Relaxing Saturdays...Overrated.

While most people sleep in, wake up late, and, oh yeah, relax on a Saturday--We run and work in this part of Arkansas!  As you know, Erin and I are in full training mode for the Little Rock Marathon that is coming up the first week of March.  Weekends for us mean get up and RUN...A LOT! Today we tackled our first 20 miler of the training.  So, here is how our Saturday rolled out.  Tanner and I woke up about 6:30, had my coffee, bowl of Bran Flakes with a banana, a glass of water, and then bundled up to take on the 24 degree weather.  Tanner headed out to work on the NEARLY FINISHED deck as Erin made it over from her apartment, and we took off on foot to beat that 20 miles...

20 miles, man that sounds like a long way to run.  It simply is.  Running for nearly 3 1/2 hours is a long time and your body knows it.  I know it seems like a beyond ridiculous suggestion, but if you ever get the urge DO IT!  Honestly one of the most accomplished moments of my life is crossing a marathon finishing line.  Taking on and beating 26.2 miles takes strength, determination, faith, and heart.  Tanner always asks after a long run, "What do y'all talk about?"  It is such a good question, and I don't know how we do it, but we always manage to find odds and ends to discuss and keep us trucking on our route.  A running partner gets you like no one else, only they know your pain, blisters, aches, laughs, stories, and moments of bliss/torture as you finish a run.  Our dad, who is training for the marathon in Mtn. View, is always with us in spirit.  It never fails that Dad comes up in our running convos.  In case you didn't know, my dad is a RUNNING BEAST!  He could blow Erin, I, and most runners out of the water, but you would never know it.  He does his thing in a "super hero runner" kind of way with no one noticing how he kills his runs, then calls and always asks how ours was.  As we complain and whine, he usually says, "Mine was tough, but good."  No complaints, no endless whining, no collapsing on the couch...He just does it.  Yep, Super hero no doubt. 

Anyway, back to our 20 miles.  About half way through, Tanner and Scott come up behind us blasting the truck horn.  It was like the sky opened and heaven rained down as they handed us each a Gatorade out the window!  Pretty amazing husbands, right?  : )  Blessed!  That gave us the boost to make it nearly 3/4 of the way there...15 miles...at which point our wonderful husbands had left Gatorade and an energy boosting banana.  Man oh man, until you have a banana 15 miles into a run, you have no idea how truly delicious they are.  Thanks Tan & Scott!  A few more hills, a few more moans, and a few more miles later, we roll down the last hill to the house.  Yes, we did it!  They say if you can run 20 you can do 26.2...Have you tried it?  Erin and I decided today that if you can do 20 that is killer, but that last 6.2 is still going to nearly knock you dead.  But hey, we are tackling it and beating it come March. 

I may complain, I may be exhausted, and I may hurt now, but if you could just put yourself in our shoes when we finally cross that finish line I know you would say..."Hey, maybe I can do this."  All I am saying is, don't knock it 'til you try it.  It will be the hardest task you ever take on, but it will be one of the most memorable few hours of your life as you run through crowds of people screaming for you, holding signs for you, pumping you with water, Gatorade, candy, and GU...and then finally making that last leap over that beautiful line, having that metal placed around your neck, and spotting your family run at you with hugs and smiles.  No doubt about it, run a marathon. 

Oh and the deck progress today...It has been a marathon deck building day.  Tanner and Scott worked while we ran, then they went home.  Tan is still working on it as I blog.  I have stayed out here with him and shoveled...POUNDS...of puppy poop from the yard, while he has hammered, nailed, and sawed his way through the day.  Way to go Tan, you have nearly done it!

I'm not sure if Erin beat the 20 miles or the 20 miles beat her.  : )

Digo & Faye helping the boys build the deck...They oversee the work.

We have stairs today!

Scott gave Erin a lift up the stairs...they work great!

Tan finishing up the stairs!

Working on the railing, he said I picked a tedious design.  Sorry Tan, you know I love ya!

Dang...now that is some pretty deck railing, right?

Newlywed Thursday Nights

Two sets of newlyweds, two marathon running wives, two husbands building a deck, oh and of course DINNER!  Yep, that pretty much sums up the Parsons/Terrell weekly Thursday night agenda.  Before Erin and Scott married in December, Erin would come over every Thursday night for a little run and a real meal.  Living alone as she was, I have a feeling her dinners were far from balanced or exciting.  So, once a week Tanner and I would fix a meal to satisfy.  Then, once she became Mrs. Terrell and Scott joined us up here in northwest AR, we decided to truck on with our Thursday tradition!  It is great, every other week we switch homes for dinner. I love that it is our "thing" that keeps us all close.

