Happy Birthday Ricky!

Today is Ricky's 40th Birthday! Ricky shares December 23rd with many other prestigious men--like Papa Savage and Joseph Smith!

Ricky has many interests, hobbies and talents. Mom remembers when he was younger he was very into playing outdoors and riding his bike. As he grew older, playing outdoors turned into camping and climbing mountains. Riding his bike turned into riding motorcycles, which is one of his favorite things to do now. This year he got to go on a special trip to Indianapolis to see the GP Moto Races with Eden. 

Ricky also loves to play music, and he took oboe and saxophone lessons for years as a kid. One of my favorite memories of Ricky's music was after my best friend Danielle's father passed away. Her family wanted to have music at the funeral, but they didn't know anybody who could perform on short notice. Ricky hadn't played his saxophone in years, and he was very nervous to perform in front of people. But, he did it. Even without being asked or pressured, he dusted off his saxophone and played beautifully in front of a room full of strangers. Danielle's family appreciated it so much, and it was a nice tribute to her father. I was so proud of Ricky that day! 

I'm sure this is not a surprise to anyone, but one of Ricky's best qualities is his intelligence. He is very intellectual, loves to read, and he is a gifted writer as well. He loves to apply his intelligence toward his interest in all things related to church history. He has read just about every book on the subject and he can't get enough of it. If you ever have a question about anything related to church history, Ricky is the person to ask. The picture below is from Christmas last year, when we surprised Ricky with a limited edition Book of Mormon replica. He was very excited, and he treated it as gently as if it were a baby bunny.

Ricky is known for his love of cleanliness. We tease him about being a little OCD, but he's really not so bad... and lets face it, I am on the opposite end of that extreme. Even when he was younger, Ricky would regularly rearrange the furniture in his bedroom, hoping it would be "just right". Now that he is in his own house, he is very conscientious about keeping it in tip-top shape, which is no easy feat with two toddlers running around. He likes to vacuum almost every night, he has a particular way that he likes his dishes to be washed, and he also loves to keep his car nice and clean, both inside and out. Even though its a lot of work to keep up all this cleanliness, Ricky loves doing it, and I have to say that it makes visitors feel comfortable to come visit his house. Ricky likes to make effective use of his time and to be productive, and managing a very neat home is a good way to do both. 

Ricky is also a dang good driver, with an excellent sense of direction. To this point, Mom said, "If I had to be lost somewhere I would want Ricky to be my guide". 

We are also very impressed with how well Ricky takes care of himself. Despite having a serious back injury, he takes very good care of his health, tries to eat right and works out several times a week and feeds the boys nutritious food. He is also very supportive of Eden's physical fitness pursuits, by tending the boys after she gets off work so that she is able to go play tennis. He encourages the boys to be physically fit, by taking them to the gym with him and even enrolling Lincoln in a sports class earlier this year. 

Speaking of Eden, we love that she has come into our lives and we think that she and Ricky have a very cute and sweet relationship. They are affectionate with each other, and Ricky is very supportive of her. He even lets her watch the TV shows that she wants to watch. 

Ricky takes his task of teaching the ten year olds at church very seriously. He doesn't just feed them treats and show them the latest issue of "The Friend". He prepares real lessons for them and he puts a lot of time into it. This is not surprising though, because when Ricky decides to do something he usually does take it pretty seriously. I think this philosophy has transferred over to his parenting style as well. Ricky is very good Dad to Lincoln and Logan. He has learned how to be patient and loving with his boys, while also maintaining high expectations for them. Sometimes, kids are just wild, and Ricky has learned how to accept that and "roll with the punches", so to speak. The boys are both so very lucky to have a Dad around who is as devoted to them as Ricky is.

We love you Ricky and we hope you have an awesome birthday!