A Brush with Greatness

Well guess who we had dinner with last night? I'll give you a couple of clues...

• He had 7 career no hitters
• Played in 27 MLB seasons
• One of the best-know pitchers of our time

Mr. Nolan Ryan!!!!!!!!!!
(Or as he calls himself, "Nolan Riiiine")

Sidebar...

Anyone who knows me is aware of my strong stance against baseball, but it wasn't always that way. I used to love it!

However, the MLB Strike of 1994 officially ended that love affair with America's past-time. I can still get fired up when I think about it, so let's not spend anymore time on it.

...sidebar over.

OK, so maybe we didn't break bread together but we saw him at the restaurant. Of course, my husband chatted him up, and the man really is a saint. He was extraordinarily nice and looks only slightly changed since I last saw him on the mound in Arlington.

I think the capper for the evening was when my dear sweet Abigail said to the man, "Bonsoir" and walked away... I guess she wasn't as impressed as James and I were.

I wonder if Nolan went home and blogged about HIS brush with greatness? After all, he got to witness... Just another day Being Billingsley!

Bring Your "A" Game People

Help me!! I'm trying to convince my favorite Aunt and Uncle in Nebraska to take the leap and move down here.

So, here goes...

Reason #1:

This is a picture of the weather they woke up to on Wednesday morning.


Here is a picture of the weather to which I awoke.

Reason #2:

This place...


Which serves up this delicious flavor...

Reason #3:

Well, of course there's these folks... they're kind of a big deal.



In the interest of full disclosure, I feel I must admit to the following objectionable features...

Governor Rick "The Idiot" Perry

Leslie Cochran... putting Austin on the map for homeless cross-dressers.

So, there you have it. Even with those two teeny-tiny-itsy-bitsy drawbacks, they should clearly move down here. (Having said that, I realize I will be to blame when/if they ever have to see Leslie wearing one of his thongs.)

Help me out. I know there are LOTS more reasons for them to make the move. Leave your thoughts in a comment.

Just another day trying to share this great state of ours and Being Billingsley...

We Are Austin Just Got Legit

Did you watch We Are Austin this morning? If you didn't, you missed this very handsome family...

(I apologize for the quality of the video...)

First of all, that guy really knows his Wally's Ice Cream Treats.

Secondly, I think we can all agree, I smell an Emmy for the red head's performance.

Thirdly, that gorgeous blonde kid at the end there... She's very talented.

And, how about that baby! She made me really believe she was disinterested and generally unimpressed. She's quite the actress.

Just another day practicing our autographs, and Being Billingsley...

Granddaddy Billingsley

Dear Granddaddy -

It's because of your life-long devotion to our Heavenly Father that generations of Billingsleys will walk through this world with eyes WIDE open to the needs of others, hands that eagerly serve, and hearts that long for Christ Jesus. (They will also be more attractive than everyone else... They will be Billingsleys after all.)

You are an example to all of what a good man should be. Particularly, I thank you for the example you were to this incredible husband of mine. His unfailing love, ferocious loyalty, reliable honesty, and his deep need to help others comes directly from you.

Because of your fatherly love, James has learned to be a phenomenal man and Daddy. I see you in him every single time he teaches his children something new, runs to a friend who needs help, stands in defense of someone who desperately needs an ally, and I especially see you when he laughs at a joke so hard everyone around him can't help but laugh with him.

I love when I get introduced to someone new who hears my last name and says, “Billingsley? Do you know Gene Billingsley?” They always follow up that question with a story that illustrates what a wonderful man you were. I love to hear those stories, but the best part of that interaction is being able to say, “Yes! I know that man. HE’S MY GRANDDAD.”

I'm intensely proud to be a Billingsley. We will forever miss you.

Double Dave's Goes Bankrupt

We decided to hit Double Dave's tonight because it's buffet night! Abbie & I always go with the goal of getting our money's worth... which should be everyone's goal in an all-you-can-eat scenario. It's an obsession of ours.

