Caroline Bryan

prankster and she pranks her entire family. She does the wildest things, from stuffing herself in a life size Teddy bear, putting snakes and refrigerators, jumping on hucks Is, putting Figurenai polish on a bar of soap and watching Luke lather up on with it and wondering what's going on. She puts it all on Instagram and hysterical. Also, Luke's mom, Leclaire, is a huge character in all of caroline stories. Leclaire straight out of a movie. She is so hysterical, her

dance moves, just her whole personality. You have to follow along because it's sheer joy. We also talk all about Caroline and Luke's love story. It's so sweet. Luke was the second guy Caroline's ever kissed, and hearing their journey is incredible. And beyond that, we talked about how Caroline and Luke have dealt with some serious tragedy. Both of

Luke's siblings passed away. Caroline and Luke stepped in and are helping to raise and support his sister's children who are in high school and college, as well as raising their own two young boys. Caroline's brother also lost his daughter at a really young age. Her name was Brett, and in honor of Brett, Caroline had promised her a

pony when she was one years old. So Caroline and her family started Brett's Barn, which is a barn that has all sorts of animals where kids with disabilities and sickness can come and pet the animals and feel happiness and joy. And it's also so Brett's legacy and memory will never die and it will live on forever. The way that Caroline and Luke have navigated their life and gone through such hard times and still found joy and love and humor and fun, it's just nothing short of inspiring.

I'm telling you, Caroline's faith in God is so inspiring. This episode touched my heart so much it maybe laugh. It made me feel everything. And I'm just so happy and thankful to know Caroline and Brian because what an incredible person she is. You guys are gonna love this podcast. Here she is Caroline, Brian and the Hissy. Hey, hey, that's all right. How you doing awesome? You're coming fresh off a tennis match? Yes, yes, it was good. So sorry, I was a little like, you look great to become

You got your like cute spank shiny pants on. Oh well I did. I brushed my hair in the car and I put on some gloves. But I suppose as good as it kids these days. Sorry, it's looking good. Look like I've been a street fight and I got my ask kicks. Sorry, but you actually were the champion of the tennis match. We did win? Yes, was it a close match or like? It was? So that's why it took a lot long time. But it was good.

It was fun. It's my outlet, so I get to hit a ball instead of hitting instead of hitting a child or luke. I like when I walk in, you asked you where are the kids? And he's like half of them are on the snowpile, and where's the other half. The other half upstairs, I don't know snowpile. Okay, so this is I'm not lying. So my children are obsessed with snow because we loved to ski and which I saw you had a trip up there for day we did.

We had it was the best trip I think we've ever had as a family because the kids are finally our kids are well, our kids and our nieces so everybody is seventeen, ten and eight. So I feel like we've made it through the really hard part, which is having a baby and infant and all that stuff. So now they're like they can kind of function, so I can tell them to go put their ski clothes on, because if you ever put ski clothes on a baby or a child? Did you attempt skiing with babies? So

we did it? Did you like strapping? What do you and go skiing? Loose people? Luke put a halter on him and went down the mountain. See that's how they learned how to skip. But what if he would have fallen. He's not going to fall. He's a great scare. He just knows he's not gonna fall. So I would just stay behind Luke and I would just panic the whole time because thinking they're gonna fall, but we go do like blacks and stuff. What's not not when he was

teaching them. But now my eight year old can do blacks and my ten year old can do black. So I do blacks with my ten year old. See, to me, I never really seed growing up. So I've ski maybe like four or five times, and I can do like blues in a constant snowplow. But every time I'm doing it, I'm like, this is a suicide mission, Like this is how people? How is this something that the world raises? Because this, to me is so you just have to go. I just tell them to go side to side, just go,

just go side to side. But they can fly because they're so they're small. So if you have you seen the kids who do it and they're so tiny and they can just fly because they're so small, they can handle it. But we're not working. Hey, what's up? So here's my come here's siventeen it year old? Till did you go skiing? Also? Can you say, hey, come tell? How are you one of those uh skiers that goes like he's ridiculous? Yes, yeah, yeah, you know he can

say hi on this, Till doesn't so well till Till's here. Now, till Till does jumps, and so I'll just stand there and I'll just be nervous as hell. But he does jumps, and you're never worried that you're going to fall and

hurt yourself. Well, you're young. You have to start when you're young, because if you don't start with you're young, if you start like me when you're old, it just feels like every single time I'm on the slope and how this is crazy that people do this, and they do it and he's great, but Till's also people don't know till seventeen and six four. So if he falls, it's a long way to fall, a long way. Taitan

bow were a little bit smaller. But Till he'll just fly and it's it's scary, but he's a great skier. So have you always ski too? No? I never skied, okay, bye, tail, I never skied. I never skid, Oh my gosh, until I was good. Lord, I guess I've been skiing for about we go every year, and that's y'all saying, I guess it's been like but ten years now. I guess maybe eight ten years and Tait and both start to skiing when they were both about three and they just

they love it. So we just we go here every year. So why was this the best family trip ever? Because they're finally at the age where I don't have to dress them. So to all the moms out out there, when if you have small children, if it's your first skate trip, do not put ski clothes on. Okay, before you dress your child. You will die. You don't put your own skis. Don't It's like being an asana, because then you will not work out ahead of time. You

will die. I learned that the hard way. And so but once everybody, and then once you're trying to teach your children how to ski, you kind of have to stand there and pick them up as they fall down. You gotta pick them up and they fall down, so you can't really ski. But now my kids are great skiers. So we just go and we just ski all day and the kids fall maybe once and that's it. And then we go get in a hot tub and have

a drink, and then kids hopping the pool. And I saw you having some drinks on the way up to the ski slopes. We did we did. We did. I actually think it's smart because it keeps a little bit loose loosen. Yeah, and so but what I Okay, so I was telling Caroline this earlier. I the best thing that's ever happened to me is discovering your Instagram page.

