the lions den was established to keep people posted on major events happening in our life and to keep a family history, an online scrap book of sorts. we understand our shortcomings in keeping up with family and friends across the country, so this is our attempt to put the ball in your court.
the inspiration for the lions den came from our kids beniah and haneul, we want to be able to share their exciting developments with people who want to know. enjoy.
I didn't want my son to get hurt, but I wanted every guy there to pucker up a little bit. Inspired by the land diving harvest ritual of the Vanuatu islanders, young men could travel up to 45 miles per hour jumping head first off a crude wooden structure they built up to 100 feet high. Naturally only a few volunteers were brave enough to scale the tower and tie vines around the platform and then to their ankles before making the plunge.
Many cultures still practice rights of passage for boys into manhood, these practices are often set to show courage, endurance and the ability to control one’s emotions. I wanted this for Beniah and his 13th birthday was the right time to mark his journey into manhood. I want him to start testing and stretching himself, to know that I trust him and that he can always trust me. Ultimately however, the purpose of this weekend tucked off the edge of the Mogollon Rim was to present the idea of manhood. A manhood that is not passive and not abusive but strong, loving and selfless. To accomplish this Beniah would be surrounded by men who would model and speak that balance into his life.
My hope for Beniah has always been that he will not shy away from challenges, that he would be encouraged to take risks as opportunities arise and that he would follow God’s call on his life, that he would not be lured by the temptations of this world but by the calling of the Spirit.
This is how Beniah got his name. The Benaiah from the old testament was a great warrior known for heroic exploits (2 Samuel 23:20-23), specifically in taking risks to do what is right. Benaiah also happened to be the head of David’s bodyguard. On one occasion Benaiah went down into a pit on a snowy day to kill a lion. Now, it doesn’t say why Benaiah did this but I imagine it had something to do with his job of protecting others.
Although there are not many Mountain Lions in the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, he would end up experiencing physical, mental and emotional feats. If we did end up facing a lion however, it would be Beniah's job to protect us, but he wouldn't do it empty handed. Therefore we formally started the weekend with a gift, a Benchmade 533 Mini Bugout customized by Brad Southard with spin free washers, an orange G10 handle and 2 Samuel 23:20 engraved on the blade. This is a knife Beniah has obsessed over for years.
The weekend would be full of many manly activities: poker, running, board games, hiking, kayaking on the lake, Braveheart (Beniah's first R rated movie), a foosball tournament (which goes without say as to who won...it was me and Beniah. Beniah and I won), drinking beer and bourbon (I even had a little too). One of the unexpected highlights was when a pack of wild horses wondered through the property.
With all the fun, I feel if any of the men on this trip were asked, they would point to the intentional time speaking words of truth into Beniah's life and praying for him as the thing to be remembered. Around the fire Saturday night each man took a minute to encourage and charge my son into the journey of manhood, then boil those words down into one or two and write that word on his chest to take down the mountain with him. Although I would love to share all the uplifting words that were spoken, I would not do them justice from memory. What I do remember and so does Beniah, is each word inscribed on his chest.
Responsibility
Community
Be True
Show Up
Wisdom
Joy
Creative
Selflessness
Then Sunday night, laying our hands by the fire and praying, surrounded by his uncles, mentors and grandfather was beautiful. My father has not left my mothers side in months due to the cancer, but mom insisted that he be on this mountain with us. I thank God she was stable enough for him to even consider making the trip and I am continually astonished by her selflessness.
To close, I shared some parting words of wisdom adapted from Rules for my Unborn Son (included below) and an image to illustrate that each and every one of these guys had Beniah's back in any situation. And if he ever got himself in a tough spot he did not feel he could tell mom and dad about, well then, his phone call needed to go to Uncle Phil or Uncle Steve. So I announced he would be doing a trust fall, off the edge of the deck. It wasn't quite land diving but it was the response I was looking for.
Rules for my Unborn Son
1. Never shake a man’s hand sitting down.
2. Don’t enter a pool by the stairs.
3. The man at the BBQ Grill is the closest thing to a king.
4. In a negotiation, never make the first offer.
5. Request the late check-out.
6. When entrusted with a secret, keep it.
7. Hold your heroes to a higher standard.
8. Return a borrowed car with a full tank of gas.
9. Play with passion or not at all…
10. When shaking hands, grip firmly and look them in the eye.
11. Don’t let a wishbone grow where your backbone should be.
12. If you need music on the beach, you’re missing the point.
13. Carry two handkerchiefs. The one in your back pocket is for you. The one in your breast pocket is for her.
14. You marry the girl, you marry her family.
15. Be like a duck. Remain calm on the surface and paddle like crazy underneath.
16. Experience the wonder of traveling abroad and engaging with other cultures.
17. Never be afraid to ask out the best looking girl in the room.
18. Never turn down a breath mint.
19. A sport coat is worth 1000 words.
20. Try writing your own eulogy. Never stop revising.
21. Thank a veteran. Then make it up to him.
22. Eat lunch with the new kid.
23. After writing an angry email, read it carefully. Then delete it.
24. Ask your mom to play. She won’t let you win.
25. Manners maketh the man.
26. Give credit. Take the blame.
27. Stand up to Bullies. Protect those bullied.
28. Write down your dreams...then go for them.
29. Always protect your siblings (and teammates).
30. Be confident and humble at the same time.
31. Call and visit your parents often. They miss you.
I will attempt to succinctly summarize a trip Christe and I have been planning for essentially the ten years we have been married. We were supposed to drive from Tucson all the way up to Seattle and Olympic National Park and back, but cut it a little short due to forks in our career path. Oregon and Washington another day, but for now, our California adventure!
