*Episode 1: The 4 Cs: Carat, Clarity Carlin, & Courtship
Kelly is having a family meeting and Gil talks about how hard it is that all his girls are growing up—Bobby and Tori will soon be engaged, Carlin and Evan are about to court, and Josie and Kelton have a budding relationship. Gil says he wished they would all wait a little and that it would all slow down.
They plan Josie’s birthday. Josie thinks that Alyssa, Kelton, and some of her friends are going to go shopping and get ice cream and that’s all. But it’s her 18th birthday and the Bates have a big surprise party planned. They also mention that the official Carlvan courtship is coming and they’re going to try to keep that a surprise, too. Kelly passed out jobs to the assembled kids and they begin to prepare.
At Crown College, Kelton comes and surprises Josie with flowers. Kelly and Alyssa ohh and ahh over the flowers. Jud and Jeb make fun of Josie and Kelton. (Fair). Alyssa says that the Bates are getting more lenient because they wouldn’t even let her talk to John until she was 18. Lawson explains that Kelly & Gil want their kids to wait until they’re 18 to be in a serious relationship (but Josie & Kelton seemed pretty serious before 18). Gil says he kept telling Josie she was only 17 and she sassed him and told him, “After tomorrow I’m going to be 18 and you can’t say that anymore!” Gil says he going to say, “You just turned 18!”
Kelly asked Whitney for suggestions for cute little shops and Whitney told her about a place called Josie’s boutique, which was too perfect. So, they go to Josie’s boutique to find a gift for Josie. Josie tells Kelton she isn’t picking anything; she doesn’t want money spent on her because it’s embarrassing. Kelton sees a “Happy Camper” hat and texts it to Bobby as a joke because Bobby will soon live in a camper. Josie praises Kelton for hanging with all the girls and shopping with her on her birthday. They pick something out in the end and Josie says it was super fun.
Back at the house, Gil and some of the littles are decorating. Thankfully, Michael arrives to make it look amazing. She hugs everyone, and she and Erin take over party prep. Gil shows them the banner they put up and they praise his minimal efforts. All the older Bates are around now, rushing to finish up the party prep.
Meanwhile, Kelton has suggested a unique little ice cream shop and they try some unique ice cream flavors. Josie says it’s the cutest little ice cream shop in the world. Kelly gets watermelon, which no one else wants to try (except Admin T, I want to try that). Kelly calls Gil and tells him that they’ll be home shortly. Now it’s crunch time at the house. The kids keep popping balloons, and they order the pizza late, but they manage to get it together in the last minute. They prepare to surprise Josie. When she opens the door, she is so shocked she walks right back out of the house. Jud says it’s because she gets shy. She has tears in her eyes and a big smile to see how many people came “just for her birthday.” Josie is really sweet. Evan arrives and Carlin yells, “now the party can start. My man is here.” Ok. It is time to give praises for Josie. Lawson goes first and says she is sensitive to other people’s feelings. Kelly loves how much Josie includes her in her life and makes her feel like a best friend and not just a mom. Kelton says she is an encouragement and she really cares about the things of the Lord. Erin says 18 is a big deal and that Josie is ahead of the game—she already has a boyfriend and is already in college.
On the porch, Evan and Kelton talk about the courtship. Evan says he has a lot planned and he hopes everything goes well. He seems nervous and hopes Carlin doesn’t suspect anything.
In Pensacola, Bobby goes to the jewelry store where his dad bought his mom a ring, and he plans to buy a ring for Tori. Tori had shown him a ring she saw a few months ago. It is a more unique ring and the jewelry store says they can do it. It will be all white gold with three stones. Chad says the type of ring is always different and there was a lot of overwhelming options. Zach is very sweet in his talking head, saying he looked at tons of rings and that she was worth more than he could ever afford, so he sold his truck. When he had the ring in his hand, he knew it was the coolest thing he ever bought. Gil says you try to make it special but you’re young, broke, and saving for a wedding, but you got to have a ring first. The jeweler shows Bobby stones and teaches him the 4 C’s: clarity, cut, color and carat. The jeweler jokes that the fifth c is cash. The producers ask the middle boys about the price of rings; they guess a ring costs a thousand dollars, but they don’t know, and they should ask Zach or one of the older guys. Judson guesses $3,550 for the price. The jeweler says that Bobby can get the ring before he moves to TN.
Back at the main house, Carlin is in her swim dress. She’s planned a day at the lake with the Stewarts. However, Evan comes, gives her flowers and a clue. Carlin is in shock and she keeps saying “we aren’t going to the Lake?” She tries to read it the clue, but she can’t put it together because she is so surprised and flustered by what was happening. She goes up stairs, fixes her hair and changes into a dress. They go to the car with their moms sitting in the back and the dads driving.
Back at the house, the Stewarts and the Bates are putting together the last stop. Lawson learns a song that the kids will sing. They prepare a large box to be wrapped while Lawson learns the song.
In the car, Carlin guesses they’re going to a restaurant on the lake, but Evan has a lunch cruise prepared for her and she is shocked. It’s an old river boat and they enjoy going down the river and spending time with both sets of parents.
The next clue leads to the Bates’s church, so they get off the boat and head that way. At the church, the little kids sing “Let me call you sweetheart” and Lawson plays along with them. It’s really sweet and Carlin gets a gift basket and a clue that leads to Erin’s house.
At Erin’s, all the couples gather to have a snack. There’s a lot of food there as well. Carlin arrives and is surprised that all of the couples are there, from Papa Bill and Mama Jane to Josie and Kelton. Erin gives Carlin a scrapbook that his sister made. They pray over the food and Zach says “We thank you for Carlin and for Evan so far” which Evan jokes about after. They go in and get some food and then they look through the scrapbook together.
Carlin reads the last clue, which leads to the dam. They go out to get in the car and Carlin gives Gil a big hug and says she’s so glad they’re apart of this.
At the dam, the siblings are setting everything up, including the giant gift box, a table set up with candles and flowers. The siblings finish and go to hide. The family arrives and Evan blindfolds Carlin and leads her out to the box. He walks away, and she takes the blindfold off, opens the box and all the balloons came out and she gets the key tied to one balloon. Evan comes over with a box and just starts singing to her. Carlin cries as Evan sings. When he finishes, she hugs him and opens the box with a bracelet with a heart charm on it. He asks if he accepts and she says yes and cries. Gil says it was like a movie, Kelly says it should have been an engagement because it was so special. Gil does not like that comment. Evan asks Gil if he can hold her hand now, and Gil jokes that he has five minutes. Carlin says it was the first time they held hands and are more official now. They take some pictures together, eat by the dam, and enjoy the moment.
The next day, it’s time to dedicate the Bates’s new church. At church, Gil announces the courtship and the Stewarts sing. Tori talks about how special it is to be in their building and finally have a place of their own. Gil says it was a crazy weekend—the birthday, the courtship, and the dedication all in 72 hours. Gil says more exciting things are ahead.
*Episode 2: Job Dilemmas and Decorating Decisions
Erin and Kelly arrive at Michael & Brandon’s new home in Chicago. Kelly is glad they’ll have more space. Michael asked Erin to help decorate the new place. Michael gives them a tour and Kelly is talking about how beautiful and cute the house is. Erin sees room for improvement and Michael agrees. Kelly gushes while Michael and Erin talk about what want to change about the house. They decide they will decorate the kitchen and the living room in a farmhouse style, even if it doesn’t go with Brandon’s more modern taste.
They go to a fabric store to get material for curtains. Michael and Erin debate some different fabrics. (Erin calls Michael “M” for short which I think is cute!) Kelly finds one she claims is ‘the one.’ But Michael & Erin veto her choices. Erin thought burlap would work but the store doesn’t have it. They move onto the next project.
Back in TN, Chad is switching jobs from Noble Metals. He is training Bobby to replace him at the scrapyard. Bobby says that Chad has been doing a lot. Chad describes their various duties and Bobby says it’s a lot of work and multitasking, like being in college and a long-distance relationship. Chad is going to work for a local builder starting in August and he is excited because he’s always wanted to do it. Bobby says he likes this job because he thinks he is going to do full-time ministry, and these two jobs can work together. Chad says Bobby has picked up on a lot, so they close up and head home. Tori comes over to pick up Bobby with the little girls and they go out for ice cream together. Tori and Bobby talk about getting married, and she asks when he will propose or if he’s even looked at rings. Addee says they were talking about the most awkward thing ever: getting married. Bobby says when he moves there, the clock is going to start ticking right away and that he is ready for engagement.
Back at Michael’s, they take inventory of the decorations Michael has. Erin asks her about what she wants to keep, and they try to figure out what works with a more country theme and what doesn’t. They start rearranging and Michael says she just lets Erin do her thing because she knows it will turn out beautiful. They talk about Michael’s infertility struggle—she doesn’t have any answers yet. But there is one more test to do at Dr. Vicks, and after that they will take a break and just enjoy being married and then maybe try again later if they need to. Kelly asks when Brandon gets off work and suggests they take a break from decorating, go out to eat with him, and then come back to it. Michael is excited.
Still in Chicago, Kelly, Michael and Erin arrive at the bowling alley and get shoes and balls. Brandon comes over and Kelly says she wants him to teach them to bowl. Additionally, Kelly gets bumpers and tells her kids they cannot have bumpers. Kelly says Michael and Erin were very competitive. Michael says she doesn’t like for Erin to beat her. Their competitiveness is pretty funny actually. The game is in their last frame and Erin beats Michael by one point. Michael seems really happy to have her family around her having fun. That night, they stay up late decorating and the next day they finish everything up. Brandon comes and asks Michael if she’s happy and says he is happy. Michael seems really happy. Erin is happy that Michael is happy.
*Episode 3: Bobby’s Happy Camper
Bobby is moving to TN. Tori is so excited that he’s going to be close by. Tori is at his camper with Whitney and Zach. Whitney says Tori realizes Bobby is leaving everything behind for her, so she wants to make sure he feels at home. The camper is being lent to them by a friend of the family so that Bobby can save money for a bit. Zach says it’s a Bates tradition to make posters when someone comes back from out of town. Tori brought poster boards but forgot markers. Tori says she is excited for the long distance to be over. Jud says that Bobby is moving to TN so he can marry her, “engage her,” and mimes kissing motion with hands. Jackson thinks the proposal will come very soon. Nathan says she’ll say yes. Nathan says he’s tired of all these relationships where you know what she’s going to say when she asks—there’s no drama. They make up the bed, Bradley helps them clear away the plastic, and Tori says she is so ready to be engaged. She wants to see the ring so badly.
In Pensacola, Bobby gets to see the ring for the first time. He is really excited. Bobby talks about how the proposal will go, but Bobby is unsure of the details. Bobby jokes that he’ll send his kids to this store one day, too, which is sweet. He heads off, saying this ring will burn a hole in his pocket.
Tori asked Erin and Chad to come help her at the camper to make posters. Chad shows Tori how to move the table top outside for more room to work. Tori is amazed and wishes she had known that when she was trying to clean under it. Erin asks Chad for cute little sayings for the posters. He says the only thing he can think about cute are things about you. Erin comes up with a few and while they work on posters, Kelton, Josie, and Jackson come over to fix a leak in the camper sink. Josie says Kelton is like another Chad in that he is really handy. He thinks he can manage to fix the sink. Erin and Chad finish the posters and head off. Kelton thinks the leak may be a result of a freeze in the winter and that the faucet is also broken. Kelton says he can grab a faucet from the supply house and hopefully get it fixed before Bobby arrives.
Bobby is on his way. Tori is rearranging things at the last minute and he and his family pull up to the camper. They give each other a big hug and have huge grins on their faces. She greets his parents. They unpack, and Tori tries to convince him to give her a sneak peek of the ring. They show Bobby and his family the camper and then head to the big Bates house. Kelly gives Bobby a big hug and greets his parents. Tori and Bobby show his parents around the house. The house is a bit messy and Gil jokes they’re probably glad Bobby is in a camper by himself. Josie and Kelton arrive after the tour and Kelton is excited to see Bobby and talks to his parents. Josie and Kelton brought ice cream with them, so all the Bates enjoy ice cream. Gil says he is so glad that Bobby is making this sacrifice for Tori. Gil says they’ll be making a lot of trips here and that it will only get busier when they get married.
*Episode 4: SUNday FUNday
Gil calls all the kids gone to get ready for the solar eclipse. Kelly’s old science teacher taught them about the eclipse back when they went to Spartanburg to visit. Michael and Brandon heard the date of the eclipse and immediately planned a trip to TN. Brandon asks Lawson for three balls to show what’s going to happen. Kelly also warned them all about looking at the sun without glasses on. Then Brandon gives Bobby a basketball to represent the sun, Lawson gets a ping pong ball to represent the moon, and Brandon has a small blue ball to be the Earth. Using the balls, Brandon walks the little kids through an explanation of the eclipse. A kind lady has allowed the Bates to have the party at her house. Kelly tells them to be respectful and loads the kids up to go off to this lady’s home. She is a church friend of Erin who is very kind to invite them all over. Whitney is sad Zach isn’t there and is working. The family who invited them used to own a party rental company, so they pull out a snow cone machine, a cotton candy machine and they have a large inflatable slide going into their pool. Gil is worried one of the kids is going to damage the slide. Kelly and Gil go down the slide together. The little kids enjoy snow cones and sliding. Judson says it was a cool day to do a birthday party.
The eclipse is starting, so the kids start grabbing their glasses. Chad brought a bunch of welding helmet shields from work that had the appropriate rating for the eclipse. The kids start watching the eclipse. Lawson says it looks like Pacman. Some people are very excited. Brandon has his nice camera and he’s taking pictures through the welding shields. All of a sudden it cools down and begins to get darker. Carlin begins to worry about the rapture. The crickets and frogs start chirping and they start to see stars in the sky. Nathan says they should have gone somewhere in the 100% path of totality. The Bates rave about how cool the eclipse was. Brandon got a really good picture of the eclipse at its peak. Brandon and Michael are so freaking cute—they’re so excited about the eclipse. Erin and Michael talk about the upcoming visit to Dr. Vick. Michael says after this they’re going to take a little break. They’re hopeful but nervous, Kelly says.
It is time for Michael and Brandon to see Dr. Vick. They’re doing a procedure to see if there is a blockage or something. Dr. Vick comes in, and jokes that after Michael went to Chicago, the Cubs won. Michael is glad that this testing will be with Dr. Vick. The first round of blood work and tests says that there was no reason they weren’t conceiving, and that she was hyper ovulating. The next step is to do the tests to see if there’s a tubal blockage. They go into a small room to go the exam. The doctor finds a tubal blockage, but her tubes are partially open and some of it was moved away by the test. Michael says when it gets hard, she focuses on the positives, and how close these experiences have made her and Brandon, and that there is a positive side to all of this.
*Episode 5: Erin’s Surprise Takes the Cake!
At Erin & Chad’s, Erin tells us she is expecting, and she is going to surprise Chad with a special dessert. It cuts to a clip of a friend bringing out a cake to Chad. Chad is so happy, and Carson tries to take the cake away. Erin said she was a few days late, got a test, and it was positive. Erin knew she wouldn’t be able to keep a secret long because she experiences excessive morning sickness. Chad jokingly calls her a little liar because he had asked earlier that day. Chad is blown away and says he always needs time to take it all in. Erin says for this baby she wants to change up her announcement style.
At the Bates’s house, Tori is doing dishes and talking to Carson. Whitney brings the kids over to the main house and drops the kids off with Tori. Whitney says she worked her way through college and she wanted to go back to work, particularly in a career that gets her into the community and has a more flexible schedule. Real estate was the perfect fit. Whitney says it works out that she doesn’t have to leave her kids for too long. The grandkids and littles enjoy spending time together, so that’s even better. The adults talk about how the kids enjoy playing together. At the same time, we see video of them running around the house.
At Whitney’s office, she walks in for a meeting. She took a class and passed a test to get her real estate license and she found this firm that is a great fit. Her boss is there for her meeting. She asks for tips to get started. He says start local, handing out business cards in her neighborhood. Zach sweetly talks about how proud of her he is and how excited he is for her. Whitney’s boss gives her a sign—her first with her name on it.
Trace is practicing for basketball tryouts with some friends. They work on some skills and Gil says Trace is kind of going in cold turkey. His friends say he needs to stay positive. Trace is hard on himself as they play. I really like Trace’s friend: he keeps telling him to be positive and says he has to do 10 pushups whenever he’s hard on himself. Trace’s friend is great, and someone should court him. They make Trace do a bunch of pushups because he kept critiquing himself. They wrap it up and Trace is able to make a bunch of shots.
