Bates' Family Thanksgiving

[AVENues]

Jumping on the band wagon to say Michaela looks amazing! I know the family seems to treat Erin like the pretty, pretty princess, and she is an attractive girl, but she seems very old-fashioned in her style. Michaela looks much more modern and stylish.

I agree with all of that except that no fundie man is going to treat her like a treasure, so I'm hoping she got her makeover, realizes how awesome she is, and gets the hell out of there! Wishful thinking, I know. :(

It is meant to be a poetical question, but can you name a fundy man that treats his wife as treasure? Even poor Michelle had been wearing the same green shirt for years and has her horrid crimes as dating one person, brought up weekly. Again, poetical question.

[Markie]

iluvgod.wordpress.com/2012/07/

This is taken from that same girl's blog who went on the Journey of the Heart the same time as Jana and Jessa.

Here, she went to a WIT Singles conference and I do believe Michael Bates is in the picture slide show. I was unable to freeze the pictures, but think Michael is the one in the shiny green blouse sitting at a table looking quite bored with the whole thing.

Here's a link to the Conference - witministries.com/ministries/singles/

Sounds creepy, as does the Men's Conference.

[Witsec7]

Gosh yes they are pretty. And apparently the Bates family are rebranding themselves as evidenced by the missing blogs. The fact remains these are fundies. Pretty but still fundies who care little about equal rights for all and would prefer our governments laws be based on their own biblical world view.

[Mrs Ms]

Somewhere between the blanket training, misusing their children as slave-nannies, slave-cooks and slave-laborers, the guilt-tripping about jebus and everything else that goes on in QFfamilies, the Bates have done something right. Their children looked HAPPY and interacted with their cousins. Didn't just sit around "witnessing" or (sweet)"fellowshipping" with forced looking smiles for the cameras like photos from Duggar et. el family gatherings.

[Deleted07]

iluvgod.wordpress.com/2012/07/

This is taken from that same girl's blog who went on the Journey of the Heart the same time as Jana and Jessa.

Here, she went to a WIT Singles conference and I do believe Michael Bates is in the picture slide show. I was unable to freeze the pictures, but think Michael is the one in the shiny green blouse sitting at a table looking quite bored with the whole thing.

Here's a link to the Conference - witministries.com/ministries/singles/

Sounds creepy, as does the Men's Conference.

OH! Good find!

I screencapped these pics -

She always seemed to remind me very much of Tara Maclay in Buffy...

Anywho, Looks like they are pedaling Michaela for courtship. I hope its because she wants it, not because they realize they have too many kids living at home and its easier to get rid of the girls...

[AVENues]

Hmmm, that shiny shirt sure does lure a lot of attention to that lovely pair of... matching green eyes ;) *I don't see a problem with her having a full, round face. She has a healthy weight and a healthy looking face and a healthy set of green eyes just like I said. Looks like she's aware of them too and figured out how to highlight them good features. :)

[phoenissadido]

I'm so glad someone posted about this -- I couldn't help noticing how gorgeous Michael was looking lately but I thought it would be creepy to make a whole topic about it xD I wish we had heard more from her during the show.

[Guest]

Am I missing something, or is Erin absent from all the pictures? Of course, there are a few who aren't pictured, but it strikes me as odd because Erin seems like she's always the star of family pictures. Is she the one who may or may not have a secret courtship that was pulled from the Bates' season finale? I may just be mistaking her for Alyssa though.

[Boogalou]

I can still see newer blog posts from the Bates family blog. The most recent one I can see is October 30th urging people to vote for Jeremy Faison who is pro-life, against collective bargaining, very pro-gun, and (from what I can tell) not particularly pro-immigration. They also urge people to put the God back in America. But Michaela is wearing make-up so I'll get out my party hat, at least this family will look attractive while they vote to take away people's rights.

[DarkAnts]

Am I missing something, or is Erin absent from all the pictures? Of course, there are a few who aren't pictured, but it strikes me as odd because Erin seems like she's always the star of family pictures. Is she the one who may or may not have a secret courtship that was pulled from the Bates' season finale? I may just be mistaking her for Alyssa though.

Zach was the one with the courtship.

[Markie]

Am I missing something, or is Erin absent from all the pictures? Of course, there are a few who aren't pictured, but it strikes me as odd because Erin seems like she's always the star of family pictures. Is she the one who may or may not have a secret courtship that was pulled from the Bates' season finale? I may just be mistaking her for Alyssa though.

Erin was missing from all the family pictures. Idle Speculation Bus - attending a Gothard event, is betrothed and spent the holiday with his family, had a lot of course work and exams after Thanksgiving and chose to have a quiet time studying - yeah, right!

Not sure if I saw Zach in the pictures; he may have been a chaperone for Erin wherever she was.

[singsingsing]

I'd like to know why the Bateses haven't updated their blog in forever. Maybe there is something brewing.

[Guest]

Zach was the one with the courtship.

Zach had a courtship that failed, but there was speculation that the "special announcement" at the end of the last episode was going to be a courtship, but after Sarah and Zach called it off, they edited it out, following Anna Duggar's advice not to announce anything until there is an engagement. The idea was then that the most likely courtship would be between Erin and one of the young men visiting them in that episode. It just seems odd to me that she would be at the Thanksgiving party and not trying to be in every single picture...

[divadivine]

The best part of this post for me? The commenter whose 19 year old daughter "got away", or as the commenter says on her own blog, " 'jumped ship,' as the Pearl's[sic] say." If she's been training up her children Pearl-style I can only rejoice that the 19 year old escaped.

