Bates Courtship

[constantgardener]

I used to be able to get my hair to do that without even backcombing (to a degree... I could get a little bump but then again why would you want it to be super high anyway?). It used to be a lot thicker though.

Me too. I use sea salt spray, it's great for getting big hair, although my hair is very thick anyway. However, my hair is currently a combination of bleached blonde and bright red stripes, which I imagine would not go down well in fundieland.

[MaroonMandy]

Me too. I use sea salt spray, it's great for getting big hair, although my hair is very thick anyway. However, my hair is currently a combination of bleached blonde and bright red stripes, which I imagine would not go down well in fundieland.

I have to do just a little bit of backcombing at the crown or I get a weird dip right at the top of my head (maybe because the hair's just so heavy?) but I try to avoid the high beehive feel.

[mockingbird]

Me too. I use sea salt spray, it's great for getting big hair, although my hair is very thick anyway. However, my hair is currently a combination of bleached blonde and bright red stripes, which I imagine would not go down well in fundieland.

Haha, so is my hair actually! Well both the blonde and red are highlights, my real hair color is brown.

[RosyDaisy]

I just can't get excited by fundie courtships and marriages. They are just another generation of ignorant fundies going further down the rabbit hole of fundiedom who will raise yet another generation of ignorant fundies. But there is hope that this current generation that is courting and getting married may become less fundie as time goes on. At least I hope it becomes less fundie.

[HarryPotterFan]

Hells yes. And fireworks. And that's why Wisconsin is awesome.

Register for booze AND fireworks for your baby registry and people will wonder what the hell you are doing. I didn't realize that people would register for things like candy or sharpies. Wow. Don't they know they are grown-ups now and don't need mommy's permission to eat candy?

[HarryPotterFan]

We should send her a "bump it"

EHPYPOo-oDQ

That's terrifying. I can't imagine using one of these. Partially because the majority of the time my hair has a mind of it's own and looks like this:

[laura oz]

Do you need a lot of hairspray?

Are you kiddin'? With my fine straight hair I'm responsible for a big chunk of the hole in the ozone :)

[ukool23]

They look so cute together, and happy.

[xReems]

Kelly Jo updated the website with a more in depth story behind their courtship. No offense but that sounds like something a guy would do if he's about to propose to his girlfriend, not to enter into a relationship/courtship. Then again, in fundie world, a courtship is a bigger ordeal than an engagement.

[Witsec7]

Kelly Jo updated the website with a more in depth story behind their courtship. No offense but that sounds like something a guy would do if he's about to propose to his girlfriend, not to enter into a relationship/courtship. Then again, in fundie world, a courtship is a bigger ordeal than an engagement.

Look closely at the photos. Erin was on a 'date' with her guy and naturally Mom and Dad were there. Under these circumstances when the parents must be present on the kids 'dates' who picks up their checks?

[xReems]

I wonder if Chad ended up picking up Erin's and her parents' checks. He might have if he wants to be good with his future in-laws. Sometimes I wonder if the main reason behind having a chaperon is to just get a free meal. Hell, I would totally chaperon my little sister and her boyfriend if he was going to pay for my meal.

I do give credit to Kelly Jo for saying she wants her children to say "I love you" before an engagement happens. I've noticed that in a fundy world, it is forbidden to even say "I love you" until you're engaged or married. How that is suppose to help you have a successful marriage is beyond me.

[Librul]

Did you notice that they are all dressed alike in bright teal/turquoise and black? I wonder if they planned that, or if they just have so many matching outfits, it happened naturally. Even the beaux has a plaid tie in the "right" colors. Sweeter than sorghum in a pile of honey. AND Erin got to show off in front of her college friends. Added points for making non-courtin' fundie gals jealous....

[gustava]

Any ideas on where they might live?

[SamuraiKatz]

Chad looks like he truly likes Erin and vise versa. The plaid tie needs to go. I think Chad is a decent guy --the ATI thing notwithstanding. It will be interesting to see if Erin graduates college before marrying.

