Today, my little sister turns…. well, let’s just call it another year older.
She always has to share her birthday with that of our nation, but this year, I’m not celebrating Independence Day at all – today, it’s just
Kristin’s birthday!Â
Isn’t she cute as a 3 1/2 year old?
(or was it 4 1/2)Â Â Â Â Â
Here are a few things you may or may not know about Kristin….
First, you’ll never find a more loyal friend. She’ll defend you to the end – but will also be your conscience, because she is, after all, the fairness police :) It’s been a difficult struggle for her to recognize and accept that life just isn’t fair – because she wants it to be for EVERYONE!
She used to be the responsibility police as well.  But over time, I think she’s discovered life can be more enjoyable if we don’t take responsibility for others responsibility or lack thereof. With age comes wisdom.  Â
Kristin is generous to a fault – as exhibited by her innumerable acts of thoughtfulness.  A card with a little cash hidden in the back, just because she knows you’ve hit a rough spot financially (never mind she might be too)….  cards and gifts sent off in time for every birthday or holiday, hours upon hours spent editing photos or videos to make a special surprise, finding ways to help pay for my trip to Hawaii with her when I couldn’t really afford it.  Â
As a teenager, I’d find sweet notes from her hidden in my room, or flown at me in the form of a paper airplane. 
I’d come home to discover a gold lame’ bag, filled with M&Ms on my pillow…. Kristin spent her allowance money to do that – even though I teased her horribly, pretending I was going to drop her off the balcony (I suspect she actually enjoyed that game, knowing I wouldn’t REALLY drop her) and making her sell popcicles with Chris for a measley reward. But this post is about Kristin, not me…
She has always been a good sport too. Especially with her hair. Whenever I’d get the itch to cut my long hair, she let me satisfy it by cutting hers instead.  She’s had a lot of hairstyles over the years.
And she’s been willing to indulge my silliness and cosmic musings in a way that only a sister can.  She can be pretty silly herself, though.   We have an ongoing habit that if we ever go to a restaurant or store that takes your order/reservation, and then says “could I get a name?” – the name they get is Guenivier, which always draws strange looks. I love seeing how they try to spell it.  Mind you they never ask, “could I get your name” – it’s always just a name… so we feel no obligation to give them ours.
She has always been there to help with the really hard stuff, whenever I’ve needed her and when no one else showed up (or even if they did). Â
Stuff like apartment hunting, packing/ hauling/ unpacking for multiples moves, painting houses, cleaning out houses, drafting divorce and child support agreements, working til 2am (hours after everyone else had left) to help me hang a hundred butterflies from the church ceiling/arrange huge trees to create the perfect “enchanted forest” for Ashley’s wedding, working her butt off in the kitchen during the reception (along with mom, bart and grandma) because the stupid R.S. ladies who committed to be there didn’t show up. I could NOT have pulled off Ashley’s wedding without her.
Kristin is smart as a whip – though she didn’t realize it til far too late in her life. She is a talented writer, a whiz with numbers, and can turn ANYTHING into a chart or graph that will blow your socks off.   She’s really quite brilliant. And, I’m so happy that she shares my disdain for “tacky forms” – and recognizes the importance of a well laid out newsletter or webpage.  Â
AND – even better, she’s a total wordnerd!
Oh, and along with this smart thing – she’s ORGANIZED. I have made a pie chart graphic in her honor. As she has said many times: A man without a plan is not a man…. (I, apparently, am not a man).
She thinks ahead, when we travel she provides these incredible checklists to make sure we don’t forget anything. When we traveled to Hawaii together for the first time, over a period of a couple months she emailed a history of the islands, information about the culture, just stuff to make sure the trip was all it could possibly be. She’s just very considerate, including sharing the benefits of her organizational skills with all – and I really appreciate it.
She’s also got a great sense of humor and we do our fair share of laughing when we’re together. And we seem to keep her kids amused.
Speaking of which, she’s also a great mom, and has raised (is raising) two incredible smart, gifted, thoughtful, respectful, fun kids. She’s instilled in them the understanding that they can trust their own feelings and judgement – that they are capable of making wise decisions – and they do. A devoted companion to Craig, I think he’d tell you she’s the perfect wife for him. Â She starts planning months in advance for a birthday, anniversary or Christmas gift for him – to make sure it is something thoughtful, unique and meaningful.
  
She can be tough and strong and put you in your place if you’re out of line… it’s the Marine in her. Yes, a Marine. (“I can make you handicapped if you want to park there legally….”)Â She’s also sensitive, compassionate and tenderhearted. I’m grateful she was able to attend to our mom/grandma during the last couple of weeks of my grandmother’s life. I know it was really hard for her – both physically and emotionally – but she never complained and turned it into a beautiful experience.
We share more private jokes than one could possible count. She’s been my travel companion, commiserator, emotional counselor, technical support, fellow photo fanatic, partner in crime, conscience, cheerleader, moral support and best friend for longer than I can remember. And, honestly, I don’t know how I would have survived many of my life experiences without her. I’m so glad I didn’t have to find out….