At Erin and Chad’s, the little girls rush in and hug their niece and nephew. They’re going to make a cake to surprise the Bates family. They start with the frosting. As they cook, a little song plays, and they talk about how fun it is to cook with Erin because she lets them actually do stuff. They add strawberries to the middle of the cake. Erin tells Carson to tell the girls what’s in her belly and he says a baby and the girls scream. They are so excited. Erin is so happy they’re so excited. Addee is glad there will be a new little baby to hold. The girls are so excited because Erin says they get to tell everyone else. Ellie tells Whitney, Addee tells Lawson, and both offer their congratulations. Callie calls Alyssa as well. After all the phone calls, they cut the cake. Everyone keeps talking about how Everly was not expected, which is kind of funny. Erin is glad her kids will be close in age like her siblings are because it is so fun. She also said this third will be the most amazing and compliant, like she was as a child. Of course, Chad agrees with her instead of teasing her (he is such a sweetheart!). Erin guesses it’s a boy. Lawson and Kelly say girl. (It’s a girl, Everly Hope, who arrived in April 2018). Kelly thinks it’s so special that Erin let the little girls tell everyone.
*Episode 6: The Best is Yet to Come
At the Bates house, the girls are preparing for their triple date. Callie says it takes them two years to get ready. The girls talk about how Evan is the boyfriend who is still far away and how he needs to move here. (No, go to Nashville, Carlin! I love Nashville!). Tori says she met Bobby and quickly fell head over heels. A year later he asked her to court while they were on the beach. He’s now graduated and moved to TN. There’s a montage of Tori teasing him about marrying her, looking at rings, etc. Tori says she is even more in love with him and she can’t wait to marry him.
The guys pull in to pick up the girls. They are talking about how nice it is to be together. The Bates parents talk about how the proposal is coming soon but they don’t know when. The guys walk in, the girls beam and greet them. They get flowers and Carlin says Evan looks hot. The Bates guys talk about what guys should do on dates.
They go to downtown Knoxville. Kelly says they talked about chaperones and being each other’s chaperones. They arrive at the restaurant and sit. There is a lot of silly flattery and teasing. Is it just me or is Josie more reserved now? Does she not like Evan? She’s super quiet up until this point. Evan asks Bobby when the engagement will happen. In a talking head, Bobby says it is coming soon but he is nervous. In real life, Bobby says ASAP and Tori said she got her nails done so he can do it tonight. Tori says she’s a lowkey girl and is fine with a simple engagement; she just wants to be closer to getting married.
They go walk around Market Square and go into a little boutique. Kelton passes a hat to Tori that says Wifey, but she reads the font wrong and everyone laughs. Tori jokes she’s going to start searching Bobby’s stuff for her ring.
While the girls are looking at something else, Bobby pulls Kelton aside and pulls the ring out of his pocket to show him. “I brought it just in case,” Bobby says, which makes me laugh out loud. Just in case, what? You throw your elaborate plans out the window and propose to her in a store? They leave and find a little park. Tori jokes it would be a fun place to get engaged.
Bobby surprises them with Taryn the photographer, who takes the pictures we’ve seen on Instagram. Tori is really thinking he is about to propose. Instead, they have a photoshoot. All three couples look A) like they’re taking engagement photos and B) like they want to kiss really bad. They’re really teasing the engagement (we know it doesn’t happen here!). Bobby says he wants it more personal. They take a group picture and wrap up their date.
Bobby, Gil and Kelly meet to discuss Bobby’s engagement plans. Bobby says location is the biggest thing to figure out. Then they go get ice cream.
At the Bates, Josie, Carlin and Tori are studying together. They talk about when Tori will get engaged. (Soon, I promise.). Then Tori flips it and asks Carlin when she will get engaged. Josie appears to be actually trying to study. Carlin says it will probably be Josie first, but Josie says she wants to take it slow because she’s so young. (I hope you do, girl!). Tori says she is just ready to be engaged already.
Bobby and Kelton go play frisbee golf to relax. Kelton asks about the engagement. Bobby says he wants it to be special for them and include their families. Kelton asks how important it is for the whole family to be included. Bobby says it means a lot to Tori. He says keeping a secret with the Bates is hard but some things, like what the ring looks like, will be a surprise regardless.
It’s proposal day. Bobby and Mr. and Mrs. Smith make their way to Crown College. They’re going in to surprise Tori as she walks out of her teacher’s office. Carlin and Erin are coming to get her ready for the day. Bobby says she thinks she is going to the middle school to assess students for tutoring. They start waiting for her to come out. She comes out, he surprises her, and she starts freaking out. Erin and Carlin take her to get ready. Carlin does her hair, Erin does her makeup and she changes. They want her to feel beautiful. He has a fancy car which she says is embarrassing and they head off.
Gil and Kelly are preparing in Asheville. They’re going to start with a picnic lunch in front of a waterfall. They go to a local restaurant and pick up lunch. Tori, Bobby, and his parents are making their way there. Gil and Kelly set up lunch in front of Linville Falls. It is beautiful over there.
Tori, Bobby, and the Smiths arrive. They walk to the picnic spot. They find a spot to sit and Kelly and Gil pass out the food. They pray, eat, and enjoy the vista. They head off towards the next stop. They joke that it’s time to go home now, which Tori isn’t here for. Tori and Bobby walk around the waterfalls a bit while Gil and Kelly go set up the next spot.
This spot is Wiseman’s view, a scenic overlook. Kelly and Gil rush to set up, the rest not far behind them. They put out the candles, scatter rose petals, and leave flowers for her there. The others arrive, and Tori keeps asking where the ring is. Bobby keeps asking “what ring.” His parents put the ring by the flowers on the overlook and go hide to watch with Gil and Kelly.
Bobby walks Tori over to the spot with the petals. Tori loves the spot and is so excited. Bobby is getting nervous. Tori jokes she feels awkward now. Bobby arrives and offers her the flowers and He can’t find the ring for a moment. He finds it by the flowers finally and now everything is in place. He says he wants to spend his life with her. It’s a very sweet speech. He gets on one knee and shows her the ring. She says, “yes, of course” and he puts the ring on her finger and we get our first look at it. They have a big hug. The parents watching are smiling and Bobby starts joking. The parents cheer. Tori says she looks weird with a ring. They join the parents, and everyone is celebrating and congratulating each other. Carlin is sad Tori is leaving, but everyone is thrilled for them. They agree it was a perfect, incredible day together and he is so glad she said yes.
*Episode 7: Bates Sports Special
Tori and Carlin say no Bates will make it to the Olympics. Gil qualifying to try out years ago is the closest the Bateses will get. This episode is an overview of the Bates playing sports.
Round 1: Tryouts.
Trace wants to try out for basketball. Some of his friends play 3 on 3 basketball. Lawson plays too. Lawson is a ball hog. I don’t know how to even recap this again. It’s a bunch of pals playing basketball. Trace says Crown College has brought him out of his shell.
Some of the older guys take the little one’s golfing. They hit balls on the driving range. This clip is when Bradley was still a toddler. Zach says it’s the blind leading the blind. Lawson once hit Nathan with a gold club when they were young. All guys had a good time.
They show the Bates going through a training course. This was around the time Zach graduated from the police academy. Trace finishes fastest and they make them hold planks until all finish and then they do push-ups. The instructors try to push them to their limits, Lawson says, to see how they react.
On a ski trip, Kelly is trying to teach Nathan how to ski after everyone got lessons. Gil says Nathan figured it out pretty quick. Gil says she is a great teacher.
Round 2: Preliminary Round
Brandon and the guys go ice skating right before the wedding. The Bates don’t really ice skate but they rollerblade often. The Bates always take off and they start going fast and falling down and messing with each other. Brandon is more careful, likely trying not to pull a Joe and hurt himself right before his wedding. Some ice skaters come out to practice and start teaching them moves. Brandon hits a puddle of water and slips and hurts himself. It’s a pretty good cut and Nathan goes into paramedic mode. Trace is worried Michael might kill them; Nathan says she’ll stich him up.
The guys are going to the Bible basketball camp. The first day, they play pick-up games. The next day they draft players onto teams. Isaiah and Warden are JV, Jackson is varsity. Nathan and Lawson come play as well. Gil is impressed with their energy. They ask if the girls would go—Ellie says yes but Addee and Callie say no because they don’t like to sweat. Kelly is the loud cheering mom you think she would be. They joke about how they haven’t played on organized teams as much, so they don’t really know what they’re doing.
Round 3: Wild Card
On his 50th birthday, Gil beat Papa Bill at tennis. Nathan wants to beat Gil at wrestling before his 50th birthday. Gil was the state wrestling champion and on the starting team at his college. Lawson decided to get in on it. They wrestle in jeans, which is odd. Gil ends up beating Nathan; Nathan claims he won by rolling over on him after the match. Lawson goes next and Gil beats him as well.
Back on the slopes, the Bates go tubing. They get inflatable tubes and go down the hill. This looks like a blast. They have a great time, and everyone enjoys it.
Round 4: Semi-Finals
They show the family Thanksgiving football game. Gil’s siblings talk about him being competitive. Trace is the star player. Nathan knocks Zach down. Papa Bill is glad they don’t have to go down. Trace’s team wins.
Chad lines up the guys for a three-legged race, which Josie and Katie win. They have fun. Then they try to tie three people up and the older boys barely beat Josie, Katie, and Carlin but push them down on the way, so Kelly disqualified them.
Round 5: Finals
Alyssa is at John’s softball game with her in-laws. The Websters like playing sports together. They are competitive. The Bates say the Websters play organized sports while the Bates play chaos sports and make up rules.
Papa Bill, Gil, and Lawson play golf. Gil is glad his dad is still golfing and describes how important their relationship is to him. They head on the course and enjoying hanging out. Papa Bill makes fun of Lawson’s golf abilities. He says he’ll keep score next time.
Round 6: Bonus Round
The Bates are on the beach in Florida, playing around. Lawson, Nathan, Trace race. They talk about the race. Trace won, but they talk about Lawson cheating and Nathan shoving him and all of that.
John and the Bates try to throw a football into a window in the fort. Trace and John take turns. On his 37th try, John Webster throws right in the window, and then Trace gives up.
The Bates go canoeing down the river—there are a few kayaks as well. A few of them flip as they go. Judson doesn’t like the canoe flipping and cries.
Round 7: On the podium
The family plays kickball in South Carolina. Papa Bill heckles them as they play. He is proud of his granddaughters giving his grandsons a run for their money. It’s a nice way to spend time together, Gil says. Tori slides in home as well. Go Tori!
Back at the Bates, they go out to play in a snowstorm, and they’re excited about going sledding. They have a good time. They also have a snowball fight. They head back home and talk about how much fun they had.
Kelly says every boy would like to make it to the Olympics. Gil says a few girls too—Tori could be a boxer.
*Episode 8: Fan Favorite Clips
This episode is just 25 of the most popular online clips of the Bates family.
25) Kelly thanks Gil for what he did for her and gives him a gift. Inside is a bell and a golf getaway trip with Mama Jane and Papa Bill.
24) Gil calls up the stairs in the morning saying he has good news. The kids come down and he tells them Brooklyn has arrived. He shows them pictures and videos. They’re excited.
23) Zach says his best relationship advice is to be open and to be yourself. Michael says her best relationship advice is to have conversations and learn how to talk things through and understand each other’s thought process.
22) Driver’s Ed. Lawson is mansplaining driving to Katie. They don’t know what the purpose of neutral is in a car. They laugh. Gil tells her that neutral is for pushing the car.
21) Erin says growing up always felt normal and that her mom is so happy with their big family. Erin said this is a lot of work but it’s worth it. She says she really admires her parents because she knows it’s not easy to raise kids, but the reward is so great.
20) In Chicago, Michael talks about how glad she is that Erin can finally visit. They make granola together and enjoy it. Kelly made it as a snack for Gil and now it is a family favorite. Michael was the one who eventually took charge of granola and it has died out now that Michael has moved out. Michael is glad Erin now enjoys cooking and they can do it together.
19) In West Virginia, the Bates are going white water rafting. It is raining and cold, which means the river will be freezing and running high and fast because of the weather. Some of the Bates get nervous when they see this.
18) Gil, Trace and Carlin are out looking for a venue for the graduation party. Kelly isn’t able to be here as they walk around to check the place out. Carlin and Trace joke that Gil can’t cry until they get married. Gil says his kids really are his best friends and he appreciates them.
17) Erin says “Great is thy Faithfulness” is her favorite hymn to sing with her sisters. Carlin says hers is “All Along,” Zach says his is “When I Survey,” and Whitney says hers is “Amazing Grace.”
16) Kelly takes the kids to an escape room. Kelly says she wants to keep the boys occupied. They get one hour to do all the puzzles. They struggle with the puzzles. Jud says they will never get out. The attendant helped them, and they manage to escape.
15) In, Florida, Alyssa sees Allie out of bed. Allie wants to stay up and play instead of going to bed. Then Lexi wakes up and starts fussing as well.
14) Michael was given a really nice sewing machine as a wedding gift. Emily, a friend, does embroidery. They start playing with the new machine and figuring out how to use the different functions it offers. Michael is excited with her new machine.
13) It’s I Love you Day on the farm and they have an egg race—married women against unmarried ones. They guys have a stick house race. There is also a costume contest. Trace wins.
12) Zach jokes that the family is too serious. Chad says Erin did the most practical jokes. Tori says Erin once put an egg in her head and dumped mountain dew on her hair after a shower, so she had to shower again and then she put another egg in the bed. Erin used to put salt in people’s drinks. Erin and Tori poured a 5-gallon bucket of water on a guy and then Alyssa covered him in flour.
11) Carson’s first birthday. Erin gives him a cupcake and Carson wants nothing to do with it. Erin says Carson doesn’t have a sweet tooth—he prefers Greek yogurt. Bradley eats the cake from Carson. Lawson jokes that as a Bates, Carson should know you can’t leave food in front of you for a long time.
10) Bates for a Day. Kelly shows the winner the renovation they’re doing. Kelly shows the interview room and talks about the interviews she’ll probably do during the day.
9) Kelly says she doesn’t really cook with measurements, so recipes are hard. Kelly says Erin should write a cookbook.
8) After Carlin gets her wisdom teeth out, she is totally loopy. Tori tells her to stop talking because she’ll open her stitches. Josie is stressing about social media.
7) The story of Kelly Jo Bates—a hand drawn video by Brandon and narrated by Erin for her birthday.
6) Erin says her relationship advice is to make lots of memories. Erin says she has boxes of letters that Chad wrote her during their courtship. They mean a lot to Erin even now that they’re married.
5) Kelly and Gil go on a double date with Bobby and Tori. Kelly says that’s special and they’ll get to know him for the year while he’s here. Bobby jokes about Tori looking at rings and taking the surprise out of it. Tori says the plan is to wait until she graduates but plans can change.
4) Tori gets on a big swing with Bobby. Tori is stressed, but Bobby is totally chill. Tori says the swinging was intense, but she starts enjoying it as it keeps going.
3) Nathan flies Bobby to Knoxville for the couple’s dinner for I Love You Day. This is the night before I Love You Day, where the couples have a chance to get together.
2) Gil talks about the house. They started out with a girl’s room, a boy’s room, and a master bedroom. They added to it so there’s a really big girls’ room and a little girl’s room and two boys’ room. They added 5 1/2 bathrooms, so they now have 8 1/2 baths and 6 bedrooms. It’s a big house—too much to keep clean.
1) At Erin and Chad’s, Evan comes over and Carlin is excited to see him. Max greets him first. Erin has the two of them over for dinner. Erin says this getting to know each other is a very special time.
*Episode 9: Save the Date and Decisions to Make
Bobby and Tori are taking her parents out to talk about the wedding because they don’t want to wait until graduation, especially since her own parents as well as the Paines didn’t wait for graduation. They ask Bobby about his new job first and he says he is learning, and Tori is glad to have him around. Tori totally is uncomfortable, so Gil and Kelly teasingly ask what they want to talk about. Tori giggles and Bobby finally says they’ve been talking about getting married in December because they want to get into full-time ministry after graduation. They want to get married earlier so they’re more settled for their post-graduation ministry work. Gil says that is what he and Kelly did, and Kelly says she was expecting this, and that Tori and Bobby were following in their footsteps. Gil says they know they want to get married, so why wait? Kelly says in order to do this a lot has to get done for the wedding because it’s a little more than 3 months away and there is a lot to do.
