Joe and Heidi White

Picture my day: breakfast with daddy

2012-02-17T10:01:00.000-08:00

I whisked her away
While she still was half asleep
So she'd wake up in the coffee shop
And SEE me making her
my sole (or soul) priority

Skiing @ Grouse Mountain

2012-02-16T12:03:00.000-08:00

It was a FREE day at Grouse. Members could bring a friend. So two of my students, brought me! ahhhh...thank's guys!

We wanted a little of this:

So Jonathan dawned his ripper named, Mr. Board...and gave 'er:

And James....goes so fast...snow doesn't have a chance to get out of the way

....and wowzers, at a place like this...with guys like these...makes it WORTH IT.

good days...past-present-and future

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Family Snowshoeing @ Mount Seymour

2012-02-14T09:08:00.000-08:00

What is a tradition?

It's simple, really. A tradition is "something that is handed down"

...and traditions come in all shapes and sizes

....and, shall we say, sweat levels.

Our tradition, in the white clan (ahem...our last name is White)

is family snowshoeing

We want our kids to understand all the great lessons of being out in the woods together, on adventures, playing in mysterious places, smelling trees, tasting snow, sweating for summits, and learning to delight in a good creation.

So, with Joe's family visiting....we headed to the hills in a borrowed van so we all could travel together! Thanks Jungs!

Ready girls?...

Josiah (now 6 weeks) was quiet the entire time. Warm and cozy...he just slept. One day....he'll learn to contribute by carrying my pack.

yes...I cut Elizabeth out of the picture.

I'm sure she'll remind me of that...at some point, when she's older.

These are good days...

Don't miss 'em, friends.

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Picture my day: date day @ Seymour!

2012-02-13T16:16:00.001-08:00

Love this place....but
love.her.more

Rockclimbing with 4 kids

2012-02-08T07:47:00.000-08:00

Yes. It is possible.

Elizabeth's fever broke....so we seized the day

and headed to Squamish with some friends and their two kids for some Sabbath rock climbing

I.love.granite.cracks

Josiah, mostly did this:

Elizabeth mostly did this:

"A" mostly did this:

"C" mostly did this:

But there's nothing like....

climbing granite in the sun.

So Heidi got in on the 5 week postpartum lead

atta girl!

These are good days....

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Picture my day: Families climb rocks

2012-02-06T17:46:00.000-08:00

Picture my day: out climbing and loving life

2012-02-06T13:25:00.001-08:00

Tri Training: Good longer ride on the bike - 86km

2012-02-04T19:55:00.000-08:00

Sun was out....had to go: Joined by two strong fellas....great ride

Today was all about this:

Didn't press the pace...and had power/energy at the end (about a 3 hour ride)

Good days, friends! Time for one of these:

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Picture my day: Flu is the new 4 letter word

2012-02-02T11:41:00.001-08:00

Poor girl....throwin' up but tough as nails. Get well soon, Elizabeth!

Cycling when it's pouring rain

2012-02-02T08:27:00.000-08:00

We're not in California.

The land of everyday sunshine.

Here.....It rains, daily.

So...if you're a cyclist you've gotta figure something out.

Either cycle in the rain = SUCKS (yes, I'm a wussy child) or don't cycle during the winter

BUT

alas...there is another option!

In the last 4 months, I've found that using an indoor trainer has given me a great workout, a few times per week. So I strap on the heart rate monitor put "my friend" in the DVD player and give-er

Heidi's also been getting in the action
...and really liking it.
She's now within 5 pounds of her starting weight before getting pregnant and excited about getting back into running shape, especially.

We've learned that fitness is the mark of consistency, nothing more. There really aren't short cuts (Dangit!). So we've been trying to be consistent post Josiah (who is now 1 month old!)...but, this hasn't always worked. SO....while fitness is the mark of consistency... consistency = a highly scheduled life + teamwork + permission to miss a workout.

These are good days...
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Where are Joe and Heidi White?

2012-01-31T20:51:00.000-08:00

We're right here. Why do you ask?

OK...we've been busy. But so have you....

So why not relax a bit and see a few things we're excited about these days:

Elizabeth is a little girl now.

baby no more.

Josiah is straight up

infant

drink-cry-sleep-cry-pee-cry-poo-cry-sleep-cry-drink-cry-sleep-cry....

We've been skiing. My new powder heaven... Mount Baker.

That's one of my students, James (I'm in the green jacket). He is a college student and he doesn't wear a helmet.

apparently universities don't require brains upon admission

these are good days, friends. Get out there!

and Heidi and I have been dating...

i.love.her

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Would you support this?

2012-01-26T08:46:00.000-08:00

CONSIDER CLICKING "LIKE"?

