2011 Year End

Ah, the phrase "Year-End" makes me sort-of-sentimental and sort-of relieved that it doesn't mean spending the holidays in a cube closing the books and preparing for auditors :-)

As promised here is our 2011 Year-End Highlights!

Here are my beautiful children on Christmas Eve.  I left Chris and I out of the photo because we are not so beautiful from lack of sleep and I don't have time to touch us up in Photoshop :-) 

This year lance officially started his love of baseball. In the spring dad helped coach. In fall Chris was the head coach of his team. Chris really enjoyed coaching. Currently Lance's favorite position is catcher, but I adore this shot he took of him pitching. For his birthday, Chris, Grandpa Harv, Jared and Matthew went to a real RedSox game at Disney's Wide World of Sports, if that gives you an idea of the severity of baseball fever in our house. When he wasn't playing baseball, he was running in the "Smile Mile" or swimming with a team of friends all summer long. All this work culminated in August when he successfully competed in his first Triathlon. In short, Lance likes sports and he's very athletic.

Jared is my beautiful thespian.

He loves to talk to people.  He frequently sings for people at the park and enjoys playing his piano.  Jared celebrated his birthday at the Fountains Resort again this year with friends and family.  After his birthday, he started up karate again and it has gone very well and he is now a purple belt with black stripe. 

Jared's cardiac conditions are part of the reason we studied anatomy in detail this summer.  We wanted to finally explain to him what his conditions were.  We had no idea how important that would be in the fall when one of his conditions started acting up again, after being inactive for two years.  He had three SVTs this fall/winter and has progressively become braver with each occurrence.  I think it helps that he intellectually understands what's going on.  Unfortunately, because of his conditions Jared found out he is not allowed to play baseball or any contact sport.  It helped that he was the bat boy on Lance's team in the fall but he was disappointed at the news.  But rather than focus on the negative we thought of alternatives and one I came up with was riflrey.  Grandpa Bob is an expert marksman and was happy to help start this focus.  He not only gave him a BB gun for Christmas but took the time to explain to him this really is a sport he can compete in at in the Olympics. If this doesn't work out I think he'll make a great sports announcer some day.

Then there is Titus.  His name and personality lend itself to so many nicknames and theme songs; "We are the Titus, the mighty, mighty Titus" is still the favorite.  He wants to be in on EVERYTHING his big brothers are doing, physical or age barriers be darned.  He's been talking like a five year old since the beginning of the year and I wish I'd kept a list of some of his incredible statements. He jumped into the pool fearlessly all summer long and became a pretty good swimmer.  He ran the nursery at CC and wooed all the teachers at church, one even called him a "genius" (Hee Hee).  Chris suggested a blurry picture, since he's always moving but I chose these instead.

Super Hero Titus or Disappearing Titus

I did not pose him he did this himself :-)

Titus in charge on his "Wee HOO"!

The biggest event of the year was the arrival of little Amber Elizabeth.  I'm not sure little is the best way to describe her. Our chunky monkey weighed in at 11 lbs. 12 oz. at her two month checkup and 23 inches.  Each child seems to grow up quicker than the previous. She is so alert and interested in the world around her, and what a world it is.

That wraps up the year.  Safe tiddings to you and yours!  May the New Year be filled with God's blessing upon your families.

Love the Otto Clan!