I am a Super-Mom...

...and I am this hot too (with a little wider hips.) :) ---->
Today I was able to accomplish it all...okay not all of "it" but quite a bit of "it". I did one load of laundry, clean up a pukey kids twice (he's not even mine), changed a diaper with a marble in it (yep, she swallowed a marble) and kept them all fed, happy, and somewhat clean. On top of that chaos, I was able to eat breakfast, cut out some vinyl words for the wall, take a shower, and get my son to school in a wrinkle-free shirt. My hair is actually done, my armpits smell "shower clean," my bed is made, and my teeth are brushed!
There are some days I feel I am really cut out for this "mommy thing."

Hi! My name is Becky and I LOVE High School Musical!

Well, now you know! I am a High School Musical lover!
I am counting the hours until 7:30 pm. At that time Ethan and I will be in our seats with a large popcorn and a pack of Red Vines anxiously awaiting the final chapter of the HSM saga to begin. Yipeeee!

**UPDATE**
Wow! We had so much fun! The movie was fantastic. I highly recommend seeing it on opening night surrounded by jr. high and high school age teenage girls. They were "wahoo"-ing and dancing and clapping the whole time. It was a blast! Ethan sat mesmerized through the whole thing. I will definitely go again while it's on the big screen. And by the end of the night I will have the soundtrack on my iPod.
The only negative (if there is one) is that you say a little more skin than the previous movies.
Other than that, the choreography was sensational!

Their Only Little for so Long...Thank Heavens!

My sister sent me this cartoon at 4:42 am (she is pregnant and can't sleep...:( ). She knows this cartoon is a perfect depiction of me and motherhood. I love it!
I am not your typical mom, I guess. People will tell me, "Enjoy these little ones because they grow up so fast." To which I respond, "Thank Heavens!" Being a mother doesn't come easy to me at all. I love my children and I love being home with them, but I truly struggle with the balancing act of laundry, homework, hubby time, dishes, newborn needs, potty training, ME time, my hobbies, school projects, getting a shower, etc. It seems that motherhood comes naturally to many women; I am one who has to work at it. Don't get me wrong, I don't think I am a horrible mom. I actually think I do a dang good job, but I end each day purely exhausted and a little overwhelmed thinking I will just wake up in a couple of hours and do it all again. So, I just pray for strength, patience and inspiration everyday as I try to raise these precious little people to reach their full potential as the children of God I know they are.
Mine is an awesome responsibility! I wouldn't trade it for anything...most of the time.

My Little Man

Ethan made a "Halloween Person" from my Halloween scrapbook paper.
He is so imaginative!

I bought Ethan and Izzy toothbrushes that suction to the counter top.
Ethan found another place for them.
He is so funny!

They don't come any cuter than him.
I love you Ethan!

Elizabeth's Halloween Outfit

My mom bought this adorable outfit for Elizabeth when she was born. It looked HUGE for her then. It's amazing what a difference a month (almost) makes for a baby's growth. This outfit is 0-3 months and still a bit big, but I just love it! Thanks mom!

A Sweet Reunion

Friday was my mission reunion. I absolutely love seeing President & Sister Clarke. Truly, I think my Mission President is apostolic...is that okay to say? He is one of the greatest most loving men I know. He is just a wonderful man who changed my life. I enjoy President so much because he is very approachable despite the fact he can see into your soul when he looks at you. I feel like he knows my every thought and deed when I make eye contact with him.
The wonderful thing about my reunions is that President and Sister Clarke treat them like a zone conference. We recite the Standard of Truth, D&C 4 and our mission scripture Alma 53:20. Sister Clarke will speak to us and then President will take the rest of the meeting and advise and enlighten us. I leave the chapel feeling inspired and blessed.
This time President spent alot of time talking about the 1979 article be President Joseph F. Smith, In The Presence of the Divine. It is a must read article! But to hear further enlightenment on the subject by President Clarke and again yesterday by Elder Jeffrey Holland at General Conference, just gave me a greater witness of the truthfulness of the doctrine. I have a lot to study this coming week on the Presence of the Divine.
I am so blessed for having served a mission. There isn't a day that goes by where I don't think of things I learned, people I met, or experiences I had during those 18 months of my life. I am so grateful for the choice I made to serve. My life has been richly blessed because of it: My faith and testimony in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is solid. It was an amazing time in my life!

