Welp, There Went 2011!

(PICS OF ALL THIS TO BE ADDED SOON!)

Soooo sad that I didn't blog all year! :( As you can see my last post was last year's Year in Review. Shoot. That outta tell ya that I was just a tad busy this year. I thought yesterday was still March.. I lost track of the year after that.

Ready to read about another year in The Maz Fam's Shoes? Maybe you should take a nap first and come back and read it because it will probably wear you out reading about all that we have done!

Here goes:

I rang in the 2011 new year with some of my favorite peeps. It was Mt. Pulaski's kick off to 175 years, so we hung out in Mt Pulaski with a little fire works show, ball drop and jammin' to the band. Less than 24 hours after the new year bells and whistles we hopped int he car and met the whole Maz Clan in Indianapolis for the Mazanowski Christmas. We gather there for Christmas instead of exchanging gifts. We just buy a few small things for the kids to open, and we enjoy each others' company. Chad's younger brother Kyle, Laura & Kyla live in Louisville, KY. Dustin, Kristin, Zach & Miles live in Chicago and we live in Bloomington, so it works out as a nice mid point for all of us and since we don't get to see each other all that often throughout the year, we thought we would forego the gift exchange for a little getaway instead. Our hotel had an indoor water park which was a super fun break away from the cold winter. Bradyn went down his first waterslide and LOVE it! I think I got my year's worth of exercise walking up the huge flight of stairs a million times. We also checked out the Indianapolis Children's museum, which was AMAZING! The kids had a blast! The dinosaur and train exhibits were a hit, as was the carousel & tree house.

A fun trip to escape the cold Illinois winter....San Diego baby! We took Bradyn to Legoland which turned out to be fun times had by all! It was amazing how many legos are there! HOLY COW everything's made of LEGOS! Millions/Trillions/Gazillions of them. The highlight of Lego Land was probably seeing how much fun Bradyn had on the big boy roller coaster. We went on it multiple times because he loved it! All of the rides were fun though. I think we picked the perfect age for him to go there. We also went back to the San Diego Zoo. That place it huge and has amazing animals. I love visiting the Pandas and Koalas because you just don't get to see them at every zoo. Another fun excursion we went on while we were there was the whale watching cruise. It was really cool and we saw lots of whales!

The beginning of February we were blasted with the Blizzard of 2011! I don't remember the last time we had that much snow all at once. We measured about 18 inches in various places in the yard, so I think that's pretty accurate. Some places though had drifted to 3-4 ft! and by the time we dug out there where huge piles everywhere that took forever to finally melt! We were couped up for way too long and were definitely getting cabin fever. Bradyn's daycare had it's oh so cute "Friendship Party" for Valentine's Day. Eat your heart out at these darling pictures of him and his buds. My mid February most of the snow (excluding the piles) had melted. Good thing because it was time for the annual Polar Bear Volleyball tournament. I dislike being cold, but my love for volleyball overrides that. Thankfully it was a nice mild day for the tournament this year. We had a ton of fun as usual and can't wait to play again in 2012! In February Bradyn also attended his friend Reagan's birthday party at Gymnastics Inc. What a GREAT place for a birthday party. The kids had a blast running around, jumping in the foam blocks, swinging on the rope swing, and laughing with their close buds.

In March there was a special exhibit at State Farm for the upcoming Cars 2 movie. One of our friend's works there and was able to share the excitement with us, so we surprised Bradyn with a trip to see Lightning McQueen, Mater, & Finn McMistel. He was VERY into it and was all about taking photos of them. *makes mama proud* I will never forget the moment I caught him turning the camera to take a vertical photo... his pics turn out so good! He's really getting the hang of it!

March was full of travel... We did our annual trip with mom down to St. Louis for the MVC basketball tournament. It was also Mardi Gras weekend... which is a good thing because ISU didn't make it past the first day, so we didn't end up watching much basketball. LOL We did go to a St. Louis University game because our friend Flash was on the coaching staff. Other than that we went to the Children's Museum, the City Museum, and went up in the Arch which I haven't done since I was who knows how old...(a kid).

