The Billingsleys

Our New Favorite Dinner

2011-08-06T07:52:00.000-07:00

I had to share this. You can thank me later.

Southwestern Pulled Brisket. From Smitten Kitchen.

Seriously, go there now and get that recipe! And look at her pictures, because, well, mine looks pretty rough. This recipe also happens to be for a slow cooker, which I love! The first time I made this, I used brisket because that's what I had. But since then I've been using various cuts of beef roast with great results (brisket is usually pricey). It is a bit more prep work than the average dump-junk-in-and-go slow cooker recipe, but well worth the extra effort. I promise. And do yourself a favor, make the suggested Quick-Pickled Red Onions. They are amazing.

At the Store With Dad

2011-08-06T07:18:00.000-07:00

The kids LOVE when Caleb takes them to the store.

The rules are a bit different with Dad.

And also, he gets them candy.

Little White Bungalow Tour - Bathroom

2011-07-27T20:21:00.000-07:00

The bathroom.

Before I flash these before & afters, I'll fill you in on everything you need to know about our bathroom. It's small and there's only one. Ok, that's it. Here we go!

Yeah, it's like that. But I saw potential.

Adorable, right?

This outdated fixture cracks me up. Bows? HAHA! Needless to say, that was the first thing to go.

We chose something basic and unfussy. And cheap. We're not made of money over here at the Little White Bungalow. One bathroom, remember? You're livin' large if you have more than one of those!

The vanity was actually pretty new. But the drawers were busted.

Then I broke one of the doors.

Then it hung funny, even after buying two different replacement hinges.

Then I was angry. So I busted the drawers and doors out with a crowbar.

And then I felt great!

But then our once hidden bathroom stuffs were exposed.

Then it stayed that way for a couple of months.

Then I finally bought some white paint and painted it.

And then a couple of weeks after that, I bought some navy and white striped fabric at Ikea.

Then a few months after that, I whipped up a curtain to cover the result of my fit of rage. See? All better. And it only took half a year!

I also painted the weird and ugly but useful cabinet that hangs above the toilet. I bought that snazzy shower curtain from Target. When we needed a new shower curtain, it's the first place I thought to go. Some people (crazy-rich people who probably have more than one bathroom) might think to browse Pottery Barn, Anthropologie, Ballard Designs or other purveyors of fine shower curtains. Why would you do that? These days Target is so, so good at knocking those guys off...

I love you, Target!

The opposite wall had four randomly placed towel bars. I took 'em down.

And I hung pretty things there instead.

And we now hang our towels on hooks on the back of the door. Because wet towels don't deserve to be on display.

The wreath was a gift, made by my talented sister. (Thanks, Becky!)

The white frame was $1 on clearance at Hobby Lobby. It had baby blue and white striped backing with a 'G' initial. I busted out the back, ripped off the 'G,' lined it with some gingham fabric and added a photo. Voila!

I painted the Illinois canvas myself. It's a total knock off based on these paintings on etsy.

Well, there ya have it. Our (one and only) bathroom. We like it!

Punks at the Pool

2011-07-19T16:16:00.000-07:00

Hi. So, I haven't blogged since early May. Awesome, huh?

I took the kids to Sholem Aquatic Center this morning. It's a really fun public pool/water park that has a nice toddler pool with fountains and a slide. The toddler pool area is only for kids 3 and under, which works out perfectly for us! Kids 3 and under are admitted for free and adults are just $3. So, it's a fun and budget friendly way to spend a weekday morning. I took some photos with my iPod.

Walking to the pool.

Running and splashing!

Silas liked playing with other kids' toys.

Nella loved the slide.

Silas loved jumping in.

Snack time.

After swimming. They were wiped out!

So very exhausted after a morning of swimming in the sun!

Little White Bungalow Tour - Living Room

2011-05-11T13:25:00.000-07:00

Our living room then:

Oh, hi little 9 month old Silas!

And now:

This is actually the only room in the house that we didn't paint. We didn't mind the neutral gray/green/blue so we just left it as is. I still like it and have no plans on changing it anytime soon. The leather is super masculine and not my first choice, but man, is it super easy to clean! Pee, poop, puke, milk, smashed craisins, you name it, it's wiping right off. I like low maintenance furniture.

And there's 19 month old climbing Silas.

Oh, there's climbing Silas again.

That basket is full of neatly-folded blankets that probably need to be put away for the summer months. But anyway, let's have a closer look at my new lamp.

The lamp is from TJ Maxx and I love it. When you turn it on, you can see the gingham fabric through the canvas shade. Adorable! The chalkboard is currently blank. And those are ultrasound pics of the kiddos in that frame. And those flowers are from Mother's Day.

The trunk was Caleb's grandfather's Army trunk. It's probably my favorite thing in the room. It hides our random junk. Nella likes to jump off of it and Silas thinks it makes a great surface for lining up toy cars and trains and then pushing them off.

Family photos and some artwork by the Nella Bean. She loves to paint.

The huge old map has been in my family for ages. It's beautiful and special.

Living Room To-Do List:

pillows for sofas (i plan on making some. someday. next year probably.)

replace blinds on large window (the others are new, but the big window needs a special order. big window, big blinds, big $)

window treatments (ugh, i'm so lost here. i have no idea what i want. suggestions more than welcome!!)

And if you missed it, here's the kitchen.

Little White Bungalow Tour - The Kitchen

2011-05-11T12:30:00.002-07:00

We've lived in our little white bungalow for about a year now and I've yet to give the tour I promised. I even put the photo tour on my 2011 resolutions list and I'll be glad to cross that one off.

So, here we go. Starting in the kitchen, complete with before and after photos - get excited!

It's seriously amazing what a little paint can do.

Oooooh yeah. Love that fruit border. We totally painted over it.

What? Like you've never seen dirty dishes in the sink. Just keepin' it real.

Why yes, that is our under cabinet lighting hanging down. Thanks for noticing! I have the clips to repair that, buuuuut, ya know. Just haven't gotten around to it.

We still have the Green Giant. Ah, love that fridge.

Kitchen To-Do List:

tack up that dang rope lighting

replace floor (that's a big one we're planning for this summer)

paint tile back splash (i'm still researching this. any tips?)

replace counter top (this is low on the priority list)

Obligatory Easter Sunday Mornin' Pics

2011-04-25T09:05:00.000-07:00

Nella's Workout

2011-04-04T11:15:00.000-07:00

Nella's Workout from Keli Billingsley on Vimeo.

March 2011 Project 365

2011-04-04T08:09:00.000-07:00

‎1. My all-time favorite coffee

2. Nella's portrait of Rachel

3. Cards from Nana & Grandpa

4. Quinn & Sadie's rehearsal dinner

5. Hotel Breakfast

6. Venti kind of day

9. New mug from mom

10. Silas at the bookstore

13. Kohls

14. Bedtime tea

15. Saggin' Silas

16. New desk - old computer

17. Sunroof weather

18. Cousins

19. Chicago

20. Eggs Benedict

21. The tulips are coming!

22. Artichoke for lunch

23. Nella in a box of packing peanuts

24. Nella takes a pic of me taking a pic of her

25. Train table at Barnes and Noble

26. Afternoon treat

27. Carpet at Redeemer Church's meeting spot

28. Sick Silas

29. New reed oil diffuser

30. Another of Nella's Chicka game

Missed some days this month, mainly due to a shattered iPod screen. It's been replaced, so I'm back on track.

Chicago Date Weekend

2011-03-22T09:12:00.000-07:00

After the Segway tour we headed to meet our friends for lunch. Oh, Chicago deep dish pizza, I just love you!

After lunch we met up with my sister to say hello before she went in to work.

She's goofy.

Then we walked next door to the John Hancock Building so we could get in (the mega-long) line for the observatory.

I had seen this and really wanted to do it, but we decided not to. The rink was tiny and there were only little kids skating so instead we bought some coffee and admired the view.