Back at the house, the guys are getting ready for Nathan’s lake party. It has become a tradition for the past seven years to have an older guys weekend. Callie is unhappy that girls are not invited to the lake party. They will rent a house by the lake with a two-story dock. First, they have morning spiritual time and then in the afternoons they go have fun in the lake.
Kelly has her notebook ready and calls Tori over. It is time to begin wedding prep. Erin and Carson arrive to help. Jud says you need to invite people, get people. Callie says you need decorations and colors--Callie’s will be grey and blue (my sisters colors!) Bobby arrives. Kelly starts listing off everything they need to do. Tori says she has the wedding party chosen—Carlin will be maid of honor, and then she asks Erin to be her matron of honor. Erin says that sounds old but its someone who is married. Carlin says Tori asked her to be her maid of honor through text—she didn’t do fancy notes or anything. Kelton will be best man, and Chad and Zach will be in the party. Kelly tells Tori about Ms. Renee, the dressmaker that her “friends” go to (we all know who the Duggars are). Kelly gives them the list and says they need to check something off every day.
The guys arrive at the rental house and it is really nice. All the guys pitched in to rent this house. They start with a bible study. Isaiah says it’s good for guys to be able to talk about God in a way they wouldn’t talk about him around girls. They talk about their testimonies and their struggles. Nathan says from then on, they will play in the water—they jump off the top of the dock, go in boats and jet skis, and jump off a bridge over the water. They have a blast and Nathan proclaims the lake weekend a success.
Tori is in Kentucky with her mom to visit Ms. Renee and talk with her about potential dress styles. Renee is there and so is a man named Les. They sit down to talk about the dress. Renee will be able to make the wedding dress and bridesmaids dresses in time for the wedding. Tori likes lace with more of a stream lined dress. She doesn’t want it big and poufy. Renee gets a few dresses to show her different styles and laces and silhouettes. Tori really likes the champagne satin under the lace. Both Kelly and Tori are excited to have all these options and they are ready for her to come back and try on some options with her sisters.
*Episode 10: Icing on the Cake
Nathan, Lawson, and Trace drive over to the stables to go ride their horses. Trace says he was one of the last people cut in tryouts. His lack of experience hurt him, but Trace will manage and practice with the team and try out again next year. Nathan says it’s a great opportunity. ALERT asked Nathan to train pilots, which led them to Puerto Rico. They would fly into little airports and distribute supplies. Lawson said they were the first people to reach some survivors. Lawson says they try to make a difference. Nathan is going to go to Texas to finish training pilots. Lawson is going to Nashville soon to record Christmas songs. They go ride their horses, doing tricks. Kelly says Nathan and Lawson are too busy for relationships (but if the right girl came Lawson would probably pursue her) but that Trace is in prime position to meet a nice girl at college. He’s not busy, so Kelly thinks he’ll be next. Gil says, “he’s just a kid!”
Tori, Bobby, and the entourage head over to Calvary Baptist Church to do more wedding planning. There is a mother and her children waiting there—Kim, the wedding coordinator. The entourage includes Kelly, her sister Kim (who does flower arrangements), Kay (who will make the cake), Cathy (who helps with decorations), and Elijah (who is assigning workers). It’s a big coordinating meeting. Bobby says they’re all busy and the wedding is only weeks away and they’re getting excited. Tori says it’s the perfect church. They are worried about fitting 20 people up on the stage/alter, though. The team starts planning decor and Bobby jokes that they should just get married right now. Tori doesn’t know what she wants but she wants it different than every other family wedding. Kelly found a picture online of branches lining the aisle painted white, which she wants to recreate. Tori seems pleased as she just hangs out while the team plans. They move to the reception hall. They talk cake. Tori doesn’t have a lot of opinions about cake—she really doesn’t care. Gil says she’s bad at focusing. They head out and Tori says she couldn’t do this without them.
Isaiah’s birthday is happening while Kelly is babysitting Allie and Lexi in Florida, and she feels bad about missing it, so she plans him a really good party. The Boat Family does travelling laser tag parties and they set up in the backyard. There are a lot of inflatables. The boys are excited; even the older boys like Lawson and Trace. They finish setting up and start the laser tag contest, and they play a free-for-all no teams game of laser tag. The boys head out, they get 15 seconds to get in place. They go crazy trying to get each other—even Gil is going crazy. Warden wins, and Isaiah actually loses the most. Isaiah and Warden then pick teams again. This actually looks pretty fun for a 13th birthday. It gets really competitive as they go on. Isaiah wins the team challenge. After they sit around the table, Lawson tells Isaiah to enjoy being 13. They ask what his goals are: he wants to focus on piano. They all chat. In the talking heads, Jackson punches Isaiah. Happy Birthday Isaiah!
*Episode 11: Big Decision, Bigger Opinions
The family is having picnic to spend time together because there are a lot of family members in town, including Alyssa, Michael and their families. They start setting out the food when Gil finds a stack of envelopes. Gil is acting shady, so Erin goes to see what they are. They know it is a surprise, but they don’t know what the announcement will be. Gil hands out the envelopes. Evan jokes, “Are we engaged?” and Carlin jokes back, “No, we eloped.” They guess it could be Josie courting or Nathan getting a girlfriend; Nathan jokes that it could even be Bates #20 on the way. They open the notes to reveal that it is a baby announcement but both Whitney & Michael say no, and Erin has already announced. They figure out it’s Alyssa and she is also due in April. Kelly is so happy to hear it. Alyssa says the baby was a surprise, but she is excited now. People were hoping it was Michael, Zach says. Michael says Alyssa did call and warn her ahead of time and both Michael and Brandon are just so happy to hear another little one is on the way. They show a montage of the family bonding and hanging out together. Finally, Kelly says why everyone has gathered—tomorrow they will go wedding dress shopping and try on bridesmaid dresses. Kelly says to be nice and supportive of Tori during the appointment.
The next day, they all trek to Kentucky. They enjoy catching on the drive there. They soon arrive at Ms. Renee’s. All of the sisters are there plus Whitney, and they all love the shop. Renee has food and three bridesmaids’ dresses for Tori to pick from. Tori gets her hair and makeup done while they do bridesmaids dresses. Each of them picks from one of three styles, with specific dresses with empire waists for the pregnant ladies. Tori has her hair up and makeup done, and it is time for her to find her dress. Renee has them close their eyes and brings Tori out. All the Bates confess to cheating.
Tori comes out in the first dress and is so excited. They all like it and she is very excited. All long sleeves with a champagne sheath underneath. They decide to try on another; this one is all white with cap sleeves. Everyone seems to prefer this dress, but Erin totally reads her sister and knows she prefers the first one and supports her. Tori says she liked the first lace better. Michael says she always looks gorgeous but is waiting for her face to look like “this is the dress.” Tori comes out in the third dress and again says she likes the first one while looking at herself in the mirror. Carlin and Whitney worry about the grey suits with the champagne skirt, and Alyssa suggests changing the suits to navy. Tori looks pretty discouraged. Renee takes her back, brings her out in the first dress with a veil on, and everyone is sold. Carlin tears up. They are going to add some bling and talk about modifications she will make to make it perfect. Tori says yes to the dress and the group claps. In a talking head, the parents tear up, talking about how beautiful she is and how fast the years have gone.
*Episode 12: Fixin’ For New Beginnings
Erin is cooking dinner when Chad arrives home. Chad has started his own construction company and says he is going to flip a house. Roy, a general contractor, has been having Chad sub for him and they are going to flip this fixer upper. Chad is dreaming that one day he and Erin will work together flipping houses. Erin is glad he is doing what he loves. They say it is nerve-wracking that he doesn’t get a set paycheck anymore, but they made the leap.
Zach and Whitney are closing on their house. Whitney is excited they’re becoming homeowners. This house needs a lot of work but has beautiful views, and because Zach has done construction before, he can make it work. They say it will be a big project. They get the keys and they are so sweetly excited about their new home.
Roy, Chad, and Erin are going to the fixer upper house. Erin says it has potential. They walk in and she says it is really dark. He shows them around and Erin suggests painting a wood ceiling white, refinishing some floors. Overall, they’re all excited about the project. Chad says the initial investment was low, but it will be an expensive renovation. Chad says Roy wants to turn it around quickly.
Zach, Whitney, & the kids arrive at their house. Whitney points out a wall she wants to paint, show she wants to do the same floor and make it one big space. Whitney says you should focus on what will increase the value. Whit says the goal is 6 weeks and $15k. They start drawing out plan and then go to Knox Rail salvage to get materials. Zach & Whit argue over flooring while the salesperson calculates costs. Whit’s is less expensive so that is the winner.
At the fixer upper house, Chad and the team are taking out the floors. Chad says he loves making old things new again. Whitney stops by to see it. Whit talks about what the price of the house could be when it’s finished. She says it’s a great location & a beautiful house.
Back at Zach and Whitney's house, the Bates brother have arrived to take out the wall. Zach notices some sagging in the floor, so he is going under the house to look at the foundation. He finds one board split and sagging; the bathtubs had been insufficiently supported, so Zach and the team went under the house and reinforced the foundation. They have the foundation supported, floor put in, and drywall and cabinets installed. They are getting very close to done. They say they see the light at the end of the tunnel.
At the fixer upper house, work has been completed. They opened it up and the master bedroom has a large tub and walk in shower. Chad says he enjoyed working on it with Roy and learning about the whole process. He asks Erin if she would stage the house. Chad says he is excited to do more projects like this.
At Z&W’s house, it is move in day. They bring in the furniture and are excited to show off the finished project. Erin and Michael arrive and are excited to see it done. Chad says with all these talents, a lot could happen in the future.
*Episode 13: Can you having a Wedding Shower without the Bride and Groom?
Gil surprises Tori at school for a date. He offers to take her books, but she’s got them. He says with the wedding coming, he wants to spend time with her while he can. He won’t tell her where they are going. As they arrive at the mystery place, he opens the door for her. “If you were Bobby, I would hug you,” she says, and Gil says she can hug him too. Gil says it’s going to be happy and sad when she leaves. Tori agrees but says “Don’t talk to me about it, I can’t handle it right now.” He took her to the park they used to go to when she was little. They get on the swings and talk. He gets her coat out of the car and gives her a special gift: a money tree to help them get started. It is also a lesson because they have thorns and if you live for money it will lead to pain. Cool. Tori is excited for it. They go for a walk and then to a steak place which is a special treat. The Bates siblings talk about what a special meal it was growing up. Gil leaves to get something and it’s all Tori’s pictures growing up. This is really sweet. They look over old pictures and Tori likes some but thinks some are embarrassing. (She did rock some of those “early 2000s bangs” at one point. Me too Tori. What were our parents thinking?) Gil is emotional about the pictures. He says it is really going to be sad when she leaves. Tori says that was a special night and she made really great memories with him. Tori keeps telling him to talk about this “at the wedding” because she doesn’t want to cry.
Josie is at school and Whitney brings Kaci in for her first haircut. Whitney thinks its special that her chaperone is now cutting her daughter’s hair and they are so close. They talk about how Josie will graduate in 10 days and how quickly it has gone. Josie is cutting her hair, but Kaci is more interested in looking around the salon. Whitney and Bradley make faces to get her to focus. Josie says she is trying to figure out where to work and Whitney says she has some friends she can call to help her out. Whitney says it’s nice they’re both starting new careers at the same time. Kaci isn’t sure about the hair dryer, but this scene is SO cute. Whitney says Josie is blossoming in her new profession.
It is time for Tori’s wedding shower and Michael and Brandon are there to help. Michael and Brandon come up with a layout for the tables. Erin says Valley View Baptist is her and Chad’s church and it has a large fellowship hall perfect for the party. Erin, Whit, and Addee arrive to help decorate. Erin and Whitney help make decisions and they begin to set up the space. Erin says her wedding shower was planned for 150-200 people with all this food and invitations, but only 9 people came. She was embarrassed. The producers ask Gil and Kelly if this is true. Kelly: She is telling the truth. Gil: you win some, you lose some. The producers are laughing out loud. The decor is purple with winter-y accents. It comes together quickly.
It is shower time, and there are far more than 9 people here. However, Tori & Bobby are late. Kelly says it is time to pray so people can start eating while waiting for Tori & Bobby. Josie & Kelton are also missing--they were supposed to be picking out suits for the wedding, but they finally arrive; they were late due to traffic. They play games to see how well they know each other. On stage, Tori is awkward, and Jackson says she doesn’t like being the center of attention. They say Tori gets awkward when she gets nervous and she keeps saying the word “awkward.” Bobby gives a little update on them, including the move, Tori’s school, the apartment they found, and so on. Bobby just keeps talking as Tori opens gifts. In her talking head, Tori apologizes for being awkward and thanks everyone.
*Episode 14: Beach Blanket Bachelorette
It’s Fall Break, the perfect time for a bachelorette party on the beach on the Gulf. All of the sisters are there, including Michael & Alyssa. Whitney couldn’t make it, but Carson could, the only boy on the trip.
They arrive at the little beach house Kelly found; it is cute and has a bunch of bedrooms and a little gathering area and a pool. Kelly assigns rooms as they freshen up and head to the marina for a boat ride. They take a tour of the Bay and head towards the ocean. Callie is on the lookout for dolphins. On the boat, Kelly, Alyssa, and Erin are planning Tori’s wedding. Kelly says they want to do sand instead of candles, which Erin says doesn’t fit with the theme. They call Tori over, and she says she will think about it. Tori is tired from driving and just wanted to relax and not talk about the wedding, but she is glad they were enjoying it. Allie Jane spots a blue heron and also sees the first dolphin spotting. They’re so excited and to watch the dolphins. They all yell as the pod of dolphins swim and jump up for air. A song plays over a montage of the Bates taking in the wildlife and enjoying their boat ride. They stop at a sandbar to get off and walk around. Carson and Erin go walk around in the water while the others watch. Erin says she couldn’t leave Carson behind, they do everything together, so that’s why he was the only boy on the trip. “He loved it,” she concludes. More girls go walk around as well. Tori says she really enjoyed the boat ride and is looking forward to the rest of the week.
At the commercial, the executive producer talks with Gil and Kelly about how UP! TV and the Bates work together well: a great network, an amazing, entertaining family, and a talented crew. He introduces the crew, one gets a shout out for bringing them donuts and another, the new guy, is “single and available” Kelly proclaims. The Bates all laugh, and Gil says they are incurable matchmakers.
At the beach house, it is time to walk to the beach. Carson pulls a wagon of beach toys and is so cute. Michael was so happy to be on the beach with her sisters since she hadn’t been able to go see them since her wedding. There are jelly fish on the beach, Tori warns not to step on them, but it turns out to be dead. They get closer to the ocean, and the Bates are worried about getting in because of the jellies. Michael says they’re neat and gets a good look of one.
They sit on a blanket and Kelly asks if Tori has thought about how soon this is. Tori says she wishes it was sooner. Kelly asks for marriage advice from the sisters. Alyssa: It’s survival of the fittest. There is no advice. Do your best to survive. Erin: I think you will be shocked. You’ve been living in a room with your sisters for 20 years. It’s great, it’s like college life all your life. But then you move in with your husband. It’s so quiet. It’s a big change. In the talking heads, Michael says Tori has the same worries every girl goes through. Erin says she destroyed a lot of meals, Chad says it wasn’t that bad, but Erin says she once made chicken so hard it was like cardboard. Michael says it is like a roller coaster. Tori tells them about the apartment they found—900sq ft, two bedrooms. Michael says a little place is fun when you first get married. Bobby will move in while they’re on the trip. Michael says this brings back sweet memories of the beginning of her marriage. Kelly jokes they’ll have a party at her apartment when she gets back from the honeymoon.
In TN, Bobby arrives at the big house to recruit some boys to help him move. They head over to the camper first to pack everything up. Warden says Bobby was excited to be moving from the camper to an apartment. They start helping him move stuff out of the camper. Judson says he has a lot of stuff. They arrive at the apartment, which Bobby says they liked because of the location, in the middle of everything. As they look around, the guys remark how much bigger it is than the camper. Gil says when he and Kelly first got married, they could fit everything they owned in one closet. Bobby jokes that it’ll be just him and the boys until he gets married. They carry the table in that Meema gave them. The apartment is on the second level, so it isn’t super easy for Judson to help.
