Welcome to the GOOD NEWS BLOG!

Wickedly fun in Phoenix!

2009-07-13T19:03:00.000-07:00

Dinner before..Jason, Jan, David, Lydsi (jan's niece doug's daughter) me, Mark, Kenzie and her friend Katie

It was like 116 degrees!!!

The page gang..Jan, Amy, Jason, and David after the show

Me and McKenzie

Had to stop on our way and visit Scott in Page and of course go to RD's for an oreo shake!

For McKenzie's grad present and my birthday present we went to Wicked in Phoenix. We met up with my best friend from childhood... Jan Gardner Bueller, her nephew Nick (Karen's oldest boy), David Grygla..another Page friend, and his brother Jason. Jan was so great and surprised me with a hotel room at the Butte's in Tempe. We all went to dinner and then to Wicked. Saturday we just lounged around by the pool. Mark, McKenzie and I had a great time. It was fun to be with friends and away from kids! How many people can say they are still friends with their childhood friend...Jan has known me longer than my husband or most people for that matter! I think our mom's were pregnant together, Dr. Washburn delivered us and the rest is history! :>

More Random pics...

2009-07-13T18:44:00.000-07:00

Carson fishing at Navajo Lake...trying for the big one!

How fun it is to cook in this kitchen~

Comfy beds! The trailer sleeps six..that includes floor space :>

The babies got into these sunglasses I sell...they had a great time with them so Kenzie got it all on film...

Ah so sweet..not really ! They are 2 1/2 Wyatt on left Walker on right!

More pictures of Navajo Lake

2009-07-13T18:33:00.000-07:00

Fishing at the lake..not tons of success, but tons of fun!

Right before our morning jog..Mark has a hard time keeping up with me! :> j/k look at the lake in the background...so pretty!

Our little campfire right outside our door...

Bryce teaching the twins how to fish..

After you checked out his nice legs...look at those quakies in the background..it was beautiful!

Surprising Mark with Trailer/Camping

2009-07-13T18:20:00.000-07:00

This field was right outside our camper and the trail led to the lake.

This is what Mark saw when the blindfold was off..pretty huh?

Relaxing and eating in his very own camper trailer!

McKenzie where are you taking me???

We have had a great summer. Not a lot of schedules and just trying to enjoy McKenzie's last summer home before she goes off to Southern Utah University in August. She is very excited and we are so glad she is only an hour from home. We went on our first real camping trip in our 'new' trailer. Well, new to us, but it is very old. I got a great deal on it and we surprised Mark and gave it to him for Father's Day. He loved it. The kids and I got it all cleaned out and looking sweet. McKenzie went and took Mark from work blindfolded and all and we surprised him complete with pizza in the little kitchen. We took it out for it's maiden camping voyage for the July 4th holiday to Navajo Lake on Cedar Mountain. We did not want to come home! It was so peaceful, perfect weather and NO CELL PHONES! The kids loved it! My great grandfather Nathan Alvin Larson owned and even built some of the cabins all around Navajo Lake. He ran that for 20 years. While we were there I had this overwhelming feeling that my family needs to have a reunion there. Now if you know us Larson's we don't reunion or vacation very well, but I hope with these pictures it will convince especially my older brothers that we can all do this next summer. So get your camping gear ready...I am planning on a reunion :> I will add all other pictures in other posts.

2009-07-13T18:14:00.000-07:00

Well it has been a very long while since I have even visited my own blog. I can't believe the nice comments that have been left. I feel terrible that I have not personally responded. I swear I am going to do better at this. My problem is this...I got this great idea...started our blog...then totally forgot my password...I know lame..but now I am back on and think I have this figured out. Another thing I am terrible about is FACEBOOK! Wow..people are on that so faithfully and I just don't do that very well either. It is an amazing way to find people and I swear I am going to try and do better at that as well. Anyways, I am determined to get some posts up and hopefully do better with this...now that is good news right?? :>

2009-01-28T08:41:00.000-08:00

I am so thankful that I had a good Dad! Leo Samuel Larson. I miss him terribly. He passed away at age 58 just over 10 years ago. Not a day goes by that I don't think of him or appreciate the things he taught me. He was a great man who was loved by all. He lived by his word. We have a video of him bearing his testimony right after he was released as Bishop in Page, Az. I will cherish this forever! I am so glad that we have it to show my children. McKenzie and Bryce are the only ones that remember him. When he passed away he was serving as Stake President of the Page Arizona Stake, he was the State Farm Agent in Page, and he was loved and admired by so many people. But he was just "Dad" to his seven children, wonderful husband to my mom and fantastic grandpa to I believe only 4 grandchildren were born at the time. Now he has 25! I have just been thinking alot about him lately and I wanted to include him in our Good News Family Blog!

2009-01-20T19:52:00.000-08:00

Today is a day Carson has been looking forward to for a few days. We finally got chickens. Mark, Bryce and Carson made the chicken coop over the weekend. They are very proud of it. We were able to get four nice healthy hens from a lady in LaVerkin. I think I might just love having these little chickens because they are babysitting my chickens! We even got our first egg tonight. Carson has carried the egg around all night. Mark said "Do you think it will hatch?" Carson said "I am just so proud of this egg..." Hopefully we will have more and the novelty will wear off. I don't want Carson carrying around all of them! We plan on getting more chickens from an old farmer in our ward by the end of the week. We hope to get a duck real soon as well. During our good news minute last night Carson said, "I like how mom says let's get some chickens and then we just get em! When mom has an idea she does it!" That was a great compliment from Carson even if it was about chickens! Welcome to our little farm life! :>

2009-01-20T19:19:00.000-08:00

Well I have not been very good about posting all our good news or anyone else's for that matter. So sorry! We had a great Christmas and good New Year! Back at Thanksgiving time we were with my family and we took some fun pictures (I am a little behind) so I decided to get some of them posted now. We were also able to be up north after Christmas for Mark's dad's funeral...Heinz. He passed away on Christmas Eve due to complications of Parkinson's Disease. I have posted some pictures of Mark and his siblings, Randy and Dianna and his step mom, Pat. Enjoy.

