cereality

Law and Tiff got engaged in late Oct. and announced their wedding plans in mid Jan. IIRC they announced the date/venue the same day UPTV canceled their show in mid Jan 2022 and their wedding website launch didn't go well so they were desperately trying to make the announcement while not addressing the elephant in the room re UPTv. So yes Alyssa knew their wedding date before ILY and even if she had booked a hotel for ILY, she could have canceled it being a month out to save money. Plus even without the official date announcement, Law and Tiff said in various IG videos - and I'm sure IRL - that they were considering a Cali wedding. So if Alyssa ever spoke to her brother from Halloween onwards, she should have thought - hmm Cali wedding, that'll be expensive, maybe cut back on the holidays a bit and cancel ILY bc how are we going to afford to go to Cali. And of course she wasn't going to drive to Cali; she could have bought ONE ticket and left Tuesday afternoon/evening like Erin and Tori and been in Cali late Tuesday night + Wed rehearsal + Thursday wedding and fly back during the day Friday. While ticket prices are definitely high, back in Jan tix from Orlando to San Diego could have been booked for 4 months later for like $400-500. That's NOT such an extraordinary amount of money that they couldn't have saved it by cutting out ILY, cutting some of the constant coffees/manis/pedis.

Evan made sure to clarify that this is an extra vlog and he still expects/hopes to get one out on Saturday too. Not to be cynical but in addition to being worried sick about his wife, I have a feeling Evan is also worrying about money. They just bought a house that they're paying a mortgage on + renting an apartment; they were due to leave their apt. by May 31 as Carlin had said they don't want to pay rent into June with a mortgage. I have a feeling they still will move out - even if that just means Warden/Jackson/Isiah/Trace moving all of their stuff to the house and handing over the keys which Evan can mail to them. But you know Evan is worried about that + what if he needs to take leave without pay once he runs out of vacation time which may be in days (as they've implied he has very little of it) + all the bills they're going to get from the ER visits and testing. I have to assume Evan has good insurance as a union employee, but these days even good insurance means bills of $200 here and $500 there even after your deductible is met. Not that it can be helped obviously she NEEDS to go to the ER each time and NEEDS whatever testing they want + whatever the neuro will want, yet it's adding up. I'm sure he's thinking - put out extra vlogs while we still have story lines and these vlogs will easily make $700-1000 a pop since people are concerned/curious. Plus given how quiet Carlin has been on IG, my sense is she is spending the day sitting on the couch/in bed with the baby, so he can be right there editing; like it seems like they were only going out on "planned" outings to get some activity on her heart monitor and doesn't seem like they even did one yesterday, as they both seem terrified after the last ER visit, rightly so. Haven't watched the vlog yet but seeing Trav at his family's events vs. hers is night and day. Her family - he smiles, jokes, just seems like a normal 21 yr old ready to have fun. His family (like the dinner/prayer service before his graduation) - he and his dad sit there arms crossed as if they were fighting all the way up to the event and then had to walk in and turn on "happy faces," whatever siblings/cousins/wives that are there look like they don't want to be involved so they zone out on their phones including Katie, and Trav's mom sits there as if nothing happened??! Not saying he wants to live in TN, but he's more relaxed and himself with her family and part of me wonders if that's what drew him to Katie. Not so much that he was madly in love with her but that he needed to marry and wow all my would-be brothers in law are so easy going, it's such a nice break from NJ being here.

