Bates Family Part 9

[JillyO]

1 hour ago, HereticHick said:

PS I went to Montana for my 10 year anniversary. Guess I should be hanging my head in shame because that isn't glam enough.

I sincerely hope you did not go fly fishing or have a hot tub in your hotel room. Cause apparently that's trashy AF, or something.

[habert]

John looks more pregnant in that photo than she does lmao

[elliha]

1 hour ago, HRM1216 said:

I think Alyssa's face looks thinner than ever. If she was pregnant I'd be really surprised. 

I have no view about whether she is pregnant or not at this point but my face has looked considerably thinner both my pregnancies so I don't think that the idea fuller face increases the likelyhood of pregnancy applies to all women. My mom lost terrible amounts of weight one of her pregnancies, at 9 months she weighed 5 kilos less than when the pregnancy started and she was about average weight when the pregnancy started. Neither I, my sister or my mom ever gained a lot of weight while pregnant, not even my sister when she was close to underweight.

[BabyCatcher]

I love Montana and so wanted to honeymoon there.  I backpacked through the northern states in college and couldn't wait to go back to Montana.  Unfortunately I lost my job one month before and husband lost his one week before our wedding (it was during the crappy economy, and everyone was downsizing).  Our "honeymoon" would def be considered trashy af lol.  We stayed overnight at a hotel thirty miles from our house (where we got married) to save money in case we could not find new jobs for awhile.  The room had a Jacuzzi tub in it, and I was so excited - even moreso because we were pretty downtrodden around our wedding being that we weren't sure what our future held.  It's the little things.

[Emkay]

8 hours ago, LittleSpouseOnThePrairie said:

Lately I'm a big fan of clothing that looks like I give a shit but feels like pajamas. Skirts work well for this (also leggings with sweaters and boots). 

I'm a huge fan of sweater dresses and leggings for this reason. Anyone who compliments me on this look gets told, 'it's the next best thing to  a sweatshirt and sweatpants, and it actually looks like I give a fuck!' (Of course, I'm one of those people who usually makes myself make more of an effort on the days I don't want to, so a select few of my coworkers know- if I look good, it's probably because I wanted to go back to bed that morning!)

[Jigsaw3]

I just watched the wedding episode. Michael and Brandon both seem to me to know what they wanted, which was each other. My impression was that Michael knew exactly what she was getting into with sex and wasn't apprehensive about it at all. They were both nervous, but for all that people kept asking them how they felt clearly expecting some cold feet,  neither of them ever answered anything other than happy and excited.

I was also very impressed with Brandon. He's quiet, but he was very articulate when speaking on camera. He was very composed too, and saw off some leading/teasing questions really well. I LOVED it when Lawson was teasing him about pranking the getaway car and Brandon asked if Lawson was offering his own truck. He also answered some question of Gil's that put Gil pretty firmly in his place (I forget what, and I'm not watching again!) I think Brandon will support Michael very well and will stand up for her against her family, if ever needed. He may have been prodded to notice Michael, but now that he has he's 100% in.

I was not particularly happy with Gil or Kelly, though. They both clearly love Michael, but Gil was very patriarchal throughout (obviously.) He was great with the youngest boy (Jeb? Judson?) who was almost permanently attached to him at almost every second except the wedding itself. Unfortunately, that showed up the fact that Callie was equally attached to Michael instead of Kelly. None of the kids were really hanging off Kelly at all, and whenever Michael passed off Callie she passed her to a sister, not her mother. It's possible that Kelly is more reserved on camera, but I'm afraid it's just her personality.

The four married kids all seem to have picked really good partners and to love their children. It's a good start. Gothard's downfall was well-timed to the start of the second generation of families, here: let's hope that makes it easier to break away from Gil and Kelly's bad examples and avoid the worst of the Enzo/wisdom booklets/buddy system ideas.

[RosyDaisy]

My honeymoon was on a lake in east cental Alabama. Those were the best days of my life.

