William Bates and Willow Balka's double birthdays

Happy Birthday to Willow and William!

Who is the parents

We have been getting a lot of questions about who is the parents of certain grandchildren, we do have an all about grandchildren tab that features all forty grandchildren.

Brandon and Michaella have been married since August 2015. They have two foster boys currently ages 4 and 1. 

Jackson and Emerson have been married since October 2023. They have welcomed their son Dakota in July 2025.

Kelton and Josie have been married since October 2018. They welcomed their first child (Willow) in July 2019. They welcomed their second child (Hazel) in June 2021. They welcomed third child (Miles) in February 2024. They welcomed their fourth child (Brooks) in December 2025

Lawson and Tiffany have been married since May 2021. They welcomed their first child (William) in July 2024. They welcomed their second child (Theodore) in December 2025.

Nathan and Esther have been married since October 2021. They welcomed their first child (Kenna) in October 2022. They welcomed their second child (Graham) in October 2024.

Trace and Lydia have been married since October 2022. They welcomed their first child (Ryker) in September 2023. They welcomed their second child (Kaia) in June 2025.

Travis and Katie have been married since December 2021. They welcomed their first child (Hailey) in February 2023. They welcomed their second child (Harvey) in September 2024.

Evan and Carlin have been married since May 2019. They welcomed their first child (Layla) in January 2020. They welcomed their second child (Zade) in March 2022. They welcomed their third child (Navy) in September 2025.

Who is the parents?

 We have been getting a lot of questions about who is the parents of certain grandchildren, we do have an all about grandchildren tab that features all forty grandchildren.

Zach and Whitney have been married since December 2013. They welcomed their first child (Bradley) in October 2014. They welcomed their second child (Kaci) in June 2016. They welcomed their third child (Khloe) in November 2019. They welcomed their fourth child (Jadon) in June 2021. They welcomed their fifth child (Lily) in August 2023. They recently welcomed their sixth child (Ella) in April 2026.

John and Alyssa have been married since May 2014. They welcomed their first child (Allie) in April 2015. They welcomed their second child (Lexi) in January 2017. They welcomed their third child (Zoey) in March 2018. They welcomed their fourth child (Maci) in February 2021. They welcomed their fifth child (Rhett) in March 2023.

Chad and Erin have been married since November 2013. They welcomed their first child (Charles) in May 2015. They welcomed their second child (Brooklyn) in August 2016. They welcomed their third child (Everly) in March 2018. They welcomed their fourth child (Holland) in November 2019. They welcomed their fifth child (Finley) in January 2022. They welcomed their sixth child (William) in October 2023. They welcomed their seventh child (Henry) in August 2025.

Bobby and Tori have been married since December 2017. They welcomed their first child (Kade) in November 2018. They welcomed their second child (Kolter) in March 2020. They welcomed their third child (Charlotte) in June 2021. They welcomed their fourth child (Cambree) in August 2022. They welcomed their fifth child (Weston) in May 2024. They welcomed their sixth child (Gage) in February 2026.

Sarah Bates turns 24

Happy Birthday

She and Isaiah got married back in May 2026. 

Kelton's birthday post

Kelly Jo posted 

Happy 31st Birthday, Kelton (one day late)! I got so excited when I began to research the meaning of your name! It’s such a fitting description of you; God definitely gave your parents insight as they chose it! It has a British & Scottish origin, & it means “keel town,” a seaside town where settlers made keels for sailing boats. That might not seem like a significant thing until you look up what a keel is & what its function is. “It acts as the backbone of the boat & is absolutely essential for keeping the vessel upright, preventing it from tipping over, & stopping it from being pushed sideways by the wind. It provides stability & lift.” When you apply this description in a spiritual sense, it’s a perfect description of YOU! You’re so wise, mature, well-rounded, focused, determined, skilled, thoughtful, & helpful. You are leadership material through & through, & you want to please God in your life, your family, & your business… & in the process, it’s easy to see how you bring stability in the lives of all those around you, keeping them balanced & upright. Your middle name Edward is also a mirror of your life, having an Old English origin, it means “wealthy guardian” or “prosperous protector.” We know that our true riches are not earthly riches, but are rather, the riches of God’s grace & His gift of eternal life. Your life as a protector & guardian, points people to that truth- the only real hope & help! Thank you for being such an incredible son-in-law, husband, father, friend, business man, & Christian! ❤️

Dakota's birthday posts

Kelly Jo posted a sweet birthday post to her grandson as he celebrated his first birthday. 