Their household is one where it SEEMS like Alyssa is in control - bc she is running out getting manis and coffee whenever she wants and hardly cooks so it seems like she's living how she wants - yet on the big picture issues, life is 1000% how John wants it to be. Theirs strikes me as one of the more traditional marriages - along with Josie and Kelton - where yeah she has a business but really only does what Kelton permits her to do. I am convinced that not going to Law's wedding was 100% John's decision. John acted completely over it with Nathan and Katie's weddings - to the point where ALYSSA would never have been allowed to speak that way at his family's functions whether she was happy to be there or not. And then when ILY Day was a bust + Alyssa herself acts like her family sucks generally and she esp acted that way with ILY Day, I think he was like - nope no one is going to Law's wedding. While I know there are sister rifts, I don't think that there are SUCH major rifts that Alyssa wouldn't have heard from Michaela or her mom or someone that Erin [and I think Tori too] were going without kids or only a few kids. I can't imagine that Alyssa did not float that idea to John who promptly said no. I mean he acted like a jerk about Katie's wedding. Don't recall the exact circumstance but Alyssa either stayed over with the bridal party at the estate the night before or had to report there at like 5 am to start getting ready/pics. Perish the thought that meant John had to dress his girls. Alyssa had planned it out and each daughter had a big ziploc bag with everything that she needed to wear, specifically saying that way John doesn't need to worry about which underwear or shoes or headband goes on which child; plus she noted Ally recognizes everyone's stuff anyway. Perish the thought John take any interest in his girl children [I doubt he'd be a ton better w/ a son] and do what he considers mom's job [dressing the kids]. So he just had a pissy attitude the whole time. And I believe at Nathan's wedding they had a free day before the wedding and were already in Pa. and he was eyerolling and saying - yay another wedding, who wouldn't be excited?? We get it - weddings that aren't your own aren't super special but way to piss on someone else's day. Let's be real this attitude is helped along by Alyssa who has always acted too good for her family/glad she doesn't have to see them etc. so it was likely easy for John to be like - come on you've gone to 3 family events in under a year, who cares about Law's wedding. Yet this time I think in her heart of hearts she cared. Yet Mr. "I can't dress my children without being put out" certainly wasn't going to watch them for a minimum of 3 nights for Alyssa to go alone/with Maci. Sure his MIL/sisters would have the kids during the day but chances are given that he's in town, they'd "require" him to take the kids at night and he wasn't gonna be bathing 3 girls and putting them to bed and dealing with any wake ups bc mommy wasn't there. And while I'm not fan of Kelton's, I will say we only saw him copping an attitude about watching his girls when Josie has a Sat morning wedding like once or twice and then he shut up. Likely he felt like OMG I have to watch my kids on my day off so my wife can go play beauty parlor -- and then STFU when he realized that she can make $$ for wedding hair/makeup which combined with his income means lots more vacations and nights out than the average fundie couple. And at the end of the day I don't think he was THAT opposed to doing things for his kids - having been raised by a dad who raised his kids including his sister from infancy onwards.

You all are so right, G&K will flit in once it's "problem solved" - and her issue is diagnosed and manageable - and gush about we were SOOOO worried, we didn't sleep a wink and were praying non stop etc. Or if it's like Alyssa and she needs a procedure, they'll flit in the morning of, make a big deal about how they are so great to get to the hospital at 5 am, and take their IG pics before she's wheeled back. Honestly after their handling of Alyssa's first surgery, I learned all I ever needed to know about G&K. Alyssa's surgery ends up taking longer/being more complicated than expected, Gil leaves for the airport like the minute they get word that she's out of the OR and in recovery without even seeing her?!? Hours later she's moved to her own room, Kelly is supposedly staying with her so John runs out to see their kids for an hour, she has problems like when they make her stand etc. and Kelly calls John saying - get back here, she's not doing well and I have a flight to catch and leaves!?? They act as if they have jobs or something LOL. I mean great that Evan's parents are taking the lead here but I doubt they'd object to having some help - G&K staying locally and coming daily to help with Carlin or watch the kids, just something to take ALL the burden off them. They aren't young - Evan recently mentioned that they celebrated their 45th anniversary; if they married at say 20, they're age 65+ -- so older than 55-57 yr old G&K. I think ALL the inlaws - esp Evan, Bobby, and Kelton's parents figured out who G&K really are as soon as they arrived on the scene; like their sons were blinded by love and didn't see it but I think their parents knew. I think the baby train is closed as far as Evan is concerned. He isn't AS dumb as Carlin or Carlin's family plus was raised in a relatively "normal" albeit conservative family. I think he is going to [or already has] put two and two together that pregnancy sets off something in Carlin. It is no coincidence that with Layla she ended up with meningitis and now with Zade it's something seizure like -- 2 pregnancies and 2 neuro related problems? The levels Evan mentioned last night as being elevated suggesting seizure activity are affected by breast milk production hormones among other things. And who knows this could have cardiac involvement too but w/ symptoms that look neuro. I think he'll say - we got our boy and girl, we're done. I don't see him being a Kelton who is like 5 kids no matter what, this is God's will blah blah [though I think if Kelton had to deal w/ this like Evan has, he'd fold too but I see him being the type a few years later being like - you're fine now, Iet's try for 3 more kids].

Carlin posted a pic with an update as well also around midnight EST/11 CST when they were leaving/got home. So Kelly has now commented this morning with - "we're all here for you, we are gonna keep praying and searching until we find what to do to stop this . . . . " How about actually being there for them IN NASHVILLE?? Like I don't know how they are watching this unfold with their daughter going to the hospital every other night and aren't "fixing to" show up in Nash?? I hope the hospital has put in some referrals as Evan said they'll call in the morning to get a neuro appt - so that when they call, that drs. office is expecting them and holding an appt for them this week. But these days often that's NOT happening - hospitals say follow up with x specialty and don't pull any strings for you to be able to do that and then it's up to you to figure out how to actually get an appt. Though at least Nash is a bigger city and I imagine they have not been referred to Vanderbilt [doesn't seem like they were at the main Vanderbilt hospital last night just from the testing that couldn't be done + the look of the parking lot was way smaller than the garages at Vandy] - so between whatever health system they're using + Vanderbilt hopefully they find a neurologist ASAP. Even if this is sorted out relatively quickly, it's clear from Evan's face that they need family support - and for obvious reasons that means his parents, not hers. He really should be thinking about staying in Nashville at least for the medium term - like a month or two. Work should not be a huge issue - to get staffed on a job in Nashville. They'd stay with his parents so no rent. He'd still have rent on their current home + mortgage on the new house, but I imagine he could go back to Knoxville for a day and have her brothers help him move everything to the new house, hand over the keys to the rental, lock the door of the new house and come live in Nashville while paying that mortgage for a month or two at which time hopefully there will be more clarity.