Love you – happy birthday!
P.S. Let’s plan another trip!
I love you Kristin! You really are an incredible woman- in so many ways. Thank you for always remembering us, even on the smallest holidays. You’re a wonderful person.
I love that picture of you two on the bottom right 🙂
And I think we should all plan a fun girl’s trip… San Fran or Hawaii? 🙂
Thank you Allison, for the update on my beautiful and extrmely talented second daughter ( I thik you are terrific also ). I could see these qualities in her when she was newly a teenager but she seemed at that time to be unable to accept praise.
Oh thank you, Seester!!
What a beautiful tribute to me. It made me smile and laugh throughout, though I’m sure you knew I’d be most delighted with the graph! A graph just for me!
And oh, the lame’ bag! Wasn’t it just fabulous?!
And tacky forms. How do we cope? We don’t. We just redo them, no matter whose they may be. We cannot tolerate tacky forms. When I get the Colonial newsletter each week I can’t help but whine to Craig and ask if I can redo them and send them to the author. And you know exactly how I feel! Isn’t that wonderful!?
Thank you for this lovely post. It makes me happy. But you know, it’s pretty easy for me to be loyal and silly with you as a sister, to do a reasonable job as mom to my kids when they are as fabulous as they are, and to improve the forms of the world when they are so clearly lacking…
Thanks – I love you too. 🙂
Yes, ladies — when is our next trip?
And by the way, I DID NOT meet Daniel at the disco. If I had, he probably would not currenly be doing mormon cinema. I don’t know what he would be doing, and whatever it was, it would not be with me. But had I met him at that disco, it would have changed his life forever…
You deserve all sorts of praise and tributes. I was delighted to have found enough mental focus to put it in words for you last night. It helped that I finally got my scanner hooked up 🙂
I really can’t imagine how much time you and I have spent reworking other people’s VERY POOR work… but we have and I’m glad that we can feel each others pain on that one. Maybe you should create a graph 🙂
Oh, and the song states that you WOULD meet Daniel at the Disco – not that you HAD…. And, by the way – I emailed him yesterday after discovering his website. He emailed right back and says to give you a hug and a kiss when I see you next, and he wants a copy of the song. so xoxo from Dan
http://www.mormoncinema.com/Profiles/Dan%20Harville.htm
Happy Birthday Kristin, and I enjoyed reading Allison’s tribute. I wish we had lived closer when we were growing up…
Happy Birthday fellow ‘little sister’!! After spending so much time with you in WA and Canada, I feel bad we weren’t better friends much sooner. 🙁 We have a lot in common. I love the tribute, Allison, and from what I know of Kristin, every single word is true. I have never met a more organized, capable, intelligent person in my life. Kristin is an incredible listeneras well, and seemed interested in even the most inane things I was telling her and remembered them later!
You girls are so lucky to have one another, aren’t sisters life savers (cherry flavored, the best, lol)??? I’m so glad we all got to spend so much time with Kristin a few months ago and look forward to next time. She is a rare gem.
Happy Birthday to an amazing woman that pays amazing tribute to “Girls Gone Wild”!!
XOXOX
Chris
AMEN, AMEN, AND AMEN ! Everything you mentioned is so true ans so deserving. She is also a most remarkable, loving, considerate, compassionate and wonderful DAUGHTER. I love you Kris and thanks for all you have done for me.
Thanks Allison for putting into words our thoughts and feelings about Kris.
You’re pretty great yourself !!
I hope you had a wonderful birthday Kristin. I miss you and think of you often. Allison and Kristin came to my rescue at Amorette’s wedding. They decided to come down and I was so delighted. Then everything went really wrong. The delivery truck didn’t bring the tables, chairs ect. and by the time I got back from the temple.. Kristin and Allison had everything under control and literally saved the day. It is my warmest memory of that special day. I think often of our trips to SLC when you were kids and how much I enjoyed you. Kristin You have always been made of wonderful stuff….And I am proud to be your Aunt.
OH….and did you know I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH !!!
Thanks everyone! 🙂 This has made my birthday particularly fun and enjoyable.
Love you all!
Alli you couldn’t have written a more appropriate post, every single word is true. I had no idea that Kris had such skills until we all went on a trip together. When Chris and I were presented with water bottles next to our seats and yummy snackky bags for the trip I knew I was traveling with the right girl! Kris you are indeed smart, funny, NICE, a good listener, a great mom-sister-wife and the PERFECT, let me repeat PERFECT travel companion. Thank you for supplying the gold lame M&M bag for which I partook of many times…and also for putting up with me being obnoxious with your wonderful older sister…I know you endured way too much. HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY!!!
Happy Birthday Mom! As I understand it, all of that is true. I’m so glad that my mom has such wonderful traits – and that I might have inherited some of them. I love you!
Kristin! I have been thinking about you. It has been so long. Email me!
Loved the photos, traveling thru time one hairstyle at a time! You seem like a really neat gal.