Sometimes, people get so caught up in work, home, sleep...work, home, sleep...Work is stressful and exhausting, home is a safe place to relax in your PJs, and sleep, well a good night of sleep says enough for itself--Except if you are privileged enough to have the company of a massive golden retriever and sweet little lab curled up at the end of your bed  : ) --   But taking time to sit back with your sister, brother-in-law, and wonderful husband is worth leaving the PJs in the drawer a few extra hours.  My point is, even when people you love and enjoy spending time with live down the road, it is hard to make time to see them sometimes.  Thursday night dinners keep us going strong as the fantastic four! 

Last week Erin and Scott made Chicken Enchiladas full of cheesy goodness.  Oh, and I have to mention two weeks before that Scott busted out these Coffee Pork Chops that were KILLER!  I mean, truly, one of the most amazing foods I have ever put in my mouth.  I am beyond stuffed, and still my mouth waters for them now.  I will try to coax him in to sharing the recipe so I can share it with you!  Tonight was my night.  We went Asian Style with Spicy Chicken Stir Fry *made with my mom's homemade sauce*, health-ified baked cream cheese rangoons, and for dessert...Chocolate Banana Baked Wontons.  Yum!  AND...Rather healthy!  I decided to share the dessert wonton recipe tonight.  Give it a go next time you have an Asian inspired dinner!

Chocolate Banana Wontons
Source: Adapted from Weight Watchers

24 wonton wrappers
4 Tbsp semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 medium firm banana, chopped
Powdered Sugar to sprinkle
Cocoa Powder to sprinkle

1.Mix chocolate chips and chopped banana. 
2. Spoon 1 teaspoon of the filling onto each wonton wrapper.
3. Lightly moisten edges of wonton wrappers with water, fold wrappers over filling diagonally, and pinch at seam to keep all the goodness in while baking.
4. Bake at 350 for 12-14 minutes, or until top is lightly browned.
5. Place on serving tray, sprinkle with powdered sugar and cocoa powder.
6. Serve warm.

ENJOY your "not-so-bad for you" wonton pillow of melted chocolate and banana! Not a bad way to end a Thursday night right?  Family, food, running, deck building...Yep, definitely look forward to all the Thursdays to come!

the love of my kitchen...

Reading Recipes, Trying New Ideas, Baking Goodies, My Own Kitchen Creations--Yep, that pretty much sums me up in my spare moments away from time with Tanner, teaching 3rd grade, and running.  The kitchen is my "safe haven".  When I dig out the measuring spoons, bowls, spatulas, and pans...I get this feeling of, well, simplistic joy I guess.  It is hard to describe the enjoyment I get from cooking and baking. 

I grew up in the kitchen with both, my mom and dad.  I remember being little and getting to cut dumpling dough with a butter knife with mom, and making glaze for dad's, oh so famous, homeade doughnuts and cinnamon rolls.  To this day, not a holiday goes by where you don't find mom, Erin, and I in the kitchen cooking, baking, and ALWAYS laughing.  I have nothing but cherished memories in the kitchen, I guess this is where my passion is rooted.  Thanks mom and dad for all those special kitchen moments! 

Not many days pass by that I am not tweaking recipes I  have found and want to try.  My flaw, I guess you could say, is that I like to challenge myself to "health-ify" any recipe I can get my hands on.  Tanner is a great sport, as he eats and seems to enjoy most concoctions I throw out in front of him for dinner.  I am blessed to have a husband who encourages my kitchen addiction!  Part of my reasoning for starting a blog was to start sharing and actually writing down my recipes.  I am cursed with the desire to throw things together and it actually turn out well, yet never measure or write down my creations.  I always talk about my new recipes and recipe tweaks with my mom and sister, they always say, "Well where is my cookbook of these recipes?"  I have no answer...I have no written recipes!  So, it is time to start writing down ingredients, measurements, and directions.  It is time to share my passion with anyone looking for some healthy, yet satisfying, meals and sweets.  I hope they don't disappoint!  : )

This past weekend when my family was down, I made a muffin recipe that I have been making, tweaking, and remaking for the past year.  They seemed to be a hit, even Kyle my "your health food is going to kill me" brother seemed to enjoy them!  Give them a try!

Banana Blueberry Oat Muffins
Makes:  16 muffins

1 egg
2 ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup brown sugar, packed
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup flour *mom tried whole wheat & considered it a success! : )
1/2 cup natural apple sauce
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup quick cooking oats
1/2 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup chopped pecans (or other nuts you have on hand)

1. Preheat oven to 350.  Spray muffin tin with cooking spray.
2. In large bowl, mix egg, bananas, brown sugar, apple sauce, and vanilla.
3. In small bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon.
4. Gently stir flour mixture and oats into banana mixture.
5. Fold in blue berries and nuts.
6. Spoon into muffin tin and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

Enjoy with some cold fresh fruit and a cup of warm coffee!  Not a bad way to start any day!