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Picture my day: on a date with my girl :)

2012-01-25T10:31:00.001-08:00

12 Things I want to teach my son....

2012-01-23T10:34:00.000-08:00

How to know Jesus
Salvation is a gift, and I hope God chooses to give that gift to Josiah. But in the meantime I can teach Christ and pastor my son and pray with wild abandonment for the miracle that God, in his mercy, save my boy from death.

How to be courageous
To me, courage is being afraid and doing it anyway. Courage isn't the absence of fear, it's our ability to understand and manage it.

How to treat people, especially women
We treat people men and women, like we want to be treated. But, in a culture which demeans women and objectifies them...I'll teach him to especially respect women by seeing them as the equals they are. After all, he is living in the house with a strong mom and sister....he'll have to learn eventually :)

How to play sports
Sports have the capacity to teach many life lessons: teamwork, hard work, exercise, managing disappointment, dealing with authority, and learning social dynamics. We won't force a certain sport but we'll encourage athleticism and teach the skills necessary for sports.

How to seek and offer forgiveness
We don't run from our pain, we embrace it. When we are wronged, we don't hide...we talk. When we wrong each other....we ask for forgiveness, publicly.

How to be creative
My art is preaching, playing violin, and working on cars. Not sure what his will be....but I'll help him discover it.

How to be a leader
Leaders are not born...they are made. Leadership is a life-long list of acquired skill. I'll teach Josiah to think like a leader...and maybe one day, he'll become one.

How to be respectful
"thank you", "please"...are, for some reason, really important to me. Maybe it's because I have worked personally with 1000's of youth in almost 10 years of youth ministry and I've seen the disrespect. But for me, there is nothing more attractive than a kid who is respectful.

How to be affectionate and emotional
If you want to laugh...laugh out loud. If you want to cry...cry boldly. If you want to get mad...do it without sinning. If you want a hug, go hug somebody close and hold on tight. Wear your heart on your sleeve and expect it to get broken and grow back bigger.

How to finish a task
If you start something, finish it, even if it takes a long time. What an important lesson with so many useful applications!

How to find adventure
Explore mountains, eat things you're unsure about, drink out of rivers, sleep in "scary" places, and do activities that have undetermined outcomes. Adventure teaches so many lessons, and I believe the male heart....NEEDS this.

How to appreciate art
All art should be appreciated at some level because someone took the time to create it. But the difference between poor art and great art is HUGE...and my son will know how to appreciate the difference.
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Oh yeah...we're tired

2012-01-19T08:53:00.000-08:00

1:30am comes every morning

and Josiah wants to hang out

we're starting to think we should just

bust out the wine, cheese, and crackers

and make it a party

brutal.

oh well...we're having trouble resisting the dude anyway

it's ALWAYS nice to hold him... screams or smiles

these are good days, friends

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These are good days....

2012-01-17T22:30:00.000-08:00

Good days, they are (yoda accent).

But they're good days because of the people we spend them with....

like a thriving little girl

in a relationship with challenges/joys/successes/failures and a COMMITMENT to tie it all together.

These moments need to be remembered. We're told...they'll soon be gone.

Great Oma...great grandson

We try to remember that every second he spends in those old hands....are a gift.

Great Opa....great granddaughter

And every chance to hear those old stories (again)...is important.

These are good days....and we're trying not to forget them
thanks for following our journey
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Cycling brings JOY

2012-01-09T17:11:00.000-08:00

...you know, it's actually not cycling itself that brings Joy.

Cycling is fun and makes me feel happy (and tired)

...but cycling, with a close friend

in a beautiful place

with the assurance of Jesus' presence as we cycle

...joy...

what a GREAT ride today

These are good days, friends.....
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11 Things I didn't do in 2011....but I wish I would have.

2012-01-07T15:40:00.000-08:00

If you haven't seen our post "11 Things I thought I'd never say in 2011...but I'm so glad I did", we would encourage you to scroll down and take a look! What follows, is the other side of the coin....

11 Things I didn't do in 2011....but I wish I would have.

"Made date nights a priority"
As I said in my previous post....this has really suffered. For many years, we maintained a regular date night but this past year we stopped doing them regularly. As a result, we've noticed that we were always connecting through ministry and family and adventure (climbing, marathons, etc.) but not about "us". Date nights are the perfect place to do regular check-ups on your relationship. The question: "how are we doing?" and "how do you think I am doing?"....are good ones, and we haven't asked that enough.

"Made our friends in Fresno, CA a priority"
Distance and laziness has left those emails and cards in the mail, what feels like, nonexistent. Here's to a better 2012 for long-distance relationships (::raises beer glass)

"Made our neighbours a priority"
This year has SUCKED for hospitality for our neighbors. There are 15 other apartments in our building....and we only "know" 1 other couple. TERRIBLE! This next year we want to be more intentional with the many people who live right around us.

