Boseman Family Reunion Nebraska Style

Our family must really, really like us.  Do you want to know why?  They all agreed upon Nebraska (aka Omaha) as our family vacation destination this year.  They could have gone to Hawaii.  They could have gone to Disney World.  Nope. They really wanted to come to Nebraska instead annnnndddd they all wanted to drive over 16 hours to get here.  Okay, okay…maybe they didn't necessarily want to come to Nebraska, but awhile back, Cody and I made the decision that we're not putting Jett on a plane anytime soon.  He gets sick way too easily.  Usually we're not the over-cautious parent, but when a simple sickness can land your kid in the hospital, you learn to take some precautions!  Anyway, Cody's family is amazing and didn't want to leave us out so they packed up their cars and buses (if you're Peter) and headed out to Nebraska!

Cody and I called it our "stay"cation.  We were able to feel like we were on vacation, yet we could come home each night and hand Jett off to a nurse.  Cody's parents rented a cabin that is located about 15 minutes north of Omaha.  It was surrounded by horses and a small lake. Who knew that Nebraska had such beautiful countryside?  Since moving to Omaha, I was always looking for that picturesque image in my mind of what Nebraska is supposed to be.  You know…windmills, cornfields, horses, cows, tractors, crop dusting airplanes…that kind of thing.  Well, if you've ever been to Omaha, it doesn't really offer much…just a bunch of freeways and trains.  However, travel 15 minutes north of Omaha and you are in beautiful cornfield country.

We had a blast with Cody's family.  Jett loved hanging out with all of his cousins and was able to spend some quality time with Grandma, Grandpa, Aunt Amy, and Uncle Peter.  They showered him with cuddles and kisses.  He even got to participate in the "golden ticket" challenges that Cody and Amy planned for the kids.  Prepare for a picture overload below.

Jett helped WIN a golden ticket challenge…go Jett!

Oh ya know…just working on a BOONDOGGLE keychain.  Back in my day, I was the queen of boondoggle.  You can pretty much call me Deb (from Napolean Dynamite)

At the Air and Space Museum, Jett looked like such a big boy in a real stroller.  He loved looking at all of the planes (obviously)…well, shoot, he IS sleeping in this picture.

I found my next winter coat at the Air and Space Museum.  How do you like it?

Boating DAY!  Even Grandma got a turn on the tube.

Little Henry Wyatt (our nephew) was not a fan of the tube.  He shrieked in terror the entire time, yet when he came back in the boat, he screamed out, "I did it mommy, I did it!"

Jett loved the water and it was a good thing that he did.  It was a HOT day!

Our niece, Addie wakeboarding for the first time.  She's already better than I am.

My older nieces (and sister-in-law, Amy) gave me this cute hat for my birthday!

Jett and Daddy doing their "A-Okay" sign

Jett and I roasting, literally roasting, on the beach.  The sun kept moving so we had to keep moving spots.  

The entire Boseman clan (minus Chad's family) sporting our awesome reunion shirts that Cody made.

We loved hanging out at the ranch…Kusaba especially.  He would leave and go on his own adventures and then come back hours later with horse poop all over him.  He was in heaven.

We LOVE our Boseman family! Come on back now, ya hear?

Lake of the Ozarks

While we're in dental school (and yes, I say "we"), we are lucky enough to get an entire month off from school each summer.  It is a much-needed break for Cody and his non-stop studying.  The best part, however, is that Jett gets to have his daddy around 24/7.  I counted down the days to summer break. The day that the break finally started, I'm pretty sure I jumped up and down a few times out of pure excitement! 

Last summer, it didn't feel like much of a break because we were so busy making improvements to our house and getting a feel for our new city and hospitals (unfortunately).  This summer, we kept busy…but had SO much fun staying busy.  If you know me and Cody, we don't like to sit around.  Therefore, we accomplished quite a bit, which included hosting our first Jett Powered event, which you can read about HERE.  Cody also completed some amazing projects, like building a screen printer (to print our Jett Powered shirts) and a light board for Jett's bedroom (below)…

Isn't it pretty?!  Jett now has his very own color-changing light board to look at every night.  The board can flip down right above his crib so that he can see all of the fun shapes and colors.  

I wish I could say that I built some awesome things for our house.  Now that I look back, I'm like, "Okay, what did I do that was cool or awesome?"  Nada.  I'm not creative in that way at all.  However, once Cody is finished with his projects, I love to take credit for them and pretend that it was my idea all along.  Does that count?

But for real, I guess I've stayed busy with Jett (of course!), teaching fitness classes, and starting a new business called Paleo Plate.  You can read all about that HERE if you're interested!

One of my Paleo Plate creations…these are Post-Workout Protein Bites that, in my opinion,  taste like cookie dough.  They are made from all organic ingredients and are super healthy for you…yes, even dark chocolate can be healthy!

Back to our summer break... unlike a lot of our friends, we stayed in Omaha again.  We have been incredibly lucky to have a HEALTHY Jett for a change so the first week of break, we planned a fun boating trip to Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri!  We traveled down with three other couples and rented out a vacation home that sat right on the lake.  There was even a boat slip to park our boat.  

Now, if you know anything about Lake of the Ozarks (which I didn't), you know that it is often called the "Lake Powell of the Midwest" and is known for its beauty and party atmosphere.  Our house was in a calmer (non-party area, thank goodness) and was so beautiful and peaceful.  We spent our days boating, eating, boating, and eating some more.  It was awesome.  Jett LOVED going out on the boat.  He would smile every time the wind brushed through his hair.  He did okay during the nights and mama (that would be me) did okay without a nurse around.  

