Had a nice Thanksgiving and now looking forward to Christmas

I would like to wish everyone a happy holiday season. With Thanksgiving just over, Christmas is around the corner. We will be so fortunate to have all 4 of our children, their spouses and of course our grandbabies with us this Christmas. We are so excited about having them all here. I haven't had little toddlers for awhile and so I am working to somewhat "childproof" my house.
When our kids were younger, I never really moved things we just would tell them they couldn't touch this or that and usually they found something else to play with. So I won't remove everything from our home, because of course, our grandbabies are going to be so well behaved and all :) It should be alot of fun and I will be posting pictures and comments as our time together unfolds.

The Wittwer Family

Thought these were awesome pictures of the Wittwers, Brooke, Will and Liam.

Baby Carrie reacts to election results

Baby Carrie gave her mom some "heartburn"and some contractions, last night. I attribute it to this being her way of telling us how upset she is with the election outcome. She was wanting to get out here and straighten things up. Wow, there were alot of upsets throughout the country.
I have heard people say how important this election was, well I believe every election is important!
I'm sure there are many that don't agree with me, but that is what is great about this Country. I have always been proud of this country and having been blessed to be born in this country. I didn't just become proud of this country as some have said.
I feel somewhat saddened that everyone refers to this as a historic election, I am assuming that is because a black person was elected. I feel by constantly referring to him being the first black president is just a continuation of divisiness. Why can't he just be the new president?
I wouldn't have voted for him regardless of race. The Democrats have alot to prove and I hope they hit the ground running, we can't waste anymore time, according to their assessment of things. Yes, the Republicans made alot of mistakes, but the Democrats need to stand up and own their responsibility in the country's current situation as well.

Looking for a new vehicle to carry my babies in.....

Ok, I am starting to look for a new vehicle. I drove a Chrysler Aspen, A Chevy Tahoe, (I didn't like the Tahoe), A Nissan Armada. I need room to put all the car seats in, I need a DVD player for the babies to watch movies when they are coming home with me and when we go places...and room to carry all my flowers/plants, potting soil, etc., in the spring.
So send in your vote......

Cute Boy!

Look at this cute boy about to celebrate his first birthday.

Logan's 1st Birthday

Shylah, Coleton and Logan!

Here is the birthday boy. Doesn't he look so full of mischief? He is a very good natured baby and full of energy. His birthday is October 14th, but Mom decided to do a family picture as well as his first birthday pictures. I understand that, getting everyone ready for pictures is a big deal! Getting everyone to smile into the camera is a big deal! Enjoy!

New Granddaughter Due January 29th!!!!

This is an ultrasound photo of baby Carrie Elizabeth. Yea, Justin and Rebecca are expecting a Girl! We are so excited for them. That will bring us to two granddaughters and two grandsons! We are so blessed. I can't wait until we are able to have all 4 babies together. We hope everyone can come for Christmas this year, but it will be just a little shy of Justin and Rebecca's baby being born.
Savannah is now 19 months old, Liam is 14 months old, and Logan is 11 months old! Liam is walking, Savannah is making progress and will probably be walking soon too!! Logan will also probably start walking soon, he likes to crawl over anyone and everything. They are all healthy and sweet babies.
I especially love it when they reach for me and start saying "nana". It melts my heart. They bring sunshine into my life when I am with them.
Earl is going to get to see Liam in a few days. He has meetings in DC the end of September and will get to visit Brooke, Will and Liam for a few days before he heads home. He hasn't seen Liam since we went to Idaho last December for Rebecca's graduation and met Brooke in Utah.
Liam was 5 months old then. That should be fun! Take lots of pictures Papa and Brooke.
I will soon post some pictures from our recent family reunion in Ruidoso. Brooke and Justin weren't able to come and Sheryl's son Brandon and his fiance didn't come and Michele and her family weren't able to come, but next time we hope everyone will be there and all the grandbabies. I am way ahead in that category......Thanks everyone for bestowing that wonderful blessing on Papa and I.