Back at the beach, the girls are in a cute little shop where you can paint sand dollars. They put painting skirts on and Tori doesn’t want to paint one. Callie calls her a party pooper, but Tori says she isn’t an artistic person and nothing she makes comes together. Tori and Katie sit on their phones on the coach while the others paint. Michael says she loves holding Carson— “I’m not supposed to have favorites, but he likes to be held!” Alyssa finishes painting and talks to Tori about registering, which Tori hasn’t done yet, and what to register for. Alyssa recommends brooms and dustpans and mops. Tori says she needs to figure out kitchen stuff. Kelly says art is not her talent. Josie paints a hippie van on the beach. Kelly says it gets competitive. The shop owner seals and glitters them and adds ribbons so they are Christmas tree ornaments. They go get ice cream. The Bates are excited about all the kinds of flavors and try a bunch of them. They pick their kinds. Kelly reminds us that Katie is an ice cream fiend. Katie jokes she’ll name her kid ice cream so that she knows she’ll always love them. Alyssa suggests naming her kids ice cream flavors. Katie thinks that is an excellent idea. Kelly then delegates duties for getting ready for dinner. Allie Jane doesn’t want to leave the ice cream place, and who can blame her?
Back at the 100th Episode Party, the producer talks about how long ago the first episode was and shows them pictures of them at the first episode. They show the pictures: Lawson doesn’t look super different to me, but Carlin does look quite a bit older. They show Jackson and Zach: Jackson was so little, and Zach has lost a fair amount of weight since then. Jeb and Callie were particularly small in these first pictures. Katie acts embarrassed about seeing hers and Warden was missing a tooth in the old picture.
The guys are going go kart racing with Bobby and Kelton back in TN. These karts go over 50 miles an hour. They go over the rules of go-karting, which include no contact and the time is based on laps. They give them a “fireproof hat” and a helmet. They get into their carts and put onto the track and once they hit the track they start moving. They are fast as they wind through the track. Lawson and Nathan, of course get in trouble on the track with Lawson trying to pass him and Nathan not letting him.
At the 100th episode party, Erin (still pregnant) has them play the mummy game. Carlin wraps
Tori, Zach wraps Lawson, and Addee wrapping Callie.
Back at the go-karts, Lawson hits Nathan into the wall. They all stop and there are sparks and the smell of burned rubber. Lawson denies hitting him and says Nathan caused it. They damaged the karts, so Nathan gets a new one and they keep going. They conclude racing and it is time for the lap results. Lawson comes in third, Bobby gets second, and Kelton gets first. Somehow, they decide this is because he is a plumber who drives quickly to service calls. They discuss what the Bachelor Party will be. Nathan wants it to be dangerous, but Kelton wants it to be fun. Kelton suggests an escape room and some flag football. Gil and Bobby approve. Kelton can’t believe Bobby is getting married.
At the 100-episode party, they blow out candles on the cake and have noisemakers and then show pictures of all the siblings.
Back in Florida, it is time for Tori to get a few little gifts. Alyssa gives her a bag with some bath stuff, a straightener for her hair, a hair dryer, and a basket of toiletries. Tori says it was so sweet and she is terrible at being the center of attention. Erin started a game where each adds a line to an ongoing story and then passes it around for each person to add a line only after reading one line of the story. It is a story where one half accurately describes Tori and Bobby’s relationship and the other half talks about Bobby’s feet and nostril (this silly second half is from the younger ones). Michael is excited to all eat dinner together. The sisters say they will miss having Tori around all the time. Carlin says it was so fun to all get together because it doesn’t happen all the time and they will treasure the memories.
Now we have interviews. The producer [hereinafter referred to as P] asks what were their concerns about the show. Gil says he was concerned about how the show would impact their family, but it was worth a try. P says the Bates family’s honesty comes across asks if the family reached a peace and decided that if they’re going to be real, they need to be as real as possible. Kelly says the crew makes it easy, and they she feels comfortable around them and they are encouraging, and it is easy to share in that atmosphere. P reads some viewer comments about how they encourage someone who lost their mom and watches their show for a smile. Gil says it’s all about encouraging somebody, and he can’t imagine what that would be like. P reads another comment that it is all good clean fun. Kelly says that is why they decided to film with UP! because they’re family oriented. Gil says it has been a great experience and they are so grateful for those who take time to encourage them.
P then speaks to the married couples, including Erin & Chad, Zach & Whit and Tori & Bobby.
P: Who are these new people?
Zach: This is my sister Tori.
Tori: I KNEW he was gonna do that!
P: what is it like for the spouses to be exposed to this?
Chad: I always admired the Bates and their enthusiasm, and he’s had a lot of fun doing it.
P: What’s it like having the birth episodes available to watch when you want?
Erin: I cry every time, and I re-live that, and a lot of people don’t have the privilege to have that and for the kids to be able to watch it, too.
Zach: And those moments are captured perfectly.
Whitney: We get a lot of opportunities and we are so grateful.
P: There are 3 episodes left: Papa Bill’s Thanksgiving and the wedding are included in those. Tell us about those?
Bobby: Everyone is looking forward to the wedding but what is so crazy is getting to see everything going into it along the way and then getting to see God bring it all together in the last moment. Tori says I’m going to see what went wrong that she didn’t know that happened and thanking people for all they did.
P: Elijah was the winner of that; he was completely covered in white paint.
Bobby: The unsung heroes will be sung.
Finally, P talks to Josie, Carlin, Lawson, and Katie. P says these are the oldest who are yet to be married who are in the United States.
P: What’s it like starting out in these relationships that are filmed?
Carlin: When we started out, we wanted to make sure everyone was on board. And it is nice having it saved to potentially show future kids.
P: Katie, do you watch the episodes?
Katie: No.
Josie: It makes us self-conscious so a lot of us don’t watch very often.
P: What’s a favorite moment?
Katie: All the ice cream shops I get to visit. That’s the best part for me.
Carlin: Any episode with Evan.
Lawson: You’ve gotta say that, he’s watching.
P: Reads a couple of comments from viewers: “Nathan’s birthday party touched my heart. I’m praying for something special for him (and Lawson too). Also praying for the boys. I just hope we won’t have to wait until Jeb to see one of the boys get married.”
P: Ask me a question.
Carlin: who is your favorite Bates?
P: That would be like Katie picking her favorite flavor of ice cream. Can you imagine your life in another 100 episodes?
Lawson: it’s up to the viewers; we’re up for it!
P: The Bates would thank the fans and we look forward to the 200th episode in the future!
*Episode 15: Another Beautiful Season of Blessings
At Papa Bill & Mama Jane’s, they are sitting on the porch. Zach, Whit, & the Websters are already there. Gil’s sister asks if they are ready for the Bates to arrive—Mama Jane says she’s never ready, even after all the lists. Mana Jane isn’t sure how much longer she can lift the turkey. The Bates are running late but they call to say they’re almost there. They pull in and greet everyone. They are going to build a barn. Erin & Chad, Michael & Brandon, Tori & Bobby and Jackson aren’t there. Kelton and Evan are.
Gil’s brother and niece had dug the holes for the barn foundation beforehand. They begin working on the barn. Zach takes over. Kelly is worried about them climbing all on the framing and the tresses. They let Bradley have a piece of wood to hammer and he is so serious about helping. The boys are working, and Kelly says she likes to see how the boyfriends fit in. Kelton calls Evan over to tell him he is going to ask Gil if he can court Josie if he gets a chance. Judson hears them talking and goes to interrupt them. Kelton tells him a secret: he likes Josie. Judson said Brandon once told him a secret and he’s never told anyone, and then leaves. Kelton asks Evan for advice. Evan says Gil is going to say no and Kelton needs to prepare for that and kind of laugh it off. Kelton says he asked for Bobby & Evan’s advice but mostly just got emotional support.
Back at the barn, Kelly asks if the roof tresses will be done today. Gil says they’ll get the rafters on today. The girls, who have been watching them build, go pick pecans. This is basically a tradition. Bradley really gets a big kick out of it. Josie and Lexi are hanging out in the golf cart because Lexi isn’t into picking pecans and Carlin goes to ask her about Kelton. She says they’re good and Carlin says it’s a thrilling time. The girls head off as Kelly yells that there are still pecans to pick.
Mana Jane and the little ones make brownies. They all enjoy it. Nathan says it’s nice to see their traditions get passed down. Bradley mixes and Whitney says that’s his favorite thing. The little girls want to lick the spoon and once the brownies are in the pan they do. Gil jokes that he never got to lick the spoon and that Mama Jane is getting soft on crime.
At the barn, the guys keep working. Papa Bill says there’s only one more hour of sunshine. Zach says they want to finish they but may not.
Whitney & Zach are excited for grits in the morning. They eat breakfast and then go back to work on the barn. Josie goes over and gets Kelton; then they, along with Warden, go see cows. They try to pet them; the cows aren’t thrilled, and they hop the fence.
In Mama Jane’s kitchen, we get a nice moment with Whitney, Alyssa, and Mama Jane cooking. Whitney said she didn’t get to do this growing up, so she appreciates it. Mana Jane says Alyssa is just like her mom with another baby every year. Alyssa says it wasn’t her plan, this was a surprise, and this might be the end. Alyssa says she is not having 19 kids, it’s not happening, and she feels sicker each time. Whitney says she needs to have a boy next—she wants to see a Webster boy. Alyssa agrees, and says if she has a fourth girl she is done. Then they discuss wedding plans; Alyssa asks if she will ever get and invitation. Kelly says they’re late on everything. They talk about decorating on Thursday.
The barn crew has lunch and they have a tree climbing contest between the guys. Lawson climbs it in 23 seconds. Kelton does it in 35 seconds. Nathan gives a motivational talk and then it is back to work on the barn. The roof goes up and the end is in sight. Kelly steals Gil away and they find Josie and Kelton on the porch for a talk about their relationship. Kelton brings up the courtship and mentions they don’t want to distract from the wedding or take anything away from Tori and Bobby, but they feel like God is leading them in that direction. Kelly says don’t worry about taking away, because everyone in their family is excited for good news. Kelton says around the beginning of the year maybe they would think about courting. Kelton says they started out 3 years ago as friends. Gil asked Josie to put the brakes on until she got older and then they got back together. Kelly says that is a sweet story. They get their permission to move forward. Gil says he is getting soft in their old age and Josie says she and Kelton are happy. Gil says it is just about time for football.
The roof is complete, and Papa Bill is happy with it. The guys start the ball game and the girls come watch while the guys split up. They decide Kelton & Evan were team captions and Gil realizes he and his brother were the last ones picked. Then they play football while the girls watch. Kelly is worried about an ER visit. The game concludes, and dinner is ready. They go pray, share some thanksgiving, and then eat. Papa Bill is thankful for the shed and having the young people around, Lawson is thankful for cooking, Carlin is thankful for family and how they took in Evan. Gil says he is thankful he got to grow up here and how much his parents invested in him and for his brother and sister and that they all still get to be together and how he wouldn’t trade places with anyone. And then it is time to eat. Nathan says the older you get, the more meaningful the holidays get. Kelly is glad they are still together through everything. Janey says this is the best thanksgiving ever.
*Episode 16: Countdown to I Do
The Bates are back at Ms. Renee’s. The wedding dress and bridesmaids’ dresses are ready to be fitted. Michael, Erin, and Alyssa are not there and will have to be fitted at the last minute. Tori is nervous to see the finished dress with her modifications, so Renee leads them in to get going. Renee has the dress covered so she can dramatically reveal it to Tori, who loves it. The Bates are all very excited—Kelly liked that the extra bling brought it to life and they forget their previous critiques with the additions of the sparkles. Tori gets to put it on and she is glad her family loves it now. Tori comes out in the dress and everyone is excited for her. They add the veil and talk about the fit and then it is bridesmaid time. Whitney and Carlin come out and there is some hemming and adjusting. The girls get to put them on for alternations and then they are finished. The next fitting will be the day before the wedding when Renee arrives with the dresses.
Gil has the guys come help him with trees that would line the aisle; there will be 40 trees total. Nathan and Gil are talking about what the trees should look like. They cut some trees away from the top of the hill overlooking their house. All the boys are disagreeing about what they heard from Mom. Nathan says he wants to make a few to make sure they like them, so they know what to cut. Gil agrees so they head back down the hill.
Kelly arrives while they’re working on the trees and Gil says she’s early. Kelly agrees with Nathan that the trees are too skinny. Erin says she thinks her mom thought this would be easier than it is. They’re worried about timing, the spray paint and concrete drying and figuring out how many they actually want for the church. The Late Bates are going to be working overtime on this one.
Time for one of my favorite people on this show: Dr. Vick. The Paines bring Carson along for their ultrasound. Carson is kind of confused, but they keep trying to explain he’ll get to see a picture of the baby. He smiles though and starts recognizing her feet and hands. Carson talks about holding her hands. Carson is being shy, and Erin gets her pictures. Chad says little girls are so special and Brooklyn already has him wrapped around her finger. Dr. Vick is glad to see Carson and says everything is looking good. He jokes about how Erin only has 16 more to go and then teases her for saying she’d only have one after Carson. Erin says she thinks Tori will get to the teens. The producers tease her that every time she says this is her last, and Erin says she has to stop looking at pictures of newborn babies. She seems to think Everly might be her last. Chad says Carson needs a brother, and Erin says they can adopt him. Interesting to see if that is true as well.
Bobby and his boss discuss honeymoons—out west in December? his boss says. Bobby says she is planning the wedding, so he is planning the honeymoon. He looks for a rental and his boss jokes that he should put a sign on his car “stay back 5 feet, I’ve never been in snow before,” and asks if he even has a winter jacket. Bobby says Tori knows some details, but he has some surprises in store.
At the church, we are 6 days out from the wedding and it is time to test the trees out. The planner is there but no Tori. The planner says for a normal wedding she would feel way behind but this is typical for the Bates. They work through tree logistics for a bit and then figure out what’s doable. Kelly decides to announce she is getting Lasik surgery four days before the wedding. The planner says she might not want to do that, but Kelly seems pretty sure this will be fine.
Carlin and Tori are going to do her hair for the wedding. Tori says what she wants, Carlin says she is nervous that she will mess it up. Nathan comes over and says she will regret doing it in a bun. Tori wisely ignores him and does her hair the way she wants. She wants to show the v neck in the back of her dress. Carlin jokingly does it in a little bit of a beehive look as a joke. Nathan asks for Gil’s opinion on how Tori should do her hair; he suggests having it down before realizes she already has it up in a bun. Instantly he regrets what he said, and Gil immediately says he likes her idea of the loose bun. “What you don’t want is a bunch of guys telling you what to do” Gil says.
For a bit of a break during this busy time, Gil takes Kelly out for their anniversary at the place where they went on their honeymoon. They reminisce about their wedding day. Gil is thinking about everything they have to do. Kelly has decided to postpone the surgery to January. They talk about what they still have to get done for the wedding and then they talk about Tori moving away.
Lawson is having a Christmas concert on top of everything because of course he is. Lawson decides to bring Carlin in to sing a song for their parents’ anniversary. They put it together right before the show is going to begin. They’re stressed.
It’s concert time. Lawson starts with Go Tell it On the Mountain. Emily Ann is there as well, and they sing together. Andy, Lawson’s producer who has made CDs with Erin as well, is also there. Erin and Andy play Jingle Bells together. Nathan hops up on stage and calls his parents up on stage. Carlin gives her mom flowers and Nathan talks about how they raised their kids and how much has changed over 30 years. Lawson and Carlin sing for their parents. They appreciate it and talk about how lucky they are.
*Episode 17: Tori’s Winter Wonderland Wedding
Tori is packing at Bobby’s because she doesn’t want her family to get in the way. A friend (perhaps Abby Paine) is there as well. Bobby gets home, and Tori tells the friend her honeymoon details: arrive in San Fran and then drive down the cost to a little heavenly cabin in Yosemite. Tori says there is so much to do, she’s feeling the pressure. Erin says she thinks Tori should try to relax and enjoy the time and focus on what’s important to her.
At the main house, the flower girl dress has arrived and Callie notices it’s completely see through. Kelly says she hopes Michael can sew full slips for all three flower girls.
