Miranda Lambert Lived in Old House without Heating & Food - Now She Donates Millions & Enjoys Life with Officer Husband

• Miranda Lambert once lived in an old house without heating and windows.

• Now having earned millions of dollars through her music career, she gives donations to those in need.

• She is enjoying life with her former police officer husband.

Miranda Lambert is country-music royalty, having won hearts and awards with her heartfelt music. But her current status belies a difficult past. When she was six years old, her family lost everything, and then she experienced homelessness.

Her parent's business had failed, and debtors came calling, including the bank that repossessed their home. However, that experience taught Lambert to be grateful for what she has. She also learned to be able to find the silver lining in every cloud.

Lambert and her family were forced to live with relatives until they found an old place in Lindale, Texas. The house was in disrepair, but it was a step up from being completely destitute. Speaking of that home where she lived as a child, Lambert recalled:

"So of the windows were boarded up, and we never did get central heating. So when you had to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, you had to run, because it was freezing!"

That which was a broken-down place became a refuge for the family. Since they didn't have money, her parents convinced the landlord to let them renovate the house in lieu of rent. That process of rebuilding the house signified the rebuilding of her family's fortunes.

The country star drew from those childhood experiences when she sang "The House That Built Me." The song was a hit but had a touching effect on her parents, who remembered that season of adversity that ultimately strengthened their family.

She is reported to have amassed over $40 million over the course of her illustrious career.

Lambert's father, Richard, recalled when food was scarce in the house. He had to fight the urge to blame himself for being unable to provide. Looking back, he and his wife Beverly can say that that house built them back up.

The country star credits her parents with giving her an "incredible" childhood despite what they were going through. Lambert hopes that she will be able to use the lessons on her own family in the future, saying:

"I want for when I have a family one day, hopefully I don't have to go through the hardship to get there, but I'm really glad I did as I know how to build that in my own life."

She never understood the full extent of the hard times they went through until she became an adult. And now, she values the experience, saying that the sad story had a very happy and positive ending: a strong family and a positive outlook.

Lambert has come a long way from her humble upbringing. She is reported to have amassed over $40 million over the course of her illustrious career. Lambert caught the country music bug at nine years of age after seeing Garth Brooks in concert.

With over 350 awardees, the foundation had spent $1.25 million on donations by 2022.

She participated in the 2003 season of the talent show "Nashville Star" and took third place. But disappointment turned to joy when she thereafter got signed by the Epic record label. And the rest is history. The country queen had found her kingdom. 20 years later, Lambert is doing better than ever.

Helping Those in Need

Lambert is not only talented and wealthy, but she is also gracious and generous. In 2009, she and her mom Beverly founded the MuttNation Foundation to raise funds to help mitigate the crisis of pets without adoptive homes. Speaking about some of the work they do, she said:

"We know that these funds will help shelters continue to provide a great environment for their pets, employees, volunteers and the communities at-large that they serve."

The organization seeks to offer support to animal shelters, encourage more people to adopt a pet, and educate pet owners on the importance of spaying/neutering their animals. It also serves to transport pets in the event of a natural disaster or the threat of euthanasia.

One of the main initiatives by MuttNation is to help animal rescues to do the work of saving pets who would most likely be put down so they can have a chance of being found by an adoptive family. It provides funds to make the adoption process easier, as well as for creating a buzz around shelters so the community.

McLoughlin has adjusted to being married to an animal lover who had eight dogs and a whole barnyard of other animals.

So far, MuttNation has done well, raising over $6 million for its initiatives. This is done through partnerships with sponsors like Tractor Supply, a rural lifestyle retailer, and like-minded organizations like the Waggle Fund.

Tractor Supply helped MuttNation give grants to rescue centers and groups that were promoting its ethos in various communities across the country. Speaking on the impact of the campaign, Lambert said:

"Mutts Across America resonates with all animal lovers because it shines a light on the special work that these outstanding shelters do in their communities."

The MuttNation team independently vetted the shelters and groups based on adoption rate, volunteerism, and community presence. Each entity that qualified received a whopping $5,000. With over 350 awardees, the foundation had spent $1.25 million on donations by 2022.

