Family has always been the most important aspect of my life. So, I’d like to introduce you to the most important people in my life and tell the story of how we came to be.

My parents met back in 1979 at Bank of America in downtown San Jose, California. My mom was a receptionist. My dad was temporarily filling in as a training officer. When they first met, my dad always tells the story as “it was love at first sight”. And that’s when the flirting began.

My dad was only supposed to be there for a month. However, a month turned into five months. Unbeknownst to my mom, who was wondering why my dad wouldn’t just ask her out already, my dad was not comfortable asking my mom out while they both worked at the same office. So, on the very day that he found out his job there was complete and he would be leaving to go to his new job, he asked my mom out on a date. And the rest is history.

Thirteen months later, on June 21, 1980 my parents got married. 

Three and a half years later, they had my oldest sister, Emily.

Three and a half years after that, they had my other sister, Allison.

For seven years, it was just the four of them. My sisters jokingly still refer to my parents and themselves as the “original Ott family”.

But then, SURPISE! I came along. And it has just been the five of us for the past 17 years.

However, just recently, we added a boy to our family of many girls. My sister, Emily, got married last October! Now, my sister, Allie, and I are lucky enough to have the brother we had always wished we had, and my parents have the son they never had.

So, we are a happy family of six! (Well, that is until Allie or I get married or Emily and Steve have children.)

I love each of them with every ounce of my heart.