Visitors in November

I feel like every month is just getting more fun!  The beginning of November was Callen's birthday.  He turned two!  He talks almost as well as Brynlee did at that age (which is impressive).  But I think because of an older sister, he understand much more and is so much more social.  The whole stranger danger thing isn't there either and I'm sure that is because of an older sister as well.  He will be in diapers and a crib much longer than his older sister but has just as much personality.  He LOVES copying everything Brynlee does and says.  He also loves dad and wrestling.  He can't contain himself around anything real or plastic with an engine.  He is a completely different build than Brynlee and looks a lot different than her.  He loves to cuddle with me and asks for the rocking chair before bed.  I had group piano lessons the day of his birthday but we had a fun train bday party at night for him!  We love you teddy tooter and I can't imagine life without you!  

 Randomly we got about 3 inches of snow!  It was in the 70's one week then the next week we had a snow storm.  It was un heard of in south NM but we had a blast in it.  Dev built a snowman with the kids and took them hooky bobbing behind our house.

 The skies cleared the next week and it got in the 60's for our first visitors.  The Poulters!  It was a last minute thing and they came for a weekend.  We tried to push as much fun as we could into the weekend!  It felt so so so good to just sit and talk/laugh with them while the kids played so well together!  I miss them so much and I hope things work out so they live by us for a bit!  We took them to white and red sands.

 When they left I had a week to catch up on everything before our second visitors came - the Hays!  I harvested the garden which produced gallon sized bags of onions and herbs.  I have 3 potato boxes of ripening tomatoes too that I have to figure out what to do with them.  I started a new piano sememster and sent some thank yous out.  Brynlee had some friends over and Devin and the kids and I went up to cloud croft and got the biggest tree ever!  It  only took us about 2 hours to find it and cut it down.  I grabbed some extra branches and made garland this year - which has died already!  But we had some hot chocolate (which costs more than our tree tag!!!) and headed home in time for our volleyball game and the Hays to arrive.  That was a busy day.  Devin and I have been playing in a co-ed volleyball league on the reservation.  It is pretty good teams and we have LOVED the date night once or twice a week for the last 2 months.

It was so good to see the Hays!  They came for Thanksgiving.  We took them to red and white sands.  Jamie and I braved black friday shopping with Lisa and Krista and we had a fun dinner at the church with some families.  Thanks to Jamie for providing much better quality pictures than my camera.  At this point in my life, I don't care about the quality of pictures.  Maybe one day I will.  I don't see the time or money as a priority but I appreciate good pictures - thanks Jamie!

 We did a lot of sledding at white sands.  Brynlee went by herself from the top and got a mouth full.  She usually has a cheese crisp in her mouth at all times!  Jamie got me running again which has really helped my back.  It was so fun showing friends where we live.  What is it about hosting visitors that I love so much.  When people make the sacrifice to some and see you it builds that much more to your friendship and I really appreciate it.  I'm sure everyone feels that way so I need to remember that about others as well.  It was a great month and although 50% of it I was in back pain, I'm learning a lot about my body and how to be healthy and manage the pain.