crazy cool countdown to CALVIN

Hey 'Peeps', where will you be on Sunday afternoon?

Hopefully you'll be right here with us - as we welcome Calvin home!

He'll be speaking in church at 1:30, but would love to see and hug you anytime before or after that.

This entire week is incredibly packed with kids' activities and long work hours, aside from any Calvin preparations we're wanting time for...  So at this point, our realistic plans for Sunday are more simple than ever: 

1 Bottomless Bowl of the Kokster's Fresh Salsa Extraordinare + 1 Endless Supply of Chips + 1 Big Bunch of Visiting with Calidad (Quality) Loved Ones & Friends = PURE JOY for us all!

In related news:

I had the BEST surprise last Sunday between sessions of Conference.  Just as I began a moment of peace to myself back in my room, I got word that i was needed in the front room... Usually in this situation I would probe further to determine if it was a matter that warranted the immediate sacrifice of my moment, but amazingly this time, I didn't even think of going there.  Probably because of all the projects and deadlines going on around here these days, I simply did as I was told...  And as soon as I walked in the room I saw Calvin smiling at me on Sean's big iMac screen!  "SURPRISE!" He and the others said to me, "Happy Mothering Day, Mom", he continued.  He was at the home of the Clark's, (the wonderful Sr Couple serving in Oxford that had him over on Christmas to webcam home).  It was HEAVEN for all of us!  Fortunately, last Sunday was England's equivalent of our Mother's Day, so those serving in the London South Mission can call (or webcam) their Mums on either of the 2!!  SCORE!  Sean & Josie quickly got ahold of Ben & Olivia, who soon joined in.  It was especially FUN for me to see how excited Calvin was to see bright-eyed Cohen, awake and happy!  PURE JOY!  This silly screen shot was a result of our telling him to hold his head right where it was a second because the kitchen light behind him made him look like an angel- HA!  The little square at the top is us seeing him see us : ) 

...If I had more time I'd show [insert photos] & tell you about more of the exciting stuff from just the last 10 and the next 3 days in the life of these crazy relatives of yours   

• Josie's amazing cello concert a week ago, and what it entailed.
• The back drop for Ashton's school play that Sean & Hannah finished painting today. It opens in 2 days.  He plays Chi-Fu, brown-noser of the Emperor in Mulan... I sewed the last bit of his costume on my lunch hour today - Josie & Papa have almost finished his signature hat.
• The prized Pinewood Derby cars that all 3 'little boys' in my household have been passionately working on (obsessing?) for this evening's Cub race.
• The quilt I finally got finished for Cohen!! 
• The breakthroughs made at work, (after over 2 years of first discovering a glitch, and trying to get to the bottom of a cause and solutions for process improvement)... but of course, how much MORE work and time it's been for me the past few days, before it begins to save time for all of us, and better serves the public... At a time when i really need to be blowing through my own usual workload so I can be off on Friday to clear a bedroom for Cal, then off next week for Spring Break... 
• If only I had any energy to pull all this off ...
• I think I'll go look at those few fun photos of Cohen again before I collapse!

    (Here he is on Papa K's b-day last week...  yes, those eyes are BLUE - pure JOY)