Ten Years Ago

Posted on July 6, 2014 by Jason

July 6, 2004.

Two little souls entered into the world and simply by their presence, I was transformed. Most families grow through addition; our family multiplied the day our twins were born. It’s hard to believe that it’s been 10 years since they arrived in a flurry of motion. Come to think of it, that’s a good descriptor of the last decade!

DSCN5347Abby Kate, you are my firstborn, the first to lay claim to my heart. When I discovered that you were growing inside your mother, I literally jumped for joy. And from that day to this one, you’ve never failed to bring joy to your father. I experienced the year of the Lord’s favor when they placed you in my arms and I called you my own. You grow more beautiful with each passing day. You are a treasure trove of God’s richest blessings to me. You teach me about love and tenderness and friendship. You are a strong young lady who comes from a long line of strong women. It is one of my life’s supreme joys to be your Daddy. “I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God,” (Isa. 61:10).

DSCN5319Joshua, you are my oldest son, my pride. You have the fight in you; you have since the day you were born. In those early days, you were so small, but you didn’t know any better. All you knew was the fight to grow. But you are also largehearted, a young man of limitless generosity. Your passion for justice runs deep. You’ve already made me a better man, for you call forth the type of man I want to model for you and your brother. Carry the fire; be the hero you’re meant to become. “Be strong and courageous and never afraid,” (Josh. 1:9).

Here’s what I’ve learned, the essential truth that I reflect on tonight: ten years is long enough to forget the person you used to be. I have no recollection of the person I was before the two of you came into my life. You are a gale force, a seismic event, two God-created boulders sending ripples across the glass surface of my life. But make no mistake: you’re two of the best things that ever happened to me. I love you.

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Family Road Trip 2014 Day 6

Posted on June 25, 2014 by Jason

The Bybee family minivan pulled out of Milwaukee this morning bound for Chicago. We decided not to take in a game tonight. For starters, we were thinking we might burn out the kids with too much baseball. Correction: we were thinking we might burn out TWO of the kids with too much baseball. But just as importantly, the Cubs were at home against the Reds. I guess I could’ve rooted for a tie, but come on.

Sunny and the boys outside Renaldi's

Sunny and the boys outside Renaldi’s

So instead, we opted to see the sights today. We arrived in town and checked in early to our hotel and immediately headed out for lunch at Renaldi’s. Sunny and I ate there about 10 or 12 years ago on our last visit to Chicago and it was our favorite. In a town known for pizza, Renaldi’s stands out. We ordered the Chef Special: Garbage Pizza (sausage, onion, mushroom, and pepperoni). Thankfully, the pizza was just as good as we remembered it. We all loved it!

Following our late lunch, we took the L back to downtown. The kids loved being able to see the city from the windows. After a short ride, we were in the middle of downtown touring Millennium Park. The kids loved seeing all the unique artwork, particularly the famous “bean.” As you can see, we took several silly pics!

Boys being silly

Boys being silly

 

 

That's one heavy bean!

That’s one heavy bean!

10438985_10202952213860942_3565494098022666816_nAfter milling around the park, we decided to make our way to the American Girl Doll store. Abby Kate had some early birthday money from her grandmother and great-grandmother, so she decided to spend it on a few things at the store. She was tempted to buy something at the American Girl store at the Mall of America in Minneapolis, but after hearing that the Chicago store was even bigger, she decided to hold off and do her shopping here instead. She had so much fun shopping and I had fun watching her. She was such a trooper to endure 4 ball games on her family vacation; the least we could do was spare a half hour for her to walk through and see the American Girl stuff.

photoMeanwhile, Joshua found the Lego store next door…and a surprise guest!

After a rain delay and a Starbucks stop, we were back on the streets for more of the Chicago experience. We debated a few things because we knew our time here was going to be limited, but in the end, we decided to go on an architectural boat tour of the city…and it was AWESOME! We started out by traveling the Chicago River and we learned so much about the city’s architecture and history. Next we went out on Lake Michigan to see the skyline just after dusk; it was gorgeous. Our 90 minute tour ended back at Michigan Avenue and we were thoroughly impressed. A great way to spend the evening.