Also in March, Chad and I decided to go to Las Vegas for the 1st round of the NCAA tournament. As much fun as we have any other year just sitting at a bar highlighting our brackets, multiply the fun factor by 100 and that MAY come close to how fun it was to watch the 1st round in Vegas! It was great to bet a little bit on the games, sit back at the casino sports book and watch them all day. Brad, Dan, and Adrian came with us so with a group made it even more fun! My favorite part was quite possibly the San Diego State overtime game.. to hear the room explode and be on edge through the duration of the game was great! Intense.

When we got back from Vegas, a short time later Chad and I met up with my friend Moy & Kaori and went to see Bon Jovi...again! Bon Jovi never disappoints...always a fun show... I could see him again and again (oh wait I have.. make that 6 times now).. and never get sick of it!

April... finally spring has sprung. After a long snowy and cold winter, we were glad to get back outside. Easter was beautiful this year. The kids are at a great age for easter egg hunting! The highlight of this Easter was... The movie HOP had came out and one of the scenes the Easter Bunny had left remnants of "easter bunny poop"...(jelly beans). So we left the Easter Bunny a note to be sure to NOT POOP on grandma's new carpet. And much to our surprise and Bradyn's disgust he did anyway!! There was a trail of easter bunny poop and Bradyn was sooo mad at the Easter Bunny on Easter morning!

Bradyn had his Creative Movement performance for us at daycare. Creative Movement was a great program where it taught kids some of the fundamental balancing, jumping, skipping, coordination, and "creative movements". He's such a ham and one coordinated little fella. It was so cute to see all the kids try their hardest.

After being torn up for months! My home office was finally complete!! CHECK IT OUT!!!

Mid April Gam was in town from Pennsylvania, so we got to spend some time with her for Kyla's birthday party. It was at a pizza place/game restaurant, so the kids had plenty to keep them entertained while we visited.

Then end of April we made it to our first Sox game. Dad & Lindsay came with us. We had a good time tailgating and enjoyed the game, snacks and beverages!

April was also the start of my MazPix Spring Daycare Shoots... soooo busy time of year for the business as I spent every waking free moment shooting, editing, and filling orders.

In May Bradyn turned 4! AND... we welcomed a new addition to our family... a King Charles Spaniel named Snazzi. Snazzi Mazzi fit right in to our family and gave Bradyn a nice little playmate. Snazzi is such a pretty pup, very quiet, snuggly, and playful. So back to the big boy's birthday.. Wow where did another year go! I can't believe my baby is 4 already! We went with a Super Hero theme this year. Bradyn was very much into all of the super heros. We even had a BatMan bouncy house lined up, but of course it rained that day so we had to cancel it. Lots of friends and family came to celebrate and it was a great party.

In June, Bradyn started Tot Soccer. He and his buddy Ryan started their sports debuts on the soccer field. It was a great program because it wasn't just a bunch of kids running around aimlessly kicking a ball. It was brought down to their level and taught in concepts they could understand. It was a lot of imagination such as... don't go past that line because that's the ocean.. and if you go in the ocean you will get eaten by sharks. (talking about the out of bounds line) Genius. It was so cute to see him in action... and my little guy with cute little drips of sweat rolling down his face. He's not a baby anymore darn it!

In June, we also went with Dad down to the Ozarks. This was the trip we were supposed to go on last year but dad got very sick and ended up in the hospital with an infection instead. So this was a much anticipated fun getaway. The house we rented was just steps from a cute little tiki bar, so we were able to hang out on the porch and listen to the tunes. We also rented a pontoon boat for one of the days and spent the whole day on the lake. We stopped and swam various times and docked and ate. It's a beautiful lake and we had TONS of fun in the sun!

Other random summer activities included Bradyn's Friday Fun Runs & pizza at Joe's with Sheryl & Ryan...putt putt golfing... hanging and swimming at Grammy & Poppy's....boating with dad... camping with mom....trip to Chicago with Sheryl & Ryan

In July Bradyn & I went with mom, grandma, Corey & Kyleah on a little getaway to a cabin in Shelbyville. We had a fun time swimming, fishing, and relaxing by the fire. It was like camping only in a cabin instead. :)

