December 23^rd 2011 is a day the whole Dudney family will cherish in our memories forever. Our daughter, Jaime, married her new husband, Whit Gilbert, in a very beautiful wedding in Nashville.

The fun started with Jaime’s Bridal Shower. Matthew cooked dinner for all of us women at the shower that Cathy Bucek, a friend who helped us coordinate the wedding, and Christy gave for her. 

Cathy and Matthew enjoying the wonderful food.

 

Me with the fabulous Cathy Bueck.

 

The wedding was precious and intimate – with only about 85 guests. The wedding took place at a marvelous historic church called Owen Chapel, a 152 year old church that was built before the Civil War. It was a holy, sacred wedding ceremony. Jaime’s gorgeous dress was made by Cheryl Johnson of C. Johnson Custom Clothing. Cheryl makes gowns and costumes for many of the stars living in Nashville, and the dress was just perfect for her.

 

Ken walking Jaime down the aisle to marry Whit.

 

I was so happy to be able to contribute to the décor in the church. I did all of the flowers and built an eight foot tall cross for the wall behind the pulpit that I made out of limbs from our yard. Jaime plans to use it at the Fontanel on their Gospel Sunday Brunch that they have once a month. 

All smiles!

Whit has two children, Emma Grace, who is nine and Elizabeth, who is five. The girls walked Whit down the aisle, which was a beautiful symbol of them giving their Daddy, in marriage, to Jaime. One of our favorite parts of the ceremony was after Jaime and Whit took their vows to each other and they asked the girls to step up to the altar. First, Jaime made beautiful promises and vows to the girls and placed a ring on each of their fingers that matched her ruby and diamond engagement ring that Whit had made for her. The girls were just beaming and so thrilled. When Jaime finished making her commitments and promises to the girls, Whit turned around and spoke with them. It was a very emotional, beautiful time. Ken said it was the only time during the wedding when he had to wipe away tears.

Whit and his girls, Ken and his girl.

Josh Wooten, a dear friend of Whit and Jaime’s throughout high school and college, married them. How precious is it that in his life, God’s journey for him was to become a minister and then marry two of his childhood friends? Jaime’s only request for music was for her sister-in-law, Christy Sutherland, to sing a song she wrote called “God Is In This Place,” and it was so special and beautiful. It meant a lot to me that that’s what Jaime and Whit wanted. Mike Farris, a great musician Jaime and Whit are friends and fans of, sang a stunning rendition of the Lord’s Prayer a capella.

After the wedding, we had cakes and desserts at a reception at our home. Hannah, our daughter in law, made the most breathtaking cake I’ve ever seen.  All the sides were covered in Freedom Roses and there was lacework along the bottoms of each layer. It was just exquisite and tasted divine.

The exquisite cake, made by Hannah. 

Ken played John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s composition "In My Life,” on the piano as Whit and Jaime danced their first dance as Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert.

Ken and Jaime and Whit, Elizabeth and Emma Grace all dancing during the Father-Daughter dance.

Me with dear friend Dino Pastin, who was my keyboard and saxophone player for many years up until I retired, played piano at the wedding and reception.

 

We had such a lovely time and are so happy for Jaime and Whit. Love and marriage are such blessings. We are so excited for their future! Welcome to the family, Whit, Emma Grace and Elizabeth!

Xo,

Barbara

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

When our children were younger, we would spend two weeks every summer camping in tents and spending some special time together. Now that our kids are grown, Ken and I like to spend a few weeks every year travelling in our RV to visit friends and family. We’ve been going on a trip every year since we got the motor home (a bit of a step up since those days in the tents!), and it’s something we really enjoy doing. We brought our dogs, Milli and Trevi, who are just wonderful travelers. They had family and friends by blood or marriage in every destination we visited! Even though Trevi had a doggy bed between Ken and me, she thought that she should sit in my lap as I was riding shotgun, so very often I’d be holding two dogs. The girls also got to try out their “Doggles,” a gift from my dear friend Pat Bullard, and used them to protect their eyes when they stuck their heads out the window.

Hope everyone had a lovely Thanksgiving! December is fast approaching and now we can officially begin preparing for the Holiday Season. This time of year is special to me for many reasons. Not only am I grateful for a time to celebrate the birth of Jesus with friends and family, I’m lucky to share my birthday with him – December 25. What a fun, celebratory time. So, Merry, Merry Christmas to you!

While you’re making your gift shopping lists, I encourage you to keep the Nashville Music Garden’s Country Music Blooms Online Auction in mind (www.nashvillemusicgarden.com/auction-items).

The Nashville Music Garden is located in Walk of Fame Park in downtown Nashville, and is a “living” walk of fame filled with over six dozen varieties of roses and daylilies named in honor of the music and artists synonymous with music city. The Nashville Music Garden was created by my dear friend, Pat Bullard, and is very near and dear to my heart. Pat came up with the idea after I gave her my “namesake” rose to plant in her own garden. 

Me, Nashville Mayor Karl Dean and Pat Bullard at the Nashville Music Garden ribbon-cutting ceremony

The Country Music Blooms Online Auction is a wonderful way to benefit the Nashville Music Garden Fund of The Community Foundation o f Middle Tennessee that sustains the beautiful garden. The auction is open now at www.nashvillemusicgarden.com/auction-items and has an array of country-music-celebrity-owned items. Bidding on eBay will officially close at 7:30 p.m. CST on December 5.

I’m so honored to be a part of this garden and I’ve donated an autographed item –boots that I wore during my “Steppin’ Out” special. The winning bidder will also receive a (no longer available for purchase) DVD of the two hour “Steppin’ Out” special. Be sure to check out my boots and all of the items from many other musicians including Brenda Lee, Pam Tillis, Little Jimmy Dickens, Darius Rucker, Brooks & Dunn, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, Sara Evans, Lady Antebellum, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, LeAnn Rimes, Manuel, Martina McBride, Sugarland, and many more.

 

 

My pink boots, worn during the “Steppin’ Out” special

 

Hope this special season has kicked off to a good start!

 

Xoxo,

Barbara

 

 

As you all might know, we lost our beloved dog Sissy not long ago. Though I’m still heartbroken over Sissy, we got a new baby, Milli.  She’s a bit spoiled, but as you can see, she’s so small and cute that I let her get away with it! She’s half of Trevi’s size.  When Jaime’s dog Bella comes over, Milli steals her treats- she’s just rotten but it’s kind of funny because she’s so little. Maybe she’ll get more polite as she gets older. She’s also my big-time watch dog and barks when anyone’s coming to the door…or when she hears anything really. She’s our microscopic Rottweiler, but she really loves everybody.  We love her so much and she is a happy addition to our family.

You can find out more about Christy on her website: www.christysutherland.net   

Our family recently returned from two wonderful weeks in beautiful Costa Rica. Ken did such a wonderful job of planning the whole thing and I was just thrilled that all of us could be together.  Eight of us, including our son Matthew and his wife, Christy; son Nathan and his wife, Hannah; and daughter Jaime and her fiancé, Whit, plus Ken and me. We stayed on the Central Pacific coast at the perfectly lovely Los Sueños Resort in Herradura and enjoyed a most gorgeous view overlooking the golf course and marina. When we weren’t out adventuring (which we did a LOT of), we took advantage of our infinity pool. I am so fortunate – it was a truly once-in-a-lifetime trip.

The gang (Whit’s behind the camera – thanks, Whit!) at Los Sueños.

(Pictured L-R) Jaime, Hannah, Nathan, me, Ken, Matthew and Christy

To have everyone together for two weeks was incredibly special, particularly since the children are all grown up now. It took me back to the special trips we took when the kids were young.  We were especially glad that Hannah could take the time off from her busy medical school schedule.  She taught us a game one night called “Noun” and we laughed a lot – sometimes with each other and sometimes at each other! 

 

 

We went whitewater rafting and our boat (carrying me, Ken, Matthew and our guide) capsized. I was very grateful for our expert guide and our top-notch helmets.

Another day we went zip lining from the treetops in the mountains (in Costa Rica, they’re like Tennessee mountains, not Colorado mountains). I loved it; it was amazing seeing the tops of the mountains and zooming through the air so fast.

