0:09

Carala, She's

0:15

she's getting not afraid, so

0:19

just let it flow. No one Caral

0:25

sounds Carol. I'm

0:28

so excited because I have you in the flesh and

0:30

blood. I have Erica Heartline

0:33

in my studio. You know you

0:35

are one of the very few people who has actually

0:38

done a studio recording

0:40

with me. Really, yes, because I set

0:43

this up and recording a little bit. This is Erica's

0:45

first podcast everyone, and I told her

0:47

it's gonna be painless and it's gonna be easy, and she's

0:49

gonna love it. And now I'm so nervous. Don't

0:51

be nervous. Within like five minutes, you're gonna forget

0:53

the camera it okay, we're zooming it

0:56

and we're recording it. Because now I'm just

0:58

I don't do many like recording some persons,

1:00

so I'm scared him to lose the audience. I just have to double.

1:04

But it's gonna be painless, it's gonna be great. And

1:07

Erica is it's a beautiful fiance of

1:09

Jake Owen. Is that weird

1:11

to be associated with like someone like

1:13

that? Now, because like you, you're such an independent

1:16

powerhouse woman on your own. If we're going to get into

1:18

your life. But is it like odd

1:20

to just like have this celebrity

1:22

fiance who's not like that to you because

1:25

like you know him. And I've known Jake

1:27

forever too, I know, which is super cool, like since

1:29

for at least like fifteen years, so basically

1:32

I mean since he's been in town. Yeah.

1:34

Yeah, I'm excited to hear more about that, some

1:38

back some back history there, which will

1:40

be fun. I love Jake. I've always

1:42

loved Jake. He's been like a brother figure, like not

1:45

because we kind of grew up together, like in the music

1:47

industry. Obviously he was successful and doing

1:49

while I was in a struggling band, but like we

1:51

just had a lot of mutual friends and we hung

1:53

out in the same groups and he was always just

1:55

like a sweet, nice guy. Well

1:57

that's what he said when I was like, I'm gonna go talk to Caroline

2:00

today, and he was like, I love her. She's awesome.

2:02

I've known her forever, so that's

2:04

great. We never dated, we never had any chemistry

2:06

nothing, which is always great because I was a little bit of a makeup

2:09

bandit for a while. But there are certain town.

2:12

Yes, it is such a small

2:14

town. I know. I was so so glad

2:16

because like before I married Michael, like and we Michael

2:19

and I met super young. I was twenty four and he was twenty

2:22

two, So I mean my dating history was brief

2:24

para nashural, But I mean I made account. I

2:26

definitely got in there. I made it worth

2:28

while. But I'm glad that I

2:31

was like apprud and didn't like sleep around

2:33

and stuff because now I'm friends with so

2:35

many wives of artists and I didn't really make out with

2:37

them any But I'm like, I'm just glad that it's

2:39

just all so chill because you

2:41

know, so I digress there.

2:44

But anyway, okay, so what is

2:46

that like to be because you were you

2:48

probably didn't have any dreams to be like married

2:50

to someone who's in the public eye. You're

2:53

an interior designer, you got your

2:55

thing going and then bam,

2:57

so well it was. It's so funny because

2:59

if we rewind just a little bit and go

3:01

back to the beginning there, Um,

3:04

I was working full time designer, which

3:07

is badass. You have amazing style just from your

3:09

clothes, thank you. Um.

3:11

But let me just say really quick, this is incredible

3:14

to have a full on adult conversation

3:17

like no children like we're

3:19

able to do it in person, the COVID

3:21

thing last year. I was so glad when

3:23

you said you wanted to do this in person, because it's so

3:25

much more fun in person because you

3:27

get to hang and you wrought Paris over and

3:30

study's here and they're getting to pay and

3:33

it's sweet. It just makes it like so much more

3:35

cozy. Yeah, personable, yes,

3:37

yes, um, so thank you, thank

3:40

you, thank you. But yeah,

3:42

it was really funny when Jake and I met

3:45

um in the in the world that I was in

3:47

at the time. Um,

3:49

I was traveling a lot. He was traveling

3:52

a lot on the road. I think he was actually

3:54

on tour with Kenny that year. UM.

3:58

And when he was into own, I was

4:00

out of town. We were always. He was remodeling

4:02

his home, that's where

4:04

it all began, while I was working for Restoration Hardware,

4:07

so I was I was a gallery designer for

4:09

Restoration, which and I've got to do the backstory

4:12

because Jake walked

4:14

in and saw you. I was like, I have never seen

4:16

a woman this confidence in my life,

4:18

Like you were just like telling people what to

4:20

do and like a very nice heard that, And I was like,

4:22

what is he even saying? About

4:25

who loved it? So do you boss him around here? Anyone

4:29

around? No? That

4:31

was really sweet, but no, I have no idea

4:33

what he was exactly referring to in that you

4:35

were just like making it happen, like running

4:38

that ship. Oh my gosh, Well

4:40

I was. I absolutely loved what I did.

4:43

Okay, So what does that mean? I was a gallery

4:45

designer? Are you creating like

4:47

the way all the rooms look at restoration

4:49

hardware? So I was. I'm not like the on

4:51

the curating team. But what I would do is I

4:54

would um, I would

4:56

take a lot of them.

4:58

I can say, I guess term it V I P

5:01

clients um, and I

5:03

mean we would do uh small

5:05

projects to full home designs.

5:08

So you were like working with clients and designing

5:10

their houses. So like if I moved into this

5:12

house recently and I could have hired you and

5:15

you could have done the whole house,

5:17

made the flow happen, come

5:20

up with the thing that the brand

5:22

I could only source obviously because I was working

5:24

with restoration hardware, So I would do everything with

5:27

hard designs. Yes, like

5:29

a cool thing though, because restoration

5:31

hardware is a one stop shop. Yes, you definitely

5:34

have to be v I p to do a full house

5:36

from restoration hardware, and that's where, um,

5:39

Nashville. I got to meet so many amazing

5:41

people. Oh my god, the homes that you did.

5:44

I'm sure we're just insanity. It

5:47

was really a fun, fun opportunity.

5:49

Is that nerve wracking when like, here's this giant

5:52

check book that's coming your way and they're like, okay, Erica,

5:55

Like I'm gonna spend maybe hundreds

5:57

of thousands of dollars on this and you're going to be the

5:59

one picking it out? Is that stressful? No? Because

6:02

I used to say that my job was I got

6:04

to spend other people's money and design. You

6:07

know what I'm doing what I love UM

6:09

And it was great. But more than just the projects

6:12

or the floor plans or the checking the boxes

6:14

of light fixture heights and

6:16

you know, sofa dimensions, it was

6:18

the relationships that I created, UM.

6:21

And you know what

6:23

I was doing and what I would tell my team

6:25

or my designers or the people

6:27

that we were working with. It's um there's

6:30

nothing more personal than someone's home, you

6:32

know, like that this

6:34

is where they're coming to get away from the

6:36

rest of the world. And so being

6:39

having that opportunity and sitting down getting

6:41

to know the people, getting

6:43

to know their life, their lifestyle, their family.

6:46

You know, um, you really are let

6:48

in. Yeah, because it's happening, it's

6:51

a trust, it's intimate. Yes, because

6:53

it's like, Okay, this is what we like to do. This

6:56

is the vibe of our family. We want to

6:58

use this room because we enjoyed doing this

7:01

and a lot of the projects. I mean, it

7:03

would be someone's lifetime home,

7:05

like this is what they had been waiting their whole

7:07

lifetime to buy this home and be

7:09

able to design it with us. Sorry,

7:12

I just keep pulling our microphone back. I told

7:14

you forget your on microphone. I do. Um,

7:17

but that's where I loved,

7:19

sitting down, getting to meet the

7:21

client per se and um

7:24

walking through what their daily routine,

7:27

their day, like who all

7:29

is in this house? How often? We did a

7:31

lot of guest homes as well, and it was all

7:33

in Nashville, which dash was

7:36

the most interesting people. Yeah, I know, I

7:38

know, well I did, so I did get to travel.

