UPDATE:Healthy, Happy, and Busy: Gil and Kelly Jo Bates Navigate 2025 with Family and Grandkids !

• Healthy, Happy, and Busy: Gil and Kelly Jo Bates Navigate 2025 with Family and Grandkids

Since Bringing Up Bates concluded, Gil and Kelly Jo Bates have entered a new chapter of their lives — quieter at home but busier than ever in their roles as grandparents, while also managing health challenges.

A Shift in Daily Life

Gil and Kelly Jo, the couple known for raising 19 children, are adjusting to significant changes in their household. The large family home, once full of constant chatter and activity, is now noticeably calmer as most of their children have grown up, married, and moved out. As of October 2025, only three children under 18 remain living at home, marking a distinct new phase for the Bates family.

Health Updates

Recently, health has been a focus for the Bates family. Gil underwent shoulder surgery and is continuing physical therapy to ensure a full recovery. Meanwhile, the couple has also been supporting their adult children. They traveled to Florida to visit daughter Alyssa (Bates) Webster, helping her after a heart-related procedure while also enjoying time with their grandchildren.

A Growing Grandfamily

While the household may be quieter, 2025 is shaping up to be a record year for the Bates grandchildren. Gil and Kelly Jo are embracing their role as grandparents more than ever, with the family expecting the total number of grandchildren to reach 37 by the end of 2025.

Some of the expected additions include:

• Jackson and Emerson (Bates) – due June 2025

• Lydia and Trace (Bates) – due June 2025

• Erin (Bates) and Chad Paine – due Summer 2025

• Carlin (Bates) and Evan Stewart – due September 2025

• Josie (Bates) and Kelton Balka – due December 2025

• Tiffany and Lawson (Bates) – due December 2025

• Another baby from Tori (Bates) and Bobby Smith – expected March 2026
  

Embracing the New Roles

Gil and Kelly Jo are navigating this next phase with balance — supporting each other through health concerns, enjoying the excitement of new grandchildren, and remaining the anchors of a large, extended family. For fans who have followed the Bates family for years, this season of life offers both heartwarming continuity and fresh milestones, proving that the joys of family grow ever larger, even as the household quiets down.