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The Lonely Bates Club: Still Looking for Love

PrincessPurrsALot

By PrincessPurrsALot
in Bringing Up Bates

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cereality

cereality

(edited)
1 hour ago, 3 is enough said:

Well Josie’s Instagram stories yesterday talked about “ going on a family trip” and had pictures from the airport and a plane.  Maybe it’s one of those UP filming trips.  
She had a shot looking out of the plane window and it looked like a beach and blue water, not snow and mountains though. 🤷🏼‍♀️
Maybe a trip with Kelton’s family?

I’m baffled.  They went to Oregon in the fall and now are traveling again.  He has had his own business for just a year or so.  How can he afford to take all this time off? Usually  small business owners have long hours and no time off.

Yeah Josie/Kelton were posting IG stories last night from the airport -- mask below the nose of course -- to show how cute their kid was at the airport or whatever. Looks like they've appeared in Colo bc Carlin is tagging Josie in videos. I assume such a big vacation to Breckenridge is paid for by UPTv. 

And yeah it's an alternative reality as the poster above says -- no pandemic, endless vacations and vacation time. I mean Kelton owns his own business with his other plumbers being Bobby, his brother, and a 4th guy. Seeing what we've seen on Bobby's plumbing interest and acumen, he can't left to handle jobs alone. So maybe his bro and the 4th guy are more experienced and will hold down the fort thru the weekend? Most small business folks especially in their first year and esp in a pandemic where business has likely been slower bc people don't want people in their home unnecessarily don't WANT to take too much time off esp not on weekdays. As John says about his family's small (but established) HVAC business, if they call you and you're not available to come out that day to fix their issue, guess what they go to the next company on the list and aren't calling you back. He's actually said this as a reason that he takes no days off in the summer bc for HVAC in Orlando, summer is the busy season.

Carlin is saying on IG that Evan is on his way and will stay thru the weekend so prob the same for Kelton. Except Evan is still a student apprentice which is more of a job so he has/has taken time off on Thursday/Friday -- he's not losing business. Kelton OTOH has taken time off Wed-Friday even if it costs him $$. Wonder if bestie Bobby is there too.

And seriously G&K, all the minor kids, Trace, Law and his gf, Nathan and his gf, Evan & Carlin, and Kelton & Josie -- I think that's everyone on this trip -- ZERO concerns about the pandemic and being in airports/planes/they're indoor dining in Colo etc.?? I guess many have had it but still . . . .

Edited by cereality
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flyingdi
flyingdi

Lawson has found love, he just needs to find another person who loves him as much.

Heathen
Heathen

The latest in wedding favors: Earplugs. 

Spazamanaz
Spazamanaz

I wonder if Tiffany loves Lawson as much as he does. 

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BitterApple

BitterApple

2 hours ago, cereality said:

So I guess it's confirmed that Lawson's gf is Tiffany Espensen (IG tiffypics). They are on a ski vacation now in Colorado (what pandemic - LOL - though I guess many/most of them have had it) and he's posting IG videos that she's in. Checked her IG and she is also posting Colorado videos. She lives in Ca at/near a beach, which explains why he's constantly in Ca at the beach these days. Her IG is followed by every Bates on IG and she posted a pic (without any of them) from downtown Knox at Tenn saying it was a Tenn Christmas for her.

She's beautiful -- she's Asian and adopted bc her family is white and she posted something celebrating National Adoption Day. Seems fundie/fundie lite bc there are a TON of Bible posts. I had a feeling he had a thing for Asians -- with all his time in the Philippines, I just had that vibe. I hope for their sake they settle in Ca. Though doing what exactly -- Ca. isn't cheap. 

It looks like Tiffany's had a pretty solid career as a child actress, and you need a thick skin to operate in that business. I hope she doesn't give a flying fig about Kelly, the sisters or their opinions on anything. I'd love to see their heads explode. 

