Sunday, January 31, 2016

January in review!

photo credit: UP TV
This month has been a season of surprises for the fans!

Here is what happen:
Zach and Whitney revealed that they are expecting their second child
Carson turned eight months old
Allie turned nine months old
Bradley turned fifteen months old
Gil and Michaella celebrated their birthday
Brandon and Michaella celebrated their third month anniversary!
Bringing Up Bates returned for a third season!

Updated double birthdays!

As many of you know that the Bates have four children that share a birthday but they are not twins.

1. Trace and Jeb- February 1st
2. Jackson and Addallee- February 17th
3. Allie and Carlin- April 11th
4. Judson and Brandon- September 15th

When the birthdate was announced for Allie Jane, it was revealed that she shares her birthday with her aunt! 

Saturday, January 30, 2016

19 weeks pregnant

The baby is a size of Heirloom!

Just one more week until we are half way through this pregnancy!

Did you know that we did not start pregnancy blogs with Bradley until Whitney was 28 weeks pregnant?

We will see you next week with 20 weeks pregnant!

Friday, January 29, 2016

Baby Guesses: Birth information

When do you think baby #2 will be born?

How much do you think it will weigh and it's length? 

If the baby is born in June, it will mark the first birthday in that month for the family.

Recap: Headed to the Altar

Brandon and Michaella met at a homeschool conference. Michaella prayed from the moment that she met Brandon that she could be his wife.
Back in September 2014, Michaella headed to Texas to surprised Brandon with a visit. The couple had decided to wait to hold hands until their engagement. 
In November 2014, Brandon heads to the family home to get to know Michaella's family. They head up to visit family members for Thanksgiving.
Just 3 months later, Brandon takes Michaella's sisters (Tori, Carlin and Josie) to look for a ring for Michaella but decides to design a ring himself for her.
The boys decide to take Brandon out for Bowling. Michaella thinks that it is sweet that her brothers care for her that much.
Just one month later, Gil and Kelly meet up with Brandon's parents in Chicago with Brandon and Michaella. They have a great time and Brandon asked Gil if he could ask Michaella to marry him.
Brandon arranges Michaella to come and see him in DC where the engagement happens on April 13th!
As the wedding is about to start, Brandon and Michaella have only been engaged for four months and the family is finding it hard to see Michaella get married and move to Chicago.

***** There will be no trivia questions this week! *****

All about Bradley: 15 months old

 Bradley is now 15 months old and he's got some news for you!

He is going to be a big brother. The baby will be born when he is about to be turning 20 months old.

Whitney shared that her son might have not understood that he was going to have a new brother or sister.

Thursday, January 28, 2016

Two movies!

The family has wished to share two very encouraging movies! 

 They are both out on DVDS!

Baby Games: Name guesses?

We hope that you guys will leave your baby name guesses down below.

Keep Up with the Bates!

We just check our email to find that one of our faithful readers have message us and said that you can watch season 3 of Bringing Up Bates!!!!!
The third season is currently being uploaded on I-tunes!

Each episode is $1.99 SD and $2.99 HD

Full season is $16.99 SD and $25.99 HD

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

Trivia Answers

1. What did Brandon and Michaella do with Gil? Marriage License
2. Who did Kelly hold on to during the rollarskating? Gil
3. Which are the Bates better at? Rollarskating or Ice Skating? Rollarskating
4. What did the girls do at Erin's house? Candle Making
5. Where did Gil ad Kelly take Brandon, Michaella, Chad, and Erin? Calhoun

I will always

We have brand new information about Lawson!

He's got a new song coming out on February 4th

Baby games: Gender predictions!

What do you think the baby will be? 

A boy or a girl

Tuesday, January 26, 2016

The art of Music

Erin and Alyssa sit down and talk about their childhood. They also sit down and talk about their plans for Allie and Carson.



Preview: headed to the altar!

With the wedding of Brandon and Michaella just days away, as the excitement builds for the big day, we take a look back at their relationship and courtship from Seasons 1 & 2, from their first days together to the romantic proposal! We’ll also see for the first time on TV how the other Bates couples – Zach & Whitney and Erin & Chad – celebrated their engagements!

Monday, January 25, 2016

A little bit of change!

The wedding was schedule originally to air this upcoming Thursday, However UP TV has revealed that they are just going to pushed the wedding back another week.

Journey to parenthood: Baby #2 Five more months!

We were thinking about changing the name for baby #2 to Journey to family of four.

This past month, Zach and Whitney announced that they were expecting on January 7th!

On January 11th, they revealed that they were due on June 25th! 

On January 21st, Whitney revealed that they will be finding out if they are going to have a girl or boy along with the name will be reveal! 

Sometime this week, we will be posting the Gender, Birthday, and name guesses. 

Sunday, January 24, 2016

February Birthday cover photo!

We are super excited to share our February Birthday cover photo! 
The family has four children celebrating their birthdays on two different days! 