Because I always like, would see you at award shows and see you on red carpets and a You're just a bombshell and you are like a knockout, and so you're kind of like so beautiful that you're intimidating because you're so beautiful and you're just like a perfect looking person. But then I discovered your Instagram and I was like, oh m G, you're the funniest person that I have ever seen. You're twelve days of pranks, Like you have to talk to the people about how you started this.

I found these and like I showed them to all my band family. One night, Michael and I drank like two bottles of wine and watched the Instagram age and the pranks and cried laughing because it was so funny. I've never seen someone who pranks so hard. Well, okay, well, so here's the honest truth. So my family, we we've always done we've always done. Your dad, I did it. I would have called. He had no clue, he didn't

know where it came from. I think you thought it was my brother's son who did it, because that's who he was holding. He was holding my brother and my sister in law's child, who was at the time was three months. But okay, so my family, like we we've if if people could see the footage I have it is there's Oh my god, I could sell it for there's there's no telling. So y'all grow up pranking and we've always done that. I've always done it um our family here like we just do the craziest stuff. But

it's not anyway. So my niece, who's the oldest Jordan's she told me a while back, because I'm still new to like social media, I'm still new, and I just I don't post a lot because I just don't. I don't know. I got the one with Luke with the soap because it won't lather. So they stand in the shower and they're trying to get it to ladder won't so with clear fear not all you have to do. And then Luke's over there the shower going o don't I think this is maybe what's wrong? Does it smell funny?

And then he came out, he goes, are you joking on me? And I had to cut the camera because I knew he was about to walk out, which a lot of girls have asked me for footage of that and I cannot give them that. But my niece goes and Caroline, your instagram is lame. No, damn, Jordan, I'm sorry. She goes, just just be you. Put put more out there because I started. I took the Instagram public because to bring awareness to our charity. So that's why I

did so, that's why I at it. But so she told me, she goes, just be you, who cares about what anybody thinks? And so I was like, okay. So I was home on a Friday. Luke was in the bar where we're sitting there, Literally I have seen an airhorn. I was like, he was here on the phone. Yeah, he got he thought it was a kid that did it. What is that? Whatever the hell? He said, I don't

know it. So that's where it started. But then I was like, okay, well I'll just do so then you did like a whole series of air horns and you did you air horns everyone in your family and and friends and their reactions were insane. Know they hated me. Another favorite character I have in y'all's family is Luke's mom Leclair. Yes, how is like? How about that name? To be true? She is? Does she know how funny she is? She does, and she owns it. So do you remember the um she might be? The I started

following her, She's a mess. What she do like a weekly video, like to give us a weekly dose of her, and she typically makes us do something because she's around. She's like, I don't know how to post, like, yes you do, but like she's like me, she just didn't think about it a lot. But she knows she's funny. But do you remember the character for them from the Palmark card? Maxine? She was the old lady sitting on smoking a cigarette, drinking her coffee. I call her Maxine.

She's Maccine because she's just she says, there is no filter, none, there is no filter. She says whatever she thinks. Dancing. I feel like she's got a good cocktail in her hand a lot of times. I mean maybe not just beer, just beer. I saw one post and she had like, I mean, I've stopped he page so hard because it made me laugh. So she was just so in that post, she's like four cases of and your son in the car. Oh god, yes, no bud light which if hey if

but almost a sponsor her, she'll take it. Leclaire is open for business. She'll be the happiest person ever. But so she just so she drinks only but like so she was joking with Luke, okay, trying to make him think she was drunk, and so she so it was a joke, but so she had on like a somebro and yeah, and he goes, what are you doing? And that's when she went and just trying to have fun and he bought it, which I'm like, you should know your mom better than that, because but he seriously thought

his mom was drunk. So do y'all team up together like you and Leclair and go after people or is it? I feel like it could be just deadly in this house with the humor. Who's who's the one that's instigated than most? Is it you? Yes? Unfortunately, like one of your pranks, you got in a huge teddy bear that was me and then people would walk by and you would jump out and scare him, like, how do you even think of this stuff? Don't know. I guess I've just we've always done crazy stuff. And I don't know.

I think I was. I think I was scrolling through Amazon one not and I saw this life size Teddy Bear. I'm like, this would be I'm going to buy that and I'm going to jump out of it. I don't know. It's probably after three glasses of wine, so a little bit weird, But I don't know. I mean, I just have to say that I appreciate it, and I know

everyone else that's too because it is so hysterical. And the snake one another one where you put snakes in the fridge, Yes, and that back that that backfired on me. I am petrified of snakes, like petrified of snakes. I don't want to see a dead one. I don't I don't want to see one that's a rubber. I don't want to see it. And Luke he pranked me once he bought a snake in the house and I think I put it on Instagram and I it was a lot I have snake and I just yes, oh my gosh, yes,

it was like a king snake or something. But I don't care what it is. I don't want it around me. And he he bought it in the house. He was holding it, so I guess that was your seeing quickly. He did that first. This was last spring, so he did it first. So that's when you know, I got a paying back. So is this house just like a fun house all the time? Are there just tons of

people in here constantly? Yes, there are always people in here with Um we have three boys in the house, so they always have friends over you till your nephew who just walked in. He's a seventeen year old, sevente he's a junior high school. He is on the dating scene, he is. How's that going? It's good, I mean, because he's so cute steels, so he's I mean, my god, he's seventeen six four, he's so cute. Um, it's good.