It really is a beautiful city.

And since it is just right there near the bus stop, we hit up Anthropologie before heading back to Hotel Sattayatam.

Caleb admired the bookcases while I admired everything else. It is such a lovely store.

This is the Hotel Sattayatam staff: our friends Kristin & Thadchai (and their not-yet-born daughter).

Then we relaxed and watched 'Friday' cover videos and Epic Meal Time videos on YouTube.

Side notes:

1. Surely you know tween pop star Rebecca Black's awful song 'Friday' and all the hilarious covers by now, right?

2. Consider this a warning; Epic Meal Time, though absolutely hilarious, can be disgusting and at times downright offensive. Maybe not for those with weak stomachs.

Later that night, after my sister got off of work, we took her out to dinner.

She chose Papajin in Bucktown. Bucktown is such a hipster neighborhood. It's so hipster that me and my pink Gap cardigan felt out of place.

The restaurant was cool and the food was delicious. I can see why she loves it.

It was great to see my sister, I miss getting to spend time with her.

Sunday morning we had brunch at Yolk. Sunday morning brunch is serious business in Chicago. Our wait wasn't as long as we were expecting.

Worth the wait. It was incredible. No matter how enticing the other menu offerings are, it's very difficult for me to order anything other than eggs benedict. It's my favorite breakfast of all time.

We followed up brunch with a stroll through the Lincoln Park Apple Store. It's the coolest one I've ever been in; you can see right through the store! You can't tell in my photo, so click the link and see what I mean.

Then we left to go pick up our kiddos.

They had fun at Granny and Grandpa's house. They were worn out!!

This video was taken 10 minutes outside of Champaign.

Ha! They were totally fine once we got home. We had a picnic dinner outside, played in the backyard, gave them a bath, and then they crashed!

Thanks to Granny & Grandpa for watching the kids so we could getaway!

Thanks to Kristin & Thadchai for letting us crash at their apartment (saving us hundreds on a downtown hotel)!

We had such a great weekend spending time with each other, catching up with friends, visiting my sister, eating delicious food, window shopping at cool stores and riding Segways (and scary Chicago public transportation). Can't wait until the next getaway weekend!

Chicago Date Weekend - Segway Tour

2011-03-22T07:47:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we dropped the kids off with Granny and Grandpa and headed to Chicago for a date weekend. I highly recommend weekend getaways. They are just marvelous. We're fortunate enough to have sweet friends who live right in the city and let us stay with them (I refer to it as Hotel Sattayatam). Our weekend was so fun and relaxing.

On Saturday, we decided to be super-nerds and take a Segway tour.

Do you want to know the best way to see a city that you've already seen hundreds of times? On a Segway, that's how.

'Insert your favorite Gob Bluth reference here.'

It was so fun! It was surprisingly tricky to get the hang of. They can go a lot faster than I was expecting.

It was sunny but cold. Typical of Chicago in March.

We don't mind being super-nerds.

The tour was so fun and I'm so glad that we decided to do it. If you find yourself in a city that offers a Segway tour, I recommend that you go for it.

February 2011 Project 365

2011-02-28T08:37:00.000-08:00

1. Snow day.

2. Watching daddy shovel snow.

3. Book & coffee break.

4. Surprise flowers from Caleb.

5. Silas wants candy.

6. Nella's horse wears her hat.

7. Nella's birthday gift from Granny & Grampa.

8. Happy 3rd Birthday Nella Girl!

9. Dishes. Ugh.

10. Nella's painted cupcake magnet.

11. Lunch date.

12. Homemade vanilla marshmallows.

13. Nella's Chika game.

14. Divot.

15. Nella & Silas' new shoes!

16. Kyle lounging at community group.

17. Running errands in VDub.

18. Silly Silas Gray!

19. Breakfast with Rachel.

20. Silas in the tub.

21. 8 cups of water a day.

22. Onions cooking for Julia Child's French Onion Soup.

23. Nella's self portrait.

24. Late night computing.

25. BillingslAbner dance party.

26. Playing in the recycling bin.

27. Target trip.

28. MacBook died. I got downgraded to old iMac.

A Visit From Good Friends

2011-02-26T17:12:00.000-08:00

A dear friend and her boys came for a visit.

There was much laughter, but not much sleep.

There was lots of playing.

Lots of fussing.

Lots of snacking.

And lots of fun had by all.

And by the end of the visit, there were exhausted kiddos.

Oh, there was also lots of snotty noses, poopy diapers, night wakings, fights over toys, leaky sippy cups, peas smashed on the floor, car-sick pukes (Simon got sick on their drive home), you know, normal-but-yucky kid stuff. Good times.

January 2011 Project 365

2011-02-22T15:44:00.000-08:00

I've always wanted to do a project 365. But with my huge camera, it was sometimes a hassle and I was never able to keep up. But, with this handy app on my iPod, it's so simple! This is basically just for me, a way to document my everyday life. I'll post them here, so I can keep them in one place and be able to go back and look at them easily. Maybe you'll enjoy looking at them too.

Lord of the Rings Marathon.
New Year's Budget.
Important mail.
Venezuelan coffee.
Movie night.
They love the family photo album.
Burger King playland.
Building a new bookcase.
Nursery @ Redeemer Church.
Sparkly blue polish.
Chocolate malt & late night TV.
Silas hi-fives Josh L.
Bulk food order.
Cowboy Silas.
Seven Saints.
8th Annual MLKJ Extravaganza.
Bookstore date with Nella.
Playing in the melting snow.
Romans 6.
Pancake Night!!
Nella played with the iPod.
Illinois vs. Wisconsin Hockey.
Cafe latte @ Panera w/ Judy & Phyllis.
Stickers & a card from Granny.
Psych: Season 2 on Netflix.
Silas' big owie.
Cleaned & organized under kitchen sink.
Block towers.
Overnight for mom's 50th b-day.
Wreath from Becky! Pre-blizzard Wal-Mart run.

February 2011 Date Night

2011-02-22T14:09:00.000-08:00

As you know, one of our New Year's Resolutions was to have at least one kidless date night a month. I decided that I'd try to blog about them all too. It'll help me be more intentional in planning them and making sure that we take them.

Our February Date Night was fun, productive, and oh so high school!

Dinner and a trip to the mall.

Our first choice restaurant was pack to the max. We couldn't even find a parking spot.

So, we went to Arby's.

We walked around the mall. We held hands. We didn't even go into the wing of the mall with the playland! We shopped for new jeans and a belt for Caleb.

I even made him go into the dressing room and try them on!

Then we exchanged some shorts at Finish Line. Got my rings inspected and cleaned at Rogers & Hollands Jewelers. Bought some new eyeshadow at Sephora. Swooned over all the puppies at the pet store.

They have a Bernese Mountain Dog pup. He's (very) expensive. And huge. But so cute!

Then, in true Billingsley-date-night fashion, we went to Target. Because, why not! It was productive too.

So, basically, our February date night was a bunch of errands. But hey, if you have to run a bunch of errands at the mall, you may as well make a date night out of it! Also, I'm bummed that I forgot to take a picture of the two of us. Oh well. Next time. Did you have a date night this month? What did you do? We're looking for ideas.

Thank you Jason & Grace for hangin' with our punks!

(Photos taken with my iPod, which has a horrible camera. Horrible. C'mon Apple, c'mon!)

Nella is 3!

2011-02-22T13:44:00.000-08:00

Nella Ruth turned 3 on February 8.

She requested a 'sprinkly' doughnut and chocolate milk for her birthday breakfast.

She loved her presents.

We didn't have a big party for her this year. We did serve her cupcakes at our Church's super bowl party, though. Everybody sang to her at half time. She loved it and definitely thought everyone was there for her birthday party!

