Grandma Clessa

Clessa Palmer Lyman Black (AKA Grandma Clessa) passed from this life on February 7th, 2011. Even though she was almost 95 years old I don't think any of us were quite ready for it. My dad told us the day before that the Doctor didn't expect her to make it another week. In the back of my head I kept thinking "we'll all be laughing next week when she is back home and has miraculously recovered" because she's always kind of been like a superhero. I shouldn't have been shocked to get the phone call the next morning, but I was.

We celebrated her life yesterday with a beautiful day filled with laughing, crying and catching up with cousins. I think at the end of the day we all felt a little overwhelmed with the thought of trying to live up to her amazing example. I've often thought that my family has lived pretty easy lives, with very little tragedy. I realized yesterday that my Grandma probably had enough tragedy in her lives for all of us. And through it all she was amazingly positive and happy. I wanted to write a few things down, some I've always know and some I learned yesterday, to make sure I never forget the kind of person that she was.

Her first husband, my Grandpa, died when my dad was just three months old. My Grandma was left with the task of raising five small children on her own. She started doing sewing for people and managed to survive. Before he died, Grandpa Lyman had been very sick and had been in and out of hospitals and wasn't able to provide more than just the necessities. Grandma said that this was a blessing because when he died they were used to not having much- What an amazing attitude she had. She also said that she was grateful that he didn't have any insurance because this made it so she had to work, while raising five kids. Meaning she woke at 5 am and began sewing and usually went to bed at midnight. This did not give her any time to pity herself so she was grateful for that. I can't even imagine having that attitude. This has made me realize how truly spoiled I am.

She lost her fourth son, Lloyd, when he was 16 in a car accident. She later said that she had dreams long before this incident where she would see the little red pickup in an accident. She never saw who was in the accident in the dreams but the day that Lloyd drove away in the pickup she had a strange feeling that she might not see him again. She said that this always gave her comfort to know that it was not an accident but part of the plan.

She married my Grandpa Black and took in his three children as her own. They have always been part of her family. Together her and Grandpa had two more children. In total Grandma had ten children that were actually her children, although she was constantly taking in other people who needed a place to stay.

One of my favorite stories of the day was told by my Uncle Mark. He said that when she had Gordon, her first child, she gave him a bath and put him on the counter top and began crying because she didn't have a clue what she was supposed to do with a baby. To me that just seemed so strange because she was Grandma, it seemed like she knew everything and must have just been born that way. It helps me to know that when I struggle with the every day challenges of raising children and knowing what to do she also had those same struggles and yet she turned out to be one of the most amazing women I know. I hope and pray that I can some day be half of the person she was. I am so very grateful for her example, we will all miss her more than she can ever know. I am also grateful for the knowledge of the plan of salvation. It gives me such comfort imagining the reunion between her and Grandpa Lyman as well as all the others that have passed before her. Love you Grandma.

I could go on forever, and I may remember other things that I want to remember and add more. Mostly I learned that I have lots to live up to.

Sunday Message

Sister Hunt's Relief Society lesson on sacrifice was wonderful yesterday. The whole thing was great but I wanted to share one quote:

"It is not a sacrifice to live to live the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is never a sacrifice when you get back more than you give. It is an investment. And the living of the gospel of Jesus Christ becomes a greater investment than any of which we know because its dividends are eternal and everlasting." President Gordon B. Hinckley, Aug 1995.

It was the perfect ending to a fast and testimony meeting that seemed to be centered around the blessings of living the gospel, followed by a Sunday school lesson about Christ's disciples and the sacrifices they gave. It made me realize how little I have to sacrifice and how blessed I have been. I have had such amazing examples in my life of people who have sacrificed so much. My Grandma Clessa is the first that comes to my mind. She truly lived to serve others and never worried about her own needs. I will miss her dearly as she passed away last night. I have made a personal resolve to try to be more like her and find ways to serve others and worry less about my own needs.

Thank you Grandma for the wonderful life in which you lived, we will miss you dearly.

The man, the myth, the legend. . .

My little brother, Joshy Squashy, finished his two year mission in Paris France this week. All of the neices and nephews made him signs and headed to the airport to patiently wait for him

Patiently might be an exaggeration. Most of them thought the wait was the longest of their life but luckily they all survived.

They all swormed him- I'm not sure if he recognized most of them but he hugged them any ways.

I'm not sure if you can tell from this picture but my mom is just a little excited to have him home :)

Welcome home Elder Lyman!!

Cowgirls

Saturday started out as "one of those days". As me and the kids were trying to get the house cleaned and I was losing my patience I got a text from Summer asking if me and Cam wanted to go for a ride with her and Kinley. I knew it was just what I needed. So we packed up the horses and headed south. We weren't sure where to go but on the way I thought of our Easter Picnic spot- Recapture pockets. It was perfect weather. We unloaded the horses and headed down the trail. After a few "attitude adjustments" to our horses who haven't been ridden much in the past few months we had a great time.

We stopped at "the pockets" for lunch. Cam and Kinley did some rock climbing while we gave the horses a break
Summer "cheesing", Kinley's hiding behind her
Two of my favorite cowgirls ever.

Thanks again girls, it was a great day..

Not gonna neglect my blog this year. . .

OK, so 2010 had some positives and some negatives, unfortunately none of them will be remembered because my only form of a journal is my blog and you may have noticed what a bad job I did. SO- one of my resolutions for 2011 is to blog at least once a week. I thought I'd share a part of a wonderful Relief Society lesson from a wonderful teacher, who I was lucky enough to be taught by all my life. The lesson was on receiving exaltation. One point that was taught was that by doing what we are supposed to do we not only secure a place in heaven for ourselves but also that things that we do can help our posterity, it brought me comfort so I hope there are others who it will help. President Boyd K Packer said:

"The measure of our success as parents . . . will not rest solely on how our children turn out. That judgment would be just only if we could raise our families in a perfectly moral environment, and that now is not possible. . . It is not uncommon for responsible parents to lost one of their children, for a time, to influences over which they have no control. They agonize over rebellious sons or daughters. They are puzzled over why they are so helpless when they have tried so hard to do what they should. . . It is my conviction that those wicked influences one day will be overruled. . . We cannot overemphasize the value of temple marriage, the binding ties of the sealing ordinance, and the standards of worthiness required of them. When parents keep the covenants they have made at the alter of the temple, their children will be forever bound to them" (Our Moral Environment, Ensign, May 1992)

Of all the things that I am afraid of, one of the biggest fears and worries I have is the choices that my kids will make as they grow up. This statement brings me peace as I realize that if I do what I can to teach them correctly and the world gets to them there is still hope. I am so very thankful for a loving and forgiving Father in Heaven and I hope he is happy with the way in which I am raising the children which he entrusted to me. I am very thankful for the parents that I have, and knowing their good works will also help my salvation is a very comforting thought as they are pretty much perfect.