A break from form

My ramblings here rarely stray far from my immediate family. I don't talk much about others, I almost never post pictures of anyone else, and it's not because we're hermits. We have close extended family on both sides and have been blessed with many friends, but I am careful about their privacy and figure that their stories are for their blogs. Today I'm going to break that form for two unique events.
The first is a long-overdue reunion with one of my best friends from college. Laurie and I were nearly inseperable during our Junior and Senior years and sometimes were even mistaken for one another. She was a bridesmaid in our wedding, and Danny and I both got to be a part of her marriage to the most humble of naval officers. The only thing we don't like about Trapper is that his job took them to Virginia, and then back to San Diego, which is close, but far enough that we haven't managed to get together with them since shortly after Parker was born. They now have two sweet little guys who we finally met on Thursday night! Our catch up session wasn't nearly long enough, but we're now even more determined to make them more frequent. Here's the gang:

The next event is far less fun and would even be classified as tragic if not for our hope in the Lord. My sister-in-law, Michelle, delivered a stillborn little boy yesterday at just 23 weeks. They had been aware for some time that their little guy was not healthy, but were still devestated to find that he no longer had a heartbeat. Michelle, Flavio and their two little girls are grieving the loss, but rejoicing in God's care for their baby and them. Please pray for our family and that God would use these difficult circumstances for His glory.