Hey Juanito,

I have been thinking a lot about you lately. Every time I hear this song, it always makes me think about you and I change the words a little bit and sing along. Your passing had made me start to pay attention to my life and want to get my life in order. Man, you are gone and you are still being an example to me! I know that sounds lame... here's my version of it.

Roll with Me by Montgomery Gentry:

Wake up in the morning Get to living my life
Making sure that Im all that I can be
Went to church on Sunday
There was a moment that came
I swear it was like the Lord spoke right to me

So now I'm slowing it down and I'm looking around
And I'm lovin' this town and I'm doing alright
Aint' worried 'bout nothing cept for the man I wanna be
I'm thinking maybe it's time to be livin' the rhyme
When I'm singing a song about nothing but right
And it'd sure be nice if you would roll with me

Saw my friend last winter only thirty years old
Being laid to rest while his mom stood by his side
Sure was hard to watch those tears roll down her face
Made me think how we all just have our time

So now I'm slowing it down and I'm looking around
And I'm lovin this town and I'm doing alright
Aint' worried 'bout nothing cept for the man I wanna be
I'm thinking maybe it's time to be livin' the rhyme
When I'm singing a song about nothing but right
And it's sure be nice if you would roll with me

Who knows whats up ahead
I think I'd rather not know instead

So now I'm slowing it down and I'm looking around
And I'm lovin this town and I'm doing alright
Aint' worried 'bout nothing cept for the man I wanna be
I'm thinking maybe it's time to be livin' the rhyme
When I'm singing a song about nothing but right
And it's sure be nice if you would roll with me

-G

On Your Birthday

John, a few of us met at your grave site for your birthday, where we celebrated some of the things we love about you. We missed you and wished you could have been there with us...maybe you were. :)




Love,
Ben

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday to you, you live in a zoo, you smell like a monkey, and you look like one too.

Happy Birthday John,

I remember you singing that to me before. I wish I could be in Phoenix with the rest of the family to celebrate your Birthday, but I can't. So I am sure like many others I will be thinking of you and all the rest you left behind today. I miss you allot.

Love Kaylyn

Celebrating Our Brother John

(If you have a slow internet like mine, you may want to push play & then pause, let the movie load, then watch. It's much better than starting & stopping. I also suggest clicking on full screen. Enjoy!)

Today would have marked 32 years for you, John, and so in honoring you, this video celebrates all the good you have brought our family over the years. Because your birthday is on the 25th of August, it was often overlooked by the excitement or dread of the first day of school and the hustle & bustle of back to school shopping. So this year I wanted to do something special for you to prove that I remembered.
I remember last year all you wanted for your birthday was to see your little Megan's first day of Kindergarten and somehow you miraculously managed to get leave so you could be there. This year for your birthday we are all wishing for you to be here with us and although you physically can't be, maybe again you will miraculously manage to get a short leave so that you can. We love you and are grateful for the covenants that bind us eternally as a family. Happy birthday!

Happy Fathers Day

I wish John was here this Fathers Day. John’s kids love him so much and I know John loved his kids too. This memorials day we all went to John’s grave site together. Joshua was climbing all over John’s grave. We were about to have him stop when someone said, "Joshua always climbed all over John and John loved it." We all paused for a moment and thought John probably wouldn’t mind a bit that his kids were once again climbing all over him. I am so happy to have had such a great brother who was a great dad also. I love his kids and I am so happy that I also have Lila in our family. Happy Fathers Day!

Thinking of You...

We went to San Diego 2 weeks ago and I wanted to make a beautiful sand sculpture in honor of you. But the wind was so strong that MaryKate could hardly breath. I think she's a little young to enjoy the beach, but I think in November at our Larson family New Port Beach reunion I will hold the first Annual John Larson Sand Sculpture Competition. I wish you could be there to show our neices and nephews the ropes, but I'll try my best.
On the way home I took a turn driving so James could get some homework done. As I drove I got so scared in the canyons on the windy turns with Semi trucks all around me. I could hardly breath and then I imagined you... I thought, "If John is allowed to be here with me I know he will be. He can guard and protect my little family from harm. With the thought of you as my invisible shield or lineman blocking for me, I relaxed and was able to make it through safe and sound. Thank you for the peace.

"If we can see, by the enlightening influence of the Spirit of God and through the words that have been spoken by the holy prophets of God, beyond the veil that separates us from the spirit world, surely those who have passed beyond, can see more clearly through the veil back here to us than it is possible for us to see to them from our sphere of action.

I believe we move and have our being in the presence of heavenly messengers and of heavenly beings. We are not separated from them. We begin to realize more and more fully, as we become acquainted with the principles of the gospel, as they have been revealed anew in this dispensation, that we are closely related to our kindred, to our ancestors, to our friends and associates and co-laborers who have preceded us into the spirit world. We cannot forget them; we do not cease to love them; we always hold them in our hearts, in memory, and thus we are associated and united to them by ties we cannot break . . . .

(They) can see us better than we can see them-- . . . they know us better than we know them. They have advanced; we are advancing; we are growing as they have grown; we are reaching the goal that they have attained unto; and therefore, I claim that we live in their presence, they see us, they are solicitous for our welfare, they love us now more than ever.”

-Joseph F. Smith, (Gospel Doctrine: Selections from the Sermons and Writings of Joseph F. Smith, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book, 1971, pp. 430-431)

Elder Bronson Titus

This is Elder Bronson Titus,
Elder Tim Salisbury and I lived with the Larsons in 1980. These are a few pictures that I had. I really don't remember which one is John. Seems like he was the younger blond son. What a wonderful family. I was talking with Elder Salisbury, (Dawn Buck told me about John) and we have been touched by this tragic event. We had soo much fun in North Phoenix. It was our favorite area. The Larson Family were the best. I wanted to type something profound to express my feelings but I won't. I will say, however, that I am so grateful for our soldiers and in particular John Larson. I am free, my family is free today because of the sacrifices of our solders and their families. I'm soo sorry to hear about your loss and I am soo grateful for you willingness to fight for freedom. Thank you, thank you, thank you. I will always love the Larson's.