So looks like they are leaving the ER as they posted at midnight. Looks like whatever testing they did tonight shows the blood levels/markers pointing to seizures is up — but they won’t have answers until they see a neurologist. Carlin seems off in the way she’s speaking - she’s being sarcastic + likely is exhausted but it’s the speech that seems off not just the attitude. Walking thru the parking lot Evan is literally holding her so she won’t fall. It’s been rough for them - you can see it in both their faces even though Evan appears to be putting on a good face for Carlin right now.

Thank goodness for Evan’s dad. They were at a nephew’s baseball game and E&C went specifically to get her out of the house after a day of resting - just to see if her cardiac monitor picked up anything. Baseball game may mean sitting on bleachers or maybe she was standing as Evan said she was getting something from the diaper bag but her father in law was right there. Evan rightfully seems scared saying I can’t be more than 5 ft away and Carlin rightfully seems down/sad - as she was apparently telling Evan not to let the ambulance take her. Hope they get answers ASAP. How are G&K watching this from the same state and not being like that’s it we’re driving over to see you?! Maybe they feel they can’t bc she’s with her in-laws but the amount of $$ they spend on Airbnbs usually come on — like no one is saying they have to be houseguests at her in-laws’ home. Hopefully she has something that’s a fixable problem and it never recurs. If it ends up being something though where they’ll have to keep an eye on her health, I really want to see them living in Nash bc clearly his parents will support them. E can work anywhere in the state now and while they’d be sad to sell their house, it is just a house - it’s nothing compared to health or family support.

Evan said he WOULD take time off if there wasn't any family to help with Carlin + the kids but if they COULD help and he could not take the time off, that'd be preferred. Chances are with him being there yesterday, it's probably a compromise - Evan stays with Carlin in Nash for an extra day or two using time off just to make sure she's ok, so he doesn't leave his parents with an emergency situation; and if she has no episodes he leaves w/ her staying with mom and dad, works the rest of the week, and returns on Friday; or depending on whether she has specialist drs. appts coming up in Nash, maybe she even drops off her heart monitor to be analyzed and leaves with him. I think Evan has time off but it's very limited. Back in Jan when the Bates ski trip came up he explicitly said he needed to save the time off for the birth, and since then he's used a week for Zade's birth + a few days for Law's wedding. He's a new employee - can't imagine he's accrued that much time off yet in the last few months; and this doesn't sound like a job where you get x amount of time off on day one to be used however/whenever. He is smart to conserve the time where he can - what if Carlin needs extensive specialists appointments or med care, it'll be more important to be there for that than for just hanging out with her. I imagine she will try to make chaos at his parents' house but probably won't gain any traction. His parents are empty nesters now, so it really is just them + her all day. He has a few sisters nearby but at least one of them works at a local hospital and they all have kids and what look to be "proper" households -- i.e. meals on the table when their husbands get home etc., so they can't just run with Carlin all day from nail salons to outlet malls to Starbucks and then when their husbands and kids get home, it's time for Chick Fil A. So when she commented yesterday that all she's done is lay on the couch or in bed - yeah prob bc there isn't much else to do besides lay around. That + whatever meals Evan's mom cooks is going to do her a world of good no matter what her condition is. Doesn't even mean Evan's mom has to put out massive fancy meals - but I do imagine she and her husband eat regular balanced meals that aren't Sonic, so there's a plus for Carlin.