Milestones in my own children's lives

I thought it might be fun to compare Savannah, Logan and Liam to their parents at this age.
So, I got out "my" baby books from Alysha, Danielle, Brooke and Justin (though we are waiting on grandbaby # 4 from Justin and Rebecca, due January 29th), to see what they were doing way back when........
Some headlines in the world news when Danielle was born were:
Jimmy Carter was President of the United States
The Iranian Hostages were big news
Disco was a popular dance
Larry Byrd and Darrell Dokins were some big names in NBA Basketball
Kenny Stabler, Marc Wilson, and Charlie White in Football
Pete Rose in Baseball.
Rocky II and Star Trek were big at the movies
At 9 months old, Danielle weighed 16 lbs 8 ozs and was 28" long
Danielle turned over the first time December 2, 1979 (5 months old)
Slept through the night sometime beginning in November 1979 (4 months old)
Discovered her hands at two months old, Smiled when she was a month old
Laughed out loud when she was two and 1/2 months old
Began crawling at 7 months old, sat alone at 6 months old
Begin pulling herself up to things at 6 1/2 months old! Walked at 10 1/2 months old!
Had her ears pierced when she was 10 months old.
Loved baby kittens
Had Chicken Pox when she was 8 years old.
Very Happy and good natured baby, we always say, "we had more children because Danielle was such a good baby".

Some headlines in the news when Alysha was born:
52 US hostages still held in Iran, finally released in January 1981
Ronald Reagan was elected President of the United States 1980, by a landslide. Republicans
were in control of the Congress
Popular entertainers were Kenny Rogers, Neil Diamond, Barbara Mandrell
Disco was still popular and western dance and music
Jim Plunkett, Quarterback for the Oakland Raiders, goes to the Super Bowl XV
Popular TV Shows: Dallas, Eight is Enough, Chips, 20/20, PM Magazine, Knots Landing
Fads: Jeans, Boots, midi length dress, straight leg pants, big pleats
At 18 months of age, Alysha weighed 24 lbs 1/2 oz. was 30 1/2" long
Had severe Colic for the first 3 months. Sucked her thumb forever (I think it was soothing)
Had Chicken Pox when she was 7 years old and she was very sick. She missed the "Stars" dance tryouts.
Turned over the first time when she was 5 months old.
Slept through the night when she was 3 months old, after colic ended!
Smiled for the first time when she was a month old. Laughed out loud when she was 3 months old.
Discovered her hands when she was two months old.
Sat up by herself when she was 7 months old.
Begin crawling when she was 8 months old. Started walking good when she was 11 months old.
Pulled herself up in her crib when she was 9 months old.
Begin helping dress herself when she was 22 months old.
First tooth when she was 7 months old. Held spoon by herself when she was 16 months old and begin trying to feed herself.
Had her ears pierced June 5, 1981 when she was 8 months old.
Sweet, sweet baby.

Some headlines in the world when Brooke was born:
Space Shuttle Columbia was scheduled to land at White Sands Missile Range March 30, 1982. This was a first for NM. This was the 3rd Space Shuttle Mission.
Ronald Reagan was still President of the United States
Popular songs: Eye of the Tiger, Endless Love, Arthur's Theme, Hard to Say I'm Sorry
Movies: On Golden Pond, Chariot's of Fire, Absence of Malice, Rocky III, Smokey and the
Bandit II.
TV Shows: Dallas, Police Squad, Code Red, Happy Days, Love Boat, Magnum PI, Dynasty, Too Close for Comfort, Dukes of Hazard, Knots Landing, The Fall Guy.
Dresses began to be shorter, most were still worn below the knee, demin skirts were popular, hair was worn, short, long, curly, straight. Perms were popular.
Weighed about 20 lbs 1 oz when she was a year old and was 28 1/2" long.
Had Chicken Pox May 2, 1988 (6 years old)
Brooke did not like being undressed when she was a baby, so everytime they would undress her at the Doctor's office, she would wet all over the examining table. Brooke has always been very modest!
Smiled for the first time when she was 7 weeks old.
Laughed out loud when she was 3 1/2 months old.
First turned over when she was 2 months old! Reached for toys when she was 3 1/2 months old.
First tooth when she was 5 1/2 months old
Stood alone and began walking when she was 11 months old. Learned how to climb stairs
when she was a year old.
First word was DaDa and was said to everyone! She would talk to anyone and if you didn't respond, she would keep talking until you said something to her!
Slept all night for the first time when she was 3 WEEKS OLD!
It's a Small World was the music on her mobile in her crib and she loved the song!
Favorite babyfood was applesauce, bananas, custard pudding and macaroni & tomato
Sucked her thumb!
She was Houdini when it came to keeping her seatbelted in her carseat, she was able to get out of it before I backed out of the driveway.
Blessed her on March 28th in Albuquerque.
Had her ears pierced when she was 2 months old. Brooke had her first haircut when she was 3 months old by Priscilla Craig, who also cut her hair for the next several years. The
awesome, WEDGE HAIRCUT.
A very happy, fun baby!

