Trips with the Clark family are always adventures.

We recently went to Colorado. The trip there seemed to go pretty fast however the trip home (as all trips seem to do) dragged on and seemed longer than the 14 hours that it really was. I thought that a great thing to do to help time pass more quickly would be to count different types of trucks because on the way to Colorado we had counted the number of McDonalds we had spotted and the number of Fed Ex trucks since we kept seeing those. There were only 23 McDonalds that we could see from the freeway, on the way to Colorado Springs from Iowa City, however there were 63 Fed Ex trucks.

 So anyway back to the way home. I started writing down the first 12 major company trucks that passed us on the other side of the freeway and then we all continued to count all the different types of trucks to see which trucking company would have the most trucks between Colorado Springs and Iowa City. Here is our report:
UPS trucks = 2
Fed Ex trucks = 46
Swift trucks = 74
Marten trucks = 25
Werner trucks = 36
England trucks = 86
Wal-Mart trucks = 14
Penske trucks = 35
Heartland Express trucks = 12
United Van Line trucks = 5
Allied trucks = 6

Trucks we kept seeing over and over that should have been counted so we could know the winner of the most trucks:
ABF, Covenant Transport, Budget, Prime, U-haul, and CRST

I personally think the contest would be between Prime and England trucks.

We also saw 9 police cars, which isn't bad for 847 miles. That's only about 1 car per 100 miles. Thank goodness none of those police cars saw us.

Strange city names along the way:

Lliff
Brush
Mingo
Colfax
Ogalala

We saw 29 of the 50 US state license plates.

Now if you EVER wonder why parents go half crazy when driving children across the country, take a look below at some of the phrases I heard while traveling. ( I decided to write them down and I'm glad I did because now I'm laughing hysterically.)

Funny and weird comments made in the car:
I'm hungry
Stop It
He elbowed me
Scott seriously stop it.
Don't lean on me.
His feet stink.
Please stop touching me.
You better stop touching me now or I'm going to hit you.
Who farted?
Get off of me now!
Don't punch me Jared.
I'm thirsty.
What's over there?
How much longer do we have?
Ow
What stinks?
Stop singing.
Be quiet
I told you to be quiet
I can hear your I-pod
Your earphones are too loud.
My blanket doesn't smell like me anymore.
I have to pee NOW!
Make Scott let go of my arm.
E  (this was the name of a truck and everyone said the name outloud, it was funny when the E came out.)
My underpants are sticking to my butt.
Yea, I've always wanted a live stuffed animal (as he is leaning on his sister)
My armpits smell like catfood.
Are we to Iowa City yet?  How about Iowa?
Throw up sounds (thank goodness nothing came out)
Stop singing
Scott must you talk every second you are awake
Who smells like sweat?
Don't do that.
Are we there YET?
There's a mosquito in the car, not sure if you know that.
Make him stop, seriously Mom, he just doesn't stop ever.
He's tickling me again.
Breathe to yourself.
Alyssa don't hit or pinch me.
Can mosquitoes bite through blankets?
Gary is a good name for a snail.
Ewe your hands stink.
Just be quiet already.
Can I play your gameboy?  Can I borrow your I-pod?  Can I read your book?  Can I borrow your phone?
My hands stink because I've been putting them in my armpits because they are cold.
We have been driving forever.
This song is dedicated to you Dad
We aren't past Des Moines YET?
We aren't stopping again so you better hold it.
Scott lean on the window NOT on Alyssa.
Quit touching each other.
I think my teeth are floating.
Alyssa don't hit.
What's over there?
I've never seen that before.
Lean straight back, not on anyone but the back of the seat.
We are in Madison county, Let's go see the bridges.
I asked you NOT to sing that song.
If you're going to pull out in front of me, go faster.
Hands to yourself kids.
You will be grounded for an entire stinking week if you don't stop that.
and my personal favorite: When can I ask you when we are almost there?





Now for some pictures:

A picture of some gorgeous mountains in Colorado.  I miss those already.



Jason with one of his nieces, this one is named Ella.  Isn't she adorable?

I found a gym that teaches Zumba and had to have a picture.  Now I'll know where to go when I visit again.

The night before we left we went to dinner at Chili's restaurant.  Here is a picture of Gillian and Kevin Mohlman, and Lance and Nancy Clark. 

Then the other end of the table had Lindsey Lokodi, but I'm not sure how she got cut out of the picture.  The one time I don't check the picture so I can take another one.  I'm so bummed out how she isn't in this picture, but her arm is there, check out her strawberry lemonaide.  Pictured here is Dave and Tana Clark then Jason and Me!

Jason wasn't sure how to get back to Adrianne's home after the dinner so he actually stopped at a gas station to ask directions.  I was completely in shock that he asked for directions so I took a picture of him doing that. 

On the way home there were times of complete love between the children, here is one time they fell asleep on eachother.



Windmills from my car window driving by in Nebraska.  There were hundreds of them.