But I mean, you know, he's he's never been like he's he's never juggled like a bunch of girls at once. He didn't do that. Um, he's just he's sweet. And I don't know, but usually it's more full of boys than it is girls. So thank god, I'm not sure how I would handle the other way around. There was one time that I didn't handle it well. Some girls showed up at the door, like at night, Oh my gosh, and I was in my robe and I was like, no, thank you. I know what to say for business, like

I'm not gonna happen. Thanks by. I did well, No, actually I didn't. I'll let Till and his buddy come downstairs and tell them, you know whatever I see till Till Till stalking me right right, This was like two years ago, Till, so it wasn't last week. Two girls came to the door like ninety five at night and cheer leading outfits and cheerleading outfits, no it doesn't matter, and a cheer they were prepared. Yeah I know, I know. So yeah, but no, he's he's a gen hard because

I threatened him, right, that's right. You need to be healthy, a little healthy level of threat. Yes, oh yeah, on fighter over later. Yes. So do you have a girlfriend? Okay, so are we serious business here? Nice? I never had a girl a boyfriend in high school? I did? You did? I just had one? Yeah, I had one author high school. That's probably good to have author high school. And then we broke up. When I'm at Luke in college. So you and Luke were ding were college? Sweetheart? When did

y'all meet? My first week in college? What like, right off the bat Thursday night, I went to y'all take a four year break, tills like the narrator here here giving us the inside. There wasn't even born yet. Yeah you don't. You weren't even around yet. Hey, but you got all the scoop. I'm gonna take it from util. So we had a four year break. Okay, we did. Yirst week of college? You met? Did y'all's humor draw

you to each other? Because I feel like he has, yes, the same humor, I thought, because looks you know his his his like personality is so big that um it's first. So I met him at a bar called Dinghis. And y'all are both from Georgia. Yes, both from from Georgia. And you're at the University of Georgia Southern Georgia States for um. So he and I were at Dinghis and we're just hanging out. I was a freshman. I didn't love at first sect Um for me, No, I was terrified.

I didn't know what the hell was happening. I mean, I just it was like my first time in a bar like I didn't. I was so sheltered growing up. I grew up in a small town. Where'd you grow up? Sandersville, Georgia, very small town. It's the Kaolan capital of the world, the wet capital of Kaol and chalk chalk like so everything's white, like just for chalkboards. Well, so it's like a chalk mine. So it goes in everything like medicine, in the air, chalk everywhere. It can be. Yeah, it's

not typically no, but it can be. But no, it's it's not bad. But um, very small town. I went to a small private school, had the same boyfriend. I had the same the same buck guy. Yeah that you know. He came from a great family and we still we're still friends and he's married to the sweetest girl ever. So um. So I go off to college and he and I had datus since we were in the eighth grade. Oh my god. So um we all decided to break out. We agreed to go our separate ways and just see

what what was out there. That's terrifying and so yeah, so I didn't know. Luke was the second guy I'd ever kissed in my life. Ever, yeah. So I meet Luke in a bar and he's like and he such a big like personality. I was staring at him, like is this guy for real? Because he acts, he is how he is, like even back in the day, he's he's never been different. Well, now that I know Leclair, I do not doubt that's where he that's where he gets his stuff. I'm like, Cam, it is not fake.

It is real. It is totally real. But he's um so he but he was so sweet. So he and I tried to be friends for a couple of weeks. That didn't last. Song we you know, we kissed and so did you start falling after the initial like I did him and you know, just I knew liked him, but we're like, let's just I was like, Okay, he can be a guy friend because that's the last thing I was trying to find was to date something that just broke up with your boyfriend, Like it was weird,

and it was weird. So he not dated for like a year and a half and then I get I got freaked out because he was talking about marriage and so he was ready. Yeah, and I was like, I cannot go my entire life and not be single. I've got to and so we we separated for over four years. How is that it was us? Breaking up? Was horrible? Hephomore when I was, I was a sophomore. It was Christmas of my sophomore year, and no, he was he was graduating, so he was leaving school. Okay, so he

was out of there and you were. So you finished off college single? How were those single years? They were fine? You know, I dated to to other guys, Like I called two other boys a boyfriend, but I had tons of like you know, dates and like first dates, but nobody compared. No, I mean, he was always these I always knew Luke was the sweetest and the best I always hands down. I always knew it. But at the time when we were a part, you know, I was, I just wasn't ready for that. I just I wasn't

ready to be like in love yeah and forever. And then we met spontaneously after college. He was playing at a bar that I was at. Had no clue he was playing there, So y'all weren't even planning on trying to get back together. Like it was a break and over and done and like everyone's moving on. You're not really talking we talked a little bit through email or if he would come play at college. We talked a little bit, but he always take in touch with my brother,

so hit an inside. So I always knew like where he was, what he was doing. And it was funny. He had the nerve once in college to bring a girl that he was dating to my house in college for a pre party. So you were having a pre party and he now was called pre game or something? Is it called pre game? Yeah, I'm not I don't know, folks, I don't know, but we called it a pre party. He walked in my house with a girl he was dating. Well, well, well I got pissed and I left your own house

and party. I did. I love it at else I did. I left. I was like the hell, I'm not even sure what girl it was, but I guess the message was sent. It means the feelings were still there. I guess. See I left. I was like, I'm not gonna hang around. Was like, I was like, I hope this bitch goes in my room and sees pictures because I think I

saw a picture up at Luke. I don't even know, but um, yeah, but after that, but yeah, but he and I met he was playing at a bar that I was because I was in town working and he was playing the bar. And where are you living at this point? I was living in Making, Georgia. Okay, so that is not the same place with But I went to Statesboro, which our college town, because I worked there.