The Ozark crew!!  We made a deal with everyone that if a baby was conceived during our time at the Ozarks that it's name HAD to be "Ozark".  Tessa and Taylor…we can't wait for Baby Ozark due February 2014.  (Okay, okay…she was already pregnant before the trip, but surprised us with the news while we were there so that has to count)

Me…trying to look cool

Me…a few seconds later, looking super cool

Cody…actually looking cool.  However, I'm not sure how well this trick ended.

Kusaba's first time "swimming" in a few years.  We're pretty sure he almost had a heart attack.  Cody received a million scratches on his chest from saving Kusaba. On a good note, if I'm ever having a bad day, I just have to look at Kusaba's face in this picture and my worries melt away. Is that look not the funniest thing you've ever seen?!

Jett cuddling up to daddy 

The only beach we went to…it was super hot and super sandy.  We stayed about 20 minutes.  Just enough time to coat our body, clothes, and shoes with sand.

Daddy swimming with Jett while Kusaba looked on from a safe distance…with his lifejacket on this time.

Well…Kusaba didn't keep a safe enough distance from the water.  He got thrown in a second time.  We are so mean…well, Cody is mean.  I was trying to save Kusaba the whole time, but had to take a couple pictures first. 

All that boating is hard work for Kyle.  Kayli decided to make a photo opp out of it.

Kusaba enjoyed being in the boat a lot more than being in the water.  Cody, however did not enjoy Kusaba's talons (his toenails) on the interior of the boat…I was constantly being yelled at to put the towel underneath Kusaba. 

Even though the water was a little colder (okay, A LOT colder) than bath water, Jett loved swimming around.  He would close his eyes, put a smile on his face,  and let us glide him through the water.  

Lovin' life!

This was the house we stayed in…what, you don't believe me?  Yeah, you're right, but wouldn't it be cool if we did?  I fell in love with this lakeside property.  Does anyone have a few million dollars they could loan me?

A Couple Jett "Firsts"

 This past month has seriously gone by so fast.  Usually I try to blog (keyword: "try") once a week.  I can't believe it's been three weeks since I have posted.  August has been a great month for me personally.  The fact that we have nurses to come help take care of Jett during the night has been a life changer!  I am a firm believer that SLEEP makes the world a better place.  I am incredibly grateful that we even have the option to have nurses come to our home.  Jett definitely needs around-the-clock care.  He wakes up in the middle of the night with severe chorea/dystonia.  You can read about it here if you are interested.  Therefore, Jett's nights can be pretty miserable, which can make my nights miserable.  Now that we have nurses, I am completely confident that Jett will be taken care of at all times.  It is such a comforting feeling! During the day, I can actually function like a human being (not a zombie) and take care of Jett better than I ever have.

Cody is back in dental school full-time.  Even when he is home, his mind is still "in school".  His studies occupy most of his time, but he has made it a point to not let school take over his life altogether.  A couple weeks ago, he had his first patient.  It was an 83-year-old man who has probably never brushed his teeth a day in his life.  What an awesome first patient, right?  Cody had to do a thorough cleaning on this guy's teeth and from what I've heard, he did a pretty good job!

I have stayed busy with a million different projects.  Yes, you read that right.  Me....Tennille Boseman...does projects.  So far, I have remodeled my front room, built and painted furniture (well, Cody did), and made some wall hangings.  Thank you, Pinterest!  My next project involves the sewing machine.  I'm not sure if I'm capable, but I'm going to try to make some throw pillows for my couches.  But before I turn all Martha Stewart on you, I have been thinking about teaching fitness classes again.  I MISS it SO much.  For now, I'm just THINKING about it, but in a couple months, I may actually DO it.

The pictures that you see are from Jett's First Air Show that we went to over the weekend!  The weather was super hot, but Jett loved being out in the sun and around all of the cool planes.  The show was held at Offutt Air Force Base in Bellevue, NE.  It is a short 15-minute drive from our house.  Cody was like a little kid in a candy store.  Unfortunately, we were only able to stay about 1.5 hours....which is about 8 hours too short for Cody.

We stayed long enough to look at all of the planes and watch some great flying.  Now that I have some flying lessons under my belt, I am in even MORE awe at what some planes can do and how close they come to one another.  It's so crazy!  Cody thinks he is going to fly like that one day.  Sorry, dude...that's not happening. 

 

Jett, of course, wore his "Jett" shirt

 

 

He was one tired guy afterward!!

 

 The next group of pictures are at Lake Manawa in Council Bluffs, IA.  I took Jett there this week along with a bunch of friends from my neighborhood.  There is a little beach area where kids can run around and play.  It was so nice to get out and be near the water!  However, it's also a bittersweet feeling because I want to be IN the lake...IN a boat.  Oh well, that time will come again someday!

Jett was brave and stuck his toes and legs in the water

 

Last night was Jett's first Utah State Football game!  We had a little party at our house and wore our Utah State gear.  Even though we are a couple states away, we still have to cheer on our Aggies!!  Watching the crowd and seeing the stadium made me so homesick, though.  Oh how we miss Logan.  I never thought those words would come out of my mouth, but its true.  You don't realize how good you have it, until its gone!  Logan...we'll make it back someday.  Just you wait.