 

Our last big adventure was riding ATVs through the rainforest. As you can tell, it was a very athletic trip, and that was just perfect for us.  I love being active and trying new things, and we got our fill of that for sure.  On a boat trip in the tropical forest, white faced monkeys came on our boats...what a thrill.

I’m so grateful Ken came up with the idea for this trip. We had such a wonderful two weeks and we’re so lucky to have had this time together. The most special time was my alone-time with Ken and the time we all had with each other as a family. It’s already a really beautiful memory that I believe we will all cherish forever.

Happy Spring Time To You!!

Everything has been very busy and wonderful for me and for my family. I hope it has been so good for you too.

Ken and I have been having repairs done on our home. I guess you always have to do that every few years. Painting trim, driveway repair, side walks, etc. I finally redecorated Nathaniel’s bedroom, and I thin it’s a very comfortable guest room now.

My sister Louise, recorded a fantastic Christmas Album last year, and I went to the recording studio to watch her a little bit. It was such fun for me to watch Louise record. She was so hardworking and amazing. All of us went to Louise’s Christmas Show at the Opryland Hotel and her great talent, her cast and crew, the sets, lighting, and her special guest, Christy Sutherland, were all incredible. I’m so proud of her, and my sister Irlene. Irlene is working in California right now. She did a wonderful Christmas show at the Nashville Palace. Ken and I enjoyed her show very much. My sisters are the best!!!

Our Nashville NHL team, the Predators still have a great chance to be in the playoffs at the time of my writing. We are always hoping!!! I’m on the Board of Directors of the Predators Foundation. The Foundation does so much good, and helps an awful lot in our community. One of the ways we raise money for our Foundation is our yearly Gala. It was a great success, and very soon we have another fund raiser with a Wine Tasting Gala & Dinner.

I’ve been going to many fun things, like weddings, showers, celebrations, and I’m very eager to be going to the next Hall of Fame induction ceremony. It’s very special to me that my friend Reba McEntire will be inducted.

Matthew and Christy asked me a few months ago if I would produce her next album, and that’s what we’re doing right now. In fact, we’re back in the studio tonight working on it. Her first single off the album has been sent to radio and it is "HE GREW THE TREE." I was the first to record that song in the 80's. Christy is an anointed singer and writer. Her performance was so powerful, and I know it will bless anyone who hears her. Matthew said the album will be called, "GREATER STILL." (Named from one of the songs on the album that Christy wrote), and it will be released the last part of May or the first of June. I’m truly enjoying producing it with Christy.

Ken and I took care of our Grand dog and Grand cat, that belong to Matt & Christy, while they were on the road for a month.

A very kind friend of mine, Brenda Black, works very hard raising money and helping the Nashville Humane Association. One of the things she does is produce a book called, "PATROL PETS." She came up with the idea a few years ago. People pay to have their pet or pets photographed with them or their children/grandchildren, etc., and in turn, all the money they pay goes to the Humane Association. They receive a copy of the book and a 5 X 7 photo. It was my joy to round up some of my friends who were kind enough to participate and help. Louise helped to round up friends and my kids all got pages to put their pets in the book. I can’t wait to see the finished product, and I thank Brenda for her hard work. I thank God for all the people who care about and want to help homeless animals.

My daughter Jaime, has a second dog now that she rescued. For over a month, there was a little black Mexican Chihuahua running around the woods of Fontanel. Jaime and others would try and catch the little girl, but the tiny dog would run in fear, and it snowed twice during this time and got very cold. After Jaime captured her, she took her to the Vet to have her neck stitched up and have her spayed. During the surgery, the Vet found that she had 6 dead puppies in her tummy, and she was so full of infection that he didn’t expect her to live through the night. We all prayed and asked God to spare this brave little life, and praise God, he did. Jaime has now adopted her and named her Mercy. Little Mercy loves her big brother George Clooney, that Jaime rescued a while back. Jaime is still dating Whit, and we are very fond of him.

Nathan is hard at work at his job here in Nashville and he’s been driving to Memphis on weekends to be with Hannah a couple of days a week. Hannah has just finished her fir year of Medical school and she’s going to work with a doctor at Vanderbilt this summer, as he works on a research project. Nathan & Hannah are going to go on a 2 week trip that they have been planning all year. They are going to go to Spain and the wine country part of France.