[PracticeMakesProgress]

5 hours ago, HereticHick said:

PS I went to Montana for my 10 year anniversary. Guess I should be hanging my head in shame because that isn't glam enough.

Limited time off from work after my wedding, so we had a mini-moon in the one place I swear I would never stoop to go:  GATLINBURG! But let's face it, when you're time- and money-pinched and all you want to do is drink your wedding gifts and sit in a hot tub, there's not a better place.

I'm only a tad squicked out because this is also the apparent location of all initial "fellowship" for our Bates friends. Yikes. 

[tumblr]

3 hours ago, Jigsaw3 said:

I just watched the wedding episode. Michael and Brandon both seem to me to know what they wanted, which was each other. My impression was that Michael knew exactly what she was getting into with sex and wasn't apprehensive about it at all. They were both nervous, but for all that people kept asking them how they felt clearly expecting some cold feet,  neither of them ever answered anything other than happy and excited.

I was also very impressed with Brandon. He's quiet, but he was very articulate when speaking on camera. He was very composed too, and saw off some leading/teasing questions really well. I LOVED it when Lawson was teasing him about pranking the getaway car and Brandon asked if Lawson was offering his own truck. He also answered some question of Gil's that put Gil pretty firmly in his place (I forget what, and I'm not watching again!) I think Brandon will support Michael very well and will stand up for her against her family, if ever needed. He may have been prodded to notice Michael, but now that he has he's 100% in.

I was not particularly happy with Gil or Kelly, though. They both clearly love Michael, but Gil was very patriarchal throughout (obviously.) He was great with the youngest boy (Jeb? Judson?) who was almost permanently attached to him at almost every second except the wedding itself. Unfortunately, that showed up the fact that Callie was equally attached to Michael instead of Kelly. None of the kids were really hanging off Kelly at all, and whenever Michael passed off Callie she passed her to a sister, not her mother. It's possible that Kelly is more reserved on camera, but I'm afraid it's just her personality.

The four married kids all seem to have picked really good partners and to love their children. It's a good start. Gothard's downfall was well-timed to the start of the second generation of families, here: let's hope that makes it easier to break away from Gil and Kelly's bad examples and avoid the worst of the Enzo/wisdom booklets/buddy system ideas.

Brandon impressed me most when someone (Gil, I think?) asked if he was ready to get married and he said some thing along the lines of 'I am unsure if I am ready but I am excited'. 

Something about that seemed so unfundie to me, I'm not entirely sure why though. It just seems like they put so much emphasis on how the husband has to lead everything and needs to be so prepared for marriage but Brandon just kind brushed that all off instead choosing to be excited, as he should be.

I am almost definitely reading way too much into it but when I saw that I went from being okay with Brandon to really liking him. 

[Percy]

10 hours ago, HereticHick said:

 

PS I went to Montana for my 10 year anniversary. Guess I should be hanging my head in shame because that isn't glam enough.

Spent our 25 th anniversary doing the basketball run.  We did go away later in the year.  The world prostate cancer congress was held in Cairns so I went to the conference during the day while husband went fishing and diving.  We spent the evenings and a couple of days together.  Both of us had a great time.  My husband is in the building industry so work is hit and miss.  We try not to spend too much on holidays etc. because you never know when the work is going to be  there

[Bugaboo]

19 hours ago, bashfulpixie said:

I know it was a few pages back, but where do all you maxi-skirt lovers find them? I want to like them but most of the ones I find make me feel dowdy and frumpy

I get mine at Kohls, Target and Walmart

[catlady]

47 minutes ago, Bugaboo said:

I get mine at Kohls, Target and Walmart

i got a bunch of maxi-skirts last summer at TJMaxx, about $15.

6 hours ago, PracticeMakesProgress said:

Limited time off from work after my wedding, so we had a mini-moon in the one place I swear I would never stoop to go:  GATLINBURG! But let's face it, when you're time- and money-pinched and all you want to do is drink your wedding gifts and sit in a hot tub, there's not a better place.