Our girl is growing up so fast! She is smart, thoughtful, and absolutely hilarious! She loves: Thomas & Friends (show & toys), coloring, helping me cook and bake, playing with my iPod, going to church, dancing, macaroni & cheese, yogurt, soup, bossing Silas around, going to Target, pink, purple, sparkles, and her daddy. She doesn't love: having her hair washed/fixed/brushed, when Silas messes up her toys, being told that she can't have another snack, when the bathwater is too warm, when the bathwater is too cold, or when the covers on her bed get messed up.

She is a quick learner and just like 3 year olds everywhere, she can and will test the limits. She is a great big sister and loves helping out with Silas. She has a phenomenal memory and has most of her favorite books, songs and movies down pat. She is also still learning her catechism questions, though I've been told that she sometimes refuses to recite them in Sunday school. Oh, Nella Ruth! So sweet. So beautiful. So defiant. So 3 years old!

One.

Two.

Three.

Winter-Induced Cabin Fever and Randomness

2011-02-10T15:48:00.000-08:00

We've been experiencing a bit of cabin-fever around here. Since late November we've had non-stop biting cold, snow, ice, more snow, and then Snowpocalypse 2011 (or Snowmageddon, SnowtoriousB.I.G., etc). Caleb had 2 snow days last week. The University even had a rare snow day, 4th one in 30 years or something crazy. I've managed to get our car stuck twice. Luckily, the Jeep handles wonderfully in the snow and I know Caleb has pulled several stuck vehicles out of giant mounds of icy snow. So while we haven't been total shut-ins, we have spent a lot of time cooped up in the house.

We're sooooooooooooooo bored.

Is there an app for that?

Nella enjoys the Super Why! app.

The kids have grown tired of most of their toys. I've lost count of how many times we've read If You Give a Cat a Cupcake. We've exhausted our craft basket. And I'll be totally honest, we've done a lot (an embarrassing amount) of Netflix-ing. The kids watch Blues Clues, Kipper, Shaun the Sheep (I love this one!), and Thomas & Friends. I've watched countless documentaries and episodes of Psych.

This afternoon I snapped this photo of Silas. He was entertaining himself so nicely that I wanted to document the occasion. Upon closer inspection, I realized that he was storing something curious in the seat of this ride on toy. I noticed some brightly colored objects but didn't think much of it.

A few minutes later I found this:

He must have visited the bathroom cabinet. Those are definitely pantiliners. Oh, Silas! The weirdest part? I let him carry on. He was having fun AND being quiet AND not destroying anything.

On a more productive note, I read Run Like a Mother. I've been running. That's a post for another day. I read the entire thing on Kindle for iPhone. Crazy, huh? But when I went to purchase the book on Amazon, I noticed that the Kindle edition was $0.00. Well, duh! Of course I'll download the thing for free right to my iPod using the Kindle for iPhone app. Who wouldn't?! (It was a temporary sale, it's full-price now). I enjoyed the book very much. It's witty and full of practical information for runners at any athletic level. The authors are veteran moms, runners, and regular writers for Runner's World and other fitness and women's interest magazines.

I'm currently reading The Kennedy Curse. It is fascinating!

How are you surviving the Winter? What have you been doing on your snow days?

Silas Watches Football with the Guys

2011-01-23T20:24:00.000-08:00

Watching the Bears lose.

He fell asleep with his hand in the snack bowl.

January 2011 Date Night

2011-01-23T20:21:00.000-08:00

One of our New Year's Resolutions was to have more date nights. We decided that we'll have at least one a month. Of course, more would be nice but that's probably not possible at this stage in our lives. We'll take what we can get. We're so thankful to have a wonderful group of people from our church who are willing to take turns hanging out with our kids while we go out.

This month, we went to an Illini Hockey game.

After the first period, I braved the super-long concession line for a hot chocolate and french vanilla cappuccino.

After the second period, Caleb walked over to the other side to talk to our friend, Quinn.

It was so much fun, we loved it! Illinois beat up on Wisconsin. And there were plenty of fights on the ice and heckling from the stands to keep things very entertaining. A very fun date night. Thanks Rachel & Brett, for watching our punks while we were out.

How to Deflate an Air Mattress

2011-01-18T11:20:00.000-08:00

How to Deflate an Air Mattress from Keli Billingsley on Vimeo.

Step 1: Release air valve.

Step 1: Let Nella & Silas play on deflating mattress.

Yes, Nella is wearing a pull up. We were getting ready for bed. She has been potty trained for a long time now, but she still doesn't stay dry overnight. Any tips? Or is this something that she'll eventually grow out of?

Recent (Frugal) Projects

2011-01-08T20:25:00.000-08:00

I've crossed a few items off of my 'gotta make this' list. I love when that happens!

First are some framed silhouettes of the kiddos. I've been wanting to make these for quite some time (ever since they first started floating around the crafty-decor blog scene) and I finally got around to it. They were easier to make than I was expecting, but there was lots of tedious cutting. I'm pretty pleased with how they turned out. I hung them by our front door.

I made some of my nephews to give to my sister. So Cute! See? They're not only easy to make, but pretty darn cheap too! Including the frames, this project cost less than $7.

Next is this wreath I made for Nella's room. The material is some of her old receiving blankets and baby clothes that I was going to donate to Goodwill. I saw this wreath and decided that the stack of blankets and clothes could make a cute and functional keepsake for her. I bought a wire wreath frame at Hobby Lobby and got to work cutting and tying the fabric.

It didn't turn out as cute as I was hoping, but she really loves it and thinks it's special and that's good enough for me! The total cost here was $1 (for the wreath frame).

And finally, a couple of weeks ago my sister helped me recover this little bench. My mom had this bench for years and she was going to throw it away. I rescued it from the trash pile. My sister brought over some sweet navy houndstooth fabric and helped me give it a little upgrade.

I was really tempted to paint the legs a glossy red. But, the temps were too cold for spray paint and I do appreciate a nice, worn wood. So, for the time being, they're au natural. Since the bench was from my parent's trash pile and the fabric was from my sister's stash, the total cost here was $0!

Silas Gets Frustrated

2011-01-07T12:14:00.000-08:00

Silas tries to climb up a slide. The very fake, fussy shriek at the end is a typical Silas reaction. Enjoy.

Resolutions, Goals, Projects, What Have You

2010-12-31T15:20:00.000-08:00

Basically, I just like making lists. And I like change and new beginnings. So here's a New Year's List of resolutions, goals & projects. They range from important, traditional and lofty to trivial, simple and fun.

1. More Date Nights - After having only a handful of kidless date nights in 2010 we resolve to make date nights a priority.

2. Make a Will - We don't have one. I know, it's terrible. What the heck would happen to our kids!!??!

3. 5K - The Illinois Marathon 5K in April.

4. Complete Little White Bungalow Projects - True, that's impossible because I'll always be coming up with more projects. I'm mainly referring to a couple of specific ones: mudroom makeover, awning makeover, clean/organize garage, create a 'mom cave' in the basement, and post a photo tour of LWB for Chelsea. Poor thing, she's been asking and I've been saying yes, but still haven't done it! Unacceptable!

5. Read More Books - I usually post our reading lists, but instead of making a list of books to read this year, I'm just going to keep a list of books that I've read this year. Make sense? This way I can focus on how many I've read instead of how many I didn't read. :)

6. Pay Off Our Car - Hooray for no more car payments!

7. Learn to Bake Bread - I know how to bake bread. But I'm talking about a more wholesome and nourishing bread. I may start with this.

What about you? Do you make any resolutions or goals? Do you have any projects to complete?

Sipe Christmas

2010-12-31T14:00:00.000-08:00

We spent Christmas with our family in Marion, IL.

My mom sure sets up a lovely Christmas house. Everything is so festive.

Believe it or not, this isn't Christmas morning. Just my kids dragging out all the toys and making a huge mess. It's what they do best.

Caleb, Aunt Juicy & Nella watch Frosty the Snowman. It must have played over 100 times; my kids LOVE it.

