Happy birthday, Jill!

(photo taken last year on Jill's birthday -- the source of both of our profile pics)

Today is Jill's birthday. I don't even know how to pay tribute to her in a way that will do her justice. We met when we were both living in S Hall of DT, way back in 1989. Then, through sheer luck on my part, we ended up being roommates in our first apartment the following year. I have so many memories of that time: for example, playing cards, Jill baking her famous chocolate-chip cookies, eating donuts in our room, listening to music together (most often Basia and James Taylor), Jill working her heinous job at Benner Brothers, laughing at the long-legged galoot, her delicious beef stew, riding around in her car, her excellent cleaning, studying in tandem. I got engaged that year, and Jill had to put up with my self-centeredness, my whole bride-to-be world-revolving-around-me time. (Well, technically she didn't have to put up with it, but she did!)

I'm terrible about keeping in touch with people (pre-blogging, anyway), but fortunately for me, Jill is not. She started up an e-mail correspondence with me and re-kindled our friendship after I got married and moved to Seattle. She has a way of drawing me out, cutting through the surface and getting to the heart of things. Our emails helped keep me sane, especially when we were living in Paris and I felt so isolated. Jill came to visit me in Seattle when Max was a baby, and brought me a starter kit to get me scrapbooking. (Thanks for welcoming me to the addiction.) She and Randy visited us in Seattle when we got back from France and ate the crepes Marc made without once mentioning that she doesn't like them!

The best thing that ever happened to me was moving back to Utah and getting to live by Jill again. We moved here shortly before Landon was born, so I have been blessed to see both Landon and Whitney grow up, from birth on. I have also been blessed to have Jill be a part of my children's lives, and it has been fun for both of us to have two babies while living in close proximity to each other. I love that all of our kids feel comfortable enough with the other that we co-parent, in a way. Jill's kids come to me asking for help or snacks and mine do the same to her. (Once Max even asked Jill for a ride to his friend's house, when I was sitting right there!)

Jill is responsible for me having a social life. She knows I would be a hermit if left to my own devices, so she coaxed me into joining her book club. What a great move that was! Now I not only have Jill as an incredible friend, but Jenn, Amy, Jana, and Collette as well! She also got me into blogging, and look how many new friendships have developed as a result. It's fascinating to me how Jill has orchestrated a merging of all of her family and friends from different stages of life. It's so fun to know her family and people that are a part of her life that I wouldn't have otherwise known.

I know it's been said before, but Jill is the most generous person I know. (And given some of the people I know, that is really a high compliment!) She doesn't just remember birthdays and other important days. Like Kristi said, Jill wants everyone else to have all the good things she has. She spends her money on getting gifts for other people, for no occasion at all. She'll spend her last dime buying someone else lunch or a special treat. If she doesn't have any money at the moment, she'll give you something of her own. Often, when she goes to Costco, she stops at my house on the way home and divvies up some of her purchases.

But perhaps even better than her generosity is her thoughtfulness. (and, boy, when you put the two together, have you got a rockin' combination!) She is such an example to me of thinking of others. She has a gift for giving what is truly needed or wanted. The day before we left for our last sojourn in Paris, I was completely and utterly overwhelmed. Jill came over (in addition to my neighbor Heidi and Jessie) and cleaned my house all day long. She scrubbed floors on her hands and knees, cleaned the oven, behind the refrigerator, and many other yucky, thankless tasks. I couldn't go to sleep that night because I was so overwhelmed with gratitude. I'm embarrassed to say that this was only one of many times Jill has done this. Once when I had pneumonia, she came and cleaned again. Another time, when she and Timm happened to be over at the same time, she cooked up an impromptu fridge/freezer/behind the fridge cleaning. I don't even know how she does it! Many times when I'm out of town, Jill comes over to make sure the house is in a decent state to come home to. And quite often, she'll come over and vacuum, just because she knows it makes me feel better! (And now you all know why I say I need to be a better housekeeper in my profile...) She even gets Randy in on the service: she got him to build the stamp shelves for my scrapbook room and to help make the board-and-batten woodwork for Eva's nursery. (Thanks, Randy!) She brings me my favorite treats frequently. Once when she sold something on eBay, she turned around and bought us both a subscription to Real Simple, because she said, "why shouldn't we both profit from my good fortune?" She has watched my kids more times than I can count, and even acts like it's an affront when I don't take her up on her offers. She came and stayed with me in the hospital because I was lonely. Incredibly, she has taught me to accept all this service and to let go of the guilt I'm prone to feel.

Jill came with my family on a girl's trip to Nantucket last year. My parents wanted to send her a ticket because she is such a wonderful friend to me. It was so fun for me to have her come along, I had never taken a trip with her before! When she was feeling indebted to my parents, my dad commented that she's family now. How I love that.

I guess for me the best thing about Jill is that she is my soft place to fall. I know that I can tell her anything and everything, and even when I'm complaining a lot and I'm sick of listening to myself, she never makes me feel like she wants me to shut up! She knows my many faults and follies, but she loves me in spite of them all. In short, she's just the best friend a girl could ever have! I love you, Jill. You're one of my life's greatest blessings.