Safe in My Arms...

If you are friends with me on Facebook, you're probably well aware that I like to take pictures...LOTS of pictures.  My current total is 140 albums and 6,044 photos.

They start with pictures from college recitals and graduation...

Bekah, April, Momma2, DH and me

Mom, me and Daddy

then journey through various life events such as pictures with friends and races...

Diamend helping me study for biology

our second 5K together!

holidays, favorite scriptures, and of course, MULTIPLE albums containing pictures of our greatest blessings: Gabriel and Lucy.

First photo as the Toller Trio!

Meeting Gabriel

  People always say you take fewer pictures of your second child than your first, but I think it's pretty safe to say that both of my children are very familiar with the words, "Cheesy doodles!" (what we always have Lucy say when we take her picture) and the multi-syllable rendition of the word, "SMILE!"  Maybe it's because my Daddy used to be a photographer, so a part of me feels a connection to him when I take photographs.  Whatever the reason, you're either familiar with my 6,044 photos...or you're familiar with avoiding the daily blitz of images...or you just check my blog for the highlights;-)
 
So, if you're one of the latter, I proudly present to you my cliff notes weekend edition in pictures, which if I had a title for the album, it would be Sweet Snuggles.  I couldn't really get lucy to sit still long enough for a photo to come out, so I don't have the sweet evidence of Saturday night, but she crawled up in my lap as we were watching a movie together and just let me love on her.  I can't tell you how much I cherish those times.  And then my sweet baby boy decided Sissy had a pretty good idea and he let me rock him to sleep tonight, so I soaked up those sweet snuggles.

You know, it's kind of funny, because our children come to us many times for comfort.  When they don't feel well, when they've been hurt, when they're frightened, etc...there's something about being scooped up into mommy and Daddy's arms that makes everything seem like it's going to be OK.  There's really nothing magical about mommy and Daddy's arms though.  We may be just as frightened or hurt as they are, but we're bigger and stronger, and that's reassuring to them.

 What my children didn't know this weekend was that Mommy was having her own struggles in life, too, and to be the recipient of their small arms and sweet embraces gave ME such comfort and joy.  I was reminded of how my Heavenly Father wants to scoop me up in His arms and comfort me, and how he rejoices when His children desire to spend that time with Him.  So as I kiss my babies on their foreheads tonight and head off to bed myself, I'm choosing to rest fully in my Father's promise of love and peace and direction.  I choose to rest in His arms with confidence and certainty. 


One of the CDs on Lucy's nightly rotations is by an artist called PLUMB.  Here are the lyrics to her song, In My Arms...

Your baby blues, so full of wonder Your curly cues, your contagious smile 
And as I watch, you start to grow up All I can do is hold you tight
 
Knowing clouds will rage And storms will race in but you will be safe in my arms  
Rains will pour down, waves will crash all around But you will be safe in my arms

Story books full of fairy tales Of kings and queens and the bluest skies 
 My heart is torn just in knowing You'll someday see the truth from lies
 
 When the clouds will rage And storms will race in but you will be safe in my arms 
Rains will pour down, waves will crash all around But you will be safe in my arms
 
Castles they might crumble Dreams may not come true  
But you are never all alone Because I will always, always love you
  
When the clouds will rage And storms will race in but you will be safe in my arms  

Rains will pour down, waves will crash all around But you will be safe in my arms, in my arms