The beginning of August we took a big vacation to North Carolina with the ENTIRE Mazanowski clan. It was Chad's Aunt & Uncle, their 5 kids, and all of his bros & their fams. 18 people in one giant house a block from the beach! It was too much fun! We spent most of our time at the beach. The kids had a blast boogie boarding and playing in the sand. They mostly enjoyed swimming in the pool in our yard though. Not quite as rough as the waves. We had some good waves a couple of the days because there was a hurricane 'a brewin'. We had wonderful weather though and the hurricane changed paths. While we were there we took Bradyn to Jockey Ridge in Kitty Hawk to fly kites. Dumb of us to pick the hottest day we were there to go, but it was fun flying the kite for as long as we lasted in the heat. One of the highlights of the trip was taking the kids hunting for ghost craps one night. They had a blast with their flash lights & there were ghost crabs everywhere! We also took a little day trip on a dolphin cruise. There were lots of dolphins out that day so it made for an exciting outing. The most adventurous thing I did on this trip and something I've been wanting to do for years but never have.... Laura & I went parasailing! It was VERY cool and quite peaceful actually. I thought it would be a little more of a "rush" but it was actually kinda relaxing..until we landed... in the water. LOL which I guess sometimes happens as they bring you back down to the boat. Splash!

August was the annual Balloon Fest, more camping, more boating, the beach, bowling, the State Fair and more!

September was more outdoor fun as well! But also the start of my MazPix Photography Fall Daycare Madness. This time of year I kinda go into hiding as I am so busy with shooting, editing, and filling daycare orders for the second time of the year. This fall, I was convinced to pick up a 5th daycare!! so that totaled about 700 kids photographed this fall! HOLY SMOKES!

September marked a hard month for my brother as he and Sarah split, but it is turning out great to have him back... as his silly self... back involved and engaged in our family activities. We missed you bro, but so glad to have you back! Hopefully through all this he learned that when we say we will always be here for you...we mean it.

In October (while I wasn't busy with fall photography)... I joined Bradyn on his school trip to the pumpkin patch. It's so fun to see him with his friends. They are all so stinkin' cute and I sometimes flash forward to what it will be like seeing him in 10 years from now with his high school buds. (Scary! ok let's stop thinking about that). The interactions and conversations amongst little kids just amazes me. We also took a trip to the pumpkin patch a second time with Corey & Kyleah and mom too. It's always a fun time there. This time we picked out our family pumpkins that we later carved. This Halloween Bradyn wanted to be a Red Power Ranger for Halloween. He was very much into the Power Rangers and still is. Chad and I had our annual Halloween party to attend so we chose to be Rock Stars. Lindsay joined us in Mt Pulaski for the Halloween Festivities and rocked her Robin Hood Costume. As always it was a fun time with my small town buds. Moments I wouldn't trade for the world.

In November we spent some more time with my back home buds at the annual Booster Benefit. It was a fun night of dancin' and drinkin' as usual.. and as usual... we didn't win any money. And then of course there was Thanksgiving...Same ole same ole.. gathering hoppin', stuffin' our faces, sleep comas... :)

The beginning of December we took at trip to the North Pole on the Polar Express (Monticello Train Station). Kyleah & Bradyn had a blast and were all smiles with all of the Christmas festivities.. Elves dancing in the aisles, Santa hopping aboard, receiving Santa's bell, drinking hot cocoa & eating cookies. They were glowing with happiness! This year the thing I enjoyed most about Christmas were the priceless expressions. The excitement and smiles on the faces of the little ones as they opened their Christmas gifts. No matter what was inside, there was a look of anticipation, then when the item inside was super cool, the expression was infectious! We shared many great gifts back and forth, but most of all are blessed with having a loving supportive family to spend it with.

Overall we had a great year! A busy year...Many fun memories...thousands of pictures...and we move on to 2012... together as a team...a family...inseparable. Goodbye 2011!

2010-Year in Review

I think I said this last year, but thinking about this past year I can't help but think, how the heck did we fit it all in!? It's just become our lifestyle I guess. Perhaps its the athlete in Chad and me... run & gun, we don't know how to sit still. We always feel it is important to share our time with all the people we care about. We do TONS as a family just the three of us, but we also find ourselves surrounded by friends and family a lot too. We love all the people in our lives and believe it is important to keep in touch and see them as much as possible. So many people get settled in their day-to-day lives and forget to stop and enjoy themselves and keep their friendships alive. We on the other hand are always up for a fun night out, no matter what the occasion! So here it goes... our 2010 year in review.

