Prom

When Gabriel finds some time to write about Prom - I will post it here.... 
and here it is...drum roll for Gabriel Awad!!

"The Highland Prom I attended was such special day, it was my first time to hang out with my friend Kun from Thailand, we got together and took lots of photos. Then Mama Laurel took us by car with Seema to go to Darby's house. Sadly Lamiaa couldn't join us, but we did have fun. Me, Darby, Amrin, Kun, Ataka, Seema with other exchange students who I forgot their names (how awesome right?) went out to eat Italian then went to the dance.

It was a dance where everyone went crazy.  What fun times!  After the special dance we went out to eat ice cream, Mama Laurel and Laurie joined us and we had many photos and laughs.
after all I guess it was a night we will all remember ;)"

There you have it people!


Now enjoy some photos.  From the stories I have heard so far it was the best dance EVER!!! Complete with ice cream at Village Inn at midnight - I think I was too old to be out that late, but I survived!!!

Darby in a sexy blue (short) dress.  Seema in her baragin $$$ dress, and Cammy in Floral

Look some boys arrived - Gabriel and Kun

Charlie's Angels...watch out!!

Seema and 3 of her dates - Ataka (Japan), Amrin (Malaysia), Kun (Thailand)...she knows how to pick the cute ones!!!

The crew.

The boys.

Dancing???

Enjoy!

Sweet 16!!!

April 28th!

Now the actual birthday for Seema is 1st of May - but we celebrated on the 28th.  It was so much fun with tons of friends coming over to celebrate with food and cake.  This was her first every birthday party with friends and she loved every second.

Thanks to our official photographer Kelly - as this bad mom had no camera battery... oops.  I did get the Barbie cake though.

The birthday girl!

Presents

Girls ready to P-A-R-T-Y!!!

Friends

Uncle Christopher

Silly Monkeys

My favorite photo - someone is happy!!

Sixteen Candles - that would be a good movie title

Cakes with candles - ready to blow them out and make a wish.

Uncle Alex likes the Barbie cake a little TOO much

A birthday girl and her cake

A birthday girl with cake in her face!

A birthday girl opening her presents

A birthday girl dancing the night away!

Happy 16th Seema - it is going to be a great year!!!!

Lots of firsts!

The blog has not been forgotten, just so busy in May and YES there is a LOT to catch up on including Prom, Spring Break, Seema's Birthday, Movie Nights, Lamiaa's Birthday, Last Day of School, International Potluck Going Away Party and more - but this morning I was reflecting on all the firsts Seema and all the PAX kiddos had in America.  Many are remembered in the blog with photos however I wanted to take a moment to remember and this is by no means complete and in random order - feel free to add your firsts as well.

FIRST:
Fry Sauce
Swimming
Hot tubing
College basketball & football games - GO UTES!!!
Minor League Baseball game
Gay Friends
Gay Pride Parade
Canning with Uncle Alex
Honey Harvest
Pretzel dipping
Popcorn ball making
Cooking class
Ceramics Class
Color Me Mine painting fun
Holding a chicken
Hair coloring (Thanks Uncle Brent)
Prom & Valentine's Dance
Sweet 16 Birthday Party
Driving lesson (thanks Dan)
Visit to Southern Utah's Red Rocks
Las Vegas
Disneyland
Farmer's Market
Out of State Debate Tournament
Yellowstone - wildlife, geysers
Smore's
Dinner made by men
Turkey at Thanksgiving
Christmas
Easter Egg Hunt
Arcade games
Going solo many places
Trampoline
Ride horses - kind of (Thanks Haglund's)
Disney on Ice
Festival of Trees - yes a tree with International Flags
Volunteering - A LOT (Seema received a Presidential Award for her community service!!!)
Hanging in coffee shops listening to friends music
Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert
Visit to SLC Temple Square
Bowling
Train Ride to the North Pole on the Polar Express
Sit on Santa's lap
Crazy Christmas Eve Party
Bingo!!!
Shopping at City Creek
Mononucleosis
Hanging out in Sugar House
Many many movies in Sugar House
Hair & Makeup for Valentine's Dance
30 Hour fast for famine
24 hour Bake-a-thon
Skiing
Overnight Dodgeball tournament
Many new foods - tuna, shrimp, fry sauce (again), sushi, oreo's etc...
Living with a Dog & Cat

and so much more...

It has been amazing to watch all the firsts and challenges this year and I have loved every minute of it!

OKAY an update because I forgot stuff (and still not complete) and a couple of new items.

Lagoon 3 times!!!
Halloween
Trick or Treating
Decorate Easter cookies
Carving pumpkins
Zipline at the Olympic Park
Alpine slide at the Olympic Park
Black Friday shopping
Utah State Fair - includes a Ferris Wheel ride with Emily screaming, the BIG yellow slide and funnel cake.
Border Collie competition complete with cotton candy
Baby Shower
Meeting  University President. Interim President Lorris Betz
Disney Musical on stage - Beauty & the Beast
Mary Poppins musical
Sleeping in a bed with 15 pillows
Craft day to make 300 Christmas gift tags
Picture with fireman and photo in a fire truck
A big win at the Easter drinking contest (water of course)
Made best friend forwever
Choosing to miss school vs. actual sluffing school
Golfing

Okay - what have I missed...