I didn't do my best work, but I did have a respectable 6 pieces of assorted savory and sweet pizzas. Abbie came in at an admirable 7 pieces... not a personal best, but still pretty good. While eating the 6th piece, she looked up at her Dad & said,

Abbie: "I'm so full that I'm sick."

James: "Abigail, when you are full, you should stop eating." (Crazy talk, I know.)

Abbie: "But, I really like eating." (That's my girl!)

So, she topped it all off with one last piece of pepperoni just to show him how it's done. James doesn't share our passion for overeating. He turned in a sad 2 piece stat and a side salad. It's embarrassing.

Just another excellent Wednesday Being Billingsley...

Happy Easter!

The angel said to the women,

"Don't be afraid. I know that you are looking for Jesus, who has been crucified.

He is not here.

He has risen from the dead as he said he would.
(Matthew 28: 5-6)

Praying you are having a beautiful Easter Sunday!

Just another very blessed day Being Billingsley...

I'm Kind Of A Big Deal...

That's right folks... I'm kind of a big deal!

Today I got not just 1 but 2 blog awards, and to make the honor even greater, they came from two of my very favorite people, Anna and Alison!

These awards require that I share a few things about myself and then pass the awards to other deserving bloggers. So, here goes...

1. I married the man-of-my-dreams and have two of the most gorgeous girls in all of creation. At least once a day (occasionally more), I will hand our baby to my husband knowing she has a loaded diaper. I pretend that I forgot something urgent... something like, "Oh no! I forgot about the water boiling on the stove!" Then, I run toward the kitchen.

He's so enamored with his youngest that he hasn't yet discovered my ingenious strategy that makes him handle more than his fair share of dirty diapers. He also hasn't yet asked me why all the boiling water. Shhhhhh..


2. I can recite every single line from the movie StepBrothers. Hilarious.

3. I love a vodka tonic with extra lime. My oldest daughter refers to the drink as "Mom's grown-up juice."

4. In my unwrinkled years, I starred in a national Chevy commercial. I was "girl who longingly stares at the Chevy Silverado." It was one day of work, an excuse not to go to Thursday classes, and I received residual checks for that little gem for a year. Sweet gig.

5. I LOVE to scare people...which is why Halloween is one of my very favorite holidays. I love to hide in a dark room, jump out, and yell Boo!! It is particularly fun to do with my 5-year-old. I've also been known to scare my husband as well. The problem is that my family is used to it and hardly reacts anymore. So, I'm always looking for new victims.

Abbie and Lila on their first Halloweens.

6. My favorite time of the day is when my girls wake up in the morning. I get Lila out of her crib, and we sit in my bed until Abbie wakes up. She brings her pillow, a book, and Fluffy the dinosaur into my room, and the three of us chat, laugh, and plan our day while cozy under the blankets.

7. I am terrified of birds. I once seriously pulled an ab muscle and a calf muscle by jumping out of my chair, turning it over, and running from a pigeon who was ridiculously close to me while I was enjoying lunch with my friend Cheryl. Afterwards I think I cried while Cheryl laughed, and the damn pigeon mocked me by coming back for more.

It is now the time you've all been waiting for...

I would like to award The Beautiful Blogger Award to April, who writes the most beautiful posts about her sweet baby girl, and I would like to give the same award to my girl Mary the Swiss because she's incredible and has used her blog beautifully to describe her new adventures... and I'm hoping it will encourage her to blog SOMETHING since it has been weeks!

The Honest Scrap Award goes to Cari because we share the same feelings about candy hearts and to Kelly because her "Sound Off" features always make me yell"You Go Girl!"

Congrats ladies, and remember to give us a list of things about yourselves and then give the award to two other deserving bloggers. (Technically the BBA recipients should give us 7 things about themselves, and the HSA winners should divulge 10.)

Just another award winning day Being Billingsley...

Favorite Thanksgiving Moments

Thanksgiving was such a wonderful day with family! A few of my favorite moments...

• The food was delicious... all three times.


• Aunt K's Pumpkin Pecan pie is ridiculously good. It changed my life.


