The Cactus Cuties are saying farewell to a very special member of the Cactus Family.  Toby Caldwell, the Cuties’ road manager and technical director, is moving to New York City to pursue a career as a musician.  He is an extremely talented drummer and can be heard on The Cuties’ mini album as well as on the soon to be released Cactus Cuties Live DVD.  The Cuties love Toby dearly and miss him already!!!!  Cami, the Cuties, and the entire Cutie Family would like to thank Toby for sharing his talent, patience, sense of humor, creativity, and heart with them for the last six years!!!  Good luck in the Big Apple Jolly Edward!!!!!!!!!

photographers: Scott Mann, Allyson Wall, and Leanna Elbert

The Cactus Cuties were happy to have the opportunity to perform the National Anthem in Houston, TX for the NBA Western Conference Playoff Game 4, Houston Rockets vs. Portland Trailblazers.  They were contacted by the incredible people at Lanier Law Firm in Houston, who volunteered to pay all expenses involved in bringing the Cuties to Houston to perform at the Rockets playoff game!!!  The Cactus Cuties arrived in Houston on the afternoon of Sunday, April 26th and headed to the Toyota Center.  Upon arrival to the arena, the Cuties were escorted directly to the court for sound-check.  Sound-check went well, and the Cuties were looking forward to seeing the over 18,000 seats filled with crazy fans for the game.  When game-time arrived, the Cuties were led to the court and they were exceptionally excited because they had been told that Houston Rockets fans are notorious for their loud volume.  True to form, the Houston Rockets fans erupted in massive screams three times during the Cuties’ performance!!!  The Cuties watched the opening of the game from the sidelines and then headed to their very own VIP box to watch the game.  They loved their awesome seats and were screaming as the game went into overtime!!!!  The Cuties were on their feet as the Rockets rose to victory!!!!!!  The Cactus Cuties were so thankful for the fun-filled experience with the Houston Rockets made possible by their new friends at Lanier Law Firm!!!!!!

photographer: Leanna Elbert

The Cactus Cuties lost a precious member of the Cutie Family today.  After fighting a long and courageous battle with cancer, Baylee’s Mom, Nannette Barrett went to be with the Lord this morning.  Nan touched countless lives with her sweet spirit and unfailing faith, and her light will continue to shine through her beautiful family.  Please join us as we lift the Barrett family up in prayer through this incredibly difficult time.  We love you Nan.

The Cactus Cuties were on cloud nine when they were contacted by Bill and Gloria Gaither and invited to perform at the Gaither Homecoming Lovin’ Life Concert in Fort Worth, TX.  The Cuties arrived in Fort Worth late on Friday night, checked into their hotel downtown, and headed off to bed.  The Cuties woke up on Saturday, April 4th and reported to sound-check at the Fort Worth Convention Center.  The stage was huge and the Cuties excitement doubled as they rehearsed the National Anthem and Jesus, Oh What a Wonderful Child.  As showtime approached, the Cuties had the honor of meeting Bill and Gloria Gaither and many incredibly talented Gospel greats.  The Cuties were thrilled to pose for pics with legend Mr. Bill Gaither, the hilarious Mr. Mark Lowry, The Isaacs, and Mr. David Phelps.  The show began and the large cast of entertainers took their seats on the stage.  The Cuties could hardly believe they were in the same building with the fabulous Gaither cast, much less singing in front of them as they all stood on stage together!!!  As they walked on stage to perform the National Anthem, the Cuties were definitely nervous!!!  The Star Spangled Banner went beautifully, and as they Cuties sang their last notes, the audience went wild!  The Cuties hugged Mr. Bill Gaither and he said a few very complimentary sentences about them.  He quickly introduced Jesus, Oh What a Wonderful Child and the Cuties brought the audience back to their feet as they rocked it out!!!  The Cuties were extremely happy with their performance, and they were warmly received by the Gaither cast.  The Cuties watched the rest of the astounding show and then reported to their merch table to sign autographs.  After the Cuties said goodbye to their new talented friends, they reluctantly loaded up and headed for home.  The Cuties were blessed by the entire experience with the Bill Gaither Homecoming Lovin’ Life concert and are so thankful for the wonderful opportunity!!!!

