Dana Jae (and Eliza too!)

2009-02-16T13:40:00.001-05:00

Sometimes, amidst all the sisterly squabbles, my Mommy just needs a lasting reminder that Eliza and I really do love each other. That's what these pictures are for.... to get her through just one more round of "That's mine!!! She took it from me!!! I'm going to run away FOREVER!!!" Ahhh, sister's. What would you do without 'em...

2009-02-16T13:30:00.000-05:00

Poor, poor Eliza. She's been spending alot of time on this here naughty chair lately. For a little one with not alot to say she sure knows how to press my Mommy's buttons. I'm going to have to teach her how to fly under the radar a little more, or she's going to have red paint permanently etched on the seat of all her pants.

2009-02-16T13:26:00.000-05:00

Everyone, meet Ken. Ken, this is everyone. Ken is the newest addition to our family. He looks after us, along with his big brother's Ron and Carl. They don't say much. I'm a little confused though, I thought that our new addition would look a little more like Eliza and me, and not be hanging from a wall.....

2009-02-04T21:39:00.000-05:00

Yep, I know. It has been an unforgivingly, outrageously long time. But it's not my fault! (We all know by now that nothing ever is, right?) If you take a close look at the picture on the left, and read the words on Eliza's shirt, you will find the explanation to my absence. My Mommy and Daddy thought there wasn't enough of us here in this house, and decided one more would be a good idea. Don't tell them, but I've finally just gotten used to the other new one! Anyway, come July, I get to be a big sister again, which means I have to start all over again with the laying down of the ground rules (everything is mine, if it's bad I didn't do it, I get first dibs on the cookies, etc.). And as for my Mom, if you take a look at the bottom picture and pretend that is her head is on my body, you will get an idea what she has been doing for the past two and a half months straight. (Well, that and dry heaving whenever she smells cooked onions.) So, please forgive me, I promise not to leave for so long ever again! Now, can someone out there let me know where I can find a shirt that says "I'm the boss of these here little ones."?

2008-11-08T14:16:00.001-05:00

Just in case you're wondering next time you see me how it is I have become so much more graceful and agile, this is how. My Mommy signed me up for ballet and gymnastics classes because she must have known what a natural athlete I am, and thought I should be given an outlet to showcase my abilities. (Either that, or she just needed safe places for me to go to burn off some of my excess energy, and has decided she would even be willing to pay someone to help get that accomplished.)

2008-11-08T14:01:00.000-05:00

Halloween, you may ask? Nope, just another day of dress-up over at AlberdaHouse. And yes, I am a touch cranky in the last picture. You would be too if you just watched your little sister waltz away with your brand new pair of clear plastic high heels.

2008-10-17T14:16:00.000-04:00

Ride em' cowgirl! This post is a special shout-out to my Mommy's good friend Rhonda, who was nice enough to let me and my cousin Anna come out and ride her horses one day. She let us brush them, and feed them, and give them treats, and she didn't even get mad when I told her I wanted to ride, and then I didn't want to ride. And then I wanted to ride, and then I didn't want to ride. And then oh! I really wanted to ride, but then you know what? Not so much anymore. She finally convinced me to climb aboard one of those ginormous creatures, and it was then and there that I decided that I was going to move in with her, her ponies, and her talking bird. Thanks again, Miss Rhonda! (And tell that upside-down, giggling, chatterbox, parrot friend of yours that I'm not through with him yet either!)

2008-10-17T14:05:00.000-04:00

So I often hear my Mommy wondering aloud about her day seemingly disappearing, and pondering why it is she just can't seem to get anything done around the house. Well, Mommy, I think I've found your answer. Her name is Eliza, she's a little short for a tornado but she can definitely leave some devastation in her wake, and (I hate to break it to you) I don't think she's going anywhere anytime soon. (Unless it's back to your closet to reorganize some more of your shoes...)

2008-10-17T13:54:00.000-04:00

How long is too long??? This is the question of the day over at the Alberda household. That mean Mommy of mine has been hinting around at cutting my hair off, saying that she's sick of trying to keep the spaghetti, milk, dog slobber, and (most recently) pinecone sap out of it, but I keep telling her that I love my "long princess hair". What's a girl to do? Keep the tresses and deal with a cranky, comb-and-peanut-butter wielding Mommy, or cut them off and perhaps miss out on my prince because he doesn't recognize a princess when he sees one? What would you do? (Keep in mind that I do have my very own personal hair brusher in the form of my little sister, so this is one less chore my Mommy has to perform.)

2008-10-06T13:30:00.003-04:00

I love my slightly OCD, collection-collecting Nana! As soon as she saw that McDonald's was putting out a Wizard of Oz collection, she geared up, emptied her change purse, and didn't stop pestering those cashiers at the local Mickey-D's until she had bought me, Eliza, and all of my six other girl cousins the entire set. She is so silly, and generous, and quirky, you just gotta love her!!! (Not to mention she also has an insatiable appetite for cinnamon rolls on Saturday mornings, that she absolutely cannot eat without one, two, or twelve of her grandkids accompanying her.) Thank you, Nana, you carry around such a big part of my heart. :)

2008-10-06T13:20:00.000-04:00

Who needs to go trick-or-treating when you can just hit up the Zeeland Pumpkinfest parade once a year? (And this picture is what's left after me and my cousin Roxy inhaled as much as we could sitting street-side, while our Mommies were preoccupied with our sisters.) Thanks for a great time, Aunt Krista! You live in the coolest place ever, how did you get to special order parades to come through your front yard? All I get are people whizzing by at thirty miles over the speed limit and a crazy, yelling Mommy trying to chase them down and tell them that they need to slow down.