Downtown Chicago, June 24, 2014

Downtown Chicago, June 24, 2014

 

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Family Road Trip 2014 Day 5

Posted on June 23, 2014 by Jason

Today we visited Miller Park in Milwaukee. What an awesome venue!

For starters, the building is just massive. On the approach, you can see the stadium from about a mile or two off I-94 and it looks amazing. The retractable roof gives the stadium a unique look that’s really cool. Tonight’s forecast called for a chance of rain, so they closed the roof about a half hour before game time.

There’s a ton of parking around the stadium, providing a tailgating atmosphere that you don’t find at a lot of MLB games. We walked up the smell of meat on the grill and the sounds of kids throwing ball in the parking lot. It was also Little League night at the park, so we saw a lot of little MLB hopefuls in their jerseys tonight.

I’ve never seen a stadium that catered more to the kid experience. In addition to the action on the field, the concourse was full of play areas for the kids. Up on our level, there was a full-on playground like you see at fast food restaurants with lots of little tykes running and climbing while their parents watched the game on the monitors. On the lower concourse, we came up on a host of free activities that kept us enrapt right up till game time: a baserunning drill that times the kids from home to first; a batting cage; a slide; and a pitching radar gun activity. Best of all…they were all FREE. Definitely a great way to enjoy the time before the first pitch.

As for the food, the hot dogs were amazing, maybe the best one I’ve had on our tour. To top it off, we got a free Coke with our parking pass. Pretty cool!

With tonight’s visit, I’m up to 21 current stadiums visited. When we first got married, Sunny and I decided that we wanted to try and visit all 30 major league parks. We hit it hard for the first 5 years or so, but having kids slowed us down considerably. But I’m glad we’re back in the saddle and this vacation has been such fun as we’ve shared this journey now with our children.

Closing the roof at Miller Park in Milwaukee

Closing the roof at Miller Park in Milwaukee

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Family Road Trip 2014 Day 4

Posted on June 22, 2014 by Jason

Today has been another full day. We enjoyed some family worship / devotional time together to begin our day. I love hearing my kids articulate their faith at such a young age. Today as we were talking, it became evident to me that all three of them have been uniquely fashioned with perspective and thoughts and hearts that are so different and yet so complimentary. Sometimes you get the sense that some parents are merely tolerating their kids. I’m glad that I’m able to enjoy the relationships I have with ours. They’re some of my favorite people in the world and this vacation has been such a blast so far.

20140622-223505-81305061One of the things we wanted to do here in Minneapolis was visit Minnehaha Falls, a 53 foot waterfall located in Minnehaha Park in the city limits. The falls were pretty impressive; apparently the recent rain / flooding put the water at peak level. In fact, we heard that just a couple of days ago, some guy kayaked over the falls!

After spending a little time at the park, we headed downtown to another park, Target Field. It’ll take me a few days to properly process the day, but Target Field gets major thumbs up from me. Parking was a cinch with a garage located directly across the stadium and easy access from both ground level and skywalk. (In addition, major points for building a parking garage that exits directly onto the Interstate. Somebody engineered that puppy the right way.) The exterior to the stadium is neat and clean with a sleek modern look. As we were walking up, I noticed the banners of some all-time Twins greats. Inside, the concourses were immaculate, a lot like Disney in the sense that every 15-20 foot you’d find a person with a broom and a handled-dustpan sweeping up any trash. The field itself was pretty impressive, too, with some great nostalgic touches meshed with a state-of-the-art scoreboard / jumbotron. We sat in the nosebleeds, but we still had an awesome skyline view of downtown. And the covered canopy for the upper deck has to be the largest one in the majors. I also really loved the OF seating; very creative. All in all, this might be one of my favorite stadiums I’ve visited. Definitely in the top 5.

