Here is Assignment #22 as taken from The Kings Kreation blog:

"For this week's assignment I thought it would be fun to share our dinner plans for the night or if you're organized enough for the week.  You can include pictures if you desire.  Also tell what your family likes to drink, if you have desserts or not.  If you want to then take this assignment and let all the children in your life make dinner for the night.   Please add your favorite verse for this assignment as it might be an encouragement for someone else.  This week's assignment is short and sweet so have fun with it."

Last night my son and I made homemade chicken noodle soup.  I have been letting my son cook more - teaching him how to do more things.  This past week he made a cake all by himself.  It was a box mix but he read and followed the directions and did it on his own.  He baked it, kept an eye on it while it was baking, and put the icing on it when it was ready.  It turned out so moist and yummy.  Last night I put the chicken in the pot to boil.  He took out the chicken when it was done, chopped it up for me, and put the chicken back in the pan for the soup.  He also chopped up the onions and carrots and added that to the soup for me.  I may be letting him cook our dinner tonight.  We will either be having Garlic Parmesan Chicken Fettucine over fettucine noodles or Poppyseed Chicken.  We will be using some of the chicken that was cooked last night.  You see, I boiled several chicken breasts so that I could divide it up among three meals.

Most times, the children and I drink water with our dinner and my hubby drinks whatever he chooses.  Some dinners the children will have iced tea and occasionally pop if we have some.  I'm not a pop drinker but my hubby is so sometimes he buys a 2 liter of some sort of pop and will allow the children to have some with dinner.  We try to drink mostly water in our home.

Many times we have some sort of dessert after dinner.  This is something that I grew up with.  Growing up, we almost always had some sort of dessert after our evening meal.  So I guess I've just carried that tradition on in my family.  There are some times we don't have a dessert.  But generally we do.  It may be anything from ice cream, to cake, to cookies, etc.

As far as our meals for this week, this is what we've had planned.
(1) Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup
(2) Garlic Parmesan Chicken Fettucine over Fettucine Noodles
(3) Poppyseed Chicken
(4) Taco Salad

The verse I thought I'd share this week is one of our family memory verses for this week.

"If possible, so far as it depends on you, be at peace with all men." Romans 12:18, NASB

For more Blogger Friend School Assignment Posts, visit Nancy at The Kings Kreation by clicking on the graphic at the top of this post. 

Well, I don't have a window picture to share with you.  The batteries for our digital camera had to be charged.  And I really don't have an ideal window where I'm currently living.  So...I thought I'd post a window picture and then share with you the kind of window that I would really enjoy.  I would enjoy a large bay window with a window seat.  I would like it decorated with some lovely curtains, drape some ivy about and have a tray sitting on the window seat filled with a tea set and probably my Bible materials and a few magazines.  Outside the window, I think I'd most enjoy to see snowcapped mountains in the background.  I love the mountains - especially with snow on them!  I love beautiful sun rises and sun sets, colorful flowers, and fall time.  What a combination, huh?  Obviously the colorful flowers and fall time would be two different times.  I also love the snow.  So there are things really about each season that I would love seeing outside my window. 

Ooops!  I forgot to put my Scripture when I posted this earlier.  Here's my Scripture:

"I will lift up my eyes to the mountains;
From where shall my help come?
My help comes from the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth."   - Psalm 121:1 (NASB)

From Training Hearts Blog:
"Assignment: Write out some goals that you would like to accomplish. These goals should include your personal goals, but also goals as a family.

While setting goals, try to write out small attainable rewards for each goal accomplished!"

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Here's some of mine.  I may come back and add more.  But here's a start anyway...

Personal Goals
1.  My continual goal for my life is to continue growing in the Lord.  I am always striving to be more Christ-like.

2.  Finish up all the lesson plans I need and want to get done by the end of January.  I want to have these things done before our little one is born. 

3.  Continue to work on my prayer life.  I talk a LOT with God.  I definitely communicate with Him all the time.  But I am trying to pray more for my husband and my children on a regular basis instead of just when there's a specific need for prayer.  Does that make sense? I have begun praying more Scripture for/over my husband and children.  I want to continue doing this consistently.

4.  To continue working on accepting myself for who I am and just be me. 

Family Goals
1.  I would like us to get back to regular nightly devotions like we used to.  Over the last several years, this has pretty much stopped for different reasons.  Sometimes, my husband's work schedule just wasn't conducive for him to lead them in the evenings.  And there were other things along the way that contributed.  But I do miss them.  We began to get back into the nightly devotion thing for a little bit when we began our character training.  But it's not been consistent like I'd like it to be.  So, this is something I'd like to get going again on a consistent basis.

To particpate or read other Blogger Friend School Assignments, visit Tamara's blog at http://www.traininghearts.com/blog/.

This is a great idea Tamara!!!  I am just now getting to my post.  I mentioned in my last post about a prayer request for my prenatal appointment today.  Everything went really well.  I thank those who said a prayer for me today.

That leads me to my first prayer request.  I ask that anyone who feels led to pray - to pray that the remainder of this pregnancy goes well and that me and the baby will continue to be healthy and strong and fine.  I only have about a tad over 9 weeks left.  And I know it will go by quickly!  Pray for a safe and healthy labor and delivery and that we will be bringing home a healthy little baby girl and a healthy mommy!

I will try to get around and visit others' assignment posts tonight and tomorrow!

Thanks to all of you who will pray for me and our precious little baby girl!

This assignment is going to be fun! 

Part A:  Favorite Holiday Cookie Recipe
If my family is able to get together with my parent's and sister and her family at Christmastime, it's usually requested that I make some particular cookies.  I do believe I'm the only one in the family that makes them and so it kind of became my thing I did for them.  We don't usually get together at Christmas time much anymore - Thanksgiving is generally the time to get together with my family.  These cookies are so wonderful but oh so fattening!  They are sugar cookies with icing and they just melt in your mouth.  I usually use cookie cutters and make different shapes .   But guess what????  I can't find the recipe!!!!  It's been a couple of years since I made them and the recipe can't be found!  That is a major bummer!  So, I'm going to share another recipe that is so yummy!  This cookie recipe is also pretty fattening.  My brother-in-law loves these cookies.

Chocolate Chip/Oatmeal Cookies
2 eggs
1 cup butter
1 tsp. hot water
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
2 cups oats
1 - 12 oz. pk. chocolate chips
1 tsp. soda

Mix flour, soda, and salt together.  Cream butter alone.  Add sugar gradually to butter beating until fluffy.  Add eggs to butter/sugar mixture one at a time beating after each egg.  Add hot water and vanilla.  Mix.  Sift dry ingredients into it and mix.  Add chocolate chips.  Mix.  Bake at 375 degrees for about 8 minutes.
(This recipe was passed on to me years ago.  Being that it's been years ago that I received this recipe, I am only going to give the initials of the person who passed this recipe to me - out of respect for that person.  This recipe came from M.B.)

Part B - A Cookie Baking Tradition
Our family actually doesn't celebrate the traditional Christmas.  Although we do enjoy some of the holiday music and movies.  In fact, just tonight we were watching one of my hubby's favorite holiday movies:  It's A Wonderful Life.  We have our own celebration largely patterned after Hanukkah.  During our celebration, we celebrate everything from creation to Jesus' birth, death, burial and resurrection.  It's a wonderful time for our family!  (We usually spend Christmas day with my hubby's family for their traditional Christmas get-together.)  During our family celebration, one of the things I like to do is some cookie baking.  I have a picture from one year of my daughter standing at the counter with her apron on helping with the cookies.  It's a really cute picture.  We have certain traditions that go along with our celebration such as my hubby making his latkes.  Then we have things that we do some times and other times we don't.  We also usually try to have some activities throughout the week of our celebration.  We've made Menorrahs using toilet paper rolls and tissue paper.  Wrapped up in the tissue paper were little treats.  Each night of the celebration, each child got to pull out the tissue paper for one candle in the menorrah and see what their treat was.  The year we did this, we had one candle in each of their menorrahs that had money in it.  Of  course, that was a big hit!  One year, we made decorative plates.  I haven't gotten together any activities yet for this year.  I better get to it as I only have a few more days.  But even if we don't do many crafts/activities, I still want to do some baking.   

While not a cookie/baking memory, I remember growing up that on Christmas Eve my mom would make her homemade hot cocoa and we would read about the birth of Christ. 

Part C - Scriptures to Share
"Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders which You have done,
And Your thoughts toward us;
There is none to compare with You.
If I would declare and speak of them,
They would be too numerous to count."  Psalm 40:5, NASB

"You, O LORD, will not withhold Your compassion from me;
Your lovingkindness and Your truth will continually preserve me."  Psalm 40:11, NASB

"Let all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
Let those who love Your salvation say continually,
'The LORD be magnified!'"  Psalm 40:16, NASB

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To particpate or read other Blogger Friend School Assignments, visit Tamara's blog at http://www.traininghearts.com/blog/.

First of all, I just have to say how beautiful the graphic above is for this week's Blogger Friend School.

Part A

The Lord has been so good to me and my family.  We've gone through many trials in the last few years.  Yet, through it all, God has been faithful.  He continues to be faithful to us.  He has continued to provide for us.  He has shown Himself to me as the Great Provider.  His Word tells me, "And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19, NASB) 

Something else that I truly feel is a great blessing is that I have been able to find a more economical approach to homeschool that is a really good, quality education.  Homeschool is a priority for our family.  Therefore, it's such a blessing when you can provide an excellent education for your children that's not outrageously expensive!

Part B

As far as traditions go, many times our family will travel to my parent's house to celebrate Thanksgiving.  We weren't able to do that last year because of my husband's work.  And we won't be traveling to my parent's house this year either.  This year, we will be going to my hubby's sister's house where his family will come together to eat. 

In my hubby's family, family members provide different dishes to make up the entire meal.  His immediate family all lives in the area.  When we are at my parent's house, my sister's family as well as my family have to travel to get there.  Therefore, we all work on the meal together at my parent's house.  We typically have some sort of game that gets played amongst the adults - usually some sort of card game.  Generally, when we all get together, euchre (spelling????) is on the agenda.  I have to say, I'm going to miss the time with my family.  My family likes getting together for the holidays and it is an enjoyable time for us. 

In both family meals, we generally have similar items:
     turkey
     dressing
     mashed potatoes
     some sort of veggie (green beans or green bean casserole usually)
     fruit salad
     sweet potato casserole
     bread of some sort
     some sort of dessert(s)

Part C

"It is good to give thanks to the LORD
And to sing praises to Your name, O Most High;
To declare Your lovingkindness in the morning
And Your faithfulness by night,
With the ten-stringed lute and with the harp,
With resounding music upon the lyre.
For You, O LORD, have made me glad by what You have done,
I will sing for joy at the works of Your hands."
Psalm 92:1-4, NASB

This is a very creative assignment.  And it's the first assignment for me! 

Part A - Our Laundry
We sort of all help at different times.  When my children help, my son usually puts the laundry in the washer and gets it going.  Then my daughter usually puts the clean laundry into the dryer and gets the dryer going.  Sometimes my daughter gets the laundry out of the dryer and puts it on the table for me to fold.  For right now, my hubby has stepped in and started doing most of the washing and drying.  With me being pregnant, it helps that I don't have to do all the bending that goes along with washing and drying.  He will bring the dry clothes to the couch or the kitchen table and I fold them.  Then the children put their clothes up.  I put my hubby's clothes in the bedroom for him to put up.  And I put my own laundry up.

I don't have a good working digital camera so I can't show you a picture of our laundry room.  We have a small room off of the kitchen where the back door is.  That's our laundry room.  There's a shelf above the washer and dryer and stand alone shelves (4 shelves that stack together) against one wall.

We do quite a bit of laundry.  We could easily do a load every day (sometimes two).  If we get behind (which we are right now), it's seems hard to get caught up to maintenance level again.

Part B - My Life
One of the areas I have struggled with and still do at times is in just being me.  I have ideas of what I think I “should” be as a wife, a mom, a friend, etc.  One night when I was sharing this with my husband, he pointed out - are those ideas expectations I place on myself and not necessarily what I have to be?  Good question.  And I think he’s right.  Deep down, I know he’s right.  I have been learning and accepting and internalizing more and more how God accepts me just as I am.  But for some reason, I still get caught up in battling that acceptance thing when it comes to people.  But even more so, to myself.  Maybe, just maybe I still have not fully accepted me for who I am.  The fact is, there’s no maybe to that.  If I accepted myself for who I am, maybe I wouldn’t constantly be striving to be something better according to my standards.  I have this list of “shoulds” that I am always trying to live up to but never seem to quite achieve.  But are those “shoulds” of my own making?  I think possibly so.  I think it's possible to strive to be more Christ-like and be just me.  You see, when I can come to fully accept who I am, flaws and all (which mind you – I have been trying to do) then I can live in more freedom while allowing God to change me in His time and His way.  This is what I want.  This is what I am striving for.  Does that mean I will never have to work hard on something that needs to be changed in me?  Absolutely not!  But the key is in the phrase “needs to be changed.”  You see, what God wants to change in me is what needs to be changed.  That’s totally different from what I think I “should” be doing.  One of the things I remember my Mom pointing out to me is that “shoulds” aren’t good.  Why?  Because “shoulds” tend to be wrapped up in what we think “should” happen when that may not necessarily be what “needs” to happen. 

 In our journey to accept ourselves and be real, we have to understand that the only approval we need to be concerned about is God’s.  Can we lay aside all of our expectations in exchange for accepting and loving ourselves because God created us and we are special to Him?  In so doing, can we allow God to change the things in us He thinks needs to be changed in His time and in His way?  It’s God’s opinion that matters – not other people’s opinions.  Can we strive to put away our worries about what others think and just live to please God and God alone?

Part C - Scripture to Share
"For You formed my inward parts; You wove me in my mother's womb.  I will give thanks to You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Wonderful are Your works, And my soul knows it very well."  Psalm 139:13-14 (NASB)

 Go visit Tamara's blog by clicking HERE if you'd like to participate in Blogger Friend School.