Mia's birthday blood drive

For Mia's birthday...we had a very special birthday blood drive in honor of her big day.

Look who surprised Mia with an amazing cake for her birthday?!? Kick Ass Kakes ! We met them from all the Phoenix Mercury games Coach Mia attended. They wanted to bring her a very special cake for her big day. If you need a cake, you MUST contact them they are the best!

There was a special kids fitness scavenger hunt led by Donald from C.A.P.E Fitness...thank you Donald for sponsoring this fun time for all the kids...and getting their heart rates up!

Ready set go!

They were split into groups and had to perform certain tasks...

It was so much fun! All the kids had a great time...

Of course everyone wanted a piece of cake...because that's what you give kids after they workout?? Well, yes if it's a birthday party!!

All the kids are ready for cake...

Even Donald was ready for cake! haha

Mia with her buddy Donald...she's a little Donald Duckling.

These girls all helped with this event...Jordan, Miss Arizona USA and Amber, Miss Arizona's Outstanding Teen. Thanks girls!! And all if Mia's sisters helped too!!

Ummm, even this little cutie did a great job!

All the girls were dying over his cuteness...the hair, the eyes...oh my goodness!

Finishing up some fun fitness games!

Wowzers Madi...nice splits!!

The kids ate the first layer of the cake and we wanted to save the bottom layer...for later.

It really warms my heart to see the STS Yoga room being used for a blood drive.

My sweet friend Brooke has the biggest heart ever! She is ALWAYS helping someone. She organized receiving 3 big huge boxes of toys that someone gave her for Mia's blood drive, so we can take them to the hospital and donate them to the POTC toy closet. LOVE. Thank you so much Brooke. And we got to see Mia's friend Trinity, who has battled cancer twice...we love you Trinity!

Mia hanging out with her group of friend s at STS!!

I love seeing the hallways packed with people...hanging out and waiting to donate.

Thanks everybody for giving up your time to come and donate!

Mia's friends brought her a gift too, and gifts for the hospital. Thank you Melinda!!

So sweet, Mia's 6th grade teacher came to donate, and her husband. Thank you Kester's!! We so appreciate it!

Team Trinity and her Mama Kristina...she TRIED to donate but her veins were too small. At least you tried you sweet friend!

The yoga room was busy, busy, busy, with people donating blood. What a great gift for Mia's birthday. Life.

Mia thanking the blood donors...

A very special friend, Miss Barbara (from Be The Match) gave Mia a very special present...some beads of courage.  Every bead tells a story of strength, honor, and hope.

Thank you so much Miss Barbara, and thank you for taking the time to come hang out at STS all day...we got 8 cheek swabs!! Whoo!

From our family...thank you SO much to everyone who donates blood! We could never say thank you enough.

Mia's Boot Camp for Blood @ STS

 

If you didn't know, Mia, our 3rd daughter was born with

Diamond Blackfan Anemia

Basically her body does not produce any red blood cells

so she lives off of people donating their blood to her.

She has had 106 blood transfusions to help her stay alive.

Mia's Boot Camp for Blood GOAL:

 

- To have people donate blood.

- To raise enough money to provide

one Hopekids movie that would sponsor

400-600 families that have a child

with a life threatening illness.

 

 

Above is a video of why I feel so compelled to host

blood drives wherever I can.

Her life depends on it.

It warms my heart to see her laughing, smiling, &

dancing. Some things people take for granted.

(The video was April 2012)

 

 

So, we were supposed to be on the news to promote

Mia's Boot Camp for Blood,

but 3TV canceled about 12 hours before.

SO LAME.

If they only knew what all went into getting

people and kids to come EARLY in the morning.

Oh well.

(They owe me $ for some Justice outfits! ;)

The staff from the Chandler Mall Lululemon

store came anyways and did a 'mock' boot camp

of what Saturday's would have looked like.

SO nice of them!

 

It was a hard workout!

 

 

Rachel, from Powered by Pancakes came, and flipped

up some tasty gluten free pancakes...you MUST

order some from her, they are delicious!

And of all crossfit & workout peeps have them,

then you know it's ok!

Plus Miss Arizona USA Jordan came, and Miss Arizona 2013

also came to support us! As well as my dear friend

Brooke, who is my personal photographer at all

my events. 

 

 

Thank you STS, and everyone who came

despite the news canceling!

 

 

These girls were so bummed to NOT be on the news,

I took them to Kokomo's after school,

in their matching 'Be Strong' outfits!

 

Thank you to the Chandler Fire Fighters

for bringing a Fire Truck, the kids loved it!

 

 

Madison , Marlee & Mia

 

Brianne, Madi, Mia, Marlee & Mia

 

Mia rocking her fire hat!

 

I LOVE this!

The FITMOMDIET ladies saw my tweets about Mia's

#bootcampforblood

They wanted to help!

First, they wrote up a MOMSPIRATION

about me and Mia on their blog.

Then, they came to Mia's boot camp for blood at STS

and sold their fitness apparel...

 

 

with the proceeds going to Hopekids!

Seriously??! LOVE them.

 

Thank you SO much Shannon & Kim!