SeaWorld
Ten years of teaching finally paid off with free passes to SeaWorld. Yes, I have seen Blackfish and SeaWorld has announced this will be the last generation of Orcas in their captivity. With that said, SeaWorld was GREAT! The park is the perfect size for a one-day trip, shows spaced out nicely and hands-on experiences for the kids (Haneul's favorite was touching the sharks and Beniah's was the sucker fish snacking on his hands). Fantastic day but Haneul did not appreciate the Dolphins soaking her.
Ballast Point
Theme parks for the kids, national parks for mom, breweries for dad and food for everyone. An overall disappointing experience at Ballast Point (long wait after long day, pricey average food, I got spilled on, no stickers for me...err, I mean the kids) ended well with a comped fantastic Espresso Creme Brulee paired with their Calm Before the Storm, a cream ale with coffee and vanilla.
Legoland
Beniah has been dreaming about Legoland for about two years now, we managed two buy-one-get-one tickets. This is a great park for 5-9 year old kids, so perfect for ours. We could have easily spent two days there (one day to get wet at their 3 or 4 water parks) but we stayed dry! Beniah enjoyed getting his "drivers license" and Haneul braved a roller coaster with us, screaming, "I DON'T LIKE IT! I DON'T LIKE IT!" the entire ride until it rolled to a stop in which she emphatically yelled, "LET'S DO IT AGAIN!"
Stone
The highlight of my day and highlight of my entire brewery experience was Stone, hands down. In true Stone fashion, they are just Arrogant enough to avoid any signage, but Christe sniffed out the hops. The ambiance was beautiful and imposing at the same time, the food excellent, I was partial to my Serrano Ham wrapped Trout and of course the beer was world class. Maybe for my best, we missed the release of my favorite IPA of all time Ruin Ten, released on 6/20/16 if interested (last release was 2012).
Santa Monica Pier
Time for an easy day. Walk the pier and camp out on the beach for a couple hours in standard SoCal weather. Christe and I continually reminded each other that this weather is only one tank of gas away (we left 112-degree temps only to return to 117). I am not a beach guy but it is admittedly more fun when your kids are squealing with joy (and Haneul was pure joy) as they play in the sand and get chased by waves.
Koreatown (Quarters)
Christe and I have eaten well in South Korea numerous times and what we experienced at Quarters Korean BBQ was something that was hard to put into words. Twice we simply took a bite, made eye contact and high-fived. The flavor profiles, the meat cooked to perfection (they wouldn't let us touch the tongs), a truly magical experience, we didn't even pause to take a picture of our food but you can see the joy we were still experiencing when we stopped afterward for honeycomb ice cream at HoneyMee in these pictures...
BarNine
Served my espresso with a short glass of seltzer water and Christe's "to-go" latte in a glass jar. Classy. Pastries were on point too.
Firestone Walker
Initially disappointed with the beer selection, it took me a minute before I noticed a glassed-off area with a beer list that I adoringly couldn't take my eyes off. I anxiously thought to myself, "how do I get in there, where is the door, where is our server?" My nerves were settled as I realized the Barrel Works bar was in fact open and I could enjoy The Java Parabola weighing in at 14% ABV, the Parabola, the Sucaba, the Anniversary Ale XIX (all in 3 oz. snifters of course) and take a bottle of Bourbon Barrel Aged Velvet Merkin with me to be enjoy along side my father in the mountains of Yosemite. Woot!
Big Sur
The drive to San Francisco was something all to itself, we saw Harbor Seals at Carpinteria Harbor Seal Preserve and Elephant Seals at the southern entrance to Big Sur. Pictures can not capture the Big Sur experience but thank God for preservation. Oh and we bumped into some folks we know. Dad remarked he has been waiting his whole life to drive Highway 1. I'm glad we got to experience it together.
Harbor Seals
Elephant Seals
San Francisco
Philz Coffee (original location).
Dim Sum in Chinatown. So. Good.
Lombard Street. Check.
See the trolley and eat seafood on Fisherman's Wharf. Check.
Seals at Pier 39. Check.
Alcatraz...kinda.
Drive by Full House houses. Check.
Drive the Golden Gate Bridge. Check.
A little anniversary getaway at a local tapas restaurant.
Birthday brewery tour: Russian River, Third Street and Bear Republic! Stinkin' Lagunitas was closed on Monday. Ugh.
Napa Valley. V. Sattui Zinfandel with aged cheddar and cured meats on a picnic table in the shade. Need I say more?
Hog Island Oyster Co. on the Bay. Yeah, we ate like Kings. I think too busy enjoying to take pics. Shocking, I know, but the grilled oysters were perfect, I enjoyed them with a Hog Island Oyster Stout from 21st Amendment.
Beniah's first professional (non-spring training) baseball game at AT&T Park. Three generations of LePeau men. Pregame at 21st Amendment of course.
Special thanks to Jaime Wong for being an amazing hostess and tour guide!
Yosemite
I think I will let the picture do the talking for this one even though they don't do justice to our experience.
Kings Canyon & Sequoia
Picnic lunch under a Giant Sequoia and a walk around General Grant and through a fallen Sequoia.
Confession: I don't listen to worship music much but there is something special about listening to Christian music while experiencing the finest of God's creation.
Survival Stories
Survived a 923-acre brush fire as we drive the 8 to San Diego.
Haneul throws up on Escondido.
Survive an M5.2 Earthquake in our Escondido Super 8.
Beniah throws up in San Francisco.
Survive a 4-mile hike to Vernal Falls with a 1000 foot elevation climb.
Beniah throws up on Yosemite.
Survived epic spider v. June Bug fight (phones were out of battery, so no pic).
Survived 118-degree temps on our drive home.
Next Stop: Australia/New Zealand for our 20-year trip.
