Francesca Battistelli Expecting Baby No. 3; 'Thrilled' to Announce 13-City Christmas Tour
Grammy Award nominee Francesca Battistelli is expecting her third child, but the singer has no immediate plans to slow down and has announced that she'll soon be embarking on her third annual Christmas tour.
Battistelli kicks off "The Third Annual Francesca Battistelli Christmas Tour" on Dec. 3 in Jackson, Tennessee, where she is set to perform her favorite Christmas classics. The 13-city event will feature special guests Tim Timmons or Shaun Groves, on select dates, and wraps up in Sedalia, Missouri, just days before Christmas on Dec. 20.
"I am so thrilled to be doing another Christmas tour this year," the "Write Your Story" singer said, describing her excitement about going on tour. "As a child, listening to Christmas music was one of my favorite things to do, and I try to bring that joy and excitement to this tour every night."
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Last week, the six-time Dove Award-winning artist shared a baby bump photo via social networking site Instagram, which garnered congratulatory messages from Battistelli's fans. Her rep confirmed the pregnancy news in a phone call with The Christian Post on Thursday, and added that Battistelli's due date is sometime in mid-March.
The singer and her manager, husband Matthew Goodwin, recently celebrated their sixth wedding anniversary and the couple is said to be overjoyed as they prepare for baby No. 3.
Battistelli previously told CP that prior to finding happiness with Goodwin, she struggled with trying to control her personal relationships. At one point in her life the singer was determined to become a preacher's wife, but in the end she realized that God was in control and subsequently surrendered her future into His hands, which led her to Goodwin, the love of her life.
"I knew all along that God had something different for me, but that was an area I struggled with when I was younger," she told CP. "I had to really learn that God's plans for us are always better ... my favorite scripture is Jeremiah 29:11: 'For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"
She added: "If we could really live believing … and trusting God with our futures and our lives knowing that He cares more than we do … we [could] all live much fuller lives like He's called us to."