2008-09-30T12:48:00.000-04:00

So apparantly Chuck-E-Cheese is where you end up when you get rained out of an outing to a pumpkin patch, and your Mommy and Daddy don't want to deal with a very, very devastated three year old. And to top it off, I've also found my new calling in life... Game Tester! We happened to be there when they were testing all the machines, and not only did we get to watch them, but I got to keep all the free tickets! So now, instead of coming home with one plastic frog, I got to come home with about forty. I wonder how much school you have to go to in order to learn how to drive an arcade car....

2008-09-30T12:42:00.000-04:00

It only took me a year or so to figure out, but I guess maybe my little sister is not so bad after all...

2008-09-30T12:39:00.000-04:00

Live Baby Walking!!! That's right, she's on the move, and she's not slowing down for anybody. I suggest if you have any breakables around the two to three foot range you move them out of the way, this one's trouble!

2008-09-18T13:41:00.003-04:00

Wow, it's been a long time! I'll let you know right off the bat that's it's my Mommy's fault that it's been so long since I've posted. She got this new iPod thing, and has been spending all my waking moments uploading her music onto it. And can you believe it? Not one Veggie Tales disc in sight. She said something about her needing to have just one thing to call her own. Whatever, she should know by now that she gave up all rights to being an individual the moment I was born, right? But while she's letting me get ahold of the computer, I thought I'd quick fill you in a just a couple things we've been up to lately. It's been a busy last few weeks!We've been going to the dog park hoping to tire our tireless puppy out, going to Chuck-E-Cheese for birthday parties, expensive tokens, and cheap toys, catching bugs and worms (or trapping them under the bottom and then having Mommy catch them), and the biggest news of all is that Eliza got her driver's license, and the keys to Daddy's MGA. Watch out pedestrians, baby on the loose! I'll update again soon, but I'm getting the stink-eye over here from Mommy. She's got a bunch of CD's in her hands and looks rarin' to go.... Any suggestions how I can disguise my favorite "Bible Songs" CD as the latest Coldplay album?

2008-08-28T12:59:00.002-04:00

This is what Eliza and I look like when my Daddy dresses us for the day. My Mommy always gets a big kick of coming home and seeing what we have on. She would like you to take special notice of the four different prints between the two of us, and the necessary splash of camouflage in the form of my hair bow. I personally think he is a fashion genius who is just well before his time, and am waiting for the head honchos at Project Runway to discover him. See the next photos below to get a glimpse of his very own built-in supermodel.

2008-08-28T12:48:00.000-04:00

Strike a pose, there's nothing to it. Vogue.

2008-08-21T16:48:00.000-04:00

We've got a winner! I'm not sure if it's because this cake looked just so delicious, or if Eliza's sweet tooth finally came in, but she actually took some bites, smeared some frosting on her face, and gave us a couple smiles before meltdown #3 went into effect. Nice work, Liza! Now you do realize that you don't get another birthday cake for almost a whole year, right? Mommy says that three birthday parties for one birthday is definitely not the norm around here. Of course, I'm up for throwing that back on the table for renegotiations next year around, say, June-ish? If you ask me, four years old is a pretty important age, and should be celebrated accordingly.

2008-08-21T16:31:00.001-04:00

So my Mommy finally got us the obligatory Little Tikes car for us to drive around in. I think she finally realized that if she wants to avoid having us follow in her driving footsteps (can you say 12 (minor) accidents before the age of 20?) she may want to start teaching us while we're young. Now we just have to work on Eliza and the whole drinking and driving thing. Not cool, Eliza. Ever heard of the Zero Tolerance law?

2008-08-18T13:24:00.000-04:00

Tomorrow night marks Eliza's third, and last, birthday party to celebrate her turning one year old. (Yes, a bit excessive in my opinion as well. If there weren't presents that needed to be opened by yours truly I might have had to put my foot down.) So far she has been oh-for-two as far as partaking in the stereotypical shoveling cake in her mouth with a look of joyous rapture that her Mommy can catch on film for posterity's sake. My Mommy's hoping that the third time is the charm. We'll keep you posted......

2008-08-11T21:59:00.000-04:00

Indy or Bust!!! Aunt Emily, when can we come back? I had so much fun visiting you, and PK, and Birdie, and my sorta-kinda-sometimes-scary-but-lots-of-fun Uncle Michael this weekend. The State Fair was sweet, the pool was awesome, the ice cream cones were delicious, and staying up yelling about "Baby Alligators!" with PK until eleven at night and then continuing again at six in the morning was the best time ever. (What? You guys didn't like that part? You all must be OLD.) I'm still catching up on lost sleep, as is Eliza. Who knew a one year old could stay up until midnight, and then still be more wide awake then her parents on the way home the next day? Anyway, I'm already planning our next trip down. Tell PK to make some room in that twin bed of hers again!

