Almost Christmas

Hello! It's been a while since my last post. We leave on Sunday for Mississippi to share Christmas with my mother in law and my sister in law and her children. The first time we have been away on Christmas day since that year we went to Disney World on Christmas Day many moons ago. We have been away after Christmas day and even gone at New Years but staying around on Christmas day has been the norm for us till this Christmas. I'll never do this again! I just can't get things organized with Santa and even trying to get with my side of the family before we leave. Just not enough time. Do you ever feel that you have to be a super woman around certain people? Well, I am experiencing that as well and it's making me very anxious. As usual this problem is all my doing. I should just go and not worry about making a good impression with what I bring or give. It's just goes to self esteem issues and I am my worse critic.
We had a very stressful weekend last weekend. We were going to get together with friends we hardly ever see and go to the carriage rides on Friday but at the last minute they cancelled. Elena was so disappointed. So, we are trying to get what we can bought and still have money for every day life and fitting in everything else that was needing to be done on our 'last weekend' before we go. We were up late on Friday night causing me to sleep in on Saturday morning just to wake up to some chaos in our home. We are really blessed for having a good daughter but the problem we keep having is some lies that don't even need to be told. This lie was so intense that it made me fear that someone had been in our home who was not invited. The story is that a cell phone was found by myself under my grandmother's old rocking chair in the computer room where Elena spends most of her time and where she was when I found it. It isn't the missing one of Elena's but one I did not recognize. Thinking it was one of my niece's friends' that maybe had come with them when taking care of our animals while we were away I tried to phone my sister with no success. The phone is dead, but my camera USB connector to upload pictures to my computer fit and although I needed the software for the phone to charge, what I had showed enough for me. The pictures on the phone was very X-rated. It made me sick to my stomach. Then I knew it was not my niece or nephew's friends phone. Fear came over me that someone had been in our home and that phone dropped out of their pocket. See, Elena acted as though she had never seen the phone. She was just as surprised as I was to find it. Then after I showed Jim what was on the phone and we tried phoning the cell phone we ask her again about how the phone got in our home. She said then she found it... on the street... then that was changed and it was found at school and that she was going to turn it in. She had no reason to have lied about this phone. I still don't understand when she found it because it's been raining and if she had found the phone outside at school it would of been ruined. See all her classes are held in portables now since they are remodeling the 8th grade hall. Jim was going to let her return it to school today but I didn't want to risk her seeing those pictures. So, he turned the phone in to a Sprint store on his way home from work. I had Elena write 100 times that she wasn't going to lie again. It impressed on her so much that she has it hung on her wall with her signature on it. In fact we had another argument the next day and she says "Look I just had to write 100 times that I was not going to lie anymore and I am NOT going to go through that again" LOL Saturday night we were signed up to help with our church's Christmas program called "Jingle Jazz" and I was so emotionally drained I am surprised I was any help at all but it was a very busy night and the four hours there went fast. Afterwards we immediately we drove to the airport to pick up my Dad and Barbara who's flight was in early and we made good timing. PLUS Saturday would of been my mother's birthday. I think sometimes things happen so I don't dwell in the significance of those type of days. Sunday I was so tired but it was a calmer day. Still I am concerned about the 'real story' about that cell phone. It was a nicer phone than the one Elena lost so maybe she was thinking she could use that one since she lost hers. We did phone the number and it was temporary disconnected. If this is a child's phone, I really feel sorry for the parents of this child. The photos were very disturbing and I still can't believe it was on a child's cell phone.
Christmas presents are almost done. I still have a few to get before our trip down south and I can't decide what kind of food should I bake or make to take.
Any suggestions?
I may not post again but will try before we leave. I know I won't have internet access while away so it will be a week without facebook status updates and pokes. LOL I hope all will have a blessed Christmas time.
Grace and Peace,
Donna