As someone who has done these monitors periodically to keep track of a heart condition, yeah they don't advise bed rest or really any kind of rest with a heart monitor. They need to see what your heart is doing with regular activity because while you're lying down, chances are it's perfectly fine. Carlin should probably jump on a flight to Cali and pull two all nighters and then run all over Nashville eating Sonic and drinking Sbux continuously to simulate her actual activity . . . . Thought it was an interesting shift in tone yesterday where Carlin said while going to McDonalds - who knows maybe I'll sleep a ton and it'll go away. Now I am NOT saying she doesn't have a cardiac condition - she very well might esp given Alyssa's history + it isn't just normal to pass out out of exhaustion. BUT maybe her and Evan are coming to the conclusion [maybe with his parents' help] that WHATEVER she has can only likely be made worse by the life she's living. I mean girlfriend gets out of the ER at midnight last week, goes to the airport at 3 am, pulls a complete all nighter - awake for 24 hrs between travel + rehearsal dinner + hanging out with the fam until midnight Pacific time or 3 am EST; then wakes up at 5 am the day of the wedding bc Layla wakes up. Yet instead of just lounging bc they didn't have to be on the boat until 4 pm - NOPE MUST GO SIGHTSEEING bc I'll have major FOMO if my siblings all get pics at Gliderpoint + pics of eggs at the breakfast place and I don't. Then wedding, staying up until midnight after the wedding with Joy. Flight wasn't until 6 pm so instead of having a leisurely morning at the hotel, nope must go early to stop in LA at various office parks and do lame photo shoots. Then delayed flight gets into Nash at 3 AM on Sat. But nope gotta go to the preschool nephew's baseball game on Saturday + throw Evan a graduation party [granted a nothing party where his mom picked up a cake and Evan himself was carrying a stack of pizzas]. But WTF?! She's honestly been living as if she's a medical resident/junior banker/big city law firm associate - if I don't work these hours, I'll get fired; and even those people while they work hard + play hard, realize that when it's time to sleep you MUST sleep - prob bc you have to be functional the next day not just take pics of your pancakes or 1000 pics of yourself on some random hill in LA. Have they said Evan is commuting? Haven’t seen that anywhere but here. He can’t do that more than 1-2x/wk max as it’d mean 6 hrs of commuting in a day + I believe he works 10 hr days (at least that’s what apprenticing was 4 10 hr days w Friday off). Did he really do a 16 hr day yesterday and then take her to McDs + mini golf after getting back around 8 pm at the earliest bc she’s supposed to be out and about?! He’s a union electrician. If they need to be/prefer to be in Nash for a few weeks, he should see if his bosses can get him on an ongoing construction/electrical job in Nash. Though that may mean seeing that job thru for 3-8 wks or whatever since they’ve done you a huge favor not just taking the favor and next week being like ok Carlin is well rested and should be fine, we’re gonna go back to Knox.

Evan has been married to Carlin for 3 yrs but has been on the scene w this family for 5.5 yrs. Long enough to know G&K are fair weather parents — when it’s time to get her nails done or run off on double dates or “business” trips or engagement trips to Maine, Kelly is all on board. When it’s actually stepping up and cooking for their adult child, watching/feeding their child, taking said child to mid day doctors appts so the husband can conserve his time off for bigger appointments, Kelly peaces out. G&K show up to aaww over the child and take a few IG pics that they can post as proof that they care/are worried, and then basically tell them (verbally or by action), well you have a husband, this is his problem. This is how G&K handled Alyssa having two heart procedures - basically left John to deal. You know Evan 1000% feels safer with Carlin and his kids being with HIS parents and sisters. I’m sure he means no offense to Addie/Ellie/Callie - they 100% would watch Carlin + the kids, but he knows they are kids themselves and he doesn’t trust G&K’s judgment for deciding say when to take Carlin to the dr. I think he’d be more comfortable with his parents playing that role even from 3 hrs away. Hell when Carlin and Layla both ended up in the hospital in Knox after Layla’s birth, he asked HIS parents to come. If they find a quick solution here - say a procedure needs to be done ASAP - my guess is they’ll go to Vanderbilt and stay in Nash until she’s told she can leave. If this is a longer - go to a bunch of specialists to find an answer - then obv they can’t live 3 hrs from Evan forever. In that case I could see him reaching out to Michael - and she’ll be at their home or E will drop everyone off at their home 40 hrs/wk - and I can see Michael playing that mothering role to Carlin + the kids really well.

And back in the ER last night - having passed out 3 times yesterday?! Evan now says he doesn’t trust her to be alone w Zade or drive - so he’s thinking of leaving her in Nash with his family bc he has to return to work. This is how bad it was but they felt fine going to Cali and pretty much pulling an all nighter on the first day bc they left the ER at midnight, airport at 4 am, 5 hr flight, 2-3 hr drive from LA, and then straight to the rehearsal dinner and staying up until midnight (3 am EST) catching up w people?!? And then got back to Nash and went to some nephews baseball game + threw a graduation party for Evan?? Whatever is going on she needs to sit on the couch w the baby and do nothing else. I’m guessing she’ll get a chance to do that in Nash once Evan is gone and his siblings are all at work bc there won’t be constant activity with her MIL/FIL.