"Left some unfinished projects....unfinished"
You know those things you know you should do....but you just don't do. For us, it's a garage that needs to be organized and a filing (paper and digital picture) system that needs an absolute overhaul. I hate those kind of projects that just hang over our heads, and always seem to get pushed to the back-burner.

"Gave more away"
We do try...but we know that we can support more people with Jesus' $$ he's entrusted to us. Here's to bigger year of generosity for 2012!

"Spend less"
You know this balance don't you....the one that goes something like, "Do we buy what we need or do we buy what we want?" There have been years where we have done a better job of spending less. This was not one of those years. House stuff/Gear/Eating Out.....these are just some of the places we can do a better job stewarding in 2012.

"Read more theology"
I did read, every week. But mostly in the genres of "adventure writing" and "youth ministry". As a pastor, it's important to keep reading theology, every month. To keep learning, growing, and being stretched in my understanding of the word of God is vital. I need more of this in 2012.

"Less activity and more sleep"
In my life, if there is one thing that always gets the shaft....it's sleep. It's partly due to my personality....it's partly due to my sin....but I have a track record of not getting those core number of hours of sleep each night (6-8). Here's to a more healthy 2012!

"Take a personal retreat"
We have been taking half a day a week to practice the disciplines of silence and solitude but we know that this really isn't enough. We long for a weekend a semester where we get away from Vancouver, to a retreat center to listen, pray, sleep, and be poured into.

"Be mentored"
We mentor a lot of people, weekly. Someone asked us once, "You are mentoring a lot of people....who is mentoring you?". It's questions like this that make us want 2012 to be full of some "outside perspective" folks who love us and want to help us grow to become more like Jesus.

"Provide more regular blog content"
As you know, blog readers, this blog is basically our virtual living room/ photo album. We talk about the people and things we care about and invite you to join us in our journey. But after almost 1000 posts...we seem to be 1-2 times per week bloggers. We would love that to be 2-3 in 2012.

OK friends, there ya have it! Would love for you to do this exercise....it's a great way to reflect on the year past.

We look forward to reading your lists!

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A note for Joseph on his birthday, TODAY!

2012-01-06T13:20:00.000-08:00

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11 Things I thought I'd never say in 2011....but I'm so glad I did.

2012-01-03T13:46:00.000-08:00

"I'm about to finish writing a book"
I've always said that if I were ever to write a book it would be short and have a lot of spelling errors. I think now I've done that. It's close folks. Close. It's a student ministry book (yes, you can fall asleep now) about how to run effective inductive bible studies for teens.

"I'm having a son!"
I relate everything in my life to candy. Here's an analogy: sons are Sour Patch Kids, daughters are Dots. Both are my favorite types of candy. I would be just as happy with two packages of Sour Patch Kids (after all, they are my favorite) as I would with 1 package of sour patch kids and 1 package of Dots (after all, it's my favorite candy too). So...to find out I had one of each.... ecstatic!

"My students are more effective leaders than me"
Wonderful news! I am not indispensable. We have a student led student ministry. I work a lot with our leaders and our parents....but our students teach/preach/lead bible study/lead worship/mentor/volunteer/ and serve. I serve amazing students.

"My wife is a better athlete than me"
She was exercising up to the week of Josiah's birth. I would sometimes catch her walking up the stairs carrying Josiah in her belly, Elizabeth in one hand...and groceries in another. (What was I doing, you ask? eating a donut, and staring).

"I think I'll loose 30 pounds"
I wasn't really fat before....as I've always been an athlete and able "ta go get er in za mountains" (german accent). But I really wanted to be at my climbing/cycling weight before I really started training for triathlon. So, 30 pounds had to go. And in 3-4 months....gone!

"I think we should buy and renovate a 90 year old house"
I've already told this story....so take a look here. Story short form: bought a dilapidated historic home and renovated it in 3 weeks working straight 16+ hours days with loads of help. We LOVE this place and it feels like such a gift to have had the opportunity to restore it.

"I'm going to prioritize triathlon training over rock climbing"
This never happens. Never. Nothing. Nothing goes before rock climbing. Yes....we love camping/ice climbing/mountaineering/alpine everything/ hiking/ snowshoeing/ etc. But triathlon, and especially Ironman Triathlon has been a dream since I was a kid...and now, it feels like the right time to pursue it. More on that story, here.

"I'm going to prioritize time spent with my family over time spent with my students"
I've always believed this....but never did anything about it. But this past semester, I matured. The Lord convicted...and that was that. Now, I am only away two nights a week (as opposed to 4-5). I'm the dad who puts my daughter to sleep with epic bed-time stories. Many thanks to our church for giving us this opportunity to prioritize and raise our young family.

"I'm about to finish producing a music CD of kids songs"
It always sounded like fun....and I'm making progress. 2012 it'll be done, folks! BTW....heidi is working on a kids book for 2012. Stay tuned....