What's the best way to kick off a year? Celebrating my big 3-0 the entire month of January of course. It was full of birthday surprises thanks to Chad & a little help from friends and family. The biggest surprise of all was the party with my Chicago buds. I thought it was all my idea to head out for a night out on the town in Chicago with Chad, Mike, and meet up eventually with Moy.

We hung out a Mike's for a little bit, not really having an exact agenda (as far as I knew), and I was just supposed to let Moy know where we decided to go. We headed out to a bar and I told Moy where to meet us, he said he'd be there within the hour. Turns out when we arrived, we headed toward the back room to find all my old Kraft buds in the party room (including Moy who was clearly in on this plot)! I was shocked! Knew nothing! Accidentally spit out my gum, dropped my purse, and started crying in all the excitement. It was a great reunion and tons of fun. The only thing missing was my home buds & family. Obviously Chad realized that so he had ANOTHER party up his sleeve. He had planned a gathering in Mt Pulaski at the Pizza Man where my home buds and family were awaiting. It was a great time and made me feel so loved. :)

In February, my arm was twisted to play in an all day Polar Volleyball Tournament. Ummm, for someone that doesn't like snow or being cold, that just sounded like a horrible idea to me! However, I caved in and gave it a shot and had an absolute blast! It was chilly, but not to bad as long as I stayed bundled up. The beverages helped warm me up too. ;) It was a great day of fun with my volleyball friends and I can't wait to do it again in 2011!

We also surprised Bradyn with tickets to go see Curious George Live in Peoria. Every now and then it's so fun to see the look on a kids face when he arrives at a place where he has no idea he's going and getting to witness the raw joy and excitement on his face. Bradyn had a great time at the "concert" and sat like a big boy through the whole show. He really enjoyed looking through his binoculars to get a closer look.

The beginning of March we embarked on our annual trip to St. Louis for the MVC basketball

tournament.

Mom enjoys coming on this trip with us, so we headed down for a weekend of basketball fun and jam packed lots of other fun activities as well such as a walk down to the

arch, dinner at Union Station, a trip to the City Museum, and a visit to the St. Louis Zoo. We always have so much fun and it's nice to have ababy-sitter if Chad and I feel like going out after all the basketball festivities.

The beginning of April Bradyn & I went to the zoo to celebrate cousin Kyla's 1st birthday. It was fun to see the kids get excited about all the

animals. Bradyn just loves the zoo. I don't know if he really has a favorite animal, he just loves them all! April was also another big birthday month.. Our niece Kyla turned a year old and had a great party to celebrate up north.

It was also Chad's turn for the big 3-0!

After all the surprises he threw for me, I felt like he was going to be on his toes and there was no way I was going to be able to pull a surprise on him. Instead of surprising him, we ended up going to the Sox game with his friend Dan. That was the game that the game winning homerun ball came right at me, and dummy me tried to catch it and I'm lucky I only walked away with a bruised finger instead of a broken hand! OUCH!

I also got him tickets for a Sox game for a later date... the Frank Thomas game in which they honored Frank Thomas and retired his number. He LOVED it. (I think) :)

In May, Bradyn turned 3. He wanted a Toy Story birthday this year, which turned out perfect because Toy Story 3 came out this summer, so finding decor with the number 3 on it was SUPER easy! Bradyn was surrounded by all his favorite friends and family on his special day. He even got to invite 3 friends from school, so he chose Ryan, Hal & Logan.

May is also the start of the fun summer weather. We spent a lot of time outdoors doing everything from camping, to swimming, to boating, to just hanging out in the yard or at the park. I also stay busy on Thursday nights in the summer with my sand volleyball league. It's a great break away from routine, good exercise, and great fun with great friends.

Bradyn enjoyed Fridays with his friends at the Fun Run where they get to run around the track at Illinois Wesleyan on Friday nights. We enjoyed watching them just about as much as

they enjoyed running. It was a great way to let the youngsters burn off some energy.

June was jam packed full of fun stuff as well. We kicked off the month at the zoo for Kyleah's birthday. I'll never forget this trip to the zoo not only because it was cute to see the kiddos run around and look at the animals, but it was also the first time I ever remember seeing a peacock with it's feathers spread. Ok, so call me a little crazy, but it was seriously one of the most beautiful things I ever saw.

