I think I'm a lot like other moms out there who feel like if we don't have the pecan pie we have every year, then it just won't be Christmas.

There are things I've done in the past I'm not proud of - and I could talk about them if I wanted to - but I don't reveal my secrets... I prefer certain things to remain personal; there have to be boundaries. And I don't think you need a scandal to have an interesting story.

I wasn't a great background singer.

In order to succeed, you can't be afraid to fail. Just do it and don't let anybody tell you you can't.

There was a period of time when I first moved to Nashville, like the first couple of years, that I was just simply lost. I didn't know who I was; I didn't know really what I was doing here. I was meant to be a singer, but I just felt lost. That's when I went on the search for my birth family.

Stand up for what you believe. Follow your gut, which most of the time is your heart talking. This has been my hardest lesson. I have given this advice and not always followed it myself. The truth is, there is no other way.

The minute you walk through the door and your kid runs into your arms, you're smacked in the face with a dose of reality: It's like, this is my real life.