2008-08-11T21:20:00.000-04:00

I realize that there are alot of good Daddy's in this world, but I must say that I'm pretty sure one of the best belongs to me. Last week my Daddy took me for my very first camping trip, just him and me! He went the whole nine yards, with hobo pies and S'mores, sleeping bags and flashlights, and worm-digging and fishing. We had so much fun, and I made him promise to take me again before the summer is over. We may have to take Mommy this time though, I have a feeling that leaving her home alone at night is never a good idea. (Was that a pop bottle I knocked over when we came in the door?)

2008-08-11T21:10:00.000-04:00

It's my party, and I'll sleep if I want to.

2008-08-06T14:37:00.010-04:00

Disclaimer from Dana: The following entry was written by my Mommy. While I am grateful for Eliza, I don't get into all that sappy stuff. Now where'd that birthday cake go.

My dearest Eliza,
Happy First Birthday, AngelFace! Have 365 days really gone by already? It is so hard to believe that one year ago today I was in that hospital room, gazing into those beautiful blue eyes, wondering at the miracle that God had allowed us to bring into His world. What joy you have filled our lives with since that very first moment.
I stand here amazed at all the lessons you have taught to me in this first year of your life, both about raising two daughters, and about understanding myself. While I always tell Dana that it was she who first showed me how to be a mother, it has been you that has shown me how to be an even better mother, by teaching me to embrace the qualities that make me unique as a child of God. Raising such a different soul from your sister has taught me the differences that exist between children, the wonderful eccentricities that make you both so original, and all the complimenting parts that can come together to perfect the design that God has chosen to shape you in. Every day I marvel at the creation that is you. I laugh at the mischief that has taken up permanent residence behind your eyes, I treasure the curiousity that fuels every impulsive, yet deliberate move that is part of your quest to discover this world, I ponder the places those first steps are going to ultimately take you in this lifetime, and I am overcome with thankfulness to God every night when you lay your head onto my shoulder, seemingly unable to nestle in quite close enough.
Our pledge to you is to continue to love you with no bounds, to allow you to become the person God has intended for you to be, and to pray everyday for the wisdom and the guidance to do so.
Sweet Liza, when God chose us to show you the world, He also gave us one of the best parts of it. (Thank you, Jesus, for entrusting us with this precious child.)
Happy Birthday Baby, we pray wholeheartedly for many more.
XOXOXOXO, Mommy and Daddy

2008-07-31T20:46:00.000-04:00

Wow, has it been a busy week!!! In an effort to save time, I will try to condense all of my activities into one sentence.In the last seven days I have been to the beach three times, the fair twice, my Nana's pool twice, and the splashpark at Millenium Park once. My Mommy would verify this madness, but she's still regrouping after having to pack and unpack our bags, load and unload the car, and making eighteen million snacks, lunches, and on the go munchies. Did I mention that tomorrow I'm going to my Nana's again, and then the next day I'm off to the zoo? I'll bet my Mommy is counting her lucky stars that I'm not one of those kids who ever get tired, worn out, and/or crabby from too much activity and not enough naptime. Wait, what's that Mommy? That sounded suspiciously like a snort....

2008-07-31T20:34:00.000-04:00

What's up Liza? Now that Eliza's cruising around furniture like it's nobody's business, we've gotten quite used to seeing this mysterious pair of peering eyeballs showing up at every turn.

2008-07-21T14:45:00.000-04:00

Playmates Wanted!!! Since Eliza has been down with some unknown illness for the last three days, and Dixie was spayed on Friday, and my Mommy is worn out from tending to the both of them, things are getting pretty lonely and boring around here. Is there anyone out there who will play with me? Age, race, and gender are not an issue. As long as you can play princess, and run from the monsters in my bedroom, we'll get along great. Applicants please leave name, phone number, and a brief list of your pantry contents below.

2008-07-18T14:07:00.000-04:00

Nothing much is going on in my life right now, so I thought I'd catch you up on Eliza's. This is a picture of my little sister. Or what used to be my little sister. She has since morphed into a monkey. In the last few days my Mommy has found her on my bed, on the top of the couch, on my toybox, and sitting in the top of the stroller. We keep looking for the pair of stilts and the step stool that she must be carting around with her, but haven't found them yet.

2008-07-18T14:03:00.000-04:00

In her eternal quest to emulate all that I do, Eliza has started "wearing" my shoes all around the house, the only difference is that she wears them on her hands. I would find this imitation flattering, if I wasn't so busy trying to keep the matching pairs together. (She's even worse then I am when it comes to putting things back where she got them.)

2008-07-18T13:53:00.000-04:00

Eliza is finally starting to eat some regular food for my Mommy. You would never know it by looking at her, but Eliza does not like to eat. Anything. Baby food and table food included. (This doesn't leave alot of options.) My Mommy has been trying everything, and has figured out that Eliza likes to eat the same way she does.... the more carbs the better. So we've got her eating crackers, Cheerios, bread, and more crackers. If anyone knows how to cram some fruits and veggies into this mix please let my Mommy know, she's starting to fell a little guilty for passing on her less than nutritious eating habits.

