I love soup. Maybe you get tired of me saying that, but it's true. I have some funny dreams for my life, and one of them is to write an entire recipe book full of soup recipes. Of course people would be like "Soup? Who eats SOUP in Hawaii?" and I'd just shrug my shoulders because I can't explain everything. Soup is just great. And split pea soup has always been a family favorite. My boys love it when Grandma makes it old-fashioned style-- ham-bone and all. I like to make it vegetarian
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Spring Coffee Date! Latest Instas, Updates, and Links to Love
Hi Friends!I love to stop in occasionally for what I like to call a Virtual Coffee date. (like this one in January, and one from last fall.) These are for times when I just wish I could sit down with you over a cuppa, share some photos, links you might love, and in general catch up on life. There are so many little (and big) things that tend to get lost in the shuffle of a busy life and busy blogging.And coffee dates feel a little more personal like that.So, thanks for being
A Strong Indicator of a Healthy (and Lasting) Marriage
Remember when you first fell in love with your spouse...And you found everything about him (or her) so fascinating? Whatever interested the one you loved...interested you. If they wanted to watch a game, or run errands, or eat pizza, you were happy to do it. Even the most boring topics or projects came to life if you were together.Unfortunately, those feelings don't always last.A few years later, you might find your spouse's interests mostly uninteresting. Their hobbies? Time
Targeting Character Issues in Teens
When it comes to parenting, there is nothing I care more about than character.And thankfully, I don't think I'm alone in this. Yesterday on my Facebook page I asked what character qualities readers hoped to instill in their kids. Comments came flooding in: "Empathy, kindness, resilience, respect, honesty, integrity, gratitude, humility, thoughtfulness..." and the list went on. People mentioned the challenge of raising kids of character in a world often promoting selfishness,
A Chore System, and Money Management for Kids: Our System, and a Video
I hear from a lot of families who struggle to find a simple AND effective system for getting their kids to do chores consistently. We would all love to find a system that does not involve constant nagging, or inconsistencies. (Or just giving up and doing it all ourselves because sometimes that's just easier, right?)Well, I spent years trying...and failing...to find a system that would work for my boys. And since by nature I'm not the most organized person, I was beginning to blame myself
Thai Peanut Chicken Coconut Soup
You guys know by now that I love soup. Like, I could eat it every day. Even here in Hawaii, and even all year-long. No shame. All kinds of soup. love love love. Well, now I have a confession: I have been making this delicious coconuty, peanut-buttery, hint-of-ginger-and-lime, chicken and vegetable-packed soup for a long time now. And somehow it just occurred to me that I've never stopped to get photos and share it with you here. Shame on me. I feel like I've been keeping something from
5 Favorite Moments in our Homeschool Life
Our homeschool life is not perfect, but I can say that most of the time, I'm really happy with it. Most of the time I am so glad we do it. Most of the time I really love our daily groove. (If you read this post, you'll know that our schedule can be a little nuts, but much of that is due to surf, not homeschooling, so that's another subject.)I have come to terms with the fact that there is no ideal school situation. With the pros will come the cons, and though I believe that homeschooling
The Fastest Way to Re-Ignite a Spark in Your Marriage
A while back I said that I wanted to share some short/sweet posts related to marriage this year...Some encouragement for all of us, because when we're in this season of raising kids and doing a gazillion other things, sometimes we lose focus on that most important relationship.Mostly I just want to share with you some of the things that I am working on. Not preaching, but encouraging.And let's start with a reminder: Marriage has seasons. It's normal to go through times where you feel