ali's back!

Last night was the kick-off of a new season of my favorite reality TV series, The Bachelor/Bachelorette! Each season I get hooked watching what will inevitably be a train wreck but I just can't stop watching! I enjoy seeing how ridiculous the show is each season; the drama is unbelievable. It's my guilty pleasure. Plus I must admit, I read some amazing blogs that provide quite comically commentary; all the things I am thinking while watching the show. Check this one out!

Last night, after eating a delicious meal prepared by my best friend Kerry and her husband Chris, while waiting for the Bachelorette to come on, I made Texas Chocolate Sheetcake. I combined two different recipes; one from The Pioneer Woman and another from Homesick Texan. I did this as the second had cinnamon and I love cinnamon. My taste testers gave it the official approval as I caught them both going back for seconds. ;) Not sure if it was as good as my mom's but maybe a close second. Anyone notice how nothing you make will ever be quite as good as your mom's, why is that? I will test on a couple others tonight as I watch the American Idol finale. GO LEE!!!

And for good measure my simple joy for the day. Enjoy! :)

simple joys

So I know I am very overdue for a post. I promise a more detailed one is coming soon. Today I decided to change my blog address and name to simply joys. I loved the idea of it. So here is my simple joy for the day. Enjoy! :)

gameday!

AHHHHH, SIC'EM BEARS!!!! See you at the game! :)

sic'em

I have always been proud to be a Baylor Bear even when our sports teams were not doing well and everyone thought we were a joke. Because at the end of the day, being a proud Baylor Bear is not about winning in sports but life. I know that sounds slightly cheesy but the truth of the matter is Baylor University is a place I will always be proud to call my home. It's really not something you can explain to people who have not had the Baylor experience. All those who are apart of the Baylor family understand this affinity. The school, the people, the city; all shaped me into the person I am today and am proud to be. A school where professors are encouraged to pray with their students, know their students and it is a network that continues long after you have left the university. It was not just a place where I received a education but where I also grew spiritually and socially.

For those of you that haven't heard, the Baylor Bears Men's Basketball team is finally breaking through. They were predicted to finish #10 in the Big 12 Conference and are currently tied for #2. They have an actual chance to make a run in the NCAA Tournament and be seeded at high as #3! And with a coach who openly talks about his faith in national interviews and says his goal is to prepare his players for life and hopefully heaven.

So today, I am a little bit prouder to be a Baylor Bear. But even if we don't win one game in the tournament, I will still be proud to be a Baylor Bear. SIC'EM! :)

cowtown

Last weekend I took a little trip to Fort Worth or otherwise known as "The Cowtown". My running buddy Taryn and I headed up on Friday after work to run The Cowtown half marathon. Taryn's husband Andy was nice enough to be our driver. Also on this trip I got to spend time with one of my best friends from high school, Laura Sapaugh and her husband Micah. Laura is 16 weeks pregnant so that made for an even more exciting visit!! :) Taryn and I finished the half marathon with a respectable time. It had been a long time since we had run an entire race together. It made me realize how much I missed running with that girl. We even got to meet up with some of my best friends from Dallas, Nathalie, Andrew and John Paul.

After running in some of the most beautiful running weather in a long time, we spent time playing outside with the dogs, maternity shopping and of course doing lots of eating!! We ate at Montgomery Cafe, Joe T Garcia's, The Purple Cow and Cafe Brazil. So good!! Overall it was a wonderful weekend with fabulous friends! Can't wait to visit again and to meet baby Sapaugh!! :)




And of course you can't go on a road trip without baking a snack for the road. I tried out these amazing Peanut Butter and Double Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies from Picky Palate and they did not disappoint. I changed up the recipe a bit and used Hershey's dark chocolate cocoa. Also I would recommend doubling the peanut butter dough as I had twice as much dark chocolate chip dough. Happy baking! :)

lent devotional

This was part of my daily Lent devotional yesterday and I loved it so I thought I would share.It really spoke to my heart.

Let us try to see the pain of our human and spiritual journey "from above." The great art is to gradually trust that life's interruptions are the places where God is molding you into the person you are called to be. Interruptions are not disruptions of your way to holiness, but rather are places where you are being formed into the unique person God calls you to be. You know you are living a grateful life when whatever happens is received as an invitation to deepen your heart, to strengthen your love and to broaden your hope. You are living a grateful life when something is taken away from you that you thought was so important and you find yourself willing to say, " Maybe I'm being invited to a deeper way of living."

Have a great weekend! :)

dream BIG

A little inspiration for the day. Never stop dreaming and Dream BIG!