The house where I grew up. She sits on a historic street in Marion. Isn't she just darling?

It was the first white Christmas since 2004. Growing up in Southern Illinois I saw very few white Christmases, only a couple.

Nella played with the Fisher Price farm set that was my first Christmas gift.

My nephew, Ilan David.

Aunt Juicy helped Nella try on her new apron.

Caleb sketched with Silas and my nephew, Marley.

Silas makes messes.

Everywhere he goes, he's messin.'

Nana's Lap.

Nella built a gingerbread house.

She was so proud of her creation.

It was a Merry Christmas!

The Taco Shack - Local Gem

2010-12-23T16:01:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday we went to The Taco Shack with some friends.

It is in Tolono, and it is worth the drive.

The grammatical errors are supposedly intentional. Hmmm. As a business owner, I'm not sure that's the route I would have taken. But whatever. One thing is for sure, they do make some 'darn good fresh foods.'

Rachel ordered 'the shack taco.'

And a giant burrito.

Yep, we feed him straight off of the table. That's how we roll. Besides, if you give that boy a plate, it's gonna fly.

They also serve pie. Weird. But it's good and Nella was glad that Dad shared.

They also have cards. Weird.

The Taco Shack is just a typical weird little Central Illinois dive that's kinda tacky but reaaalllllly delicious. If you're visiting us and have a hankerin' for a gringo-made taco, we'll head to Tolono.

Recent Videos

2010-12-14T07:29:00.000-08:00

Here are two new (kinda long) videos of the kids.

This is one of their newest favorite activities:

Climbing onto the Couch from Keli Billingsley on Vimeo.

And this is them dancing to Nella's favorite song*:

Dance Time from Keli Billingsley on Vimeo.

Silas' dancing is a sumo-stomp or spinning until dizzy. Nella's is mostly running in a circle.
*Nella's favorite song is My Only Offer by Mates of State

A Thank You Video for Grandpa & Nana Sipe

2010-12-14T07:09:00.000-08:00

The kids see their (early) Christmas gift for the first time.

Christmas Kitchen from Keli Billingsley on Vimeo.

It's such a cute kitchen! And sturdy. And well built, because I spent 3 hours putting the darn thing together the night before. But, I watched two Christmas movies (Elf & Christmas Vacation) and drank 2 cups of cocoa while doing it. I guess that could have slowed me down.

Billingsley Christmas

2010-12-11T17:46:00.000-08:00

This weekend we celebrated Christmas with Caleb's family. Since we're traveling to Southern Illinois over Christmas this year, they came to Urbana. It was a quick trip, but it was fun and we're so glad they came!

Nella loves her Granny.

Caleb read the Christmas story.

Silas picked out our Christmas background music.

Nella built a "big huge tower" out of presents.

Silas really enjoyed unwrapping gifts.

Caleb took lots of video footage.

Nella and Silas play with some new toys.

The tea set we got Nella is amazing, by the way. It's made from recycled milk jugs and is bpa and phthalate free. That's good news, friends. Tea time should be toxin free. Plus it's sturdy and adorable. Anyway, if you're looking for a gift for a young girl, I recommend it.

As always, I posted the rest of the photos on facebook. Be my friend, and you can see 'em! ;)

Christmas Card 2010

2010-12-04T08:11:00.001-08:00

Gifted Tag Christmas

Make a statement with custom Christmas cards at Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

Check out the cute faces on this Christmas card! I just ordered our Christmas cards this morning and after I placed the order, Shutterfly offered me a $25 credit to post my card to my personal blog. Uh, yes, yes I will do that for 25 bones to spend on prints, photo books, and other photo products. You should give it a shot too!

This Day Documented: Saturday, November 13, 2010

2010-11-17T07:37:00.000-08:00

9:30am - My sister, Becky, arrives with her boys and we load up her van

9:37am - Gas, Starbucks (grande latte w/ 3 raw sugars)

9:45am - 57 Northbound to Chicago

9:48am - Nella requests a snack (typical)

10:10am - Silas asleep (praise God)

10:15am - Ilan asleep

10:30am - Nella asleep

10:45am - Silas awake (oh snap!)

10:48am - Ilan awake (double snap!)

11:07am - Nella awake. Resumes snacking

11:10am - All boy screamfest; Marley, Silas, & Ilan

11:15am - Marley asleep, little boys still going strong

11:30am - little boys asleep again (finally!)

11:45am - Scrounging for change on I-355 Illinois Tollway

11:46am - Receiving IOU slip, we were short 54 cents

11:50am - Milo and Otis

12:09pm - FLIPS!!! Our favorite Glen Ellyn eatery

12:49pm - Family photo in front of Flips. 3 generations of Flipsters here. My parents have been going since the 70's

1:15pm - Wheaton Popcorn Shop. Another favorite childhood spot; we had so much fun taking our own kids there!

1:17pm - Nella touches all the candy

1:18pm - It's an alley-turned-popcorn/candy store. It has the BEST ceiling!

1:23pm - Heading back to the car with her loot. We spent $1.19

1:24pm - Nella and Marley are excited about their bags of candy

1:26pm - These cousins are buddies!

1:28pm - "Look at all my lots of candies, Mom!"

1:29pm - Sneaking a bite of a gummy butterfly

1:31pm - Me and Becky with our cousin, Jeff. We used to hit the popcorn shop together as kids

1:45pm - My dad takes us on a driving tour of Wheaton, where he grew up. He loves to tell us stories about and show us places from his childhood as we drive around town. We love Wheaton.

2:36pm - Oberweis Dairy, chocolate malt

2:37pm - Grandpa shares with Ilan

2:40pm - Grandpa shares with Silas

3:00pm - Trader Joes

4:00pm - My youngest cousin Brett's 16th Birthday Party

4:15pm - Nella plays with the ferrets (Gross! I, myself am not a fan, but she loves them!)

4:20pm - Photo time!

4:25pm - Photos with family. Nan & Pop were in from San Antonio. Here they are with all their grandchildren & great-grandchildren (and my parents, who somehow snuck in the photo)

4:45pm- Silas falls and bites his lip. Bleeds on shirt and couch. He must leave his mark of destruction somehow!

5:50pm - Cake

6:00pm - Nella notices the fire pit and freaks out. Not sure what that's about, but it was quite the scene

6:10pm - Hugs & kisses & goodbyes

6:18pm - Load up van

6:25pm - Starbucks, round 2 (grande latte w/ 3 raw sugars. It's my fave. hint hint. If you love me, you'll buy me a latte!)

6:29pm - Silas & Ilan asleep

6:33pm - Nella & Marley asleep

8:38pm - Home!

Actions Speak Louder

2010-11-15T11:45:00.000-08:00

Download "Actions Speak Louder" tomorrow on iTunes! 100% of the proceeds go to His Voice Global to build a fourth orphanage in Southern Sudan. 250,000 downloads will build the orphanage and make it self sufficient. Spend $1, download a cool song, help build an orphanage. Tell your friends.

Nella Answers Catechism Questions

2010-11-07T13:37:00.000-08:00

Nella has been learning the catechism as a part of Redeemer Church's children's program. We work on it at home during the week and the children review it together on Sunday morning at church.

What the heck is a catechism, you ask? According to our children's ministry literature, catechism is an anglicized version of the Greek word, katekeo, which simply means, "to instruct." The word has come to be known as a style of instruction that teaches the essentials of the Christian faith.

It's a series of memorized questions and answers meant to give someone a general overview of biblical theology. If you're interested in learning more about it, Desiring God Ministries has a great overview as well as the Baptist Catechism, here.

Anyway, one night I recorded Nella answering the first 10 questions. She and Silas were in the bathtub, which should explain the splashes and screeches. I figured at least Granny and Nana would get a kick out of it. Kid's capacity to learn and memorize is incredible. Nella is 2 and 1/2.