photographer: Leanna Elbert

The Cactus Cuties reported for sound-check for Muhammad Ali’s Celebrity Fight Night XV at 10:00 am on Saturday, March 28th.  The ballroom was decorated beautifully, and sound-check went very well.  After sound-check, the Cuties met Ms. Debbie who presented the Cuties with their very own set of full size boxing gloves!!  The Cuties were so honored to receive the gloves, and they decided to wear them with their dresses that evening on the red carpet, as a reminder to themselves and to others that although it is fun to dress up and look pretty, the real reason they were there was to support Muhammad Ali and to raise money to fight Parkinson’s Disease!!!  The Cuties enjoyed lunch at the resort together and then went back to their rooms to prepare for the big night.  When the Cuties were all fixed up, they linked gloves and headed for the red carpet!!!  The Cuties giggled as they walked through halls lined with people and cameras.  Upon arrival, The Cactus Cuties were greeted and quickly ushered onto the red carpet.  The carpet was lined with photographers, reporters, and cameras!!!  The Cuties posed and interviewed and felt so very special!!!  They were honored to have the opportunity to sign a red umbrella for the “One Heart Umbrella Campaign,” to raise funds for conjoined twins Emma and Taylor Bailey.  The Cuties were then escorted from the red carpet to the artist holding area backstage.  The Cuties were proud to pose for pics with their new friend William Joseph and actor Frankie Muniz.  While in the holding area, The Cuties were thrilled to meet Olympic Gold Medalist Michael Phelps.  Michael was so sweet to The Cuties and even posed for a crazy swimming photo with them!!!  The Cuties had another opportunity to visit with the incredibly talented Reba McEntire backstage, and she was kind enough to pose for a silly faces photo also!!!  The Cuties were anxious to take the stage and were very happy with their performance of The National Anthem.  As they ran offstage, they were introduced to the legendary Muhammad Ali!!!!  The Cuties were in awe of him and as they introduced themselves to The Champ, he wrapped them in his arms in a giant hug.  It was truly one of the sweetest moments for The Cactus Cuties!!!  The Cuties were then led to their seats at Table 1 to watch the show.  The Cuties were stunned when one of their favorite comedians Melissa Peterman sat down right at their table to chat.  She posed for a picture with them and even mentioned The Cactus Cuties in her performance during the show!!!  The Cactus Cuties spent the rest of the evening enjoying a star studded concert produced by David Foster, followed by an after party featuring American Idol Jordin Sparks.  The Cactus Cuties will always treasure their amazing experience with Muhammad Ali’s Celebrity Fight Night XV and hope to return to Phoenix again next year!!!!

photographer: Leanna Elbert

The Cactus Cuties were honored to receive an invitation to perform in Phoenix, AZ for the fifteenth annual Muhammad Ali Celebrity Fight Night.  The Celebrity Fight Night Foundation is a nonprofit organization that was founded in 1994 to support the Muhammad Ali Parkinson Center at Barrow Neurological Institute, as well as numerous other charities.  The Cactus Cuties arrived in Phoenix on the morning of Friday, March 27th and checked into the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort & Spa.  The resort was beautiful, and the Cuties could hardly wait to go exploring.  They spent a few hours playing in the pool and floating in the lazy river, and then headed back to their rooms to prepare for the evening.  Back in Lubbock, Uncle Donnie was producing a massive concert to celebrate Lubbock’s 100th Anniversary hosted by Mac Davis, and although the Cuties were happy to have such an incredible opportunity in Phoenix, they were sad to miss Lubbock’s big night.  The Cuties were ecstatic to find out that superstar Reba McEntire had agreed to film a very special birthday video message with them to send to Lubbock to be played during the concert!!!  While preparing for the shoot, the Cuties met and fell in love with world class musicians Greg Phillinganes and Nathan East.  They were so sweet to the Cuties and told the greatest stories about performing with legends like Stevie Wonder, Eric Clapton, and Michael Jackson, to name a few.  The Cuties met Reba to shoot the video that evening and had a blast filming the video message for their hometown.  After the taping, the founder of Celebrity Fight Night, Jimmy Walker invited the Cuties to perform at the Founders Dinner.  The Cuties were proud to be invited and adrenaline began pumping when they walked in and saw David Foster, Josh Groban, Reba McEntire, Forest Whitaker, and Kurt Warner at the head table.  They took the stage and after a shaky first note, pulled it together and gave a great a capella performance of We Are Family and Battle Hymn of the Republic.  After the performance they were invited to watch the intimate concert produced by David Foster.  They show was unbelievable, featuring child prodigy pianist Ethan Bortnick, singer Charice, American Idol finalist Michael Johns, violinist Lucia Micarelli, actor/singer Roy Firestone, pianist William Joseph, actress/comedian Melissa Peterman, legendary singer Sam Moore, and American Idol Winner Jordin Sparks.  After the show, the Cactus Cuties were thrilled to meet David Foster and the incredibly talented performers.  After a night they wouldn’t forget, the Cuties headed off to bed dreaming of the exciting day to come!!!!

photographer: Leanna Elbert

The Cactus Cuties are featured in the March issue of the FREE on-line Serious Life Magazine.  In the article (on pages 74 – 87) you’ll find never-before-seen photos of the girls when they were younger, a great article about the girls’ life as a Cutie and much more!  Please pass this on to all the people you know as this magazine is also very inspirational to people all over the country.  Besides great articles on interesting people, there is a lot about family, adoption, personal finance, spiritual life, humor…all sorts of “life” topics.  They give away tons of adds to charities and ministries.

