Exciting -- Stressful

I should open up this post with a WOW! we won one of the 11Alive Community Service Awards for 2010. However, I can only get a little bit excited. wow. Keith works for Vulcan Materials in Norcross. He has done so for 25 almost 26 years. In fact he worked there long before we became foster or adoptive parents. They have learned of our very large family and are somehow impressed. I guess by the fact that Keith has worked so many hours while still parenting 18 to 22 kids. Well someone in the company nominated us for the award and low and behold we were one of 11 chosen for this award. It is not that I don't appreciate it, I just feel so out of place. There are people there who are so much more worthy. A woman who has played fairy godmother to a children's hospital for 35 years. A man who has raised millions for cancer research. A man who runs a shelter for single mothers who are addicts. A man who is 83 and a holocaust survivor. And the list goes on and on. All I do is raise my children. Some may see that as something special. I do not. It is what I want to do. If I had given birth to this many children I would be taking criticism. They are still just my children no matter how I got them. The award is a special honor with all the glitz and glam. My teenagers are the ones excited. I hope to make it as much about them as I can. We will attend a charity function which hopefully will raise 150,000.00. Which will go to a Mental Health Hospital that treats Major Depression, bi-polar and schizophrenia. All that is good. The affair is black tie. The dinner is $300 per guest. Vulcan has offered to buy my gown, which is good being I don't have 2 or 3 hundred dollars for that. The show will be aired on channel 11 WXIA. I think April 24/25. I'm not 100% sure. It will be taped April 20th. Vulcan has graciously bought a table for my adult and teenage children. That's a whooping $3000.00 I must say I'm impressed. I hope I don't come across as ungrateful or selfish. I truly dont mean to be. I'm scared I guess. Hopefully everything will go off without a hitch. Hopefully. IF you know me and my family that's next to impossible. My hairstyle will fall, I'll break a heal, someone will throw up, I'll get tongue tied, I'll look stupid, I'll fall, I'll look stupid. Any way that's all underway. Vulcan and the TV station have all been really, really nice. I know Tabitha, Brian and Amey, Doreese, Destinee, DJ, Krishawanda and Marvin will be happy. Our social worker is also going along with our children's minister and their spouse. It will be a memorable evening no doubt. Wish me luck and say a prayer.