You'll have to download the audio file because I cannot figure out how to embed it into the post. Sorry.

Nella & The First 10 Catechism Questions.m4a

Fall Pumpkins: Round Two

2010-10-04T19:37:00.000-07:00

We took the kids to Curtis Orchard and pumpkin patch this afternoon for the classic 'kids in a pumpkin patch' photos. It was a lovely, chilly afternoon but very sunny. The kids were mostly distracted and not at all interested in having their picture taken. They had lots of fun though. Here are a few photos:

I posted the rest of the pictures on facebook.

Fall Pumpkins: Round One

2010-09-27T13:39:00.000-07:00

Nella helped me pick out pumpkins at the grocery store last week. I got a large one, she picked a "little tiny baby" one. I had planned on buying some paints so we could paint them. She was just so excited and could not wait so I grabbed a couple of Sharpies from the desk and we went to town.

She had so much fun! I did too!

I still may buy some paints and another pumpkin so she can do it again. There's always room for more pumpkins!

Pumpkins - $6
Sharpies - $4
Watching your little girl enjoy being creative - Priceless!

Silas Turned One!

2010-09-27T12:52:00.000-07:00

Our silly baby boy is one! Silas is a little guy: 19 pounds and 15 and 1/2 ounces (5th percentile) and almost 28 inches long (3rd percentile), but he's in the 50th percentile for head size.

He's active. He loves dancing and will start bouncing any time he hears music. He is capable of walking, but usually chooses to crawl. He crawls fast and with his head down as though he's charging something like a bull.

He loves cars, balls and wooden puzzles. He loves playing outside (especially in the dirt), playing in the bath, and watching videos of himself or other babies. He loves bananas, yogurt, carrot muffins, and almost anything covered in a red sauce. He loves playing with his big sister and can make her laugh like nobody else can.

He doesn't like green beans or chicken and he didn't really love his birthday cake. He also doesn't love having his diaper changed, his hair washed, his face wiped off, getting dressed or having his clothes changed. He hates being restrained in a high chair or car seat.

He's said: mama, dada, baba, and uh-oh. He shows no interest in talking, but does communicate in other ways, mainly by pointing, babbling and or shrieking.

He is: a momma's boy, an early bird, an entertainer, silly, adventurous, extremely curious and a fast learner.

Damage he's done: scratched DVDs, torn pages out of books, knocked my laptop off of the end table, spilled beverages, pulled hairs from doll's heads, knocked over a reed oil diffuser which stripped paint off of a wall and piece of furniture, unrolled toilet paper, dropped a shampoo bottle into the toilet, 'highlighted' documents, etc.

Things he's eaten or we've pulled from his mouth: a peanut, fuzz, a penny, a button, half of a dead fly, guitar pick, rock, bottle cap, pen cap, clump of dirt, leaf, chalk, twist tie, small puzzle piece, dried old pea/cheerio/macaroni noodle/grape etc. from the kitchen floor.

Silas, you are a handful! But you are a precious and fun little boy and we love you and can't imagine our lives without you!

Thanks for the video Aunt Lisa! She's the only one who got any video footage of the birthday boy!

Stickers and Sad Faces and Hello Kitty Underwear

2010-08-27T12:36:00.000-07:00

Nella has improved immensely with potty training in the past week. I think it's the chart. The girl is crazy about stickers!

The simple potty training chart is from here.

Visiting Aunt Juicy

2010-08-26T08:47:00.000-07:00

My sister Haley (who Nella calls Aunt Juicy) moved to Chicagoland in July. She attends The Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago. She may study in the city but she lives and works in the glorious west suburbs. On Tuesday I took the kids up for an overnight visit. We stayed at my aunt's house; which is where my sister lives. The trip was fun, it's always so nice to visit family and Haley, my Aunt Jill and cousin Brett enjoyed spending time with me and the kids. But it was stressful too. City driving, road construction, traffic delays, toll roads, teething baby, currently potty training toddler, greasy food, spilt venti latte, heavy double stroller, crowded malls, my aunt's beautiful (but not at all baby-proofed) house full of nice (breakable) things. Yes, I traveled alone with my two (under 3 years of age) kids. I do it a lot, too. But this time was tougher than usual. But even though I came home with tense shoulders and a headache, the hectic trip was worth it. The kids had a blast, Aunt Juicy enjoyed our visit, and I came home with memories, cute photos, and some of my favorite Trader Joe's products. Here are a few photos from our whirlwind trip to the West 'Burbs.

I took the back roads up north. Mostly because I really like to see the giant wind energy turbines. There are several wind farms with hundreds of turbines as far as the eye can see.

They are eerie and strangely beautiful.

Traffic jam snack.

My aunt let Silas play with Moon Sand.

Nella 'baked cupcakes' on the basement floor.

She said she likes her cupcakes with sprinkles. She's right, who doesn't like a few sprinkles?

She ate some too.

Sprinkle stained hands and mouth.

Aunt Juicy with Nella and Silas.

No restaurant highchair can restrain this guy. No shopping cart either. If it doesn't have shoulder straps, he's gettin' out.

ACE Deluxe

2010-08-26T07:33:00.000-07:00

We recently bought a wheelbarrow. Caleb had been wanting one and noticed during his evening run that the gentleman down the street had two for sale. One was newish and $15. The other was old, rusty and $5. We chose the latter. I liked the vintage charm. It looks like it could successfully be used in an Anthropologie store display. Caleb liked that it was $5. We're on a tight budget. The kids? Well they liked the spiders that lived in the barrow until daddy pushed them out with a stick.

Why These Windows Will Never Be Clean . . .

2010-08-06T14:24:00.000-07:00

. . . And why when I do clean them, I just use white vinegar and water.

Oh, Silas, you silly, sweet little punk!

Is It Still Summer?

2010-08-02T19:29:00.000-07:00

My goodness! It's August! Aaaannd I haven't posted anything since June. YIKES! July was crazy; and I have the photos to prove it! I plan on posting them soon. Also, we've been busy with projects around the Little White Bungalow and I can't wait to get a chance to post some new before/after photos.

In the meantime, enjoy these classic summery pics.

We took the kids swimming at Caleb's work this evening. They loved it.

I think Silas is happiest in water.

The Nella girl likes swimming too. She loves jumping in, climbing out, jumping in, climbing out.

They were good and exhausted. Just the way we like 'em.

Lunch With Pawpaw & Overnight Guests

2010-06-16T05:57:00.000-07:00

On Monday my dad was working in the northern part of the state. He was passing through Champaign around lunchtime and we were able to meet him for lunch.

He always gets a kick out of putting the kids on his bike.

This was Silas' first time up there. He was a natural! He knew just where to put his hands. And just look at the expression on his face! I love this photo of him!

Nella, on the other hand, was not quite as comfortable up there.

She much preferred art lessons with Pawpaw over the motorcycle.

Pawpaw gave Silas a pizza crust to chew on. He loved it!

We had so much fun and can't wait until Pawpaw passes through Champaign again!

(Thanks for lunch, dad! We love you!)

Also, recently we've hosted overnight guests at our Little White Bungalow.

First, the Abner family.

Then, The Ben Avis.

You can check out those photo albums on facebook:

The Abners Visit Urbana

The Ben Avis Visit Urbana

(Due to my facebook privacy settings, you'll probably have to be my 'friend' first.)

Nella's 1st (Professional) Haircut

2010-06-05T15:42:00.000-07:00

It was time. Time to cut off that scraggly long hair. She needed a nice, simple, short cut for Summertime. I've given her haircuts in the past, but this was beyond my skill level, errr, comfort level (I have no hair cuttin' skills).

She was nervous. The stylist gave her a sucker to keep her distracted. She was such a good girl! She barely moved! I'm not sure if it was the nerves, or the fact that I promised her a cookie as a reward for good behavior. That is not something I do often, but I didn't want to risk an all-out tantrum when someone was holding scissors near her head. Bribery is OK in the event that it prevents a safety hazard, right?