10454304_10202939185855250_3009494265239229327_nToday’s promotion was a free kids jersey to the first 5,000 fans age 14 and younger. Our kids were pretty excited to get some free Twins gear. After watching the home team take it on the chin in our previous stops, it was nice to witness a Twins victory today. Afterward, we were able to get down on the field and the kids had the chance to run the bases. It was definitely a cool experience for them. And speaking of cool, today’s temperature was actually a little on the chilly side! I’m loving the weather here!

We finished the day off by stopping again at the Mall of America to look around and ride some rides. Here’s a shot of the guys riding the log ride.

Back in my day, we called it the Flume Zoom

Back in my day, we called it the Flume Zoom

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Family Road Trip 2014 Day 3

Posted on June 21, 2014 by Jason

Today was driving day.

After spending the last two days in Missouri, today we loaded up the Family Truckster and made our way north. We decided to sleep in a bit after two late nights at the ball park. With a long drive ahead of us, we resorted to all kinds of games to keep ourselves entertained. We’ve been playing a yearlong game of “License Plate” – starting on Jan. 1, we’ve been looking for all 50 state license plates. So far, we’ve found 47 of the 50 states! (There was WAY to much excitement in our car the other day when we finally found Nebraska and Montana!) We also played a game we call “Concentration” (although Sunny insists it’s called “Categories”). We basically pick a category, like “Disney characters” or “restaurants”, and take turns saying things that fit the category. If you repeat someone else’s guess or if you get stumped, you’re out. Today’s “Concentration” highlight: with the category “Body Parts”, Joshua, without a moment’s hesitation, guessed “carscophagus.” We gave him credit for cracking us up.

We drove north across the entire state of Iowa today and we were just blown away. Under a clear blue sky, we took in mile after mile of corn fields and farmland. Driving across the state gives you a deeper appreciation for our farmers here in the heartland. Several times Sunny and I turned to one another and said, “Can you imagine living here? It’s so beautiful.”

The beautiful heartland of Iowa

The beautiful heartland of Iowa

After arriving in Minneapolis a little after 6PM, we decided to head over to the Mall of America. I’m not much for shopping malls, but this place was awesome. This atrium was pretty impressive!

IMG_0898

Tomorrow we’ll work in some sightseeing along with a trip to Target Field to see the Twins and White Sox. More pics to come!

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Family Road Trip 2014 Day 2

Posted on June 21, 2014 by Jason

Today we made the drive from St. Louis to Kansas City to make our first visit to Kauffman Stadium. One member of our family was fighting an upset stomach this morning, so we got a later jump than we hoped. As a result, we made it to town around mid-afternoon and headed to the Crown Center, a downtown retail complex. Sunny wanted to check out the Hallmark Center and we took in a few of the local downtown sights before heading to the game.

IMG_0856Prior to today, the only time I’d been to Kansas City was in the dead of winter about 15 years ago. We were traveling with some friends and I got to see Kauffman out the window as we drove past on I-70. There are some things I loved about “the K” (the water features in the OF being at the top of the list) and some things I wasn’t too fond of (the parking situation; the 60s era concrete aesthetics) but overall we had a great night at the park. This is a shot Sunny took down near the field prior to the ball game. Thanks to Little League, Joshua and I already had some Royals gear for the game. Don’t worry Cardinal Nation; I still pledge allegiance to the bird on the bat.

Last night in St. Louis, Phillie rookie David Buchannan delivered what might be the pitching performance of the Bybee road trip, stymieing the Cards for 7+ innings. Tonight, we might’ve witnessed the best offensive performance we’ll see on the trip from Seattle 2B Robinson Cano. Greeted by a chorus of boos every time he stepped to the plate (it seems Royals fans still haven’t gotten over Billy Butler’s HR Derby snub a few years back), Cano simply raked tonight: an RBI single to put the M’s up 1-0 in the top of the first; a walk in the third; a run-scoring double in the fifth, part of a three-run inning; another walk in the seventh. The guy is just smooth. I know his power has been off this spring, but he does everything so well. It was a treat to see him play tonight. Too bad the Royals couldn’t pull off a come-from-behind victory.