Happy 1st Birthday, Dakota James (one day late)! You’re such a happy baby, with such a bright smile! I look at you & have flashbacks of your dad as a boy! I see so much resemblance, & your joyful personality reminds me of him too. Your 1st name is from Native American origin, meaning “friend.” And your 2nd name in Hebrew means “to follow after,” & it has the connotation of “strength & protection.” In Latin it means “May God protect.” These names offer a perfect prayer for your life: May you be a friend of God, following after Him & enjoying the protection & strength He brings! And I can’t wait to watch you growing up & living out such a beautiful prayer! You’re a special young fellow, & as you get older, I hope it’ll be more & more clear to you just how loved you are- by God & by all of us! ❤️

New double birthday

Happy birthday Kelton and Dakota!

Kelly has confirmed that the baby boy's name is Dakota and he was born on July 4th.

Happy 1st birthday Dakota

Kelly has shared when Jackson and Emerson's little boy was born.

He shares a birthday with his uncle, Kelton, and Papa Bill.

Lawson and Tiffany are moving

We have some exciting news to share. 

Lawson and Tiffany are moving to Florida with their two boys. 

More photos from Warden and Kaybrie's wedding

We have new photos of Warden and Kaybrie's wedding photos. The couple got married in a private ceremony with the help of family members. It was Kaybrie's wish to have her father walk her down the aisle before he passed away.

July Birthdays

It's time to release our July birthdays cover photo.

William Bates (July 19), Willow Balka (July 19), Sarah Bates (July 12), Kelton Balka (July 4), Lawson Bates (July 27), and Dakota Bates (July 4)

Charlotte turns 5

Happy Birthday

GrandBates #4 joins 10 year old club

Kaci Lynn has celebrated her tenth birthday on June 20th!

She joins her brother (Bradley) and cousins (Allie and Charles).

Father's day 2026

Happy Father's Day 💙 

Kaci turns 10

Happy Birthday

Clark family moves to Texas

Katie has officially announced that the Clark family has moved to Texas.

Hazel turns 5

Happy Birthday

Kaia turns 1

Happy Birthday

Jadon turns 5

Happy Birthday

Kaybrie speaks out about her wedding

GrandBates born in June

This month the Bates family will celebrate nothing but grandbabies.

1. Jadon Bates is the son of Zach and Whitney Bates. He was born on June 7th! 

2. Kaci Bates is the daughter of Zach and Whitney Bates. She was born on June 20th.

3. Kaia Bates is the daughter of Trace and Lydia Bates. She was born on June 12th.

4. Charlotte Smith is the daughter of Bobby and Tori Smith. She was born on June 24th. 

5. Hazel Balka is the daughter of Kelton and Josie Balka. She was born on June 14th.

Hello June 2026

 Birthdays:

* Jadon Bates

* Kaia Bates

* Hazel Balka

* Kaci Bates

* Charlotte Smith

Other Posts:

* July birthdays cover

* Father's Day 2026

New photo of Weston Slade

Weston celebrated his second birthday just a few days ago.

Updated May Birthdays and anniversaries cover

Now that Warden and Isaiah have gotten married, it's time to update our May Birthdays and anniversaries cover.

Birthdays: Erin Paine (May 2), Charles Paine (May 14), Warden Bates (May 19), and Weston Smith (May 29)

Anniversaries: Warden and Kaybrie (May 5th), Isaiah and Sarah (May 9), Lawson and Tiffany (May 12), John and Alyssa (May 24), and Evan and Carlin (May 25)

Updated May anniversaries

The May Wedding anniversaries are now at five! 

Isaiah and Sarah got married on May 9th. Warden and Kaybrie got married on May 5th.

John and Alyssa have been married for twelve years. Evan and Carlin have been married for seven years. Lawson and Tiffany have been married for four years.

New photo of the Smith family

In honor of Weston's second birthday, Gil and Kelly share this new photo of the Smith family.

Their Birthdays: Bobby Smith (February 16), Tori Smith (December 20), Kade Smith (November 9), Kolter Smith (March 25), Charlotte Smith (June 24), Cambree Smith (August 2), Weston Smith (May 29), and Gage Smith (February 28).