Chicago to meet with Brandon’s parents.
While we always love getting together with Brandon’s parents, this particular visit was more exciting than normal because it was an opportunity for us to spend time together as couples before Brandon and Michael take the next step in their relationship which of course means engagement!
Having close family ties is important to both Brandon and Michael and we saw our visit as an opportunity to just laugh together and celebrate Brandon and Michael and their future together… And maybe poke a little innocent fun at them about their future secret plans. Obviously, there was a lot of family rooting for an engagement in the near future and we love sharing in the whole excitement of the moment!
It was wonderful to just spend some relaxed time with our future son-in-law and his parents and to talk about a wedding and relationships and love! We believe in making memories and this trip gave us lots of them!
I hope wherever you are today, you’re working on making loving memories of your own! What are your favorite ways to make memories with the ones you love?
Life has certainly been busy for us Bates. Remember last season when Brandon came to visit us? Well.. in tonight’s episode, it was our turn! Gil, Michael and I traveled to Chicago to meet with Brandon’s parents.
While we always love getting together with Brandon’s parents, this particular visit was more exciting than normal because it was an opportunity for us to spend time together as couples before Brandon and Michael take the next step in their relationship which of course means engagement!
Having close family ties is important to both Brandon and Michael and we saw our visit as an opportunity to just laugh together and celebrate Brandon and Michael and their future together… And maybe poke a little innocent fun at them about their future secret plans. Obviously, there was a lot of family rooting for an engagement in the near future and we love sharing in the whole excitement of the moment!
It was wonderful to just spend some relaxed time with our future son-in-law and his parents and to talk about a wedding and relationships and love! We believe in making memories and this trip gave us lots of them!
I hope wherever you are today, you’re working on making loving memories of your own! What are your favorite ways to make memories with the ones you love?
Friday, June 12, 2015
Bates family blog: “I Love You Day” Gift Giving – Bates Style
The Bates family celebrates Valentine’s Day in a unique and creative way. Instead of flowers, chocolates and conversation heart candy for all, they give a gift to a family (or extended family) member to show their appreciation for them. It’s just a small way to say “I love you.”
When you have a family with 19 kids — including three married couples — there’s a lot of giving going on… and keeping track of who gave who what can make for a lengthy list!
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| Photo credit: UP TV |
Whom does Bradley look like?
Thursday, June 11, 2015
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