One of the best things about tonight’s game was the promotion: $1 hot dogs, peanuts, and cokes. When you’re feeding a small army family of five like we are, every little bit helps.

20140620-233048-84648080After the game, the Royals put on a fireworks display. If you’ve ever been to Disney, you’ve been ruined when it comes to fireworks. NOBODY does fireworks like Mickey. That being said, the post-game fireworks was probably the best non-Disney fireworks show I’ve ever seen. A great end to a great day.

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Family Road Trip 2014 Day 1

Posted on June 20, 2014 by Jason

Well, today marked Day 1 of our summer Road Trip. I’ve always wanted to go on a “baseball trip” with the family and this year, we decided to make it happen. We started this morning in Alabama and drove through Tennessee, Kentucky and Illinois before making it to St. Louis. The kids were great on the ride up, even though we hit a few pockets of construction traffic. Even our old van held up pretty well, all things considered. (We’re considering this her “swan song” given that she’s at about 204,000 miles and counting. But that’ll have to wait for another post.)

The Bybee Family Road Trip is underway!

The Bybee Family Road Trip is underway!

Over the years, I’ve probably been to over 50 Cardinal games here in St. Louis. It’s really one of my favorite places to visit and I love sharing this with Sunny and the kids. I’m really fortunate to have a wife who loves baseball nearly as much as I do! Back in our Lipscomb days, it was so much fun to introduce Sunny to Cardinal baseball during the McGwire era. Although she grew up a Braves fan, she quickly converted once we got serious and she’s never looked back. The only thing cooler is getting to share this experience with the kids now.

Phillies vs. Cards - 6/19/14

Phillies vs. Cards – 6/19/14

Here are a few of my random memories and reflections that I want to remember about Day 1:

  • DSCN5322On the ride, we had the chance to educate the kids a bit about the Beatles. Sunny explained to Jackson why a few of their songs are so meaningful to us. One of the little discussed joys of parenting is sharing music and memories with your kids. Such fun.
  • Speaking of music, my kids love Aloe Blacc’s “The Man.” The boys go around singing, “I’m the man, I’m the man, I’m the man…” which is pretty hilarious!
  • The Cardinals’ new Ballpark Village outside Busch Stadium is really incredible. This is the first time we’ve been here since it opened this spring. Really nice.
  • Post-game public displays of drunkenness can lead to the most interesting theological conversations. Even with 7 year olds.
  • Today my kids — particularly Jackson — mentioned Sunny’s Dad several times. Coming up on the one-year anniversary of his passing, I think it’s really cool that they still speak of him and think of him. He was and is very much a part of their lives, gone but never forgotten.

More to come tomorrow!

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Turning Seven

Posted on June 11, 2014 by Jason

Seven years ago, a rambunctious little boy came into our lives. We named him Jackson, which means “God has been gracious.” We certainly felt God’s unmerited favor resting upon us as we welcomed his arrival. The months leading up to his birth were marked by one scare after another, prompting us to seek God’s grace in so many ways. But those days of trial also gave rise to Jackson’s middle name: Cash. In some cultures, the term is synonymous with peace. Of course, there was the added bonus of homage to my favorite artist of all time, Johnny Cash. But in the end, our prayer was simple: may the days of this child’s life be more peaceful than his days in the womb.

In many respects, Jackson has brought a sense of completeness to our family. As the youngest of three, Jackson was already positioned to grow up in the wake of an older brother and an older sister. But in addition, Jackson has the added challenge of growing up as the younger sibling to a pair of twins. Multiples have a special bond, as you would expect to find with two people whose shared history goes all the way back to conception. But I’ve seen it with my own eyes: it takes a special person – a very self-differentiated individual – to carve out his own identity, distinct from the “twinning” tendencies of his siblings. Trust me, Jackson is just such an individual.