The Mom is blaming it on the girl's leaving on the following "She wasn't brought up praying. She wasn't brought up reading the Bible. She wasn't brought up knowing what modesty was. She wasn't brought up being taught to control her mouth, her anger, her judgment of others, or to make decisions based off of what God wants instead of her own feelings. She was raised with a very, I deserve to be happy, mentality which I now know will only bring her misery in the end. I blame myself. By the time I introduced these things to her it was too late. It is my fault. It is my parents fault... and their parents...and so on. Honesty hurts but it's what is necessary for growth and love to flourish." Because they didn't beat her with a plumbing line and blanket train her she left home. Nope, I think the girl was 19 and she could think for herself and she could probably see all the crazy getting worse. Also, Mom is pregnant again. I'm sure the daughter was expected to watch the younger ones. She was probably over that whole thing and left. Good for her.

[Witsec7]

The best part of this post for me? The commenter whose 19 year old daughter "got away", or as the commenter says on her own blog, " 'jumped ship,' as the Pearl's[sic] say." If she's been training up her children Pearl-style I can only rejoice that the 19 year old escaped.

With the mom expecting another blessing, I'm thinking the eldest saw her future a bit more clearly. This blogger is rather young, and had her eldest when she was 16.

[marmalade]

Michaela looks amazing! It looks like her and Alyssa got their hair highlighted which looks nice on both of them. Plus, Michaela in makeup?! I wonder why she changed her frumpy style, all of the sudden.

As for nail polish, I've seen a few fundie girls wear nail polish but I think that varies from family to family.

Super sparkly ring on left hand (well beyond purity bands - hers was just a plain gold band - and major weight loss? I think she might actually be...gasp....engaged!

I too noticed the scrubbing of posts either Thursday or Friday. Interesting...

[moodygirl86]

The Mom is blaming it on the girl's leaving on the following "She wasn't brought up praying. She wasn't brought up reading the Bible. She wasn't brought up knowing what modesty was. She wasn't brought up being taught to control her mouth, her anger, her judgment of others, or to make decisions based off of what God wants instead of her own feelings. She was raised with a very, I deserve to be happy, mentality which I now know will only bring her misery in the end. I blame myself. By the time I introduced these things to her it was too late. It is my fault. It is my parents fault... and their parents...and so on. Honesty hurts but it's what is necessary for growth and love to flourish." Because they didn't beat her with a plumbing line and blanket train her she left home. Nope, I think the girl was 19 and she could think for herself and she could probably see all the crazy getting worse. Also, Mom is pregnant again. I'm sure the daughter was expected to watch the younger ones. She was probably over that whole thing and left. Good for her.

Yeah, believing in your right to be happy. Awful! God, she'll be asking for privacy next! *sarcasm*

[AVENues]

I was raised to "pray" and "read my Bible". Ask my relatives how am I. Where am I. What am I doing. Here's a hint: they haven't heard of me for years.

[singsingsing]

Kelly Bates

11/26/2012 2:34:56 PM

Dear Marilyn,

We will be traveling to Oklahoma to visit some friends during the Christmas holidays this year. And yes, Erin hopes to make a Christmas cd. She working on saving and preparing for it now :) No other missions trips, but college is keeping them very busy! Lots of love, Kelly

Hmm... who lives in Oklahoma?

[snickerz]

The Paines live in Oklahoma... there has been some speculation of possible courting after one of them praised Erin's godliness in the comments... :whistle:

[singsingsing]

Oh snap, you're right. I thought they lived in Illinois but it looks like they moved to Oklahoma. I'll eat my non-existent hat if nothing's going on there.

[marmalade]

The Paines live in Oklahoma... there has been some speculation of possible courting after one of them praised Erin's godliness in the comments... :whistle:

Now conveniently scrubbed. The Paines haven't posted anything on their blog since August, so who knows?

Love how Kelly got a mention of college in there. Are those kids REALLY all attending Clown College full-time? Will Erin really get a "degree" from there? Not like she's going to do more than play piano at her husband's church and some teaching before she shits out a few of her own rugrats. So high-maintenance, she'll need to get up super early just to get herself all dolled up for the headship on top of it all.

[snickerz]

They may have scrubbed it but it's still in Google cache. He commented on the posting "Down Home Gospel" about Erin's CD:

Nate Paine

8/21/2012 12:36:09 AM

Thanks Erin for all the time and effort you have but into glorifying the Lord in all that you do, especially in the area of music! You and your family are a H.U.G.E. blessing to me for which I am eternally grateful for! You all are in my thoughts and prayers continually...blessings in Him,

Nate Paine (CT) ;)

Adding that 2 months previously, the Paines visited the Bates home and write this on their blog:

Then we went on to visit some friends in Lake City, Tennessee. We were very encouraged and blessed! The Bates family are number one when it comes to hospitality! We learned so much from their examples. We saw Christ in them in everything they said and did. This family is real. God has used them to motivate us to Love Him more!

If they've been courting for the last 6 months, time's right for a Christmastime engagement.

[miffy]

Alyssa is starting to look a bit like Jackie Onassis, especially on side/profile angles.

I think the Bates are a bit different to other families because Gil & Kelly love each other & they both went to quite good colleges, unlike the supermarket shelf stacker & the child bride.

[Guest]

I just watched my first episode of the Bates today, and it struck me that the parents seem to really like children and take an interest in their personalities, whereas it seems like the Duggar parents like the attention that comes from the children, but not necessarily the children themselves. Although Michelle does seem to really like the children until they can talk. I think the children of the two families reflect that.