Shawn Perkins here (aka Determined).  Hope this finds y'all well!

I am way excited:  today is the day my best bud, Goon Perkins, comes in from New York; he is spending the Easter weekend with us here in Alabama!!  He is due to be here this afternoon sometime!  I am looking forward to seeing his good ol' face again; I have missed him so much!!

Goon will finally get to meet my family:  my mom and dad, my brothers Mark, Corey, and Gideon, and my sisters Paige, Quaneesha, and Q'urionka.  We are all doing pretty good; but Corey has had some issues with his heart; he may end up needing open heart surgery down the road.  He has no energy, and he is often short of breath; in fact, the doctors have been so concerned about his breathing they've put him on oxygen; he has to sleep with it at night or whenever he gets short of breath (which is, I'm afraid, often).

We have been praying for Corey; I don't like the thought of him going under the knife; there's no telling what may happen!

Anyway, Goon is coming, and we are going to have fun!!  We plan on taking the little kids Easter egg hunting and going to church beforehand; we might even go out to eat.  He is staying for a few days; then he will have to go back home to New York.

Ever since I found out Goon is coming, I've cleaned my room, so it no longer looks like a pigsty; I just hope Corey and Gid can stay out of my things or I'm going to wreck THEM!!  (NOT really, but I AM going to be plenty sore!!)

On Sunday at church, my sister Q'urionka is singing a solo during the Easter pageant; she has been practicing hard, and she sounds really good!  She reminds me of a teenage Mahalia Jackson; she has such a strong, sure singing voice!  She could go on "America's Got Talent" or "American Idol" (if she were older), she's that good!

Well, we're going to go out to eat (having Kentucky Fried Chicken today; nearly put "Kentucky Fried Children"! LOLOLOL), then go to the airport to pick up the Goonster; I can't WAIT to see his good ol' face again!!  Take care; I will write in here another day!  And Happy Easter to all!  Remember why we celebrate it!

~Love, your friend in Alabama, Shawn ("Determined") Perkins-Greene.  :)

*to be continued.*