November

November was a long month. We have had a lot going on , but most of it hasn't been all that exciting.

- A few days after we got home from Switzerland I started bleeding and after a few days of that, I went down to Phoenix to get an ultrasound and see what was going on. I was put on bedrest until my subchorionic hemmhorage healed which meant until a week after I stopped bleeding. That meant for a long few weeks, but people were so kind and we got through it. I was so touched by how many people showed concern and it helped me to realize how many friends I do have here in Flagstaff. Everything seems to be fine now and hopefully that will be confirmed this week at my next appointment.

- Even though we are not leaving Flagstaff any time soon we decided that we are still going to sell our house. That has taken a lot of phone calls and time and stress over what we are going to do when our house sells. I am sure it will all work out, but sometimes it is hard to have faith when you don't know what is going to happen.

- We spent a really fun and cold day down at the cabin raking and playing in the leaves. I was on bed rest so it was a mellow day, but the boys had a blast and Ty was so fun with them (as usual).

- I have had a few talks with Miss Amber (Thatcher's preschool teacher and nursery leader) about some concerns she has about him and his development. Even though I am sure he is fine because he is so social, and kind, and smart, and imaginative, she has still put thoughts in my head and they have really affected me. I feel like I am constantly observing him and wondering if something really is wrong or if Amber is just off her rocker.

- We spent Thanksgiving in Phoenix and had a wonderful day with family and fabulous food. We just drove down for the day, but it was so worth it. Thatcher loves being with the cousins and the warm weather was so refreshing. Thatcher helped me make cute turkey hats that ended up not being a big hit with the kids, but at least I have them for next year.

- Thanksgiving weekend we took the boys to the Muppet Movie which was a fun thing we don't ever do. Thanks to an extra-large refillable popcorn, we all made it through the movie just fine. We also went to the Little America where they did their annual lighting of Christmas lights. We got free cookies and cider and then waited in line to see Santa. It is funny how the hour that we were there felt like 4 thanks to James being such a handful.

-James update: James is a riot. He always has had a strong personality but I feel like it just continues to get stronger and funnier. He is talking so well and is so smart. He knows a bunch of his colors and he is getting good at counting as well. He loves Thatcher and is now really good at saying his name. He is always saying, "Thatcher, where'd you go?", "Thatcher help me." and other things that make me laugh. They boys take turns keeping each other up at night. It seems like one night Thatcher will be telling James stories for a long time, then another night James will be jabbering away while Thatcher is silent. I love that they share a room and have that connection. James is getting very good at figuring things out like puzzles and putting together train tracks. He loves playing make believe with Thatcher and will usually follow along with whatever Thatcher initiates. He can be so naughty and difficult, but he is also so fun and can be very sweet and obedient.

- Thatcher update: Thatcher's three new favorite phrases are "How about we do this", "Here's another plan", or "Here's a better deal". He is getting really good at talking his way in or out of doing exactly what he wants. It is pretty clever, but I am not used to having such an opinionated little boy. He is enjoying preschool even though I have some concerns right now about that whole thing. He is such a nice boy and a great helper. He is always looking out for James and loves to help me too. The other night we had Thatcher come in our room in the middle of the night because he was coughing a bunch. He could hear James coughing and even though he was half asleep, he said, "Will you go help James? He is sick." I thought it was the sweetest thing. We have been doing more projects together, and last week Thatcher was a huge help when I made chocolate chip cookies and then candy cane cookies (which were his idea). Thatcher continues to be super imaginative and is always pretending to be some character or create a story of some kind. I love seeing his mind work and think he is so special. He loves Christmas and once again, is going to make this Christmas very memorable with his excitement about everything.

- Besides all that, we have been busy with Thatcher's preschool, with fighting off colds, with spending as much time outside before the weather got cold, with teaching aerobics (I just started again last week after my bed rest), and with calling stuff which always takes a good amount of time with meetings and visits. We decorated a few weeks early and so the boys are already in the Christmas spirit of things (Thatcher even helped me paint and decorate the trees for outside to change things up a bit). We read Christmas books every day and they love everything Christmas. It has been a crazy month for a lot of reasons and I am hoping we can have a nice December and focus on the things that really matter this month instead of all the worries that have been occupying my thoughts for the last little while.