Thanksgiving Point - Tulip Festival, by Lamiaa Hadi

Okay, I know the suspense was a killer but here it is - the Tulip Festival, by Lamiaa Hadi

Hi everybody!!! This is my first time writing for this amazing blog, and I am writing about the Festival of Tulips.

Mama Laurel planned it for us with Ms. Laurie, it was so much fun being with the other exchange students, so we started our tour as everyone else, looking around, discovering the beauty of Seema’s favorite flower, taking pictures, and enjoying the nice weather.

So as a part of an AMERICAN EXPERIENCE, we decided to roll down the hill, It was so much fun, we felt dizzy in the first time, but even though we couldn’t stop, it was so way fun.

We took pictures by the waterfall, we watched a little show of tap dancing, we went to the shops and we got a bag of 15-22 donuts, it was YUMMY!!!!

At the end, Mama Laurel and Ms Laurie let us to do whatever we want for an hour and half, so Seema, Cammy, Darby, Amrin and I decided to just hang out and chit chat!!

Photos from the day (captions by Mama Laurel)

Cammy stealing the show from the 3 tulips - Seema, Darby & Lamiaa

Darby trying a Hijab

Here you have Lehi (Utah), Germany, Malaysia, Japan, China, Morocco, Sugarhouse (Utah), and Pakistan.  Ever so Multi-Cultural in front of the waterfalls.

Seema with a coke.

Girls chilaxing.

End of the day - ready for some nap time in the car!!!

Cammy being either nice or mean to Lamiaa???

Sisters rolling down the hill.

Monkeys rolling down the hill.

 Okay - Laurel here, I just want to point out that Lamiaa sent NO photos of any tulips!!!!

For those that wanted tulips in this post - here you go, from me!!!!

I know the pictures of the kids having a blast are so much better.  At least you got a little of both. 

Gabriel says S*&% in church!!!

So I have been telling this story a lot lately and I thought the 3 followers of this blog would like to hear it BEFORE the big Thanksgiving Point day re-cap that Lamiaa Hadi said she was writing by Saturday - she didn't of course say WHAT Saturday, so stay tuned...

Anyway... my Gina Larson - who I could say SO much about here and I never really know what to call her so I am settling today on MY Gina Larson - sounds good.  She invited the silly monkeys Seema, Lamiaa and Gabriel to do a presentation at her LDS Young Women's/Men's group at their Wednesday activity.   Now I don't worry one tiny bit about these presentations as they have done MANY. I did get some traditional treats to share and that is about it.  Of course being a slacker mom, I have never stayed for a presentation and this time I did. 

Gabriel started off the presentation talking about Palestine and how close he lives to Bethlehem and showing pictures of his city etc.  He talked about his experience in Utah and what all he has done and did a very nice job of showing who he is and his values and culture.

Then he started talking about American teens / students perception of all of them as exchange students as they are from the Middle East or for Miaa a covered Muslim woman - well he explained that many people think they are ALL terriorists and they are NOT.  He said what do we look like we are carring  bombs and going to blow up S*&%.   I secretely hoped that the audience of young adults thought with his accent he said ships.  I think they got it though.

In the car I hit him - ever so gently on the shoulder - and said, Gabriel, you don't say S*&% in church.  What the heck (or close to that) were you thinking.  He says, I don't know it just came out.

We all giggled and said the only thing Gabriel has in his backpack is chocolate, not bombs!!

The moral of the story is - you decide.

Photos from the night.

Greek Easter w/ Christopher

To read about the kiddos experience with Greek Easter click here to link http://christopher-whosyourdaddy.blogspot.com/2012/04/extra-special-easter.html to the FABULOUS, Christopher Katis's blog "Who's Your Daddy".

Love him.

Easter Sunday, April 8, 2012

Easter Sunday holds a few traditions in the Ingham household.  Even without a lot of religion, we make it fun and I am the first to admit I have no clue how a bunny, jellybeans, eggs and candy are mixed in with any kind of Christianity - so in my usual fashion, I take the fun part.

We have for the past several years gone to the Sunday Brunch at the Oasis Cafe.  They have lots of delicious items and several are vegetarian and so it works for our crowd.  This year the party consisted of Meg DeAngelis, Mike Feehan and his lovely daughter, Olivia also Merline Leaming, Claudia Luttrell and Marian (Grandma) & Heather Ingham, Seema and me.  A wonderful party of 9.

Now for the past several years since Bella was this little...

or 5 years old we have had an annual "drinking" contest that began with the above chocolate bunny!!!!  Here is how the tradition got started.  Marian had received the above bunny as a gift and brought it to brunch and said who wants it... well we all kind of looked around and in no time flat, Bella said lets have a drinking contest to see who WINS this bonus item.  We did and guess who won...

Well if you guessed, Bella you would be correct.  This is how the tradition started and continues to this day.  This year Bella had plans with her immediate family BUT traditions are traditions and the contest continues.

 Olivia and Seema getting their water ready for the contest

Seema taking this very serious per usual..

I think Mike isn't even trying and Heather has an eye on Meg & Claudia.

Marian hugging the winner!

Seema took first and Olivia came in third.

And Merline with her champagne took second place!!!  Is she the cutest lady EVER!!!

THEN... the EASTER EGG HUNT!!!

John and Sonya hosted a marvelous egg hunt.  Darby & Lamiaa joined us for the roll... Thanks John Uncle &  Sonya for the fun.  I am going with a photo is worth a thousand words.

That was Easter 2012!!!