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cereality

cereality

She was a child actress - wow mind blown. She was actually on Nickelodeon, not fundie TV.  She is some type of a conservative Christian having gone to Liberty University but yeah looks like she's had a life and actual human interaction before Lawson; like she/her family have dealt with agents, auditions etc. all of which are tough even at the child level in a place like Ca. where there is TONS of competition. Could be that she ends up not getting a $hit about Kelly - unlike Whit who was soooo desperate to fit in with the Bates and be the sisters' bestie and make Kelly happy. Also wouldn't be surprised if she has already told Lawson she isn't moving to Tenn and wants to stay in Ca. Looks like she still had some modest roles as of 2019-2020 so this isn't something she did 15 years ago. Lawson in that case will have to find himself a career. He isn't a tradesman like his brothers in law. I assume he may have stars in his eyes about moving to Cali bc OMG he's a MUSICIAN but competition is cut throat and he isn't that good; and in Cali lots of those guys end up in production, writing etc. Maybe his future wife could hook him up to get him started on a writing gig but eventually he'd need education to get into music production bc there are tons of ppl in Cali to choose from for every job opening in that area. Or maybe he'll become full time with MediCorps -- it likely pays when he flies to disasters and stays there for weeks but not steady money when there is no need for them to deploy and being 29+ when he marries most likely -- and having gone so many years without getting any -- I don't see him as the type of guy who'll want to be away from his newlywed bride for weeks at a time [ahem].

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3 is enough

3 is enough

Josie has stories up showing that they are in Breckenridge.  Maybe I Love You Day will be filmed there this year?  

They are all masked while walking down the street.  The mask mandate in Colorado is much tougher and more strictly enforced than in Tennessee.   I bet they are experiencing a bit of culture shock.

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cereality

cereality

1 hour ago, emmawoodhouse said:

They're posting well after the fact. Carlin's story reveals that Evan had to stay behind for work/school, but they were picking him up later that day. So, last Friday? 

They could be behind but I figured it just meant she and her family arrived Monday-ish and he’s only taking off Thursday/Friday so he’ll arrive Wed night. Their kid’s first birthday was Jan 31 — no way they wouldn’t have been together then; they posted pandemic birthday party pics all weekend and said party featured his parents and also bestie Joy Duggar — pretty sure those people aren’t in Colorado.

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Temperance

Temperance

10 hours ago, cereality said:

So I guess it's confirmed that Lawson's gf is Tiffany Espensen (IG tiffypics). They are on a ski vacation now in Colorado (what pandemic - LOL - though I guess many/most of them have had it) and he's posting IG videos that she's in. Checked her IG and she is also posting Colorado videos. She lives in Ca at/near a beach, which explains why he's constantly in Ca at the beach these days. Her IG is followed by every Bates on IG and she posted a pic (without any of them) from downtown Knox at Tenn saying it was a Tenn Christmas for her.

She's beautiful -- she's Asian and adopted bc her family is white and she posted something celebrating National Adoption Day. Seems fundie/fundie lite bc there are a TON of Bible posts. I had a feeling he had a thing for Asians -- with all his time in the Philippines, I just had that vibe. I hope for their sake they settle in Ca. Though doing what exactly -- Ca. isn't cheap. But IDK an Asian-American in this family having to live in Rocky Top and see the Bates multiple times per week? I mean I can already hear Kelly/Erin/Whit/Carlin -- oh she's my Vietnamese/Philippino/Thai/whatever sister in law BUT she's great [despite not being REALLY American blah blah]. The only person that I feel would be genuinely nice to her would be Michael (and Josie would just ignore her since she doesn't want to hang with family all the time anyway). Plus adopted -- ugh Kelly with the sins of the father/her parents abandoned her nonsense to make the most secure person feel insecure. I mean she bullied Whit into reconnecting with her parents but that is likely impossible here as many adoptions of Asians coming to America are done with kids who live in orphanages -- they may not even remember having parents; it's possible something happened to their parents so they ended up in orphanages etc. But I can see Kelly trying to co-opt her into EVERYTHING Bates, all Bates holidays, traditions, child rearing etc. bc oh she never had real traditions. Uh yeah she did with the Espensen family that adopted and raised her -- but to Kelly that won't be her REAL family.

Oh God! It never occurred to me yet what a monster-in-law Kelly Bates will be for this girl.  It's bad enough she's dating that idiot Lawson! Kelly will be horrible. It wouldn't surprise me if Kelly brings up Asian stereotypes. 