Trace and Jeb celebrate their birthdays on February 1st
Jackson and Addie celebrate their birthdays on February 17th! 

 

Saturday, January 23, 2016

When we were founded?

I was checking our facebook page "Fan page of the Bates family" and discovered that our facebook page was opened on August 24, 2011! 
That marks our blog almost five years old!

18 weeks pregnant & baby bump!

The Baby is a size of a Bell Pepper!

Whitney should be able to feel some movements from the baby. If you're having a boy, his genitals are noticeable now, but he may hide them from you during an ultrasound.

Whitney also revealed that she is planning to reveal the name and gender of Baby #2 really soon! 

Bates #2 turns 26!

Happy Birthday Michaella! 
 

Thursday, January 21, 2016

Homemade Candles

What You Will Need

6 lb. bag of natural soy wax flakes (6 cups soy wax flakes = 3 cups melted wax)
2 oz. fragrance oil or essential oil (rule of thumb is 1 oz. per lb. of wax) (NOTE: We used a Cherry Blossom fragrance.)
Wicks with clips, 9″ long
12 – 4oz canning jars (able to withstand heat)
Adhesive for wicks (or you can also use double-sided tape)
Fork to hold wick upright while drying
Large glass measuring cup (microwaveable)
Coloring dye
Steps

Place adhesives on the bottom of each wick base using adhesive or double-sided tape.
Remove lids from the canning jars (make sure to use canning jars that withstand heat) and place a wick with its adhesive in the bottom of each jar.
Pour soy wax flakes into a large, glass measuring cup.
Microwave the flakes for 60 seconds. If the flakes are not melted into liquid, put them in for another 30 seconds until melted.
Put in a few drops of color, along with a few drops of scented oil into the wax, stirring with a metal spoon.
Place a drop of the colored wax on a piece of paper and let it dry to test the color — wax will always dry a much lighter color, so it’s important to test the drop of wax first. (NOTE: We used red dye with the goal of making pink candles – as you know, the candles looked a bright orange, but when the wax cooled and hardened, it became a really lovely pale pink. That wax test on the paper will help you make sure you have the correct color and scent.)
Reheat the wax in the microwave if need be, then pour the melted wax into a jar.  To keep the wick in correct position, you can lay a fork over the top of the jar so the tines hold the wick in place upright.
Carefully pour wax into each jar up to the height you would like, then set aside to cool.
Repeat for any additional jars and wax you have.
Once candles are dry, take a pair scissors and cut the wick so approximately 1/2″ wick is showing.
Decorate jars with ribbon or twine. These candles make great gifts, you can put the lid back on each one and tie the ribbon around the top in a bow.

Trivia Questions

It's time for the third week of trivia questions. Have you guys been enjoying these?

1. What did Brandon and Michaella do with Gil?
2. Who did Kelly hold on to during the rollarskating?
3. Which are the Bates better at? Rollarskating or Ice Skating?
4. What did the girls do at Erin's house?
5. Where did Gil ad Kelly take Brandon, Michaella, Chad, and Erin?

Recap: 15 Kids and an Empty Nest

Brandon flies in for the wedding since it's going to be later that week, Brandon gets asked if he is ready to get married but he says that he is.
Michaella is not stressed out since there has been a lot of family and friends helping out to make this wedding happens.
Brandon and Michaella head to get their marriage license and brings Gil with them. The clerk asked Gil if he has any more children besides Michaella and he says that he has 15 more children at home. The clerk is shocked with the news about how many kids.
Gil and Kelly decided to take the little kids out for a special treat with rollerskating. Kelly knows that she is not the best skater out of the bunch and manages to hold on to Gil for dear life. Kelly does not think that this fun.
Gil and the little boys decided to have a race and he takes a few tumbles but no injuries. The older boys decide to take Brandon out for some fun and decide to go ice skating. Lawson says that the Bates are more decent at rollarskating then ice skating.
The boys finally get a hang of it until girls come out and they start showing off. The girls hope to show the boys a few new tricks and Brandon doesn't want to risk it. However he skates over a puddle of water and wipes out. Brandon bleeds for a little bit but has a gash on his head but it could have been worse. The staff brings out first aid kit and helps Brandon.
Trace thinks that Michaella is going to kill them because Brandon might have a bandage on his head for their wedding. Lawson buys Brandon a cowboy hat to hide it but Brandon is not a cowboy but a yankee.
Michaella learns about the accident before he gets back and she is panicked but happy that he is okay.
The girls head over to Erin's' house for girl talk and candle making. Michaella reveals that she is not nervous about the wedding or the night of the wedding.
Gil and Kelly decide to take Chad and Erin and Michaella and Brandon to dinner at Calhoun's by the river. She is balancing the sorrows of leaving her family to start a new adventure with Brandon as his wife.   