We are all going to be going on a family vacation this summer to Costa Rica. We haven’t had a family vacation for quite a number of years and I’m truly looking forward to all of us being together.

Ken started the Albert Menefee Jr. Memorial Skeet Shoot a couple of years ago and it’s coming up again in a few days. I haven’t shot skeet since last years tournament, so I sure hope I get luck and hit a few.

We’re all looking forward to Easter this year, when we celebrate our Lord Jesus Christ. He is risen and alive and we are so blessed by his grace and mercy and love.

I pray you have a beautiful spring and summer with your loved ones. God Bless You.

With Love,

Barbara

Christy Sutherland Wins Diamond Award.

July 1, 2010 found Matt and Christy in Branson, Missouri where she co-hosted the SGBScoops Magazine Diamond Award Show. She was nominated for four awards, the most of any performer, which she won the "CHRISTIAN COUNTRY FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR." You can go to her web site and some pictures will be put up shortly. We sure are proud of her and her talent.

We are in the process of getting ready to go on vacation in our RV with our two dogs. I imagine that we will be doing some fishing, sight-seeing, and visiting friends and relatives. Before we go on our vacation, we will be traveling to Seven Springs, Pennsylvania for Irlene’s charity shoot, in honor of our father, Irby Mandrell. All the kids are going except for Jaime, as she has to work and can’t get away during this busy time of year. I will be telling you more when we get back from our big trip out west. Talk to you soon.

Love,

Barbara

Hello my dear friends.

Good weather is finally here. Nashville is "digging out" from the flood of 2010 and things are slowly getting back to fairly normal. Our family sustained no damage from the water, but lots of people all around us did. The destruction was devastating and heartbreaking for thousands of people. It will take years to completely get back to normal. Nathan and Hannah own a condominium in a high-rise building downtown and were evacuated at 2am during the flood, because it was getting dangerously close to their building and they thought that they might have to turn off the electricity, causing the elevators to not operate, thereby stranding everyone above the first floors. They stayed with us for about a week and finally got to go home. Their building didn’t have any damage, thank goodness; even though it did get surrounded by water.

Matt and Christy have been traveling some and we have been babysitting their dog, Bella. She just loves both of our dogs and they play great together. Matt just had shoulder surgery this past Monday and has been pretty immobile since then. He is in considerable pain and gets to start therapy this coming Monday. We sure hope that his shoulder will do better after all he has been through. Christy is heading for Hawaii and a trip with her mother, Cynthia, and her sister, Courtney. They will be gone a week and get great tans. I am so jealous. Christy has never been to Hawaii, so is pretty excited about the trip.

The flood really wreaked havoc with the Opryland Hotel. They are hoping that it will be up and running again for the Christmas holiday season. Louise will be doing a brand new show there this year, so if you get the chance to come to Nashville, please do yourselves a favor and go see her show. It is great. The food is great too.

Jaime has been very busy lately with her new job. She was hired by the people that bought our home, the Fontanel, and has the task of getting the house ready for tourist season, as they are turning the house into an attraction that will include tours of the home with many items of many country artists, along with a restaurant, run by Tom Kats. Jaime’s job title is "Director of Hospitality, and one of her tasks has been to hire and train tour guides for the property. She is doing such a great job, and is loving what she is doing. There is going to be an amphitheater that will have lots of outdoor shows featuring great artists. They are building a hiking trail around the property and are preserving the natural beauty of the woods for generations to come. There is a welcome center and souvenir shop featuring memorabilia of many artists, and of Nashville. I have nothing to do with this project, however, I wish them all the best and feel that it will be a wonderful place for people to visit while in Nashville. The website is "fontanelmansion.com." Look it up, I think you will be impressed with what they are doing out there.

My Mother Mary, is doing great. She came over for a Mothers Day lunch, and we had a great time visiting.

So long for now. Our next adventure will be going to Irlene’s Charity Shoot in Pennsylvania, and then taking our motor home out west for a long trip to visit lots of relatives and friends. Talk to you after that.