2008-11-15T05:40:00.000-08:00

McKenzie is the Narrator in Joseph! It opens this next week on Thursday. Carson is also in the children's chorus. We are really excited to see this! It is a really talented cast and they have worked so hard. Break a Leg!!!

The twins are 2!

2008-11-08T15:11:00.000-08:00

Good news that we have made it throught the first two years! Wyatt and Walker are now 2 (11/9/08). It has been the longest two years of my life, just kidding, we have had a blast with these two. These boys could not be more loved than by their parents and older brothers and sister...big advantage to being the youngest! Happy Birthday boys!

MORE GOOD NEWS!

2008-10-27T18:43:00.000-07:00

This is from my dear friend Angela...oh what wonderful memories I have of her and Russ. I miss you guys! We need to get together!
Hey Drawe Family:Loved the blog. Someday I will try. You give me inspiration. I'm still trying to old school scrapbook Bradley turning 5. Freaking me out seeing McKenzie going to prom, I was freaked out letting Bradley go to Homecoming. Are we really that old? I swear we just had those 2 & 3 yr. olds finger painting. Love seeing the family. Your kids are darling. You amaze me with twins and the Bishop thing. Congratulations or whatever you say. Things here are still crazy and good. Keep us posted.

From my sister-in-law..we can't wait to come up too!
Hurray! We are happy for the blog. My good news: My son and his fiance were endowed yesterday in the Salt Lake Temple, and are now set to be sealed on Thursday. We can't wait to see you there.

It is good news to hear from High School friends..Dona and Liz!
Amy this is so neat. I love it!! Travis is living in St. George and Mom and Dad are there part of the time and in Mt. Pleasant part of the time. We will be coming through in a couple weeks for Nationals in Vegas, maybe on the way back we can stop and say Hello. Dona

Amy! I'm so excited you got a blog. I'll have to subscribe to it so I can get your new posts. How's everything going? Time flies. It was so good to see everyone at the Reunion. Of course, time goes by so fast it's hard to keep in touch. Blogs are great though. You can peek in at everyone's lives and feel like you're keeping in touch. Keep posting! Liz

And another good friend from high school...

The best news I've read in quite some time. Thanks Drawe family. Brian Sharp

Cute story from my sister-in-law in Page..thanks Nicole...

What a fun idea to have positive comments! I have some good news that happened this morning getting my 5 kids ready for school. Hannah was trying to find her volleyball uniform that she had to turn in after school. We couldn't find the shorts and our carpool was at the door. I told Hannah I would look while she was at school. I dropped off the three middle schoolers and headed home to look. I pulled into our garage and I thought, "I didn't say a prayer about finding her shorts" I said a quick prayer as I walked into the laundry room and looked through the clean clothes I had just dryed and there were her shorts! I know Heavenly Father cares about small details of our lives, He is just waiting for us to ask for help. Finding her shorts does not affect our national security but it was important to Hannah and He cares about her. Nicole

GOOD NEWS POSTS FROM YOU!

2008-10-12T12:16:00.000-07:00

Amy,Love your happy blog.I am Cheryl Reeve's sister.My husband worked closely with McKenzie during the tri-stake Youth conference, and we both found out what a wonderful girl you have.I have seen you in church when Angie has had new babies and you are beautiful.Someday I am sure we will meet.Until then, Venna Rae

SHARE YOUR GOOD NEWS

2008-10-11T22:46:00.000-07:00

WELCOME TO WHAT I HOPE WILL BE A BLOG THAT IS VISITED OFTEN! Like you all, we are tired of all the negative and yucky news that is out there. We have all heard enough! Guess what??? It isn't all bad. Each one of us EACH day has at least one thing we can talk about that is GOOD! Maybe it is only that the sun came out, or maybe it is traffic wasn't so bad, or maybe your small child said 'I love you' for the first time. Whatever it is...there is something good, big or small going on in each of our lives. We need to FOCUS on that! Not the negative! Let's change our world around even if a little bit, and start sharing the GOOD NEWS with each other every day. We don't even have to know each other. The only rule here is that it is a positive, good news that will make someone else smile. You do not even need to sign your name if you are not comfortable in doing that. My whole objective here is to look for the good, focus on the good and spread the good! So tell everyone you know. Post a favorite picture, tell us your favorite book that makes you happy, or you might have a favorite quote that inspires you. Well we want to hear it! Put this link on all your blogs, facebook pages, and send to all your email contacts. HELP ME IN SPREADING THE GOOD NEWS!

May I leave you with my all time favorite quote:

"It isn't as bad as you sometimes think it is. IT ALL WORKS OUT. Don't worry. I say that to myself every morning. IT WILL WORK OUT. Put your trust in God and move forward with faith and confidence in the future. The Lord will NOT forsake us. He will not forsake us...If we will put our trust in Him, If we will pray to Him, If we will live worthy of His blessings, He will hear our prayers"

Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley (1910-2008) 15th president of the LDS Church President said this at his wife's funeral

That is good news! No matter what is going on in our lives, it will work out. Fantastic! Now go and spread the word and let EVERYONE know about this good news blog. Go and have a good day!

Comment on this post and I will post it in the Good News Post or email your good news to 2allgoodnews@gmail.com. We really hope to hear from you soon!