We love our friends, Chris and Carrie Randall..

We love our friends more when they invite us over for this:

Family Night with the Randalls, decorating Ginger Bread Houses!  Check my 2008 Halloween gingerbread house HERE and my  2008 Gingerbread Church HERE!

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1-1/3 cups molasses
4 eggs
8 cups all-purpose flour, divided
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions

ROYAL ICING
(a.k.a super glue for ginger bread houses)

3 egg whites

4-5 cups powdered confectioner’s sugar

Directions: beat until nice foamy stiff peaks form.

This recipe decorated 2 houses, generously. Truly, this stuff is amazing! It could double as nail hole filler. I learned that a little ziploc bag is handy for piping the icing if you don’t have the fancy cake decoration bags, couplers and metal tips.

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.

]]> http://zinke.wordpress.com/2007/10/08/25/feed/ 1 vanessa troop-777-scout-camp2.jpg medschoolwhitecoats.jpg IMG_3529bw.jpg http://zinke.wordpress.com/2007/08/13/21/ http://zinke.wordpress.com/2007/08/13/21/#comments Mon, 13 Aug 2007 00:12:12 +0000 vanessa http://zinke.wordpress.com/2007/08/13/21/ ]]>

Please, sit down and grab a cup of joe or a tissue.

January 1st, 2007

I wrote in my journal that 2007 would be my year. This is me exercising faith. Frankly, it had to be my year. I am 29. Single. Pardon me, but my eggs are nearly hard boiled! The clock is not turning back.

May 1st, 2007

I got a job in California. It fell in my lap, seriously. I packed my bags and drove to California near the end of the month. I didn’t know anyone. My sister lived 65 miles north. I lived on beach front property, and frankly, that was enough for me to be there. It was beautiful.  I could hear the ocean waves crashing from my bedroom window, every night.  Life doesn’t get better than that…or so I thought!

June 8th, 2007

I started the job. The ward members were nice. Weather was premium. I was a happy camper.

June 18 th 2007

I attended Family Home Evening that was held at the Bishop’s home. After the lesson, I was visiting with the Bishop’s wife, Janna. She asked me about my new job and the details of my situation. She then grabbed her son, and said, “Rick, this is Vanessa, she’s new to the ward.” Rick and I started talking and she moved on to other people. Our conversation was brief and consisted of the usual questions: So, where did you go to school? What did you study? BLAH BLAH. After talking to him I thought he was a nice guy; friendly, all smiles and a countenance that glowed. He left a great first impression. However, he was just home for the summer. He told me he was at school in Vermont. I thought, “Wow, home for 2 months. Not pursuing this one.”

The following weeks I would see Rick at FHE or at church. It was nothing more than friendly “hellos” and “hey, how ya doing?” I had my eye on him for weeks though. There was something about him that held my curiosity. I watched him like a hawk, but he didn’t know it.  Meanwhile, I continued to carry on with my life, flying solo.

July 15th, 2007

I arrived to church early to finalize my talk I was prepared to give in the meeting. True to form, Rick was there early. He and his younger brother walked up to me and just visited for a moment. At that point, I was looking at him, thinking, “gosh, he is cute!” Following sacrament meeting, Janna was talking to a gal from whom I needed to buy tickets for the Angels game. I walked up to them and said, “Here is my 40 bucks, I need four tickets!” as I waved the bucks in the air.

“Vanessa, who are all those tickets for?!” Janna asked.

“Ah, one for my best friend Kim, one for her friend, one for me and the last one is for my future beau. This is my faith ticket!”  I didn’t know what I was talking about…I was just talking smack.

Well, when church was over, I again, visited with Janna and another gal. She began expressing her concern for her son and his desire to find a girl out here and get married. I chuckled inside and thought, “Gosh, have him ask me out!” I remained silent and bit my tongue. What is a girl to do in this situation? I played my cool card and said, “Ah, that would be hard to live in Vermont and not have the options of dating young single women.”

After church, I saw Janna and her two sons hanging out in the foyer. I walked up to them and visited for a moment. I had to break away and take care of some business. When I came back about 10 minutes later, Rick was standing there alone.

“So, is everything taken care of?” He inquired.

“Yeah, I am good to go!”

“So, uh, do you have any plans tonight?”

“Oh, just go home and have some dinner.”

“Well, do you want to get together after that?”

::::: WHAT? ARE YOU KIDDING ME? WAS RICK ASKING ME OUT!? BE STILL MY BEATING HEART! OF COURSE I WANT TO GO OUT WITH YOU! ::::

A huge smile grew across my face and I am sure that grin lasted hours.