There wasn't a section for World News in this baby book...........
But, Ronald Reagan was still President of the United States!
Justin was our smallest baby at 6 lbs. 4 ozs. He weighed 12 lbs when he was 9 months old.
He was a very sick baby, but he had the best temperament, even when he was sick, he would smile at you. When he was 8 months old, we had tubes put in his ears (May 23, 1984) and he begin to thrive and grow. For the first time since he was born, he was able to drink two 8 oz bottles of formula and keep them down! The doctors were all amazed that he didn't have any hearing loss due to all the ear infections he had since he was born.
He sucked his thumb forever! It was comforting when he didn't feel good.
He held his head up for the first time when he was 3 months old
Turned over when he was 5 months old
Slept all night when he was 2 1/2 months old
Smiled when he was 6 weeks old. Laughed out loud when he was 3 months old.
Discovered his hands when he was two months old and his feet about 4 weeks later.
Sat alone when he was 8 1/2 months old
Began crawling when he was 10 months old. He was about 13-14 months old when he began walking.
Got his first tooth when he was 11 months old. Held a spoon when he was 7 months old and a cup when he was 11 months old.
He was 8 months old when he had his first haircut
Threw up all over the Relief Society President's beautiful black suit at church one Sunday.
He broke his leg in the church nursery when he was 2 years old. A table he tried to climb fell on him and broke his right leg in the upper thigh (femur) area. He loved to swing his leg with the cast on it, and try to kick his sisters.
Loves, loves, loves baseball, has always been good at it since we tricked our neighbor into believing he could catch a ball at age "2"!!! (The glove and ball had velcro on them...)
Loved to throw rocks at cars!
Had Chicken Pox when he was 4 years old.
A very easy going, happy baby.

Looking through all the baby books makes me sad, but also reminds me how fun each of you were and all your cute little antics. Time flies by, so keep your baby books current. I realized as I was looking through your baby books, that I didn't write down as much as I wish I had and didn't write more things in detail.
Soon to follow will be birthday parties.......at every age, as well as some other fun information.

WALMART, Who Knew It Could Mean So Much

Ok, so we now have a Walmart in Truth or Consequences. You might say, big deal, you might say, too bad for local businesses, you might say, I hate Walmart, you might say these things and much more, but FYI, I don't care. I see this as a beginning of big things to come, more stores, more businesses, more restaurants, more reason to survive living in Truth or Consequences. I can say all this why? Because I live here and I have strong feelings about that fact.........

I will soon have a photo of our Walmart, but for the moment it is besiged with customers and I have heard that the lines are everywhere, people are flocking to this Walmart. It is the happening place here. Some people got there at 7:00am yesterday for their Grand Opening. I missed that event......So, stay tuned, you never know what else might be coming this way....

Babies at the Zoo

Enjoy these pictures of Savannah and Logan at the Rio Grande Zoo. They took it all in.

Alysha and Danielle said it was very HOT. I read in the Albuquerque Journal today that they have a new white spotted Leopard baby cub at the Rio Grande Zoo, just recently and the curator is caring for the cub because it's mother won't take care of it. I haven't been to the Zoo in quite awhile. I always enjoy walking around and seeing all the new exhibits. I need to do that with the babies this fall.

Liam swimming

We wanted to show Liam having fun swimming every day at the pool in Alexandria, VA. We missed him when I had the other two babies. Brooke says he loves the pool and loves getting in and out of the baby pool.

Liam just turned a year old on July 20, 2008.

Eating his toys

Isn't he cute? Logan is 9 months old and such a fun boy! He and Savannah played so good together. I think they liked being together.

Logan's Diaper getting heavy!

Splish Splash

More cute pictures of Savannah and Logan's splish splash time in the pool!!

Two cute pigtails on a cutie!

Babies in the Pool

The week of July 14, Earl and I were fortunate to have both Savannah and Logan for that entire week. We were wishing we could also have had Liam here. Well, both babies were very good. They slept all night, only threw up in their beds (all over themselves and the blankets) once! Thank goodness, I was never very good at throw up..yuck. They ate what I fed them. We played, we read books, we got into Nana's stuff, we went for walks, we visited Great Grandma Greer and we went to the Post Office, and we swam in our baby pool.
So, I am sharing some pictures of Savannah and Logan and their "tiny" baby pool and you can see they are having fun. We did this later in the day so the sun wasn't so hot and they wouldn't get sunburned.