7:41

Um. I did go to uh

7:44

Chicago to the very first opening

7:46

of the r H Cafe. So that was

7:48

the first one that RH ever opened,

7:50

was in Chicago. Um, I think that

7:52

was like two thou or so,

7:55

that was several years ago, but that was the first one.

7:57

So I was there and I was back and forth. And that was the

7:59

year at Jake and I actually met Um.

8:02

So I was there for on and off. I

8:05

think it was a couple of months um in Chicago.

8:08

Yeah, so Chicago, and then I would travel. I went

8:10

to like a helped with the Austin. What

8:12

a cool job you have. This is about

8:14

as cool as it gets because a restoration

8:16

hardware is the best coolest

8:19

vibe that ever was. They

8:21

do have an incredible everything

8:24

and it's even like the restaurant and the drinks

8:26

in the coffee bar and then you walk on all the floors.

8:28

So to be like an in house

8:31

designer for restoration hardware, that's

8:33

baller. It was awesome, super baller

8:37

fun. Perfect time of your life too,

8:39

because like what you're in your late twenties.

8:41

Yes, oh, killing the game. You

8:43

have all this knowledge. Now you've got life experience.

8:46

You're not like young dumb kid.

8:48

You're you know, you're a woman, got it going

8:50

on? Oh is it fun?

8:53

Was it a fun season? Yeah? It was. It

8:55

was a lot of long, endless

8:58

hours. To say the East but

9:00

it was incredible. But um

9:03

that, like I said, the main thing was the people,

9:05

like the relationships I created in Nashville,

9:07

and um, you know, and

9:10

then that's when I truly found out how the small

9:12

town. And that was before this whole Nashville.

9:14

I mean, I was watching the city change,

9:17

you know, the amount of people that were moving

9:19

here daily and especially from

9:21

l A and New York and and then you

9:23

know, all of it was changing so

9:25

much, um and was becoming the

9:28

city that it's like not no one

9:30

was prepared for at the time, you know, I mean

9:32

it's a full blown like metropolitan

9:35

city. Yeah. I had a really big

9:37

client move from Chicago

9:39

to Nashville, and they were talking about,

9:41

you know because Chicago is known for food, right, like

9:44

food industries, and they were like, Nashville's

9:46

truly becoming that now.

9:49

And this was this was a couple of years ago that I even

9:51

you know, had that conversation. But yeah,

9:53

so our city is just completely it

9:56

has evolved, like and

9:58

it's still it's like not even about to

10:00

slow down. Part of me like is freaking out. I'm like, please

10:02

stop, please stop, please stop, because it's like some of these

10:04

other big cities. Everyone's leaving them and they're all

10:06

coming here, and I'm like, don't overrun

10:08

our city. It's so big that it's not

10:10

the sweet little town it was. I'm

10:13

all for progress and changing all that, but you know, I

10:15

do love the sweet hometown vibe

10:17

that Nashville has always had. Okay,

10:19

so when you're doing these houses, what

10:22

is it like? Did you always mesh well with

10:25

the people like the owners of the house or was there

10:27

ever conflict? How do you deal with big personality?

10:29

So the ongoing joke is that if you're an interior designer,

10:32

you're I'm a psychologist too. You have to

10:34

be. I mean, it's so true. You

10:36

sit down and people probably full one meltdowns

10:38

on you all the time because like this

10:40

is big. Well, the

10:43

I guess probably, I mean it's it was

10:46

hysterical because wives have opinions,

10:48

some husbands do, some husbands don't,

10:50

or it's completely reversed, like the husband's the

10:52

one that's, you know, has the creative

10:55

mind and wants all of these things, and the wife's

10:57

like, I don't really care, and you know, so

10:59

it was always managing like

11:01

the emotions do you have to like how did how

11:03

long did it take you to assess your clients. Do you like go

11:05

to lunch with them a couple of times, or like, how do you like

11:07

prepare for the personalities? No, I had.

11:10

Fortunately, I was in a role where they

11:14

were kind of, um,

11:16

not technically interviewed, but they were sourced

11:18

out before they would get to me. So it's

11:20

like I knew, you know, what

11:24

category, what level, that sort of thing.

11:26

So depending on the project is

11:28

basically how it worked. But I mean

11:30

I could meet them and sit down with them,

11:32

and that's that's that's what I loved,

11:35

and to figure out who they really were,

11:37

you know, and that was always intriguing and

11:40

and exciting and it's

11:42

a discovery because every

11:44

human is different, every desire design,

11:47

you know. And I will say Nashville is

11:49

hard because so many creative

11:51

people are in this city and they're like, Okay,

11:53

you're the designer, but also I'm creative,

11:55

so like maybe you're wrong, Erica exactly,

11:59

and like this is the way it should be. But you're like, that

12:01

really doesn't fall It looks terrible.

12:04

An artist love

12:06

meshing all kinds of all

12:10

kinds of design, right,

12:13

And it's like, yeah, no, that's

12:15

that we can't do that. That's

12:17

not gonna work. But then you

12:20

know you have to you have to find a blend.

12:22

But the good thing I will always get back if

12:25

you come to restoration hardware and you want a design,

12:28

like I have to make it the

12:30

aesthetic that we have, Like, that's

12:32

just that's what I do, and so we have

12:34

to make that work. And so fortunately they wouldn't

12:36

be there if that's not what they wanted. In the end. Um,

12:39

it's just and you know, you're working, like

12:41

you said, with restoration hardware materials,

12:44

so it's going to be great. Yeah,

12:46

but yeah, the artists would We're definitely

12:48

the most challenging because they were One

12:51

day they would come in and say they wanted this. I forgot

12:53

about that, the changing of the mind all the time. One

12:55

day they would come in and it could be a few hours

12:58

later I get emails actually I like this better,

13:00

Actually maybe let's go this, And I was like, oh,

13:02

the directions are just see. This is why

13:04

Jake was so turned on by because he's like,

13:07

you know how to handle artists and

13:09

put like make it have it. Yeah. I just

13:11

had to basically tell him I'm like, no, we

13:14

can't go that route. That's not gonna work. So

13:16

then then there's a whole other things. Okay.

13:18

So okay, so you meet Jake in the middle of all this,

13:20

because he is now how many years ago

13:22

is this? This

13:25

was? Um, it'll be six

13:27

this fall when you met him. Okay. And if you'all hear

13:29

dogs and children of screaming, laughing,

13:31

crying, whatever in the background, that's just

13:33

normal. That's what's happening. Um.

13:35

Okay, so six years ago, you're doing

13:37

this, he's coming in. Does he hire you

13:40

like you don't? You have

13:42

to go through RH at the time,

13:44

so he can't request right, that

13:46

would be awesome. Well he I mean

13:48

I was going to be I was already over

13:50

his project. That's happening. So you're already

13:52

like checking in with him on the regular. Yes, yes,

13:55

so he Actually it's funny.

13:57

Um,

14:00

there's a baby crying for some somebody,

14:03

don't worry. The kids have babysitters and friends. They

14:05

were gonna they got snacks. That's fine everyone. Um.

