Another Bates Courtship

[Guest]

I think part of it might have been that he had three giggly sisters not far away taking pictures. It would be hard to be happy and affectionate in that situation! I don't think he looks all that awkward. 100x less awkward than the Sarah pictures.

[GeoBQn]

Josie July 18, 2013 at 8:01 am

Hi Mrs Bates,

I was wondering if they are engaged went because they are holding hands and there looks like there is a engagement ring box?

God Bless,

Josie

REPLY

Kelly July 18, 2013 at 2:59 pm

Dear Josie,

They might as well be..lol! But no, they didn’t want to miss out on the fun part of dating with purity. They like the idea of all the sentimental, fun, innocent wooing of courtship. They are planning to get engaged sometime in October, with a spring wedding! The box was a necklace! Love, Kelly

[HereticHick]

Attention J'Slaves--there is a Sonic Drive-In in Tontitown & 2 more just down the road in Springdale!

Quick, grab the keys & head to the minivan before the parents notice you are gone (Jinger, leave the spray tan, there's no time!).

Your Prince Charmings, and Cherry Limeades, await! :D

[sully82]

Never guessed it would be Zach, but good for him! The pictures are horrible though.

Looks like the Bates will be moving several kids out of the house in the coming years. Erin is almost married. Zach is courting. Alyssa is pre-courting. Michael is visiting other families out of state. Nathan has caught the eye of a local family. You have to wonder if Lawson is meeting someone between lawn mowing jobs.

Meanwhile at the TTH..........crickets.

[Melissa19128]

House rebuild? I think I missed this

The house rebuild was featured in the 19K&C episode 'Do It Yourself Duggars' if you want to look it up on youtube. Basically, the Duggar and Wilson families showed up to add a laundry room (as a surprise for Kelly) and the project morphed into tearing the house apart and leaving it unfinished.

[Guest]

Kelly mentioned in another comment that Whitney had been in a previous relationship too. Very interesting! I actually do wish these two all the best. Whitney doesn't seem like the type who would get married in a super-fundie dress and pop out 20 blessings. I can definitely see them drifting fundie lite- if only from the pictures.

[NotALoserLikeYou]

The Duggars must know about this. I wonder what the girls think when they look at those pics? I predict we will see some courtships soon or else their show really is done. All those ATI conferences this year and nothing? Jim Bob better step it up!

[NotALoserLikeYou]

It's almost as if the Kelly is saying a woman can work/go to school/be independent and still be a good person! If a Maxwell dated her Steve would be mourning and horrified.

[Coconut Flan]

I'm happy for Zach and Whitney and the Bates family. I think both Zach and John David are not fans of cameras and will always be somewhat stiff and awkward in photos and when being filmed. I hate having pictures done also and I'm always a bit stiff. Zach does seem so much more in tune with Whitney and she actually seems to like him. The whole Reith courtship was so many tons of awkward and that poor young woman seemed like she was set to escape from the beginning.

I hope Jim Bob wakes up and realizes it's time to let the minions go forth from his house. No one is a success as a parent unless they actually produce fully functional adults as the result (excusing children with disabilities that make that impossible of course). I'm also thrilled Zach met her on his own and was allowed to proceed with a relatively normal relationship. Imagine going to Sonic to see her! Jim Bob is probably aghast rather than taking lessons. Only a hussy would be working at Sonic and going to an actual college in his book I'm guessing. I like that the Bates parents are seeing that the Gothard way is too confining and remembering their youth and being more open. I think Gil's parents may have some influence also. His mama doesn't shy from speaking her mind and I think he might actually listen to her.

[Sobeknofret]

Good for the Bates family! I fully expect some of the Bates children to go fundy-lite eventually, because Mama and Papa Bates are more concerned for what their kids want and need than they are what people will "think" of them. The Duggars, not so much; Michelle and JB are really too wrapped up in what other people will think of them than they are the happiness or wishes of their children, so they have to control their family with an iron fist.

[eye_browz]

Anyone brave enough to tweet or Facebook email the producer of 19 kids, to let him know about these courtships? I wanna see this next season. The bates needs their show back.

[bal maiden]

Jim Bob is probably aghast rather than taking lessons. Only a hussy would be working at Sonic and going to an actual college in his book I'm guessing.

I suspect you may be right there, or at least that's what the Duggars are saying out loud/to each other. I bet inside their minds is a different story though...

[funpal]

They don't need their show back. Let them court in private without cameras. IM happy for Zach and happier his parents are supporting him.