This was right after I told her she earned that cookie.

But this was right after she saw her new do. You know that feeling, right? That, 'Ugh. This looks awful!" feeling.

'Hmmm. Maybe this isn't so bad after all. I still look pretty darn cute!'

Enjoying that sweet, dark chocolate covered reward!

You look fabulous, sweet Nella. Simply fabulous!

Silas Crawls

2010-06-02T08:02:00.000-07:00

Silas Crawls, and Looks Cute Doin' It! from Keli Billingsley on Vimeo.

Greek Yogurt + Natural Light = Impromptu Photo Shoot

2010-05-27T19:52:00.000-07:00

Our apartment had very few, tiny, terribly placed windows. It made taking photos such a pain! Our house has windows. Lots of big windows that provide tons of natural light! It is wonderful!

We moved in to our house on Sunday. I'll be back with more updates and before/after photos soon. We have a weekend full of projects planned. Until then, enjoy a few photos of the punks.

My toothless boy chews on everything.

And he crawls backwards. Only backwards.

Nella had some yogurt with dinner. She eventually dropped the container.

Silas picked it up.

And eventually made a big, fat mess.

Those eyelashes! My goodness!

Fridge Facelift

2010-05-22T15:23:00.000-07:00

This bad boy came with the house. Please, try not to be jealous.

I appreciate 'retro' to a certain degree, I really do. I just don't think I could stomach this green giant greeting me every morning as I reach for the half & half. The refrigerator is on our 'to be replaced' list, but it's not urgent. Especially since the green giant is remarkably clean. And you know what? It keeps food cold. So, basically we were just dealing with the ugly factor. The rest of the appliances are black. Easy fix.

Paint it black.

Paint it black with chalkboard paint.

And now we have a fun and functional fridge. It's a conversation piece (in case it wasn't enough of one already). It's also a handy spot to keep a list of grocery essentials. And most importantly, it's a way to entertain the kiddos.

But won't there be gobs of chalk dust on your floor, you ask? Probably. But I live with two young children, so there's also always raisins, cheerios, blocks, and possibly pee all over the floor anyway.

The Paint is (Mostly) Dry: Workday 3

2010-05-19T19:37:00.000-07:00

We are basically finished painting. Thanks, Dad!

Here's a photo of Silas' room. I think the one I posted yesterday looked super dark and weird. I just can't have anyone thinking a picked out a disgusting color for my son's room!

And remember the green paint mishap? Fixed. Isn't that green MUCH better? I had the dudes at Sherwin Williams match another company's green.

No shutters. Notice that red door? I reaaaallllly love a good red door!

So happy and lovely!

Anyway, back to the shutters . . .

They were a filthy, faded, icky green.

My mom washed 'em up with TSP.

Oh, see our garage? It opens on both sides. We have access to it from the street and from an alley behind our house. Pretty cool, and handy too. Anyway, back to the shutters . . .

The men figured out the power sprayer. 10 minutes later the shutters were finished!

Another 10 minutes and they were dry and ready to go back on the house.

And I forgot to take an 'after' photo of the house with black shutters and red door. Tomorrow, friends. Tomorrow. While the men worked on shutters, I started scrubbing the wood floor that was covered by nasty carpet. As usual, Nella 'helped.'

Then the men put the final coats of white on the cabinets/trim in the kitchen. It's lookin' good! I'll take some real 'after' photos tomorrow after I clean the junk out of there.

The wall color is also Sherwin Williams Comfort Gray, just like in the master bedroom. It's pretty much my favorite paint color right now. We used it in the bathroom too (photos later).

Later, my mom drove Nana's Nap Tram. Not the healthiest way for the kiddos to nap, I'm sure. But they're always so keyed up when Nana & Pawpaw come to town, any sleep is better than none!

A HUGE thanks to Mom and Dad Sipe for helping us paint. We honestly couldn't have done it without you. Mom, you're the best baby-wrangler around. And Dad, well, you actually ARE a professional painter. Lucky us! ;) We love you!

Next weekend we get Mom and Dad Billingsley for more baby-wrangling and project completing! Are we blessed or what?

PS I was not compensated for plugging Sherwin Williams paint. But hey, if you're a rep reading this blog, you can send me a check. Or a certificate for some free paint. Or a t-shirt?

No, really, we just used it because my Dad said to. And we do what my dad says. He knows everything; especially about paint.

Making Progress: Workday 2

2010-05-18T19:45:00.000-07:00

My parents came up to help us paint, and we are so glad that they did.

Today was a whirlwind of primer, paint, putty, brushing, rolling, hole-filling and all things paint related. Caleb and dad were able to get a lot finished and if all goes as planned, we'll be able to finish up the main painting projects tomorrow.

Dad cut in the edges.

Caleb rolled.

Silas' room. The 'after' photo makes it look super dark, it's not really that dark though. And, please ignore the curtains. They belonged to the previous owners and they're coming down tomorrow.

Cabinet/window/trim priming time.

By 8:00 pm. Border gone. Wall color up. Two coats of white on the cabinets/trim.

What a mess!!

Oooh, look at that cute red door! I love it.

Master bedroom. Again, the photos don't really do the color justice. I guess you'll just have to come visit to see how great it looks!

Also today we primed all the trim in the bathroom and painted the walls. And Nella's room was painted, but it'll be re-painted with a different shade tomorrow. It was not quite right. Actually, not even close to being right. It was a totally different color on the wall than the sample from the store. Bizarre. Anyway, here's the first attempt.

Because it wouldn't be right to post anything without including photos of our little punks . . .

Here's Nella eating a chocolate chip scone, or as she calls them, trock-late chip scums.

And here's Silas just sittin' around lookin' cute.

Hopefully we'll get a lot more finished tomorrow and I'll get a chance to post more photos of our progress.

The To-Do List

2010-05-16T19:26:00.000-07:00

I added our current To-Do list to the left sidebar.

< - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I'll leave it there and update it as we complete (and add more) projects.

Homeowners

2010-05-15T20:24:00.000-07:00

Today was our first day working in our new house. Our to-do list, though not completely overwhelming, is growing. We're going to try to finish as much as we can before we move in at the end of the month.

Nella started working on a chalk masterpiece in the driveway.

We started ripping up the carpet in the back bedroom. It was the only room in the house with carpet. Nasty, hideous carpet that covered up a pretty decent wood floor. Now, that floor will need some work, but we love wood floors so it'll be worth it.

Hello, lovely wood floors! It's so nice to see you!

It gets a little shady there in the middle. Sometimes when you check one item off the list you also add a few more.

Meanwhile, Silas took a nap (in his room!) like a good little baby.

Uh, does anyone know how to properly dispose of old, janky carpet and padding? For now it's just hanging out in our garage. Classy. See those old-timey red suitcases? They were left in the garage by the previous owners. I was hoping they were full of money. They weren't. Anyway, if you want 'em, they're yours!

Nella 'helped' by carrying around a sponge and some sidewalk chalk in this orange bucket.

Break time! She was worn out and filthy!

The peonies (one of my favorites) in the front are blooming. Since they only last for a couple weeks, I thought I'd snap a few pics so I can enjoy them for the rest of the season. Aren't they just so lovely!?

Oh, that's not a peony. That weirdo flower is giant allium. It's pretty too, in its own weird way.

April - The Condensed Version.

2010-04-30T09:51:00.000-07:00

April 1st:

That brought us our newest nephew, Ilan David Ben Avi.

Ben Avi family of four.

Nella loved her new cousin's fuzzy hair.

Gratuitous Silas eyes shot.

Easter

The kids and I were already in Marion for Ilan's birth so we spent resurrection Sunday at Pawpaw & Nana Sipe's house. We missed Caleb, but he needed to be at our church that morning so he was unable to join us.