 

 

From my twitter, Powered by Pancakes wanted to donate

their wonderful amazing protein pancakes to everyone who

came and participated! AMAZING!

Rachel, the owner, also sold her bags of mixes with the proceeds going

to Hopekids. SO sweet.

 

 

You can find my dear friend Rachel from Powered by Pancakes

around Arizona, at crossfit events and gyms selling

her gluten free DELICIOUS pancakes!
And also...since Mia LOVES popcorn, FUNnecting
donated their popcorn machine.

 

Thank you SO much Rachel!

I feel like I've known you forever...

thank you for always helping others

whenever you can!!

(Like the Fire Fighters - Hot Shots.)

People are blessed because of you.

 

 

I am very passionate about Be the Match.

Mainly, because it could cure Mia of her DBA.

And it cures lots of other people from cancers etc.

 Mia's best hope for a bone marrow transplant

 is by a sibling match, from one of her sisters. Sadly,

none of my other girls are a match to Mia.

But that's ok, because if God wanted it that way,

He would have made one of them a perfect match.

In a worse case scenario, they would find an un-related

donor for Mia thru Be the Match - if nothing else could

help her. So along with my blood drives I like to host,

I invite Be the Match as well.

It's a cheek swab...to test your DNA to see if you could

potentially 'be a match' to someone.

Feel like saving a life??

You can order a kit sent to your house...for free.

The tests are so expensive, so we try and raise some

money for them...but if you are between the ages of

18-44 then consider it! You could save a life!

 

 

Besides, how could you not get a kit from these cuties??

So Mia gave up 'bear' (I think she meant beer money)

and Madison gave up - Taylor Swift money to help fund

a cure...too cute!

 

 

This would be mini Kelly & Kristi...

working out.

 

So cute!

 

Mia and Madison LOVE STS so much.

The first time they came to STS was for a

boot camp for fire fighters...

last year in December.

  

 

 they met Miss Arizona because she helped Donald

 with the kids boot camp. They have loved being there

ever since! It's a very positive place to be at.

 

 

So Mia is photo bombing her own pic, but she

loves you Donald!



 

I met Miss Arizona USA Jordan Wessel while working out

at Scott's Training Systems.

She said she'd love to help Donald with the kids!

These girls in their Be Strong shirts are SO cute!

 

You gotta love sweet little ones at a kids

boot camp!

 

 I love this! Mia's friends Marlee & Jamison.

Marlee wearing her #donateblood shirt for Mia!

 

Let the Kids Boot Camp Begin!

 

 

Kids warming up...

 

These kids had so much fun...

 

They did a warm-up, played fitness games...

 

...and had a great time while supporting the #bootcampforblood

 

Jordan helped out with the kids boot camp!

 

She is so sweet.

 

 

The kids are still going.

 

Where do they get this energy from?!

 



 

Even little Layla liked watching the big kids.

 

Whew who's tired...

 

Mean While...

 

There was another boot camp going on at the same time

...just bigger kids.

 

 

There was sure not a whole lot of adults...

but that's ok. Warm it up.

 

 

The warm-up felt like a workout :)

 

Scott telling us how it's going to go down.

 

You want us to do what??!  :)

 

 

You gotta love the ropes...

 

Nice job Steve!

 



 

Looks like burpees to me.

 

 

Oh wow that was a long tabata.

 

 

 

Team: MIA!

 

I'm so thankful to all these guys for showing

up and helping...and participating.

 

Good job by all!

 

 

My sweet friend Kim always donates for Mia.

Thank you Kim!

 

 

Thank you to Ryan for showing up and being

extra hands to help!

 

Thanks to some old BC peeps for showing up!

 

MEANWHILE...

 



 

Baby running down the halls...so cute!

 

All the kids decorated posters...

 

One was a THANK YOU poster for everyone

who came and donated.

 

The other was to Mia...

 

And it said, Mia You're Brave.

 

 

 

Seriously kids are SO sweet.

 

Mia and Jordan <3 p="">

 

 

After the kids were done writing...they came

outside to present the posters.

 

 

 

Mia and the youngest boot camper - Layla

 

 

 Scott thanking everyone for coming...

 

 

I love that both Miss Arizona's could be there

for this. Jennifer and Jordan.

 

 

Love this pic, so sweet!

 

 

Both Miss Arizona's - we LOVE them so much.

They are always helping other people, always.

 

Scott trains them both...and it's ok Scott, eat

your protein pancakes!

 

This warms my heart.

Love them all for taking the time out of their day

to help me with this awesome event.

 

 

And a HUGE thank you to all the people over on the

bus for donating blood. I didn't get to see or thank

most of them...but I donated blood the same time as

Brooke. (Who knows what's it's like to watch

their child go through some hard times.)

Thank you!





 

 

I could never say thank you enough to all these people

who came out, despite the weather being terrible...

and supported my sweet Mia. And to all the people

that I didn't see who donated blood on the bus.

I am so blessed and thankful to have such

supportive people in my life.

The reason I have to do these blood drives, is that

there is NO CURE for

Diamond Blackfan Anemia.

So until then, it's Boot Camp for Blood!

#bootcampforblood