Bybee_family_pictures-175Jackson, you are strong and full of vitality. Your mind is a gift, second only to your industriousness. I love your fire and determination – even in moments when those same gifts create challenges as your mother and I try to parent you! But they are uniquely yours, branded onto your soul by your Creator from your earliest days. God has uniquely fashioned you, son, for His glorious purposes. Today we give thanks for the expression of grace that your life is to us. He didn’t owe us anything, yet He chose in His wisdom and goodness to bestow your life to us. Inasmuch as you are ours to watch over, we turn you back over to your God, the One to whom you truly belong. May your life be anointed with His presence. May you continue to grow in the ways that bring glory and honor to His name. And may the world know peace by the span of your life as the borders of the Kingdom of Shalom are expanded in you and through you.

You are my son, God’s grace and peace in my heart.

Love always,

Dad

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Father’s Day Wisdom

Posted on June 10, 2014 by Jason

As I prepare for my Father’s Day sermon this Sunday, I’ve been asking for wisdom from some of the Dads I respect the most. I asked a couple of questions: What message do you think Dads need to hear today? What would you identify as the key ingredient for raising children? I want to share their responses here in a series of posts over the next few days.

From a lifelong youth minister who has raised a family of Christ followers:

What message do you think Dads need to hear today?

  • Be intentional about being a good Dad. Do it on purpose. Good fathering doesn’t just happen because you’re a good guy.
  • Establish your own list of family values. Collaborate with your family on what they think the list should be. Post your list on your refrigerator door. I did this and I am really glad that I did. It worked well. Note: This is an extension of the first point about intentionality. Compiling such a list is an intentional collaboration that invites participation from all family members. Posting it in a high-visibility area creates a platform for the family values to be routinely reinforced.
  • Create and foster a healthy pace to your family life. Don’t allow the culture to dictate how fast and frenetic your kids’ lives are. Sports, arts, academics and a ton of activities will cry out for your time and attention and will end up dictating your life’s pace and priorities. Too many of us allow this and are too distracted and too busy!
  • Anger is a choice. Note: Again, this is an extension of intentionality. Intentionally choose the better way. We tend to think of anger as a reaction. But anger is always a choice.
  • Be fully present and engaged. Figure out a way to be present when you’re absent and to not be absent when you’re present. Note: Put the phone down and talk to your kids. Be intentional about maximizing the very limited window of time we have while our children are young and formative.

What would you identify as the key ingredient for raising children?

  • To be a good leader, you have to be a good follower. To be the kind of Dad your kids deserve, you need to be a humble, obedient follower of Jesus. Note: Stu Weber, in his book “The Four Pillars of a Man’s Heart”, argues that true masculinity is only actuated through the lordship of Jesus, the Ultimate Man.
  • Show respect, admiration, and love to their mother. Note: Modeling a loving husband-wife relationship is perhaps the greatest gift we can give our children. In our culture, children are inappropriately elevated to a place of status that was previously reserved only for marriage. I hear it all the time: “My kids are my life. I’d do anything for my kids.” Look, I have kids, too, so I get it. But what message are we sending our children if this is all they ever hear? What about, “My wife is my life. I’d do anything for her.” Have you ever said that? Or even better, “Jesus is my life. I’d do anything for him.” Outside of your relationship with Christ, the only other relationship that is described in covenantal language in the Bible is the marriage relationship of husband and wife. The human parent-child relationship, as important as it is, is never spoken of as a “covenant” relationship. Your relationship with your wife is more important. Model that for your kids.
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MLB Musings: June 2014

Posted on June 6, 2014 by Jason

In the busyness of this spring, I wasn’t able to make my typical MLB predictions posts. Probably a good thing, because I doubt I would’ve fared too well thus far. Toronto and Milwaukee in first place? The Marlins a half-game back? Tampa Bay with the worst record in the majors? Who saw any of that coming?

