Expedited & Book Cookies

Well I had this little post about some cookies I decorated with some of our favorite book characters…kind of lame, but it was a Friday post and I do like cookies 🙂  Then I woke up in the middle of the night…3:30amish…couldn’t go back to sleep…felt like God was spurring my heart, so I got up and went to check email.  And there it sat.  An email all the way from Addis with a subject line that read: Cleared Case.

(The sleeping grin at its best.)

And that is what I would like to call “expedited.”  Amon’s case was submitted for embassy last Wednesday, but we got word that it was officially submitted, like it finally got in the right hands on Monday.  5 days…that is definitely what I want to praise God for.  Expedited indeed.  I’m just floored and why should I be?  God is so so good.  So we get our embassy appointment confirmed Monday and I’m flying out next week.  I can’t believe it’s finally here.  I’m actually leaving and coming back with my son.  I’m buying plane tickets and actually getting on a plane.

I laid in bed and just thought about how I would love to pick up the phone and wake my Mom up to tell her the news.  I called way too late to chat, way too many time.  I liked her sleepy voice…her startled voice, “Laura, what, is everything okay, what’s wrong?  Oh, you just need to know how to boil water?  Okay.” 🙂  I always had ridiculous cooking questions for her.  She would have been Over.The.Moon…to say the least.  Everyday is a battle over the sadness…every single day.  Grief still hangs around, at least for me, for a long time.  So today is seriously one of the best Friday’s ever…one of the best days ever…and also a really hard one.  She would have been so smitten with Amon and it overwhelms my heart thinking about all the prayers she prayed for our sweet boy…even though she never had the honor of seeing his face.  But she was that type of woman…that type of mother…that type of Grammy.  A woman I most definitely want to be like.  So here’s to a crazy awesome Mom and a son who has rocked our world in the best way ever.  This is a Friday to remember.

{Post intended for today.}

Since I was making cookies yesterday and had some leftover dough, I decided to make a few with some of our favorite book characters.  We are crazy book people.  I, myself, do not read a ton…I wish I did.  I’m working on it.  Kids books on the other hand…The wee Kelleys, they are a whole new ball game.  We read every single day and lots of books.  We have way too many favorites, but some that are always in heavy rotation are as follows:

Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus by Mo Willems.  Every pigeon book actually.  Every Mo Willems’ book actually…they are all amazing.

Olivia by Ian Falconer.  Again…all Olivia books are off the hook.

A Color Of His Own by Leo Lionni.  Again…Leo Lionni…incredible.  Pictures are crazy good.

Not A Box by Antoinette Portis.  Way cute.

And Where Is The Green Sheep? by Mem Fox.  LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Mem Fox.

So I picked some of my favorite pictures from the book and set to work.  These will probably not see the end of the day.  They will be all eaten.  The wee Kelleys cannot wait to help devour them.  It’s probably going to be a good day.

What are some of your kids most favorite books?  There are great ones out there.

Have a great weekend.  Happy Friday!

21 Comments

  1. Praising God with you! He is so good!! I will be praying for you as you travel to get your sweet Amon.
    Love those cookies. Adorable!! You are so talented!!!

  2. God is so good!! Praying for a sweet time as you add a new tiny wee Kelley . How old is Amon?

  3. God is amazing!! So happy that soon that sweet baby will be in your arms, your house, your world!!
    Yay!!!
    The cookies are amazing! You are one talented gal!!!

  4. Awesome news!!! Praying for you to have safe travels to bring Amon home. He will be truly blessed to have such a loving family. God bless you during your journey.

  5. I am so, so excited for you! I wish you safe travels!

    And those cookies, they are crazy good! It amazes me what you get done in a day!

  6. “Good Night Moon” deserves a place on everyone’s bookshelf! So excited for your good news!

  7. So very happy for your family!

  8. Yay! That is fantastic news! We are at the beginning of our adoption journey and I get so excited when I get to read these posts from other adoptive families! After all of the waiting you finally get to bring your son home. Best wishes!

  9. Cousin Rhonda says:

    So excited your baby boy is coming home! And those cookies are amazing! Love love love Olivia!

  10. Tonya Stookey says:

    So excited for you!!! I prayed the Lord would work quickly…What a wonderful God we have. Praise to God and all his Glory!!! Love the Stookey Family, in Midlothian, Va.

  11. Michelle wray says:

    So excited for you and your sweet family! Really enjoyed meeting you at Target the other night. You are truly an inspiration! Have a safe trip

  12. So, so happy for you!! I think maybe your mom was working on getting this adoption expedited from heaven. It sure seemed to happen pretty fast once she got there. 🙂 Those cookies are super awesome! You are a fabulous mom for making those, just with some leftover dough! It would take me days to make them. We love Mo Willems, too. I’m sure you’ve read the Gerald and Piggy books. Those are some of my son’s favorites. He also likes Edwina, The Dinosaur Who Didn’t Know She Was Extinct. There’s a character in it named Reginald von Hoobie Doobie…that cracks him up every time. Thank you SO much for the key fob!! You did not have to send it, but I am so glad you did. I love it and can’t wait to order more when you are open for orders again. I will be praying for safe travels. Can’t wait until your family is all together soon.

  13. Yeah!! Such amazing news Laura!!! God is great, but I think that your mom has had her hand in bringing Amon home more than your realize! I think that your sweet mom is looking down on him and you, she’s smiling and she’s helping to bring him home where he should be! From what I’ve read, she was awesome like that!

    LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your cookies and your choices of books! We LOVE those books as well!!! Have your kiddos read “Pete the Cat” books yet?!?! If not, you have to check them out!!!!

  14. Praising the Lord with you! So, so excited for your family! You are the second family I know that got cleared last night (different agency)! You words about your mom always make me tear up. Continuing to pray for y’all!

  15. MY kids are grown up now. Their favorites were and mine still are Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, and Where the Wild Things Are. Enjoy your babies. 🙂

  16. So excited for you!!!! And also so excited that you guys appreciate ‘Where is the Green Sheep?’ like we do! Kamryn had every single word memorized before she was 2. I totally thought it was an obscure book that we stumbled on…glad to see it’s not as unknown as I thought 🙂
    Bless your family as you welcome beautiful Amon to the Kelley clan!

  17. come home little boy…your family is waiting

  18. Yay! That so wonderful! Can’t wait to see all of you together!

  19. Woohoo!!! Praise God!!! I’ve been praying like crazy for you to get word. My heart keeps feeling impressed with much you need Amon home. I know I’d sure need him home if I was in your place. It’s count down to the big reunion now! I’m sure the days can’t go by fast enough for all of you. I’ll keep on praying.

    Your cookies are crazy awesome! Your such a great mom to do that for your kids.

    I hope Sol is feeling better today. Hugs!!!

  20. How wonderful! Praying for you this week as you prep for your trip.
    Love the cookies too. What did you use to draw the outlines–a standard icing bag or some other better tool?

  21. So happy that the time is here! Amon is absolutely precious!! The way he is looking up at you in that one picture just melts my heart. I love adoption!! I hope others will be inspired by your story to take that step of faith. We love books too. Favorites include all Sarah Boynton’s and Knuffle Bunny.

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