God help this girl! She wasn't that big a star and she's young (21)! Lawson is deadweight!

Run, Tiffany, Run! 

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cereality

cereality

Trace posted an IG video this morning of going snowboarding down a black diamond and he keeps posting videos of the view from the hot tub at their mountain house which appears to be right there at the resort -- like walk out the door and ski, rather than driving distance to the mountain. Given that they're raising a bunch of sons to be grifters with no marketable skills (sure they don't grift like Gil yet but IDK expecting Chad to just provide you a job whenever you need one is kind of grifting in a different form), G&K sure are introducing them to expensive hobbies and giving them expensive tastes. I'm guessing it's all comp-ed by UPTv and if we see Chad/Erin, Zach/Whit, Michael/Brandon, and Bobby/Tori flying in, it'll mean they are also using the vacation for an over the top I Love You day. But damn UPTv will go away, you'll blink and will be 35 with no real career and vacations then will look like driving to stay in a "cool" hotel in Toledo . . . . Champagne tastes right now on an eventual beer budget . . . .

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LoquaciousAudacity

LoquaciousAudacity

From Lawson’s stories, it doesn’t seem that he and Tiffany have a chaperone, and they seem pretty physically close. Although, I suppose one could be off-camera. They are both adults, as well as Nathan and Esther. I truly hope they are having normal, chaperone free relationships. It’d seem so weird to me to have chaperones at their ages. 

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cereality

cereality

5 hours ago, BitterApple said:

The Bates boys have had a string of failed courtships. It wouldn't surprise me if they get the benefit of relaxed rules. If one of them doesn't get married soon, people will start to wonder. 

Plus with these Bates sons - Nathan and Lawson - maybe G&K have realized that they are different than Zach and Trace. Zach and Trace lived at home for both of their failed courtships - so they could be more under mommy and daddy's thumbs re you have to take 3 siblings along when your gf comes to visit and/or you're only allowed to take the car (or a flight in Trace's case) to go see your gf if you bring someone with you. With Lawson and Nathan -- losers though they are -- they are out and about on their own with piloting, flight lessons, medical/disaster relief missions, Lawson in Nashville or a video shoot for a week here and there. Sure mommy and daddy can try to apply the rules when their girlfriends come to visit -- and likely they probably do -- like if you're going out, you must take Jeb/Jud to babysit you; I mean I'm 100% positive G&K are the reason that Law was IG videoing out that his ski group was Callie, Ellie and Tiffany and they were shown riding the gondolas together. I mean can't leave a 28 yr old man in a gondola alone with his gf, heaven forbid, they may make a baby right there.

BUT with these sons, how can they control the sons' visits to the girlfriends? If they make a big deal about - you must bring Warden or whoever on a trip to Ca. or Pa to visit your gf, it's easy to say -- nah NBD I don't have to go now, we'll see each other in a few weeks for x holiday anyway -- and then on whatever flight or mission (whether real or made up), oh yeah I happened to take a detour in San Diego/Pa. and saw my gf. Frankly they don't even have to tell mommy and daddy though I assume Lawson can't hide much bc if it isn't on IG, it didn't happen.

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3 is enough

3 is enough

I bet the fact that the Duggars have married off 3 sons since Josh and another is engaged was really eating at Kelly.  I'm sure she was wondering why her sons who are much better catches (in her eyes) couldn't snag brides.  Chances are those poor guys have been hounded constantly for the past couple of years.

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RebeccatheWriter

RebeccatheWriter

Nathan and Trace have both had chaperones with their failed courtships. I can't remember which but some combo of Jackson, Warden, and Isaiah would accompany him to New York. However, he and Lawson are closing in on late 20s/30 at this point. According to social media, they are constantly traveling. It would be nearly impossible to impose those courtship rules on them.

I'm sure we will get some line about the woman in the relationship and her family dictating such rules.  

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cereality

cereality

So looks like Travis closed on a tiny little house in NJ — which despite being tiny and old prob cost a fair amount because it’s NJ not Rocky Top. Katie is 20 and has been begging for a ring. My guess is he was saying to the Bates — not until I settle down/buy a house. Now with the house in place wonder how fast the ring comes. Sunday is Valentines and I can’t imagine they’re not getting together, they’ve traveled back and forth during the pandemic . . . . Guess G&K couldn’t convince this one to move to the boonies for their daughter and to make the Bates family #1 in his life. Good luck to Katie in N.J. — it can be kind of a tough place and she’s an idiot . . . .