"We need to start doing a date night"
For 7 or more years, we did that...every week. This past year....has SUCKED. We didn't make it a priority. But we realized this in 2011...and 2012 will be different. Babysitter, late Monday nights, anyone?

"I'm going to start to preach less and mentor more"
I've been called to preach for a long time....and have preached regularly since I was 16 (that was a long time ago). And more than any other thing I do....I still believe the proclamation of the Word of God changes the world. But, I think my job in 2012 is to decentralize preaching around me....and equip others to preach effectively. After all, they'll probably end up doing it better than me....and who wouldn't want that kind of leadership in their ministry!

OK friends...that was my attempt at a 2011 reflection. Now you try!
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Vancouver's Polar Bear Plunge - 2012

2012-01-02T14:05:00.000-08:00

Well officially we missed it. Heidi was birthing our son, Josiah. But why not go out to the beach and do it ourselves. No..not Heidi. She was napping....but me and the Ewings. Sure.

Run daddy....run!

cold but satisfied

what a great tradition!

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A Story: Our new son named Josiah

2012-01-01T11:41:00.000-08:00

A short story (the husband's version)

5cm dilated for days. Wondering, is this baby going to come on Christmas?

Nope. Days pass...and no baby.

Irregular and pretty weak contractions for days

Days pass....and no baby.

then

New years eve....11:59 and 59 seconds we welcome the new year with a kiss and a prayer for a son

5:35am. Contractions. This time still "weak" but stronger than the ones in days past

We call our friends in our apartment building to come over and take care of Elizabeth.

5:45 we're in the car...calling the hospital and calling our midwife

we arrive

check-in

STRONG contractions

5 minutes of pushing

I catch the baby

cut the cord

and @ 6:04am, Josiah Randall James White is born!

7lbs 3oz born 01/01/2012 or 1112

healthy!!

The doctor's say, "dudes, you can go home...everything checks out!"

9am...go home!

When we got home

our friends had gotten Elizabeth ready for the day

After all, they raised three boys...they're pros.

Thanks guys! It helped so much knowing Elizabeth was in good hands

We named him Josiah, because it's a name that means God saves. It's the only thing that's ever mattered to us...and we pray, one day, he realizes for himself that it matters for him too. We also named him Josiah because we wanted to pray 2 Kings 23:25 for little Josiah...

"...Before him there was no king like him who turned to the LORD with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to all the law of Moses; nor did any like him arise after him. (2 Kings 23:25 NASB)

And his middle names - Randall James - are from both of our dads, men of strong character and faith.

So friends...that's it! Thanks so much for your prayers and support...it REALLY means a lot!

Love you

These are good days....
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Waiting for a baby to come...ANYTIME.

2011-12-31T21:08:00.000-08:00

5cm dilated.....but nothing. no changes....just waiting.

so we decided to double date with some of our best friends!

last minute babysitter

good food

good coffee

good conversation

good times.

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Picture my day: at the pool and eager to swim!

2011-12-29T14:41:00.000-08:00

What brings you hope?

2011-12-28T10:43:00.000-08:00

A short video we made asking people on the street...."When you look at the world around you, who or what gives you hope?" Listen to their answers:

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Picture my day: family living room picnic

2011-12-26T16:11:00.001-08:00

Celebrating E's 2nd birthday!

Elizabeth's 2 year birthday - TODAY

2011-12-26T11:02:00.000-08:00

2 years. What???!!!

From a newborn...

breast milk junkie...

and incessant sleeper

to a little girl. With a growing personality.

A little girl who lives up to her name....Elizabeth JOY. And a little girl who offers her very imperfect parents....loads of joy filled grace.

So, it's with great gratitude that we celebrate Elizabeth's 2 years, today! We welcome you to celebrate with us!

Elizabeth,

To God be your glory

To this earth, peace

to you, may you learn courage

and cling to hope

And may the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you now and forevermore

Amen

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Picture my day: ready for Christmas Eve

2011-12-24T17:01:00.001-08:00

Waiting expectantly

2011-12-24T09:36:00.000-08:00

get ready.....kiss that baby!

'click - shot captured. whew...

and so now we wait. 38 weeks and days....

He's almost here!

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Picture my day: kissable date night cheeks

2011-12-23T19:12:00.000-08:00

Are you on twitter? Would love to connect with you. Today's tweets:

2011-12-22T23:15:00.000-08:00

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Soon to be - 4's a family

2011-12-19T11:35:00.000-08:00

Pretty soon.....we will look something like this:

That's our friends baby....but we are soon to have a little baby of our own in our hands. BUT.....and yes, that's a capital letter BUT (should I just have said, a "big but" instead?). Nothing is guaranteed. We the the kind of people who see life as a miracle. And so every day, we pray for a healthy little baby. We also pray that if our baby has health issues or does not make it past the womb, that God would give us deep grace to mourn and celebrate the last 8 months of carrying such a precious life. So we ask you, blog readers, to pray with us, in these final week(s) for an uncomplicated delivery and a healthy baby.