Now that nearly a third of the season is in the books, we have a fairly clear idea on most every team. In addition, there have been several players to assert themselves as bona fide stars in the early going. Here are a few of my musings re: the baseball I’ve seen so far:

  • Mike Morse & Pablo Sandoval; all hugs and handshakes in San Fran

    Mike Morse & Pablo Sandoval; all hugs and handshakes in San Francisco these days

    The Giants look like the real deal in the National League. For the past few seasons, San Francisco’s success has been due in large part to a stellar rotation. And the recipe still works; the Giants are currently 3rd in the majors in team ERA. But this season, the Giants are also flexing their muscles at the plate, currently ranking 3rd in the NL in runs scored. Angel Pagan has been a catalyst from the leadoff spot and the run producers — primarily Mike Morse, Hunter Pence and, most recently, Pablo Sandoval — have kept the line moving. It’s remarkable that the offense has been in such a groove, given the pedestrian production of former MVP Buster Posey. If he heats up, the Giants might wrap this division up by the break.

  • The new Bash Brothers: Cespedes, Donaldson, and Moss

    The new Bash Brothers: Cespedes, Donaldson, and Moss

    Not to be outdone, the other Bay area team has also looked pretty solid so far. The A’s are led by a trio of sluggers: Cuban OF Yoenis Cespedes; 1B / OF Brandon Moss; and 3B Josh Donaldson, the clear choice for AL MVP at this point in the season. Each of these three carries a slugging percentage higher than .500; the Rockies are the only other team in baseball that can make such a claim. Much like the Giants, the A’s have a cadre of power arms that stymie opposing hitters. Scott Kazmir, resurrected off the scrap heap last year in Cleveland, looks like the ace of his earlier years. Sonny Gray continues to live up to the hype that pre-dated his arrival in Oakland last summer. And Jesse Chavez, a converted reliever, has already provided the A’s over 70 innings of 3.00 ERA ball. Now that Sean Doolittle has solidified the end of the bullpen (with vintage Eckersley numbers, by the way), the A’s are looking like a force to be reckoned with in the American League.

  • Oscar Tavares: Welcome to the new age....

    Oscar Tavares: Welcome to the new age….

    As for my Cardinals, I’d be hard pressed to consider the first third of the season as anything other than a disappointment. Granted, they’re not off to a disastrous start. But as of this writing, they’re 31-31, an even .500 with 100 games left to play. With their stable of live young arms the envy of GMs throughout the game, everyone expected the Cards to cruise to another division title. But you can’t mail it in (I’m looking at you Trevor Rosenthal), especially in our division. Thankfully the Pirates and Reds have looked pretty ordinary as well. I’m hoping Milwaukee is the only legit contender in this division. But it’s going to take more of a spark to get the job done. Maybe Oscar Tavares can breathe a little bit of offensive vitality back into this squad.

  • Yasiel Puig = swag

    Yasiel Puig = swag

    I have to admit: I was wrong about Yasiel Puig. Last year, when media types were bemoaning his All Star selection snub, I said he was a flash in the pan. Another couple of times through the league, I thought, and pitchers will figure him out. He’ll die on a steady diet of breaking balls out of the zone. And I was right. But I didn’t consider that Puig would make adjustments, too. After struggling mightily at the start of the second half, Puig began laying off the hard stuff away. When pitchers would come back in, he’d make them pay. And he’s done nothing but rake his way through the first two months of this season. Color me convinced. I still hate the bat flip. I still hate the hot-dogging and the off-field antics. But I’ve come to respect the supreme talent. And I even voted for him to start this year’s Mid-Summer Classic. He’s absolutely deserving.

Speaking of the All Star Game, I’ll return in a few weeks to help you with your ballot. But let’s just say that if anyone other than Troy Tulowitzki is on your ballot for the NL at SS, you need to give it up. Seriously. The guy’s simply on fire.

Next month, I’ll also have a recap of the biggest baseball trip we’ve ever been on as a family. More to come in a few weeks!

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