Far be it for me to feel bad for this moron but in a way . . . I do feel bad. I mean he's clearly getting married because he'll be 30 this year and a good looking 30 yr old male in that cult with no wife/babies has got to be getting side eye about why that is - like why is he so uninterested in sex and making babies?? Which means he was likely getting not so subtle pressure from G&K for the last few years. Many/most fundie men marrying barely knowing the woman (Bobby; Ben Seewald and many others) and yet even they are excited to get married because SEX. Law doesn't even really seem for that. Nor do I think he's dying to be a dad. I do think he loves kids and he'll love their kids - and they'll have their first by their first anniversary, but I have no sense that he is like a Bobby who just really really wanted to marry to settle down and be a dad. I agree if you MUST marry feeling this way Tiff isn't a bad choice. But while he isn't a reflective person, I do believe he has some sense now of how the other half [i.e. Tiff/her family] lives in all the time he has spent in SD, how nice beach life is etc. but also how expensive it is and how you need some real $$$ to be able to live it - and realizing they will never be able to afford that life, even a modest version of it. But then he's a 29 year old man. Can't feel that bad for him either because if he was dead set on not wanting to marry, he could have moved on and built himself a life. Not saying he had to pick up and move to Cali or NYC or anything, but even just in Nashville. Develop your own life by going to school/trade school and getting yourself a career, pay your own way, stop living in daddy's house, and visit once in a while but don't make it your pastime to be toting nieces and nephews around and earning cash by mowing Michael's lawn as if you're a pre-teen, and you'll have less pressure/more an ability to live how you want bc you'll be be out of sight/out of mind more.

In the post rehearsal dinner pics, Tiff looks better. Maybe it's just bc it's a still photo but in the videos in the days prior she looked exhausted and over it as Law lost his tie/shoes/broke his phone and she was running place to place. She may have now put that behind her and forgotten about the fool she's marrying + the amount of work this marriage will be on her for the moment and gotten into the - I've dreamed of being a bride my whole life - mode for the 24 hrs of rehearsal/wedding. Law OTOH looks TERRIFIED. Look at the eyes - he's smiling big but the smile and the eyes show a groom who is about to leave the bride at the altar [he never would]. I think reality is fully setting in that he doesn't really WANT to get married to her or anyone and just rushed into this bc to be fundie and nearly 30 with no girlfriends, people start to whisper. I mean Nathan isn't my favorite yet when he was getting married, you saw excitement and almost a "relaxed" - this is it, this is going to be my life, I can't wait - look. Law has the - where is the getaway car - look.

How jealous must Alyssa be right now? All these girls have FOMO or at least the middle girls. So Josie is off boating and posting pics as if her and Kelton are a J Crew ad; Carlin left the ER and got there and is staying up until midnight/3 AM eastern after the rehearsal [kudos Carlin - you realize you slept from midnight after the ER to maybe 3 am and have been at the airport or traveling or getting ready since 4 am right but sure do a full 24 hrs awake. I'm sure that'll help you feel better eyeroll]; everyone is rushing to have Katie do their hair; Whit is posting beach pics; and many have dumped their kids off on Michael/Addie/Ellie/Callie or at least their younger kids so this is a vacay for them. And Alyssa thought she was being cool by playing the "I'm not wasting my money for another lame Bates trip" card except they are having a hectic fun time, and all she'll have to show for it is McDonalds coffee pics. I'm betting she posts nothing until tonight/tomorrow morning at the earliest as I imagine it's an afternoon wedding so there will be at least a few siblings posting something this evening + siblings will start posting about their post wedding fun [at least Josie] and others will have airport pics.

Can't separate a fool from her fundie wedding. Evan looked like a grinning idiot at the airport at 4 am and on the plane - as if his wife hadn't just been in the ER 4 hours prior. Sorry to say it but in that sleeping on the plane pic, Carlin was OUT as if she's exhausted - which her body is. They landed in LA around 1030 CA time and are likely arriving in SD by 130ish. Tiff said earlier the rehearsal starts at 230ish. No way they are not going to attend. What are they going to do sit in their hotel until tomorrow and actually have Carlin rest - LOL no. Cue Carlin rushing around to straighten her hair, do some makeup product placements, putting Layla in whatever monstrosity she has chosen, taking pics at the rehearsal event with HER man, and yes telling her story over and over of whatever she's endured since Saturday to get here. Don't have the patience to watch any of the wedding videos but is it accurate that the wedding [or maybe the reception?] is on a boat?? Please tell me you can rent out some Navy ship as an event space and hold your event there while it's anchored? Because if this means that the wedding/party is on an actual yacht type boat, do Carlin and Evan realize that once the boat takes off they are stuck for hours? Whether she feels well or not, there's no saying hi to the couple/taking a few pics/getting the kids some cake and heading back to the hotel early.