14:08

So it was funny because

14:10

my whole group, my team

14:12

of people, they were always

14:15

trying to So he would come in the gallery randomly

14:17

and say, you know, we knew the project,

14:19

we knew what he needed, we knew what was happening, but

14:22

I would be out, I would be traveling,

14:24

or I'd be in another appointment or in

14:26

at it in home, you know,

14:28

measuring or whatever. So our schedules

14:31

were just always off and UM, at

14:33

this point, you are just trying to get together to work together. Yes,

14:36

zero zero like relationship.

14:38

You didn't know that you had Florida gosh.

14:40

No. So there was one

14:42

time where one of my UM

14:45

designers, they were laughing like we finally

14:47

we've got an appointment, We've got a time like this

14:50

is like you're here, he's here. Let's get this together

14:52

so you can get his project. Because

14:54

that was the other thing. It was always a joke in Nashville.

14:57

We we knew when there was

14:59

something go going on in Nashville before

15:02

anyone else knew, saying like

15:05

people needed like in

15:07

stock items, full home designs, like whatever

15:09

it was. You know, it was all

15:11

we would always know before anything else because

15:13

you're providing all the

15:15

the furniture and design. So

15:18

he was needing UM a lot of um

15:21

A full house design basically,

15:24

and UM we were going we

15:26

finally got the appointment scheduled and

15:29

UM. So then I mean from

15:31

there it was really just completely

15:33

professional. The whole time I was

15:35

back and forth to Chicago for the opening

15:37

there, and when I can see why you're so great at

15:39

your job though, with all these personalities that you're dealing

15:42

with, because even when you walk in, you have these bright eyes

15:44

that are so cheerful and inviting and alive.

15:46

Like when you walk in, you're like, it's just like health

15:49

radiots from you, like vibrancy,

15:51

yes, and like you just have a great spirit

15:53

and you're energizing. You're beautiful, but you're fun,

15:56

and you're like you're you don't you're not like

15:58

you're so beautiful, but you're not, like

16:00

you don't carry yourself in a way where it's like overwhelming

16:02

to talk to you, because you know, like some people it's hard to

16:04

talk to them when they're like amazing to see

16:07

because you're like, oh god, I'm intimidate, but you don't,

16:09

like you're just so easy to hang out with. You're

16:11

so relatable person. Okay, So

16:13

I can see why you're crushing at this job.

16:16

Okay, So then you have basically we

16:19

had um his

16:21

whole family was coming up for Christmas, so

16:23

it was just very important that I mean deadlines,

16:25

dates, deliveries, he wanted the house done,

16:29

done and perfect. And that

16:31

was one like delivery timelines

16:34

and stuff. I mean, you have to be very strategic

16:36

planning the installs. So

16:40

um we were, we were scheduling

16:42

installs. Everything was going great, and

16:44

um, out of the blue, one night, he

16:47

sends me this text. It

16:50

was really cute, it was sweet. I've actually never

16:52

said this so good. But what

16:55

I said it was I have I forget

16:57

the exact wording, but it was like, I have a perfect

17:00

are non professional, non

17:02

business question to ask you? And

17:04

I was like, oh, okay,

17:06

what is that? And

17:08

he was like, would you like to get some beer? Have

17:11

a beer sometime? And I was like sure,

17:14

I mean, and that's

17:16

it, that's that's that's what started.

17:18

Yeah, I mean up until that point, there was zero,

17:21

like you know, I mean just he's

17:23

super sweet and personal as you know, and

17:26

so, um, had you felt

17:28

like attraction to him before this? No,

17:31

I he would say something different.

17:33

But there was a day he was in the gallery

17:35

quote unquote, and um,

17:37

I knew what I knew things that he was going

17:39

through and was he had he just gotten before

17:42

he was just going through his divorce and

17:44

so you know, I and had

17:47

I never spoke to anyone about their

17:49

anything personal that I knew that was

17:51

going on. But he was just so

17:53

kind and caring and like open

17:56

he's he is so honest and open

17:58

to a fault. I love that about like

18:01

this is what you can keep your mouth just a little

18:04

bit okay, but no, he's really open

18:06

and kind and caring, and we were just having the

18:08

best conversation, just honest right

18:10

there in the gallery. Um

18:13

and I said, I just looked at and I said, I really I want you

18:15

to know I'm really sorry for what you're going

18:17

through. Like I know, I

18:19

don't know what it's like publicly, but behind

18:22

the scenes personally from you know, past

18:24

thing, Like I know, I can't imagine how

18:26

hard that is with a with a little girl, because

18:28

Pearl was only um I think

18:31

three ish at that time. Um

18:34

are two wish um so, and

18:37

he just he looked at me just with like the most

18:39

caring you know, like I mean, it was

18:41

it was really this this moment. And so

18:43

after that is when he kind of started really opening

18:46

up. And um then shortly

18:48

afterward when I got the text about could

18:50

we have a would you like to have a beer, And

18:52

I was like sure, and so were

18:55

you worried though, because I mean, this is

18:57

like kind of a scary time to start dating someone he's

18:59

going through. Yeah, well I didn't. He's got a

19:01

kid. It wasn't like it was like

19:04

we're going to date type thing. You weren't even

19:06

like you weren't even like you're not that kind of

19:08

girl. You don't even care, right, No, not

19:11

busy, I'll go. But

19:14

you're designs. No, you're not sitting

19:17

around dying to meet your husband. No, you're like

19:19

I am. No. Yes, So

19:21

because you're like, okay, I'll give this a world, why not and be doun

19:24

Yeah, And so we did.

19:26

We went and I love Red Pony, just being

19:28

horse industry and some of our because

19:31

you grew up in the walking horse industry,

19:33

which is amazing. I want to hear more about that later.

19:35

Okay, well we some of our we

19:38

know that I know the owners of

19:41

Red Pony. So we went and had

19:43

drinks there and it was great. I mean, it was

19:45

very casual, nothing

19:48

inappropriate, just a fun evening

19:50

of you know, drinks and um,

19:52

I think he was leaving the next day to do

19:54

the Thanksgiving parade. Um,

19:57

so he did that, and you know

19:59

the was just I knew

20:02

like that he was very

20:04

special. I could say like

20:06

from that, you know, time on,

20:08

but there was definitely a lot

20:11

of time, you know, I mean I was busy,

20:13

he was busy, he was going through

20:15

things. And he actually flew back that

20:17

day from celebrating the Soul Girl's third

20:19

birthday, so you know, there was just

20:22

there was a lot of um, big

20:25

heel from things you've got going. You

20:27

know, I'm gonna work and

20:29

focus on that and then we'll see

20:32

where it goes. So

20:35

then was it kind of continual

20:38

after that? Yeah, let's

20:40

see. So I met his

20:42

whole family that Christmas,

20:44

like everything was. I mean, so he didn't

20:46

like, he didn't like put you on the backburner at

20:48

all, Like he went in full force

20:51

like respectful guy, like I'm not

20:53

going to like casually did I'm

20:55

not gonna date you, but then also have another

20:57

person I could be dating it. He kind of like the

20:59

first the first year, it

21:01

was a little yeah, like

21:04

just okay, you need to take

21:06

your time. I'm going to take mine

21:08

and then we can kind of did you kind

21:10

of let them know that in a way that like I'm not

21:13

here for just like I

21:15

don't even know how you phrase that eight second ride.

21:17

Wasn't that one of the songs I'm

21:20

not here either, No, no, Um,

21:23

But there was just always

21:26

you know, I mean, I'm a big trust person.

21:29

Don't you dare break my trust?

