We had so much fun celebrating Christmas this year! Me and Mommy made Jesus a birthday cake, and then left Santa a piece to eat when he came through. He must have been hungry, because there was nothing left on the plate this morning but a couple of crumbs! Hey Daddy, wipe that white stuff off your lip....

Here's a picture of me and Eliza with a couple of our favorite presents. Eliza got some bunny slippers, because her feet are always cold, but she must not have liked them too much because she kept taking them off her feet and then trying to eat them. And apparantly after tasting my cake last night Santa must think I need a little work in the culinary arts, because he left me a brand new kitchen! I love it, and have spent the last two days whipping up all kinds of delicacies. Of course, the best Christmas present of all this year was the addition of my new baby sister, Eliza, to our family. (Yep, my Mommy made me say that.)

We had a big family portrait taken last weekend, and I'm not sure what's going on here.

Either:
a) Eliza's playing hard-to-get.
b) My Uncle Michael is just super comfy-cozy.
c) My Mommy slipped a sedative into Eliza's bottle to make sure she was good and didn't cry.
d) All of the above.

Personally I'm leaning towards option "c"........

And Aunt Emily, what'd you do to Nola???

Here's a couple pics of the sleepover I had with my cousins Roxy and Chloe this past weekend. Roxy and I had a great time playing dolls, playing catch, and fighting over my stroller, while Eliza and Chloe had a really good night staring at each other. My Mommy couldn't believe it when Roxy and Chloe went to sleep for the night and she didn't hear from them again for ten hours. I know that Eliza and I tend to get up more than the average kids, but who else is going to check and make sure that Mommy and Daddy are in their bed getting

a good night's sleep? I like to think I'm acting responsibly out of care and concern for their well-being.

Seeing as Eliza has started getting up in the middle of the night again to eat my Mommy decided to try and give her some cereal before she goes to bed to help her make it through. So far she hasn't been too successful. The majority of it ends up on Eliza's sleeve when she tries to wipe it out of her mouth. But my Mommy's determined to make a go of it. Apparantly it takes alot to keep Eliza's engine going, she had her four-month check up today and came in at the 95% for weight and the 97% for height. Or, as her doctor put it, "just barely hanging on to the top of the charts". Keep it up, Little Sister, you're following right in my footsteps, and so far I've turned out all right!

We had our annual Christmas Cookie Bake-A-Thon at my Aunt Heather's house last weekend and I had a really good time. I decided to actually help out this year, and discovered I have quite an affinity for decorating the cookies once they're done baking. Whoever said there is such a thing as too many sparkles, sprinkles, chocolates, and frosting has never tried a "Dana Special". It's so strange though, I thought that I saw my Mommy put a whole plate of them in the car, and I've only seen one since! Apparantly someone else thinks they're pretty good too....

This fun idea brought to you by the creator of Ellinghouse (Thanks Auntie Em!)...

My Mommy is wondering why the majority of people she looks like appear to be 60 and older....

How many of you out there can say that your Daddy looks like both Fabio, and Sarah Jessica Parker? I have a feeling not too many.

A few years ago if you would have told my Mommy she'd be raising the next Sally Struthers, I bet she would have called you crazy.

So I guess it's hard to tell whether Eliza is male, female, white or black. It might be a long road for this little girl...

After years of being told otherwise, apparantly I do look a little bit like my Mommy, while Eliza remains a Daddy's girl...

My Mommy says that after a tough few days at the Alberda house it was nice to have a reason to celebrate. My baby sister Eliza got baptized today. :) My Mommy and Daddy were so happy, and are so thankful for the promise that God made to her to always love her and be near to her. She looked kinda funny all dressed up in a really big dress, and I had to stand up in front of church and be really quiet, but at the end of the day I got to have some yummy cake so it was all worth it.


Jesus loves you, Eliza! (And Mommy says he sees everything, so you better always be nice to me.)

It's been a very sad, very hard day over here today at the Alberda household. After four and a half short years together, our beloved Ike has left us. He went very suddenly, yesterday he was still the fun, energetic boy we knew so well, and this morning he had become almost immobile, and continued going downhill until early this afternoon when he lost conciousness and the vet decided there was no more he could do. It turns out that unbeknownst to us he had had cancer in his digestive tract, and it had probably been going on for quite awhile. So tonight I would like to pay tribute to the best dog in the world, "Ike-y Boy" Alberda.

Here are some of the things we will always remember about our sweet Ike:
1. His insatiable love of all things related to pizza.
2. The one-of-a-kind crazy dance of joy he would do for us when we came home, even if we'd only
been gone for an hour.
3. How we couldn't be sitting on the floor for one second without his big ol' head either nuzzling in under
our arm, or planted directly in our face waiting for a kiss and a scratch behind the ears.
4. How a simple "Good boy, Ike" could make his whole day.
5. His unending tolerance with a two-year old who was convinced he was a pony.
6. The bargain him and Dana made that whatever food Dana didn't want to eat he would very
generously take off her hands (literally!).
7. How he would sneak onto the couch whenever we weren't looking, and then try to sneak back
off when we were.
8. How when we didn't trim his hair often enough his feet would look like they had "Grinch-toes".
9. The championship-worthy doggie paddle he would practice in the Alberda pond, which would last for hours if
we would let him.
10. Those big, brown eyes that connected straight to his soul.
11. How hard it is already not having him here.

Thanks Ike, for the years of unquestioning love and unhindered loyalty that you gave us. Your huge heart will forever be a part of our history. We love you Buddy, and will miss you always.

I'd like to give a shoutout on behalf of Eliza to my Aunt Emily for giving her the cutest baby gift ever. They're called Babylegs, and I think it's because those baby legs are completely irresistable once you put them on. Poor Eliza was subjected to alot of thigh pinching and grabbing all day long today. Get used to it Eliza! That Mommy of ours is a hugging, kissing, squeezing machine.....

Apparantly after my sister takes her bath at night she turns into a duck. I had no idea she was so talented! Maybe she can do me a favor and turn me into an ostrich so I can reach those Christmas candies that are placed so conveniently just out of my reach.

On Thanksgiving Day my Daddy the lumberjack went out and cut us down a Christmas tree, and on Friday my Mommy and I decorated it all nice and pretty. My favorite part was the candy canes, which don't taste quite as good through the plastic as they do with the the plastic off. The picture taken at the bottom was actually taken after we had to decorate the tree for the second time, because it fell down the first time and all the oranaments came off. Now that I think of it, maybe Eliza should move off to the side a little bit, she's kind of in the danger zone...

Here are some snapshots of a typical day on my trip to Florida. I would go swimming in the kiddie pool, eat my lunch by the Tiki Bar, hang out some more in the sun, and then take a nice, long nap while Nana watched me and my sister so my Mommy could relax and enjoy the nice weather as well. Everything went great, even the 24 hour car ride down there! (My Mommy was very glad that portable DVD players had been invented.) We're home safe and sound now, and back to the old grind. My Mommy actually has to go back to work tomorrow for the first time in three months! Good luck Mommy, Eliza and I will be waiting for you when you get home!

My baby sister had alot of fun too! She went into the big, scary ocean that I was smart enough to stay away from, she lounged by the pool in our rental stroller, and she even got to sleep in the bathtub. (My Mommy decided this was the best place for her after she rolled onto the tile floor one night.) All in all, a wonderful vacation. Thanks Nana and Papa for a great time, your love and patience are immeasurable! :)