2008-07-07T13:59:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! Happy Birthday! No, you're not seeing triple, it was a big birthday celebration for my little sister Eliza, and her cousins "Birdie" and Chloe, who are all turning one years old within two months of each other. They were subjected to all kinds of their Mommy's whims, including matching tutu's, matching bibs, and matching cakes. I thought it was all pretty funny, and was even feeling a little sorry for them, until I saw the huge pile of matching presents they all received. Hey Roxy and PK, what do you say we talk our Mommy's into doing this for us next year? (Minus the tutu's and bibs!)

2008-07-07T13:51:00.001-04:00

After all the birthday girls fell asleep/passed out for the night the real fun began. My Uncle Michael took me and my cousins for a canoe ride in the pond where we looked for the giant catfish that lives there. No sightings yet, but the summer has just begun. He can run, but he can't hide! And then we had our very own fireworks show with the fireworks that my Uncle Michael and Aunt Emily took across the border from Indianapolis. For the first time ever I wasn't shaking in my boots when they started going off, and even decided to do some myself. All in all a very busy, and very fun night. Happy Birthday America!!!

2008-07-01T21:37:00.001-04:00

Dear Grandma, thank you so much for my birthday presents!!! It only took Mommy an hour and a half to set up my new pool, and for the ten minutes we were in there before we started freezing to death we had such a great time! (Umm, just curious, but if it's mid-summer, isn't it supposed to be at least 70 degrees outside?) And after our swim, to show her my appreciation, I donned the new cooking attire that you got me, and whipped her up some treats from my kitchen. Anyone who knows my Mommy knows that the way to her heart (and soul, and mind) is through her stomach, and I'm pretty certain my pickle sandwich w/ a scoop of chocolate ice cream and cheese on the side did the trick. XOXOXOXOXO, Dana

2008-07-01T21:15:00.000-04:00

For reasons unbeknownst to me, this method was deemed unacceptable by my Mommy as a way of helping Eliza down the stairs.

2008-06-27T01:32:00.000-04:00

After unsuccessfully trying to post pictures of my birthday for the past three days, I think my computer is going to finally let me!!! It was such a fun day... I woke up to a room full of balloons and streamers, went out for a donut, went to the park, fed some ducks, got a Happy Meal for lunch, skipped my nap, had my favorite dinner at night (chips & cheese & meat, and trees - or taco's and broccoli as the laypeople like to call it), opened my presents, ate alot of cake, and tried to convince my Mommy that every day should be my birthday. I thought I was getting through to her until I looked over and she had just fallen asleep. Is it just me, or am I not the only one getting older?

2008-06-27T01:16:00.000-04:00

Before.......................
............................and After.
(SO much better. Eliza especially is grateful for not having to remove splinters from her knees anymore!)

2008-06-26T20:49:00.003-04:00

Well, this is a new one! My wonderful blog-a-licious sister-in-law decided it was high time that I was "memed", and tagged me. And my very unselfish three year old (is that an oxymoron?) is letting me use her blog site to complete the task. The goal is to share six "unspectacular quirks" about yourself with the world, hope "said world" still wants to be your friend, link back to the original quirk (Hey Emily!) and then tag six more unsuspecting, yet potentially very interesting people to do the same.

Here goes... six things you may, or may not, want to know about your's truly.

1. I cannot have wet hands unless the rest of my body is wet as well. It gives me the creepy-crawlies. I would rather dive into a lake of freezing cold water than have to do dishes.

2. If music is playing in the car, I subconsciously will squeeze the beat onto my husband's hand. I never realize this until he tells me that his hand is hurting from "Onward Christian Soldiers". (It's a very intense song!)

3. I love to read, and if I know that the final sentence of a great book is approaching, I completely lose concentration, and often have to read the last paragraph about ten times.

4. I cried watching the father-son reunion on "The Bachelorette" on Monday. If you were watching this too, don't even try to pretend that your mascara was not running.

5. I am still convinced that there's time left for me to become either a professional dancer or a professional tennis player, and if you try to convince me otherwise I may just call you a pessimist. :)

6. Don't even try to get into my house if you know my husband will be gone for the night. If you dare to venture past the "Beware of Dog" posters that automatically go up, you'll never get through the dressers, dining room tables, and rigged-up pop bottles that are barring all the entrances. (I blame it on too many Law and Order reruns, that stuff is way too realistic!)

OK, for my six people I am going to tag six people whose blogs I love to read, but don't always comment on, so they may not even know I'm around. (Does that officially make me a lurker? I really do love you guys!)

Let's get to know you, ladies!!!!!

Neighbor
Former Neighbor
Childhood Friend
New Friend
Sister Friend
Big Sis

Bonus Quirk #7: It just took me an hour to figure out how to do all this "linking" jive. I am that computer illiterate. (This has now become my #1 accomplishment. Ever.)