I was a drugger up and my brother was still in college, and so I was just gonna stay there overnight because I had to get up early and worked there. So um, and he goes, well, guess who's playing in town? And I said, okay, well I'll go for like an hour. And then I saw him playing and something was different. Okay, what was it? What was different? I don't know. I think he and I had just we were older, you know, I'd gotten you know, I don't know. It was just

something was different. And I think those breaks are crucial. My husband and I took a two year break. Happened like if we wouldn't have gotten, if we wouldn't have broken up, we wouldn't be happily married. I know we wouldn't just because we weren't grown up enough yet. We

hadn't lived enough. I hadn't found myself as something I'm still obviously finding it that he hadn't either, and it's like you got to know that you it's not that you needed to like see what was out there, but I just needed to find myself and to know that I'm not just like rushing into something. That's a cool story. I didn't know that about you all. That's awesome. Yeah, it's like it's the four years, broke up two and then eloped, you dated four years. Oh wow, I didn't

know that. And then we broke up for two years and I moved away and like it was over, but we still kind of kept in touch, and then one kind of same thing, we just randomly ran into each other again, and I was like, it's always, it's always it's like that. Yeah, yeah, that's that's how he and I were. Because so I saw him at this bar and he was singing and we made eye contact and now I was like and I was like so happy work clothes and I'm like he he had no idea

you're there. No, I know he was gonna be there until my brother told him. I was like, well, I'll go for like an hour, but I'm in my work clothes, which is not going out clothes like a grandma. You could never look like a grandma like in college, but we still college. Boat talks. It helps. I love is a boat talk? Hell yeah it helps. Yeah. I would have so many wrinkles these kids, but Luke God, Yeah, his job, his family, his mother. Yeah, they all give

me wrinkles. You gotta have the talks as long as you have hair dye and talkin. Yeah, that does. So that's kept me out of jail many times, be in jail for murder't have that. But it's fun. So y'all locked eye. We we did. And then um, he he took a break and I didn't see him for a while, and I thought he was trying to avoid me. So I left. I just went and I was like, I've got to be up at like six am, So I left. Well, he called me three am. He didn't call me, so

I'm sorry. He called my brothers. I was because he had my brother's brother is his inn? Yeah, and so Bo helped him out. Um, that's my brother's name. So he called my brother's house at three am, and for some reason, I answered, I never answered a phone at three am. Well back then I didn't. Now I'm concerned. It's a it's want to tell sisters in college. But um, and he was like, where did you go? I said, I said, I'm sorry, I had to leave, you know, I thought that you didn't want to see me and

I gotta be up at six. And anyway, after that, he and I started texting and we saw each other at Christmas and we've been together since stop. Oh yeah, so it was good. It was that he and I would have never, ever, ever lasted if we didn't have a break. Yeah, same as she's too young because but yeah, you're like, well, I've tried other ones and yeah, I was like I tried all the flavors and I was like, I don't like it. I'm glad allergic to the other one. You gave me a rash, but not that kind of rash.

Not that kind of rash, thank god. Exactly. I don't need cillin for that or for whatever. Does penicillin even do people to take that anymore? I don't know. Yes, well I'm glad I'll have to find out that kind of rash. Let me clarify, like, yeah, you know, like we didn't get an st T. Thanks, yes, oh my god. Okay, So then marriage life was lu GARDI touring, Like, did you go straight to road life? Like? Was that an adjustment? How did that all flight happen? He had just gotten signed?

Were you ready for this life on the road? Well, you know what, in college when he not dated, he was always singing, So on a Friday and Saturday, he would go to like other colleges and play, and so I was used to him not being around on a Friday and Saturday, and so or either I traveled to go see where he was playing, and so I was used to all that. So that's all I've kind of ever known, you know, is that he he was a singer, and I'd be dancing alone, you know, out you know,

out there, and he'd be on stage singing. So I don't really know what it's like to listen to a band and have him dance with me, because I just we just never knew that. But so I'm so used to it. It was never like a transitional thing. You're just fine where they're ready to go. Did you get on the tour bus right away or did just split time? Or how did y'all see each other? Well? I worked

for because you know, he played. I mean, as you know, when aurist starts out you play for for free all time and they're always gone and you don't make any money. So I had a great job, thank thank God. And so that you know, for oh my god, I guess four years or so, you know, my my income paid our bills. But I would still, you know, make time to go out and see him. And you know, when Bo was born, he was a surprise. I got pregnant

when we were married for six months. I was not expecting that at all, but um, and then we had a miscarriage. And I love that you talked about that because I also had one and I did a podcast about it. And it's like a conversation that a lot of people don't talk about, but a lot of women go through it. Everybody I know has had one. So every once I've said we had a miscarriage, like everybody I know has had one. Why is it so not

talked about? I wonder. I don't know. I mean, I guess girls don't want to, you know, I don't know, because I knew that it wasn't my fault or something that I did. I guess girls just don't. You know.