Silas did have an adorable coordinating Easter outfit. But, uh, to spare you the gory details, I'll just say he only wore it for about 20 minutes.

Nella and cousin Marley hunted eggs.

Trip to Louisville:

We went to the 'Ville for several days for Caleb to attend a conference. While there, we were able to visit lots of our friends that we left behind last September (when we shocked 'em all by up and moving to Central Illinois!). I took very little photos while there. How terrible!

But here's one of Silas playing horsey with his friend Jonas.

And here's one of Nella at the park with her friend Shiloh.

(Photo by Carrie, Shiloh's lovely momma)

Here's Caleb at the conference with some of his dearest friends.

Other Highlights:

It wouldn't be a normal photo-heavy post from me if I didn't include a bajillion more photographs of the kids. That's what really keeps you comin' back!

Nella teaches Silas the fine art of accessorizing.

7 month old Silas is getting closer to crawling every day. Currently, he can only go backwards.

For now, he gets where he wants by rolling around. He's fast.

He bullies his sister by kicking her.

Speaking of sister, Nella is still very much into playing with her dolls. But she is also loving playing outside. She is interested in plants and flowers. I just may have a budding gardener on my hands!

Nella talking about the azaleas in our soon-to-be backyard.

Her favorite of all the 'flowers' the delightful dandelion.

When she's not holding babies, picking 'flowers' or fending off kicks from little bro, she can be found in an empty bedroom closet with mom's iced tea. On a side note, I get a lot of compliments on that cup. My mom bought if for me at Starbucks last summer. They sold out fast and are very hard to find. If you want one, they are being sold on amazon.com. 70 bucks??? What a steal! I'm pretty sure they were $19.99 in stores. They must be a very desirable item!

Anyway, back to the kids:

Oh Silas, you're killing us with those eyes/eyelashes!

The last, hugely exciting, April event: we bought a house!

An old one. A reallllly old one. A 1918 bungalow in Urbana. We love it. It has character. It has charm. It has 3 bedrooms, 1 bathroom, delightful wood floors, and a desperately-in-need-of-a-makeover kitchen. But all it really needs is a family and a little love. We're honored to be that family and we're ready to move in and start lovin'! I plan on blogging about our adventures in 'fixing up' our little white bungalow and turning it into a home. Here's a picture of our little white bungalow. Isn't she a simply adorable?

And don't worry. The first thing we'll do is rid her of that awful awning. Ick. And we may even mow the super tall grass. If we get around to it. We close on May 14th. After that, I'll post many photos and our project list.

So, that's April. And now it's over.

Cocomero - Local Gem

2010-03-26T19:42:00.000-07:00

Cocomero is quickly becoming one of our favorite places in town. It's a sweet little self-serve frozen yogurt shop.

It was sunny outside today, so we decided to celebrate that sunshine by going for frozen yogurt.

Picking out a flavor. Caleb likes French Vanilla and Strawberry. I love Cafe Au Lait. Nella likes 'em all. (I love the tiled wall. Isn't it cool!?)

Paying.

47 cents per ounce.

Seriously, look how fun this place is! Upstairs seating, fun colors, tiled wall, healthy(ish) frozen yogurt, giant topping bar, fun views of campus. They also serve espresso, coffee, tea, and bubble tea.

Mmm.

Caleb and Nella watch people walk around Campustown.

She just loves spinning on the stools.

Fun afternoon. Come visit us and we'll take you to Cocomero!

Silas (Sorta) Eats Cereal

2010-03-26T13:22:00.000-07:00

We fed Silas his first bites of rice cereal recently. He didn't protest as much as I was expecting, but he didn't love it either. He grabs the spoon (of course!) so most of the cereal spills before it gets to his mouth. Whatever little bit manages to enter his mouth, he spits right back out. He'll learn. He will learn, right??!! Nella was excited for Silas to eat cereal from a spoon and loved getting to help feed him.

"Is it my turn to feed him yet? You said I could feed him."

"Dat's Silas ceweal!!" "Silas eat the ceweal!"

What? Did you think she would forget to feed Baby? Baby has to eat too!

They look so much alike in these photos, don't they?

Just Like Mommy

2010-03-13T08:49:00.000-08:00

She loves to sip hot coffee.* Yep, she is definitely a future coffee snob!

*Hot coffee is actually milk, with a tiny shot of hot coffee, served in a cute mug.

The photos were taken with Photo Booth.

Hello Spring, Goodbye Cold & Flu Season

2010-03-12T20:46:00.000-08:00

Wednesday was the first warm day here so far this year. It was quite refreshing and we spent the entire morning outside strolling around the neighborhood and playing at the park. I'd like to point out to my Southern friends that though it was warm, the kids are still bundled. It was 'Northern warm,' which basically just means that the sun was out and actually shining. So, no flip flops yet!

But, Thursday Nella was a little sick. I'm hoping that it was the last bout of sickness for the season.

She was extra pitiful that afternoon so I couldn't resist taking a picture. Yes, she has a paci (three, actually). Yes, we still give them to her at bedtime. Yes, we let her have them that afternoon. How could we not?! Look at that pitiful girl! And, yes, we know we should probably be getting rid of the pacis for good. We'll work on that. Anyway, here she's resting on the couch watching, Rudolph.

That's right. Rudolph. She's always asking to watch it. I always tell her she can't watch that until we have a Christmas tree up in our home. But I caved, because, that pitiful face!

Nella wasn't the only sick one. Apparently her baby was under the weather too. Nella set her up in the swing to get better. And if you're wondering, Nella's baby doesn't have a name. But, her baby's baby is named 'Baby Peanut.'

Flying Babies

2010-03-09T17:54:00.000-08:00

Video Flashback

2010-02-21T13:38:00.000-08:00

Recently we stumbled upon some old videos of Nella. One, in particular, cracked us up so much that we decided to post it here. Maybe you won't laugh at all. Maybe you'll laugh if I tell you that she would start to bust a move every time she heard that specific song. Every. Single. Time. Her 'dancing' was really just a quick series of punches and arm swings. Kind of like Tae Bo.

The video is from July 7, 2009. The song is the end credits to Arrested Development. Man, that was a great show.

The End Credits Dance from Keli Billingsley on Vimeo.

Nella's Birthday Party

2010-02-19T20:39:00.000-08:00

We had a little party to celebrate Nella's 2nd Birthday. We had some family and friends over to our apartment. I made a banner (Nella 'helped') with some paper that I had on hand. I also decided to set up a 'cupcake bar' with different flavors of cupcakes and icings, and a variety of toppings.

I think everyone enjoyed creating their own cupcake. I did make some 'fancy' brown sugar cupcakes with brown-butter icing (the iced ones on the right). I thought they were so delicious. (The recipe is from Martha Stewart).

Singing Happy Birthday to the Birthday Girl.

Present time!

What could this be?

I see a baby.

She was so excited!

Thanks Papa & Nana!

No birthday party is complete without a meltdown.

Ready for bed.

She got spoiled with lots of lovely gifts. She got to see her grandparents, cousins, aunts, and friends. She was the center of attention. I think she had fun day.

Nella = 2

2010-02-08T19:16:00.000-08:00

Our Pretty Little Nella Girl is 2 years old today. I cannot believe how quickly the past two years have gone by. She's really growing up so fast. This morning I was looking back through old photos of Nella. I picked out a few of my personal favorites to share with you. How blessed we are to be the parents of this sweet girl!

My top 5 favorite photos from her first 2 years:

I'm flying!

Father's Day

Little Alley Cat

6 Months (That crooked smile and scrunchy eye gets me every time!)

Classic Nella face.

What's that? You want to see a few more? No problem!