Love always,

Barbara

Hi Everybody: I only have a short note for now and will write more later, but I wanted you all to know that my daughter-in-law, Christy Sutherland will be on THE HOUR OF POWER at the Crystal Cathedral, Saturday March 13^th & Sun. March 14^th. For local air times, go to crystalcathedral.org and click on the link to watch online or on television. You will be prompted to type in your location for the times. This is another great opportunity for her, and I know that you will be glad you tuned in to see her perform. More to come later.

Love, Barbara

Happy 2010 January 12, 2010

So very much has happened this last year, and because it was busy for me, it flew by. I can hardly believe it’s 2010 already. I hope this new year is wonderful for you. November 11, was the CMA Awards show, and a most unforgettable, incredible evening for me and my family. I was honored by the CMA and the Executive Producer, Robert Deaton. It thrilled and overwhelmed me beyond words when Martina McBride and George Strait sang my song, "I Was Country When Country Wasn’t Cool," and said such kind things about me, when they acknowledged my being inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. My son, Nathan, was my escort that evening, and took such good care of me. Ken took our picture before we got into the limo to go to the show, and I’m proud to have that photo with my very handsome son.

Louise’s "Joy To The World" Christmas show at the Opryland Hotel, was a huge success, and she has agreed to do it again next year. She is already creating and planning for next years show. If she doesn’t change her mind, I think she’s naming the show, "The Gift." I know the show will be fantastic, so even if you have seen here show before, go next year, because it will be different, and I am sure wonderful. When Ken and I were able to go to the show this year, Pam Tillis and her husband were there, also. It was wonderful to see them. Pam and I were both excited and thrilled with the incredible job Louise did. It made me very proud to be Louise’s sister. Christy, Matt’s wife, was fantastic as a special guest star in the show and Matthew was a truly polished and great Master of Ceremonies. Jaime worked back stage with her Aunt Louise, so it really was a family show.

My Christmas was special, as always, because Ken and I had all of our children, Jaime’s boyfriend Whit, and my mother Mary, with us on Christmas Day. We had our dinner about 1pm, because Christmas night was the closing night of Louise’s show and the kids had to leave at 3pm to go get ready for the show. My mother is doing great and sure looks beautiful. She is always very busy. December 26^th was our "Mandrell Family Christmas" celebration at my Mothers house. It’s always special for all of us to get together and visit, eat, laugh, and just have time to love each other.

My birthday was sensational.! Ken decorated a store bought cake for Jesus and for me. Hannah baked me a beautiful, sumptuous cake that I love, and I got lots of pretty and loving cards and gifts. I’m so happy with the decision that I made a week before Christmas, to begin going backwards every year instead of forward, with the number of years old I am. It’s great!! You all should try it.

We had about an inch of snow this past week, and the temperature went down to the single digits many nights. For us, it was, and still is, very cold here. Even with my garden gloves on, my fingers get so cold in the mornings when I am feeding the birds and critters outside. The birds need the water and food in the winter more than in the rest of the year. If you ever start feeding, etc., you must continue because they depend on it. Our little 7 pound, black, YorkiePoo, Trevi, enjoys having her sweater on and running around looking for chipmunks and squirrels, while I am doing my chores of watering and feeding;. We are babysitting Matt and Christy’s cat, Gideon, for a couple of weeks while they are in Texas working, and visiting Christy’s parents. They should be home in a few more days. Matt wanted me to include in this letter about Christy and the Diamond Awards, being held in Branson, Mo. During the Branson Gospel Music Convention June 28 - July 2. She will have some hosting duties, but the most important everyone who reads this (and all your friends) need to vote for her at www.sgnscoops.com/?page_id=549. Her categories are Favorite Vocalist of the Year, Song of the Year ("Somebody Died For Me"), Favorite Artist’s Website. If anyone would like to receive Christy’s newsletter, send your request to matt@christysutherland.net. This first round of voting is only for nominations. Please do this nominating section by Feb. 28, 2010. Thank you!!

Well, you take good care of yourself and your family. Be sure to pray for our Nation, our military, and people that have lost their jobs and having hard times. God bless you.

With Love,

Barbara