“Oh, sure, ya that would be great!” Again, playing my cool card and not acting overly excited. I think I called 3 people on my way home from church. I was exploding with joy that the bishop’s son just asked me out for that night. He just puts off a nice vibe. And I like that!

He picked me up at 7 and we walked the beach for a couple of hours and talked about schooling, family, etc. the ease of conversation surprised me. I felt like I was catching up with an old friend. The waves soaked our pants. We rolled up our pant legs and walked and walked and walked. We left the beach and headed towards the car and drove away.

“Vanessa, how much time do you have?”

“Why?”

“That will determine if I turn right or left”

“I’ve got time”

So he turned right and headed up the PCH  and we spent the last hour at Laguna beach, walking in the park along the coast. I remember thinking ::::: wow, Rick is such a genuine guy. I could totally date this guy :::::

July 16th, 2007

FHE this Monday night was at the Oceanside beach. At this point, I could easily spit Rick in a crowd.  Sure enough, I saw him amongst hundreds of young single adults, standing next to his brother, with his arms crossed in front of him.  I beelined it right to him. I talked with him and his family. I just wanted to stand close to him. I saw Mary Holmes and visited with her. I told her, “Mary, see that guy over there…I went out with him last night, wow, he’s so fantastic! I have to date him!” Of course, it was much more dramatic than that.  I kept my eye on Rick all evening. When the night drew to a close, his family was leaving. “Rick, so your family is leaving, do you want to ride home with me?” I strategically planned to arrive alone so he could ride back with me!  Oh man, I am good.  This is what dating is all about: making yourself available, right?

We headed out and I handed him the keys to my car. He drove me to the Macaroni Grill so I could carb load, and then picked up the check and then drove me home. He displayed perfect chivalrousness. (Is that a word?)

July 17th, 2007

That evening, we hooked up for a trip to the temple and a drive along the coast. PCH was becoming our best friend! To make a very long story short, I knew after this 3rd date I could marry this guy. Conversation flowed naturally, laughter was always present and I always felt good being around him. He invited me over to meet his sister and her family. It was at this point that I knew Rick was seriously interested in me and I was flattered! People just don’t invite boyfriends or girlfriends over to meet family members for kicks. Unless, you are in my family. Nevermind.

July 18th, 2007

I stopped by on my way home from Institute to say hello. Gosh, I liked him, and I wasn’t about to play hard to get.  I showed up and the family welcomed me right in.  Ah, Rick had a big grin on his face!  That was my sign that I made the right move…showing up, that is.  We spent a couple of hours on the back porch swing, talking and having our first moment of hand holding. I felt a rush of peace come over me and he squeezed my hand. I appreciated Rick’s down to earth nature. Minutes turned into hours and my sleep schedule began to take a turn for the worse! Of course, I would take him over my beauty rest any day. That is what happened from there on out!

July 19th, 2007

I found myself at his sister’s house for family dinner. What a great family and what a great time. Following dinner, Rick drove us to a local park where he played growing up. We walked around and then found ourselves standing next to each other, as we leaned against the wooden railing. We talked. Next thing I knew he was holding me and hugging me. Wow, I was inches from his face and at one point, I was speechless. Ok, so maybe I turned shy and planted my face into his shoulder. He peeled me away from his chest so he could see my face. Then I would smile and plant my face into the opposite shoulder. Before I knew it, our cheeks were touching. I wanted to kiss him. ::::Gosh, was he going to kiss me?!::::: my heart began to race and my palms turned moist. Let’s be honest, he is a total romantic. What’s not to like!?

Ok, fine, maybe he did take both his hands and gently place them on the sides of my face. Maybe he did pull me in closer. Gee, I sure made it hard for him, so I don’t blame him! Maybe he kissed me. Once. Twice? Maybe, but wouldn’t you like to know! All I know is that I liked it. It was this night that I told him I really really liked him. I also remember feeling a huge burden lifted. I was done dating other people. My dating pool evaporated into thin air, instantaneously! I was no longer interested in looking for other young men to date. He was the greener grass on the other side.

He dropped me off and I invited him to come with me to the Angels Game the following week. Of course he said yes! I walked in my home that night knowing that I would marry Rick. I could feel it in my blood. I was so sure of it, but I didn’t tell him. It was my little secret.

