Bates Family Blog: Bates Updates and Pictures | Gil and Kelly | 19 Kids | Bringing Up Bates | UP TV (2024)

It's a season of change for Katie and Travis Clark. They recently relocated to East Tennessee, and now they just made another big announcement. Katie is pregnant with Baby #2! She and Travis found out the news in early February, while they were en route to Tennessee for the Bates' I Love You Day party, which was less than two weeks before Hailey's first birthday. You can watch their announcements to their family members in their latest YouTube video.

This baby will make 32 grandchildren for Gil and Kelly Bates, with four more on the way. Esther Bates is due in fall, while Tiffany Bates is due in summer. Tori Smith is due with her fifth soon.

Michael and Brandon Keilen will celebrate nine years of marriage in August. Many of you know that they have experienced infertility. They shared parts of their journey on the show, but for the first time they are ready to tell more of their story publicly. So grab a box of tissues and sit down with the Keilens, as they walk viewers though the joys and sorrows that they have experienced along this road of infertility (YouTube link below). After years of being unable to get pregnant, this precious couple found out that they were expecting a little girl, and you can imagine how elated they were. That joy soon turned to grief, but it was through that grief that they truly felt God’s presence.

Brandon and Michael Keilen: Our Infertility Story

It's no secret that Zach Bates loves to cook. Over the years, the eldest Bates child has been seen making meals for his family and the entire Bates clan. Now fans can follow along as Zach shares his favorite recipes with the world, as he just kicked off a new venture called Bates Kitchen. His first video, "My Favorite Chicken Alfredo Recipe," is now available on YouTube.

Katie and Travis Clark have officially arrived in East Tennessee...to stay! The couple announced just last month that they would be leaving New Jersey. Moving day has come and gone, and they are now settled into their new apartment. Katie will be close to her family, and Hailey Clark will have plenty of cousins to play with.

Katie and Travis shared a YouTube video that shows footage of them packing up their belongings and enjoying their last moments in New Jersey. They still own their house and are renting it out. Katie has lived in New Jersey since she and Travis got married in December 2021.

Get ready! There's another wave of Bates babies coming soon. Tori and Bobby Smith announced last October that they were expecting their fifth baby, followed by Lawson and Tiffany Bates' announcement of their rainbow baby on the way earlier this month. And now, Nathan and Esther Bates have jumped on board. They just shared that little Kenna will be gaining her first sibling this fall.

Gil and Kelly Bates gained five grandchildren in 2023 (Hailey Clark, Rhett Webster, Lily Bates, Ryker Bates, and William Paine). Considering that one baby (Miles Balka) has already arrived in 2024, do you think this will be an even bigger year for Bates babies?

"Sunday--the day we need Alyssa the most. I do not know how to get these kids ready."

-John Webster

While Alyssa Webster and Rhett Webster took a recent trip to South Carolina to visit Alyssa's grandparents, John Webster held down the fort at home. Each of them documented the time and combined the footage to create a YouTube video. How do you think it went? After you watch the video, come back here and post a comment.

Video: Making Memories I'll Always Cherish

In December, we posted the heartbreaking news of Lawson and Tiffany Bates' miscarriage. Before Christmas, they actually found out that they were expecting again, and they just made that announcement public.

In their latest YouTube video, they show Tiffany telling Lawson. They also show the moment when they share the news with Kelly Bates over FaceTime and then ask her to make them an appointment with Dr. Vick, the Bates family's trusted OBGYN. Lawson writes a sweet letter to the baby, as well. He or she is due to arrive in early summer 2024.

Have you heard Katie and Travis Clark's big news? They are moving to East Tennessee! We posted the announcement last month. Many have guessed that they are leaving New Jersey because Katie is homesick for her family, but that's actually not the reason. Travis wants to be more dedicated to his music career, and in order to spend more time in Nashville, it makes sense to live in Tennessee.

Katie and Travis still want to be close to family, though, so they are renting a two bedroom apartment in the Knoxville area, with the idea that Travis will commute to Music City. You can hear more about the couple's plans in their latest YouTube video.