2008-06-19T14:48:00.000-04:00

Have you missed me? For some reason our computer wasn't letting my Mommy connect to her photo's, but now it's working again, so we're back! And just in time for my 3rd Birthday!!! Today my Mommy and Daddy took Eliza and me to the Children's Museum to celebrate, even though my birthday isn't until Monday. I've actually been counting down for the last 28 days, so I'm ready to get this party started!

2008-06-04T14:47:00.001-04:00

The boycotting of my scheduled naptime is still in full effect.....

2008-06-04T14:45:00.000-04:00

Aunt Emily, this post is for you. We know how much you love to eat rhubarb fresh from the garden! Daddy took it one step further and turned it into rhubarb crisp and rhubarb/raspberry jam. We'll save some for you!

2008-06-04T14:40:00.000-04:00

Well, we finally got our garden planted last week after the cold weather passed and we made it to the seed store. We're sharing it with our neighbors, Ben, Kristie, and their little girl Chloe, and I have a feeling that we still may have too much food to go around. We've got all sorts of good stuff in there. We've got pumpkins, watermelons, cucumbers, broccoli, peppers, and a whole bunch more vegetables that I'm hoping my Mommy will keep off my dinner plate. Now we just have to wait for them to start popping up! I'm assuming I'll be having some fresh watermelon by this weekend at the latest.

2008-05-28T13:34:00.000-04:00

Here are just a few examples of why my Mommy hasn't been getting anything done around the house lately, Eliza and I have rediscovered the joys of the Great Outdoors. I have become quite the expert gardener, and am most useful when I unplant the flowers that my Mommy has just put in the ground. She keeps forgetting that they're supposed to be inside the house, in a glass, right next to all of the pretty dandelions I keep picking for her.

2008-05-26T20:20:00.000-04:00

Today I just wanted to send a special message to my Mommy's friend Ryan, who is serving our country overseas in Iraq right now. Please be safe, Mr. Ryan, and come home soon! We have been praying for you everyday, and are so grateful to you for being willing to protect me, and my sister, and my puppy, and my fish. (Don't mind Eliza, she's teething, and puts everything in sight directly in her mouth. Deep down she is thanking you too.)

2008-05-21T15:26:00.000-04:00

Eliza's crawling! This is madness! Nobody ever told me she would become mobile! My Mommy was a bit taken aback too, seeing as I didn't start crawling until I was a good eleven months old. I think she was banking on a couple more months of peace before she had to start worrying about both of us getting into trouble. As you can see from the bottom picture, Eliza is wasting no time catching up on all those messes she has been dying to make for the last nine months.

2008-05-21T15:19:00.000-04:00

With all this extra mobility, Eliza and I seem to be spending alot more time together! It's like having my very own built-in playmate! (One who still concedes to me running the show though, which is crucial in all my relationships.)

2008-05-12T21:03:00.000-04:00

Well, here they are! The token Tulip Time pictures. At least this year I got to have someone else to share in my suffering. Eliza, you think this is fun now, but I'm looking fifteen years down the road and it ain't lookin' too promising for us....

2008-05-12T20:49:00.000-04:00

Okay, Mr. Toad, I want you to listen up and listen good, because we're going to have to be quick about this. Now, inside I've got a dog, a cat, a fish, and a couple of caterpillars that my Mommy will probably find tomorrow when she does my laundry, but I've got some extra space with your name on it. I'll treat you good, you won't need to worry about a bedtime, or toys (you can have Eliza's), or food (you can have Eliza's). But we have to keep this quiet, because my Mommy isn't too keen on finding surprises in my dresser drawers anymore after the whole "worm" debacle. Now quick, hop on in my pocket...... Good Boy!

2008-05-06T12:53:00.000-04:00

I've decided that since I will soon be turning three years old, it is high time for me to determine when and where my naps are taken. I have been trying to avoid the 1-3pm time slot that my Mommy prefers, and instead have found myself quite tired and ready for a snooze around the dinner hour. The added bonus is that I just look like I am very reverantly and diligently praying to Jesus and thanking him for my food. (It looks even better when my face lands in my plate, and my Mommy thinks that I enjoy her cooking so much that I just can't eat it fast enough.)

2008-05-06T12:47:00.000-04:00

Ha ha, Mommy! Just when you thought I could be left alone for a few minutes while you folded the laundry! Need I remind you that constant attention is the only way to go? After all our years together, do you not know me at all?

2008-05-06T12:40:00.000-04:00

OK, Mom, I know how you say how important it is that we love and respect all of God's creatures, but come on! Does that really include Jimmy, the eight foot long boa constrictor who keeps looking at me like I'm nothing but a big turkey drumstick? Supposedly he was there to enjoy the Tulip Time festivities, but I have a feeling that a good old elephant ear just was not going to do the trick. Later, Jimmy, I'm outta here.

2008-04-26T10:14:00.000-04:00

What do you think I could get for these pics? Millions? Bazillions? Katrillions? My Mommy was vaccuuming the other day, left her camera within my reach, and I discovered my calling in life: Abstract Photographer Extraordinaire. Please make your checks payable to "Dana", and send them to the "Yellow house" on "My Road". If you could include some cookies it would be greatly appreciated.

2008-04-26T10:05:00.000-04:00

I have been replaced as Eliza's best friend by her new balloon. Apparantly you need to be able to float to be cool around these parts anymore. I can do many things, but I have yet to defy the laws of gravity.