I don't know, that's odd because I guess it's not like a good topic to go, Hey, guess what, I had a miscarriage, because I think there's almost like it's not shame around it or something, but it's like I wanted to like say something about it because like, when I was going through it, I felt so sad and then I felt so like, I don't know, I just like I needed to say it out loud, you know, And I wanted to like say I've had this, because it is such a when you're in it, you're looking

for support too, you know. And what's sad is that, you know, girls who have had one, girls take your harder than a guy does because it's not really as real. They didn't know really how to comfort me because you know, he just he didn't get it. But as girls, when you go through it and you lose it, you just there there is a loss. There is a loss, and it sucks and it hurts and you're physically hurt and you're in oh, well it's it's awful physically, um, but

it does hurt and it is a loss. But gods, I don't think they know because they didn't, like they haven't felt it or seen it. Every day of course you're checking in on it, but like it's just different. Yeah, yeah, and you and you feel like you know, I don't know, it's just but for girls it's a true laws and guys, I don't know if it's a true laws. But but almost every girl I know has had one. I can't even tell you the same thing. Like every everyone I talked to has one or has been has a friend

or family member super affected by it. So were you scared to try to get pregnant again? Um? No? And what's funny is I didn't try to get pregnant the second time. It just happened. That's the way to do it. Oh my god, are you kidding me? Like, like when I tell people like sometimes I'm kidding, but I'll tell people like he and I that's the one easy part of our life if we want to get pregnant. I got pregnant instantly, And I'm like, I'm we're so fertile.

I'll wash her under a separately. But I don't. But that's just what I tell us, Like, no, I gotta wash my own separately. We're I'll get pregnant, but um, but no, say he and I get pregnant very easily. But and I've I've only lost one, but it it does. It just sucks because you just it just hurts, as as as as a as a lady. It just hurts. But so here it comes now. But Bo was first, Bow was first. And now how did it happen to

baby rock your world? Oh my god? Yeah, because you think you go from you think you're tired when you're alone, and then when you have a baby. And then Luke was touring and I remember so well, oh my god, I'm like, how did I do this? So Luke was touring and I was off work for like four months. Well we decided to go on the road with Luke. Well yeah, so for the first year. And I'm not

making this up, I swear to god. So when this was when Luke was still brand new and and the whole band and Luke was sharing a tour bus, well there was no room you know for Caroline and a baby. Because when it was just me, I just I would sleep in the bunk with Luke, which is not easy as you know, double bunkey, especially with a big, tall guy. Because Michael, I'm like, oh my god, so you just well we all three oh god. Note, so I knew that Luke would need which which you know. This is

where I think I'm a very sweet person. I was like, I was like, Okay, Luke has to sleep more because he has to sink. If he has to sink, if he gets sick, we're screwed. I would make a bed in the back of the bus, off of suitcases. Stop we I would make a bed in the back of the bus off of all the all the band guys suitcases, and hours with and I would sleep with bo and

get up, oh my gout twelve times a night. And the poor band they were so awesome because I know that they heard a baby cry and half the night, but they never complained. They never said a word. They were just But yeah, we slept on suitcases, so we can both sleep anywhere. Now, any noise any place, he's probably just he's fine. Oh my gosh, Caroline. We made a palette on suitcases, so we'd pile like all the suitcases up. And there's no telling how how old his

first tour bust was. It wasn't probably got it was old. But we made a palette office suitcases and put like blankets down and stuff and pillows, and that's how we slept could you ever do that again? Oh my god, I would die. I'd want those days. You can't go back. Now. I have a timper peta pillow. I just didn't a timper bed. Oh my gosh. You'll have a timper pere like I have. The one that can sit up like ours is flat, but it is game the best. Yes,

I never knew. I never knew how great it was. No, it's and now you cannot go back because it molds to your body. You're in a hotel, you're in hell, You're you're like, oh, yes, with a back ache. Pillow too, Oh my god, Yes, mine's curved. I take it everywhere, like I can't sleep on anything else. No, see, you got that out of your system early on. Yeah, so so now I'm like, I did, I did it. We've heard it. I've heard this pillow and I can't sleep on anything else because I have a neck issue. Because

I went on a girl's trip this past August. And you look too much working. I know, I'm horrible at working. Uh, like I'm having a seizure. But we so some friends and our so so a bunch of girls go on on this trip and you know, if you well once you have a child. If you get to get out of the house, you get to really excited. You maybe drink too much the first time. You gotta go hard, and I did. I was so excited to be at the house. When was this girl's trip? It was? Was

it step September August? It was? It was for the US Open in New York. And I'm a big tennis fan, big time, so I went with my tennis team. We drank a lot because it was our first time out of the house away from all of our kids. For some reason, I'm wearing high heels. For some reason, I decided to start doing I started. I think I can tumble again. Granted I'm thirty nine, I'm not sixty. Well, I took them all for a couple of movies, for

a couple of movies. The last one, no, no, no. I took gymnastics for like two years, but I mean I could do like backhand springs and stuff. So I do a backflip on a bed. I landed, thinking okay, I still got it. I go on the in the hallway and start doing like you know, round dolphs and what oh? I slipped on the last one, land on my neck. It's still really messed up. Oh no, are you like going to anyone like a chiropractor or anything. Yes, I'm still in physical therapy, but Caroline, but so that's

why I have to have this certain pillow. I'm like, no, I'm not going to headaches all the time. No, I don't. It's just like, can you only turn so far? Yeah? No, I didn't ruin the rest of your trip. Oh hell no, I just I just went with it. I took Adville and I kept going, like, listen, I was going to see Roger play. Damn it. I was not gonna, you know, a spinal cord injury. I can barely walk up and put it on a neck brace. But I'm gonna have my I had a neck brace. I didn't. I swear.