11 AM. They had to be up/leaving for the airport at 5 AM. No posts for 6 hours. For normal people that means they’re exhausted getting themselves + 2 kids + all their junk to the airport at dawn and if the kids fell asleep, they’re sleeping on the plane too. With these two it’s odd not to get a shot of Evan loading up the car in the morning or then sitting at the gate w giant coffees or a - we’re coming Law/Tiff message. Again if they were normal I’d say they’re not posting bc they didn’t go and there’s nothing to show bc Evan is letting Carlin sleep all morning or she’s simply sitting on his mothers couch all day and they’ll update in a few hours w - well we didn’t make it. With these two idiots complete silence with no teasers often means something is wrong. I very much want to be wrong here — as much as I hate on them, I obv want them to be well.

There’s something mentally wrong with these two. She had another “episode” today + at least 1 dr said don’t travel but hey it’s ok bc another said it’s fine as long as your hemoglobin doesn’t go down more. So sure drive 3 hrs to Nash after the “episode,” show up at the packed ER at 1030 for blood work. At least they made it out by 12-1230 bc it’s a 5 am flight (or maybe they leave for the airport at 5 am). Uh C&E do you understand that your hemoglobin transports oxygen to your cells? So one of the things that makes you feel terrible with low iron is lifting anything or running bc your oxygenation isn’t as efficient. Do you really think you can travel to Cali w 2 kids and not be hauling a baby carrier, stroller, and your over stuffed luggage - oh plus hauling the actual kids as you run to the airport gates? Do you think Evan can do all that alone so you can just carry your purse + iPhone and saunter to the gate? No? Ok well maybe stay home unless you can pawn both kids off on the in-laws by 5 am. And sorry but these 2 are obsessed w living life for their vlog and the side income it provides - even to their own detriment. Evan walked out of the ER laptop in hand - you know he was like - 2 hr wait, I need to edit footage of what happened this weekend. Evan actually looks tired and stressed but I guess he wants to “party” fundie style in SD too much (plus wants 2 more YT episodes out of it) to pull his headship card and say sorry babe you’ve had 2 “episodes” in 4 days, 10 hrs of flight time to Ca and back is not safe. This isn’t about Law and Tiff at all who’d 100% understand esp this is happening after birthing - you know what she was put on earth to do. And they’d made huge efforts even driving to Nash after she was hospitalized this weekend. This isn’t the same as - eh Cali is far, why waste my time or $$$.

At least Erin is making an effort to attend her brother's wedding and if it's with just 2 kids, that's still better than no one going - esp given that I'm fairly confident that Alyssa/John have more money that Erin/Chad just based on how they live; they're just less interested in family events, which is their choice. Reality is ALL the couples besides Z&W who spend like there's no tomorrow + Michael/Brandon who only need 2 tickets did something to make an expensive trip cheaper for them. For most families it meant flying to/from bigger airports where you get better deals. Even Katie/Trav who aren't hurting for money at all drove up to Newark which is 1hr+ from them for a 5 am flight rather than go out of Philadelphia which is 30 min away bc you're always going to get a better deal out of Newark for a cross country. Evan/Carlin are headed to Nash despite the fact that the wife REALLY could have used an easy local flight having just given birth and all. Josie/Kelton again not hurting for money but flew into LA, where you get a better deal than smaller San Diego. Erin chose to economize by taking fewer people - no shame in that. BUT Erin and Chad DO 1000% prefer Carson - the namesake and the only boy. It was obvious the way they gushed about him in the "we're pregnant" video while back handing all the girls as "yeah they're sweet." I understand Carson has to attend because he's in the wedding. But given that Erin talks to all her brothers [despite her falling out with many of her sisters], I have a feeling Law gave her a heads up that it was very likely going to be a Ca. wedding + he wanted Carson and Brooklyn in it AND Erin was the one who told him -- hmm I doubt we're ALL going to be able to go but we'd def take Golden Boy Carson, put him in but not Brooklyn just in case we don't fly her out. I have a hard time believing that Law asked for Carson but not Brooklyn. He seems close with both of them - he has been showing taking BOTH of them places like the zoo or ice cream w/o their younger siblings and on Brooklyn's birthday he came over late at night to give her some toy and he was the ONLY sibling who did that besides Michael/Brandon who baked her cake. Same way he's close with both Bradley and Kaci and takes them both to his rehearsals etc. sometimes and asked BOTH to be in his wedding. I disagree that at this age they'll forget in a week. 6 and 7 year olds remember fun places they've gone and Carson talking about how much fun Uncle Law's wedding was or how he went to the ocean or saw palm trees or even just the ice cream mommy bought him at the airport [which you can see him eating in Erin's IG video on the layover], yeah it'll hurt Brooklyn's feelings and she'll feel left out and no special at home spa day with mommy or whatever will make up for it. But I guess in this cult get used to it. I mean she's 5.5 - in like 4 years she'll be cooking dinners + washing Carson's underwear, while Carson will not be doing those things.

