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Well, this month has turned upside down, just a little bit.

After months of searching for a job, I have one!

I recently started as a nurse's aide at the county nursing home. Having been a caregiver in home health care, I am glad to be back serving the elderly. After my first day of orientation, I was immediately scheduled to work the next two days.

That pushed back Christmas preparation plans.

And we are going to Ohio for a real vacation between Christmas and New Year's! (Do moves count as vacations?! Hmm, if not, we haven't had one in over 5 years…) The kids are so excited; they can hardly stand it! This year our advent calendar has been “__ days until Christmas! __ days until Cincy!” We are ecstatic to be visiting our Ohio “home”—though I know by the time we return, we will be ready to get back into our normal routines here at our Missouri home.

After my writer's block of several months, I was determined not to miss another month of writing my MM article. Alas, it is not to be, if my kids are going to get their few gifts wrapped and under the tree (Ohio gas money is the big gift this year), as well as our final Christmas and vacation prep accomplished.

I am not going AWOL, as I did after our move. I promise to post more often in 2010. (Yikes!)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Alison Moore Smith is a 61-year-old entrepreneur who graduated from BYU in 1987. She has been (very happily) married to Samuel M. Smith for 40 years. They are parents of six incredible children and grandparents to two astounding grandsons. She is the author of The 7 Success Habits of Homeschoolers.