Who Needs Chocolate?

We have an awesome new opportunity to support our adoption fundraising! 

If you like, love or need chocolate, you can order some amazing treats from Denae's Sweets and help us raise some funds! 

Just go here http://bhlongbaby.denaessweets.com

Denae's Sweets are ridiculously good.  Easter is right around the corner.  You need gifts. 

YOU need chocolate.  

Signatures Needed

It has been 503 days since DRC enacted a suspension on issuing exit letters for adopted children.  That means there are hundreds of kids unable to be part of a family and hundreds of families doing everything in their power to get these kids home.  Not just US families either, but lots of Canadian and European families.  We are ALL joining together to get these kids unstuck.

President Obama is very much respected in DRC.  So far every other attempt at diplomacy as come up wildly short. (Not that we aren't appreciative, but the US State Department just isn't getting it done.)  We are petitioning President Obama to make a call to the President of DRC, one leader to another.

Please take a few minutes to sign this petition.  You do have to confirm your signature via email so don't' forget that part! It's quick and easy and there are so many kids that need whatever help we can give.

http://wh.gov/ib4BV

No Words.

Yesterday I received an email with new pictures and a video of my son.  Normally, I would immediately stop doing whatever I was doing to devour these images.  That’s what happens when you only get to see your child via media, once a month tops.  However, yesterday when I saw the email pop up, I quickly closed it and really didn’t think about it again until later in the evening. 

It’s not that I don’t care. Or that I don’t want to see how my child is developing.  Or that I was too busy. 

It just hurt too much.

You see for a brief, sweet week I held my son in my arms.  I fed him. I rocked him to sleep. I woke up to his chattering.  I tickled him. I soothed his cries.  I was his mom. Not just in a legal sense or a theoretical sense.  In a real, tangible way I was able to parent him – a privilege that has been out my grasp this entire year. 

And one week ago, I let someone take him out of my arms. I kissed his cheeks, whispered that I loved him, and walked away.  Not because I wanted to but because I had no choice. 

There are no words for this situation.

Get Your Kids to Read AND Support Our Adoption

How is that not a Win Win situation?  I have this amazing, incredibly talented, life-long friend by the name of Annie Tipton.  In addition to her many notable attributes, she is the author of a series of kids' books called Diary of a Real Payne.  I have read books 1 and 2 and they are awesome with a great message.  Book 3 just released this week.

Here is what Amazon has to say about the series:
"Old Schoolhouse Magazine's Best Children’s Book for 2013.  True Story! . . . These pages from EJ Payne’s diary will have you ROTFL as you witness her spunky personality and well-meant-but-often-misunderstood antics. You’ll fall in love with this first release in the Diary of a Real Payne series as EJ records her thoughts and feelings about living in little old Spooner, Wisconsin (snooze!), eventually leaving her hometown to do big things when she’s all grown up (oh glorious day!), and having to star in the role of lead angel in the Vine Street Christmas pageant (are you kidding me?). This colossal-fun series is overflowing with humor and memorable life lessons." 


Annie has oh so generously donated copies of her first two books to our family to help us fund raise for our adoption.  Did I mention she's awesome?   


These books are geared for readers age 8-12.  They make a great gift as well!  

If you are interested, I am offering each book for $6 or the set of 2 for $10.  Buyer covers shipping if needed.  This is the ONE item I don't want you to get on Amazon because if you purchase directly through me, we receive ALL of the proceeds.  Please call, email, FB, text or leave a comment here if you are interested.  

Mrs. Long Goes to Washington

My fellow DRC Families and I are headed to Washington, D.C. to advocate for our kids who need to be home with their families.   

Here's what this boils down to:  

These are kids who don't have permanent, stable families who have been legally adopted into a willing forever family and those families are being denied the ability to parent those children. 

Virtually all of these families are pouring every penny they have into completing their families. If you are able, please consider making even a small donation to help cover the cost of this trip. I know folks that could use airline miles and hotel points as well. I've watched people squeeze blood from turnips to make this trip and fight for their kids. Please consider blessing their efforts  

http://www.gofundme.com/a6cl5k

There's a whole lot going on in the world of international adoptions right now. I can't share most of it and don't want to talk about the rest of it, but please just keep praying for this process. Hopefully I can share more soon.

In the mean time, we really need to get back to fundraising. We have been sooooo incredibly blessed by some amazing friends who are sharing their gifts in some way with us.

My dear friend and kindred spirit, Stephanie, is hosting a garage sale for us in Iowa this weekend, which is just awesome.  If any of our nonIndiana friends feel compelled to follow suit, we won't stop you :)  Praying for a big turnout! 

Also, our very crafty friend Allison is donating proceeds from some of her wares for our adoption as well! 

This is how I know Allison is awesome - she sews rice bags that you can microwave and use as muscle relaxing, warming, snuggly objects. (And when my dog ate the rice bag, she happily made me another. Twice.) That's not a great description, but trust me, they're lovely.  

She also sells these very pretty candles that she swears by and is donating any proceeds from those as well.

I gave my mom, MIL, SIL, and sis a rice bag last year for Christmas and everybody likes candles.  These are clearly items you need AND you can gift.  And you could put them together and make a nice therapeutic, relacing combo...just sayin'.

So you can check her out here :http://www.evesemporium.net/long-family.hatml

Happy Mother's Day to my own amazing mama and all the incredible mothers I am surrounded by.

This Mother's Day is a little different for me.  This is the first year where I have really felt this:

And for all the stupid, ignorant comments that I field on why sometimes kids need a permanent family...or maybe why MY specific kids need a permanent family: 

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/mothers-day-2014-congo-worst-place-be-mother-1442176