Nella is such a hilarious little girl. She cracks us up constantly. She's friendly, silly, and sweet. She loves playing with her baby dolls, puzzles, and crayons. She also loves books and wants to be read to all the time. She loves 'helping' me with household chores and taking care of Silas. She really loves her daddy and is most definitely a daddy's girl. She loves nap time, bath time, and going to visit daddy at work. She also loves going to church and playing with her friends. Her current favorite foods are applesauce with cinnamon (she likes to shake the cinnamon on herself), peas & carrots, and toast with honey. She's really into the movie Monsters, Inc. She definitely desires to be independent, which causes her some frustration at times. I guess we're officially in the 'terrible twos.' Though her tantrums are usually pretty mild, they are becoming more frequent. Overall she is a delight to parent and I'm sure (hoping) two will be more terrific than terrible!

Silas = 4 Months

2010-02-04T11:02:00.000-08:00

Littlest Billingsley is four months old. Silas, in my opinion, is the most adorable baby boy in the universe. He is strong. He is never quiet or still. He has a natural mini-mohawk. Caleb affectionatly refers to it as 'youth pastor hair.'

He smiles, rolls over, squeals, grunts, and drools all the time.

He eats very often.

He weighs 13 lbs, 12 oz. He's almost 25 inches long.

He refuses to drink from a bottle and don't you dare try to give him a pacifier.

Thankfully, he's a pretty laid back guy.

He always wants to play and loves to be held. But not a snuggly type of held, oh no. He likes to be held sitting upright and facing out, so he can see everything.

He is not what I would classify as a great sleeper. He was a great sleeper for about a month. Now he wakes up 4 or 5 or even 6 times a night. I always have luck nursing him right back to sleep, but it's still exhausting. I think he just wakes up to make sure I'm still there. He is, after all, a big fat momma's boy. I don't mind. Just look at those eyes!

You know, some people use these, these or this to get eyes like those!

Caleb's Reading List

2010-02-04T07:39:00.000-08:00

~~Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business - Neil Postman~~
The World is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-First Century - Thomas L. Friedman
Preaching and Preachers - D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Guests of the Sheik: An Ethnography of an Iraqi Village - Elizabeth Warnock Fernea
~~J. R. R. Tolkien: A Biography - Humphrey Carpenter~~
The Reason for God: Belief in an Age of Skepticism - Timothy Keller
The Christian Imagination: The Practice of Faith in Literature and Writing - Leland Ryken
Christless Christianity: The Alternative Gospel of the American Church - Michael Horton
Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
J. R. R. Tolkien: Author of the Century - Tom Shippey
Manhunt: The 12-Day Chase for Lincoln's Killer - James L. Swanson
The Old Testament Documents: Are They Reliable & Relevant - Walter C. Kaiser
April 1865: The Month that Saved America - Jay Wink
Human Cloning and Human Dignity: The Report of the President's Council on Bioethics - Leon R. Kass

Keli's Reading List

2010-01-01T06:51:00.001-08:00

Here's my reading list for the year. Caleb's is not finalized yet.

In addition to ESV's Chronological Bible reading plan, I'll be tackling these titles:

Idols of the Heart: Learning to Long for God Alone - Elyse Fitzpatrick
Adopted for Life: The Priority of Adoption for Christian Families & Churches - Russell D. Moore
Repairing the Ruins: The Classical and Christian Challenge to Modern Education - Douglas Wilson
Total Truth: Liberating Christianity from Its Cultural Captivity - Nancy Pearcey
Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America - Barbara Ehrenreich
Big Truths for Young Hearts: Teaching and Learning the Greatness of God - Bruce A. Ware
The Photographer's Eye: Composition and Design for Better Digital Photos - Michael Freeman
The Hidden Art of Homemaking - Edith Schaeffer
The Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien

The list may seem short, but for me it's some hefty reading. And "The Lord of the Rings" is three books, three books!

Happy Christmas!

2009-12-25T21:57:00.000-08:00

Hope you had a Merry Christmas!

Christmas Clothes

2009-12-20T20:08:00.000-08:00

We got the kids all gussied up for the Christmas service at church this morning. We snapped a few pictures before Nella got crayon on her sweater and Silas puked all over his outfit.

Aren't they just the sweetest little people!?

Somebody please tell this girl to stop growing up, because she is not listening to us!

Dancing in her fancy dress. Silas was amused.

So handsome.

Christmas Cookies

2009-12-20T19:35:00.001-08:00

Dad's Mighty Mouse

2009-12-18T10:52:00.001-08:00

Just in case you were wondering about Mighty Mouse's compatibility with the Vtech Toddler Laptop . . .

. . . it works.

Caleb Billingsley, Master of Divinity

2009-12-13T19:40:00.000-08:00

Caleb has officially graduated from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary! We traveled to Louisville last week for the ceremony, where he received his Master's degree. He has worked so hard, and I couldn't be more proud of him!

While in town, we were able to visit with some dear friends. (Jonathan & family, Carrie & family, Stephanie & Brian & family, Stephen, and more) We love and miss them and enjoyed catching up. Thanks, friends, for making time for us.

We attended a reception at The Mohler's home. We especially enjoyed wandering through Dr. Mohler's personal library.

"Hey, I've read this one!"

Every SBTS graduate has got to get one of these classic pictures.

We stayed in a hotel with Caleb's parents and my parents. Nella had a blast!

The ceremony was incredible. You can read, or listen, to Dr. Mohler's commencement address and charge to graduates here.

Sea of graduates.

Nella was a good girl during the entire ceremony. Ok, we totally bribed her with her pacis. But, still, she was a very good little girl!

Our happy family!

But, uh-oh! There was a little bitty problem with Caleb's diploma. . .

let's zoom on in here . . .

Yep. We're definitely missing an 'e' in there. Yikes! He'll have to wait a month or two to receive the corrected diploma.

Mixed Feelings from Keli Billingsley on Vimeo.

Bouncing! Bouncing!

2009-12-13T17:57:00.000-08:00

Bouncing! Bouncing! from Keli Billingsley on Vimeo.

Redeemer Newsletter

2009-11-30T19:28:00.001-08:00

Also, you can listen to Caleb's sermon by going to redeemerchurchCU.com, clicking 'Sermons' and launching the sermon player.

Redeemer Newsletter - September-October 2009

Thanksgiving '09

2009-11-30T17:47:00.001-08:00

This year we spent the Thanksgiving holiday in Marion. We enjoyed delicious food and quality time with family and friends. Some pictures of the kids:

There was a kids table. It lasted less than 10 minutes. Nella and Simon were ready to play.

One bite, two bites, three bits, done!

Silas' first Thanksgiving. He couldn't even eat turkey!

'What do you mean I'm too big for this seat?'

Silas and Jonas just doing what they do; be cute.

A Thank You Note

2009-11-12T11:41:00.001-08:00

Dear Target,
Thank you for updating your store brand diapers. I recently found myself wandering your baby care aisles feeling frustrated by the price of the diapers I normally buy. You see, as of 7 weeks ago, I purchase twice the amount I used to. Let down in the past by your diapers, I reluctantly reached for a box of your new and modestly priced 'up & up' brand. I was pleasantly surprised to find them not only economical and practical, but aesthetically pleasing as well. They are now almost, almost, as good as pricier brands (Ahem, Pampers). Affordable and adorable; now my babes stay cute and dry while running, or lying, around.

Also, the box doubles as a super-fun toy!

Tub Time = Happy Time

2009-10-29T09:30:00.001-07:00

We have discovered that Silas likes our bathroom. I'm not sure if it's the bright, yellow lights, or the loud, buzzing noise from the fan, but he always seems to calm down when he's in there. He also LOVES bath time. Here's our boy relaxing in his tub.

If only he could stay in the bath all day.

Cry Babies

2009-10-27T14:39:00.000-07:00

Yep, my day has pretty much been like this.
(They're not always like this, though.)

The big one's mad because I won't give her another Hershey's kiss or let her watch her movie for a second time. The little one's upset . . . always, it seems.

How has your day been?