The guys are working on the trees and spray painting is not going well. Kelly walks outside and is not impressed. She says this is a lesson in procrastination and they have to do better. Gil says they need a better plan.
Michael arrives, and Jeb runs into her arms, and then Warden and Isaiah and Callie. Kelly brings her in and puts her in front of a sewing machine to sew slips for the flower girls. Michael says she remembers being about to get married and everyone is emotional and it’s bittersweet. Kelly says she hears the girls at night in their room crying. The family is excited for her but will miss her.
Outside Elijah is painting the trees. He is covered in white paint, using a professional paint sprayer they bought. It’s finally worked, and the trees are white.
Michael and Brandon are at the church, talking to the wedding planner, who says the trees are about to arrive. The guys pull up with the trees and then Kim the wedding planner helps them start arranging them in the aisle. Kelly is excited to surprise Tori with this at the rehearsal dinner.
The Smiths are setting up for the rehearsal dinner. Evan comes over to help them set up tables. Bobby says he is overwhelmed but knows in a few days he’ll be fine. He tells Evan he will reassure him when his time comes, and Evan says it has been nice having him one step ahead the whole time to go to for advice.
It is finally time for Tori to see the church. She and Bobby walk in and she loves it; Bobby thinks it lived up to the hype. They are excited.
Tori had the dinner before the rehearsal, so if people were late, they’d be late to the dinner and not to the rehearsal. They get their food—it looks like tacos. Bobby has Tori drink coffee because she stayed up until 3am talking to her mom. Carson flicks the lights and Gil says, “That’s got to be a Bates kid” Bobby replies: “Actually it’s a Paine kid.” Kelly says he is right that they should get moving and start the rehearsal. Erin and Carlin speak about their relationship, and how close they are. Erin says they made a truce to never get married and Tori says, “you broke it first!” Carlin jokes that she would like to switch places and Gil says “whoa, wait a minute! One at a time!” Gil speaks next; he talks about how he is sad he is giving Tori away and then tells them it is time to go actually rehearse for the wedding.
They spend a lot of time trying to figure out where everyone should stand on stage. Tori and Bobby get in a spat as they tie together their unity braid. Gil jokes that that was quite the place to have their first disagreement.
It is wedding day. Tori is glad she has so many siblings to help her through this day. Carlin does her hair and Erin does makeup. Tori loves her hair. Bobby says: “I’ve been told people only go to weddings for one reason: to see the kiss.” Tori “No, it’s two: to see the bride and the kiss.” Tori said she said they would both turn their faces to their right to avoid disaster during the first kiss.
In the guy’s room, Bobby gives Kelton the ring to hold onto. Bobby says it was really meaningful to be there with all them.
Aunt Kaye sets up the cake in the reception area. Kaye and Kim, the aunt that does flowers, say this is the best wedding yet.
Renee arrives with the dresses, and everyone starts getting ready. Tori comes out and everyone gushes about how pretty she is. Gil comes in to see Tori and he is emotional. A bridesmaid leads a blindfolded Bobby to Tori, so they can pray together without seeing each other. He prays, and Tori started crying.
It is time for the ceremony. Isaiah and Warden tease Tori at the door, making her nervous. The wedding party heads down the aisle and Bobby takes his place. The boys open the doors, and Tori walks down the aisle to “A Thousand Years.” They reach Bobby and Gil gives her away on behalf of her lovely mother, himself, and all of her 18 siblings. The pastor who starts it off begins with a prayer. Kelly says it doesn’t get easier with watching each kid get married. Bobby leads Tori to the piano to play a song for her that he wrote. It is a nice moment, and he doesn’t have a bad voice. She hugs him at the end and it is vow time. Bobby makes his vows first. During Tori’s vows, she messes up a little and starts giggling. She takes a minute to calm down and Bobby and Gil start laughing. They exchange rings.
They move to the unity braid and Bobby is nervous they won’t get it right. Lawson gets to sing the song he wrote for them. They end up nailing the unity braid this time and tie it off. They go back in front of Gil and he pronounces them husband and wife. Bobby gets to kiss the bride, and Tori says slow and sweet is all it needs to be. The wedding party throws confetti, Callie says the kiss was gross, and they make their way up the aisle to “Carol of the Bells.”
At the reception, they cut the cake. Bobby’s dad fulfills his duty by making a dad joke: “it all went off without a hitch except them getting hitched.” They feed each other cake and Tori throws her bouquet right to Josie (although Ellie ends up with it). Bobby and Tori exit, and the siblings wish them the best and she gives them all hugs. They get in the car and drive off, Tori looks at Bobby and says: “we’re married.”
*Episode 18: The Bates Get Candid
Matt Hightower, the producer, is doing more interviews. This is clearly at the 100th episode party. He starts talking to Gil and Kelly. They say when they started the show, Kelly was worried about getting stuff done. Gil was worried about having a bunch of other people in the house. Matt says their honesty touches people. Kelly says that the more honest we are, the more people who pray for them and she feels comfortable in front of the crew. Kelly says Gil always cries when re-watching the show. Gil says it’s nice to have all these memories. Gil says he always gets asked what it’s like having all these people in your house filming, and he always says you forget they’re there. Gil says it’s all about encouraging others. Kelly says encouragement is so important.
Matt reads them some comments from viewers. One commenter mentions how funny they are. Gil says it’s so important to laugh together and that his kids call his jokes Dad Jokes. Matt: bad jokes or Dad jokes? Gil: Dad jokes! Another commenter mentions that it’s good, clean fun. The Bates love that.
Next, Matt interviews Zach and Whit, Erin and Chad, and Tori and Bobby. Matt asks what’s up with these new people in the room, and Zach shares a dad joke of his own: “This is my sister Tori, and I’m sorry what’s your name again?” Matt asks the married spouses what it’s like coming into this, no one says anything, and Chad and Erin say together: “Don’t all answer at once!” Chad says he has always admired this family, but he still isn’t comfortable around cameras, even though he’s getting used to it. Bobby says that its overwhelming. Matt talks about the babies that were born on camera. Erin says Carson still freezes up around the cameras, and Zach jokes that he hopes their kids don’t act like themselves on camera either. They joke about how Bradley is such a little show boat on camera. Matt asks about raising kids on camera and Whitney says having cameras around adds pressure, but you always do your best. Erin says she tries to just roll with it. Matt asks about the birth episodes. Erin says she cries every time. Chad says they are growing up so fast and that filming has helped make every moment last. Whitney says they are lucky to have these opportunities.
Now Matt is interviewing Lawson, Katie, Carlin and Josie. Carlin says this has been crazy, and they used to be really careful about their appearance and that they’ve become close to the crew. Lawson says the little ones are way more comfortable in front of the camera—maybe too comfortable. The siblings say they don’t really watch the show because it makes them self-conscious. Katie says her favorite moments are getting to visit a lot of ice cream shops. Carlin says her favorite episodes are the ones with Evan in them. They talk about the boys taking so long to find someone and get married. They try to get Matt to pick a favorite Bates, and he said that would be like Katie picking her favorite ice cream. Carlin thanks them for sticking with them, even after asking “are we done yet” all the time in interviews. Carlin says she’ll be great from now on. Matt says he now has record that she said that, and that is the end.
*Episode 19: Mother’s Day Special-UPdated!
Kelly says she likes to spend time with her kids and see them happy on Mother’s Day. Gil says she is all about her children and making them feel special and loved. Kelly says she has gotten them all gifts on Mother’s Day because they made her a mom.
Kelly introduces the family. Zach is the teacher, researcher, studier. Michael has the big heart of gold. Erin is very organized and a perfectionist. Lawson is like the police force, keeping everyone in line. Nathan is everyone’s best friend. Alyssa kept the family running smoothly. Tori is a ball of energy. Trace is competitive. Carlin is like dynamite. Josie comes across quiet, but she is very caring. Katie is spunky. Jackson is always thinking. Warden is always moving. Isaiah is Mr. Tenderheart. Addallee is a blessing who thinks of everyone before herself. Ellie is smiley. Callie is sassy. Judson is a teddy bear, and Jeb is full blast.
The rest of this episode is broken down into segments.
“Moments with Mom.” Kelly takes Trace to the thrift store to go shopping, and he enjoys spending time with her. They show her hanging out with the kids, and Lawson says one on one time is important. Erin says laughter is contagious. Kelly says she wants to become best friends with her children, so she likes to be involved in their lives and connected with them.
“Gifts for Mom.” Gil says Kelly deserves the best Mother’s Day and there is never anything good enough for what she deserves. They have a special dinner and give her gift baskets and cards. They show Kelly’s 50th Birthday surprise trip. The kids decorate the cabin. Kelly is surprised by how large the house is as they pull out, and they wait while Kelly is outside making a video for her kids. Finally, they go in for the surprise. She is shocked to see them all there waiting for her. She is amazed they all kept a secret from her and that the couples were coming in to see her. The kids give praises and there are lots of tears and hugs. Then they show a video that Brandon drew, and Erin narrated, showing her life and thanking her. She is touched by the whole experience and says it means the world to her.
“The Next Generation of Moms.” Kelly takes Whitney out when she was pregnant with Bradley—she looks like she is about to pop. Kelly shows Whitney Zach’s old baby book and talks about expecting your first baby. Next, they show the clip of Alyssa and John arriving at the house with the “Bun in the Oven” to announce they are expecting Allie. After this, we see Erin and Chad taking them out to dinner to tell them they are expecting Carson.
“Whitney as a Mom.” We see Whit in the delivery room waiting for Bradley, and Kelly telling her how well she’s doing. Whitney lights up when Bradley arrives, and she wraps him up.
“Alyssa and Allie Jane.” Alyssa goes into labor on her due date and Kelly and Gil rush to be there, but Allie Jane arrives while they’re in the airport. They arrive at Alyssa’s house and they get to see Allie. They enjoy getting to see her and Alyssa as a mom.
“Erin’s Special Delivery.” Kelly talks about how hard it is to watch Erin going through this pregnancy. Kelly talks her through Carson’s tricky delivery. Erin is so happy to see him and says, “I thought I was gonna die—if you did that 19 times, I don’t know” and shaking her head as Gil chuckles.
“Moms for the First Time.” Erin says they were so mesmerized by Carson and enjoyed taking that in. Zach says life with a baby is different and Whitney says it is amazing. Zach said she and Bradley are so bonded. Alyssa says it seemed unreal, but she did feel somewhat more prepared because she had so many siblings. They show Erin getting her newborn pictures with Taryn, the Bates photographer, and Erin and Chad gush over him. Erin says she loves him so much, and she even loves the hard parts of raising a child.
“A Mom Always Worries.”Lawson gets his wisdom teeth out and is not doing well. Zach goes through the police academy. Kelly is proud of all his achievements.
“Sweet Surprises!” At Bradley’s first birthday party, the Bates talk about how fast everything is going. Whit and Zach call up their parents and Mama Jane and Papa Bill and thank them and give them a picture that announces Kaci Lynn is on the way. They are all excited.
Next, they show Erin giving Kelly the quilt which included Brooklyn’s announcement on I Love You Day. They are all so excited for the new baby. Next, a family friend arrives with a surprise for the Bates. She hands out the little boxes of treats to the family. They open it up to find Alyssa is expecting a little girl and the Websters are outside. They rush out to go see them, they didn’t even realize the name is on the M&M’s: Lexi Mae.
“Meet the New GrandBates” They show Erin and Chad going in to the hospital to get checked out. Erin gets her epidural this time and the birth is much easier and baby Brooklyn arrives. Erin tears up and Chad is so sweet kissing Erin on the forehead and getting to hold her.
Next: Kaci’s birth. Dr. Vick is going to try to flip Kaci, so she can deliver vaginally. Luckily the baby flipped easily, and Zach is very relieved. Kaci arrives and Whitney beams. Zach and Whit and so happy and snuggly. Kaci is loudly making her presence known and the Bates back home start yelling that the Baby has arrived.
In Florida, Kelly and Gil head to the birthing center and they are listening for a crying baby. Gil and Kelly sneak as close as they can to hear the cry. John sends a text that she’s here. John brings Lexi out and Kelly holds her, Lawson holds her, and then back home they wait for the Bates. The Bates family rushes in to see Lexi.
They talk about how Kelly invests in them and how she thinks about others first and always gives to them. She is glad her children are sharing in her joy.
*Episode 20: The Bates Royal Wedding Celebration
“The Wedding that Started it All” Gil & Kelly met in college in chemistry class, they both loved school and Gil was athletic. They got married as seniors in December. Kelly says they couldn’t wait. Gil says he is for dating after marriage. Gil says having attraction is normal as long as you stay pure until marriage. They don’t do traditional dating, they just do courtships and they’re great if they lead to marriage.
“The Perfect Ring” They show Brandon designing a ring and the jeweler says they can make it. Then Bobby going shopping in Pensacola with his picture that Tori said she liked. Bobby learns about clarity, cut, color and carats. The younger guys say they don’t know about rings.
“Fairytale Engagements” Whitney says Zach surprised her on her porch, they flew to Florida and he proposed to her on the beach. Whitney said they cried and then had dinner on the beach and that it was perfect. Erin and Chad are next—there is a new clip of them with a horse drawn carriage pulling up to them. Erin gushes and giggles. They hold hands in the carriage for the first time and he leads her to a gazebo by the water and proposes. She accepts, and they exchange a nice, big hug. They both cry and embrace each other.
“Wedding Dresses, Wedding Cakes and Wedding Wishes” Gil, Kelly, and Michael go wedding dress shopping. Nathan says, “Girls think they know what looks good,” and then he criticizes her picks. Lawson just wants to leave. Gil is getting tired. Michael tries on the dress and she loves it.
At Ms. Renee’s with Tori, they’re looking are different options. The girls are offering a lot of opinions and Tori is getting a bit overwhelmed. She comes back out in the first dress and the girls come around and Tori loves it.
Aunt Kaye arrives with cakes for Brandon and Michael to try. They like strawberry best.
In the studio, the Bates try various wedding cakes from around the world. Some they enjoy, some they do not. One is Italian, one is South Korean [they guess Mexican and Russia, lol], one is from Lithuania, and Bobby gets the one from England right.
“Erin and Chad” The first wedding, which is big, and Erin says was gorgeous. Erin says the first kiss was scary. Erin says that you meet a man, start courting, get engaged, have your big wedding, your first kiss and your big wedding night all in one. She thought it would be the shock of a lifetime but says as time goes on it becomes natural to want to be closer and it all progresses naturally, even if it was a little scary. Chad says he wouldn’t change a thing. They show only pictures of the wedding because TLC is the one who filmed it.
“Alyssa and John” Alyssa says they met at a wedding and there are clips of their big day. They get ready, and then pray. Alyssa says he invited her to come campaign and got to know each other. Alyssa said she was so nervous, but she made it through. They show the kiss and the pronouncement of them as Mr. and Mrs. John Webster.
“Michael and Brandon” Kelly says they can’t believe it’s here. They walk down the aisle and
have their first kiss. Michael says it was romantic and afterwards they have a big hug. They are officially Mr. and Mrs. and head back up the aisle.
Kelly says she is happy for them, but she is praying it will slow down.
*Episode 21: A Heavenly Honeymoon & A Courtship Countdown
We open to the scene of Tori and Bobby leave their wedding. Gil says he wants it all to slow down. Tori looks at Bobby and she says, “We’re married” and Bobby says she looks incredible and that this is too good to be true. The Bates and Smiths back at the wedding say goodbye and get ready to go home.
Bobby and Tori head off on their honeymoon. Bobby says Tori knows some things but there would be some surprises. They drive along the Pacific Coast Highway from San Francisco to the mountains and enjoy the view. Bobby says he has the best view because he gets to see her and the mountains. Erin says she is excited for Tori and reminds us that it is different for them because no chaperones for the first time is really special.
Tori and Bobby stop at a beach and have lunch on a log looking over the water. Tori says she wants to travel the world. Bobby says the first few days felt like they had snuck off somewhere and they would eventually get caught but it eventually sunk in that this is how it would be for now.
Back in TN, Carlin, Josie, and Katie are in their room talking about the fact that they are now the oldest girls at home. Carlin says she can’t believe she is the oldest, and in a courtship, and Josie will soon be. Carlin says it is nice being official and working through things. Josie says that she is not big on surprises, so she was involved in the planning. Gil says a courtship is coming and he isn’t ready for it.
