I love celebrating birthdays! Today, my husband turns 27. (He doesn’t look a day past 16, just ask him to show you his driver’s license).

Many members of my family and close friends did not get to spend much time getting to know Rick for the 3 total days he spent in Utah between our courtship and wedding. Here is a little getting to know Rick and a tribute to my sweetheart on his birthday. He is the kind of guy that is very impressive, once you get past the joking and playful side of his personality. He has a lot to brag about, but you won’t hear it from him. His quiet dignity and humility has to be one of his most attractive qualities.

Richard August Zinke was born October 8th, 1980 in Salt Lake City, Utah. He’s lived in: Salt Lake City, Utah; Scottsdale, Arizona; Laguna Niguel, California; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Germany as a missionary. He attended BYU in Provo, Utah and now lives in South Burlington, Vermont and attends the University of Vermont College of Medicine. He started his second year August 2007.

Here is Rick with the Boy Scouts. He is second from the right on the front row.

Rick was content as a child. He was busy with his Legos and participated the Boys Scouts of America. He earned his Eagle Scout when he was only 12! He earned 36 merit badges and 3 Eagle Palms. If you’re like me you’re thinking, “Yeah, who does this?! Who is this guy?” He served in various leadership positions including: Senior Patrol Leader, Assistant Senior Patrol Leader, Quarter Master, etc. (If you’re like me, you have no clue what all this means, but it sure sounds nice!)

As a student in Junior High, he maintained a 4.0 GPA and was named the “Physical Education Student of the Year” in eighth grade. He was listed on the Principal’s Honor Roll and received the “Student of the Month” awards several times. In High School, he was a member of the National Honor Society, the California Scholarship Federation, and was a representative on the Gifted and Talented Education Committee. He was honored as the “Outstanding Freshman in Social Science” and “Outstanding Sophomore and Junior in Mathematics.” He was honored again as Student of the Month and was listed on the Principals Honor Roll several times. Again, WHO IS THIS GUY!? ( I believe he is my husband….)

Rick with his LDS classmates at UVM.

Rick participated in water polo, swimming and wrestling in High School. His wrestling victories include, but are not limited to the following: Frosh/Soph League Champion, placed 1st and 2nd in several tournaments, earned Varsity Letter, placed 2nd in Varsity League Finals, inducted into the Aliso Niguel High School Wrestling Hall of Fame and received the “Scholar Athlete” award. He was honored as top varsity Scholar and received “Scholar Athlete” award. I hate to embarrass him, but he took the following AP classes: Literature and Composition, American Government/Economics, Physics, Calculus, United States History, Biology, European History, Chemistry and Music Theory. Again, WHO IS THIS GUY!? I won’t mention that he was ranked #1 in his class and named Valedictorian.

Over the years, Rick has been employed in a variety of positions. He taught piano to children, learned to bind books, worked in cancer research, etc.

Rick has a strong testimony of the Restored Gospel and has served in multiple Quorum Presidencies as a teenager. He was called to serve in the Frankfurt Germany Mission in June 2001. He currently serves as the Young Men’s President here in Burlington Vermont.

He attended the United States Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, CO from the ages of 18-20. He jumped out of the same airplane 5 times, total freefall, totally solo. He’s lived off the land and evaded search parties hunting him down through searchlights, bloodhounds, night vision goggles, and more. He’s trudged through swamps, bathed in mud to cover scent and camouflage himself. He led a team of 4 for eight days through the tops of the Rockies and was never caught. In order to survive, he ate ants and rabbits, of which he killed, skinned and gutted on the spot. Again, WHO IS THIS GUY!?

What I love about Rick: His countenance, service oriented mentality, and his devotion to Jesus Christ and His church. I love the way he takes my hand, opens my door, whispers sweet nothings in my ear, draws me warm baths and lights candles for me. He is quick to help out in the kitchen and does one wicked awesome dinner clean up routine. Rick is Mr. Handy around the house. There isn’t anything he can’t do. Seriously. He is punctual and honest. I love receiving his love notes. He is clean in thought, word, and deed. I thought I was neat, organized and thoughtful but he blows me out of the water! I am continually amazed by his thoughtfulness, sense of humor and good heart. He desires to do good things in life and raise a family in the Gospel. I couldn’t ask for anything more.

Rick, Thank you for who you are and who you are striving to become. To Rick’s Parents: Thank you for raising an incredible son who is so selfless, mindful of his wife, and so conscientious of his surroundings and others. I adore his dedication to our marriage, the Gospel, his schoolwork, and our future family. I appreciate everything about him and am honored to be sealed to him FOREVER!

He won’t be happy that I just posted his life story here, but he deserves a little attention on his birthday, am I right? Someone back me up here.

Happy Birthday Sweetheart!

Ich werde Dich fur immer lieben!

-your forever wife.