These are good days, friends.

Luv ya'll

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December is Christmas and Birthdays

2011-12-18T21:12:00.000-08:00

Every year, December 1st, we decorate our home. We set up our advent candles, put up our tree, and blast the Christmas music. But December is also special because it hosts two birthdays (Heidi & Elizabeth)

But this blog is about Elizabeth...

and the things she likes to make and eat with friends

It was a day filled with friends.....and some good ol' make your own pizza action

This girl is 2 now. What the....????? When did that happen?

joy is watching your kids grow up to enjoy the special people God places in their lives

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Make a change

2011-12-16T10:55:00.000-08:00

I was swimming this morning. Like many mornings, I got into the chilly water and got moving: stroke - body role - breath - stroke - body role - breath....and so on.

Photo credit: Polka dot Images/Polka Dot/Getty Images

This morning though, I changed two very small things in my technique. I changed my head position slightly and changed my elbow position under water. These were TINY changes.

And guess what....I swam faster, minutes faster each 1000 meters.

The point: small changes make big differences

Is there something you wish were different? Instead of waiting to make a "big change"....make a small change instead. Small changes make big differences.

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Saying goodbye to 1 Minute Messages

2011-12-15T08:44:00.000-08:00

It's been a good road, friends. Take a look at this, my second to last, 1 Minute Message.

I've completed 51, 1 minute messages, published every week for over a year.
Next week, will be my last.
On average they are 1 minute 30 seconds which is 1.27500 of talking and about all together are 12,000 words.

To be honest, I have a lot of doubt about how effective they have been with views ranging from over a thousand to 22. But in truth, this discipline was more about faithfulness to Jesus and keeping a regular dialogue with those of you considering these ideas.

Anyway, farewell 1MM's and a big thanks to all who followed this journey with me :) Next week -- last 1MM. Love ya.
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A poem for your thoughts

2011-12-13T22:41:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine, Lee Kosa wrote this amazing poem.

I thought I'd let you faithful blog readers enjoy it too.

It's a poem that depicts the Genesis account.

A black blanket lay wrapped around the face of the abyss.

Exhale.
Divine breath whispered across the deep¬–poised
To create.

Light, shining distinctly in the darkness;
Sky, stretching out vaulting vapor and sea;
Water—gathered and giving way to earth;
As green goes forth from the ground.

Lights—dapple dominion over the sky.
Stars—perforate the night through piercing stare.
Sea—teem thick with fin.
Ground—abound with beast and hide.

Exhale.
Divine breath rolls into the body of a being
created to reflect the creator.

And the fullness of his presence was good.

Seduced by the call of the siren’s sound
They take and don the sovereign gown.

Confined, their freedom is found consumed,
And crushed by a weight not meant to bear
they fall.

Distorted—the reflection inward bends.
Exposed—the likeness recoils in shame.
Broken—the image writhes in pain.
Contorted—limbs limp against the grain.

Condemned to suffer, bruise and wound;
Time is stage to an ageless feud.

Earth’s curse enslaves all work.
Life staggers forth from labored birth.

Muscles groan with tones of toil;
And the pounding ground throbs in travail.

Keeping pace with inner unrest–we run;
Stricken with the anxious illness;
Driven by a desperate longing;
Subject to compulsive striving;
Struggling to escape the ache,
Fear fuels our frantic journey into the night.

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Cycling in the winter vibes

2011-12-08T22:28:00.001-08:00

Before the world wakes up, and before my day starts I'll be cycling. It'll be 1 degree Celsius, but not raining (yes, in the PNW sometimes, it doesn't rain).

I'll be going 62km to Horseshoe Bay, a very classic ride on Vancouver's famous north shore.

<p>&amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/54958246"&amp;amp;gt;62km Ride to Horseshoe Bay&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;br/&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/?location=Vancouver"&amp;amp;gt;Find more Cycling Routes / Bike Rides in Vancouver&amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;gt;</p>
But what make cycling special, isn't necessarily the route, or the length, but the feeling of [insert good feeling here]. Can you get the vibe when you look at these photos, takin by a cycling partner of mine:

These are good days....
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Shops and Projects

2011-12-06T07:29:00.001-08:00

An interesting feature of living in Vancouver is many people we work with didn't grow up in a house but in an apartment. It's a feature of this city that always surprises me. Kids who have never mowed a lawn, trimmed a hedge, planted a flower, washed a car, or worked on projects in a shop/garage.