"My mom pours her heart into I Love You Day, and I feel like my siblings do, too. My mom starts planning months in advance."

-Michael Kielen

After seeing all the beautiful costumes that the Bates wore for their Little House on the Prairie themed I Love You Day celebration, many of you have wondered who made them. If you guessed that Michael played a big role, you're correct, but the work was far from drudgery for her.

In their latest YouTube video, Michael and Brandon Keilen discuss their preparation for the Valentine's Day party. Michael, who loves sewing, says it was "like a dream come true" to have an opportunity to design and create 11 dresses. While she made the outfits, Brandon built a wagon to give the kids rides during the party.

Still, the Keilens insist that matriarch Kelly Bates is the real MVP when it comes to preparing for I Love You Day. "I am truly amazed at how my mom does this over and over and over again because she thinks of every single person," says Michael.

Josie and Kelton Balka’s son is still in the hospital having blue light therapy, but his numbers are improving, and he is down to one light. The proud parents just announced their baby’s name: Miles Kelton Balka. He was born February 21st and weighed 7 lbs 10 oz.

Josie and Kelton Balka just delivered their baby boy on Wednesday and are still in the hospital while their son has blue light therapy. Meanwhile, Katie and Travis Clark just shared a big announcement of their own. They are moving from New Jersey to Tennessee!

One of the Bates couples just had a baby and waited until the birth to find out the gender. It’s a boy! Can you guess who the parents are? Hint: They already have two girls. Josie and Kelton Balka delivered their son this week and were elated at the surprise.

How many of you are Little House on the Prairie fans? If you are, you're going to love the theme for the 2024 Bates Valentine's Day gathering. We already posted the link to Carlin and Evan Stewart's video from the event, but a few more couples have since shared their footage. What did you think of the costumes?

Trace and Lydia Bates ('I Love You Day')

Katie and Travis Clark ('I Love You Day')

Erin and Chad Paine ('I Love You Day')

Trace and Lydia Bates (Couples' Dinner)

If you are a long-time fan of the Bates family, you've likely heard about their annual gathering for Valentine's Day, which they call 'I Love You Day.' Every year, Kelly Bates plans a big costume party for the entire family and a separate dinner for all the couples. For the past several years, they have chosen a theme and have awarded prizes for the best costumes.

This year, the theme was Little House on the Prairie. The festivities took place this weekend, and Carlin and Evan Stewart have already shared footage of both the costume party and couples dinner on YouTube.

2022: Bible characters

2021: Noah's ark/animals

2020: Roaring '20s

2019: Chivalry/medieval

2018: Growing Old Together

Michael and Brandon Keilen started a YouTube channel! They uploaded a video about how they met, and they hope to share new videos every week.

It has been a while since we've posted an update on Alyssa and John Webster and their family of seven. They were unable to attend Bates family Christmas in Tennessee, so Kelly traveled down to Florida to bring Christmas to them. She spent time with the Websters, the Paines, and Jackson and Emerson Bates. Alyssa and John uploaded a video to YouTube, as did Erin and Chad Paine. Kelly's time with the Paines celebrating Christmas ended up being a double blessing, as she was able to help out after Erin had broken her arm.

The Bates family just returned from their annual ski trip out West. They spent time on the slopes of Colorado and made plenty of memories together. Poor 14-year-old Callie broke her arm while snowboarding, but according to Kelly she was a trooper and didn’t even complain. Trace and Lydia Bates posted a 25-minute YouTube video of their trip out there with three-month-old Ryker.

We hope your 2024 is off to a good start. To ring in the new year, two of the Bates couples have filmed Q&A videos. In theirs, Trace and Lydia Bates talk about Lydia's dream vehicle, their plans for moving to a bigger house, Lydia's photography business, and more. In Erin and Chad Paine's video, the topics include filming, Chad's work, how to de-stress, and others. The Paines also give a one word description of each Bates sibling.

Trace and Lydia Bates: New Year Q&A

Erin and Chad Paine: First Q&A of 2024