Finding out about baby #2

Whitney said: The day we found out we were expecting baby #2, I was so excited that I took several different tests to make sure I was seeing the results right. Zach and I were like little kids screaming and jumping around the house, trying to explain to our one-year-old that he was going to be a big brother! LOL! Even though Bradley didn't understand what was going on, there was such a feeling of excitement and joy in our home knowing that God was blessing our family with another little one! ️Just like when we found out we were pregnant with Bradley, it felt like we couldn't share the news fast enough... Now I'm already 18 weeks along and starting to feel the baby kick and move around!! It's growing healthy and is about the size of a bell pepper!  Every time I feel those little feet kicking, all I can do is smile and thank God for the beautiful gift of life. Bradley sure has kept us occupied these past 18 weeks, and the time is absolutely flying by. We thank everybody for their prayers and thoughts through this pregnancy! We just can't wait until June 25!!! (gender & baby name coming soon!) #babybump #18weeks #lovemybabies


Photos: 15 Kids and an Empty Nest





























Nervous Bride?

This week's episode of Bringing Up Bates, Erin asked her sister (Michaella) if she was nervous about her wedding. 


The Bride said no that she is not nervous.

Be sure to watch the new episode of Bringing Up Bates, we will be posting our recap and trivia questions later tonight! :) 

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

Preview: 15 Kids and an Empty Nest

With the big wedding just days away the family is busier than ever. Erin hosts a laughter filled candle making party for Michaella and her bridesmaids. Meanwhile, Nathan, Lawson, and Trace take Brandon to a skating rink, but an accident on the ice could put the wedding in jeopardy.

Monday, January 18, 2016

Helping hands

Now with three Bates girls married, Find out who is helping in the kitchen!

Sunday, January 17, 2016

Second Honeymoon


Chad and Erin sit down with Carlin Bates to answer questions. Find out where they want to go for a second honeymoon!

Saturday, January 16, 2016

17 weeks pregnant

The baby is a size of an turnip!

Whitney entered her second trimester on December 26th. They haven't released if they are going to have a boy or girl like they did with Bradley.

The baby only weighs 5 ounces right now and is about 5 inches long from it's head to the bottom!





Friday, January 15, 2016

Trivia questions: Sweet tea & Sit ups

1. Where did Gil and Kelly go with Michaella?
2. Who ends up catering Michaella's wedding?
3. How many guests does Gil think is coming?
4. Who is Kelly's trainer?
5. Who is Gil's trainer?


Recap: Sweet Tea & Sit ups

Michaella's countdown for her wedding so Gil and Kelly take her to Vol Market #3. The family started to be friends with them when Michaella was little girl and she is the nanny for the children.
Michaella decides that she would like Vol Market #3 to cater her wedding like they did with her sister Erin, who got married in November 2013.
Kelly shares that her daughter's meal plan is sub sandwiches, chips and cake. When they are asked about how many guests will be at the wedding.
Michaella: 500-600 guests
Kelly: 600-800 guests
Gil: 1,000 guests
The family heads to meet with musicians who will be playing both the bridal march and leaving sanctuary. Brandon wants to sing a few songs that he wrote for Michaella
Kelly is hoping to lose some weight for the wedding and decided to have a little challenge with her husband. She has Tori be her trainer and Lawson will be Gil's trainer. Kelly wants to determine the winner by the looks which Gil thinks 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.
Tori decides to work out alongside with her mom as Lawson does things different his dad. The girls walk around and toning exercises for the abs and upper body. Lawson decided to take his father to a deserted road to make him run.
The little kids decided that they want to pick two bowls of Blackberries to have Michaella make her blackberry cobbler.With the wedding right around the corner, they know that it's bittersweet since she is getting married.
Both Gil and Kelly say that their daughter doesn't want to be in the center of attention because she loves to think of others before herself.
A fried brings Michaella's dress and the girls break down in tears when she tries it on. Michaella feels like the happiest girl ever. All the girls are thrilled for her but also sad that she is moving to Chicago right after the wedding.

The Bates' Blackberry Cobbler Recipe


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:

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!)

In a separate bowl, combine self-rising flour, milk, sugar and vanilla. Mix well. Add the blackberries (or other fruit) to the batter.

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.

5 months of marriage!

Brandon and Michaella are celebrating their 5th month of marriage. Viewers will get to see their wedding in 13 days. We are super excited to see their wedding.
 They just celebrated their first Christmas and New Years as husband and wife.

Thursday, January 14, 2016

Photos: Sweet Tea & Sit Ups

Gil and Michaella with Carson

Michaella and Carson with Kelly and Erin along with friends

Erin

Gil and Michaella

Gil, Kelly and Michaella at the church

Kelly, Erin and Michaella at the church

Lawson and the camerman

Time for a break

Gil running across the bridge

Gil Running

Gil running

Gil

Lawson and Gil

Lawson and Gil




Other blogs you might like:
* Preview: Sweet Tea & Sit ups
* Recap: Sweet Tea & Sit ups
* Trivia questions