I grew up in an environment where my mom gardened, my dad built stuff and where both grandfathers had endless tools. In particular, my earliest memories include my dad in his shop, my mom weeding something, and my brother and I....being asked to help (at the time we hated that). Now, as an adult, I CRAVE projects to do. I do a fair amount of work on our truck, and fix the odd thing around the house....but I miss the medium of wood. It's hard to build stuff living in an apartment with limited storage for tools.

Back in Fresno, this is our shop. One day, I hope it's used as a mechanic/wood shop and produces a lot of cool stuff. In the meantime, I'll just dream about it.

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Triathlon Training

2011-12-04T18:23:00.001-08:00

A couple months ago, I decided I needed a new set of goals through the winter other than rockclimbing fitness in prep for our annual winter road-trip to Red Rocks in search of desert sandstone to climb.

So, I decided to do some triathlons in the months of March through July, with a couple of half-marathon's and Grandfondo's (big rides) thrown in there for good measure. So, a couple of months ago I knew cycling and running, in particular, are much harder with any extra insulation....so I dropped 25 pounds by training 6 days a week, eating on a very well-balanced meal plan, and drinking lots of water. The weight cut was not that difficult and each week, I seemed to loose a few pounds.

Training has looked something like this:
Monday - Rest
Tuesday - Run (45 min) & Bike (30 min)
Wednesday - Swim (45 min) & Strength train (30 min)
Thursday - Bike (1 hour) & Run (45 min)
Friday - Swim (30 min) & Strength train (30 min) & Bike (30 min)
Saturday - Bike (1:30)
Sunday - Run (1 hour)

I usually train first thing in the morning, before the sun's up and when people are asleep. The waking up part....sucks. The training part....rocks.

I've always been an athlete (not a particularly gifted one) but I don't have any quit in me and I'm very goal oriented....so training, has been going really well. I swim a couple times a week with my friend, Dave....who is also my mountaineering/cycling/ministry partner....and who also happens to be a high level swimmer. He has helped me out IMMENSELY. I used to not be able to swim freestyle for 25 meters, now I can go 2000 meters rather easily. That's completely because of Dave's instruction. We swim at the UBC Aquatic Centre. It's a nice facility with lots of amenities (such as a locker room and weight facility).

For cycling, when it's nasty outside, I'm on an indoor trainer and using a heart rate monitor to keep my heart rate in the zones I am training them in. But when it's nice outside (winter cold but not raining)....see ya.

For running, rain/sleet/cold/sun...you just gotta run! Running is my weakness at the moment and even though we have run a marathon and half marathons, I feel slow.

My 2012 race schedule looks something like this:

March – UBC REC Triathlon - Olympic Distance (1.5 km swim, 40 km ride, 10 km run)

May – BMO Vancouver Half Marathon (22km run)

May– North Shore Triathlon – Olympic Distance

May – Grandfondo Mission (122km with 5570 meters of elevation)

June - Subaru Victoria Tri – Olympic Distance

June– Scotiabank Half Marathon

July– Subaru Vancouver Tri – Half Ironman (1.9 km swim, 90 km ride, 21.1 km run)

July – Cycling through the Rocky Mountains (600km with loads of climbing)

September – Grandfondo Whistler (120km with 2400 meters of climbing)

....and yes, heidi is joining me on the half-marathons and a couple triathlons

OK friends, hope you're not totally bored to death reading this really long post!

Thanks for following our blog :)

These are good days....
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When Elizabeth smiles....

2011-12-02T10:27:00.001-08:00

When your kid is smiling, take a picture.

Why?

Because one day (I am told)

when you see them once a year at Christmas

it'll be those pictures which you cherish most

and

kids who smile

are kids who are deeply content

...which for a parent, is a satisfying thought

Here are a few smiles

taken by our friend, Fran

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Cycling Route - Stanley Park, UBC, Iona Beach

2011-12-01T11:34:00.001-08:00

70km, 2.5 hours of sunrise, 1 degree Celsius, windy and cold and clear...satisfying.
No a bad ride, fairly slow (26km/h), hilly ride (1335 feet elevation gain), highly recommended!

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3 weeks in China with a sweaty baby

2011-11-26T08:34:00.001-08:00

There are very few ways to tell a 3 week story in a blog post and still make it short enough so that I'll still be interested in writing it and you'll still be interested in reading it. The best way may be to share a few pictures and a few thoughts along the way.

We went to China as a family, leading a team of people who wanted to better understand Chinese culture and volunteer in an orphanage for medically at-risk babies. On the weekends we spent our time in Shanghai, Nanjing, and Beijing.

We carted this girl around the whole country. It was uncomfortably HOT but this girl was a trooper. And in the entire trip, she only had 2 short melt-downs. We were amazed.

Often she became the center of attention for our team but also for strangers. People would gather around her and want to take her picture.

We didn't do any climbing this trip, but thought about climbing on this fence.