I'm only a tad squicked out because this is also the apparent location of all initial "fellowship" for our Bates friends. Yikes. 

i went to Gatlinburg a few years back; it was beautiful and i discovered moonshine cherries.  after hearing that Chad and Erin stopped off there on their honeymoon, my mason jars of cherries make me think of fundies.

[Ali]

If fly fishing in Montana is something that the couple enjoys, then nothing is wrong with it. If it was something only Brandon or only Michaela wanted to do, then that is a problem. Also, if the couple does chooses to stay in a more economical hotel or chooses to splurge, nothing wrong with that either. 

[actuallyjessica]

Ok then... I take back what I said about her being just as pregnant as Whitney.

*backs away slowly*

[doubleT]

I think Carlin has decided sleeveless is OK too.  Wasn't she sleeveless at Kelly's sisters wedding this summer too? 

[singsingsing]

For someone who's supposed to be 20+ weeks pregnant by this point, Alyssa sure is hiding it well. She must be a master of disguise! 

[AliceInFundyland]

@singsingsing I appreciated your tireless round of "um, maybe she's not." Let's see how long it lasts.

And likewise, @actuallyjessica I appreciate the quick admission and post.. We all know she will get pregnant again.

But they still don't need a forum.

 

[DuggarsTheEndIsNear]

3 hours ago, actuallyjessica said:

Ok then... I take back what I said about her being just as pregnant as Whitney.

*backs away slowly*

Off the topic of Alyssa being pregnant, I was just going to come and post about this picture. That's Tori, right? Who is she going to the party with? I can't imagine it's a "night with the family" event because of how dressed up she is. 

[Pretzel]

23 minutes ago, DuggarsTheEndIsNear said:

Off the topic of Alyssa being pregnant, I was just going to come and post about this picture. That's Tori, right? Who is she going to the party with? I can't imagine it's a "night with the family" event because of how dressed up she is. 

It's Carlin.

[NeverQuivered]

4 hours ago, actuallyjessica said:

Ok then... I take back what I said about her being just as pregnant as Whitney.

*backs away slowly*

I saw this on IG earlier and thought "Nope, definitely NOT preggers". 

[Paperplate]

So the Websters (or at least Alyssa) came to the replacement Christmas "I love you day". Did Michael and Brandon come too?

[nastyhobbitses]

6 hours ago, actuallyjessica said:

Ok then... I take back what I said about her being just as pregnant as Whitney.

*backs away slowly*

I really, really want Alyssa's dress. I think Carlin also looks lovely, but it's a little...high school show choir? It reminds me of the dress I had to wear for concerts. But I am glad that she's wearing formal wear that fits and flatters her, and that she's inching towards sleeveless. I'm fairly certain that she's going to pull an Alyssa as soon as she's able to.

[formergothardite]

The problem with Carlin pulling an Alyssa is that Gil has made it clear her only chance of escape is marriage. So she will need to find a man her dad approves who also will approve of her dressing like that. Alyssa lucked out that she quickly after turning 18 found an ATI guy who was like that. There are plenty of other ATI guys like that, but it is a really bad idea to rush into marriage just to leave home. 

Of course, there is always the chance one of these daughters is going to realize that they have more options in life than the two Gil and Kelly have told them they have and decide to break away from the family, but, like with the Duggar, I really think having reality television cameras around will make this harder. 

[MissBitters]

5 hours ago, DuggarsTheEndIsNear said:

Off the topic of Alyssa being pregnant, I was just going to come and post about this picture. That's Tori, right? Who is she going to the party with? I can't imagine it's a "night with the family" event because of how dressed up she is. 

They are both dressed up for the family's annual Valentine's Day party. The Bateses have made Valentine's Day their big family holiday where they exchange gifts instead of doing so at Christmas,  which is why we always spot some of the older kids visiting the Duggars on Christmas Eve & Day. From what I've seen, the whole family dresses up for the dinner. Usually their outfits are more like churgh-going clothes, but maybe they decided to go more formal for the cameras this year. Or the older girls may have wanted a chance to wear prom dresses. 

[Alicja]

Alyssa's dress is GORGEOUS.