21:32

Like you can be honest and you can be

21:34

wrong and we can agree but and move

21:36

forward, but or disagree exactly

21:39

and don't but don't don't break my trust

21:41

because once that's broken, there's a lot like

21:44

to heal from that, you know,

21:46

and there's there's so much hurt

21:48

behind. I mean, you have to trust someone

21:51

to be able to to move forward in

21:53

any type of relationship, friendship,

21:55

you know, dating, marriage,

21:59

anything like that. So you'll have this year

22:01

of kind of like knowing there's a vibe

22:03

knowing are you finishing his house project in

22:05

the middle of all this. No, the house was

22:08

pretty much done, but that Christmas

22:10

was pretty special. We had um so

22:12

it was his first Christmas in Tennessee,

22:15

um by himself, with Pearl and

22:18

his whole family. So that was the thing, like we had

22:20

to have the house had to just be perfect for the family.

22:22

So I was like, you know what, we have to go and

22:24

we you have to have a live like

22:26

a real Christmas tree. You know at

22:29

the time that was always so special and fun to go

22:31

and pick one out, and um,

22:33

so I did. We Like we got in

22:35

the car, we went and we picked out this Christmas

22:38

tree. They brought it that night. They delivered

22:40

it like two am in the morning. But it

22:42

was just all this excitement and anticipation

22:45

and they was so proud of the new house. Yes, yeah,

22:47

and so and you were too, Yeah yeah,

22:49

and I loved you know when I did get to meet his

22:51

parents there, you know, they were so complimentary

22:53

and it was sweet, but it was something that he was so proud

22:56

of. But um, you know picking out the

22:58

Christmas tree and that's been a thing every year now

23:00

and then that's where we actually got engaged with that

23:02

Christmas tree lot, which

23:05

is so sweet. Yes, that

23:07

was really sweet. So, so you met the

23:09

parents right away, and I remember so

23:11

he I think it was like some was like an ABC

23:14

or CBS special I'm coming home and

23:16

you were on it with him. Yeah. That was when

23:18

I found out we were expecting. Okay,

23:21

So I remember him saying

23:23

something. I think you were like sitting outside with his family,

23:26

or he was talking to his brother because he's a twin brother,

23:28

or dad or something, and he said something, and I remember

23:30

thinking like this because I had known

23:32

Jake before, and so many

23:35

girls have always wanted to date Jake.

23:37

Obviously, you know, he's so cute and

23:39

he's charming and fun, I mean, you know, and

23:42

he's like a singer and has

23:44

this presence, but he's never been

23:46

that guy as long as I've ever known him

23:48

this wanted to be in a serious

23:50

relationship. So I

23:52

remember watching him talk

23:54

about you, and he said something like, I

23:57

know, I just want to at

24:00

Erica as like a focus and like

24:02

include her and like talk about

24:04

her and like have her in

24:07

this orbit with me. And I remember

24:09

him saying that, like on TV something like that, and I'm

24:11

totally butchering it. But didn't say something like that, Yeah,

24:14

that was I don't

24:16

remember if that was in the Thanksgiving

24:18

special. I remember hearing that he said that because it

24:20

was always we were so private,

24:23

still very private. I love

24:25

it that way. Um, And he

24:27

didn't. He didn't he just

24:29

because of previous situations

24:32

relationship. Um.

24:34

We kept in for protection of his little girl,

24:36

which I will always applaud him for

24:38

that. I will always respect

24:41

that. You know that we kind

24:43

of we were very quiet about I love that

24:45

too, because it really he really does put his

24:47

children first. Yeah, and as

24:49

you should, as any father should. And

24:52

so we were very you

24:54

know, cautious with that, and then

24:56

of course the public eye and there

24:59

were just several things that and I

25:01

do believe and I appreciate so

25:03

much. But he was protecting me from

25:05

things, you know, and then a lot

25:08

yeah, yeah, and just coming out

25:10

of you know what he was coming out of. So

25:13

that with but with his little girl, that

25:15

was very important that we take

25:17

it extremely slow, and we

25:19

did, and I loved it. I wouldn't change a thing, you know,

25:21

I think it. It grew, He

25:24

grew as a person during that time. I

25:26

definitely grew. There was a lot to know,

25:29

learn understand with each

25:32

other, with you know, relationships

25:35

as a whole, especially from

25:37

as a step mom standpoint.

25:40

How did you navigate that? Because I feel like you have

25:42

a great relationship with Pearl, and it seems

25:44

like Paris and Pearl have the sweet relationship.

25:46

It's the sweetest thing ever. Pearl

25:49

is precious, She's sweet, so

25:51

cute, and she's the best big sister and our

25:53

little girl. Parents just picks up pictures

25:55

of her and goes Pearl, Pearl all the time,

25:57

so she idolizes her.

26:00

Um was that hard for you to take on a stepmom

26:03

role? Or was that it was so eat Pearl

26:05

like she just made She's so kind

26:08

and caring and loving and she just kind

26:10

of took me in. And we just see

26:13

that. You said, Pearl took you in and she did.

26:15

She did because she just is. She has

26:17

the sweetest soul and and and I pray

26:20

that Paris gets to watch that

26:22

and see that and grow. And it idolized

26:24

her as a big sister. I mean we had Pearl all

26:27

summer this summer and um

26:29

pitch. I mean, Pearl is this little gymnast.

26:32

She's very athletic. She gets that I mean

26:34

from her dad and um

26:37

Paris. I mean anything Pearl would try to do

26:39

Paris as you know, having an almost two year old,

26:42

I mean there was every everything, and

26:44

um it was it was. It's just great when we get

26:46

to have time with Pearl, you know, because

26:48

she does. She lives in Florida with her mom. And

26:51

is it hard on Jake not to be with her

26:53

or they've been able to work out a flow that feels pretty

26:55

good. It's it's been hard. I mean it is hard.

26:58

I think I'll always be hard because I mean he wants her

27:00

as much as he can, but with his career, um,

27:03

it's it's limited. And and now

27:05

she's in school and last night

27:07

we were FaceTime and she's loving

27:09

gymnastics. And Jake was

27:11

talking last night he knows this what

27:13

when we have her in the summers, but he's like, the

27:16

more she gets into you know,

27:18

this gymnastics or whatever, you know, he's

27:20

afraid of how much time that will take. But

27:22

he's also so excited for her

27:24

because he's finding her passion. She loves.

27:27

Yeah, and um, but we

27:29

we absolutely love when we get to have her, and

27:32

she's gonna go. We we have a birthday. Jake

27:34

turns the big four, oh next

27:36

week. How he feel about it? I

27:38

mean he's I think I

27:41

think everyone is kind of like, oh, wow, that's

27:43

really here. And it's crazy that forty is

27:46

here because I just earned thirty eight, and

27:48

I'm like, wow, when did I become

27:50

Like I'm not saying forties old, because it's not old,

27:53

but like I'm seeing this whole new batch of young twenties

27:55

somethings, like even like my babysitter and your

27:57

babysitting I don't know how she is, but she looks twenty

27:59

two. She's just yesterday Maddie,

28:02

my babysitter. And I'm like, oh my god, Like

28:04

they know all this fashion and all this lingo. I just learned

28:06

what chugy bean. And I'm like, there's so many things I have

28:08

the right choogy. It's like out

28:11

of style. It's like it's like people

28:14

who think something's still in style, but

28:16

it's out of style. So like, I feel like a

28:18

lot of things that I think are in style could

28:20

be cheggy. Now who are these

28:22

people saying it's cheggy? I used to be cool

28:25

and like in on this scene, and now I feel

28:27

like I'm like, totally, it happened so fast.

28:30

You're not chugy You still you're keeping it all that.

