diff --git a/examples/example.js b/examples/example.js
index d827741..ab0e6e1 100644
--- a/examples/example.js
+++ b/examples/example.js
@@ -1,14 +1,26 @@
-import DataStore from '../src/datastore'
+import Store from '../src/datastore'
 
+const store = new Store({
+  path: process.cwd() + '/examples/foo.json'
+})
 
-// let circuits = await this.db.getAll('circuits')
-// console.log(circuits)
-// // let obs = this.db.getStore('circuits').addObserver(undefined,'bogus')
-// let obs = this.db.getStore('circuits').addObserver('uy0cADaONfPv38th.prop1',{prop1:'test'})
-// console.log(this.db.getStore('circuits')._observers)
-// obs.subscribe(console.log)
-// obs.next({prop1:'test'})
-// obs.next({prop1:'test'})
-// obs.next({prop1:'test'})
-// obs.next({prop1:'test'})
-// obs.next({prop1:'test2'})
+const foo = {bar:3, bash:{bin:2,what:5}}
+
+store.set('foo',foo)
+// store.set('foo.bash',3)
+// store.set('foo.what',5)
+
+console.log('simple get', store.get('foo'))
+
+console.log('current observers', store.getObs())
+
+// let temp = store.setObs('foo.bar')
+
+let obs = store.setObs('foo.bar')
+
+obs.subscribe(val=>console.log('foo bar handler 1',val))
+obs.subscribe(val=>console.log('foo bar handler 2',val))
+
+console.log('current observers', store._observers)
+
+store.set('foo.bar',8)
diff --git a/nodemon.json b/nodemon.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f21684b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/nodemon.json
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+{
+    "ignore":["examples/*.json"]
+}
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 3523963..3365012 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -23,17 +23,17 @@
   "homepage": "https://github.com/uCOMmandIt/uci-utils#readme",
   "dependencies": {
     "data-store": "^4.0.3",
-    "deep-equal": "^2.0.1",
+    "deep-equal": "^2.0.3",
     "get-value": "^3.0.1",
     "is-plain-object": "^3.0.0",
-    "rxjs": "^6.5.4",
-    "set-value": "^3.0.1",
+    "rxjs": "^6.5.5",
+    "set-value": "^3.0.2",
     "unset-value": "^1.0.0"
   },
   "devDependencies": {
     "chai": "^4.2.0",
     "esm": "^3.2.25",
-    "mocha": "^6.2.2",
-    "nodemon": "^1.19.4"
+    "mocha": "^7.2.0",
+    "nodemon": "^2.0.4"
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/datastore.js b/src/datastore.js
index f004131..2fc178b 100644
--- a/src/datastore.js
+++ b/src/datastore.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import { Store } from 'data-store'
 import { BehaviorSubject, Subject, from } from 'rxjs'
 import { distinctUntilChanged, takeUntil } from 'rxjs/operators'
+import traverse from 'traverse'
 import _get from 'get-value'
 import _set from 'set-value'
 import _del from 'unset-value'
@@ -17,12 +18,16 @@ export default class StoreRx extends Store {
     this._deleted = {}
     this.emitter = opts.emitter
     this.event = opts.event || 'datastore'
-    this.handler=opts.handler
+    this.handler=opts.handler  // common handler
     this.get = this.get.bind(this)
     this.set = this.set.bind(this)
+    this.makeObs = opts.makeObs // if set to true set will create observer
+    // todo recreate any observers/subscriptions here
   }
 
-  // TODO manage all subscriptions
+  // TODO manage all subscriptions,
+  // save handlers for all subscriptions in
+  // recreate all saved subscriptions at instantiation
 
   getObs(path) {
     path = this.formatPath(path)
@@ -37,10 +42,10 @@ export default class StoreRx extends Store {
     _del(this._observers,path)
   }
 
-  setObs(path) {
+  setObs(path, handler) {
     path = this.formatPath(path)
     const obs = this.getObs(path)
-    if (obs) return obs
+    if (obs && !handler) return obs
     _set(this._deleted,path,from(new Subject()))
     _set(this._observers,path,from(new BehaviorSubject(super.get(path))).pipe(
       distinctUntilChanged(),
@@ -50,13 +55,12 @@ export default class StoreRx extends Store {
   }
 
   get(path,handler){
-    // console.log('get>>>>',path,handler)
+    if (handler) console.log('get>>>>',path,handler)
     // console.log(this._observers)
     path = this.formatPath(path)
     if (typeof handler==='function') {
       let obs = this.getObs(path)
       if (!obs)  obs = this.setObs(path)
-      // console.log(obs)
       return obs.subscribe(handler)
     }
     return super.get(path)
@@ -72,10 +76,10 @@ export default class StoreRx extends Store {
     // console.log('set>>>>',path,curValue,value)
     if (!equal(curValue,value) || !value) {
       let obs = this.getObs(path)
-      if (obs) obs.next(value)
+      if (obs) obs.next(value) // makes path reactive via BehaviorSubject
       if (this.emit) this.emit(this.event,{path:path,key:path,value:value})
       // console.log('pushing in datastore set',path,value)
-      if (this.handler) this.handler({path:path,key:path,value:value})
+      if (typeof this.handler==='function') this.handler({path:path,key:path,value:value})
       return super.set(path,value)
     }
     return this