Marty and I spent Friday night and all day Saturday in Springfield with Addyson.  This gave us lots of good time to reflect on where we've been and plan for where we want to be.

Marty is experiencing ever growing anger.  The anger is manifesting itself through words, tone, volume and actions.  Marty is not sleeping more than about 4 hours at a time.  Exhaustion on his part does not help with the anger.  I know when I am sleep deprived I am SUPER grouchy!  So you compound the frustration of not being understood, frustration of not understanding why a young healthy man can have a stroke, fear of judgement from others, frustration from not being able to do things with no sleep and you can see where this leads.

So, we have decided we are just going to do less.  I have been pushing Marty to talk more.  He has been pushing himself to do more.  We are going to do less.  He is down to 2 days a week therapy at Mercy.  We are finished with the multiple doctor's visits with all the specialists.  He'll have 1 visit a month with his primary care physician and that's all there.  We have decided to discontinue therapy with Roberta as this would be 2 more appointments a week.  We are going to allow some things around the house to slide.  If the floors don't get swept daily and only get mopped weekly, it will be ok.  If there is dust on the bookshelves, it will be ok.  If the afternoons are silent with no talking, it will be ok.  If Marty goes an entire day without saying a word, it will be ok.  We just have to do less.

This house will turn into a de-stress zone.  Our choices of music, entertainment, errands, appointments, must do's will change.  I am a firm believer in D&C 88:119

119 Organize yourselves; prepare every needful thing; and establish a house, even a house of prayer, a house of fasting, a house of faith, a house of learning, a house of glory, a house of order, a house of God;

I think we can establish this by doing less.  This doesn't say we must be perfect.  We are to prepare every needful thing, not wantful thing.  We don't have to do everything.  We have to pray, fast, have faith, learn, worship, and take care of our needs.  We have been doing too much, but we can do the needful!