Then There Were Three

(If you can’t tell she’s pretty stinkin happy) (Ellie loves her new cuddle buddy)

Hello There! We’ve had some thrilling things going on in the Heard household over the last week. First off, you can end the petition for Ellie to get a dog, because surprise to both you and me, my parents bought her a 10-week-old Labradoodle named Keller. If I was feeling overwhelmed before, having a new puppy has taken that feeling to a whole new level. However, the excitement in Ellie’s eyes is worth every bit of cleaning up poo, pee, the bite marks, the chewing on everything… you get the picture. I haven’t seen Ellie this happy in a long time, and as a mommy, nothing feels better than that.

Last week, I got the opportunity to speak to a small group women’s Bible study in Denton and the experience left me feeling connected, loved, grateful, and on purpose! I enjoy speaking and especially love making connections with other women. We all have our own incredible life stories and getting to listen, share, and encourage each other is one of my favorite parts of being a speaker. The whole experience reminded me why I started my blog, why I started speaking, and why I started coaching. I value the connection to others, as well as being authentic and vulnerable, because in doing so we all begin to realize we are more alike than we are different. Something amazing happens when we make this connection: we stop putting so much pressure on ourselves to be like someone else or to be perfect and we just allow ourselves to be.

This Saturday I’m speaking at an event that is very near and dear to my heart, the Women of Faith conference in Cuero, TX. Over the past couple of years, I’ve developed a special relationship with the people in Cuero and surrounding areas. Whether it was bringing us meals, painting our house, taking care of our yard, raising over $100,000 for our family’s medical bills, buying Andrew’s book, praying over us, etc., they have all been there for my family through the most difficult time in our lives. I feel a deep sense of loyalty toward these incredible individuals, because they have shown us the power of LOVE. I’m honestly praying that I can hold it together emotionally, because my gratitude overflows for them. I will never be able to repay them for everything they’ve done for my family, but this weekend will be one way that I can say thank you for all that’s been done.

I also wanted to make a shout out to each one of you for following our journey, supporting my family in so many different ways, and for encouraging us when we need it the most. I consider each of you a gift and I’m grateful for all of the love I feel from you, and as Ellen DeGeneres says, “I send it all right back ‘atcha.” (By the way, I’m pumped to go see The Ellen Show live on April 9^th… more on that later!) I would love to come share our family’s documentary (beautifully created by Fotolanthropy) and inspirational story at your small group, event, meeting, etc. Feel free to email me at [email protected] for more details. Have a wonderful rest of the week! Blessings and Love from Bailey, Ellie and Keller!

(Me warming up to the idea of our new adorable puppy)