I don't know if it was partly because I finally have a chance to "stop and smell the flowers" or what, but this year I noticed so much natural beauty... stuff I never noticed before. Perhaps it was because I was too busy or too couped up in an office! LOL

We spent some time at the Normal Cornbelters baseball games this summer because I landed the gig of being the Official Photographer for them. The shots I took were used for the baseball cards and I took the team photo for the poster give away as well.

Another fun event in June was the Adam Lambert concert. Yep that's right, I'm not ashamed. I'm a fan! Mom is a huge fan and so is Chad's mom, so I thought what a fun thing to do with my 2 moms. :) We headed over to Indiana to catch him in concert. My only complaint was that it wasn't long enough. That guy can SING and man what an entertainer he is. I can't wait til he has a larger library so his concert will be longer!

July was another month of outdoor fun.. more camping, more boating, more swimming, more baseball games. You name it! Grammy and Poppy were finally wrapping up the addition of their new pool, so we spent some time swimming there this summer.

In addition to all that we added fireworks! This year for the 4th of July we had a beach day with mom, Corey, Sarah & Kyleah, went boating with dad, and then caught an AMAZINGLY UNBELIEVABLE fireworks display in Peoria over the river. It was the best fireworks show I have seen next to New Years Eve in Chicago the year we saw them there. It was very cool, very powerful, awesome!

We also hung out with some friends at Derek's parent's surprise anniversary party. Renee & Derek planned a super fun party in his parent's machine shed complete with food, beverages, and a band. Yep that's right, I said machine shed... good ole' small town fun! We even took a little walk through the cornfield and picked some yummy Martin sweet corn. That will have to go down as one of my all time favorite fun times had with my best friend Renee. I think I almost peed my pants I was laughing so hard.

This July marked the first annual "Redbird Retreat" in Wisconsin, where Chad and a bunch of his college buds spent the weekend hanging out, boating, and reminiscing about the good ole days. He says he had a blast, but there were no pictures.. either because I wasn't there to take them or because they didn't want anyone to know what they were up to... either way so we'll have to take his word for it. It's nice to have something like that to look forward to with his close buds that he doesn't get to see as often as he'd like. This is an old picture, but here's some of "the crew" that attended.

The end of July, I finally got to cash in one of last years' Christmas presents... The Bon Jovi Concert! We had field seats at Soldier Field and had a rockin' time with some of my Kraft buds including Moy & Erika. Mom was there too, just sitting in a different area. Bon Jovi & Kid Rock put on a phenomenal show... as usual. Can't wait til the next time (because 4 times isn't enough) hehe.

August was full of fairs, more swimming, more baseball, and a trip to Chicago. We went to the McClean county fair with dad this year. Bradyn enjoyed looking at and pretending to drive the tractors with Papa.

He also REALLY enjoyed getting to sit in the fire truck and wear the fireman hat with mommy. The excitement on that kid's face was priceless.

We also went to the State Fair this year with Grandma Netter. It was the first time I had been in a very long time. B enjoyed the sky lift, the ferris wheel, and the kids rides. He's a ride junkie just like mommy!

In August, Chad finally got to cash in his birthday present. We planned a big weekend in Chicago. One of my good friends from Kraft (Heather) got married, so it was a great reunion with the Kraft Crew.

It happened to be the same weekend as the Sox game we had tickets for. It was a SUPER HOT day at the ball park for the Frank Thomas game. We were some of the lucky fans to receive the Frank Thomas bobble head dolls, so that was cool.

Bradyn wasn't quite content enough to sit still in his seat the whole game so mom and I took turns entertaining him in the fun zone so Chad could enjoy the game. We spent a lot of time cooling off in the shower. LOL.

We also had some time that weekend to go enjoy the Planetarium in Chicago. Bradyn just finished "studying/talking about" space, planets, astronauts, etc at daycare, so we thought it would be a great time to take him to see the Planetarium. He had a blast (no pun intended) dressing up like an astronaut and playing at the museum.

This summer we surprised Bradyn with A Day out with Thomas the Train which ended up being a huge hit with the munchkin. We kept it a surprise, so he didn't know until he actually saw Thomas on the track what we were doing. I will never in a million years forget the excitement on Bradyn's face when he saw Thomas. He had his hands over his mouth, shrieking, and laughing and giggling.

