This blog needs a shout out to a person who rarely gets mentioned, but who is in our lives a lot.
Who: Hillary Frances John Garcia Mendez Salazar Torres
Relationship: My youngest sister. 6 1/2 years my junior.
Nicknames: Hill, Larry, Hill-man, the most popular girl in school.
Family: Ben, her husband, and no children. Yet. She's turning 22 today so she should be popping out kids very soon, right?
Location: Right here in Orem, Utah. We get to spend lots of time with her.
Profession: Full-time student and part-time worker at BYU's independent study program (?). I don't actually know her exact title but I know she has worked her way up to a decent wage and she doesn't know her bosses last name. She does, however, know a lot of random facts about him and his family.
Allowing a 4-month-old Sadie to barf all over her
Generous: Hillary is so giving, sometimes to a fault. She wants to help everyone as much as possible and sometimes over-commits herself in the process. Just last week she was trying to figure out a way she could watch my kids for me when my babysitter fell through. Oh, never mind the fact that she had school and work to go to. During Hillary's freshman year of college she used to watch Sadie twice a week for free and then take me to lunch after. I was nice enough to allow her to do this.
Painfully Shy: She's actually not anymore, but when she was young she used to talk so quietly no one could hear her. Then she would also put her hands in front of her mouth so you couldn't read her lips either. She insists she was only shy around our family, but I have no proof otherwise.
Determined: When Hillary sets her mind on something she will generally make it work no matter what.
Egg dying- Easter 2012
Best Gift-Giver: I am counting down the years until Hillary our family in the John family Christmas present exchange. Christmas 2014 is going to be sweet!! Since she was young she has given awesome gifts. I feel bad though, because it's like, she can't stop now. Everyone expects great presents from her. (Just kidding Hill. You can stop giving awesome gifts whenever you want. I won't be too upset.)
Wicket Smaht: Like, seriously. Full 4 year scholarship to BYU. She is majoring in neuroscience with a minor in math (or is it logic?). Now she is struggling with the decision of what to do after her undergrad. It's really hard for someone who is brilliant and well-rounded, so she has lots of different interests and talents. Yeah, I'm gonna brag for a second: she placed in the 99th percentile on a practice LSAT.
Perpetual Loser: She tends to misplace things, namely, her phone. I text Ben when I am trying to reach her. This quirk is fascinating to me and just helps me to know she is human, and not completely perfect.
Dancing with Sadie at her wedding
Thoughtful: I think a few years ago when I did a post about my whole family I said something along the lines of Hillary being the most inconsiderate, considerate person I know. That's what I said about her when she was a senior in high school and I actually didn't know her super well. I hadn't lived at home in 7 years. Now I know she is incredibly thoughtful and because she is so determined, she will stop at nothing to accomplish these generous and thoughtful things once she has decided to do them. Hillary is also thoughtful because she just thinks about/analyzes everything. She has thoughtful opinions on almost any topic you might bring up.
Sadie's 3rd birthday cake made by Hillary
Dessert Lover: I can always count on Hillary to eat dessert with me. She doesn't only love to eat it, she loves to make it. She did an independent study cooking class in high school with a family friend and she learned all kinds of delicious desserts. She has continued to make amazing food since then. And along those same lines...
Impressive Eater: Hillary can out-eat most of us if she wanted to. One time when I got home from work after she'd been babysitting she confessed that she had eaten a lot of peanut butter that day. I laughed at her and said, "how much?" She had eaten more than half of a large container! I was not upset in the least; I was impressed. I don't know how that much food fits in her tiny frame, but it does. It's just straight impressive.
Fun Aunt: Man, do I enjoy watching Hillary with my girls. My girls love Hillary and she loves them. She gets down and interacts with them one-on-one.
Playing with Elise
She is always willing to play. She worries aloud to me about whether or not she will love her kids as much as she loves mine.
Sadie & Hillary's first meeting- August 2009
She definitely has a special relationship with Sadie. She spent so much time with her when she was young.
Playing with Lauren & Elise
Holding Lauren as a newborn- Sadie giving kisses
She makes such an effort to have a personal relationship with all of her nieces and nephews. If I were to pay Hillary for all the hours of babysitting she has done over the past 3 1/2 years I would be thousands of dollars in her debt. Yet, Hillary still apologizes profusely if there is ever a time I ask her to sit and she can't do it.
Chasing Sadie when I was 8 months pregnant
Well-Rounded: Hillary is one of those girls that most people, especially women, are intimidated by. She is so beautiful, but also smart and capable. It's kind of unfair, but then when you get to know her you find out she is completely down-to-earth and fun.
I am so happy I have gotten the chance to live by Hillary for the past 4 years. She really is one of my best friends. Happy birthday Hill!