• My niece said she was thankful for me because I was silly, and for James because he was crazy. The crazy I definitely see, but I'm not sure where she's getting that I'm silly. I'm really all business.


• I got to see my Aunt and Uncle who made the big sacrifice of leaving God's Country (Nebraska) to come see us. They are always good times. To prove it, here's a little snapshot of what happened in New Orleans a few years ago. That's my father, my husband (rockin' the sweet denim shorts), and my uncle B.

• And, then there is this... Lila's reaction to her Dad after a little post-feast walk. I love it!!!!!

Just another fun day Being Billingsley...

Billingsley Girls and The Fat Guy

Well, I thought for sure I would get the much coveted screaming-child-in-Santa's-lap picture this year, but no dice. Believe it or not, we nearly got a picture of Santa screaming.

Abbie, of course, was thrilled to see him, and Lila (a.k.a. The Little Monster) was mostly concerned with making sure her sweet new kicks were photographed...raising them up to be sure they were in frame.

Santa really chatted the girls up. He was very concerned with making sure he got the gifts just right this year. To be honest with you, he should have been concerned with what Lila is capable of doing through her dress and all over his lap. She has a gift for doing this every time we go out.

Once Lila could rest assured her shoes got their due, she turned her attention to making sure her sister didn't forget that she was sitting right there. There is really no need for this guy to get ALL her attention. So, she decided to try to throw herself across Santa and into Abbie's lap.

And, this is the moment when Lila may have screwed up the chances of her entire family getting ANYTHING from Santa this year. Can't you just see the mischief in her eyes?? Note the plotting demeanor...

She reached into Santa's beard, grabbed a hearty handful, and pulled as much as her little arm could! Santa responded with a good ol' fashioned, "Owww, owww, owww," and looked at me with desperation for a rescue. I had to run in and pry her little fingers from the poor guy's trademark white beard.

Poor Abbie realized the penalty for such treatment of Santa.


Just another day of apologizing and Being Billingsley...

Happy Thanksgiving From The Billingsleys!

Hope your day is a special... complete with at least one solid nap and three trips to the dessert table!

Just another incredibly blessed day Being Billingsley...

Mmmm...Bread Is Good!

Every week my mother-in-law, T, keeps Lila for me so that Abbie and I can go to our weekly Bible study. Not only is she a great Granna, she was also my Cooking Coach this week.

Yesterday, she taught me how to make her homemade dinner rolls!

That's right folks...I made this delicious basket of HOMEMADE DINNER ROLLS!

Coach stuck with me the whole way, teaching me how to get the dough to just the right consistency. She even fielded a panicked phone call from me during what we in the bread making business call the "rising phase."

I'm proud to say that unlike my coaches in high school, she did not have to hit me once with the clipboard or blow her whistle at me. She also did not ask me to leave the gym.

Thanks Coach T!!!

Just another day rockin' the kitchen and Being Billingsley...

Bye Bye October...

I have started the sad, sad task of putting away the October decor.

In addition to Halloween, October is the month we celebrate the old man's (James') birthday. My favorite of all the decorations I put out this time of year is a picture his youngest cousin drew for him many years ago. She was 7-years-old at the time. She is now a very impressive, completely gorgeous, and hilarious 19-year-old college student. My how time has flown by!!

It is hard to see because of my wretched photography skills and the glass on the frame, but notice she had every member of our family at the time depicted and labeled...even our canine daughters. She was a very thoughtful artist.

Bet you can't figure out which one is me.

Just another day, looking like a clown and Being Billingsley...

Memory Lane

After nearly 5 years I have finally gotten all of my digital pictures organized into one place. They are all neatly organized in the same software instead of being on various places on my computer, CDs, and hard drives.

The fun thing about organizing all these photos is that I have run on to several pics and movies I had forgotten about. Here are just a few...

I call this one "Fwahsting"

Abbie's 2nd birthday. My brother got her this adorable hot pink dress up gear.

And, of course, because her Dad was presents, this happened...

I also ran across this picture. Here, Abbie praying in the hospital chapel when I had Lila. I think it is beautiful.

Just another incredible day Being Billingsley...