Yikes money is tight. Not that we didn't know that before given their living situation and Chad's unlicensed contractor gig when sweet friends from church need a kitchen redone. I assume it's just Erin + Carson as Carson is in the wedding, but I guess she could bring the baby too who doesn't require a paid seat. If Chad is staying home, I guess he watches his kids from Tuesday evening until Erin returns which is probably going to be by late Thursday night - I doubt she'd even stay the day Thursday as it'll cost more in hotels + she's got a pack of kids waiting. If Chad is going, they actually do have their own friends [from church] who have watched their kids before for weekends including recently when they went to Fla., so they don't only rely on Michael/Brandon so I'm guessing that couple gets 3 kids. Wonder if Alyssa is experiencing some FOMO as she watches videos of the sibs who've arrived in SD already or the ones who are flying out tonight [and I think Carlin is tomorrow as she said they're staying in Nashville tonight though could also be she has a red eye so it's dinner in Nash at the inlaws' this evening and then head to the airport] including ones like Erin who are making it work even though they couldn't all afford to go. Though if Alyssa ever spoke to her sisters, she could prob have figured out that certain ones like Erin were going w/ just 1-2 kids and she could have decided to do the same. Josie & Kelton made SUCH a big deal re vacationing in Cali and it appears they're doing . . . nothing. Thus far it's been like hanging with the family for church + Mothers Day + now hanging w/ Katie and Lydia since they've arrived -- activities they do in Knox too albeit without palm trees. Interesting to waste $$$ to arrive in SD 5 days early for that. I realize they're staying after the wedding for another 3-4 days so that's when they'll do Disney etc. but still a waste . . . though I imagine they're at least taking the kids to the beach in SD.

She's playing with fire here . . . for no apparent reason. I always thought it was bizarre that they were like YES we are going to Lawson's wedding no matter what, rather than - we'll see how things go after he's born but we can't commit until then. But ok it's her brother's wedding + at least 2 YT videos worth of content from that one for travel and one for the wedding day so there's at least $1000 on the line, so they want to go. Fine. But where people have had a goal of needing to make it cross country for a sibling's wedding after birth, they make sure to spend whatever weeks they have really resting, recovering, dr. appointments etc. to make sure they are good to go. C&E have been running around like she didn't push out a kid 6 weeks ago. I mean hosting his family as soon as she came home; then running off to see his family for Easter weekend - which comes with all the requisite packing and unpacking before/after; going to "work" within like the first two weeks - I realize it's just sitting and gabbing but you still have to get out the door; noticeably she pulled back from work after a week or so but she did a cash and carry this weekend; buying a house and running to Home Depot nightly; date night w Z&W?! Oh and all the while she has been saying - "I feel off, I need to get my levels checked" - but I doubt think they were checked until her appt just a week ago. And all of this has been fueled by a steady diet of corn dogs as she has gone on and on about craving Sonic all the time and sometimes going there more than once a day?? I realize at 24 many of us worked hard and played hard and ate whatever. But for most of us that meant all nighter for exams and then staying up to party after exams and when we crashed we crashed. We hadn't just given birth after a high risk pregnancy and when we crashed if we wanted to sleep until 2 pm we could - there wasn't a newborn needing to eat every 3 hours. I don't get these people. They want to live the college student life but with newborns in tow. I get they think birth is NBD bc mom squatted down and gave birth two dozen times, but clearly the girls aren't has hearty as mom. I mean Carlin had a high risk pregnancy w/ the clotting issues and the plan was she'd have to take shots even 1-2 months after the pregnancy; I think the plan was amended as she was given more shots DURING the pregnancy - but clearly there is something the drs. were seeing from a blood perspective that concerned them for after the pregnancy too. And yet here they go dashing from one useless thing to another and then wedding cross country and then come back to a "business trip" [give me a break you're hardly an investment banker whose Wall Street bank will fire them for not going] and right after that will be the move bc they refuse to pay rent for an extra month. And oh yeah all while covid continues to be a thing and they'll chill maskless in planes for 5+ hours. They're so un/under-educated, a part of me wonders if they actually understand anything drs. tell them. Like I'm sure the high risk drs. explained why shots after the pregnancy may be needed [and then why they weren't] - how much of that sunk in, like what are the risks requiring shots and even without shots required, do we need to be mindful of anything after birth?