MuttNation's partnership with the Waggle Fund arose from the trend of performers not being able to cater to their pets' medical treatment due to the pandemic. Lockdowns affected the earning potential of many in the music industry because all tours and performances were postponed indefinitely.

To Lambert, the farm represents stability and security, a place where she can be herself...

Lambert was inspired after witnessing one of her friends and backup vocalists, Gwen, struggling to pay for her shelter dog's treatment after he was found to have a liver disorder. The diagnosis, hospital stay, and lifelong medical demands of a sick pet would be impossible to manage without a steady income and the helping hand of MuttNation.

Falling in Love with a Police Officer

Besides her childhood, the country queen experienced one of her hardest moments when her first marriage to fellow country singer Blake Shelton ended in 2015. But she took time to know herself, and in November of 2018, her Pistol Annies bandmates set her up with a cute guy. Three months later, Lambert posted on her Instagram:

“In honor of Valentine’s Day I wanted to share some news. I met the love of my life. And we got hitched! My heart is full. Thank you Brendan McLoughlin for loving me for…. me.”

The queen had found her consort! Lambert first met Brendan McLoughlin at a performance on "Good Morning America" where he worked as part of the security detail. Her friends invited him to their show, and the two hit it off immediately.

Lambert and McLoughlin had a whirlwind romance, getting married two months after they met. The singer found happiness in her life with her husband and is focused on the relationship rather than any opinions about her or her marriage. She is happy to have someone like McLouglin who loves and supports her.

Just like any other woman in America, she likes going to Target in her version of a comfy outfit: a t-shirt and jean cut-off shorts.

The singer admits that she tried her best to prepare her husband for the upheaval that being married to a public figure would bring to his life, including the media prying into the details of his life. But the father of one "takes it like a champ." Whether joining the singer on tour or at home, he is happy to be by her side.

While in the process of merging their lives, the couple divides their time among various interests, including Lambert's foundation, MuttNation, her music, and their family. Speaking of their unique living arrangements, the singer said:

“We have the best of both worlds. We spend time in New York, we get to see our adorable nugget [McLoughlin's son], then we get to come back to the farm and have the quiet life. I'm enjoying the balance.”

To Lambert, the farm represents stability and security, a place where she can be herself, surrounded by what she loves. On the other hand, New York offers anonymity because the people are not starstruck by her. She gets to be just another girl strolling hand in hand with her man.

McLoughlin has adjusted to being married to an animal lover who had eight dogs and a whole barnyard of other animals when they met. He has come a long way from his childhood in Staten Island to baling hay for the horses on the farm.

She is confident and comfortable in herself and her relationship with McLoughlin because she gets to be herself.

On her part, Lambert is ecstatic to be a step-mom to McLoughlin's son. She was accustomed to being an animal mom, having raised "millions' of dogs. But this new role has ushered her into a new phase of life as a woman.

Life Lessons

Even before her relationship with her husband began, Lambert had made a decision. She remembered how her first marriage and the subsequent divorce playing out in the public broke her down. So avoided sharing about her new love. Speaking about why she kept the details of her relationship and her wedding a secret, she said:

“I learned then that it’s not for everybody else. This is my actual life. With Brendan, I made it a point to keep it as private as I could for as long as I could.”

The down-to-earth singer admits that she's never understood that fascination with her life because, to her, it feels so normal and mundane. Just like any other woman in America, she likes going to Target in her version of a comfy outfit: a t-shirt and jean cut-off shorts.

But she and her husband choose how much to share with their followers on social media. Their posts include glimpses of their life, their loved ones, and the causes that they support. And to those netizens who would criticize her relationship, Lambert would say:

“I feel like I’ve been through enough in my life to know what I don’t want, so when I know what I do want I snatch it right up.”

Sources close to the singer say that she is confident and comfortable in herself and her relationship with McLoughlin because she gets to be herself. With him, she is no longer in a "sad place," but her life is full of laughter and fun.

Miranda Lambert has experienced hard times in her life, but she has found a way of getting value from her struggles. She makes a point to learn the lessons that will make life better in the future. Not only is she grateful for her blessings, but she has also learned to live life on her own terms.