The following weeks proved to be very eventful. We were so busy attending various events like the Del Mar horse races, the San Diego Temple, the Orange County Fair, out to dinner, the Irvine Spectrum, Manhattan Beach, hiking, swimming, and lot of walks around the neighborhood. We had a great time courting! To make a long story short, Rick turned into my second full time job. From 5 p.m. to 12 a.m. (or later) I was with Rick. And I liked that! How grateful I am for his moral standard and the respect he gave me in honoring my virtue. The more time I spent with him, the more sure I felt about him. It felt as if I knew him for years. Things happened so naturally and without much effort at all. I loved how open and honest he was about me and other aspects of his life. I appreciated him for being a perfect gentleman! He is so patient, loving, forgiving, down to earth, happy, service-oriented and has a brilliant mind.

August 7th, 2007

I wake up and write in my journal: I have a feeling I am going to get some eternal hardware tonight!

Rick called me in the afternoon. “Hey Doll, how are you doing? I want to take you to dinner tonight.” I dressed up for him. We went to Mario’s By The Sea; a delicious Italian restaurant. We then drove to Laguna beach, where we had our first date. We walked along the cliff and watched the sun set. It was such a beautiful night. I would venture to call it perfect. Yes, it was perfect. We walked down the cement staircase to the sand and found a rock upon which we sat. We started to do what we do best: talk. He has always been an inspiration to me. I have looked up to him as a friend, a confidant, someone who honors their priesthood.

He began to tell me the ways he adored me and why he loved me. Frankly it made my heart melt. His sincerity and honesty was so pure. He pulled a small black velvet drawstring bag, from his pocket and dangled it between his fingers. I begun to smile and laugh. :::: is this really happening to me? :::::

“Oh Rick!”

“Babe, I love you so much….”

At that point I threw my arms around him and begun to count the ways I loved him. “Rick, you mean so much to me, and you are the person I have been praying for…” I interrupted his confessions of love for me. I wanted him to know how much I loved him. After my little speech, he pulled out a ring and said, “Doll, I love you, will you marry me?” I was in disbelief, yet overwhelmed by the peace I felt in my heart. He placed a beautiful brilliant solitaire ring on my finger. “Rick you would make me the happiest girl on this planet to be your wife!” Because it was so dark out side, I couldn’t see the ring in all it’s beauty, but I knew from what I did see, I loved it! It was EXACTLY what I wanted! We hugged and stared at each other with silly grins on our faces. Adoration, gratitude, and peace overcame me. This picture was taken about 2 hours before the proposal. I sent Rick home on an airplane Saturday night, August 11th. He starts school on Monday, August 13th in VERMONT! The next time I see him will be the day before the sealing. Distance has already made my heart grow very fond of him. I just adore him so much. How blessed and lucky I feel to have been chosen by him.

We are scheduled to be sealed on September 20th 2007. July 15th-September 20th. 66 days from first date to
the alter. Many of you are probably thinking at this point: IS SHE CRAZY!? Yes, sort of. (crazy in love!)

Since our engagement, the common question I have received from my friends and family is this:

HOW DID YOU KNOW HE WAS THE ONE, HOW DID YOU KNOW IT WAS RIGHT?

1: This is easy. Since day one I have felt extreme clarity of mind regarding Rick. I have had no reason to question his motives or his integrity. He has lived a very honorable life. I have had no reservations or hesitations about his character. I have searched high and low for red flags. Nothing. He is the real deal.

2: Peace. After spending over 250 hours with Rick, I have felt incredible peace and confirmation after confirmation that he is the one. For the first time in my life, I look forward to spending eternity with someone I would call my husband. He has a pure heart and the way he serves me continually surprises me and inspires me. When I am around him, I want to be a better person. He brings out my very best. I think one of my most favorite moments was the discovery of his INFJ personality. For I, too, am an INFJ!

3. It’s easy! My mother told me, after many tears and struggles in past relationships, “honey, it shouldn’t have to be this hard, when it’s right, it’s easy.” Well, from day one, being with Rick has been extremely easy. Our conversations are easy, getting along is easy, making decisions together is easy, supporting one another is easy. All of it has been easy. We are on the same page, all the time. We just get each other. It has unfolded exactly the way I always thought it would, when I knew that it was right. This is how I knew I could not live without him. He is my heroin.

This job in California was not for the money. This move to California was a simple orchestration by the hand of the Lord. As my mother predicted, the Lord was guiding me to be at this place, at this time. Without a doubt, I was guided to California so I could meet Rick. No doubt about it!  It was the single best move of my life.

I LOVE YOU BABE!

XO

VSZ

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