Convention 2012 Awards Night

Well friends, awards night was actually Thursday night, but I am just getting around to posting this now.  Sorry for my delinquency, but here is an update:

I got to "walk the stage" 4 times at the Awards evening.  The very first time I went up onto the stage, my shoe broke!  So I spent the rest of the evening going up and down the stairs in my bare feet!  Ack!!  They must think I'm such a bohemian!   :)

Despite my wardrobe malfunction, I made it onto the stage 4 times on Thursday night (and a further 3 times for awards marches on Friday).  Not bad - 7 onstage appearances for my first year as a demonstrator!!

Thursday night at the very elegant gala event, my 2 most memorable walks were for Founders' Circle and Rising Star.  This year, it turns out only 10 people in North America achieved Rising Star.  Not only was I honoured to be one of them, but I was the ONLY Canadian Rising Star recipient this year!  Talk about an honour!  In addition and as I already posted a few days ago, I am one of the top 20 demonstrators in all of Canada this year.  This achievement has earned me a spot in Founders' Circle - one of the highest honours that Stampin' Up! can give its demonstrators.  I feel so completely blessed to be in this exclusive group of women (top 20 Canadians, top 100 Americans).  When I return home and have all my photos downloaded, I will post more about these amazing honours - both the awards these last few days and the retreat trips I will be going on as part of both awards.

I was very lucky that Michelle Sturgeon, a fellow Canadian demonstrator and an incredible lady, was kind enough to share my excitement with me and take several photos - this one included!  Then after the awards ceremony there was a wonderful post-awards party where I got to dance the night away with some truly awesome Canadians from western Canada.  Heidi, Fran (yes you do so have rhythm), Rebecca, Cheryl, Leanne and Lauren (because I *know* you were there in spirit--hope you're feeling better), thank you so much for sharing my excitement and for your willingness to let me be crazy with you for a while.  You ladies absolutely ROCK! 

I'd better keep this "short" as I still have 2 classes left, back-to-back, first thing in the morning.  This is the class that I was asked to help present this year (did I not tell you that I was unbelievably honoured at this, my first Convention?!?).  At any rate, in a very short time I will be on stage again helping to give this talk so I will bid you adieu right now.  But not before I say that I hope your week has been as blessed as mine has been and that your lives have been as full and as rich.  I have smiled from ear to ear for so many days now, I cannot remember what it feels like to 'not' smile!

Have a wonderful Sunday everybody.  God Bless you all!     ~Cynthia    <><