HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

WHERE did 2009 go?! It seems like just yesterday I was writing "'08" on my checks and saying, where did 2008 go? This whole DECADE seems to have flown by. This was certainly the most eventful year of my life--I had a baby and transitioned to working from home. I am looking forward to what 2010 will bring, and praying for blessings for you! I have said this so many times, but let me say it again--all of us at The Fish are so grateful that you spend time with us every day and are part of our community. I pray that this year the music will continue to inspire you and comfort you and bring you ever closer to God.

Whatever challenges you are facing as we head into this New Year (and new decade!), remember this: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. (Isaiah 40:31)

As for Dallas....here he is ready to watch his favorite team play! Those little socks kill me. :-) He enjoyed his first Christmas--he loved looking at the lights and shiny ornaments on the tree, and was excited to get some groovy new onesies and a pak 'n play (from grandma and grandpa). We also started a tradition of taking him for a Christmas Day walk on the beach, which he snoozed through.

My resolution for this year is to love more and give more. To be a better wife, mom, friend...and now that I am a mom, the stories of children that are suffering just devastate me more than ever, and I pray that God will use me (and all of us!) to bring His good news to those in pain in a tangible way. There's an amazing song by Leeland and Brandon Heath called "Follow You" that talks about following God into the homes of the broken, and meeting the needs of the poor and the needy. That's what we are truly called to do, and I pray that this year we respond like never before.

What are your hopes for 2010? I would love to hear about them! I"ll be back on the air with you in just a few weeks. God bless you and yours, and Happy New Year!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Can you believe it will be here in TWO days?! Merry Christmas Eve Eve! :-)

I hope that you are peaceful and surrounded by love right now.

It has been complete chaos at our house as we take care of Dallas, who is five weeks old as of yesterday! I am still trying to understand what the different little cries mean, and to soothe him as much as I can. One of my friends, who is also a new mom, summed it up really well. She said that she used to think it was cute when a baby cried. But now that it's HER baby crying, it is a different story!

Dallas loves to show off how he can hold his head up for a minute or two at a time now. He also seems ticklish when we kiss his neck (which is warm and always smells so good!), and we thought we saw a smile the other day...although my mom-in-law insisted it was just gas, lol. He is all swaddled up right now and snoozing in his swing while I type this...we are waiting for our engineer to come by and work on my home studio, which is right off the nursery.

If you are a mom that works (and now that I"m a mom...believe me, even if you don't have a separate job apart from taking care of your little one I know that you are working 24/7!!!), how do you balance everything? I think this is something we will be talking about a lot when I am back on the Fish live in a few weeks.

God bless you and your family this Christmas!!! We are so thankful that you are a part of our Fish family and that you spend time with us every day. I hope that the Christmas music we are playing is the soundtrack for many wonderful memories. :-)

HAVE YOURSELF A MESSY LITTLE CHRISTMAS!

That was the title of the sermon at church last Sunday--I snuck out of the house for about 45 minutes before running home to Dallas. I wanted to scream "Amen" throughout the whole thing, because my life is a complete mess right now...but I love it. And it was a great reminder that God is able to reach into our mess and give us the peace of Jesus, no matter what is going on. For me, it's been a big adjustment to go from Type A career gal to mom, especially because I still feel like I have no idea what I'm doing. But I do know that I love this little guy like crazy, and that I could look at his face forever and never doing anything else. He's a month old tomorrow--I can't believe it! He has discovered his hands, has started cooing, and likes to stick out his tongue. He also likes to check himself out in the mirror. :-)

Are you ready for Christmas? We got a tree last weekend, which we will decorate on Saturday, and have done all of our shopping online this year. I hope that YOU have peace right now, even in the midst of all the holiday craziness (only 9 shopping days left!!!), and that this wonderful feeling of Christmas will stay with you all year.

I miss being a part of everything at The Fish, but am treasuring this time with Dallas. I'll be back with you live sometime in January!

THE NIGHTS ARE LONG...

...but the years are short.

My friend Marlo (a very wise mom of 2) told me this recently, and it is so true!!! Dallas is three weeks old now, and he seems to be more like a baby and less like a newborn...my baby boy is already growing up so fast! It's already kind of hard to remember what life was like before his arrival. Here he is snoozing and also enjoying a bath. :-)

D liked his first rain on Monday--I think the sound put him to sleep, and it was nice to be cozy in the house all day while it was rainy and freezing outside. I have also become part of the stroller brigade--I met a mom who lives in my neighborhood who offered some encouragement on getting through all the feedings and the sleeplessness of a new little one.

We are especially grateful this Christmas for our son! I hope that you are enjoying the holidays and getting to spend lots of time with your family and friends. Thank you so much for being a part of our Fish family--we love you and appreciate you.

UPDATE ON THE BIG D!

Well, today my hubby went back to work and I'm home alone with Dallas (who is 2 weeks old) for the first time. Thankfully, only one of us has cried so far. :-) What an incredible time this is!!! It's been a week of firsts--first walk in a stroller, first tub bath with daddy, and so much more. I want to give him a million kisses, and would be happy to just have him nap on me for the rest of his life. I am slowly gaining some confidence as a mom--at what point do you start feeling like you know what you are doing? Or does that ever happen?! We are grabbing naps when we can and loving this time. :-)

Are you enjoying the Christmas music?! Did you have fun at the show last night?