Sara Evans Talks Dog Parks, 7 Kids, Adding To The Brood

Country crooner Sara Evans has her hands full with a blended family of 7 children with husband Jay Barker.

The Anywhere singer is joining forces with The Nutro Company to help encourage dog owners nationwide to apply for grant support to help enhance their local dog parks with the ROOM TO RUN project.

Sara opens up to Celebrity Baby Scoop about her upcoming summer tour, the key to staying “super organized” in her family-of-nine, and her thoughts on baby No. 8: “We would love to have a child together at some point,” she shares.

CBS: Tell us about your partnership with The Nutro Company on ROOM TO RUN, a program that supports community dog parks.
SE: “I teamed up with The Nutro Company to help encourage dog owners nationwide to apply for grant support to help enhance their local dog parks during the third-annual ROOM TO RUN Dog Park Appreciation Project. What’s great about the program this year is that dog owners have the chance to apply for one of 30, $2,000 grants to help fund enhancement efforts in their own local dog parks.

Our dog Roman is like a member of our family, and I know many people feel the same way about their own dogs, so I’m excited to help The Nutro Company spread the word to dog lovers around the country. Park upgrades supplied by the ROOM TO RUN grants can help give dogs like Roman, and people like me, the freedom to play and bond in a fun and natural setting.

Applying for a grant is easy. Just go to www.easymatch.com/NutroRoomtoRun or visit the ROOM TO RUN Facebook tab on The Nutro Company’s Facebook page for more information.”

CBS: We love your latest single, Anywhere, off your new album Stronger. Tell us how the song came to be.
SE: “Thank you! Anywhere was actually written by my brother Matt Evans, who is not only a talented songwriter, but also plays bass guitar on the road with me and is my bandleader.Anywhere is such a fun summer song, the kind you want to have cranked in your car as you’re driving down some back road on the way to nowhere in particular.”

CBS: Tell us about your busy touring schedule this summer.
SE: “I’m on the road this summer headlining shows all over the country. It’s easiest to tour during the summer months when my kids aren’t in school. My 3 kids grew up on the bus and love to come out on the road when they can and see the country.”

CBS: Tell us how you manage your busy household of 7 kids. How do you and your husband make time for yourselves amidst all the chaos?
SE: “It’s definitely a lot to keep track of [laughs]! I try to stay super organized with my schedule. My work schedule is crazy by itself, but when you add in 7 kids and their school activities, sports, Jay’s work, etc., it can be nuts. I have a calendar that I keep with me almost all the time to just stay on top of it all.

We have a lot of fun with our kids but they have been taught to always respect their parents and elders. We insist on them saying, Yes sir’ or, Yes ma’am’ and show politeness.

Jay and I love it when we have little quiet moments together. After the kids have gone to bed and the chaos has temporarily quieted down, we’ll sit on the porch and chat about the day over a glass of wine. Jay comes on the road with me when he can too.”

CBS: Are you and Jay hoping to add to the brood? Or is 7 enough?
SE: “We’ve definitely talked about it and would love to have a child together at some point. Right now we’re so busy with 7 kids though!”

CBS: How do you manage your career and motherhood?
SE: “It can definitely be a challenge, but my kids take priority. Since my kids grew up on the road and came with me to shows and video shoots, etc., they understand it pretty well. If there’s a time I’ll be gone for longer than normal for work, we all sit down and talk through it.

I try to incorporate the kids into a lot that I do for work, so even if it’s technically work,’ we’re all together and having that quality time. I recently took my daughter Olivia to the CMT Music Awards as my date. She’d never been to anything like that before and just had the best time! We did a wardrobe fitting and she chose what she wanted to wear on the red carpet, had her hair and makeup done, and got to come with me to the after party. I like to share little moments like that with my kids if it’s appropriate for them to be there.”

CBS: What’s your best advice for people who are blending their families?
SE: “Jay’s kids and my kids just blended so well together, it’s hard to think back to a time when we all weren’t just one big happy family. I think just being honest with your kids and showering them with love and support go a long way. Leading by example and teaching them honest values and ethics in life are very important.”

CBS: What’s up next for you?
SE: “I’m busy touring through the rest of this year, working my new single at radio, and also working on my next album. I’ve been writing a lot and looking for great songs. I’m really focusing and putting a lot of time into this next album to make it the absolute best that it can be.

We’ve also hired a full time videographer who comes with me almost everywhere I go. She’s editing weekly webisodes that go up on my website and YouTube channel that show what a crazy day in my life is like. They’ve been so much fun to share with everyone and have everyone see that although I’m a celebrity, I’m still just a normal wife and mother too.”

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