I think it's been "compelling" watching Tori become a mother because was never compelled by her in any other way. I think he's positively surprised that he has fallen in love with her or at least with their life. I mean it was clear how annoyed he was by her when dating, engaged, at the wedding, and even on the honeymoon. He clearly was the typical Christian college grad who felt like OMG I need to marry ASAP, I can't stay a virgin forever. And because he was led around by best friend Kelton who had his life all planned out and was going back to Knox after graduation, well wouldn't it be nice to meet a Tenn. girl and then I'd get to do life with my bestie. Well just so happens the mega family he's trying to marry into has another daughter for me to, great, I'll take that one . . . . Except that one [like the rest of them] had no idea who she was at the time and thus was led around by Carlin - acting loud, obnoxious etc., which clearly did NOT match his personality. But whatever she wants to marry me ASAP, let's go. He's lucky that Tori really has found herself, and it turns out her true place is mothering - she actually seems to have a heart for children much like Michaela and doesn't seem like she's just having kids for status or to carry them around like Gucci bags like Carlin/Alyssa. And he seems to LOVE being a dad - like the smile definitely reaches the eyes now in a way that it did not when he was dating/marrying Tori. He's going to be 26 with 4 kids under age 4-5 and he looks no where near as stressed/aged as Chad ever did at his age. I think he'd be content to end up with 6-10 kids. I imagine it works for him bc he's at work all day, he gets home around 5ish and then it's play with the kids and divide and conquer to get them all fed/bathed/in bed with Bible stories within 3 hrs. At that point both of them are so tired, how much are they really talking to each other? And it's rinse and repeat the next day and it seems like he'd be content to keep repeating that for the next decade as they have kids 5-10. It prob also works for him that as Tori has become calmer and quieter, she's gravitated towards the quieter/more religious sisters with like minded husbands; I can see him being content hanging out with Chad and Brandon. When he wants a bit more light hearted joking around, Zach lives 2 minutes up the road still. And then there's bestie Kelton at work, and given that he works in a 15 person company made up of all young guys - I assume he's picked up a few friends at work too. So yeah I think life came together for him bc it turned out he loves dad life and ended up with a wife who loves birthing babies yearly.

I'm unclear on why G&K even needed to be there starting Saturday except that they just want to chill in Cali for a while. Yet obv the more dependents that go with them for Sat-Thursday night/Friday morning, the more hotel rooms or bigger AirBnB they need. So parents of the year decide they'll go early and prob just rent a small AirBnB/one hotel room for Saturday-Monday and then as others start bringing their dependent children, Gil will then open up his wallet for a bigger place to house them from Monday/Tuesday-Thurs. I mean just because Josie/Kelton wanted a vacation and can afford it and are taking all their kids with them, doesn't mean G&K needed to do the same?? Thus far the only kids we've seen with them were Warden/Isiah - and you know Gil requires them and Jackson to pay for their own way/contribute to any house G&K rents since they are grown and working. Jackson clearly has stepped back from the family so while he'll be there, I imagine he'll arrive the day before the wedding just like he did for both Nathan and Katie. G&K had no problem dumping Jeb/Jud and having Michael/Brandon bring them. Addie/Ellie/Callie also haven't been seen yet, so I guarantee they're flying with some combo of Carlin, Tori, Whit, and Erin -- under the guise of helping those couples w/ their kids on a 5 hr flight; but really the fewer days their dependents are around, the more G&K can be on vacation and saving money on housing/feeding their own kids. Lazy ass parents - no different than the Duggars at all, just put on a better show.

While you can get paid via IG reality is most companies try to pay you with free goods not actual cash, so you can continue pushing their product. That's why her sisters are so obsessed with IG bc OMG free expensive make up; hair care; vitamins; free junk for their homes; free kids clothes. Most often this stuff is coming from start up brands/brands that are still trying to grow; brands like Sephora have no use for people like the Bates. Erin could do the same and her product placements could be more food related - like those meat subscription services for good cuts of meat could save them some serious $. Then there's things like cookware; and it's not like her kids don't need clothes. But a huge part of me wonders if she shies away from this stuff not only bc she'd have to continuously engage with IG [which she looks down on her sisters for] AND also the lack of storage in their house. She doesn't have room for more cookware or kids clothing even if it's free, nor any room to store huge cuts of meat. I mean on her house tour it seems like each kid gets 1 Rubbermaid bin of clothing to put under the bed and 1 closet shelf, so she'd be over run if clothing arrived monthly. Same with kitchen gadgets - I mean she stores her stand mixer on a shelf above her laundry machine, and that's also their snack cabinet. People don't store their cookies right above where they wash their underwear unless there is legit no room. She needs to jump on YT and make actual cash like Carlin and Evan do; but that requires a video every single week and being engaging enough that you're getting 80-100k view/per week, which I think she could do bc she's not just naval gazing like Alyssa - her videos could be cooking/baking/budget living and there is a market for that. YT can make her actual cash which may speed up the process of getting into a bigger home.

Baby #4 incoming in August - another girl. Damn they'll have 4 kids before their fifth anniversary.

Well they waited 3 mos to get pregnant or it took 3 mos of trying. Married in Oct, pregnant in Jan, baby due in Oct. Another couple with a baby by or before anniversary #1.