I don’t remember my 6th birthday. Let’s see..April 26, 1979…The Ball family was living in Basalt, Idaho and my Mother was pregnant with Joey. I was in kindergarden, Mrs. Johnson (who was forced to retire due to mental illness) was my teacher. The three things I remember from kindergarden are:

1. Watching Lenny pull Trisha’s pigtail so hard that she fell down. Lenny was sent to the principal’s office to meet Gladys, the paddle. (It’s hard to believe that a kid named Lenny caused any trouble at all)

2. During nap time I got scared of the dark and peed myself while I was lying on my belly. I was the last kindergardner to get up from his “nap”.  I hopped up and sprinted out of the classroom to recess. My getaway plan was great except for two things. My name was written on a piece of masking tape next to my sleeping place and the distinct diamond shaped wet spot on my pants.

3. Mrs. Johnson’s lesson on the heads and tails sides of a coin. She held a stuffed bear and flipped a coin. If it landed heads up she’d hold the bear high over her head. If it landed tails she held the bear upside down low to the ground. It was an effective lesson. I still remember which is heads and which is tails.

But my 6th birthday…Nope. No recollection.

I remember Lily’s 6th birthday. And her first. Lily was born on Edson street on Sunday, March 28th, 2004. Sam has her baby’s at home. She likes to have the baby and climb into her own bed with her sheets and her matress. It’s comforting. I like it too because I really dislike hospital food.

An excerpt from my journal on that day (I’ve left out the gory parts):

“It’s a bright, sunny, peaceful sabbath day. Sam delivered Lily Ann Ball this morning at 5:02AM. The labor and delivery was without problem and filled with emotion between the two of us… Jacob and Natalie were on post at 4AM downstairs ready to assist Jack and Bailey away should they wake up. 

Sam moved into her intense contractions at 4:45AM and started really moaning. I started crying, feeling sorry for her and the pain she was facing. She started pushing and 17 minutes later Lily was on her chest looking around. She is beautiful. She has blond hair, a strong chin, a perfectly shaped head, eyes that are shaped like almonds and beautifully colored skin.

I feel proud to have a beautiful new daughter. I wondered this morning if I could love Lily as much as Bailey and Jack. It just doesn’t seem possible. She slept on my chest for a while and I almost shed tears of gratitude to my heavenly father. I am so blessed.”

A couple images from that day: