This week's "theme" in worship was praising the Lord. I've decided to do what Ashley did when she hosted "Sunday Ponderings", and that is to post about the service from the week before. I think it will be easier for me to get this post up for linking if I do it that way.

So I'll write about the pastor's sermon next week, and post a hymn from the service this week. Our first hymn was "Praise to the Lord, the Almighty," which was written in 1680 by Joachim Neander. It was translated from the German in 1863.

Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation!
O my soul, praise Him, for He is thy health and salvation!
All ye who hear, now to His temple draw near;
Praise Him in glad adoration.

Praise to the Lord, who over all things so wondrously reigneth,
Shelters thee under His wings, yea, so gently sustaineth!
Hast thou not seen how thy desires ever have been
Granted in what He ordaineth?

Praise to the Lord, who hath fearfully, wondrously, made thee;
Health hath vouchsafed and, when heedlessly falling, hath stayed thee.
What need or grief ever hath failed of relief?
Wings of His mercy did shade thee.

Praise to the Lord, who doth prosper thy work and defend thee;
Surely His goodness and mercy here daily attend thee.
Ponder anew what the Almighty can do,
If with His love He befriend thee.

Praise to the Lord, O let all that is in me adore Him!
All that hath life and breath, come now with praises before Him.
Let the Amen sound from His people again,
Gladly for aye we adore Him.

--Information from the Cyber Hymnal.

Do you have a Sunday Pondering? Feel free to share!

I've been spending most of my evenings the past week working on this baby dress for a dear church friend that is expecting in April. I was pleasantly surprised with how well it turned out, especially since this was the most complicated project I've done to date.

Here is a view of the dress from the front. It took me about 2 weeks to finish the whole thing, with most of the work done the past few nights. I made the dress using the 6 month size, so that way my friend will have an outfit to look forward to. :-)

Here is a picture of the front. I still can't believe how straight I got the ribbon on there! The sleeves of the dress were my favorite part to sew. I love to do gathers, and it is surprisingly easy.

And here is a picture of the back. The buttons are adorable little rosettes, which go with the roses in the hem. I had to do the buttonholes by hand, as my sewing machine is broken and can only stitch in a straight line. :-(

So anyway, hopefully my posts will be a little more meaningful in the coming week, since I have now finished my project.

Here is the incredibly yummy fruit dip I alluded to last week. The dip itself is most definitely not healthy, but fruit helps to ease a guilty conscience. My favorite fruits to dip are strawberries, pineapple, apples, and grapes. This goes together so fast and easy, and I bet kids would love it too.

Lime Fruit Dip

6 oz. lime yogurt (I bet other flavors would be yummy, too, but I've never tried it.)
7 oz. marshmallow fluff
8 oz. cream cheese
Assorted fresh fruit

Blend together cream cheese and marshmallow fluff until smooth. Stir in yogurt. Serve with fresh fruit.

For more delicious recipes, visit Beth over at The Natural Mommy.

This week, Works-for-Me Wednesday is Backwards Week, which means we ask for advice instead of giving it. It's perfect timing this week, since I've got a bit of a dilemma. I'm making a baby dress for a friend expecting a girl this April, but my sewing machine doesn't do buttonholes. I'm wondering how to sew them by hand. Any tips or advice? (Oh, and what's the best method for hand sewing on a button as well?) Thanks!

For more Works-for-Me Wednesday, visit Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer.

Here is a picture of my perpetual student at work. Isn't he cute? This photo was actually taken last year, when Hubby Dear was taking several clsses. He doesn't have so many classes now. He's doing rotations, which means he's in an actual hospital learning the practical side of medicine. He still studies all the time, though, and he's gone a lot more. :-(

For more Meet-and-Greet, visit The Natural Mommy.

Just as soon as I start getting the "Sunday Ponderings" going, I have to miss church. Stu and I missed it today, since he was on call the night before and came home too late to get ready. I should have a new post next week! :-)

I haven't had a chance to get the button working, but I hope to have that up next week as well. (Ashley, I might need your help!) I'm looking forward to reading your posts this week!

I've spent the last half hour putting together the outline of posts for the coming week (a first for me!) in preparation for the busy week ahead. I'll be home, but I'll be working on an adorable dress for a friend about to have a baby. It's frilly and girly and the cutest thing in the world. Her baby shower is this coming weekend, so I'm hoping to finish it up during the evenings this week. I should still be posting regularly.

I spent the day puttering about the house, since my hubby is on call tonight. I made granola, worked on the baby dress, did dishes, found an amazing cheesecake recipe to make later, and read a lot. I didn't quite accomplish everything I set out to do, but at least I made some headway. The book reading took up a fair share of my time. :-)

It's so wonderful to have time to be productive and have time to reflect by myself during the quiet of the day. I guess that's the introvert in me! Really though, after a full week of work and being around people it's nice to have the quiet. Just the sound of the dishwasher running and a kitty at my feet is enough for me! :-)