Are We Going to do Anything Fun Today? (Let's Do Something Flippin' Awesome!) : Hicken Family 2014 Christmas Card

December 3, 2014

Welcome Family and Friends to the FIRST EVER…HOWDYS!!

The Hicken Outstanding aWards for Distinguished Year 2014 Stupendousness

We want to thank our Sponsors: Fulbright of Thailand, the Bob and Sherrie Harbrecht Family Foundation, the Dee and Judy Hicken Family Foundation, and the University of Michigan for providing the continual support and encouragement that makes these awards possible.

First up is the Your Life Will Never Be the Same Award. The nominees are:

1. Renting our home in Chelsea, Michigan for a year starting in August.

2. Allen being released as bishop of the Chelsea Ward in June.

3. Discovering that cable that hooks a computer to a TV so you can watch all your YouTube and

Computer Favorites on the Big Screen.

4. Moving to Thailand and Australia for a year starting mid-July.

And the award goes to: MOVING TO THAILAND AND AUSTRALIA FOR A YEAR! Our family left Utah in the middle of July minus our oldest daughter, Camille who is serving a mission in Recife, Brazil and our second oldest daughter, Bethany who is attending BYU Provo. Allen had saved up two sabbatical leaves at the U of M and decided to take them back to back when he was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to study elections in Thailand. We’ve been living in Bangkok since July surviving the heat and humidity as we enjoy a different culture. Alisa is homeschooling 8^th grade Laura, 6^th grade Emma, and 4^th grade Rachel. 11^th grade Nathan is participating in a virtual high school program from Michigan that will give him all the high school credit he needs to stay on track to graduate. We will be in Bangkok until mid-February when we will move to Canberra, Australia till July of 2015. It’s been a life-changing experience for all of us.

The following awards were presented at a ceremony last week and are announced here for your information.

The awards for Travel Agent of the Year and The Frequent Flyer Buns of Steel Award go to Allen Hicken who has booked and planned numerous flights for himself and assorted family members all with just a laptop and internet. He has also logged more miles on an airplane than all the rest of the Hicken Family members combined with destinations including Qatar, Indonesia, Australia, Sweden, Thailand, Hong Kong, Singapore, and exotic Utah. Now he works from our apartment most days with frequent late night conference calls, conferences to attend, and lectures to give. He’s even had the chance to give some advice on the new Thai constitution being written.

The awards for Queen of Email/Keeping the US/Brazilian Postal Services in Business Award and Skit Writer of the Year Award go to Alisa Hicken who hasn’t missed a Monday email in over a year. Packages and multiple postcards have also been known to frequently make the trip to Brazil with her assistance. She also is a glutton for punishment and offered (of her own free will and choice in one of her less sane moments) to write the Skit for Girls Camp in the midst of packing up a house for a year and having home rental showings. Thanks Studio C Shoulder Angel for the inspiration!

The Called to Serve Award goes to Sister Camille Hicken currently serving in the Brazil Recife Mission. She is serving in her third and probably last area as she will be returning home March 3^rd. She has LOVED all her companions and loves the people of Brazil. She has loved seeing people change their lives and come to the Savior. During her service in Brazil she was also awarded The Tomato Award for Most Awesome Farmer Tan Sunburn when she forgot to wear sunscreen one rainy, overcast day. She made farmers everywhere proud.

The Freshman of the Year Award goes to Bethany Hicken who wrapped up her freshman year at BYU in April with amazing grades and kept her scholarship. Way to Be, Bethany! She spent May and June at home in Michigan and then returned to BYU for summer term when her family left for Thailand. She got a job on campus that made it possible for her to win her second award of the year for Best Janitor Who Doesn’t Have to Clean a Bathroom. She works at the Monte L. Bean Life Sciences Museum as an evening shift janitor and gets to put the Bean Museum to bed every weeknight.

The Piano Man Award goes to Nathan Hicken who has now taken piano lessons longer than any of his siblings. He even requested piano music for his birthday rather than computer games and now sits down to play for fun. Nathan also wins the Seminary Student of the Year Award as he does homeschool seminary from Michigan where he conference calls in every Friday afternoon and then also attends the local seminary class every Sunday afternoon. In an amazing Triple Play, Nathan also won the Chocoholic Award this year. He managed to overtake the reigning Queen of Chocolate (his mother) when he requested a tub of chocolate frosting for his birthday.

The Top Chef Award goes to Laura Hicken for her numerous outstanding dishes including homemade pizza, rolls, homemade lemon meringue pie, homemade eclairs, chocolate ice cream cake from scratch, chocolate birthday cake from scratch, and countless pans of brownies and muffins. Laura also wins the Baby Whisperer Award. Laura loves babies and little children and was almost as sad to leave the babies in her Chelsea Ward as she was to leave her friends. She even managed to find herself a baby that she adores taking care of here in Bangkok too.

The Totally Non-FAQ Award goes to Emma Hicken for asking questions that no one would ever think to ask. Some recent examples: “What is the weirdest thing you have ever drunk?”, “What is the weirdest thing you have ever put on your skin?”, and “Would you rather have a gallon of peanuts or a gallon of grapefruit juice?” Emma also won the HTV (Hicken TV) Video Rising Star Award for her many appearances in music videos and iMovie trailers. This girl is going places with her starring take on, “Let It Go” and all the other songs from Frozen done live, with Barbies and even Polly Pockets. She’s one to keep an eye on!

Rachel Hicken has been awarded The Little Mermaid Award for her love of the water. There’s hardly a day that goes by without her asking someone to go down to the pool with her. She would live in her swimsuit if she could. Rachel also wins the Early Bird Award. She is the first one up practically ever single day, beating everyone else by an hour sometimes. And on exciting days or holidays, she’s up and ready to go even earlier. She also wins the WalMart Door Greeter Award for her ability to say hello and strike up a conversation with anyone. She is one of the friendliest girls I know.

Some other Technical Awards were also handed out this year: Best Mall Award goes to Terminal 21 Mall in Bangkok for its international city themed floors. The Double Take Award (Also known as the Say What?? Award) goes to Squid on a Stick sold as a delicacy here in Bangkok with Squatty Potties and Hot Chili Squid Flavor Potato Chips winning honorable mention. Anna Kennington wins the Virtual Piano Teacher of the Year Award. Wat Pho or the Temple of the Reclining Buddha wins the Bangkok Must See Award with Art in Paradise, Benjakiti Park, and the Golden Mount winning honorable mention. The I Miss You the Most and Can’t Wait to See You Again Award ended in a Three-Way Tie to Family, Friends, and Our Own House with honorable mention going to: our big white van, snow, mail in the mailbox, American hot dogs, Cool Whip, Christmas decorations, real grass, clean air, seasons, costume box, Chelsea library, bikes, and JoAnn’s craft store.

Thanks to all our nominees and winners. It’s been an exciting year. We look forward to what the new year will bring and a new crop of nominees and maybe even some new awards!

On a personal note, we here at the HOWDYS award committee want to express our gratitude for all the blessings we’ve received throughout the year. We are so grateful for this wonderful time of the year when we remember the greatest gift ever given, the birth of the Savior. May you have wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!

With Love,

Allen, Alisa, Camille, Bethany, Nathan, Laura, Emma, and Rachel Hicken

Pictures that were on our family Christmas card, plus a few bonus pics...because there's always room online.