Dear Santa,

In the Spirit of Christmas Miya thought she would leave a pass along card with the letter for Santa. I hope there are missionaries at the North Pole.

Grandma O'Brien

Well Grandma O'Brien passed away late Sunday night. It really has been a long time coming and I will dearly miss her, but I am so glad she is back with my Grandpa. Grandma O'Brien made the best rolls for Thanksgiving dinner, she could out stir all 5 of us girls combined when making candy (and she was a tiny lady) and she always had something great waiting in her cookie jar. My grandma lived ten minutes from me growing up and we always made a trip to her house for a Sunday evening treat. She had connect four in the extra bedroom that my sisters and I played and fought over for hours. I loved being at her house unless I was asked to get something out of the basement. Seriously that place scared the pants off me. Even when we would move the wood from the shed to the basement it was better being in the old stinky shed then down in the basement. I remember her little stuffed Christmas tree that she always put the kids Christmas socks on each year. She had a strong testimony and even after Alzheimer's set in she couldn't remember who you were, but she was happy and kind to everyone. I love my grandma.

Cannon

Yesterday Cannon was running around the house, stopped and said his tummy hurt. He laid down on the couch and I heard from the other room, "Mom your chest hurts when you have a heart attack. My chest hurts. I am having a heart attack, but it isn't serious because I am not dying."
My response went something like, "your chest can hurt from other things too, not just a heart attack."
He followed up with, "Nope, pretty sure it's a heart attack." Not two minutes later he was up and running around again.
I am pretty sure I had a heart attack this morning while doing my Plyometric workout. I will have to ask Cannon when he gets home from school.

Dear Barbie,

Dear Barbie,

I felt I needed to send a quick thank you note to tell you how much I appreciate your move to the big screen and your great acting in The Princess and the Pauper. I loved playing with you as a child mostly many hours building your dream house and was pleasantly surprised to see your career move to acting a few years ago. I know that this movie was one of your first, but may I say that I think it is some of your best work. I can see that you have spent years learning dancing, singing and acting. This practicing has really paid off. Not only are you a great actress, but you are also a great babysitter. That's right your movie is the only one my Lyla will watch. We have spent many hours over the last month with your singing in the background.

My daughters have greatly appreciated your guidance in becoming a princess. Lyla has now learned to sing and dance just as a princess should. Please send my regards and warmest wishes to all the others that played a role in making this great movie.

Thanks again,

Jamie Combs

P.S. We have lost our Twelve Dancing Princesses, could you send one for Christmas if you have extra copies.

Birthday Girl

Well my little girl is now 7 and I can't believe how lucky we got with such a great little girl. Miya has always been kind with just a little bit of fiesty edge she only shows at home. Miya is a great big sister. Cannon was born when she was only 18 months and I remember her getting the diapers for me when he needed changed and she just loved to help with her little brother. She is that way now with all little kids. She really loves to help out (and she also likes to be the boss). She is great at thinking up games for the kids to play and she loves reading to Cannon and Lyla.
Things Miya loves to do now:
Read and learn new words.
Sing. She has always loved singing and would make us songs almost as soon as she started to talk, but now she can read the words at church and she might be the loudest person singing the hymns.
Running. This is just mostly laps around in the house now that it is cold outside, but she loves to be moving.
We are so happy to have Miya in our family. I thought I would include a picture that I found of Miya when she was two just to remind myself that Miya and Lyla are little twins born 4 years apart.