Mia's Port

 

We arrived at the hospital at 5:30 am to check in for Mia's port placement. I know I was definitely more nervous than she was. But Mia has thought about getting a portocath for a few months now and finally decide to just do it. She wore my boxing gloves all the way from home...and had the mentality of 'Lets do this.' Matt came right after us and brought the nervous mom a Starbucks. Thanks Honey!

 



Waiting with Lancaster, her little pillow pet she's had for a very long time. He always comes to the hospital with us.

I LOVE this...Miss Christine came up from POTC on the first floor, to the 2nd floor where Pediatric Surgery is, to start her last IV...no more pokes! And of course, it went great!!!

 

Mia said, peace out Mom & Dad...and they wheeled her back.

I stopped by the Prayer room and wrote down a prayer in the prayer book.

What ever you are going through, it's awesome to know that God hears our prayers. So lift them up! I know I had tons of people praying for her.

 

 

Mia's # on my wrist band was #4886 - Patient in Operating Room.

 

Aww right when she was waking up, I could go back to see her.

 

They needed to get an X-ray for their records...

 

Pretty cool...amazing.

 

She was in some pain so they gave her some pain mends and she fell asleep for another hour. I was happy to wait for her.

 

Of course we HAD to stop by POTC ... we love these ladies so very much!

 

Home finally at about noon...all cozied up and ready to watch movies with mom.

 

Our sweet friends the Potts brought us a meal for dinner which was delicious. We are so blessed to have friends serving us and praying for us. We could never say thank you enough. And thankfully her surgery is over with, I'm just praying there will be no problems with the actual port. We are blessed.

Spring Break - New Port Beach

Doesn't get any better than watching your daughters love each other -especially on the beach.

 

Sisters...

 

...and mom taking a selfie.

 

Dads and bikes...he loved it! What an amazing birthday vacation!

 

Oh wow...Madison found Paul's coat...from the Navy.

 

And beer glasses...hmmm.

 

So yeah, Alyssa is a model. I mean...wow.

 

We wrote 'praying for the Keppel family' in the sand...Melissa was having a surgery.

 

Off to dinner...BJ's is a tradition when we go to New Port...we love it!

 

Uncle Cameron...or C-Dog as Mia calls him!

 

Us girls on the pier...

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