28:32

I don't know how you're keeping everything up now. I'm

28:35

sure I am at something. There's just so many things

28:37

to keep up with with all the new trends

28:39

and everything changing. And I'm like, I

28:41

just like, we're working out close for the past two years,

28:43

and everyone had under a rock. I mean

28:46

the fact that we have have jeans on, you have jean shorts

28:48

on right now. You look you're ready

28:50

to go, Like you're ready to go to Restorational Hardware.

28:52

Actually no, no, no, you're

28:54

sweet, but thank you. I know, but it's weird

28:56

that like forty is here. So that's

28:59

next week. Um, we're going to go out of

29:01

town and Pearl's gonna get to go.

29:03

We're actually, um, we have a trip

29:05

plan, so our baby

29:08

girl is not going to go, I don't think. So

29:10

he's super excited that Pearl is gonna get to go

29:12

and bring that all back to Pearl. You know, she's

29:15

just she's absolutely wonderful when

29:17

we love her to death. So when

29:19

did you and Jake know that you

29:21

like this was it like you guys were going to go the distance

29:24

and you're gonna get married. When did you know, like,

29:26

because like I'm sure there's just a lot going on, Like

29:28

it's like you know you got

29:30

well we it was and

29:33

you have to sign up for this lifestyle. Yeah.

29:35

Yeah, So I'm trying to

29:37

think sixteen, like I said, that

29:40

was just a little back and forth. Seventeen

29:43

and to be honest, um

29:46

seventeen he was out in Vegas

29:49

when they had the shooting and

29:51

that night was my birthday actually, and

29:55

um, I just I remember

29:57

he had just we had just gotten this property

29:59

where we of now which we love on this

30:01

farm. Is that a real shot? Um

30:04

the music video yes, made for you, which

30:06

is the greatest song, thank you

30:08

too. But

30:11

he Um, so we got this farm and

30:13

we were we've been so excited all these

30:15

plans and um,

30:17

you know, to build, build a barn

30:19

and build a home, and like it all kind

30:22

of started happening. But you know, I remember

30:24

that night which everyone does, which was

30:26

just like whoa you know, but he flew

30:29

back home. Uh did he

30:31

play the night of the shooting? Yeah, he was

30:33

there. And I remember right before Jason he

30:35

was and I remember I had a friend

30:38

called me. I was already in bed, scheduled

30:40

for a meeting the next morning at work. I mean I was

30:42

never I never traveled with him to

30:44

this point still because I was working

30:46

and um, had a

30:48

friend text me and she's like, you need

30:51

to know that there's a shooting, a live shooting happening

30:53

right now. Um have you heard from

30:55

Jake? And I said, well, he tried to

30:57

call me a minute ago, but I couldn't. I couldn't hear anything.

31:00

I couldn't hear him because there was so much static.

31:02

But I knew he was off stage. But

31:05

it wasn't he laying on his bus and bullet

31:07

holes went through. It was that there were holes.

31:10

Um, I don't do they like they got down

31:12

on the bus. Yeah, yeah, they were.

31:14

They were he finally, I mean he had to

31:17

run and um like jump and

31:20

to get to his bus. But yeah, so

31:22

he was in the middle of it. He was on

31:24

I think he was I don't know if it was left

31:27

or right stage, was on stage on yeah, side

31:29

stage with some friends and then but they

31:31

to hear them talking like they no one knew

31:33

where which direction, like where to go and if

31:35

you're running, like if you're running into it and running

31:38

away from it. And it's still something he doesn't

31:40

really talk that much about. And I don't

31:42

pry because I

31:45

know I can't imagine the trauma of

31:47

anyone there, of any especially

31:50

Jason and Brittany and that, like you know, the artist

31:52

and um, but the families.

31:55

I mean it's just so heart but I mean you just sit I

31:58

remember just sitting there crying and watch ching,

32:00

you know, and just praying for everyone

32:02

involved. Um.

32:04

But yeah, that that that next morning,

32:06

I mean, they couldn't get off the bus, they couldn't leave

32:09

you know, And then I remember hearing him talk about the

32:11

next morning trying to get out

32:14

everything people, and did he spend

32:16

the night on the bus? They could, they wouldn't

32:18

let him out because they're just there, and

32:22

um, I mean I don't remember timelines.

32:25

I don't remember, you know, anything exact, but

32:27

I remember he called and they

32:29

were trying just to get a flight home, just get

32:31

out of there, just anything they could. And it was my

32:34

birthday and he made it back home,

32:36

and all I wanted to do was just hug on

32:38

him, you know, and thank God that he made at

32:40

home and safe and prayers

32:42

for everyone. And he had planned

32:45

a surprise birthday dinner for me. We

32:48

need to cry a little bit. This is like really

32:51

heavy, and um, he

32:53

had planned a surprise birthday party for me

32:55

that night and he did he would not cancel

32:57

it, and the port I am getting emotional.

33:00

I'll cry with you. This is your

33:02

life. I mean, this is like yeah,

33:05

And so he had planned this surprise, so all

33:07

of my friends were like coming to this dinner

33:09

and he had not even been to bed and he wouldn't cancel.

33:12

He would not cancel it. And so I was

33:14

like, oh my gosh, I

33:16

love this man, you know, like how

33:18

incredible. And I know, I

33:21

know, so that was a very special and I

33:23

still look back on it and I

33:25

can't I still, I mean, I can't

33:27

even imagine what everyone went

33:29

through. But that was a very special sign to

33:31

me that, wow, you guys

33:33

are really in this through thick and

33:36

thin and through four it all right,

33:38

right. And then we not to

33:40

mention, we lived once we got the property,

33:43

we lived like in a tiny house together

33:45

for like nine months,

33:47

you know, and it's kind of like okay, and then then we moved.

33:49

So I think we've been through several several

33:52

tests, but you know, you might as well

33:54

just go ahead and throw yourself into the fire

33:57

because I'd rather find out on the front

33:59

end, and then you know, you can weather all the storms

34:02

because life for everyone,

34:04

I mean, you and Jake have this like idealic

34:08

romance, especially to the world looking in.

34:10

You know, it's like people see you guys and they're

34:12

like, oh my gosh, if only I could

34:14

be like that, or have a marriage like that, or

34:16

look like that, or have careers like this. But

34:19

you guys are still going through the ring or with

34:21

life too. But absolutely that

34:23

everyone goes through it. But It's like when you

34:25

put yourself in all these situations to really

34:27

test yourself to live with each other, see if

34:30

your personalities get along, to go through some

34:32

of the most traumatic, heartbreaking things

34:34

to some of the highest highs, then

34:36

it's like, okay, okay, I can do this.

34:39

Is that what you all felt living together

34:41

in a tiny house? That's no joke. What did you learn

34:43

about each other there? Please tell me? Oh my

34:45

gosh, they're so

34:47

much. I mean, what are some secret things that came out

34:50

about Jake that he would be okay with you sharing? You know what?

34:53

I don't not have to think about that one. But the

34:55

time, we actually absolutely loved

34:57

it because he we

34:59

went back and worth of are we gonna like buy

35:01

a home and then build, you know, rent

35:04

a home, build, And we both were kind

35:06

of like, we actually just want to be on the farm. We just want

35:08

to be on the property, whatever that looks

35:10

like. And little did we know, like

35:12

this perfect little tiny home was going

35:14

to roll in the tiny home, I mean

35:16

it was it was actually tiny home. Yes, it

35:21

was crazy. We had someone wanted like as

35:23

soon as we finished with so you know, divine

35:26

timing when all the flows, Yeah, yeah,

35:28

and it was actually

35:30

great. I mean the property. Was

35:32

it like a loft or was there a bedroom? Did just leave

35:34

in the loft? No, there was a bedroom and then this little

35:37

tiny loft and had a full little kitchen

35:40

where what was so what was your routine in

35:42

the tiny house? Like? What did y'all do in

35:44

there? We were never in there, which was the good

35:46

thing because we were just outside, yeah,

35:48

on the property and we were currently building

35:50

the barn um that we have now.