[nokoanna]

I might be remembering wrong since it has been a while since I looked around on the Paine blog. But I seem to remember that Chad spent a significant part of his childhood outside of ATI. Then his dad had a vasectomy reversal, quit working as a doctor to join Gothard and life as he knew it changed. He seems pretty entrenched in ATI now, but still, maybe there is some hope?

[thetabmeister]

I might be remembering wrong since it has been a while since I looked around on the Paine blog. But I seem to remember that Chad spent a significant part of his childhood outside of ATI. Then his dad had a vasectomy reversal, quit working as a doctor to join Gothard and life as he knew it changed. He seems pretty entrenched in ATI now, but still, maybe there is some hope?

In my experience, the older folks who convert to ATI usually end up being the crazier nutjobs. I predict the breakaway of second- and third-generation ATI'ers, though.

[thekate]

Chad looks like he truly likes Erin and vise versa. The plaid tie needs to go. I think Chad is a decent guy --the ATI thing notwithstanding. It will be interesting to see if Erin graduates college before marrying.

I'm not sure her graduating was ever in the plans.

[silverspoons]

Erin's knees are showing in the swing picture. Are the Bates skirts getting shorter like the Duggars?

I wonder if kelly is posting the news late (this last post is about an event that took place over 1 month ago) because she knows it is a sure thing now and didn't want to post sooner.

They look happy but I don't expect any fundie-lite life. Maybe not 19 kids but 8-10 kids. I see Erin being the lucky older sister who will get to "borrow" a younger teenage sister to help with childcare when she has 3 or so kids under 5.

[lilith]

I'm not sure her graduating was ever in the plans.

Yeah, I don't think she was ever taking enough classes to get the credits to graduate, she was just doing a couple of part time music courses.

[singsingsing]

Somewhere in the comments Kelly said that Erin has a couple of semesters left and hopes to graduate in the summer. Hopefully that will actually pan out. I can't decide if that means they'll wait till she graduates to get engaged, or if they'll get engaged sooner and have the wedding right after she's done school. Either way I'd be surprised if we didn't see the wedding happen before the end of the year.

[roddma]

I met my husband at 26 and he was 35.Married for almost 15 years. As long as the other is adult, the age is no big deal. We weren't kept like children. However, there is a point where age gaps can be ridiculous I knew 35 yr old guy who married an 18 year old a few years ago, had a kid but the marriage didn't last.

These two actually look like it could work. IMO the Duggars have placed themselves in a position that may turn off potential suitors.

[xReems]

Any ideas on where they might live?

Erin lives in Tennessee and I think Chad lives in Oklahoma.

I definitely don't see Chad and Erin turning mainstream after marriage. Both seem pretty content with their conservative background and their upbringings that I don't see them changing their ways. They might be a bit relax with a few things like being okay with Erin continuing with recording her music (maybe with Chad helping out, probably), but that's about it.

[nokidsmom]

Erin lives in Tennessee and I think Chad lives in Oklahoma.

I definitely don't see Chad and Erin turning mainstream after marriage. Both seem pretty content with their conservative background and their upbringings that I don't see them changing their ways. They might be a bit relax with a few things like being okay with Erin continuing with recording her music (maybe with Chad helping out, probably), but that's about it.

Same here. While they seem to have been given a bit more freedom in their courtship (touching, saying "I love you" and such) I don't see them going mainstream at all.

[Jana814]

I just can't get excited by fundie courtships and marriages. They are just another generation of ignorant fundies going further down the rabbit hole of fundiedom who will raise yet another generation of ignorant fundies. But there is hope that this current generation that is courting and getting married may become less fundie as time goes on. At least I hope it becomes less fundie.

Agree!!

[FloraDoraDolly]

Same here. While they seem to have been given a bit more freedom in their courtship (touching, saying "I love you" and such) I don't see them going mainstream at all.

At the same time, I don't see them going off the charts whacko.