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We approached Family Life Services about doing our home study. Very uneducated about the adoption process, we did know that we needed to have a homestudy done. They agreed and set up 3 appointments throughout the summer for us to come in to be interviewed and for the social worker to come visit our home. We also had to complete a family history and a personal history. Already we knew that this was going to be a costly venture as the homestudy alone was going to cost $1500.
Our family was so supportive of us as we began this process. They knew how deep our desire to become parents was. Family and friends gave to help offset the cost of the homestudy without us even asking for help. We actually laid the homestudy questionairre on our coffee table for 2 weeks before we filled out the first answer. It seemed like such a daunting task to answer such personal questions…and so many of them. Kristina is definitely not the writer of the family so this process was even more taxing for her. Once we began though, the excitement began to build as we knew that this was the beginning stages of starting our family. Even through the very personal discussions we had with our social worker, we felt at ease.
Our 7th anniversary was spent away from home as hoped that this was the last anniversary our house would be filled with just the two of us. Kristina’s family called us throughout the weekend while we were away. So much so that we joked about it. We went to see Alabama on their Farewell Tour. This was Kristina’s favorite group and she had never seen them in concert! The trip home was a great time but it was when we walked in our house that made the weekend memorable. 
The reason her family kept calling is they were staying at our house while we were gone. When we walked into our spare bedroom we found a nursery ready and waiting for our baby. Kristina’s family had brought everything from a dresser, a crib, to all of the Raggedy Anne and Andy decorations you could think of. Kristina wept as she walked in the room. On her knees she sat with tears rolling down her face as the thought of being a Mommy began to look like a reality.
Little did we know that as we celebrated this moment in our lives, that just days later over 1600 miles away in Santa Maria Chiquimula, Totonicapan, Guatemala a little girl would be born who would change our lives. Born in a region facing desperate poverty, her birthparents would be faced with the agonizing decision of keeping her or giving her up in hopes of a better life for her. They laid her outside of the small hospital to be found by authorities.
The day came in early September when our homestudy was completed and approved. We had been researching international adoption for the past few months and started the paperwork required. The next few months would be a whirlwind of filing papers and preparation for our November trip to Guatemala.
The Mummau Series
1. Choosing To Adopt
2. Why International? Why Guatemala?
3. The Call From Guatemala
4. The Process Begins
5. A Prelude To Mia
6. How Can You “Choose” A Child – Leaving Others Behind?
7. Peer Into The Heart – Journal Entries
8. Meeting Maria – Finding Mia
9. Leaving Our Daughter…is that…no way!
10. Rivers of Waiting
11. Mistakes, Intentions, and Naivety – How Hope Began To Die
12. Alone in Guatemala and Waiting
13. Time Marches On – Goodbye Mia for Now
14. Joyful Gringos in Quetzaltenango
15. Mia Mia
16. Abuela Comes To The Rescue
17. Doctors, Couriers, and Delays
18. Even So, You Won’t Believe This
19. The Summer of Frustration Ends
20. Fall Approaches with Broken Hearts…Teeth
21. 1600 Miles from Tecpan (pt.1)
22. 1600 Miles from Tecpan (pt.2)
23. Kristina Comes Home
24. Mia’s First Steps
25. December’s Momentum
26. An Angel In The Embassy? I
27. An Angel in the Embassy? II
28. A Christmas to Remember…and Forget
29. Daddy’s 2nd Visit
30. Clash at The Embassy
31. We’re In The PGN! OK Let Us Out!
32. Accomodations
33. The Pencil – Never Give Up
34. Exiting the PGN…sort of
35. Exiting the PGN…yet again
36. Daddy Has Enough
37. The Countdown Begins
38. Easter Brings Hope
39. Sit With Me in San Cristobal
40. T-Minus a few things and counting
41. My New Favorite Color
42. Hope Becomes Reality-The Embassy Interview
43. Mia Mummau Goes Home
More blogs about Guatemala Adoption.
Oh Moose, I cried when I read this.