One of the things we love about china is learning about it's history and seeing it's architecture. Spectacular! ...and of course, great food!

The orphanage we worked at was a very special experience

we've been to China before, and had spent time on the great wall...but dude, you're in China, you have to go to the great wall!

This is the vantage point Elizabeth had for most of the trip. Pregnant mom or sweaty dad carrying 25 pound toddler.

we visited a three self church to better understand the role of Christianity in China.

love this girl, love the team we were leading, and love China!

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Post flu activities should involve, SNOW

2011-11-21T11:50:00.001-08:00

After for getting the flu for 5 days (not fun) I woke up one morning after a fitful night sleep feeling 50% better...and on a sunny day during the winter in Vancouver, you've gotta get out! So, we went backcountry snowshoeing together as a family.

Well, that's not entirely correct. All Elizabeth had to do was sit there....technically I was doing all the work. One day she will repay me in shoulder rubs...

It's time to learn how to do a snow angel. Seriously, our child, who is Canadian .... if SHE can't do a proper snow angel, we might as well move back to California.

these are good days....

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Don't neglect the things that matter

2011-11-20T21:00:00.001-08:00

For us...mountains matter, adventure matters, travel matters....but what makes these things matter isn't simply mountains or adventure or travel....it's the people you enjoy them with. People matter most! And some special people we love hanging out with is great oma and great opa!

they LOVE this girl

...and we love them

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When life gives you lemons...

2011-11-19T09:49:00.001-08:00

Go climbing. Then go to the pumpkin patch with little kids. And if you don't have climbing gear or little kids....come with us. We'll take ya!

the climbing doesn't need to be epic to be exciting

big walls or short walls, we like them both

Hanging out in the forrest with E's buddy R!

Pumpkin patches are exciting places....especially when you're with friends

These are the kind of memories you want to hold onto

still smiling

these are good days

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Yes....we are still here. Are you?

2011-11-18T16:57:00.001-08:00

This is a catastrophe. In 6 years, we've never let our blog get cobwebs. And now....we've gotta dust this blog off. SORRY, to the hundreds of readers each week who come back here, looking for updates...only to find NOTHING. Back to regular scheduled programing. Our lives have continued....China-climbing-traveling-ministering-running/climbing/swimming/cycling/mountaineering-being a family and so on and so forth. So, to get things moving again...some pics from a recent snowshoeing trip :)

I never get tired of having this girl on my back. She's grown up in that thing...

summits make us happy!

this girl is almost 2. What the????

33 weeks pregnant!

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Are you holding a grudge?

2011-11-08T14:24:00.001-08:00

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Do you have a Spiritual Gift?

2011-10-26T17:52:00.000-07:00

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Picture my day: sun's out and girls rockin

2011-10-24T13:23:00.000-07:00

Picture my day: real friends are forever

2011-10-24T00:36:00.001-07:00

Sent from my iPhone

What is your calling? What are you supposed to be doing with your life?

2011-10-19T17:10:00.000-07:00

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Confession. Do you Confess your sins?

2011-10-12T17:14:00.000-07:00

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Picture my day: From baby crib to big girl bed!

2011-10-11T18:38:00.001-07:00

Cypress Peak in October - Trip Report

2011-10-10T09:39:00.000-07:00

I won't lie...it had been a while. To long. In the early summer before being gone for a month and a half from vancouver, in China and California, we camped and climbed something like 25 days. But for the last month....we've done: NOTHING athletic. Ok, well, not nothing (climbed a couple days in Squamish and ran a bit)...but I'm fat, so pretty much nothing. So, it was time.

My friend Dave, had the good idea of heading up Cypress Peak, near Squamish. Good choice Dave. It's highly aesthetic and has a few feature I always find very rewarding: minimal time hiking on a logging road (actually, as of October 2011, we were able to drive the entire length of the logging road), minimal time on a trail (20 minutes?), easy route-finding even in bad weather (which we had for much of our trip -- white-out conditions), and not a crazy long day (7 hours round trip).

Hope you enjoy the pics!

a few hours of steep boulders and talus from the logging road (you can see the logging road -- horizontal line, running through trees near clouds on the center/right side of photograph)

Once up high...spectacular

not the summit....just the first crux. Summit's another 30 minutes beyond.

steep rock in challenging snow conditions, made this section difficult.

Then, straightforward steep ridge climbing (rock and snow) with exposure.

nearing the summit.

summit shot!

after lots of glissading we ended up in a beautiful moraine

Great day in the mountains! Satisfied...

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Freedom for...

2011-10-03T20:50:00.000-07:00

By Zenos Frudakis- "Freedom"

This is strangely "amusing", rather, "beautiful", or is it "true"? I suppose it's all three: amusing, beautiful, and true which makes Frudakis' work captivating.

