One final photo and some memories

19 POSTS IN TWO DAYS! Wow, I'm on a roll! But now it's way past midnight and I should really get to bed! I wanted to end with this photo, which was the ONLY highlight on the LONG drive across eastern Colorado and western Kansas. I also want to write down some random memories from our trip, so I don't forget them. I just had the first 6 months of this blog printed into a book, and I love that I'm successfully recording our family's memories! This blog is a way for me to put my thoughts and memories on paper so I'm sure I bore most people who glance at it. But my purpose is not to have a flashy blog with lots of followers. I just want a simple way to record the moments of my incredibly blessed life!
Some random highlights from the road trip to Idaho, Utah and Colorado:

• Brynlie kept getting her pants dirty in the van, so I would tell her she could take them off and just hang out in her underwear while we were driving. Then Logan peed through his diaper numerous times (oops, sorry that we didn't change you more often, buddy) so he went without pants for much of the drive. THEN Lindsey had some sort of problem with her pants, so she took her's off. Before we knew it, half the family was pants-less. So we deemed the trip "Pants optional!" and found as many moments as possible to hang out in our shirts and underwear! It sounds really ridiculous right now, but we sure had a comfortable trip!
• Just about every time Logan got out of the car, we all had to line up like runners on a starting line. Hands on the ground and all. This is the only way Logan would willingly walk anywhere. After everyone was lined up, we would yell, "Ready, set, GO!" and race into whatever place we were . . .restaurant, gas station, etc.
• Kansas Ryan is very introspective! Many deep discussions happened on that ugly drive!
• Lindsey has always cracked us up, and one day while driving she informed us, "I was born to by FUNNY!"
• Ryan and I were apparently competing to see whose belly could grow the most on the trip. I'm not sure who won, but we sure are having a hard time getting back in to the workout mode now that the trip is over.
• I mentioned this one before, but when one of us would do something funny, Brynlie would blurt out, "Our family is better than cable!"
• Ryan will never forget Uncle Norm "shoo-wapping" the whole time they golfed at Thanksgiving Point. Ryan thinks it's a bit odd how we Springers feel the need to sing everywhere we go! I guess my Uncle Norm took it to a new level and spent the entire golf course singing such things as, "Shoobadee doobadee waba waba wee!" Oh, I wish I could have been there to see Ryan's face when Uncle Norm started "shoo-wapping!"
• True story here: On the drive home, Ryan and I hear Brynlie saying this in the back seat: "Brevan, smell my armpit. It smells like Oreos." After being ignored by Brevan (thank heaven!) she said, "Hmmm, but it tastes like broccoli!"
• Brevan's new braces popped off so many times, and his poor mouth got all cut up. Luckily, Ryan was able to put the wire back in the bracket each time, but we are looking forward to the next orthodontic appt. so he can get the problem fixed.
• I tore my contact one morning and didn't have any extra ones with me. I started calling local optometrists in Salt Lake, and was told numerous times that they would not sell me a contact without a written prescription. Finally we drove to a Walmart Vision Center to try to plead our case. The man working told me he couldn't sell me one, but that I should have a seat while he looked at something in the back room. He came back out, walked by me and whispered, "There are cameras and I shouldn't be doing this, but hurry and take this contact out of my hands." I whispered back, "Can I please pay you for it?" and he answered, "No. Just look casual and leave." Hehehe. I left, contact in hand. He had just given me a sample one, so I didn't feel badly because they are given out all the time for free to patients at that clinic.
• While in Idaho, Logan was terrified and then enthralled with Kara's sprinklers. We realized he has never seen one before, because hardly anyone in Missouri has sprinklers. Everything just stays green on it's own!
• One day we went to lunch with Sean and Ashley (Ryan's sister and wife) at a nice sushi restaurant while my parents watched the kids. It was nice to get to know Ashley better, and the best part was the fact that someone from Ryan's Utah office was there and paid for our whole meal without us knowing.
• Ryan was so tired of listening to "Dora's Pirate Adventure" on the DVD player that he was considering driving the van off a cliff so he would spare us all the agony of listening to it anymore! :)
• The kids were excited to see the dogs at Ryan's parent's house. One day while Brynlie and Lindsey were outside playing with them, the biggest one trampled Brynlie and started scratching and jumping all over her. Ryan and I saw the commotion from inside, so Ryan quickly ran outside and got the screaming Brynlie away from the dog. After a full half-hour of tears, Brynlie informed me, "I've changed my mind about wanting a dog. I don't want one anymore." Woohoo! Thank you, dog.