It's the worst picture ever. Give my walker my shard, nay, and I'm gonna be fine. I looked like mac Doe walking around with this cheated jacket and a neck brace. Okay, nobody slowed not you're a good time. But I had a glass of wine, so I was okay. And Adville so and then you're ready to rock, I guess it's true. Oh well, okay, So then bo came first. Then second, TAKEO, what great names Bow and Tate. I know, Bow's named after my my so bow has always been a name

in my family. A boy Er is my maiden name, and so bow has always been a name in my family. And Tate is named after Luke's sister's best friend when she was young. I love that. So that's so when did then, when did the cousins come live with you guys? So Um Luke's sister Unfortunately, I guess May will be thirteen years his sister passed away unexpected. I mean just it was like the worst day of my life, Um,

of of of all of our lives. She was healthy, beautiful, the funny, she's like the best mom to ever walk this earth. It's just the best thing ever. She's just she was just taken from us with and there's and we never found any reason, but she was just the most awesome person ever. Um. And then I guess it's been four and a half years. Their their dad a Lee, who was one of my best friends. He had a massive heart attack in front of me until um and he was gone. So that day kind of that that

was the other equally worst day of our life. But um, so after that, that's so Till he moved in with us immediately. And the girls, um, the oldest, so the oldest was in college in Athens, Georgia, and so she she moved home to be with her sister who was a junior in high school. And her sister wanted to finish out high school with her friends totally, and we understood that. So she lived with some um friends of

ours there. And so the girls, you know, they're back and forth constantly because they're still in college, but they're back and forth constantly. But Till has been with us full time ever since him. Okay, yeah, well gosh, so have y'all dealt with tragedies that? Do you think that's why humor has a big part of your life Because I feel like you have to, y'all when I look at us failing, y'all brace it with so much love in like living in the moment what you have to.

Because we've lost Luke's brother, who I never met because he was killing a car crush and not ninety six. Um, you know, Luke, he lost his brother, we lost his sister, we lost our brother in law, and then we lost our niece Brett, who was seven months and so who did Brett belonged to? My brother and my sister in law? Okay, so Bo your brother. Yeah, and that's where you started Brett's bomb. Okay, now what how did what was her? She had a rare illness? Um, well she didn't. It

wasn't rare. So my brother and Ellen, who's Brett's mom. Um, she's the coolest person ever, like truly, like the coolest person. Like God couldn't have given me a better sister in law. Um, they tried for years to get pregnant and they just couldn't do it. And but we don't know why. Um, they did I v F and got pregnant with Brett. Well, they found out that Brett was gonna, you know, be a Downs baby, and so we wrapped her head around that.

We didn't care. We just wanted her here. And then we found out that Brett had a heart condition that would require surgery. And so Brett, you know, we knew that it was going to be surgery, but it was supposed to be easily fixed. So Brett had surgery when she was I guess, Oh my gosh, she was super young. Well she I guess was Brett three months. I think she was three months when you had her heart surgery. Something about Brett's body, they just it just didn't take.

So she stayed in the hospital, Ellen and bow In Hospital for over a hundred days, and I'd go up there almost every day just to see them and just hold Brett's hand and sing to her, which I have a horrible singing voice, and she stared at me like, please, for love of God, stop, just hold my hand. But um a't seven months she was taken. M How did you all, how did you guys decide to do the foundation? Well, you know when um I did so. I never met Luke's brother who was killed in a car accident, and

he was everybody tells me he's just like my brother Bo. Well, when Kelly and Lee passed, we were so directly involved with like with the kids and helping with the family, that we didn't have time. I mean like, like you're you're so involved with the is that that's your whole focus. Well, when Brett passed away, all I was doing was watching my my brother and my sister in law suffer and I couldn't help, and so um the way of coping, I was like, Okay, Well, I promised Brett when she

was about a month old. I promised her a white pony because I was like, she was the first girl in her family. I was like, I said, I won't buy you what everyone, I won't buy you a white pony. So I decided that I was gonna follow up with that and I was gonna get her. I was like, damn it, I'm buying her a white pony. So a white pony which I adopted, which ironically, this white pony comes from a rescue place in Jackson, Tennessee. Oh my gosh, So I found this pony. I'm like, I mean, that's Jesus,

come on if that's so. One pony turned into about twenty three animals, and so now we have Brett Sparntarn. It's it's the most it's just awesome. So it's it's full of small animals where you know kids with special needs or Saint Jude or sick children, they come out and they and they played play with them and they get to come hang and so that's that's just re enjoy animals being out there in nature with them. How has that blessed your life? Like, what has that what

has that experience been like having Brett's barking. Oh my god. I love it because, you know, I get to be like here, like in the city. But then when I go out to her barn, I'm in boots and I'm in I'm throwing hay out and I'm feeding the animals and I'm brushing them and I'm getting I'm getting literally shipped all over me. But they animals, I think, have done more for our family than we will ever do for Housel. For them, well, I mean, they've just they've

helped to heal so many people. And they're so funny, like each animal has their own personality and I know each one like how they're different. But can you feel the healing happening out there? Oh yeah yeah. And my kids act like when they get out there, Oh, they love it because the animals are so tame and sweet and they love it. And and the favorite are Margot and Todd are kangaroos. That's their favorite because they're like because how many kids get to go pettit and feed

up a kangaroo? Truly, you know, And they're and they're awesome. But and my ultimate goal is to someday build a public breat Brett Sparren because it's it's on her farm, so we do have to be careful about who comes out here. But it's it's I don't know, I just I love it. It's just everything about it is peaceful.