Great Movie

We just saw Mama Mia! I loved it, I loved the music and it was a very fun movie. Go see it if you get a chance. Meryl Streep is really great in this movie. It made you laugh almost the whole movie! I love movies about longtime girlfriends and how they maintain their friendships over the years. They have so much fun together!

A Good Memory Tag

I copied my daughters, but if you check out my blog please do this!!

A good memory tag!
1. As a comment on my blog, leave one memory that you and I had together. It doesn't matter if you knew/know me a little or a lot, anything you remember!

2. Next, re-post these instructions on your blog and see how many people leave a memory about you. It's actually pretty funny to see the responses. If you leave a memory about me, I'll assume you're playing the game and I'll come to your blog and leave one about you.

Another Grandbaby Due in January

We are so excited. We will have our 4th grandbaby in January of 2009. Justin and Rebecca are expecting a baby. I will say right now, I think it is going to be a girl!! Rebecca will find out her due date next week at her first doctor's appointment. We need to even out the numbers, two girls and two boys! Sounds great. I also think twins would be great, that way Lori and I can each have one....:)
Earl is back to work after a long campaign. I am going to start working out, so I can keep up with all these grandbabies. We hope everyone will get to be here for Christmas this year. We hope to also have a family picture with all the babies in it.
Savannah is growing so fast. She is 16 months old. She will be having eye surgery June 19th. She is crawling and learning lots of new things, she even said Nana, yes, Nana!!!
Liam is almost 11 months old. He is also growing so fast. He will be a year old next month, how time has flown. He is a cutie and you can view more pictures of him and Savannah on their parent's blogs. Logan is almost 8 months old. He is also a cutie and growing fast, he has a great disposition. All the babies have the sweetest personalities, they are fun and happy babies.
When the world gets crazy, and I would say it is crazy right now, these babies are the bright spot of my life! They bring me joy, happiness and hope for the future. We know these babies have been saved to come forth at this time because of their valiant spirits. They will need to be valiant throughout their lives to counter the temptations of the world and the evils around us. But, we know that Heavenly Father has sent each of us here for a purpose. It is up to us to find that purpose and to help these young babies also know their purpose and potential within themselves.

NEW MEXICO POLITICS

Good Morning, well disappointedly we did not win the Primary election for Congress. We worked hard, we did a grassroots campaign, but unfortunately, it was not successful. We did not raise millions, we did not raise hundreds of thousands of dollars, we were conservative. That is what people said they wanted. They wanted to rein in Congress's spending which is out of control.
What people seem to need is a constant flow of commercials, radio advertising, and tons of direct mailings to be able to "learn" about the candidate. People, in my opinion are too lazy to actually search out for themselves and learn about the candidate. They instead rely on paper materials, TV commercials and feel good radio advertising. Most of the people that vote, do not educate themselves. It's like in the grocery store, the products that are placed close to the check out line, these are last minute enticements you might be inclined to purchase because you are waiting and looking at them and decide, I probably need this....I think people act the same way in politics.
For the first time in my life since I have been old enough to vote, I will be voting for a Democrat, maybe more than one. I am not being sour grapes, I am actually being informed. I am an educated voter, I always have been, so when I make this statement, I know for certain why I will be voting for a Democrat or two and not for a Republican.
People have said all throughout this campaign, they want change, well actually, they don't. Why do I say that, because they vote for the SAME OLD THING, the same type of person they just said they hated and for someone who won't support what they said they wanted.
Frustrated is how I feel. The better man did not win this time around. But in the end, I still have the Best Man and for that I feel tremendously blessed.
We have met some wonderful people and I am also grateful for that. I have also seen many things that I am not very proud of, including, how people act and how fake they are. I have said from day one that not everyone has Integrity. Integrity isn't sold on a store shelf, you can't buy it, you either have it or you don't. You can't turn it off and on like a light switch. I can share with you, that not one of the other candidates in the 2nd congressional district race had integrity...
Now, I look forward to a new grandbaby next year and watching all "4" of my grandbabies grow up. Hopefully we will have the kind of leadership they deserve for their futures!