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cereality

cereality

(edited)

Interesting to how they've gone from -- you are not allowed to sit next to your gf for any extended length of time (Zach's first gf) to an annoying 6 yr old who won't even let you speak to your gf bc he'll interrupt every 2 seconds must chaperone your date (Trace) to Lawson pretty much spending 3 straight weeks with his gf. She joined them on the Bates family ski trip. Sure they weren't alone and there were chaperones around bc dozens of siblings were there. But then he flew with her to Ca where he stayed for 1+ weeks for both her birthday and valentines day. Guaranteed her family is normal and wasn't "chaperoning" them. They posted pics from a darkened living room where she was laying on the couch next to him as he watched the super bowl; plenty of beach trips and picnics, no siblings in sight. Now they've flown back to Tenn -- after being stranded overnight at the Dallas airport in the storm. The horror! They were ALONE. Again it's not like they have full privacy in Tenn. esp with her staying at his house, yet they are posting plenty of videos driving around east Tenn by themselves in his car.

I mean it's as it should be, he's a grown 28 year old man who doesn't need 6 year olds supervising him bc mommy and daddy said so. But damn G&K have relaxed as they've modernized, gotten used to TV world and the free stuff/publicity from TV world. I mean these are the same people who went from -- dancing/moving to music bring out the devil -- to aww a daddy daughter dance and a first dance at Carlin's wedding is just SO CLASSY . . . . Zach definitely rolled his eyes hard at that -- as he is most aware of his parents' BS -- saying yeah apparently dancing is okay now if it's classical music . . . no devil.

Law's gf seems outgoing and relaxed and at least thus far doesn't seem desperate to fit in with the Bates and change who she is. She's at his house now wearing jeans. She's "modeling" for the Bates Sisters' boutique (eyeroll) yet she seems like she WANTS to do it -- unlike Trace's more reserved gf who seemed NOT interested and VERY uncomfortable but he only thinking of HIS family sort of pushed her into doing it AND hanging out all day with his mother and sisters who then harassed her about OMG when will you get married, you ARE moving to Tenn, right and he did nothing to get them to back off. Very happy that girl went running back to Tx. Hopefully this is more a Carlin and Evan situation -- yeah Carlin is loud and irritating (like Law) but so is Evan (hopefully like Tiff) and thus they can put up with each other/enjoy each others' company.

Similar relaxation of "standards" with Nathan who flew to Pa to see his gf for Valentines day. They posted pics of him hugging her close, her basically pelvic thrusting into him, and [the scandal] him kissing her on the cheek . . . .

I'm sure G&K would say the girls' families set the standards blah blah but reality is these sons are 27-28 years old and out and about without mommy and daddy and without 37 siblings. They're going to do what they want -- which for a normal healthy male means kissing his gf -- regardless of how much it "disappoints" G&K.

Edited by cereality
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IndianPaintbrush

IndianPaintbrush

I noticed Tiffany dresses like any other girl her age. The other day Lawson posted a photo of her wearing a very short spaghetti strap dress, and it definitely raised some eyebrows in the comments.

I can't get a read on these two from Instagram alone. They make a cute couple, but she is just SO young.

 

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3 is enough

3 is enough

(edited)

I wonder if it is a convenience thing.  Lawson is almost 29.  While I find him insufferable, he is pretty.  I think people were starting to wonder why he was still single, and I bet Kelly was starting to pester him.

 I think he enjoys his life just as it is, he will never find anyone he loves as much as himself.  So he and Tiffany "date" for a while, ultimately they part as friends because neither one wants to move to the other side of the country.  It buys him some time and bonus points for being inclusive and dating someone of another race.  You will notice she just kind of appeared, and there has been no mention of "courting" at all.  The whole thing just screams distraction to me.