T.S. Elliot said of poetry that it's a "raid on the inarticulate"....and the same may be true for good art: It expresses the inexpressible (Karen Armstrong, The Spiral Staircase).

What does this piece express for you?

For me: Freedom for joy.

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Small adventures make a big difference

2011-09-28T08:17:00.000-07:00

It doesn't take much to have a small adventure

Take for instance, Elizabeth.
She tries on a helmet because she sees us wearing one

Then she insists that she wants to climb and says in blurred english......"pleeeeeease", as she points up the rock

We explain that she's not quite old enough to fit into a harness

but a climb closer to the ground could do. So her and her buddy grab some water from the camelback

and give er' a go

loads of toddler laughter and 2 determined little kids begin to climb. They didn't want it to end

Then, with a little time left, our friends said, "how about you guys go climb something a little bigger? We'll take the kids". BIG GIFT. Thanks!

We've climbed much harder things....traveled thousands of feet higher in the vertical terrain.....But sometimes, small adventures make a big difference.

Elizabeth had hers and so did we.

What's your small adventure?

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Picture my day: sabbath rest

2011-09-26T23:36:00.001-07:00

Elizabeth Update - What the....

2011-09-24T13:43:00.000-07:00

Blog readers. We know many of you are parents

and so you'll understand us when we ask: when did our baby grow up?

She'll be 2 in December

She's "chatty", sweet spirited, a LOL kinda girl, and loves being outside

we are so thankful for this gift

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Picture my day: 6 months pregnant and still rockin!

2011-09-19T18:09:00.000-07:00

A Thermometer on American Culture

2011-09-16T10:02:00.000-07:00

Brian Williams of NBC, during a recent GOP debate, asked Gov. Rick Perry this question (story here):

“Your state has executed 234 death row inmates, more than any other governor in modern times,”

The audience in attendance cheered wildly and ecstatically.

Then, Mr. Williams, noting the crowds exuberant response to 234 executions asked,

“What do you make of that dynamic that just happened here, the mention of the execution of 234 people drew applause?”

....Does what we celebrate tell us something about ourselves?

When we celebrate the deaths of our enemies, do we learn what we are really like?

We dance on the graves of 234 people....but don't realize that their end will also be ours. We also will die in sin. We celebrate their executions, believing that we also aren't on death row, about to be punished for crimes against God.

We are wrong. We are going to die, too.

A retired president of the Czech Republic, Vaclav Havel, wrote once that during the rule of Communism in Czechoslovakia, he realized that it was becoming harder to tell who was good and bad...he wrote, “The line [between good and evil] did not run clearly between ‘them’ and ‘us,’ but through each person. No one was simply a victim; everyone was in some measure co-responsible . . . Many people were on both sides” (NY Review of Books, Feb. 19, 1998).

Alexander Solzhenitsyn said it this way, “Gradually it was disclosed to me that the line separating good and evil passes not through states, nor between classes, nor between political parties either – but right through every human heart. . . . This line shifts. Inside us, it oscillates with the years. And even within hearts overwhelmed with evil, one small bridgehead of good is retained. And even in the best of all hearts there remains . . . an uprooted small corner of evil” (The Gulag Archipelago part iv, chapter I)

234 are dead...but evil...is not simply "out there in them"...evil is in me. Paul says this in Romans 3, “All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”

"All"....that's me, and you. 234 dead....and I too will one day die...a sinner. Let's not get prideful....

Proverbs 24:17 says, "Do not gloat when your enemy falls; when he stumbles, do not let your heart rejoice."

What do we learn about ourselves when we gloat over the deaths of our enemies?

We learn we no longer recognize our own depravity and utter dependance on the mercy of God. We learn of our deep and intrenched pride.

"Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall" (Proverbs 16:18)

So this morning I lament. Lament that I...and you...are sinners, in desperate need of mercy. Lament that we live in a world where there are murderers...and death, anyones death, is a constant and ugly reminder that things are not as they were made to be.

And I will pray. Pray that God helps me love my enemies...

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Today is your....

2011-09-15T11:07:00.000-07:00

I said to Heidi recently, "I need an adventure"

"Naw", she replied abruptly, "Everyday's an adventure, if you treat it like one"

We know about adventures...all over the world: on climbing trips, in the mountains, over ocean waves, and in every type of weather. Multi-day, long-day, half-day....in canoes, on skis, with ice axes, in climbing shoes, on surf boards, in hiking boots...you get the picture.

We know about adventures. But her point was...

we don't need "an experience," like rock-climbing, to find what rock-climbing offers.

What we need is this:

to see today as a test (a test of our character).

to see today as a lesson (a lesson in stewardship).

to see today as a gift (a gift that God gives us with love).

Adventure, is close at hand...if you're willing to see today as one.

Adventure, after all, is a state of mind.

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