Table for 8 please!

We did it! And we had fun doing it! On Sunday night I wasn't sure if I could actually get eight kids up and ready for school, or perhaps scarier, help eight kids finish their homework. But the day went really well. The kids got up without complaint even though their only option for breakfast was cereal. But they all got dressed quickly, grabbed a bowl of cereal, and watched Aurthur together. It was a pretty cute scene!

Brad drove the pack to school with plenty of time to spare, and Sam (my four-year-old) and I got some wonderful one-on-one time. We worked on cleaning the house and trying to catch up on laundry between phone calls. But, before we knew it, school was over and homework time began. I sat the kids around our dining room table, turned off the TV, and we went to work. It was so crazy that it was actually pretty funny. At one point I was doing a practice spelling test with three different children at the same time. When Brad got home a little after 5:00 we were almost done, but Brad jumped in to help finish things off. When he walked in I was shuffling through some papers on the table and he asked me what I was looking for. I responded with, "My sanity. I'm pretty sure I lost it here at the table." The older kids got the joke and laughed, but a couple of the younger ones jumped in to help me look--unfortunately they didn't find it!

The best part of the day was the dinner that Marilyn Buman and Lisa Brown brought us. It was absolutely delicious and a welcome help on a busy day. So thank you Marilyn and Lisa--you were lifesavers! Brad and Michael had football practice, but the other eight of us gathered around the table together. And the kids were hilarious. The conversation turned into a competition about who snores the loudest as well as anecdotal stories about the loudness of other bodily sounds (I'll spare you the details).

After dinner, I had to run Hannah to the store to buy a goldfish for a project she is doing at school--it's a long story. We came home, had everyone change into their pajamas, opened a bag of chocolate chip cookies, and watched "Kicking and Screaming" together. Once again, we had a fun together.

At the end of the day, while I was tucking kids in and helping them say their prayers, I was struck by how much more I have come to love the Jenkins children. I'm not saying that I haven't loved them before. I've had them over many, many times and enjoyed their fun personalities, but these last two weeks have deepened that love. The chance to be a mother (even if it's only temporary) to these amazing children has been both wonderful and humbling. Each one of them has unique traits that are so endearing. Last night as I leaned over to tuck Austin in and give him a hug goodnight, I started to cry. I looked at his sweet face and I was simply overcome with love for him (he now thinks I'm crazy). I have also felt the loss of Bennion. I had started to get used to his cute little tired smile when he greeted me each morning and I miss that now. And more than that, I miss his hugs. Bennion had a few tough moments last week, when his longing for Marcy overcame him. The chance to hold and rock Bennion as he cried were precious times for me. I truly felt grateful that I could be there with him. With each child I've had some sort of experience that has made me realize how much I love them. I don't know how to properly explain how much of a blessing that this has been to me. They'll go home soon, but in many ways from now on I'll see them as my family. Hopefully I'll be able to convince Marcy to let me borrow them from time to time!

Speaking of Marcy--that's what you all really want to know about. No big news, but she continues to heal and improve with each day. On the neurorehab unit they are keeping her busy with therapy. I believe that today she is also seeing a neuro-opthomologist. When I hear more, I promise to let you know!

It's now time to start scheduling meals and other services for the family. Even though Marcy is recovering so well, we also have to remember that there is still a long road ahead for her. Marcy's doctors have warned her that she has to pace herself. Marcy must ease herself back into life rather than simply jumping back in. I think that the Jenkins will need help with meals for several weeks. Additionally, Marcy will need someone to be with her during the day, especially in her care of Hayden. Many of you have offered to help with this, so we will be contacting each of you to set up a schedule. Again, many, many thanks to all of you for your support of the Jenkins and of us--what remarkable people all of you are!

Miracles

Moroni 7:27-29
27 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased because Christ hath ascended into heaven, and hath sat down on the right hand of God, to claim of the Father his rights of mercy which he hath upon the children of men?
28 For he hath answered the ends of the law, and he claimeth all those who have faith in him; and they who have faith in him will cleave unto every good thing; wherefore he advocateth the cause of the children of men; and he dwelleth eternally in the heavens.
29 And because he hath done this, my beloved brethren, have miracles ceased? Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither have angels ceased to minister unto the children of men.