Family Weekend Visit

Saturday morning around 6:30, Erin and I took off on an EIGHTEEN MILE RUN for our marathon training while Tanner and Scott got to work on the deck.  Back in Mountain View, dad had ran his EIGHTEEN MILES starting at 4:30...crazy I know...and then he and mom loaded up to come to our home for a visit!  Luckily, they were able to pick up some extra "baggage" (aka my older brother, Kyle) in Harrison along the way!  I love when family comes to visit.  We are blessed with two great sets of parents who come see us here in Cave Springs.  It is quite a drive at over 3 hours, but I love every second of it.  Now, "visitor prep time" is not my finest hour, as I tend to have OCD traits that, I admit, make me a rather annoyingly, crazy house cleaner.  What can I say, I like to show off the home I am so proud to share with Tanner, Digo, and Faye.  Everyone truly came to see the wonderfully amazing deck Tan has built, yes, still a proud wife.  When mom, dad, and Kyle finally got here, I think we were out the back door on THE DECK within 30 seconds.  They, as all should be, were blown away by his handy work.  Once again, nice work Tan!

Weekends with family literally fly by!  We play the "how many family fun activities can you pack into 24 hours" game.  The boys-Kyle, dad, Tanner, and Scott-went out to Academy to get Kyle some golfing essentials he couldn't live without, while the girls-Mom, Erin, and I-stayed here to prep dinner.  I LOVE time in the kitchen with my mom and sister, there is no better bonding two girls can have with their wonderful mom.  *Sidebar...Thanks mom for showing us how to love a kitchen and make the most of every second spent cooking with and for family*  When the boys returned from "guy time,"  we all loaded up to visit the recently finished Crystal Bridges Museum.  Our quick 10 minute drive there ended up in a 45 minute search for the main entrance.  Who knew a HUGE museum could be so hard to find, right Scott & Erin? : )  We made it exactly 30 minutes before close, so all we had time for was a quick run through one section.  Oh well, the area we saw was unbelievable and we all can't wait to go back for a DAY at the museum.  After our outing, we came back home to BBQ sandwiches with all the fixins' and time together laughing like we always do.  Man oh man, I love the sound of a HOME full of laughter. 

This morning, we all woke up early, too early for a weekend, but being an early riser runs in the family.  Digo and Faye gladly woke Kyle up the couch as they full-on mauled him within 2 seconds of noticing him on the couch!  Coffee, oatmeal blueberry muffins, and a fruit salad...What a way to start a morning!  Kyle's one comment, "Where is the bacon?"  Come on Kyle, you should have known I would have brought on the healthy full force!  I couldn't ask for anything more than a house full of family, it is a blessing to be a part of such a strong family and now starting my own with Tanner.  After a few more moments walking in awe around the deck, everyone loaded up and headed out. 

Tanner, Mom, Dad, Kyle, Scott, & Erin--Thanks for every moment of memories and laughs.

Mom shopping in Erin & Scott's "Wedding Room".  I like it, it means they have to visit us often!

Had to get a family photo on THE DECK.

That is as close as I could get to the group with a 10 second timer...not blessed with speed.

Dad gave us 2 benches he built for Erin & Scott's wedding.  Love them, thanks dad!

Man, what a happy drive way full of cars!

Looking over the deck one last time, and of course watching the puppies.

Dad admiring my handyman husband's work! : )

Handy Man Husband

A few months ago, Tanner came home for work and said, "I am going to build a deck."  Yes, we have been discussing how beautiful a huge deck would be since we bought our home in August, but I will admit, I didn't realize my proactive husband meant NOW! A little surprised at first, I was a bit nervous, but as usual Tan knows best!  He started the deck and now it is well on it's way to being my summer sun bathing heaven.  I am an EXTREMELY proud wife, obviously, and couldn't resist sharing Tanner's talent with the world.   He researched, read books, bought lumber and supplies, then began to tackle the deck of our dreams.  My brother-in-law, Scott--that is new to say since they married on 12/10 so I throw it in where I can--has been coming over in the afternoons to help while Erin and I do our weekly runs for training.  It works out great!  They hammer and saw away, we run many miles.  This past weekend, Tanner finished the decking and began BUILDING HIS OWN STAIRS.  Yes, still proud and amazed.  Here are a few pictures of the deck from start to what it is at now.   More pictures and posts to come about the dream deck as he finishes up.  Way to go Tan, your the most amazing husband and handy man!

Before the deck building gets underway!

Breaking ground!

Quickcrete, Quickcrete, and more Quickcrete...

Look at them go, matching tool belts and all! : )

My good looking, deck building husband.

Lower section done!

And the top level begins.

Faye helping Tan build.

Digo overseeing the work.

Top level nearly done.

And there is our deck!  Now on to stairs and railing.