Bobby surprises Tori with a boat ride in Monterey Bay. They spot sea otters and sea lions (the first otter Tori thinks is a seal, but their charter captain corrects her and explains a bit about the wildlife). Tori and Bobby move to the bow and look at the sea life in the water. Bobby says it is really weird being alone and he still thinks there should be a chaperone.
The boat ride comes to an end, and they Facetime the Bates parents. The Bates at home are sad, missing Tori, but Tori and Bobby are happy that they are calling their own shots now. They stop in a resort for the night and the next day is her birthday.
Back in Tennessee, Kelton is planning his courtposal with his dad at a BBQ spot. Kelton says his mother passed away in childbirth when he was 13 and it was a really difficult time for him. He says this is probably why he and his father are so close today. His dad says Kelton is ready for marriage and Kelton says that was all on his dad for setting such a good example and he is excited to transition to marriage in the next year or two. Kelton wants to make it special and talks about the bridge they saw camping and Kelton says that would be the sight of the biggest moment, near Gatlinburg which is where his parents went on their honeymoon. He says there was a gondola that they rode, and Kelton asks if he thinks that is a good idea for the big courtship day. His father agrees, and Kelton says his father has tried to live according to his mother’s wishes and that she would be so proud of him.
Bobby and Tori arrive in the mountains and they are amazed, and Bobby points out El Capitan. Carlin says Tori has always been outdoorsy. They walk around and admire the mountains and joke about bears hibernating in caves. Tori peeks into a cave to try and see if she could see a sleeping bear. She is bummed she doesn’t get to see one in person.
Bobby and Tori walk the trails in Yosemite and take in the sights. They are cute together. Bobby surprises Tori with a sleigh ride for her birthday. It is very cute. They get to take in the sights. Bobby says, “I guess I should kiss you, it just still feels wrong.” Tori says it is weird going from the strict rules to doing whatever you want in a second. They arrive at a clearing with hot apple cider and marshmallows. He tries to kiss her, but she laughs and shakes her head. Tori asks if he was scared on the wedding day for the kiss and he said he was. They finally kiss.
Back in Tennessee, the Bates crash Tori & Bobby’s apartment while they are away. This is a tradition. Kelly is having a hard time with the honeymoon, so she is throwing herself into decorating the apartment. They also talk about the fact that Callie heard Carlin and Evan talk about getting married December 2018 and told everyone. Carlin blushes and she said it wasn’t something they were ready to talk to the parents about, it was just something they were thinking might work. Carlin then throws Josie under the bus, saying Josie wanted to go straight to engagement. Gil says if he has other kids getting married already, he’s done.
On the honeymoon, Bobby is going to cook for Tori’s birthday in their little cabin. He is making steak, her favorite meal, with salad and green beans. He is going to go all out. This is actually very sweet. There is a little grill that Bobby works at while Tori does the green beans. Neither of them really knows what they’re doing, and Tori did not cook much at home. They get in a snowball fight on the porch and she locked him out and she let him back in when the steak is ready. Bobby serves the meal and they pray. Tori says the steak is good, and Bobby says it was great that his trip came together, and they could just enjoy being together for the first time.
Back in Tennessee, Kelton has permission from the city to decorate the bridge with lights. Kelton is glad his dad and brother are there to hold him up on the ladder as they put up lights on the bridge. Kelton’s dad asks if he can believe he is at this point in life and Kelton says if you had asked him a few years ago, he wouldn’t believe this would happen. Kelly says Kelton was persistent when Josie (now, not Gil) put a hold on the relationship. Kelton finishes with the lights and he is excited for tomorrow.
Back at the main house, the Bates are working on school. Kelly asks Gil to clean out a car, so she can go to the grocery store. Gil tells Josie to help the kids with school. Kelly calls everyone together, pretending to plan a surprise party for Gil’s birthday (which has passed, but he was sick). Kelly says she was thinking they could have a surprise birthday for him. Right at that moment, Kelton enters with flowers, followed by his father.
Kelton surprises Josie and she is shocked. He says he gets to spend the day with her and she is surprised. Girl, his dad is here, we all know what this is. Josie and Carlin go get her ready. Josie is ready, and they head off for their special day together. First, they do the Gatlinburg gondola, previously mentioned, that his parents had done during their honeymoon. They hug and take in the view of the Over Gatlinburg Tram. Next, they go ice skating together Kelly and Gil stay on the edge, so she can hold on as Josie and Kelton skate together. Kelton is amazed by Josie’s grace on the ice. Gil says “Can they hold hands yet? They aren’t courting yet?” and Kelly says, “well they will be today, so…” Kelton falls, and Josie goes to help him up and he gets on one knee in front of her and he says, “will you help me up?” In talking heads, Josie says they should’ve skipped courtship and gone straight to engagement. Kelton says if only he had the ring in his pocket. Josie says it is coming soon and the viewers will be surprised, right babe? And Kelton says: you’ll be surprised too!
The next and final stop is the bridge, which looks beautiful in the fading light. They start getting excited as they walk up to the bridge. The parents stay in the car as they take it all in. Kelton says she knows he has had strong feelings about her for a long time and one of the things he loves most about her is that she absolutely is his best friend. He loves her sweet spirit and her tenderness for other people, her diligence and determination to succeed, her beautiful eyes and the beauty mark she hates, and above all, he loves her heart. He wants to make a commitment to her tonight to pursue her heart and he gives her a heart necklace and asks for her heart. She says yes, and they hug. Josie says he is glad he stuck around and went through everything you have to go through to be in a Bates relationship. He puts the necklace around her neck and they say I Love You. The parents come congratulate them. Gil says they are the perfect couple. Mr. Balka says 25 years and two days ago he had got married and come to Gatlinburg for their honeymoon and it was amazing how it lined up. Whitney says Josie is overjoyed and she is proud of both of them. Lawson says they were excited even if they were less involved in this courtposal. Kelton says his mother and father were truly, deeply in love and that his prayer in life was for his children to find someone who meant as much to them as she did to him. Kelton says he doesn’t know how anyone could mean more to him than Josie does.
*Episode 22: Eye Love You Day
At the main house, Carlin wakes the boys for school, but they are not ready to get up. Carlin has taken over while Kelly is recovering from surgery. Jackson says they are now getting up a lot earlier. Carlin dumps the water on the ones who don’t get up. The boys get up reluctantly.
Kelly is recovering in her bed from Lasik and Gil comes in to give her eyedrops. They show her getting Lasik and the doctor tells her the healing will be painful and she will be getting special sunglasses. Kelly says her eyes feel swollen even though Gil says they look better. Kelly is worried about being ready for I Love You Day. Kelly is grateful that Gil takes care of her during her recovery. Gil says he is glad he has her all to himself. Michael makes frozen meals for Carlin to crockpot. Kelly was glad that Michael was there taking care of things. Michael asks if Carlin feels different being the oldest girl at home now and that she is taking on a bigger role. Michael says she cannot believe Jackson graduating and she pictures them like they were at her wedding. Carlin is glad she gets to spend time with Michael. Carlin says she should move back, and Michael wishes she could. Michael says keeping the house going is a team effort.
Kelly says the theme of Valentine’s Day is “Growing Old Together.” Kelly says there is a monetary prize for dressing up as an old person for a costume contest. Kelly says she was inspired by her mother and Mama Jane and Papa Bill, to honor their elders and to make the most of their time and enjoy their family.
They go to the thrift store to get costumes. They find clothes, wigs, and a walker. Erin says it was neat to see how old people dressed. They tease Kelly for being older. Carlin finds an outfit. Tori says it will be tough to beat Erin and Carlin, but they will have fun with it.
Alyssa has arrived for I Love You Day and the kids have crafts they want to make for the married couples. Kelly gives everyone a task to make bath scrubs and tic tac toe boards. Everyone chooses a name but the littles like to make crafts to give the married couples who don’t live nearby. The whole family gets involved. Gil says making something means a lot. Alyssa and Erin discuss their pregnancies—Alyssa wants to be done, Erin is so excited to have hit the third trimester. Alyssa asks Carlin if she is getting engaged soon and Carlin says they are working towards a date. Alyssa says Valentine’s Day is a romantic time and Carlin says yes but there are “fifty of you here.” Alyssa says, “how is that not romantic?” Erin says that as an older sister it’s sweet to watch your younger sister go through a relationship. Gil hears them talking about marriage and tells them to stop. Alyssa says he shouldn’t have had so many girls, and Gil jokes that he can’t give away the boys, but everyone wants to take away the girls. They conclude bath time.
On the night before I Love You Day, Erin and Alyssa prepare for the couples’ dinner. The other couples arrive. The grandparents are at the head of the table and everyone else is around. They are lakeside in Knoxville and everyone has dressed up for a special night. Michel and Brandon and Tori & Bobby are running a little late, so Kelly calls them. Lawson, Nathan, and Trace talk about how they feel excluded from the couples' dinner, so they decided to crash it. Lawson says he brought someone special to bring to the dinner and everyone is excited about Lawson’s secret girlfriend.
Lawson leaves the room and comes back with Nathan in a dress and grey wig with curlers. Gil laughs so hard. John Webster laughs. Everyone else looks vaguely uncomfortable. Kelly says if he was dating someone, there would be a song written about it. Michael and Brandon and Tori and Bobby arrive, and everyone is happy to see them. Kelly says this dinner was Alyssa’s idea and it is a special time to be together as couples. Kelly had some questions for everyone—What’s everyone’s first impression of their significant other? Papa Bill and Mama Jane apparently met on the beach, will Bill running her over trying to get a run-away float. Tori says their long relationship is so sweet and they’re good examples. Meema says Tom sang to her and that won her heart. Kelly says she remembers seeing him strut because his kids didn’t know him as she first met him. She makes him do the strut and they all laugh. Kelly makes him do it again, saying he missed what he used to do with his hands and fingers. He points finger guns at the couples as he walks by and everyone laughs. Kelly says he knew the girls where looking at him like he was a peacock. Zach says he was blown away by how pretty Whitney was and he kept going back. He says that he told Alyssa the first day he was going to marry her, and Whitney melts. Bobby says he was sent a video from Tori singing at the nursing home and she sang like heaven and he was sold. Kelton said he told her he was falling in love. October 19, 2015 was the date he said he fell in love. Chad says his first impression was Erin’s little grin and he thought it was special. Brandon said there was a crowd and there was a person holding a bunch of babies and then he saw her, and it went from “whoa” to “wow” and he thought that the guy who gets to marry her is gonna be a very blessed guy. John says when he first met Alyssa, he couldn’t say anything. Tori says the night was the right mix of sentimental and funny.
The next day, it is party prep time at the main house. Gil is eating food while preparing it and Kelly tells him to stop. Kelly has her hair powdered and is dressed like an old person, but the grandparents are dressing like teenagers. Erin and Chad arrive, and the Bates are watching from the window and cry-laughing. They are followed by Carlin and Evan. Everyone went all out. Chad has a fake mustache and Lawson and Nathan are surprised to see them. Kelly says it was fun, but she does hope they grow old together and they will be together through everything.
It is costume contest time. Everyone votes based on a piece of paper as everyone who dressed up shows off their costumes. Mama Jane is SO LOVELY in her ‘50s gear. The little kids go last and then they vote. Kelly said every outfit deserves a prize. Evan wins for the men; Carlin wins for the women and falls down. Chad & Erin are the couple winner and Judson wins for the kids.
They play a game where they have a bunch of red solo cups out on a table and then try to stack them the fastest. Gil loves the games. Tori wins. John and Zach play a game where you have to inflate a balloon to blow the cups off a table.
It is gift time. The littles’ homemade gifts go first. They made Gil a sign that says “Building Dad” with nails and bolts, etc. forming a heart. Then Bradley, Allie, and Carson open their gifts. Then the gifts which they drew names for are passed around, and everyone opens them up and gets excited about them. Tori says the best part is watching people open the gifts you got them.
The Domino’s man arrives with pizza for Katie from Jackson because she said she wanted a pizza. Katie hands the pizza out to her siblings, she only gets one slice. Everyone exchanges hugs and thank yous and then they end with dinner and conversation. Tori says the theme was perfect because you want to grow old with your spouse and your family and make the most of it. They talk about how sweet and meaningful the day is for all of them and how they’re glad they do this.
*Episode 23: Seas the Day
At the main house, Carlin calls Judson back to the school room. Kelly says they have a senior (Katie) to a first grader (Jeb) and Kelly says it is overwhelming and Carlin has become such a help. Jeb is not having his best day. Callie says it is fun having Carlin in charge of school. Carlin motivates Jeb. Carlin says she has enjoyed switching to an online school and likes how it has helped her mom.
Everyone from Jackson on down gets in a van with their parents and they head to Myrtle beach. The older kids take their own cars. Gil wants the kids to meet Mama Jane’s sisters and the people he grew up around. They arrive at their rental, which they are impressed by. They have brought a trailer of bikes and then the kids get on bikes and head to Mama Jane’s. The Bates do not wear helmets, and UP! kind of scolds them by writing “remember to wear helmets!” along the bottom of the screen. It turns out Gil was wrong about how close Mana Jane’s place was and they have to get in the van for four miles of the journey. Gil is happy to see everyone, and the kids greet everyone. Erin and Chad had arrived the day before and they spent time with the relatives.
The Bates have decided to try seafood, which they are not generally fans of and don’t get a lot of it where they live. They don’t like shrimp; Lawson doesn’t try it. Isaiah goes first and is not a fan. Carlin takes two bites and on the second isn’t sure about it. The Bates do not like the look of the oysters. Evan tries it. Callie says it looks like slugs. They want to go to the beach next. They walk along the beach and Lawson takes pictures of Carlin and Evan on the beach. Trace just wants to play football. Carlin tells Papa Bill she will graduate in December with a degree in general education with a bunch of music courses. She tells Papa Bill she will go to Nashville and she will tell her dad when Evan proposes. Papa Bill asks when that will happen, and Carlin says Evan says it will be a surprise.
The next day, Mama Jane and her sisters are going on a walk with the kids. Gil says they are big walkers and he wants his kids to experience that. They round the kids up and go for the walk. Next, they go fish on the pier where the biggest shark was caught. It is chilly, so they are pretty wrapped up. Carlin tries to fish but she doesn’t really know what she is doing. They are wrapped up and Lawson goes over to Jackson and asks about his big birthday. Lawson says they should’ve brought Addee along because it’s her birthday as well. Jackson says Addee would not have enjoyed the cold fishing. They eventually give up on the fishing and go have birthday cake. They meet up with the older relatives and give praises for Jackson and Addee and remind us how scary Addee’s birth was when she stopped breathing. Jackson was so upset because he thought she was his birthday present. Then they sing. Jackson said it was a special beach birthday with their relatives. mama Jane is glad to share her grandkids with her sisters. Gil is so glad the kids got to meet and make lasting memories with these relatives who are so special to him.
*Episode 24: Hit the Road Jack!
Jackson is going to get his license. Gil says he has experience, but he is nervous about taking the test and not passing. First, they take his picture. Jackson says he has heard from his older siblings about the test. They head to the car and he demonstrates the brake lights, the blinkers, the horn—Nathan says it can be a challenge to find a Bates car where everything works. Warden says Jackson is a good driver who never goes over the speed limit. Warden teases him for being attentive. Jackson follows the tester’s instructions with a lot of “Yes Ma’ams” and they arrive back at the center and he finds out he passed and then he gets his license. Nathan says now he can get a job and start traveling but Nathan says he is now the number one errand boy. Jackson says it is a cool feeling.
At Erin and Chad’s, Erin has made muffins and is serving the kids when Chad arrives with a picture frame. Erin says they’re gonna decorate it for when Everly comes. Chad says he is nervous for the delivery but also excited. Erin says she is ready to have a newborn in her arms. Erin asks Carson if he is ok with adding some pink to his room. Chad says they will have their hands full and Erin agrees but says she is so excited. Chad says he can’t wait to see the kid’s reaction. Erin says she has missed having a little newborn. Erin says Chad is about function, but it’s got to look like a nursery haven for three little kids. They add twine to the frame and hang a bunch of family pictures along it. Chad puts it on the wall. Erin suggests painting it pink for more contrast. Chad says that is an easy change. They talk about adding more pictures to the frame and she thanks him. She says she works him too hard and he says no, this is fun.