Has it helped your brother and sister in law. Yeah, just being able to pour into something so special in her memory, to help other people and to see her name because we promised Brett that she would never be forgotten and that we'd always talk about her and that we we're gonna do some big things and we are. We're working, We're I mean SERI is like we work our ass off to make to not let a family

lose a child when they don't have to. Yes, I feel like you have this amazing balance of like knowing how to have so much humor and then you're so deep and so real too. But it's like you just like straddle this line of like handling life so well. Oh trust me, there are times when I just lose my ship and I'm just I just go sit like in the shower and cry, because I mean, everybut everybody's human,

I mean everybody. You know. I struggle with Luke being gone all the time and kids everywhere, and you know how to make everybody happy, and you know how to make how to make this charity go well. And I mean, you know, I mean it's it's hard to be a long a lot oh, but I just look at you and I'm just like, used me our goals because it's it's the way that you embrace your journey and the

way that you have embraced all of your journey. It's so inspiring to see because you have so much joy that comes out of you even when you've had to deal with like really tough situations. From what it appears to me, it's like you always find a way to make it fun and to find the joy and then to make something beautiful out of something sad. Well, you have to because like our family thing is, you can take two pazz in life, one of being bitter and angry or one of like, you know what, I'm gonna

We're gonna make this. I'm gonna find the happiness in this, and we're gonna because we have to because we're living for five kids, three of which have lost a mom and a dad, and we're like, you know what, now we're gonna make or try to make everybody happy and you know, just make the best of something that's horrible. But that's that's that's our goal. And it's not perfect. Trust me. He and I, me and Luke can fight like you can't even believe that we always, but we

make up very well. We do. So everybody's human. So you said something, you said, he's to a happy marriage something, laugh a lot and selective hearing. Yes, god, well he's got that. I'll laugh a lot, and he has selective hearing. I feel like all men have selective and I'm like, are you not listening? I'm like, how can I do that to Michael? Like he completely blocks out things that I say. I think it's also like an artist thing

in them too, or that's what they say. The artsy ones are very like, oh, come on, your dude, come on, you just don't want to hear me. You're just gonna act you didn't hear it, and then you can play dubs. So then it's all fine, and then I'll end up doing whatever I need to talk about anyway, I'll just take care of it. But if you throw a plate at them, they'll they'll listen real quick. That's that because they're digital. Sorry that Ron pan just slipped out of

my hand. I'm gonna try that, but you gotta be subtle about it. A gu goes in accident, don't do a cast iron because that really hurts. Kidding. I've never thrown a cast iron at him, not yet. It's bound to happen at some point. So what are your favorite things to do? Like hobbies, tennis? I do love tennis, um, but else the favorite thing to do as a family. Oh my gosh, I was a family. Oh lord, we'll

go Lord, we watch movies, we play games. Um Like I'm always loving costumes, like all things that could have a costume. Holidays, y'all are in them. Yes, if it's Christmas, you're gonna be in the most pimped out, degraded Onesie Halloween, you're gonna be have like a blow up dinosaur costume. Well this thing about Halloween, like I never did the you know how some people are like Halloween. Let's let's

be slutty. Yeah, I want to look completely stupid. I feel like, were you in like a giant cow thing that like you almost can walk in the room because it was so big. I've done all that and then I actually had I did where as a joke once and it's not on Instagram, it's not anywhere I do have pictures, but I don't like an inflatable penis. It was great because it was so funny, but I couldn't. You know, there's certain things that you can't put out there because you'll get a lot of flag back. Have

you got some flack every everybody does? What do they give you? Flag four? To me? Like, I just live for your videos, especially when as you pranking or you and Leclair, like, I just cannot wait for those to show up. Oh my god. Um, I don't care who you are, You're gonna get somebody's gonna hate on you.

That's just how it is. Um, do you just let that ride off you or does it get It gets to me because it sucks because when you know that you're trying to be nice and a good person or just and somebody wants to say, like a girl wants. I'm guessing it was a girl, but um um, I don't address wants and somebody commented which and that's what sucks. Like it's like where people have the assholes but say something and they so I had on this this um dress wants and it was it was short and this

whoever comment has said, um, quit wearing short dresses. Your your knees, tell your age. I'm like, and so then you started staring at your knees and you're like, well they are not a little bit wrinkly. But I'm like, oh my gosh. Yeah, she told me I was too old to be wearing this dress because my knee is still my age. I'm like, well, thanks, halfer, oh my gosh.

And it's just thanks Tina whatever her name was. I feel I hate to hate, but I'm always like, Okay, if someone is going to spend the time to write a hateful message, how sad is their life? And then I feel sad for them, and I'm like, I feel bad that they are living in such a miserable place that they want to spread hate because it has to be. It happens all the time, it happens to everybody. Or they'll ask you, oh my god, are you pregnant? Like if you're not, no girl, there are few girls in

this world who are completely flat. Come on, and a couple of girls like once goes, oh my, are you pregnant? I see a bulge? And my in my response was no, I just truly love ice cream and French fries. It wasn't even a big if it wasn't even a big bump, I'm like, damn. I'm like Caroline, if someone thinks you're pregnant, and what's gonna have the rest of us? You were in you have to everybody. I'm like, what the why the hell do do people have to be so hard

on I don't know. I have never once, ever, ever, ever, ever ever posted anything just mean like, oh my god, are you pregnant? No, well, it's look old. It's that old thing I heard it in church, but it's true. It's like hurt people hurt people. You know, we're not all hurt people who are like suffering, and but you don't have to be an assid or they want to make other misery loves company. Yeah, well I don't want

to do it around here. So I love that. I love that you're just bright and light and fun and joy and laughs and all that. So were you? I? Well, thank you. I get emotional. I'm like, I'm an emotional mess, Like have you ever done the angiogram? Oh my god, somebody told me about that last week. You've got to say I've got it. It isn't like a hundred and fifty questions or something, and it tells you and you and Luke shuld but actually your whole family should take it,

and it tells you so much about your personality. Well, I'm four, which is a romantic and so like I love love and like I love a great story and passion. But I can just fall to the bottom of a whole emotional hole and just be caught up in my feelings. And luckily, Michael, the seven and sevens are like what's the seven happy? They always kind of avoid pain. They're

always finding the good time. That sounds like Luke, yeah, probably always like having a good time, never let anything get too sad, like always because Michael Doult wasn't tragedy to his brother died of cancer and was really young, and then his family ended up not surviving it, like with a divorce and everything. So like he at a young age learned how to cope with a lot of pain, and is has always been like finding the joy. Finding well that's a healthy outlet, because I mean it can

go the other way. And so that's why we try to, you know, you try to find the fun and happiness because it can go the other way really quickly, and you got to realize, like you're here, life is happening, and so in honor of your family or your loved when it's like you don't want to live for them too, you know, and you have to because life we know ulto well, life does not stop. It doesn't matter what's happened.