I must sadly admit that I'm not the type of person to see and label life's happenings as miracles--or not very often, at least. But this is one of those times when we can't turn away from the truth--a miracle has occurred. And not just one, but many:

Marcy's recovery: Marcy's recovery has even baffled doctors. On Thursday when the angiogram was completed, they could see very little damage or trauma in Marcy's brain considering the level of the stroke she had suffered. Concerned that they were missing something, late on Thursday night they completed another MRI on her. The result was that they found three small areas where she had had anuerysms but all three places had started healing so well on their own, that they could find no reason to perform surgery. The doctors were simply shocked by the this rapid healing. They have also been shocked by the outward improvements to Marcy's speech. To those who don't know her well, you might not even be able to tell she has had a stroke. Her motor skills are strong, her eye-hand coordination skills are almost fully recovered, and very rarely now does she drop words. She shouldn't be this far along in her recovery is what the Doctors keep saying, but they must not know of Marcy's strength and determination, and perhaps they don't understand the depth of Mark and Marcy's faith. Because to those of us who know them well, this is no surprise. If a miracle was going to happen to anyone, it would happen to Marcy!

So, yesterday Marcy was moved out of the ICU into the nuerorehab unit. It's looking more and more like Marcy will be home by Halloween!

The Chidren: It's one thing to hear about a miracle happening to a friend, but it doesn't quite compare to seeing a miracle happen in your home. And truly, I feel like that is what has happened. But first let me get you caught up (I'm sorry--I'm discovering I'm not a good blogger, since I went the whole weekend without posting.)

On Friday Ellen and I met up to do some children exhanging. The five oldest children drove out to Marcy's moms house with me. Marcy's sister, Mary, met us there with Hayden. It was the first time in a week that all of the kids were together and it was wonderful! I was so sad that I hadn't thought to bring my camera, because Hayden's face was priceless. Marcy's mom is one of the kindest, warmest women I know--the perfect Grandma--and she took the time to hug and visit with each child. You could just see how each of them was strengthened by their time with Grandma Sharp. It's just what they needed. And she has been so good to me--I was the recipient of one of her warm hugs and it was just what I needed as well.

From there, Austin and Zach went to stay for the weekend with their Aunt Pauline, Hayden stayed with Mary and Sue, and Bennion, Hannah, and Kyle came home with me. Friday night, Hannah, Katie (my daughter) and I went over to the home of Wendy Sorensen. Wendy is Bennion's preschool teacher and she brought to pass the miracle of the costume. Hannah has wanted to be a southern bell for Halloween for some time now. Origanally, Hannah's costume was going to be made. But, with Marcy's illness, it was too late to make a dress by the time we got around to thinking about it. We looked online for dresses, and while they would have worked, they just weren't what Hannah had in mind. Sweet Hannah was willing to buy one of those dresses, but on the same day we were going to purchase the dress, I took Bennion over to school and met the wonderful Miss Wendy (If you don't know her, then you should do what you can to meet her!). As we chatted about Marcy and the kids for a few minutes, I just happened to mention our struggle with Hannah's costume. Her face lit up as she said, "Our family has done civil war reenactment--we have boxes full of costumes." So on Friday night, Hannah was fitted for a truly authentic southern dress. And she looks beautiful in it!

Hannah is pictured her at our Ward's Primary Party with my daughter, Katie.

Saturday was a busy day of cleaning up, laundry, and getting Bennion's costume ready. He had lost one of the gloves for his King Peter costume (please don't make the mistake of calling him Prince Caspeon--he told me on Saturday that he is tired of people not understanding Narnia very well. I completely concur. Bennion is very obviously King Peter and it's truly sad that the rest of us keep getting this wrong), so we headed to ToysRUs to see if we could buy a new one. They were sold out of the costume, but we did find a King Peter Sword (note: ToysRUs carries both a King Peter and Prince Caspeon Sword and they are different--ToysRUs understands Bennion).