2008-04-21T13:28:00.000-04:00

Yesterday I got to go with my Mommy to hang out with some friends of hers from college. I tried to ask her about them, but she says that we may not talk about her college years until I am at least 25 years old. I loved all of them so much, and I had such a great time getting to know them. I have a few thank you's to say to them all: Thank you Miss Michelle, for bringing Olivia along for me to play with, even though it seemed like we always wanted to play with the same toys. Thank you Miss Kate, for holding Eliza alot of the time and keeping her out of my hair. Thank you Miss Erin, for pumping me full of sugar in the form of a giant cookie, and then thinking it's cute when the "cookie crazies" followed, and thank you Miss Kiley, for letting me burn off all that extra sugar by running into your arms over, and over, and over, and over, and over.......... I love all my new aunties, and can't wait to see you all again! (My Mommy wanted me to add that she needs to be along to supervise these visits until I am, again, at least 25 years old.)

2008-04-18T20:25:00.000-04:00

Well, my Mommy was forced to give up trying to bring out the hippie in her farm-boy husband. My Daddy was very sick of his long hair and made my Mommy cut it all off. I think I might have seen a couple of tears forming in my Mommy's eyes as she cut off his beautiful, thick, wavy locks... according to her she pays big bucks at the salon to get that same effect! What's your secret Daddy? Maybe if you're really tall like my Daddy and so close to the sky, your hair doesn't get weighed down so much by gravity...

2008-04-18T20:08:00.000-04:00

The love affair continues......

2008-04-12T16:56:00.000-04:00

My family and I just got back from a great time up north. We stayed at a log cabin that was right on a river, where I spent my days throwing rocks into it and looking for fish. We took a trip to the beach, where I threw more rocks in the water and looked for more fish, and then also to a fish hatchery, where (you guessed it) I threw more rocks in the water and looked for more fish. There was a nice man there who even let me feed the baby salmon! All in all, I feel the trip was a success. I saw lots and lots of fish, and thanks to me the water levels of both the Platte River and Lake Michigan have been significantly raised due to my diligent and right-on-target rock-throwing.

2008-04-12T16:44:00.000-04:00

Here's Eliza with her two favorite things in the world... her baby, and the nesting doll that Aunt Cyndy got her for Christmas. These two things can entertain her for hours, which also makes them two of Mommy's most favorite things in the world!

2008-04-12T15:37:00.000-04:00

Spring is here! (Well, it was. Today it feels more like winter again.) But we enjoyed it while it lasted, especially when my Aunt Heather and Uncle Ryan invited us over for a campfire and S'mores. They live at the most fun place ever, and when I wasn't chasing their goose, playing tag with their dog, or torturing their cat, Olivia and I perfected our golf swings. (Check out the curls on her! This is what my Mommy was trying to achieve the other day with the curlers she stuck in my hair.) Thanks alot Aunt Heather and Uncle Ryan, let's do it again soon! We'll shoot for next year, when hopefully our spring/summer lasts more than a weekend.

2008-04-04T15:05:00.001-04:00

This entry is a tribute to my Daddy, the best husband and father in the world. When my Mommy got home from a long day at work the other day she walked in to find him doing the dishes, with dinner cooking on the stove and a sick Eliza strapped to his chest. Sometimes pictures really do speak a thousand words. We love you Daddy, and are so lucky you belong to us!!!!!!!!

2008-04-04T15:04:00.000-04:00

Check out Eliza kickin' it on my Daddy's new sheep pelt! It's made with the wool from one of his very own sheep. We like it alot better than the real sheep, because this one doesn't mind when we sit on it, sleep on it, or throw it in the laundry after Eliza spits up on it. And it's so soft and thick, I think I've actually lost a few of my toys in it already!

2008-04-04T14:58:00.001-04:00

So my Mommy decided to partake in the last legal form of child abuse the other night and make me sleep with curlers in my hair. She told me that this is what Nana used to do to her every Saturday night as she was growing up, so she could look like "Nellie Olsen" from Little House On the Prairie the next morning at church. You would think that since she had been a victim of this cruelty in the past that she would be a bit more sympathetic, but I guess the memory of such torment does in fact fade as time goes by. Unfortunately, my agony was in vain. As you can see from the picture, my curls did not get very curly! Either I have inherited my Mommy's fine, lifeless, permanently stick straight hair, or she did something very, very wrong. She plans on asking my Aunt Heather, the guru of getting cute curls into my cousin Olivia's hair, for some advice for the next time. Wait a minute, there's going to be a next time!?! That bald sister of mine is so lucky...

2008-03-24T16:47:00.000-04:00

Here are some token pictures of me and Eliza in our Easter best. We had such a nice day, even with the foot of snow on the ground and Eliza being pretty sick. Maybe next year we can go to church without having to wear our winter coats and hats! We did get to go to my Nana and Papa's house and go on an Easter egg hunt, which me and my cousin Roxy came out like a couple of bandits in. Granted, we got to go first, and had a room all to ourselves, but I think that regardless we could have given those big kids a run for their money. I'm really quick, and Roxy's really low to the ground. Put us together and we'd be unstoppable!