Edited by 3 is enough
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cereality

cereality

So Law has been vaguebooking with pics of clouds with locations marked as Cairo Egypt and then South Sudan. Fortunately pics are from a commercial aircraft, not the jalopy he and his brother fly.  What on earth would he be doing in Egypt or South Sudan? Mission trip to preach? Some child there needing medical care in America so they called Lawson like the little girl in the Philippines? I assume it’s the latter as medical missions are kind of his think but how exactly does he earn a living/who pays him for this?!

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cereality

cereality

(edited)

Per his IG, Travis proposed in Key West Fla. Guess Kelly and Katie finally convinced him Katie was the one. Welcome to your new life Bobby 2.0.

Damn Travis just turned 20 in March. He’s the youngest of the Bates grooms by a lot - Chad, John and Brandon were all mid 20s. Bobby, Kelton and Evan married younger but Bobby and Kelton had both graduated college so they were at least 22-23 by the wedding day; IDK exactly about Evan but from the dating story they tell it sounds like he was at least 20-21 when he became interested in her and she had started college — theirs was one of the “longer” courtships so Evan likely was also 22ish at least by wedding day.

Edited by cereality
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floridamom

floridamom

What the heck were Katie and Travis doing in Key West? I can't understand how these people seem to travel so much. Katie, IMO, is no where ready for marriage....to anyone. She is an immature 20 year old. That poor guy. I hope someone gives him a rain slicker for a wedding present. He will have a life of having food smeared intentionally on his face. This will get old very quickly for him. I bet every dollar I have that Katie can't even boil water correctly. Great job training your daughters to be great homemakers, Kelly. BTW, can Kelly boil water correctly?

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3 is enough

3 is enough

My Instagram is not loading new posts right now. Maybe it's a site issue.  Josie and Alyssa did congratulate Katie.  

I don't get UP so have not seen Katie and Travis on tv.  At least she is 20, probably will be 21 by the time they get married.  I thought he was going to finish school first?  Maybe a longer engagement?

Spazamanaz

Spazamanaz

1 hour ago, floridamom said:

I'm disgusted at watching these "desperate-for-a ring" Bates girls act so surprised when they are FINALLY proposed to. Come on, girl, you were begging for a ring one week after the getting-to-know-you stage. Have some self-respect and contain yourselves.

They are the worst. Omg so desperate!  I remember watching when Michaela was courting Brandon and all she could say in her interviews was ' I don't care, I just want to be married.'  ' I cant wait, I  just want to be married'. Over and over again, in every interview. And then Tori kept dropping obvious hints about getting a ring on her finger. In one episode she even tried to get into his pockets to see if he had a ring yet. (If I'm remembering correctly). I was embarrassed for them. 

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Eureka

Eureka

On 4/9/2021 at 9:52 AM, 65mickey said:

If I thought that my 20 year old  barely educated daughter was engaged to marry another 20 year old I would sit down and cry. And I wouldn't care how wealthy the family was.  

Yeah...they are SO young. My older DS is 20 and I can’t imagine him getting married right now. 

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cereality

cereality

(edited)

So Nathan is engaged. Was wondering what was going on with that as he said he wanted to propose this spring and get married in the fall and we're coming up on summer. But it's done. Looks like he went to Pa, then brought her back to Tenn, and then they flew to Orlando Fl where he proposed in front of some lake that seems like it is on the property of a family friend and Alyssa and Carlin had set up giant letters saying "Marry Me."

So kind of low key compared to recent engagements that involved jetting off to Maine or annoying scavenger hunts in Utah that went on for days. Seems like those other engagements were a little bit of -- do something big because UPTv will comp a lot of it. It seemed more like the sons in law acting like they were doing something big, when really it was UPTv paying for a lot of it. Whereas this seems a bit like what they'd do normally on their own without a TV show paying. IIRC Zach also went down to Fla and proposed on a beach. Might be a son vs. son in law thing.

Edited by cereality
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emmawoodhouse

emmawoodhouse

4 minutes ago, IndianPaintbrush said:

Uh, we need to talk about Nathan's suit. WTF?!?

I haven't been able to see any footage of Esther and Nathan together since I don't get UPtv. My guess is that she's very sweet and agreeable?

She barely spoke when they introduced her to the family a couple of episodes ago. 

@PrincessPurrsALot, we need topic threads for Katie/Travis and Nathan/Esther! 😀

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