35:53

And I mean there was just constantly. He

35:55

was on the road. He was on tour, you know, that

35:57

started up pretty soon, and I was

35:59

working and it was just kind of you would

36:01

drive to work and y'all live out town,

36:03

like thirty minutes or so, so you would drive

36:06

in and this was like y'all's retreat. Would you like ride four

36:08

wheelers? And like what do y'all do? Fish? He has rangers?

36:10

We fish and there's a country

36:12

girl. Yeah I am. I was raised on a farm,

36:15

so I'm good with it. Hut I

36:17

don't I don't hunt. Um,

36:19

I'll go sit in the deer stand. Oh

36:22

yeah, okay, which he just took up

36:24

like I mean, he's a Florida boy, so

36:27

um, he and his brother loved turkey

36:29

hunting, and then he just kind of started to

36:31

taking him deer. Do you'll have like any sort of

36:33

golf situation on your farm? Now?

36:37

We do now, but not not during

36:39

the tiny home So he has

36:41

a like a little putting green type

36:43

thing. Um, but he we do live

36:46

close to the golf club, so he's

36:48

out there all the time, which is great.

36:51

He loves it. Okay, yes, okay,

36:53

so y'all y'all are living this tiny home. You're

36:55

not you're not engaged, we're building. No, you're

36:57

not pregnan not pregnant. Is this when you

37:00

get pregnant? No? Not yet? Okay,

37:02

when do you get pregnant? Basically when we moved right into

37:04

the barn, like tiny is

37:07

perfect timing. Are you worried about getting pregnant?

37:09

Are you cool if you got pregner? We were, Yeah, so

37:11

you were fine maybe

37:13

like loosely trying. No, I don't

37:15

think we're not necessarily not yet.

37:18

But you weren't worried about

37:20

like trying to like get engaged, get married, have

37:22

a baby. No, we totally did it backwards and

37:24

you didn't care about that. No. I think it's

37:26

it's just something that we're very excited

37:29

about and do you have a date.

37:31

We do not have a date yet. We have a

37:33

timeline that we're thinking we all do it at

37:35

your farm. Um potentially

37:38

okay, yeah, okay, okay, So lots of TVD

37:41

Yes? Yeah. Did

37:45

you grow up super traditional and

37:47

your values? Um, not super

37:50

traditional but pretty yeah, pretty southern.

37:52

My family were from Georgia, So talk to you about

37:54

this horse walking the horses that you

37:56

have. Oh my gosh my, So

37:59

we live in Georgia, this little tiny town

38:02

right below noon In, which is where Alan Jackson is

38:04

from, back Brown. There's

38:06

there's some good music from there. But

38:10

we my family lived there and then

38:12

we moved to Shelbyville, Tennessee,

38:14

a little small country town right

38:16

below Murphy Sparrow. Four horses

38:18

for the walking horse industry. And what is

38:21

a walking horse industry? So the Tennessee

38:23

walking Horses. It's it's really just this,

38:25

it's a community. I mean, it's it's

38:27

people. I mean people do travel all over the

38:29

country. Um. For they have which

38:31

is coming up in a few weeks. It's called the Tennessee

38:34

Walking Horse National Celebration. It's

38:36

held in Shelbyville. Um,

38:38

it's really it's I don't

38:40

know if you've ever have ever ridden horses or

38:43

relationship. Okay, yeah, and English

38:46

riding English and Western. But it's

38:49

like a performance. So the horses have a

38:51

show horse, Yes, they have like a like

38:53

saddle Bread's. Do you know anything about saddle Bread's

38:56

horses? Okay, well they all they have a gate

38:59

and a gate. It's their performance.

39:02

The way they walk so okay, So like best

39:04

in Show where they walk the dogs and someone's walking the dog

39:06

is just like that, but with the horse. So are you you

39:08

like trotting along with the horse? Well, so,

39:10

Tennessee walking horses are known for their smooth

39:12

gate. So they're very smooth. Most

39:15

of them are very gentle and calm and

39:17

sweet and side by side with them you're

39:20

like, you're yeah, I mean them, you're

39:22

riding them obviously. Yea. So

39:24

they have they have all kinds of divisions

39:27

from lead line like I could have Paris

39:29

in a lead line class. Now you know, like

39:31

me that it's just a little tiny ponies

39:34

that you know, juvenile riders

39:36

which are like eleven and under. There's

39:38

there's just there's a lot of huge

39:40

details to it. But um

39:43

we I grew up in that in the industry,

39:45

and my family bred and raised

39:48

um horses, so like the mare and folds,

39:50

which is something I love so much,

39:52

being able to raise the babies, and

39:54

then of course if you're in the industry, then

39:57

you then you sell the babies, and it's just like

39:59

a you know, the whole thing. It's kind of a dream

40:01

for a kid to get to like be with all

40:03

these animals and in

40:05

this environment. How fun did you like it?

40:08

I love it. I love it, and I'm I miss it. I

40:10

actually still have to u two horses

40:12

of my own, um

40:14

that I don't get to ride

40:16

that much, but I still have lots of friends in the industry.

40:19

So do you love to ride? Oh? Yeah, so you're

40:21

saying your friends with Tatiana Houser, which makes

40:23

sense for so many reasons, but now even more because

40:26

she loves to ride. Yes, she's like a professional

40:28

writer. Have you all ever ridden together? No? We

40:30

haven't, so right, I know. I

40:32

know she does jumpers, um so

40:34

and I've actually I've never ridden a jumper um.

40:37

But yes, I want to. We need to plan

40:39

a barn date and go

40:41

out and take the babies out, and it'll

40:43

be so fun. She's so sweet. That would be awesome.

40:46

I love that. That's awesome.

40:49

Okay, so we're your parents.

40:51

Did they know who Jake was? Where they skept cool

40:53

about you marrying someone who's in the limelight, or where they

40:55

like totally cool, we get it, we love this guy. No,

40:58

it's so funny because in the role

41:00

that I was in and the people that I was working

41:03

with, No, I wouldn't. I didn't

41:05

tell anyone, like for

41:07

the longest that we were actually dating,

41:10

right because I had I

41:12

will never name names, I had producers,

41:14

I had all these people say like, never

41:18

go there, right, like, don't get

41:20

involved, don't with any

41:23

of these types of an

41:25

individuals. Yes, because they're all

41:27

like, yeah, they're the lifestyle. The lifestyle,

41:31

I mean, it's not conducive a country music

41:33

is actually becoming very family oriented.

41:35

I do think there's a lot of people who are loving healthy

41:38

family life and country music. Now it's like a

41:40

wave, but it is also

41:42

spotty. It could be the other

41:44

way too, yes, and and well, it's just I

41:47

mean, I guess the best word is lifestyle,

41:49

you know. And so and I had a lot of close

41:52

friends that you know, would just laugh and like, don't

41:55

go there, don't do that, you know, and

41:57

um, but that was before anyone like

42:00

New Jake, you know, and and

42:03

especially the person I know who is

42:06

I swear as polar opposites of

42:08

you know that on stage like persona

42:11

and um. So

42:13

I know my family absolutely

42:16

loves him though loves him. We're like

42:19

he because he's just so fun and

42:21

he's so personable and he's just genuine

42:24

really, you know, and he wants to

42:26

get to know them as much as they want to get to know him.