[Cora Persephona]

I was thinking about what Kelly said about Zach realizing that he doesn't know how to talk to girls and I have to say it's very nice that they felt this will be an issue further on and that it needs to be remedied. I think so many fundies just think that things will go smoothly for a couple that doesn't know that much about each other and it's just ridiculous.

I have to say it makes me wonder about Erin and Chad that they have chosen no to hold hands even until they get engaged because the chemistry there is so obvious. But I guess I'm a heathen who wouldn't wait for anything physical until getting engaged so I'll never be able to understand not even holding hands.

[redhotmess]

The only thing I don't like is the yellow shirt. I am very happy for Zach and Whitney. They both look happy and relaxed. I think Zach was confused and hurt after his failed courtship with Sarah. Good for Kelly and Gil for changing their courtship views. Kelly and Gil both seem to really love her children and seems to wants what is best for them.

[Petunia]

I'm very happy for Zach. I get the impression that he's pretty introverted, so the photos are always going to look unnatural. The bright yellow shirt was probably provided by his sisters who thought it would look "sweet" in the photos they were going to take of he & his new woman. I know if clothing choices were left up to my husband, he would always be wearing a black or navy blue T-shirt and think he looked appropriate for every situation. :P

On a different note, I just looked up the blog for the Roberts family [Pascolife] to see pictures of their visit with the Bates, and they all looked like regular teenager/20 yr. olds having fun. Even some pictures from the conference at Big Sandy looked like a good time (just add alcohol & some nudity & it could have been a sorority party).

[0 kids n not countin]

I'm happy for them (well as happy as I can be considering they are fundies) but count me among the ones who think the matchy-matchy clothing is just silly and perhaps not so "cute" looking.

[Mela99]

Maaaaan, this makes me want some Sonic. There isn't one closer than 5 hours.

But this is great! She works!!! And will graduate!!!

I almost expected to see her in jeans.

Hey, Boob - three happy adult children courting is a good thing.

[Violet]

I guess one of the things that makes me like Kelly (don't get me wrong, I still disagree with her on many issues) is that she is willing to admit that actually she doesn't have all the answers and is willing to rethink her stance on something (in this case: courtship.) Also I get the gushing-parent vibe from her (which I haven't got from some other fundies, namely JB & M) - she seems genuinely happy and excited to let her children experience life. I remember when the Bates were first on 19kac and she answered a question about sheltering her children using the metaphor of a flower. Although I disagree with the extreme sheltering (especially the chaperones and purity stuff) she did explain that there is a time to let her children out into the world - the bit that the likes of the Duggars and the Maxwells don't seem to have grasped.

[IReallyAmHopewell]

I have to say..... Mom could very well be a haridresser working AT HOME (nothing wrong with that) and it is a Gothard approved thing if the husband is ok with it. Sonic, in spite of the music, is a stretch, but other ATI families look the other way and let their kids work--it could be the manager is a relative or goes to church with them, too. And she could be in nursing school--Gothard approves that if the father approves since he hasn't been able to work out a program and there has to be female nurses to care for female patients, right? Or her father may NEED her to study, say accounting, for the family business--maybe her brothers are too young?

That said, I recall in the first Bates visit the Duggars show when Zak said "he be just as happy with one or two" kids if that's what the Lord sent. I hope they really DID choose each other and that they are able to make their own decisions. I've seen one other ATI family who let their kids chose totally on their own and that included careers. I don't know if that family went to conferences all the time though! Maybe the TV show money gave them a little breathing room and the courtship fiasco made them stop and think?

[engineer5]

I just hope Michael gets a chance soon! At least before Alyssa who is 5 years younger than her

[IReallyAmHopewell]

I have to wonder if, as I said elsewhere, the Duggars ARE courting, just quietly and with confidentiality agreements. Espeically John David.

[Violet]

I just hope Michael gets a chance soon! At least before Alyssa who is 5 years younger than her

From the sounds of it, Michaela is perfectly happy being single. Plus she's young (I think she's about 22/23) - better to wait than rush into marriage for fear of being the "old maid."

[OddlyAmused]

Maaaaan, this makes me want some Sonic. There isn't one closer than 5 hours.

But this is great! She works!!! And will graduate!!!

I almost expected to see her in jeans.

Hey, Boob - three happy adult children courting is a good thing.

On first glance, I thought she was wearing jeans. Oops. Should have remembered that wouldn't have been allowed!

I really want to go to Sonic-definitely one of the things I miss about SC!

[Cora Persephona]

I wouldn't expect her to be wearing jeans in the staged courtship pictures, but maybe she wears them at home.