I took seven children to the toy store (Brad and Michael were at Michael's football game). I thought we'd just run in really quick, but of course that was delusional thinking. About an hour and half and several "small" toys later, we walked out. Next up: The Primary Party. I dressed six kids in costumes and we were only about twenty minutes late--I call that a success!

And then there was Sunday or as I called it on Saturday: Mission Impossible. Nine people, one bathroom (we started remodeling our other bathroom a few weeks ago) and a 9:00 a.m. church schedule. Saving you some of the gory details we did it--sort of. Brad (who begged out of his early meetings to help) took the first group over at about 9:05, and Hannah, Katie and I dashed in at about 9:25. Not perfect, but we felt pretty good about it. And Sacrament meeting was amazing, the only going out was a quick trip to the bathroom. Our son Michael was the youth speaker, and so Brad and I were so happy that could both see Michael speak.

On Sunday evening, all of the kids (besides Hayden) came to our house to carve pumpkins. This is a tradition in Marcy's family. They usually meet up with cousins at Grandma Sharp's house, and carve away. Because of Marcy's condition and some foot surgery Grandma Sharp had a few weeks ago, the big party had been cancelled. So we had the fun of doing a smaller version at our house. And Grandma Sharp even sent over some treats for all the kids (even mine--isn't she wonderful?) It was crazy but SO much fun.

Marcy, here's some pictures for you to enjoy!

Uncle Hal, we follwed your example and all enjoyed eating a few pumpkin guts!

After the party, Bennion left with his Aunt Mary to spend some time with her and his Aunt Sue. I love that little boy, and so it was hard to see him go. But I now have Kyle, Hannah, Austin, and Zach staying with me. It's going to be crazy, but it's also going to be good! These cute kids have dealt with one of the toughest ordeals a child could face, but they are still strong and happy. Of course, there have been some tears shed by each of them (I would be more worried if they didn't cry at times) but they start each day with optimism, kindness, and energy. They have been a blessing to have in our home. I think they are a miracle--a miracle of strength!

And finally, I feel like a miracle has happened to me. I'm no Marcy! I don't have her strength or temperament. I should have collapsed by now. But, I have felt so sustained throughout. I think that our family is receiving some of the blessings from all of the prayers said for the Jenkin's Family. That along with plenty of diet coke has kept us going. There are some hard, busy times, but we're all doing great! And we even got all the kids to school on time (and some of them got their hair combed)--that's a miracle!

I'll try not to go so long without writing again!

Angiogram Day!

Just a quick update on Marcy, Mark and the Kids. Today (in fact, possibly right now) Marcy is having her second angiogram. An angiogram is an imaging technique that allows doctors to see what is happening within arteries and veins. Obviously, they will be looking at the arteries in Marcy's brain where the bleed has occurred. After viewing the results of the angiogram, the doctors will make a treatment plan. If the results are what they are expecting (to see a small bleed) then a neurosugeon will operate on Marcy tomorrow and insert a clip onto the damaged artery.

Neurosurgery is always serious and risky, but this procedure has been successfully used for some time now. The neurosugeons at the U of U Hospital are excellent and have preformed this surgery hundreds of times.

Mark stopped by our house last night, and the great news he shared was that the doctors think that Marcy might be home by Halloween. Wouldn't that be wonderful for her! She'll still have some significant recovering to do, and she'll need our help even more, but I know how much she is missing her children. When Mark stopped by last night, Bennion was already asleep, but Kyle was still awake and reading (as an aside, I have to tell you that Kyle is the most voracious reader I've ever seen-he just loves books and can hardly put them down once he starts reading. I'm hoping that some of his love of reading will rub off onto my kids!). I wish everyone could have seen the faces of Kyle and Mark when they saw each other--I tear up just thinking about it.

Mark wrapped Kyle up in a big hug and just held on for quite awhile, and then he reassured Kyle that Marcy is doing great. Mark is such a great dad! It was sweet to see these two guys together.

I just talked with Ellen. She and I are both doing great with the kids--they are all happy, fun, but also missing mom.

I'll be sending an email out later today to all who have begged to know how they can help. I'll list all of the different places where help both now and later is needed.

And, I'll write again when we know more!

Happy Children!

