Lets go shopping!

The day is here. We have been looking forward to it for many months. Yes, even Chris is excited! Trust me...it takes A LOT to get this boy excited about doing some shopping. Anna Claire, however, is a girl after my own heart. She told Chris just the other day: "Daddy, I ready to go shopping now, I ready to go to mall"...oh dear, what have I done:)

So, if you're looking to do some shopping today. Join us here and you will not be disappointed. It doesn't take much to get Chris to agree to some new tunes. A new outfit, now that is a different story. We will be buying this today and supporting a dear friend at the same time.

We have known Carlos and Heather for 6ish years now. We first met them in California. Carlos was leading worship at Sandals Church. We instantly knew we had found "the" church for us the first time we stepped through the doors. Everyone was so welcoming! Not to mention people wore flip flops and jeans....hello, you've got my attention! Then we heard Carlos lead worship and Matt preach....let's just say they had us at "hello"! The hardest part about leaving California was leaving this church and the family we had made through this church.

We were out in California with all our family on the East coast. We had twin boys born 8 weeks premature...our family was on the East coast. We survived thanks to our new family at Sandals church. Heather was a major participant in our lives. She and Tammy showed up unannounced on our door step to send Chris and I on a date. Not only did they keep the boys, they took them to have pictures made AND cleaned our home TOP to BOTTOM! Heather and Jamie sat over many a breakfast and held babies as I cried and claimed "I just can't do it any longer". She lead Chris and I to a great marriage counselor when "I can't be a mom any longer" turned out to be post partum depression. I could go on and on about how dear these friends are to us.

Not much longer after we moved back to Georgia we found out they too would be moving here. We were ecstatic!!! I now had a way of getting "my Carlos fix" with Sunday morning worship and I more than delighted. We would drive an hour on some Sunday mornings to worship along side him. Once you have heard him in person you will understand. He has a gift for leading others before our Lord in worship. He has the ability to connect with us in the audience in a real and authentic manor. It's refreshing, it's real, it's a time of worship you will never forget. He leaves you longing for more. Not more of him...but more time worshiping our sweet Jesus through the songs you are singing.

Of course it wasn't long before we were moving again. We tend to do that:) Once again Carlos and Heather came to our rescue. It took us forever to sell our home. Once we finally did, everything moved so quickly we had not had time to find another house. They let us live with them rent free until we could find a house and gather the necessary funds. Um, how many people do you know that are that giving? Let me make this a bit clearer....there were 4 adults and SIX kids age 6 and under all under ONE roof! That my friends is sacrificial love. It was rather nice actually. We all had free babysitting built right in. Chris and I payed a maid to do all the cleaning:) Heather and I did not have to lift a finger!....and we shared cooking duty!!!! Clearly we got the better end of the deal on this one 'cause that girl can cook! No really....AMAZING food! They have earned free Chick-fil-A for life:)

I've written about them on our blog before. Here on their compassion trip to Africa. Also, here in 2006 when they adopted Losiah from Korea. If you are interested in their adoption story, you can read more here and here (my favorite video of their story). I say all of this so you can "get to know" snippets of them. They are the real deal. Their hearts are full of love for others just as Christ's heart was. It's more than just music for them. One of Carlos' favorite parts of worship on Sunday mornings is when they cut the music short in order to do believer baptisms. He loves hearing the stories of others. He has a HUGE heart for winning others to Christ.

You may think he looks familiar. He is pretty well known in the blog world. He is not afraid to talk about the hard stuff. He has a great sense of humor and is not afraid to share when he has goofed in the parenting department. You just might have seen him on Good Morning America the week before Easter. The video where his 3 kids are singing "All the single ladies"? No? Well watch it here, it is pretty funny. Let's just say it got a bit of attention! Maybe you saw him on LA INK?

You might also like this post and video of Carlos' too. It's amazing how God works when we least expect it. It is a story about Danny.

All this to say...if you are looking to do some shopping today, head on over here to pick up his new album. It released at midnight last night! If you like Chris Tomlin, Hillsong United and other similar praise and worship sounds...you're gonna love Carlos! It's real, it's fresh, and the man behind the mike is someone we are honored to call a friend.

Carlos and Heather we are so very excited for you! We've seen some of the road you have walked the past 6 years and are proud of all you have done. Who knew we would go from listening to you at church on Sunday mornings at Sandals in California to listening to you in Atlanta 6 years later...in our car!!!!! Now I can get my Carlos fix every morning on the way to preschool and I couldn't be more excited!!!! Well done! Hope you enjoy this day!

This is the day the Lord had made, let us REJOICE and be glad in it!!!!

Cheering you on,

The Darley clan