Life doesn't stop. And you have to. You gotta pick yourself up and no matter how horrible it is, you have to keep going. And and that's what sucks, is like, but it is also okay to have a bad day, to feel it and to go, you know, I just don't feel like dealing with this today, yes, and then all the way down and that's okay. I have to let myself do that, Like if I'm feeling something like really emotional, like with the miscarriage and like actually randomly

my dad almost died this Christmas. He had a heart attack and like we almost lost someone. Was very very traumatic, but it came out of it. But it's like I have to let myself break all the way down, like I can't. I can't get back to myself until I and that's and that's fine, I think that's healthy. I think that's fine. I mean, like it's okay to hurt because everybody everybody does. I don't care who you are.

Everybody has something and it's okay. What's your secret for running a big household like this and keeping everybody in line and keeping it all going? Oh God, I don't have a secret. Prayer, Jesus and wine. That's about it. I don't know. I do have help, though, when I have some of the most awesome help ever. But um, there there is no secret. Every day is different. Because every day is different. You don't know what you're gonna get, especially when kids are involved. You just do it. You

just get up and do it. I love it. I could talk to you all day, but I'm gonna wrap up because I know you have a million things to do, and I mean, obviously you gotta get um. I always like to leave. I enjoyed it. You're amazing, You're just so credible. I'm so glad that's like talking to I've honestly been in all of you for a long time. Please don't know, there's nothing to be at all of it, but that makes it even better because you're so real

and like honest and hilarious your humor. I was like, I gotta I told Michael's like, I gotta work on my humor and I want to be more funny, Like I want to, I's gonna do some pranks. I love one of my band wives who's married to the bass player in A Thousand Horses. She's hilarious like you like, and she pranks everyone. She has a file on her phone she has pictures of all of us, and that's terrible pictures you could ever imagine. And she'll just like

post them out every now and then. See that's so fun because you know therest pictures you could ever image. What's funny is like everybody. I don't care how pretty anybody is. Everybody can be ugly. And that one's so funny. You're like, oh damn, this picture for a laugh. She'll do anything for a laugh at anybody's expense. I love that she that yeah, she's not gonna yeah, but I just love that. And I'm just like, oh my god, if I could be one thing, I wish I could

be funnier, But I can appreciate funny people. So that's why finding I'm a good funny sidekick, because like the person who's funny. Like I'll be there like egging it on the la, but I'm not really the one who's able to instigate it. I just don't have that. Oh I can. I love to be in the room and a part of it and laughing because I just it's to me, humor is the greatest medicine. It is. It's laugh until you cry. You can laugh until you cry into your laugh and I'm when she's laughing until you cry.

Ere laughing. But hey, if you're wont to prank anybody, call me. Okay, I'm already I really do. Oh my god. Okay. So I like to leave every interview with leave your Light. So obviously your whole life is inspiring, and everything you've talked about it has been inspirational, But just what's a

message you want to send to people? Like, just to inspire people listening to this, if you had like a piece of advice or something you wanted to pass on to someone maybe who's you know in a hard spot or something like what what's your word of encouragement that you want to give somebodey Um. There are a couple of things that I I'm trying to think there are a couple of things that I tell my kids every day. Um, I tell them to always go and make a person

smile every day. Be nice, Go make a person smile. And then the ultimate advice, some of the best advice that I ever got, was it's not I guess okay, well this yeah, anyway, it's it's not our our job to understand why God does what he does. It's our job to accept it and make the best out of it. Wow. And just that's what you have to do. Someday we'll we'll understand everything, but we're not. I mean, he's not going to let's understand everything or right right right now

in this life. So just take what he gives you, as hard as it is, and it's sometimes it's great and sometimes sucks so bad, but she gotta take it and try to make the best out of it. That's truly inspiring. I love that. Thank you. I don't know, I'm not very deep, but as deep as I get, Caroline, I'm so shallow, No'm kidding whatever, you are so deep and you and you also though like you know how to make joy out of painful things, which is a

true gift, truly. Oh, thank you, Thank you so much for joining, Thank you for coming, Thank you, I appreciate this is fine. And we got the same name, so obviously we're Caroline's are a handful. My best brand growing up, her name was Caroline too. We were always the Caroline. See I never knew I knew one of other Caroline ever. But hey, Caroline, are you handful? But they're good people? Oh yeah, oh yeah, we're the best. Okay, thank you. I know you loved that episode. Was it not incredible?

How inspiring is Caroline? She is a true earth angel. I love her her to pieces and I'm so glad to know her, and I'm so thankful that she shared her story just to uplift everyone who heard it, because I know you heard that and felt moved in your soul. There's no way you couldn't. Next week, I have Cassie Kelly, who is the wife of Charles Kelly from Lady Antebellum. Cassie is an incredible soul. She is beautiful, she's a fashionista. She has incredible style. She also has the hugest heart.

We talked all about her relationship with Charles, their journey to their sweet son Ward, her business that she started, Woman easta and how it turned into a huge business that she ended up selling all about her life. It's so incredible. She's such an uplifting person. So get excited for Cassie Kelly next week. We'll see you then