Nathan and Trace are at the airport going flying. Nathan says this is the best way to get your license. Trace says he is trying to figure out what he wants to do with the rest of his life. Gil says Nathan is a motivational person who tries to direct people. Kelly says Nathan will see this as an opportunity to get him interested in flying. First, they go through a safety checklist. Nathan says if he gets his pilot’s license it will last him his whole life, even if he doesn’t want to be a pilot for a career. Nathan says he became a pilot to spread the gospel and safe lives. Trace says he would rather do that from the ground. Nathan instructs him as they begin rolling. Zach says many of the Bates are like each other, but Nathan is kind of out there. Lawson says Trace is scared of heights. Nathan guides Trace through the takeoff. Trace is not too happy up there and Nathan says it just takes experience like horse riding. Trace is worried about the landing and Nathan convinces him to land the plane. They land and bring the plane back up again. Nathan explains it was a touch and go. They finish the lesson and Nathan says every kid’s dream is to be a pilot and Trace would make a great one.
Zach says Jackson turning 16 is blowing his mind. Jackson drives over to Zach’s to show him he passed his driver’s test, and Zach has some projects for them to do. Whitney says Jackson and Zach have a special relationship and they’re a lot alike. Kelly says there has always been a special bond between them—they love reading, planes, and history. Zach says he wanted to talk about beginning to build a foundation for the rest of his life. Jackson says he isn’t sure about college and Zach says it is time to start seriously thinking about what’s next. Jackson mentions he’s been working with Chad doing construction and Zach says they worked hard on his house. Jackson says he wants to do something with his hands and he isn’t picking a career for the rest of his life yet, but he wants to start trying stuff. Tori says Jackson is blessed with all the guys above him who can give him a taste of what he wants to do. Erin says he will do great. Zach says he is so proud of him and always here for them. Zach says the benefit of a big family is that you have a lot of people around who really care about you as you grow up.
*Episode 25: Lions, and Tigers, and Bates, Oh My!
The little girls have gone to Michael and Brandon’s for a girl’s trip. Michael has spruced off the house to show them her “happily ever after,” including freshly painted cabinets, which Brandon says took longer than expected. The girls drop off their stuff, pick Brandon up, and then head off to go to the zoo. The little girls and Michael are super hyped to go to the zoo. Michael says they’ve been members of the zoo since their marriage. As they pick up Brandon, Michael and Brandon kiss and Callie says “ew.” There is an animal ambassador program there where you can get up close with the animals. First, they get to meet a porcupine; the girls are surprised how large he is. Next, they meet a Serval, Cyan, who is a type of medium sized African Wild Cat. The girls are a little nervous around him and the handler reassures them. Callie says the fact that he likes to eat mice and rats makes her want to throw up. Next, they meet Elsie, the two toed sloth. Michael and Brandon are fascinated by the sloth, and they get to feed her grapes. Finally, they meet an anteater. It has a very long tongue, and everyone is fascinated by it. They get to feed her pear baby food, and some gets flung onto Callie’s head. They wipe it off and the family thanks the handlers and then they get to go see the rest of the zoo. Brandon has to go back to work and the girls get to have a girl’s day at the zoo. They walk through and compare their arms to monkey’s arms. Altogether, they see monkeys, a wolf, a polar bear, and buffalo. Then, they stop for a selfie for Michael’s scrapbook.
Tori and Bobby arrive at the church to clean it before services. In three months, they are moving to Nashville, so Bobby can be a youth pastor and work in full time ministry. Tori says it will be weird to be there without any family, but Bobby says that church is really family-oriented and exciting. Bobby says very soon she will graduate, and they will be moving.
Michael is giving a sewing lesson to the girls because it is something she loves to do, and she started around Callie’s age. She gets her machine out and says they can make a blanket for Alyssa’s baby and a skirt for each of the girls. Callie tries threading the machine and then they pin the blankets. Nathan says he is glad the little girls are learning to sew so they can do his mending and alterations and they don’t have to wait for Michael to arrive. The girls take turns sewing with the machine and they take to it very quickly. Addee says it was hard at first, but it was fun once they got the hang of it. Callie is amazed that they make the blanket themselves. Michael says it means a lot to get to do it with them, big sister, little sister.
Gil says for school today they’re building a seesaw because everyone is out of town and he is in charge. They practice measuring, and they actually wear eye protection and ear plugs while Gil uses the saw. They start really into it, but their attention span doesn’t last that long.
They finish the seesaw and Kelly arrives back home. Kelly tries to lay ground rules but Gil still kind of flips Jeb off of it anyways. Zach says the Bates family is the reason for those little tags at the store with “unintended use” warnings. Zach says the seesaw is more like a human catapult. Gil says the project went better than expected and they are glad they got to build something.
In La Grange, IL, Michael, Brandon and the little girls go to a paint-your-pottery place. Last time they went was before they were engaged so they are glad to be back. They pick what they want to paint. Addee picks a jewelry box, Ellie picks a horse figurine, Callie picks a coffee mug for Alyssa. Brandon paints a piggy bank and Michael also paints a mug. They enjoy chatting while painting and having fun together. Brandon says he enjoyed watching their focus and Callie’s energy. They finish and head off. Michael says she loves to spend time with siblings and she had an absolute blast. Michael says they make her feel alive and young and she looks forward to the next time.
*Episode 26: Just a Little Off the Top, Please.
Josie has graduated from cosmetology school and has accepted a position at a local salon. Her family has been serving as her models and Trace refused to let her do his hair until she got a job. The time has come, and he is nervous she will take off too much. As she does his hair, Trace is having a running commentary about how short or long to go in different areas. Trace tells her he will be in a rodeo for a weekend doing his trick riding. He asks about Kelton and Josie says its going good and Josie is ready for engagement. Gil says he thinks she is young, but Kelly says she is mature, and she knows what she wants. Trace is pleased with the haircut and Josie gets him to say it was the best.
Bobby and Tori are at the Git’n Go Deli, ordering food for dinner. Tori says she is so hungry, and they are waiting for her parents. Kelly says they are moving to Nashville shortly after graduation. Tori hates moving, and she is hopeful her family will help. Zach jokes that they keep coming and marrying the girls and taking them away—Carlin will go to Nashville and Katie to “a tropical island or something.” Bobby will be a school chaplain and Tori will help him. Gil is sad but excited for them. Tori mentions babysitters and Kelly asked if she missed an announcement. No news yet, Tori says.
At Erin and Chad’s, Erin is at the piano with Carson and Brooklyn preparing for Everly to arrive. Chad comes home and is happy to see them all together. Chad reads them a Bible story. Gil says kids are like a sponge and they will soak it up. Erin says Carson likes reading and it is special. They all pray together for the delivery and for Everly.
At the main house, Gil decided to make a shuffleboard court on the concrete outside. Zach and Whitney and their kids arrive, and the guys are trying to figure out how to design the shuffleboard court and the little kids play whiffle ball with Trace. Erin is running the bases and Kelly tells her not to go into labor. The guys working on the shuffleboard get jealous and want to join in the whiffle ball game instead. Zach is up, and they want Erin to walk him and she does. Gil cuts up a log to make the tools for the game. They complete the shuffleboard court and they have a game but they’re going to have to get real discs, Kelly says. The wooden ones didn’t slide very well. Gil says it was fine, but they have ideas to improve it. Kelly says it was just a fun day. Gil says that was real family life, enjoying the simple things.
*Episode 27: One Week, Three Babies?!
Kelly is worried about missing either Erin’s or Alyssa’s birth with them being so close to labor but so far apart in distance. Kelly is trying to figure this out when Trace and Lawson come say they have a rodeo this week in Indiana. Trace is trick-riding thanks to his friend Shadow who set up Trace to ride and Lawson to sing. Carlin is doing school, but they decide to have a family meeting, so they all get on the same page. Kelly tells them about the appointment, the rodeo and asks if Carlin and Katie can run the house with Carlin in charge for a few days. Kelly feels bad about missing the rodeo and Lawson says the births are more important.
Trace and Lawson practice for the rodeo. Trace and Lawson are looking forward to the rodeo and seeing if they can cut it in the big time. Zach jokes that anytime anyone in the family is doing something cool, Lawson is young, single and available and going with you. Trace and Lawson practice doing their tricks, but they are in an open field, so they note that is this dangerous and that bad things can happen. Trace has a fall, but he recovers, and they call it a day.
Jackson has started doing construction with Chad and says that Chad never quits. Chad is doing the floor at Noble Metals and Jackson is along. Chad says Jackson reached out and Chad takes advantage of him being free to have him help him out. Chad pays him, and they do a lot of nice work together. Chad shows him how to do the trim and says he picks up quickly. Jackson works on the trim. Zach and Gil praise Jackson’s hard work. Carlin says he is very motivated, he gets all his school done at night so that he can work with Chad. Next, they go on the roof to try to find where there is a leak. Jackson says construction is fun, except for cleaning up, and it is satisfying to see all you’ve done at the end.
Zach & Whitney, Erin & Chad, and Tori & Bobby are eating at Zach & Whitney’s place. They talk about how they will miss this when Tori and Bobby move, and Zach jokes they’ll write them off with those other two girls who moved off—what’re their names? Erin says they’re having a dinner together before it goes crazy. All the rest of the Bates arrive, and Zach says they opened the house up just to make room for everyone. Every time they all get together, someone announces something, Addee says. Bobby starts the meal off with a prayer; Zach and Whitney joke about people who pray too long before food. Bobby says he took some time to pray because there was a lot going on and he wanted to drop a bomb. Bobby keeps praying and the family freaks out. Tori says they have only known for a week or so and Erin is excited they get to be pregnant at the same time. Zach said two babies weren’t enough this week, they had to throw in a third. Tori says she is around 6 weeks and is due thanksgiving weekend. They FaceTime Michael and Alyssa to tell them. Lawson says it is crazy that his little siblings are getting married and pregnant. Bobby says in about a year and half he went from college student to husband and father: it’s a lot. Kelly says this will be her ninth grandbaby. Gil says this is a lot. Gil jokes if he wants a new grand baby, he just has to have a family party.
*Episode 28: A Bundle of Joy and a Rodeo Show
Kelly arrives at John and Alyssa’s and she is happy to see her and hear about her contractions. Kelly says she is getting a hotel so Alyssa can be in peace to deal with labor. Kelly says they should go get their nails done. Addee says she spoils them before a baby. They arrive at the nail salon and Kelly is friendly with the staff. Kelly says she knows how uncomfortable you are. Kelly says 3 was her hardest since she had a 2-year-old, a 1 year old, and a newborn. Gil jokes: After four, it gets way easier. Kelly says perspective helps, instead of getting frustrated she would focus on the blessings in front of her and not get stressed over the unimportant things. Alyssa says she could not have 19 kids. Alyssa hopes the midwife appointment will get things moving again and she will have a baby tomorrow.
In Indiana, Trace and Lawson meet Shadow while he grooms his horse and then they go practice their trick. Gil says the boys are competitive. They practice their trick, the apache, a few times and it goes okay.
It is the day of the rodeo and they are impressed by the rodeo and Trace worries he isn’t ready. Lawson sings the National Anthem. There is a montage of the other trick riders doing their tricks. Lawson and Trace get to do their tricks; Lawson goes first, and it looks good. Then it is Trace’s turn and he does the trick himself and it goes well.
Baby Zoey arrives at 4am, really fast. Alyssa says she had the baby in an hour and a half. Kelly goes to meet her the next morning. She is excited to meet her. The midwife comes in and jokes about how fast Alyssa’s labors are and tells her they can head out. They show the announcement picture of Zoey with her birth date, time, height and weight.
At home, Alyssa and John introduce Zoey to Allie and Lexi. Allie says, “Zoey came out!” Allie gives her a little kiss. Alyssa says all that anticipation makes the arrival so exciting and birth is a moment you remember and cherish. Gil arrives to meet the baby and he is excited to hold her. They FaceTime Carlin and she shows the other kids the new baby. Gil brings food for them, a tradition he started around Erin’s birth when Kelly wanted a home birth but was missing out on the local hospital’s “steak dinner after you have your baby” special. So, he brings steak for them to eat and they talk about birth stories and time after the baby arrives. Alyssa said it was such a celebration, and that this is what life is about. Kelly says now she has to make it home in time for Erin’s birth.
*Episode 29: Labor Paines
Erin, Carlin, Katie, and Whitney arrive at a nail salon. They say they are waiting on one more. They say they should make this a tradition for when someone has a baby. Tori arrives and says she is into baggy clothes these days. Erin talks about how she is scared for labor and hopes to have an epidural again. Chad arrives and sees all the sisters and tells her he likes her color. He is spooked by Tori getting acrylic nails and thinks they will be very long, but she assures him they will be cut down. Chad said he finished working nearby and got to learn about getting their nails done. They introduce Chad to massage chairs and he is a fan.
Erin, Kelly, Brooklyn, and Carson go for a walk around Norris dam. They talk about labor and Kelly says she was always terrified of labor, but Erin is almost there. Erin says she wants her mom there and hates to be by herself.
At Erin and Chad’s, Erin starts having strong contractions and Chad says Erin is very nervous. Carlin is there filming. Erin is really scared. Erin and Chad decide to head to the hospital. They start driving, they are about ½ hour out, and Erin is in a ton of pain. She actually kneels in her seat and Chad has his hazards on. Erin is not doing well and tries to convince him to run a red light. Chad does not do that. They get to the hospital and Dr. Vick arrives. She gets a room and she is feeling better. Kelly and Michael arrive; Tori is not picking up her and she really wanted to be there. Gil arrives with balloons. Katie went to Tori’s apartment but could not wake up Tori. Erin is bummed she isn’t there. Chad does a bunch of push-ups to try to stay up. Erin starts progressing quickly. Gil notices there are quite a few contractions getting close together, and Erin mentions it to a nurse, and she checks Erin and it is just about time for baby. They are looking for Dr. Vick. Erin is trying not to push as they wait for Dr. Vick and Erin asks if he is walking or running. Dr. Vick finally arrives, and it is time to meet Everly. Erin starts pushing and Everly arrives and she hears her cry. Erin and Chad start crying when they see her. Chad gets to hold her, and Gil comes in to meet her. Katie slept through the entire thing and Carlin woke her up and told her the baby was here. The family leaves so Erin and Chad can rest. Gil says this has been a blessing-filled 36 hours to have two granddaughters born.
The next morning, Brooklyn and Carson come to meet Everly. Carson and Brooklyn smile when they see her. Carson gently takes her hat off to touch her hair. Carson points out that she has legs and Brooklyn says, “baby doll.” Later that day, the rest of the siblings come to meet Everly for the first time. Erin says this was so precious and Erin says talking about this makes her want to have another baby and Chad looks alarmed and goes: okay, we’re done interviewing.
*Episode 30: Chaperoning Do’s & Don’ts
Josie and Kelton are going out and looking for a chaperone and Kelly says this is a good opportunity for a chaperone 101 class. Kelly says it is easy to forget to explain things to the younger kids. Kelly explains the purpose of a chaperone, making sure they don’t get too close or do bad. Kelly asks Zach and Whitney for their tips, and Zach goes to kiss Whit and Gil jumps up and starts waving his arms saying “no, you can’t be the examples” and Zach fires back with: “what did y’all do on your dates?” Josie and Kelton feel awkward and Zach says Kelton has to feel the most awkward. Gil says they’ve got to have a yearly meeting about where they’re going. Josie and Kelton end up going on a double date with Zach and Whitney.
Bobby and Tori go to the church where he will work, and they are excited to have them. Tori and Bobby are looking for a place to live and the senior pastor says there are lots of options. He says there is a surprise to go see his name on his office door. Next, they go look for apartments. They tour an apartment which they like but they are excited to see more options. They talk about good amenities and not smelling bad. Tori says it will be a tough choice because they are all nice. Bobby says this feels like the start of their life.
In Hendersonville, Tori and Bobby go on a double date with Evan and Carlin and Tori says this will be their future. Erin says Carlin is the only one thrilled about Tori and Bobby moving because Evan is in Nashville. Evan and Carlin are good at bowling, and Tori is struggling. She says it was embarrassing. Lawson comes and surprises them, and Bobby says another view of the future: Lawson is always in Nashville. The couples decide to mess with Lawson and yell “you’ve got a hole in your pants” right before he bowls. They talk about a future engagement—Carlin says school is what they’re waiting on—and Tori and Bobby moving.
