if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.                                                              II Chronicles 7:14

This past weekend was very special in that both our daughter and son, Christiane and Roger, were able to be with us. Since both of them are going to be hiking the Grand Canyon in two weeks, they decided to spend a little time at Cabela's this past Saturday looking at camping gear. They came back with several bags of various supplies. Late afternoon the four of us took Penny and Patsy for their very first walk in the neighborhood. They are beginning to learn how to lead with a leash but still have a way to go. Roger had to leave for Kentucky on Sunday afternoon so we spent the balance of the time with Christiane before she had to leave on business Tuesday afternoon.

Since we are in the middle of the political campaign, Paul noticed an email that informed us that Paul Ryan, candidate for Vice President, was going to be in Toledo Monday morning and tickets were available online. The three decided they would like to attend so we grabbed up the tickets for the event. The sun rose on a beautiful day Monday morning, and we made the 45 minute drive to the Toledo Airport where the rally was held. The facility was jammed wall-to-wall with people, and after hearing other speeches and viewing several political videos, we were able to hear Paul Ryan speak. We were very impressed with his speaking ability and what he had to say. Below is a picture of the scene at the airport.

Another highlight of the weekend was the opportunity we had to walk in the morning with Christiane.
We regularly go to Lenawee Christian School and walk the grounds in the morning while taking this opportunity to pray. It was great to have our daughter join us in the walk and in prayer both Monday and Tuesday morning. These are times that we treasure as a family.

This was also the first time that Christiane had seen Patsy and Penny, our two, new puppies. It was love at first sight for Christiane and the puppies took to her right away. While with us for such a short time, Christiane was able to teach them to sit. Meanwhile, we are hoping to get the two puppies into an obedience class taking place in November and December.

Reflecting back on Paul Ryan, it was encouraging to hear his view of what the United States can become. We certainly need to be in prayer for the election that is less than four weeks away. As this appears to be the most important election of our lifetime. In fact, we are inviting people to come to our home on Sunday evenings for a time of prayer regarding the election. We plan on doing this until election day.

Blessings and Encouragement,

Paul, Gail, Patsy, and Penny