LDS General Conference

Presidents Thomas S. Monson & Henry B. Eyring
@ the Conference Center (SLC, UT)

I love General Conference. I feel recharged and abled to conquer the next 6 months (until the next conference). Today President Monson announced 5 new temples to be built: Rome, Italy; Calgary, Canada; Cordoba, Argentina; Philadelphia and in the greater Kansas City, Mo. area. How exciting to see the church growing so quickly and all over the world. My favorite talk was President Uchtdorf on HOPE. Amazing and inspiring. I also loved Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's address on angels among us. That address echoed the words of my Mission President's talk yesterday at my mission reunion. More later...

Soothing My Colicky Baby

I have another colicky baby! Are you kidding? What on Earth am I supposed to learn from having 3 colicky babies? PATIENCE! PATIENCE! PATIENCE! And I finally learned the best way to soothe my hurting baby: a rice sock.

Last night my Aunt Penny and her daughter were nice enough to watch my girls so that Corey and I could attend my Mission Reunion. It was a wonderful night...for me. My Aunt probably had a different feeling about the night. Ellie B (Elizabeth) was in so much pain and crying most of the night with stomach pains. Penny took great care of her and was so patient with the whole situation. When I got home I just wanted Penny to stay all night and soothe my little one. She stayed until well after midnight holding Ellie and comforting me. Penny was a great blessing for me last night. Before she left, she told me to put a warm towel under Ellie's belly because she had heard that helped with colic. So I found this old rice sock Corey had made for me a while ago. Corey heated it up and we laid Ellie over the top of it and she instantly went limp and slept very well. We also laid it upon her belly while she lay in my lap and she seemed to like that as well. I think not only the warmth of the sock, but the weight of it felt good to her. That pressure on the belly really helps her. I am so glad to have found this "cure" to her colic. Doesn't she look so peaceful?

Two Weeks Old and Three Ounces Heavier

Elizabeth is now two weeks old and is just a tiny peanut! She is only 3 ounces over her birth weight. She had a well baby visit yesterday and the doctor isn't concerned because she is at least gaining weight. We had to switch her to a 'low birth weight' formula that will give her 22 extra calories. It's hard on her tummy, but she is doing well.
I really enjoy Elizabeth. She is an easy baby. I could hold her all day because she is just this little ball that curls up on my chest. My other kids were really colicky and hard to handle as newborns. Elizabeth isn't like that at all (knock on wood). She is awake alot more and stares at everything around her. She seems perfectly content to lay on the floor or in her bouncer and take in her surroundings. She is a joy!
Having 3 kids isn't as tough as I had heard. It definitely takes more organizing and juggling, but nothing super hard. Izzy needs alot more attention than usual, but she will get used to this new addition to our family and be just fine. For now I just give her the extra attention she needs and she seems to be happy. Ethan is adjusting really good. Because he is so laid back and goes with the flow it's easy to neglect his mommy time. I have to consciously remember to play a game with him or read with him because he won't let me know that is what he wants to do. He is very aware of the changes Elizabeth has brought to our household, but he adores her so I guess it's okay that she screws things up for a little bit. :) She is only weeks old and yet I can't imagine our family without her. What a special new addition to our Vandenberg clan.

I WILL HAVE ORDER!

Junk DrawerVanity Drawer/Jewelry

Underneath Vanity

Man, I have been on this huge ORGANIZING kick. I think it's my way of staying busy to avoid the baby blues. To quote Shelby from Steel Magnolias, "I feel the need to make things as simple as possible." Thank heaven for "Tupperware" storage bins. Now I have to tackle my husbands vanity, the linen closet, and the office (soon to be nursery). I should have took before pictures. You would die at how organized this is for me. A house of order is truly a house of God. It's amazing at how peaceful my home feels to me now. From now on I WILL HAVE ORDER!