It's Wednesday morning and we wanted to post all of you a quick update on Marcy--I hope I get this right, Mark and Marcy!

Through more testing than any one person should have to endure, they believe they are coming to know more about Marcy's stroke. First, we have known for some time now that Marcy's stroke was not a blockage, but rather a bleed. Due to swelling and spasming it has taken some time to see the extent of the damage. But, they now believe that it's not too large--perhaps about 1mm. But, in order to fix the damage, Marcy will most likely have surgery on Friday to clip the artery that ruptured to prevent further damage.

Again, the Doctors feel very positive about a complete recovery. Both Ellen Mason and I had the chance to talk with her yesterday, and she sounded great. She's still the upbeat, optimistic Marcy that we all love. And she's still the Supermom--talking about kids schedules, homework, and Halloween Costumes. Her speech has really improved and she's having far few moments of confusion. It was great to just hear her sweet voice!

Ellen and I also wanted to let everyone know how great the children are doing. Mark and Marcy have raised remarkable children who have the same happiness and strength as their parents do. It has been a joy for both of us to have these wonderful kids with us! They ask about Marcy all the time, but they also know how well she's doing. I've also heard through Marcy's sister, Mary, that Hayden is doing great!

Marcy, we're sorry but no matching shirts today, but we'll get better about it! So rest and relax and know that all is well! There are SO many people waiting in line to do anything they can--I've actually had people beg me to tell them something they can do now. I think you're going to have dinners for about a year after you get home! When Ellen and I stopped by the house yesterday with the kids, several people just came by hoping that they could talk to someone about what they could do. So know that you are loved and have a whole community of people ready to do anything at anytime. You and Mark do so much for everyone else, let us do something for you now!

Here's a couple more pictures from Ellen to brighten your day!

A Place to Share our Love

If you have found this blog then you already know that our dear Marcy has had a stroke and is in the ICU at the University of Utah Hospital. First, we want you to know that although Marcy's situation is very serious, she is also doing remarkably well--she is Marcy afterall! Her stroke has somewhat affected her speech, so she is struggling at times to find words and Mark reports that she is still confused at times (but in really funny ways). The great news is that her motor skills seem to be unaffected. She is awake, alert, talking, and worrying about her children's Halloween costumes.

As her friends and family, we have simply been inundated with calls and emails--it has been deeply moving to see how many people love Marcy, Mark and their children and are desperate to know how Marcy's doing and what they can do to help. The only problem is that so many people are calling, that we haven't been able to get back to everyone. So, we have created this blog as a way of communicating with all of those who love Marcy.

First, we hope that you will take a moment and write a quick note to Marcy, Mark and the kids. You can do this by clicking on the comments link. Second, if you'd like to help or have any questions, then please email us at welovemarcy@gmail.com. Several of us will be checking that email account often and will get back to you as soon as we can. We don't want to tell you not to call Mark, but he has been a bit overwhelmed with phone calls. Third, we will post updates as often as we can on Marcy's condition, so check back often. Finally, please help us get the word around about the blog so that all who love Marcy can stay in contact with her!

Matching Shirts!

I just wanted to send you a picture of two of your cute kids! I can't guarantee it will happen everyday, but for today I just had to get them in matching shirts! They are doing great, and we're having a blast. My kids think its the best thing that has happened to them! It's like a sleepover party every night!

Drawing on the Strength of the Lord

While there is so much that we can do to love and support Marcy and Mark, we also feel that we must draw on the strength of the Lord on Marcy's behalf. Many of her friends are fasting today for that purpose. In the LDS faith (as in many other faiths), a fast is used as a way of drawing our spirit closer to our Heavenly Father. We believe that through the supplication of our physical body, we allow our spirits to more closely commune with God. A typical fast in our faith involves skipping two meals. We begin and end our fast with prayer. And most often we fast with a purpose. Today we fast for Marcy.

We invite all who know and love Marcy to participate with us in our fasting and prayer. Marcy's wonderful friends are of many faiths and beliefs, but we invite all join with us today and call upon the powers of heaven to bless this family. So at 5:00 p.m today, where ever we are, we are going to kneel in prayer--please join us!