The Stories I Could Tell

If you have never campaigned, well you do not know what you have missed. It has its moments. It is alot of hard work, lots of driving, lots of fast food because you don't have time to stop and prepare food, taking clothes to the laundry because you aren't home long enough to do laundry.
But....you get to meet some great people, do some crazy things and see lots of places you might not have been able to see or "want" to see otherwise.
We had a Matanza, that is a barbeque, but in spanish families, it is called a Matanza. We also had a hot air balloon there, a couple of minature pigs, lots of good food and people.
I even kissed a "PIG", yes, that's right I kissed a PIG. I was told I had to kiss a pig to get their votes and we want votes so.....I will be posting pictures of this in the near future. Be sure and check that out.
My grandbabies are growing so fast. I can't believe how much they are all growing, Savannah is 15 months old, Liam is 10 months old (almost), Logan is 7 months old (almost). They are the light of my life. I wish I could have all three of them together to play, and have fun and tell stories to them. We hope to get everyone home for Christmas this year. Justin and Rebecca are really "baby hungry" and we are expecting that they will tell us one day soon that they too are having a baby. Not yet, but I'm sure it will be in the next year.
I will post pictures of each baby soon and of course me kissing a PIG!!

Campaigning and Grandbabies News

Wow, can't believe it has been almost a month since I last posted.

We are busy on the campaign trail. Traveling alot of miles across this district and meeting lots of interesting people.

We are missing Brooke and Liam in this photo...Wish you were here!

All our grandbabies are growing, growing...Savannah is now 14 months old. She is trying to crawl and working with her occupational therapist with many of her motor skills. She has a mouthful of teeth and now eats just about everything. She will have her eye surgery on June 19th. We will all be relieved when it is over and her progress will be remarkable is what they tell us. Liam is 9 months old and can stand up in his crib, army crawl and according to his mom, he loves to swing, loves to go outside and see everything, he loves to put everything in his mouth too. Logan is 6 months old, rolling over, thinking he is big enough to crawl, and is eating baby food now. All three babies have the sweetest personalities and are so easy going...They are the light of my life.

Mother's Day Favorite Things

A few of my new and not so new favorite things

Coconut Body Butter-The Body Shop

Strawberry-Raspberry Orange Julius

Flowers-Flowers-Flowers

Time to Plant Flowers outside

Waterfalls/Fountains

Chloe Narcisse Cologne

Pedicures/Manicures

Facials

Summer Clothing

Microfiber Cloths

Q-tips to apply eye makeup

Candles, Candles,Candles

Buttercream Vanilla Air Freshners

Pearls, I love Pearls

Babies, I love my grandbabies

Greer Does Well at State Republican Convention, Places 2nd on the Ballot

We have had a very busy last several weeks. We met with delegates throughout the second congressional district and prepared for the State Republican Convention. This convention was held Saturday, March 15 in Albuquerque, NM. This was an important step as it allowed those who received 20% of the total delegate vote in the district to get on the ballot.
Earl received 33 delegate votes and tied with another candidate, a drawing took place and Earl won 2nd on the ballot, another candidate received 40 delegate votes. We are pleased and excited that we are doing so well with our Grassroots for Greer message.
Our children have been a great help, Danielle was elected a delegate in Valencia county and attended the State convention along with Logan. That was the first time she had been a delegate. Alysha and Savannah are a tremendous help traveling around with us and keeping us informed of all the articles in the various newspapers across the district, Brooke is maintaining our website and Liam is at her side giving his input!! Justin is also a part of things even though he is far away, he and Rebecca are helping with their prayers and supportive words.
We are working hard to raise money and continue with our message to the voters. Earl is a constant in a sea of chaos and people are listening.......

Campaign Update

We have been busy on the campaign trail. We are traveling the 2nd congressional district which includes 18 counties. This weekend the county conventions began. We attended two on Saturday and one on Sunday. Savannah and Alysha were able to go with us and what a treat that was. We were sure wishing we had, Liam and Logan along with us, as well as their parents. What fun that would have been.

Greer for Congress Campaign hires young consultants

Grandbabies Help Campaign

Well, we are busy running for the U.S. Congress. Earl is running for the 2nd Congressional seat in the southern part of New Mexico. It includes 18 counties and as you may have guessed, it is a large area to cover. We drive alot..... we continue to meet new supporters ... and we are working hard.
As you will see from these cute pictures, we have great support from our young future voters. They love their "Papa".
We are encouraging them to become involved a little earlier than most!

Spending time with Savannah and Logan

I spent the past several days babysitting Logan and Savannah. We had a great time. I hadn't forgotten how busy your days are caring for babies, but it was still alot of work. Both needed bottles at the same time, so I put them in Savannah's crib and held bottles for both of them. They were really good napping at the same time, we read stories, changed diapers and even braved going on some errands. I am getting very good with these new car seats and buckling in babies and getting them out as well.
I was thrilled when someone actually thought they were both mine, I must look better than I thought I look (younger maybe?)
We were wishing Liam was with us too. That will be so fun when we get to have all three of the babies together and maybe even more when Rebecca and Justin have a baby.......