42:29

And there's just kind of a respect there,

42:31

which is great. Son.

42:36

So, were you ever like jealous

42:39

of other girls are like worried, Oh

42:42

gosh, we going there and

42:44

we don't have to go all the way there. I'm kidding

42:47

now. And then there's this other Viba female

42:49

which I feel like a lot of wives in the country music

42:51

industry are this way. We're like rooting

42:54

for each other and loving and

42:56

like have their own gifts and talents and they

42:58

were using that to to prosper

43:01

in their life instead of let me show

43:03

you how to shake it. Yeah, yeah,

43:05

yeah for sure. And I think

43:08

there's tons of respectful women

43:10

out there and their tons not

43:13

so much. So I just try to stay away

43:15

from that. I know, we were briefly

43:18

talking before we started this podcast, and I'm like, when

43:20

I was younger, I loved being in a scene doing

43:22

all this stuff, like and I used to like want

43:24

to be at all this everything and I would just

43:27

gosh constantly. And now I'm like, I just want to live

43:29

under a rock and stay

43:31

quiet and not get

43:33

involved with anything anymore. Now I

43:36

have. UM. I laughed

43:38

because I read. I think I believe it

43:40

was Bradley Cooper that said this, and it's

43:42

truly incredible. Um. And it's

43:44

kind of how I do see like our

43:46

relationship and our our our

43:49

family. But I think I don't remember word

43:51

for word what he said, but it was like fall

43:53

in love and don't tell anyone, like

43:56

travel the world and don't tell

43:58

anyone. And there was something

44:00

else, but it was like people can ruin beautiful

44:03

things, and it's like that's

44:07

so true, you know. I mean,

44:09

people can make things even more beautiful too,

44:12

But there is a huge truth to that

44:14

that I see for yourself, like

44:16

you're not you don't have to like

44:18

like keep it to yourself and with your

44:20

special loved one, you know. And and

44:23

I do think that that's kind of I've

44:25

never heard it termed like that. But

44:27

that's something that I think we have

44:30

stayed private for a reason like that,

44:33

if you were going to describe yourself in three words, what

44:35

would they be? Oh my god,

44:40

oh let me see three

44:42

words?

44:45

Like in the same thing? I know? But yeah,

44:48

no, I very um.

44:51

I if you're in my

44:54

like loop, will have like I'll do

44:56

anything for you. So have you done Instagram?

44:59

Yes? So I have? Okay, wait, I want to guess what

45:01

you are? Okay, Jake

45:04

is big into this as well, so we had to do

45:07

it. Are you an

45:09

eight? Wing? Nine? No? Well,

45:12

just because you're so loyal, but then you have the peacemaker

45:15

two T and

45:17

um. The reason I say

45:19

eight is because I feel like you can, like challenger

45:22

get it done, that is, but with a

45:24

peacemaker wing. Yes, that's true.

45:26

That's true. And

45:29

my dad's an eight. I know it's a hard one to call someone

45:31

because it is an aggressive number. But

45:33

I don't feel you're aggressive. I just feel like you are like a

45:35

badass. My dad's an eight and he like,

45:38

he's incredible. It's so funny. Has Jake

45:40

took this? He did the take Jake's and eight okay

45:43

wing? What I don't know I

45:46

forget what his wing is eight win seven

45:48

because he loves have a good time. I thought he's

45:50

eight winks seven. First, I think you're I think that's right.

45:53

But we were talking about this the other night, just to prove

45:55

how truly he is an eight.

45:57

We were talking about eights being a challenger or

45:59

whatever, and he's like, no, I'm not an eight. I'm

46:01

not gonna and I'm like, yeah, okay, here

46:03

we go. So you're two week three

46:06

that, I think. So, I think that's right. Helper with

46:09

a achiever, I bet or

46:12

one because the one is like super organized

46:14

and get stuff done and like it

46:17

has a moral compass. My sister is a one, and she's

46:20

like there's like in her head always

46:22

she can hear the right and wrong version.

46:24

She always knows what's right and wrong okay,

46:27

like always, and that's her one

46:29

and her I don't know if you feel that I

46:31

do. I do. I um

46:34

gosh, I feel like I took that so

46:36

long ago. But that's funny how people. I

46:38

mean, that's working, like for people

46:40

to be able to communicate, you know, and to

46:43

understand who they live with, work with,

46:45

Like I'm a four, it's like

46:47

an emotional wreck. Is what minus

46:49

like. It's it is like,

46:52

look at what FO is like when an unhealthy

46:54

four is like an

46:56

emotional train wreck. And that has been

46:58

me the majority of my twenties when I started

47:00

in therapy and like working on myself. But it

47:03

creates creativity and passion and empathy

47:05

and all these things, but it also like just sends

47:07

me into like emotional tailspins. And

47:09

I, um, it's so funny

47:11

because I was talking to Jake's mom, who I love so

47:14

much, Miss Mitsey, Miss

47:16

Mitsey. But she we laughed

47:18

because I can

47:21

cry if I'm sad, I can cry if I'm

47:23

mad, I can cry if I'm hurt, like

47:25

you know, and she's the exact same way. So

47:27

I don't. I'm maybe four to like somewhere

47:30

in there. But um,

47:32

yeah, we were talking about that, which is it's

47:34

funny how how that's truly changing communication

47:37

though for everyone, which what's your instogram number?

47:40

But but then you like, if you've done your research

47:42

and your study, you really know how to interact

47:45

with that person. It's very helpful. I

47:47

love that. Okay, so I'm gonna wrap up

47:50

soon, but I have one more little

47:52

question I'm ask you before I wrap up. What has

47:54

motherhood changed and taught you about yourself?

47:57

Oh my gosh. Well we were

47:59

talking a little bit about this before, but

48:02

um, what does it change?

48:04

And talk, what it has changed is

48:08

how you look at life truly,

48:10

every day. Every day is a gift. Every

48:13

day. Um, you're going to have

48:15

a challenge that you weren't expecting, but

48:17

most importantly to um,

48:20

be grateful for the time that you have and

48:22

just watching growth,

48:25

I mean watching your own

48:27

little girl just become I mean become

48:30

a toddler now from birth. You know, it's

48:32

just like all the things. And honestly

48:34

I had no idea how much to fear too,

48:37

like and then the like, I mean truly

48:39

you're given this gift of life. And

48:41

then just like, oh my god, but is

48:43

she okay? What do I need to you know, worry about

48:45

every single day? There's something I'm terrified

48:47

of too, you know. It's

48:50

it's you can't I don't

48:53

even know that I can put into words, you

48:55

know, the gift of being able

48:57

to be a mother, and so thankful for

49:00

we have. We have been through lots

49:03

of challenges with because you have some

49:05

health scares. Harris has severe exema,

49:08

yes, and so that's cause it's allergies

49:10

and then the asthma that we were

49:12

discussing, and UM, I've

49:15

learned far more about

49:17

that than I ever even knew existed. I

49:19

didn't even know that that was a thing, and that was like

49:22

a chronic illness. Truly

49:25

is this exema um

49:27

term and cases can be so mild

49:30

and then extremely severe. UM.

49:33

We we have gone through. We're

49:36

doing lots of medical you know, research

49:38

and treatments to try and just get her comfortable because

49:41

honestly, she's she hasn't been comfortable

49:43

and so long. So we're working

49:45

through that and UM, but we're

49:48

thankful that you know, we've spent time in hospitals

49:51

and UM, it's

49:53

it's so it's so heartbreaking

49:56

when you're there to see what's happening

49:58

with other children too, and you

50:00

know, you just pray for healing and comfort

50:04

for for the families and especially the baby.