I think it was equivalent to me having tears in my eyes at my surprise party in January! (I have tears in my eyes right now as I look back at them all together here on this blog post) We got to ride on the train pulled by Thomas, walked through train cars, saw Sir Top'em Hat, and played all day long.

The end of August we had another scare with Dad. He had open heart surgery last December... this past August after a trip to the emergency room it was discovered that he had developed an infection in his heart, part of which broke off and shot down to his spleen which was causing him a great deal of pain. Thankfully the infection went to his spleen and not some other more important organ. None-the-less we were still talking about a serious illness. Dad was in the hospital for about 10 days before insurance basically booted him out and we (family & friends) were left to the task of giving him iv antibiotics through a pick line for 6 more weeks. It was a nerve racking grueling responsibility to pretty much be left with dad's life in our hands. But you tend to find strength deep within when it really counts. I found strength I didn't know I had. I had to be strong, had to stay positive, and step out of my comfort zone to do what was necessary for my dad. He pulled through and fought the infection. I don't think he even realized just how serious it was until he showed up at his dr's appointment and the doctor seemed surprised to see him. Bradyn was a big helper and learned a lot about stethescopes and saline syringes. He liked to help take care of Papa every chance he got.

September was our annual Mt. Pulaski Fall Festival. It was a little more of a big deal for me this year because I was actually on the planning committee for it. I figured since I was no longer working in a 9-5 j.o.b, I would donate some of my time and give back to my home-town community by helping plan the festival. It was fun to share my ideas and then see some of those new ideas implemented into the celebration. This year I was tasked with helping come up with "something new" for the main stage entertainment, so I suggested a Dueling Piano show. It turned out to be a HUGE hit and I have heard great feedback about it. Ok, so I wasn't the one who played, so we can give most of the thanks to the guys who did, (Sam & Harley)...

but it was my idea still! haha. We had so much fun they are coming back in July for our 175th anniversary celebration for back to back nights. I had fun getting to know the piano guys and have since kept in touch with them and seen them a few other times in Peoria. Cheers to new friendships!

October is when I first started noticing how beautiful of a fall we were having. Wow, I don't recall a fall with such beautiful leaves! We took a trip to Starved Rock which I have always wanted to see in the fall and boy was it no disappointment. Gorgeous. I actually did two photo shoots while we were there, so it was nice to be able to capture that beauty.

This year we went to a couple of pumpkin patches. My favorite trip to the pumpkin patch was with Bradyn's class for their field trip to Rader Farms. It was so fun to see him laugh and play with his friends and so fun to make friends with all of his little buddies.

We had fun playing ring around the rosie on the air jumpy thingie.

October also marks our annual night out/whole day out with our college buds for ISU homecoming. Its a huge event where we start tailgating early in the morning and try to pace ourselves and make it well into the evening. This year I had the opportunity to shoot action shots at the football game, so I stayed sober until the game was over. haha. Then it was out and about to the usual... Mulligans for Mason Jar Long Islands... and then that's usually about all I remember.

October is a great month for wienie roasts, which we did for the annual Hahn reunion this year at mom's. It's always relaxing to sit around the fire and enjoy each others company. This year I had fun wrestling with Bradyn & Kyleah and making our shadows dance on the house. They are so stinkin' cute!

This year for Halloween, Bradyn decided that we were going as Batman, Robin, and Batgirl. Ooookkkie dokie. So we dressed up and went trick or treating as such. This year Bradyn wanted to go trick or treating with his friends for Halloween, so we gathered up some friends and let them go door to door in one of his friend's neighborhoods. It was so cute watching them run door to door with each other.

Chad and I had our annual Halloween party with our friends at the cabin, which ended in Corey & Lisa's machine shed (yep, I said machine shed again...good ole small town fun!).

This year for Thanksgiving we embarked on a long drive to Erie, PA to spend the holiday with Chad's relatives. We had a nice visit with Gam & Chad's aunt, uncle, and cousins. It was good to see everyone especially since we don't get to see them very often being so far away. While I was out there I even took Emma's senior pics..in the pouring down snow! LOL Dustin & Kristin & the boys and Ron & Jac all met us out there so it was a fun little gathering and we enjoyed watching the boys play. It was a long drive, but Bradyn did great in the car!