Back at Zach and Whit’s, they are outside taking advantage of the nice weather. Bradley and Zach are building a dog house and Kaci and Whit are planting. Boomer the dog runs around the yard. Whitney is surprised by the size of the dog house, but Zach shows her how Boomer will fit. Bradley and Kaci and Boomer fit in the dog house, so Whitney says that would be plenty big enough. Whitney has him put it down, realizes she does not like the location and has him move it. Zach says women always need to see things in place before they decide. Whitney says, “You love me, you would have moved it 50 times” and Zach says, “I love you more than anything, I would I have moved it 50 more times.” Now that it is all set up, they try to convince the dog to go into the house. Boomer won’t go in the dog house. “You made Bradley’s day at least,” Whitney says.
At Kelton’s house, Josie and Katie arrive for burgers with his brother and his dad. Kelton is glad she is at the house as much as she is, and Josie says she is not a good cook yet so in the beginning they’ll cook together. Kelton’s dad asked about marriage and Josie jokes in the next few days. Kiersten, Kelton’s sister, got bunnies for her birthday so she takes Josie and Katie to see the bunnies. Josie loves the bunnies. Next, Kelton brings them for ice cream and Katie is pumped for that. They all go for an ice cream and Katie says she will always chaperone if there is ice cream. Josie says she loves having dinner with them and spending time with his family and hopefully it will be more and more regular as time goes on.
*Episode 31: Milestones and New Chapters
Tori and Addee arrive at Erin’s house. Erin is giving her a cooking lesson and Addee will watch the babies during the lesson. Erin has marinated chicken and shows her how to heat the pan. Erin says she did not know how to cook when she first got married and she became a fantastic cook through practice and all the siblings are glad to visit now. Tori isn’t sure about basil, but Erin convinces her. Chad and Bobby arrive to eat, and Tori is trying to convince Chad and Erin to move to Nashville. Erin suggests grilling and said guys feel their “roots, their masculine hormones” while grilling. Erin is sad that Tori is leaving but it is special to get to spend time with her before she moves.
The guys are on a tree job and talk about how they grew up doing it and how much it means to them to come back to a tree job to see the new boys learning. Nathan says it was a much humbler beginning when he was young, especially now with all the machines they have. Nathan is preaching about teaching the new guys and they decide to send Jackson up the tree. In a turtle neck, Jackson really looks like a mini-Gil. Nathan talks to Jackson the whole time he’s climbing, and Jackson realizes how challenging this is. He comes down the tree and the brothers congratulate him. They complete the tree job and Lawson says the company is moving in a stronger direction than it was before.
It is graduation day for Tori, and Trace and Josie also walk in the ceremony. The graduates process in and the Bates family is excited to be there. Trace got a certificate and says it helped him come out of his box and blossom. Josie gets her cosmetology degree and she is excited, and Kelton says he is so proud of how hard she worked. Next, Tori gets her Bachelor of Biblical Studies in Elementary Education. Bobby says she has done a lot and now they both had degrees. The ceremony concludes, and Kelly says she is proud of them for sticking with it and they are walking out as adults. Of course, there is a party at the Bates house to celebrate. Kelly hands out cards to each of the graduates. Tori and Bobby will soon move away and so they enjoy spending times together. They discuss plans and Tori says the family can come help move them in. In nine days, Tori and Bobby will move.
*Episode 32: Asking Permission and a Big Decision
Josie and Kelton and Zach and Whitney are going out on a double date. Zach says local relationships move fast and asks if he is getting ready to put a ring on the finger. They want to ask to move forward from Gil & Kelly. Zach says they let you get this far so all you got to do is ask. Zach says he thinks Kelton is ready to go to Gil to ask but doesn’t think Gil is ready to be asked.
Gil, Lawson, Trace arrive at their church. They are going to tear down their church and build a much larger one because their church is full. Lawson doesn’t want to tear down a perfectly good building and suggests building another bigger building and keep the original building as a fellowship hall (“Baptists love to eat” Lawson says). They begin moving furniture and Trace is discussing what the plan should be. Moving out the furniture is enough for now.
Tori and Bobby are seeing Dr. Vick and they get their first ultrasound look at the baby. They are excited. They are shocked by how big it looks on the screen compared to how large it actually is. They see Dr. Vick next and he congratulates them. She is due November 24. She is struggling with nausea and he offers her nausea medicine. Tori has low progesterone, but they seem to have fixed it and now things are looking great. Tori says she isn’t sure what she will do when she moves.
Gil says the plan to keep the building doesn’t work out, so they are going to tear down half the building they have to make room for the new building. Bobby and Chad’s old boss from Noble Metals is there helping. Carpenters for Christ from Alabama is going to come help out once demo is done. The new church will seat 300 people and will be almost triple in size.
Josie & Kelton go to dinner with Gil & Kelly. Wasting no time, they sit down, and Kelton begins talking about the fact that they think the Lord is leading them toward marriage and about a potential timeline. Gil says he thinks they’re right for each other. Josie says she wants a fall wedding. Gil cries and says he doesn’t want to lose her. Gil says the weddings are going good for the girls but the guys not so much. Gil says he is happy about them getting married and that he likes them both, but he doesn’t want change. He gives them to go ahead to move forward and they’ll do what they can to make their dream happen.
*Episode 33: The Ring, the Dress and Ready for Next Steps
Kelton is shopping for Josie’s engagement ring with Bobby. Kelton has a diamond and he wants to have it set. He is so nervous, but the sales associate is there to help. Zach says it is a lot of pressure and Zach says Josie was pretty specific and he describes it—thin band, low profile, princess cut diamond set kited in the setting. Judson expresses his preference for solitaries. The sales associate helps show him the diamond in a setting and they quickly complete their purchase and head off.
Tori and Bobby are packing, and Tori talks about how much they have going on. The Bates arrive to help them pack and Kelly says time has flown. Bobby shows Gil and Kelly pictures of their new apartment which is bigger and nicer, and they are excited about it. In some not very subtle AARP-native advertising, Kelly shows them the financial planning tool “Living on a Budget” and reminisces about the beginning of their marriage. The rest of the family arrive to help load the truck up. The Bates carry stuff out and Judson says it was just yesterday they moved them in. They load the tractor up and finish by driving their car in.
Whitney and Zach have decided to have a vow renewal to celebrate life and honor her parents. They go to Renee’s to pick a dress. Whitney wants a more mature, elegant, and pretty look. They eat cookies and Zach accidentally makes a mess and has to clean it up. Zach, Carlin, and Josie gush over the first dress. It has lace sleeves, a keyhole back, a simple fitted silhouette with a bit of flare at the bottom, and a train. The second dress is the dress she ends up picking. Everyone loves both of them. Whitney struggles to decide what she prefers. Whitney comes out in a dress with a neckline similar to the second one but with lace and which shows off her butt. Carlin makes a joke about that which is odd. Whitney puts the second one back on and they decide it fits the occasion best and she is so happy with it and Zach goes up and stands beside her.
Tori and Bobby make it to their new apartment. Kelly is so impressed with the apartment complex and is happy they are on the first floor. People from their new church have come to help, which the Bates family is thrilled by. Tori is thrilled with the upgrades to the apartment and runs around because she is so excited. They begin unloading the furniture and boxes and once the truck is empty, they go get dinner. Lawson says changes happen like crazy, but they’re excited for them. Kelly says she is putting off the emotions, but it will hit her. Tori says they are excited for their new chapter.
*Episode 34: Baby Fever and Proposal Decisions
At the Church, Carpenters for Christ (C4C) has arrived to help them expand their church. Nathan says it is like an old barn-raising on steroids—they will raise the building in a week’s time. Carlin runs errands, bringing in a lot of water bottles. The team jumps right in and gets to work. The weather isn’t cooperating, and the rain is coming for them. They make good progress on the framing despite the weather, and the walls start going up. The Bates boys are excited to be helping and to learn about building from the C4C guys and to see the walls go up. Judson and Jeb are too young to help (“I’m only 10!” says 7-year-old Jud). Four walls go up in one day, and it is impressive how fast they move.
Erin and Brooklyn are holding Everly while Carson plays with plastic dinosaurs. Erin says adjusting to 3 kids was hard at first, but it has been getting easier. Whitney brings her kids over for a visit. They talk about vow renewal plans—it’s going to be outside. Erin says 3 is a lot harder and Whitney is glad that Erin went first. Whitney holds Everly and says she does want a third child, but she is scared. Erin says she gets the worst baby fever when she sees newborns and in a talking head Chad says baby fever is very real and very scary. Whitney says she needs another baby. Whitney helps Bradley hold Everly and asks if he wants another baby. He says he likes this one and Erin says he can have her every night from midnight to 6am. Erin and Whitney are both glad to live so close so that their kids can grow up together. Both of them are sad that Tori won’t be nearby when her baby comes. They talk about their kids looking alike and Whitney says Bates have strong genes.
Kelly and Gil go visit Kelton and his dad for a proposal planning meeting. Kelton jokes about having a yellow light meaning speed up. Kelton knows he needs to propose for Josie to get the Fall 2018 wedding she wants. Kelton said his first thought was going back to the bridge where they began their courtship. However, Kelly has been planning something for Josie—a birthday trip to Utah. Josie has talked about having a wedding in Utah, which is not possible due to expense, but they could move the birthday trip forward and Kelton could come surprise them and propose in Utah. It starts coming together and Kelton begins to see it. Gil says he’s gonna need a ring and Kelton has something to show them and gets the box. He shows them the ring and they are impressed. The wedding is coming now.
Back at the church, Gil is amazed by C4C’s progress. They are setting up the roof trusses now, adding plywood and home wrap, and beginning the roof. There is a montage of the building coming together. The metal roof is going up and it is C4C’s last day, so the Bates will take over and finish it. Addee says it took all year for them to finish the bathrooms in the old church so who knows how long it will take them to finish the church. Gil says C4C did 9-10 months of work for them in 6 days and now they will finish it up.
*Episode 35: Blue or Pink, What do you Think?
It is time for Tori and Bobby’s Gender Reveal party. Erin planned it and Tori and Bobby know the gender but have not told anyone. Erin told them not to tell her because she might give it away. Everyone hounds Tori and Bobby to tell them. Everyone gets pink or blue clips to say if they think it will be a girl or a boy. They then pray and have pizza and snacks, and the whole family is together. They ask the family in talking heads, and boy is guessed more than girl. Everyone then gets the corresponding colored cupcake for their guess. They ask the younger ones if they will have more gender reveal ideas by the time they have kids; the boys want to drop things out of planes and blow up colored chalk while Ellie says she won’t tell. At the party, the family gathers around on the grass. Tori will toss a balloon with colored powder and Bobby will hit it with a baseball bat and it will pop and reveal the sex. Tori worries about throwing it to the wrong place, and the Bates are worried it won’t explode. Bobby is worried he’ll miss. However, all goes well, and they reveal that it is a boy. Trace smashes his blue cupcake on Bobby and the family celebrates. Tori and Bobby reveal he will be Robert Ellis Smith IV and they will call him Cade or Kade [they’ve spelled it both ways on social media so one of the two]. Tori and the family talk about how she wanted a boy first and they are excited for her.
At the Balka house, the family is talking about engagement plans. Kelton tells his sister the Utah plan and then talks about the sentimental stuff he wants to put into it. He wants to have stops about their relationship—best friends, serious, courtship, engagement—each stop pre-staged with pictures and a letter. He got a bracelet with an airplane and then at each stop there will be another charm to add. The first says “best friends,” then the next is a coffee cup for serious because they went to coffee shops all the time. He’d like to give her that one in a coffee shop. For courtship he has a bridge for the covered bridge. The last one is an infinity sign. Kelton has put a lot of thought into this. The proposal will happen in a Jeep 4 by 4 tour of one of the national parks. Kelton is going to ask the tour company to help them set something up at the park, and his sister Ariana suggests asking them about a coffee shop as well. Kelton is excited for the big day.
Whitney and Zach feed their kids Honey Nut Cheerios [more native advertising] and talk about what they have left to do for the vow renewal. They’re getting flowers and other stuff all lined up. Whitney talks about how good the cereal is and Bradley says he likes Cheerios with milk and a spoon. Next, they will bring the kids to the grandparents and begin getting stuff done.
Kelton goes to the florist to pick up pink roses. He is so nervous and tells the sales attendant his plans. He goes to Josie’s salon, where she is sweeping up, with flowers in hand. He is ready to surprise her. He brings her the flowers and she is surprised to see him. Kelton says the bad news is that her next client won’t be showing up—it’s a fake appointment. The good news is they’re going on a trip. Josie says she doesn’t love surprises but she’s more patient with Kelton. They ask her to guess and she says Utah? and she is so excited. They head off.
*Episode 36: A Monumental Proposal
Josie and Carlin are packing quickly for the Utah trip after the surprise. Josie is a little worried about packing in time for the flight and she is freaking out. She is struggling because she doesn’t know what will be happening at the engagement. Callie sits with them. Josie finishes packing, and they head off. Josie, Kelton, his dad, and her parents are traveling together, and they finally land in Utah. Kelton is nervous as they arrive at the condo and Josie is so excited to see the scenery. Kelly immediately begins scoping out the bedrooms. Josie is so happy to be in Utah.
Kelton is setting up the final of four packets. Each represent a different phase of their relationship. The first is the best friend stage, then the second is more serious, then courtship and the final packet is engagement. Kelton is nervous, but he hopes this goes smoothly. Kelton asks Josie what he used to say during that first summer, and she goes “Josie Bates, my best friend” so he leads her to the packet which says “To: Josie Bates, my best friend” on the front. She opens the packet and holds her hand as she reads the letter from him about their relationship, some pictures and then the next charm for her bracelet. Kelly is amazed at the thought he put into this.
The next day, they go to a coffee shop that Kelton has picked out ahead of time. Kelton has put pictures up around the shop and the coffee shop will bring out the next letter and charm with their drinks. Josie opens the next charm and adds it to her bracelet. They joke about how often they go to coffee shops and then Kelton talks about what she meant to him during the more serious part of their relationship. Kelton tells her the next step is going on tour to all of her favorite picturesque spots in Utah.
Back in Tennessee, Erin and Carlin are cleaning the house and Erin has decided to decorate the house as well. They paint the ceiling, and then paint the living room and kitchen. Nathan isn’t sure how to feel about it, but eventually says it was some good improvements. Erin and Carlin de-clutter about 30 bags of trash and stay up late trying to get it done for them to come back.
In Utah, it is time for the off-road trip to see the national park. Kelton’s dad talks to the lead car driver and asks if she would set out the two packets. Kelton’s dad is confident she can do it. They have to split into two four by fours- Josie, Kelton and Kelly in one and the dads in the other. They enjoy the scenery as they drive over bumpy trails to take it in. The parents talk about how excited they are for the engagement, Gil says it is bittersweet too.
Meanwhile, Zach & Whitney are planning their vow renewal. The florist (who also owns the venue) talk through the different set up options and Whitney and Zach makes their choices. Zach is worried about food. Whitney talks about the unity table and Whitney explains she wants to include both sides of the family since her parents were not at the first wedding, so they can experience it altogether. They are looking forward the day.
Back in Utah, they are approaching Arches National Park and both Kelly and Josie are nervous on the bumpy off-road trail. The driver teases and antagonizes (Kelton’s word) Kelly on the ride. Gil realizes he is missing out on Kelly’s panic during the ride. Josie says her mom freaking out was making Josie freak out, which makes Kelton and their driver laugh. They pull up to the arches and Josie loves the rock formations. They find the next packet and Kelton talks about their courtship on the bridge-her charm, which she adds to the bracelets. Kelton shows her the pictures and the letter and Josie says it was incredible.
Back at the house, Erin and Carlin continue their update project. They’ve brought Chad into their project and are putting up carpets. The Bates family look at their project and they are excited with how it came out. Erin thinks her mom will flip.
Back in Utah, they go to Tower Arch and it is clear everyone knows what is coming next. The sun is setting, and the spot is beautiful. Josie loves taking in the scenery and sees the final packet. They take a moment to appreciate the rock and Josie knows how nervous he is and that this is it. Kelton opens it and says there is something special and gives her the last charm—the infinity sign for forever. Kelton tells her to look through it to see a message, and then he gets down on one knee behind her. He says the message is actually over here, and she turns to see him on one knee. Kelton makes a short speech and shows her the ring. Josie says yes and embraces Kelton. He puts the ring on her finger and the they hug again. Gil asks if she said yes, and they say she did. They take a few pictures, and Kelton adds the last charm to bracelet and everyone talks about being excited for the wedding.
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