2008-03-24T16:31:00.000-04:00

My Mommy has figured out that the best way to get my attention when she has something important to talk to me about is to let me help her bake in the kitchen. So, this weekend I learned all about how Jesus came down from heaven and died on the cross because he loves me so much. I also learned that every time I'm naughty, I should tell Jesus that I'm sorry, and because of how much he loves me he'll forget about it right away! This was a very good lesson for me to learn, but if you ask me, my Mommy should have been baking this cake with Eliza. She may look sweet and innocent, but that little sister of mine has a definite mischevious side!

2008-03-21T14:08:00.001-04:00

What's this? A boy? We don't see too many boys around these parts. But my Mommy took care of her friend Miss Becki's little boy, Vaughn, for the day on Friday, and so I got to see what having a little brother would be like. He's a pretty cool kid. He came all decked out in camo and a "Sir Poops Alot" shirt, and also a pipe. Anyone with a pipe that is willing to share it, and doesn't cry too loud when I decide it's time to share it, is welcome to hang out over here anytime.

2008-03-21T14:03:00.000-04:00

Uh oh, Cruella... your days may be numbered.

2008-03-21T14:00:00.000-04:00

No, this is not a picture of a Mommy and Baby puppy. These are two pictures of Dixie, taken five weeks ago, and today. This makes my own Mommy very nervous, especially when Dixie's dog trainer tells her that Dixie is going to be a big Wirehair, and also a bouncy one. I knew we should have gone with my gut instinct and named her "Clifford".

2008-03-06T19:56:00.000-05:00

It was a big, huge, momentous day over here at my house yesterday. My Mommy decided it was high-time I learned to go to sleep without my pipe, and so she and I stuck them in a pretty bag and put them high up on my dresser where I couldn't reach them. I was not too excited about letting them stay there until she told me that if I did it, she would take me to the store and let me pick out any toy I wanted. Well, I did it!!! And I decided that the only "toy" worth my effort was a brand new friend, and so we came home with the newest addition to the Alberda menagerie, "Cruella" Alberda the Betta fish. She's really pretty, and I love it that she has to follow me around wherever I tell her to go (or wherever I tell Mommy to put her!). I really wanted her to come in the bathtub with me, but Mommy said that probably wasn't the best idea, so she and I bonded from afar. My tub isn't nearly as pretty as her bowl though, and my next goal is to get Mommy to fill it with pretty rocks and a plastic tree all my own. :)

2008-03-06T13:00:00.000-05:00

Happy 7 Month, Eliza!!! My baby sister turns 7 months old today, and here are some of her most recent snapshots. I still like her okay, but she's starting to be naughty and take my toys away from me, and then getting mad if I do the same thing to her. I'm hoping by the time she turns 8 months old she'll learn some manners, and realize that everything is mine until I either say it is hers, or it is broken.

2008-03-06T12:48:00.000-05:00

I learned a very valuable lesson this week: Sometimes my Mommy does know what she's talking about. She dragged me to this "Crazy Bounce" place with some of my cousins last weekend, and upon first glance I decided that it was simply not for me. Who can blame me when upon entering you are faced with a 20 foot tall shark's mouth on one side of you, and a tiger's mouth on the other? Needless to say, I was terrified, and begged my Mommy to take me back home. But she made me stick it out, and when I crept past the ferocious predators I discovered a whole world of fun things geared just for younger people like me. Who would have thought? Thanks Mommy, for not listening to me this time. Don't start making a habit of it though.

2008-02-29T14:17:00.000-05:00

So I've started doing this really hilarious thing where everytime I eat something of a gelatinous or creamy texture I smear it all over my face and pretend I'm Santa Claus. For some reason my Mommy doesn't think it's nearly as comical as I do. Whatever, Scrooge-Mommy, I'm funny!!!

2008-02-29T14:10:00.000-05:00

Take note, everyone! Not only does Dixie not have Eliza's ears/hands/nose in her mouth, but Eliza's eyes are dry, and there are no tears in sight! Granted, one second after this was taken Dixie stepped on Eliza's tummy and snatched the ball away from her, but this was nice while it lasted. My Mommy's not so sure about this puppy thing anymore, but I figure that whatever it takes to divert any negative attention away from me and my shenanigans must be a good thing!

2008-02-14T18:04:00.000-05:00

While my baby cousin Nola is busy army crawling all over creation and wreaking havoc on her Mommy's floors, Eliza has just finally learned to sit up on her own. We're right on schedule over here, and expect her to be mobile by about the age of three.

2008-02-14T18:00:00.000-05:00

Apparantly there has been some confusion over who can lay claim to the bouncy seat. At the end of the day though it looks like Dixie has made the best play for it, so I guess we'll forego our rights. It's either that or suffocate.