We spent December prepping for Christmas. Of course we decorated the house, strung the lights outside, shopped and wrapped presents, but we also drove through the Festival of Lights, which Bradyn loves (mostly because we let him outta his car seat LOL). We played in the snow despite mommy's hatred toward it. I'll do anything to see my baby smile... so we rolled around in it, built a snowman, and made a snow angel or two.

Chad and I did a first this year... neither of us had ever shot a gun before, so my cousin Jason took us out shooting in the country. We shot a variety of guns, some more powerful than others. It was cool I suppose. At least now I can say I did it. :)

Dad rounded out his year full circle back in the hospital. This time it was to have his spleen removed, which was a result of the infection he had back in August. He's home now and recovering nicely. Here's to him having a healthy 2011! Enough already! You're too young for all this madness.

Christmas gatherings and Christmas at our house just keep getting more and more fun as Bradyn gets older.

He had a blast with his cousin Kyleah over Christmas weekend. We probably could have even gotten by without getting them gifts and just given them a big box to play in and they would have been perfectly happy.

It is such a joy though to watch him tear open his gifts and get excited about what's inside.

We have a special Elf friend that keeps us company every year between Thanksgiving and Christmas. He flies to the North Pole and talks to Santa every night and comes back and lands in a different hiding spot. (Elf on a Shelf). It's such a great tradition and we are having so much fun with it. Here are just a couple of Happy's hideouts this year.

All of the above and I barely even touched on my new business.

MazPix Photography has had an exciting start-up year! In only 9 short months my success as a business owner has far surpassed my expectations! March 28th was my first official photo shoot. Since then I have had over 70 appointments including 11 seniors, 3 engagements, 2 weddings, a class reunion, a corporate event a the W hotel in Chicago over looking Navy Pier (fancy huh?), 23 families, ISU Football Homecoming Game, the official photographer for the Normal Cornbelters Minor League Baseball team, 96 kids at a park district football league, and 674 kids at 5 daycares!!! Boy have I been busy! I thought when I started the business that I would have some time to plan things and get everything situated and processes in places before I really got going. Boy was I wrong! That's ok though! I didn't mind. I found myself "working" loonnnnng hours trying to keep up, but I never minded it one bit. I love every minute of what I do. As I reflect back to over a year ago when I decided to walk away from Corporate America and the office life of being an accountant, it was truly the best decision I could have ever made. It gave me the opportunity to really be myself, be happy, do what I love, and never have to work another day in my life. It's not work if you love doing it!

Quick note to Bradyn, because that's who I do this for. Bradyn, you will cherish these year in reviews that I do for you every year when you get older. You will look back at these and may or may not remember some of the stuff we did together, but you will see by the photos (good thing mama's a photo freak) that we always have so much fun, as a family and individually, we are a family, but also our own people. We love to laugh, we love to stay busy, and most of all, we love YOU. You are the greatest thing that has ever happened to us and we are so lucky to have such an amazing son. At the wee age of 3 1/2, you are a smart little cookie. Well not "little" because at 41 1/2 inches and 43 lbs, you are nearly the size of some 5 year olds! You amaze us daily with your "kids say the darndest things" comments. You are so independent and helpful, empathetic and loving, talented with a huge imagination, happy and funny, and simply a joy to be around. We are so proud of you already and can't wait to see what the new year will bring this time. It's amazing what a difference 1 year makes at the beginning stages of life. From newborn to 1 it was immobile to taking steps, from 1 to 2 it was not talking to talking in complete sentences, from 2 to 3 it was having full out conversations with you and watching you reason things out. You're a little man now buddy and I can't wait to see what another new year will bring! We love you with all of us! Mommy & Daddy.

I look forward to more fun in 2011, business & personal. I already know that this time next year I'll be telling you about San Diego, a Bulls Game, St. Louis, (another) Bon Jovi concert, Las Vegas, the Ozarks, a vacation with the Maz Family, more day care shoots, camping trips, and whooooooo knows what else. Cheers to a HEALTHY, SUCCESSFUL, HAPPY, FUN year all around for me and everyone in my life and you and everyone in yours!