Beautiful work Tanner!

Here come there stairs!

Run. Run. Run.

When days are rough, run.  Yep, that is how an addiction starts!  Running has been my "go to" stress relief over the years.  Now, besides the norm day to day stresses, I am living the good life!  But...Running has stuck with me!  Over the past three years, I have finished 4 marathons and 2 half marathons.  I love the adrenaline rush of the screaming bystanders, the grab and go Gatorade & GU stops, the hilarious signs family & friends flash to the runners, and of course my amazing support crew that is never more than a few miles away.  Now, running was fun before, but today it is a BLAST! Why?  Because my dad and sister run too!  Last October, all three of us ran the Chicago Marathon.  My mom, Scott (Erin's husband), and Tanner were our support crew and I think ran/walked nearly as much as we did!  That started the "Mallett Family Running Extravaganza"!  At the moment the three of us are training for the Little Rock Marathon in March.  Erin and I are training around Cave Springs and dad is training on his own in Mtn. View.  We ran 12 miles tonight, I admit without her it would be hard to lace up my shoes and take off after a day in the classroom in a freezing cold head wind.  We talk, laugh, and complain...it is wonderful every time!  He is our role model...rain, shine, pain, cold, exhausted-It doesn't matter, dad runs.  Wow.  Running has brought us all closer together, it is a great way for two girls to bond with their "superhero runner" dad. 

The whole crew after the 2010 Chicago Marathon.

Chicago Medals...The first of many our father-daughters running team will collect!

Our "Babies"

As a major part of the Parsons' family, I decided it was time to give Digo and Faye a proper introduction.

One night in September, Tan & I decided...we need dogs, BIG dogs.  So, we loaded up and took off to get them!  The first stop was in Conway for a beautiful 6 week old chocolate lab.  The next stop was in Pine Bluff for a 6 week old big ball of golden retriever fluff.  And, then and their our 2 person marriage became a 2 person and 2 dog family!  Through nights of no sleep, 24/7 puppy poop and pee patrol, a case of hook worms, a case ring worm, and oh yes, a case of puppy staff infection...we now have two happy, healthy, huge babies!  Each hour of carpet scrubbing was more than worth it for the two puppies we have.  They truly are our children.  Sad?  Nah, just endless moments of kisses, nips, and puppy love!

Little Miss Faye

Faye is our female chocolate lab.  We named her after a stop on a road trip we made to Santa Fe, NM.  Tan has always wanted a lab so, we got him the best of the best!  In her early months, I believe she bite through at least 5 human ears.  Many ears have Faye scars...  But besides her biting tendencies, she is the sweetest, smartest pup around.  No really, I think she is a genius.  On top of sitting, shaking, and fetching, Faye has now learned to open our back door.  Who knew I would ever have to lock a door so my dog can't come in as she pleases.   She is an absolute joy and loves to cuddle when she is good and tired.  Her love for Tan beams from her every moment.  I love every it and her, Faye is one of a kind. 

"Gentle" Digo

Digo is a rather large golden retriever pup.  He is named after another stop on the same road trip to Durango, CO.  A month into having him the vet told us, "This is going to be a very large dog."  Yay!  That is exactly what I wanted, a big, block headed, golden bundle of love.  Tan likes to call him "Flower" or "Gentle"  because well, he is as one may say, delicate.  Digo is truly the most kind hearted pup around.  He loves to snuggle, snore, drool, and eat...a lot.  The only way to save your hand is to toss him a snack, handing it to him is out of question if you enjoy having all your fingers.  Digo is all for lazy days and relaxing, just looking at him makes you laugh.  He may not be the bravest puppy around, but he sure does make you feel loved when that golden ball of joy is curled up next to you.

One of my favorites!

Their favorite way to sleep.

Miss Faye

Mr. Digo

Meet the Parsons Crew

I decided it was about time to give blogging a shot!  With all the excitement 2011 brought our family, I thought why not blog it.  The life we have started together in northwest Arkansas has been all things, except slow. 

Parsons 2011 in a blog post:
*Engaged, married, honeymooned in Belize, new job at Marshalltown Tools for Tanner, new third grade teaching position for me in Rogers, moved from central Arkansas, bought a new home, & bought TWO big puppies who have stolen our hearts and are eating their way through our paychecks with puppy food...wouldn't trade them for the anything in the world.

Yes, all this excitement and we are only into our 6th month of being HAPPILY MARRIED!  : )  Married life is wonderful, simply wonderful.  I have been blessed with a husband who lets me cook all the crazy concoctions I manage to come up with, lets me arrange, arrange, and rearrange the house as many times I please, and  loves me more than I could have ever hoped for.  Our busy life is full of love, laughs, memories, and, of course, lots of puppy kisses--or bites.   A perfect husband & 2 perfect pups...What more could a girl ask for!