2008-02-11T21:21:00.000-05:00

Here are some more pictures of me and my Dixie. We have so much fun together!!! My Mommy's not sure if it's a good thing that we have each other to play with or not. On the one hand we play all day, Dixie makes me laugh alot, and we tire each other out, which my Mommy loves. But on the other hand she thinks it's a hassle because we tend to fight quite often. (Like any sisters do!) Usually this happens when I take Dixie's toys and put them out of her reach, and then she tries to climb up me to get them.
Regardless, me and Dixie are bonded pretty tight already, and I know we've got alot of good years ahead of us. I've already got her trained to steal Eliza's toys, thereby distracting Mommy long enough for me to sneak us both some extra goldfish crackers, our favorite!

2008-02-11T21:08:00.000-05:00

Check out my new cool seat! I can put my monkey climbing skills to good use, and watch Cinderella a good three feet closer then the couch allows. Dixie's not quite sure what to think when I'm up here, but she really likes it when my fruit treats fall through the cracks.

2008-02-11T21:01:00.000-05:00

Supposedly I'm not supposed to get up anymore after my Mommy and Daddy put me to bed for the night. Usually I come and visit them in the living room to let them know I'm still awake. They've been getting pretty tired of this, and told me I need to stay in bed. I figure the inside of my bedroom door on the floor is close enough to being in bed, don't you agree? (And yes, that is a pipe in my mouth. My Mommy asks that you please not judge her.)

2008-02-02T17:55:00.000-05:00

Well, they've done it again! That Mommy and Daddy of mine have brought home yet another baby! Meet Dixie. She's my German Wirehaired Pointer puppy, and my new best friend for life. We have alot of things in common already, like enjoying waking up Mommy and Daddy in the middle of the night, running around like maniacs until we drop, and getting into everything we're not supposed to. As you can see from the last two pictures, she also likes to ignore authority figures, and bug the youngest member of our family, which I find myself doing quite a bit as well. Dixie, we have some good times ahead of us, you and me are going to make a great team!

2008-01-30T22:26:00.000-05:00

It was a big day over here at my house... Eliza had her first taste of camo! My Daddy was so proud, and had a big old grin on his face every time he looked at her. I think that camoflage must be infiltrating our house more than we realize though, because my Mommy didn't notice until after she took the picture of me and Eliza on the chair that I was in camo too! (I thought my Mommy was sneaky, but my Daddy is subtle and sneaky. A deadly combination.)

2008-01-21T21:59:00.000-05:00

Here we go again! It's lambing time already at my Daddy's farm, and here is the very first lamb. I tried to tuck this one in my jacket, but between the mommy sheep's eagle eyes and my own Mommy's determination to keep me warm by bundling me in 17 different layers, I just plain could not move quick enough. That's all right though, I've got plenty of time before the season's over to sneak home a lamb-friend for my very own.

2008-01-17T12:49:00.000-05:00

Since there has been nothing exciting happening over here at the Alberda Abode I thought I would just post some pictures of my little sister. She's starting to turn into trouble, as she has figured out that she knows how to take hold of things, and tries to grab every toy of mine in sight. As far as I can tell this was not part of the bargain. She may stay, but she may not play. I need to get that in writing...

2008-01-10T07:59:00.000-05:00

No, this is not the result of some horrific accident. I was merely experimenting with what would happen if I tucked a red crayon in the pocket of my pants just before Mommy did the laundry. I submit for your review Evidence A and Evidence B. What you are not seeing is Evidence C through Evidence ZZZ, the remainder of the load of laundry that Mommy had to throw away, or is still scrubbing in the sink. For all of you curious toddlers out there, this is one lesson I advise you to skip. My Mommy's not looking too thrilled with my latest quest for knowledge....

2008-01-09T14:02:00.000-05:00

I have surmised that attempting to build a snowman during a Michigan winter is an exercise in futility. In less than 24 hours my "Frosty" turned into "Toasty".
Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go put on my suntan lotion, I mean my mittens, I mean my raincoat.

2008-01-03T20:50:00.000-05:00

Eliza decided she was going to skip the whole rolling over, crawling, and walking thing and go straight to flying. That little sister of mine is one smart cookie. Oooooh, and she'll be able to reach the cookies. I like where this is going.....

2008-01-03T20:32:00.000-05:00

I sure do miss having my Dad home for Christmas Break. He used to make me the world's biggest pancakes for breakfast! You may wonder why he's cooking them on my little table instead of in the kitchen like most normal adults? Well, apparantly our kitchen is on strike, and will not let us use more than one appliance at a time if we still want any of them to work. I kind of like it, "seat-side" service is pretty nice!

2007-12-27T13:04:00.000-05:00

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....

2007-12-27T12:59:00.000-05:00

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.)

2007-12-20T17:40:00.000-05:00

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"........

2007-12-20T17:38:00.000-05:00

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

2007-12-10T15:09:00.000-05:00

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.

2007-12-10T14:59:00.000-05:00

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!

2007-12-07T16:38:00.000-05:00

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....

2007-12-07T14:35:00.000-05:00

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....

2007-12-07T14:22:00.000-05:00

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.

2007-12-07T14:13:00.000-05:00

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.

2007-12-07T14:01:00.000-05:00

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...

2007-12-07T11:11:00.000-05:00

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

2007-12-07T11:00:00.000-05:00

2007-12-02T16:49:00.000-05:00

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.)

2007-11-28T20:31:00.000-05:00

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.

2007-11-25T19:59:00.000-05:00

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.....