How are you guys doing?
How are you and Demi?
How're the newlyweds in the weirdest year ever? (laughs)
We're we're doing good.
You know, as you said, like,
you know, sometimes in in tough times there can also be
silver linings and positives.
And I think one of those for us, you know,
when COVID hit, is baseball stopped.
So I came back here and Demi flew back.
And so it gave us a chance to kind of have
to have a, I guess, pro-longed honeymoon.
So that's one of the silver linings
that we got, which was amazing.
And, and also we had the chance to go out
and get three puppies which totally brings
so much joy to your life.
It totally does.
We got, we got a big girl ourselves.
We got Bella, Bella, she's so big.
Heard about Bella.
Yeah, she's so big.
She's Huge.
Do you just love her or what?
Oh my god, she's 70 pounds
at like eight and a half months.
It's crazy.
Are they all mixes where you get the puppy?
Yeah, Bernese Mountain Dog.
Oh, mountain dog. Ah. (laughing)
Look, oh, you need a big doggy.
What are the dogs' names?
So the dalmation is Paris.
And she was named after our wedding venue,
which was La Paris.
Yeah.
And then our golden
(Rachael laughing)
Yeah, she's so sweet.
And she's daddy's girl, too, by the way.
Oh.
And then our golden retriever's named Kobe,
after Kobe Bryant,
and then our Bernese Mountain Dog is named Chunk
because look at him, doesn't he just look like a chunk?
Like, are you kidding me?
Chunk.
And so right when we saw him, I was like,
we gotta have that one, and his name is Chunk.
I mean, and the markings on all of them.
I mean, they look like central casting, right?
Oh my goodness.
Like me the three most beautiful dogs ever, please.
(laughing)
We love him so much.
And one of them was born on our wedding day.
You're kidding me.
Another one was born the day after
and then another one was born two days after that.
So they're all so close in age.
Ah.
Yeah.
Explain to everybody the book and the meaning behind it,
and why it's, you know,
such it another expression of your love.
First of all, it's a children's books
were just meaningful to me in my life.
My parents used to read them
to me almost every single night
before I would go to sleep,
and they had such an impact on my life,
and so, you know, I've had the chance
to write quite a few different books
but I wanted to write that children's book.
I really thought of writing
Bronco and Friends A Party to Remember
to one, remember Bronco, but also something special
is a lot of the names that I use
for the other characters and animals,
were also some of our wish kids
that have passed away and are in heaven now.
And so it was another way to honor them
and to show how much they meant to me
and to love them and really
Bronco and Friends A Party to Remember
is a story of of all of these animals
that are on a journey
and how they work together to accomplish their goal
and how they all have abilities
but some would say disabilities,
but how that every single one of us
was created unique, special, and wonderful.
And that is literally how the book ends is
by telling every single kid that you are unique,
you are special and you are wonderful,
because I want every single kid
to know how much they're loved,
how special they are and you know what?
We're all different.
We're all created different,
but I believe we're all created in love,
by love and for love.
And God has a great plan for our life.
And I want every single kid
to know how special they are and how wonderful they are.
Can you give us an update on how your foundation is doing?
What are you working on?
What are your projects?
How has this time effected you and the foundation?
Yeah, we're working on so many different things.
You know, as you know, Rachael,
our heart is to help as many people
around the world as we can.
And, you know, this time of COVID,
it's been really hard for a lot of people,
but that's also given a lot of people
a chance to really step up
to help as many people, you know.
We've had the chance to feed over 130,000 people
in nine different countries during this COVID time
and had the chance to help fight
and rescue a lot of girls out of trafficking
around the world and helping them a long-term restoration
with safe houses around the world.
And we're also getting ready for Night to Shine
which is a little over a month away
Oh your big night?
Which will be a bunch of countries around the world.
Yes (clapping)
Yeah, so it's not going to be in person,
but we're going to have a Night to Shine drive-throughs,
which we're calling Shine Through.
And then we're also going virtual with it,
because, you know, we just couldn't cancel it.
Even with COVID is we, we gotta have a way,
because we just believe every single boy or girl
with special needs has to be shown
that they're loved and cared for
and that they're not forgotten.
And so we still have the Shine Through,
and the Night to Shine Virtual,
we're so excited about.
I just love that there's a shy,
a Shine Through like a drive-through.
Yeah.
Yeah, that's amazing.
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