50:07

And I mean the moms. I mean, I've

50:10

had so many amazing people reach out

50:12

to me UM caring and they're

50:14

just like being a mother, you know, they're

50:16

like, we we know how

50:18

much your heart is hurting right now, Like

50:20

what can we do to help you? What can we do? And

50:23

that's where it's a community

50:27

because once you are a mother and

50:30

you get your mother's heart in

50:32

your body, it's

50:35

literally like the

50:37

first year Sunday's life, like everything made

50:39

me cry and then you hear I couldn't watch the news

50:41

because you hear stories of kids suffering

50:44

and kids who have trauma

50:46

and abuse and all, and it's just like the

50:48

innocence, the innocence of a child

50:51

and the love of parents. It's

50:54

just it's such a such

50:56

an honor and a responsibility to be

50:58

a parent. Like I feel like that's what it's taught me so much,

51:00

is that I'm just like I

51:03

really want to show up as my best version every day

51:05

because I can see how Sunny is modeling

51:08

everything we do and like everything she's learning

51:11

it's from us. So it's like I really need to

51:13

be checking myself because I want

51:15

to program her. Well. Yeah,

51:17

I mean that's Paris has

51:19

learned this week, has learned like all of her

51:22

colors, and I mean it's just like Jake,

51:24

we sat with her life, I know, like

51:26

we sat with her last night and she's putting these

51:29

little puzzle pieces to the colors

51:31

into the shape, and it's just it's

51:33

incredible to watch the change,

51:36

you know, in the growth. And like you said,

51:38

but I mean anything that you're saying, anything

51:40

that you're doing. There's I've

51:43

always heard the term that they're little sponges, but

51:45

it is so true and

51:48

it's so cute too, the

51:50

sweetest. So it's been kind of

51:52

like COVID has been heard on everyone, but the blessing

51:54

with artists, they've gotten to be home with their families. So Jake

51:56

has really gotten to spend a lot of time with

51:58

parents. Um, and that was

52:01

we were I don't want to say we were

52:03

thankful for that for last

52:06

year, but we were thankful for the time because otherwise

52:08

he would have we have never had. He was home

52:10

for milestones from birthdays

52:12

to first steps and you

52:14

know, the the talking and the words

52:17

and um, just to be able

52:19

to be there for her. And that's

52:21

what we have honestly kind of been worried about

52:23

with this year because she is so attached

52:26

to Daddy. She thinks Daddy is the greatest

52:28

hero in life. She worships

52:31

him and to the point that

52:33

even if I'm in the room, I mean, she only,

52:39

oh my gosh, are you kid? He is

52:41

the most fun. That's why she's obsessed

52:43

with him. I mean he had he will

52:45

run and play and just make

52:47

her laugh until I mean, I

52:50

pray she finds a man when

52:53

time comes that can make her smile

52:55

and laugh the way he does every single day. I mean,

52:57

she he brings pure joy to

52:59

her life. And that's it, Like it's

53:01

the sweetest thing ever. Yeah.

53:04

So, I mean it's just I'm so grateful

53:07

for their relationship. And I know that it's just

53:09

only going to get That's what everyone, It's only going to get better

53:11

every you know, and you try to savor

53:13

every little thing, from every little giggle to you

53:16

know, every little word. And

53:18

it's just the sweetest thing I know

53:21

for you two, it's like being an artist, um

53:24

spouse. But to see her

53:26

expression and her excitement when she hears

53:28

her dad and and knows him on the

53:30

radio or if I have it on in

53:33

the car, and I mean, it's just that's yeah.

53:38

And his his new song came on the

53:40

other day, and I mean made for you, because

53:42

made for you? Yeah, yeah, and uh

53:44

it's made for you. How was that a few ago? I'm so

53:46

out it was. It was the last one was

53:49

the sweetest and all of y'all in the music

53:51

video and parents

53:53

and pearl and it makes me teary?

53:56

Was that fun to be and that it was sweet? Yeah?

53:58

It was what it was during COVID when we

54:00

filmed it, So it was kind of it was like we

54:02

were just going to do this at the farm, and

54:05

you know, everyone was very cautious. Everyone was so

54:07

professional and and it was just relaxed

54:09

and comfortable. And that was

54:12

mart felt, which is what that song is. Yeah.

54:15

Yeah, and that that was his full intention

54:17

for that video, which I thought was super,

54:19

super sweet and great for something

54:21

that will have forever for the both

54:23

girls to be there and be able to be in

54:25

that. Okay,

54:27

well I always have. I derailed you. You're talking about

54:30

this new song though, because she's saying

54:32

that Paris when it comes on that he

54:34

she just loves it and she loves

54:36

to rock out. This kid loves

54:38

music, and so she's just back there like head

54:41

bang into the beat, and I'm like, girl

54:45

show yet Oh yes, Okay, does she

54:47

love it? Oh my gosh. The problem

54:50

is is she loves it so much

54:52

and loves him so much that

54:54

I'm side stage and I mean it's all I can

54:56

do to keep her running

54:58

to him. Does she run out some? Oh?

55:00

I mean, I haven't let that happen yet. There's gonna

55:03

be a time that I can't hold her and she's just gonna,

55:05

you know, leave me. So I'm

55:08

doing the best I can right now to keep her calm

55:11

and on the side. And normally, I mean normally

55:13

it's so late when he is going on stage

55:15

that she's winding down and

55:18

quiet. There was one a few weeks I

55:20

guess it's been a month or so ago that it was

55:22

his first show back, and I think they said four

55:24

four hundred and sixty two days or

55:27

sixty three or something. And so I had

55:29

her out and we were I was, she was sound

55:31

asleep, and he wanted he wanted

55:34

to take her out, and he just woke her up

55:36

and she was just you know, as happy as she could

55:38

be and smile, you know, ear to ear to

55:40

see everybody. And so that was cool,

55:42

like, you know, for her to get to to experience

55:45

these scenes because she didn't at all last year.

55:47

Um, but yeah, she's that A life is a little

55:49

kid growing up seeing this the world from side

55:52

stage you know and backstage. Yeah,

55:54

I love it. Okay, So I always wrap up

55:56

with leave your light. Has this been bad? It hasn't

55:59

been said bad, it's actually been great.

56:02

It was like, it's not going to be bad. I

56:04

know when I ever every time I get a

56:06

new new person who has never podcasted

56:08

before, which is often a

56:11

lot of newbies, and I'm always like, it's gonna

56:13

be totally fine. You make it. You're so great,

56:15

you make it. You do make it very easy and thanks.

56:17

I'm just saying this, so you give me compliment. It

56:21

works. Okay. So I always

56:23

leave with leave your light, and

56:26

it's super open ended. Okay, what

56:28

do you want people to know? And it can be

56:30

about you, about life anything,

56:33

or both you and life. Oh wow,

56:36

what do I want people to know? Um?

56:39

Wow, that's very that's very

56:41

open and dis first thing that comes to mind. I would

56:43

say, um, your faith and family

56:46

first, you know, and

56:48

never um,

56:51

never leave, I would. I would say, just

56:54

to never leave, you know. I

56:56

love that. Well, you're such an example

56:58

of that, Erica. Thank you for coming

57:01

out here and share your story and letting Garrison

57:03

Sunny become friends. Like you're the laughing big

57:05

time back there after, I like, I don't

57:07

want to like get in their mess up. Okay,

57:10

Bye,