JaSoN's HoMe!!!

We are all so excited to have the one and only super-cool, super-tan, super-happy-to-be-home Jason back! He says he had more than a great time working as a kayak guide on the Salmon River this summer, but he's ready to be home. We are feeling like a complete family again...... Obviously Vince and Rae are all smiles! (So are Mom and Dad) :) :) :)

Rae and Rae

So, she comes to me all excited. I knew that she had been working on something for quite a while. She had me close my eyes and wait until she was ready. "Okay mommy," she says and so I open my eyes and she has on these little glasses she made out of colored plastic finger rings and twisty ties. "I didn't make them... I bought them from the Wibbilly-Wobbilly store. I can't see without them." Then she'd take them off and squint and say, "I really can't see ANYTHING mom... I HAVE to have them." I guess thank goodness for the Wibbilly-Wobbilly store. And then, a few days later, she comes down with her little plastic rifle "dressed to kill". Where does my sweet little innocent daughter come up with these things???? Gotta love her.

If only all the girls at Krispy Kreme were this cute!

I just had to post this... Grandpa Brian always brings Krispy Kreme up to Cindy's. He also is great to bring the hats for the kids. Rae insisted that Alayna not only get a hat but also model it for everyone. They were just too cute not to take a picture. Rae really loves Alayna.

McVey Family Reunion '08

We all gathered at the Erkies up in Idaho. We had Cindy's family (imagine that), Mom and Brian from Centerville, Trish from St. Louis, Amber and Francis and kids from Wisconsin, Mike, Jenny and Claire from Pleasant Grove, Jo and Justin and kids from Louisville and us, the Harpers of Stansbury Park.
The kids were all so happy to see all of their cousins. Rae is a few years younger than the other girls, but they are so good to make sure she was included as much as she wanted to be. I think I've mentioned before that she's a momma's girl, so she hovered around me a lot... but she had a lot of fun with the girls too.
Jason and Vincent consider Wesley and Spencer their best buddies ever. They would be more than happy to pack up and move to Idaho today if they could.


Cindy and Morgan had just put a beautiful fire pit in their parklike back yard. So of course we took full advantage of it. We spent every night talking around the campfire, roasting marshmellows and just enjoying each others company.

It was also fun to see Cody and his girlfriend McKenna. They came up on Sunday. I really loved spending so much time with the people I care about the most. I did really miss George and Sammie and their kids and Chuck and Julie and Otto. We did think of them a lot and hope that they are doing well.

I am so greatful for such a wonderful family. I consider them my best friends and love them with all my heart. We have truly been blessed to have each other in our lives.

Fun on the River

We had a lot of fun on the river this year. Rae and I went down the first time together. She was a little hesitant at first because she didn't want to get water in her nose. I told her we'd be fine. So, we're floating down the river and I feel like it's going great. She' s lovin' life and thinks it's pretty cool. Well, wouldn't ya know about half way down the river, we hit some pretty good rapids and got SOAKED! The next thing I know she's trying to stand up on top of me, pushing me down through the tube. It took everything I had not to slip down and lose both of us. Needless to say, I got a nasty "bru" as Rae calls it and a screaming daughter, but we made it to the bottom. That was her only time down the river.
My sisters and I had a blast together. We all went down multiple times and all came away with various battle wounds ranging from semi-mild to not-so-mild. It was awesome, we just laughed and laughed and laughed, and cried a little too. :)
Meanwhile, the kids were doing what kids do best.

It was great to have all five girls together.... and Mike. :)

Happy 4th of July!

After the races, Rae and I went and saved spots for our family and friends to watch the parade. Ben and the boys hurried home to shower... THANK GOODNESS! Michelle and Sean Higgins came with Oscar and Bailey. Rachel Wood brought Deja and Chance. Sydney and Anna Holmes were the last to show. It was a lot of fun to watch the kids. We had to really twist Jason's arm to get out there and gather candy (for the baby of course). Grantsville is always perfect for banking on tootsie rolls and soft water taffy. The kids usually each get a few frisbees and sometimes even t-shirts.

After the parade, they all came over to our house for a bar-b-que. Vincent really wanted to show off his Guitar Hero skills and we all ended up taking turns playing. I don't know why I love that game so much... I really can't play to save my life, but it really is fun.
We finished the night at the Stadium of Fire. Rae was so excited to see Miley Cyrus and the rest of us were psyched to see the Blue Man Group. We didn't plan very well and got stuck in traffic and missed the skydivers. Bum deal... but the rest of the show was quite the production! BMG definitely didn't get enough stage time, but we all knew that the majority of people there (young girls with parents like us) were there for HANNAH MONTANA. Anyway, Rae had a mega blast, she was a little frustrated at first, I think she thought we'd be in a more intimate venue... but once we got into it, she was more than content.

All in all, we had a fantastic Fourth. One to remember anyway..... :)

Independence Day 5K

So, my whole family(except for me) decided to do the Grantsville races this year. Ben and Jason ran the 5K and Vincent and Rae ran the kids 1 mile. We got up at 6:00 and hurried to Grantsville to get everyone signed in. I was a little concerned about Vince and Rae because neither of them really runs very much and they hadn't trained a whole lot. But I needn't have worried. Vince was awesome, he stayed with Rae and just "coached" her on. She came in third to last, doing a nice little jog, not panting a bit, no sweat in sight. Vince was right behind her, and VERY sweaty and THIRSTY. I was so proud of both of them, Rae for finishing and Vincent for being such a fabulous big brother.

Ben and Jason had to hop on the bus before the kids race really even started. They dissapeared into the wilderness and I went back to cheering on the kids. After the 1 mile was done, Rae and Vince jumped into the car with me and we drove up about 1/3 of the way through the 5K. We waited and waited until finally the runners started passing and we got to give Ben and Jason a big cheer. Then we drove back to the end of the race and waited. Both Ben and Jason came in within about 30 seconds of each other. They did great... I love it how my guys enjoy running together. Anyway, when they announced the winners of the childrens 1 mile, we were all amazed to hear Rae's name called for first place in Girls 5-6 bracket.... (remember, she came in third to last overall)... but I guess that's what happens when you're the only girl in that bracket and she is very excited about her medal.

Ben came in third in the Men's 31-35 bracket. He is awesome. I think the ribbon should say something like "I came in third in the Grantsville 5K and all I got was this itty bitty ribbon". Pretty cool anyway. I think it's time for me to learn how to run so I can actually fit in my family... but then again, who'll take the pictures? Decisions, decisions.