The Cactus Cuties had a great big surprise today!!!  Uncle Donnie, Aunt Terri, and Cami secretly remodeled the Cutie Pie Cafe to surprise the Cuties!!!  The Cactus Cuties were led into the office eyes closed, and were shocked when they opened their eyes and saw the “new” Cutie Pie Cafe!!!  The entire room was covered in pink!!!!  They screamed at the top of their lungs, and quickly put on their aprons and hats to start serving.  The Cactus Cuties would like to send a very special thank you to their friends, Mr. and Mrs. John A., Mr. Scott, Mr. Lou, and Mr. John B. for the adorable Cutie Pie Cafe sign, the amazing Cutie clock, the gumball machine, and the massive box of “Cutie Candy!!!”  They would also like to thank their buddy Mr. Jeff for all the goodies from Denmark, and Ms. Raine for the awesome Cutie Pie Cafe decal!!!  They absolutely love the new look at Cutie Pie Cafe and plan to spend lots of time playing!!!!

photographer: Leanna Elbert

The Cactus Cuties were tickled pink to be invited to Cleveland, OH to perform The National Anthem and halftime show for the NBA Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Los Angeles Lakers game on Sunday, February 8th.  The Cuties arrived in Cleveland on Saturday, February 7th, checked into the hotel, and spent the afternoon hanging at The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame!!!  On Sunday, they reported to the Quicken Loans Arena at noon for sound-check.  Some of the Cavaliers were shooting around on the court, and they danced as the Cuties sang through their medley of oldies!!!  Sound-check went well, and The Cuties could hardly wait to put their Cavaliers jerseys on and hear the roar of the crowd.  When game-time came, The Cactus Cuties hit the court and their hearts were pounding as they saw the oh so famous basketball players LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.  They crowd grew quiet and The Cactus Cuties began The National Anthem.  As they approached the ending of the song, the crowd cheered so loudly that you could not even hear The Cactus Cuties’ voices!  It was unbelievably loud, and The Cuties were grinning from ear to ear as they sang their last notes.  The half-time show went extremely well.  The Cactus Cuties performed a medley of oldies, “We Are Family,” “Proud Mary,” “I Want You Back,” “Wide Rollin’ Plains,” and “Respect.”  The Cuties were disappointed that the Cavaliers didn’t end the evening victorious, but were so thankful that the Cleveland Cavaliers invited them to perform.  The Cactus Cuties had a great time in Cleveland and hope to be invited back for the playoffs!!!!!

photographer: Leanna Elbert

The Cactus Cuties were happy to return to New Orleans, LA to perform for the National Automobile Dealers Association 92nd Convention and Exposition.  NADA’s 2008 Chairman Annette Sykora, one of the Caldwell’s close friends, was instrumental in bringing The Cactus Cuties to the event, and The Cuties were excited to have such a special opportunity.  The Cuties reported to the Morial Convention Center for sound-check at 11:30 am on Saturday, January 24th.  The room was massive, seating over 5,000 people, and the Cuties were astounded when they saw the giant screen with their faces on it!!!  Sound-check went beautifully, the sound and lighting was absolutely spectacular!!  After sound-check, The Cuties grabbed a bite to eat and returned to Morial Convention Center to change clothes and prepare for the performance.  The Cuties began their performance with a five minute medley of Patriotic tunes, and the audience erupted in two standing ovations!!!  The Cuties exited the stage and hustled to the opposite side, where they entered to meet the Color Guard for The National Anthem.  The Anthem was a success, and The Cuties were proud of their performance!  After the performance, The Cuties headed to The French Quarter to spend the rest of their evening shopping and exploring.  One of their favorite discoveries in New Orleans were the tasty beignets, deep-fried square dougnuts without a hole, covered in powdered sugar.  While in The French Quarter, they stumbled upon a glass harper entertaining for tips.  The Cuties were spell-bound by his talent!!!  He actually played glasses filled with water and it was absolutely beautiful.  They discovered his name was Peter Bennett, and according to him, there are only five glass harpers in America!!!  The Cactus Cuties bid Mr. Bennett goodbye and walked back to the Hilton to get in some valuable play time!!!  The Cactus Cuties were grateful to NADA for creating another wonderful experience in New Orleans!!!!

photographer: Leanna Elbert