St Patrick's Irish Picnic 2013

Summer wouldn't be complete without St. Patrick's Irish Picnic.  This was our third year attending the picnic. It was also our one year anniversary of joining the church, so it was extra special.

You can read about our past years at the picnic (and see how much Rosie has grown over the years) here, here and here.

This year was extra special because it marked a special anniversary of really bring part of the community.

It was also the 159th consecutive Irish picnic. That's right. They've been putting on the picnic for 159 years.

I love the Irish Picnic so much. I love how it brings the whole community of the small town together. Even people out of town make the long trip just for the most fabulous pork BBQ you've ever tasted and for the excellent music. Family comes home from out of town and the kids pick out extra special outfits (extra cool ones) to wear at the picnic.
This year there was even a guy who had made his own flying device and flew over the picnic grounds.

Businesses from all over town sponsor booths. There's great food, fun games, music, dancing and wonderful fellowship. What makes it all even more special is that everyone comes together to enjoy it. It doesn't matter what church you go to, what club you're a member of, what social class you're in or even if you're a crappy dancer. The Irish Picnic is where everyone laughs and we are all friends... if only for a day and half.

This year they had some fun new things for the kids to do.  Rosie impressed me so much by doing the blowup obstacle course all by her self!

The "Ducky Pond" is always a favorite in our family. This is the booth Rosie always spends the most time at.  She could just stand here for hours playing with the ducks and the nets in the water.

She's grown up so much since our first time coming to the picnic.

This year she really enjoyed teaching her little brother how to play. They both spent a long time here and we had to visit several times.

It seemed like the fire pits were extra hot and extra good smelling this year. This is where they roast the pork shoulders over hot coals all nigh long. It's a long hot job for the men who work "the pits" every year... but it's something the whole community greatly appropriates.

On day two of the picnic everyone at St. Patrick's is supposed to bring lots of food to the picnic grounds in the morning to be sold at the dinner booth that day. It's a wonderful way the church comes together to literally feed the entire community.  I made 3 cakes this year, a few gallons of green beans...





...and a couple gallons of coleslaw.
William was my handy helper taking them to the grounds with me early in the morning.

The food is the highlight of the picnic but the game booths are pretty fantastic too.

The cake booth has been around for over a hundred years. It's basically cake roulette. You put your 50cents on your favorite number and the wheel is spun. If it lands on your number you get the take the cake. It's awesome.
It's really fun to see people walking around the whole day carrying a cake with them.

The most popular booth is the doll booth. Where you can win a barbie doll for a dollar.

The Irish Picnic is great for spending time with family. It's pretty much the only time of year we really get to spend time with Aunt Mae and our cousin Janna.  Also my dad flew in for the weekend, which was really wonderful.

Obi was pretty happy about everyone sharing their ice cream with him.

Did I mention the wonderful music? Every year that we've gone our favorite local band The Dotson Brown band (or as we call it "Joe's Band") plays most of the evening and closes the picnic out.

Even the Bishop came out after Mass to sit and listen. 

This is cousin Joe singing a song he wrote. We love Joe.











I mentioned before that the Picnic is a great place to hang out with friends. Obi and I hung out with Rodolpho. He's a seminarian that spent time in our parish this summer. He was a wonderful blessing to everyone who met him.  It was fun to be able to talk to him and get to know him a little better.

The last two years it has been almost unbearably hot. This year it was wonderful weather with a light breeze.  Then we all got a great surprise when it began to rain... and then down pour.  But it was still warm so we stuck it out. It was actually great fun standing in the rain and waiting for it to pass.

The band played through most of the rain and after the rain passed. Then it was time for every one who had stuck it out to get on the dance floor. 

The band started playing a song that Father Michael loved and he asked my mom to dance. I thought for sure she'd say no! She always said no to every one who asks her to dance.... even my dad! 
But some how Father Michael got her on the dance floor.

I think it was the high light of the entire picnic. I had no idea that Father Michael was such a great dancer.

It was seriously the best thing ever to see Father Michael swing and spin my mom all over the dance floor. I wish it had been light enough to take a video.

The kinds had just as much fun as Father Michael did on the dance floor.  They were so much fun to watch.

Rosie loved dancing with her Daddy. She did a lot of dancing that night.

Here are a couple family shots that some one was kind enough to offer to take for us. (I'm wearing Rosie's Tiara because she got tired of wearing it...That's my story and I'm sticking to it.)

After some post rain dancing Rosie was ready to hit the game booths again. It was so much fun watching her play all the games. She's grown up so much since last year and can do them much better this year.

Obadiah liked to play the games too... or at least he liked to run off with the balls.

She just looks so happy and adorable in this picture!  Proof that is was such a fun night.

As we were leaving the picnic the raffle booth asked if Rosie would like to pick the winning ticket for the $1000 raffle prize. She took her job very seriously and would only hand the tickets she drew (two of them) to the police officer that was there.

As a reward for her service they gave her five dollars for her Disney World Piggy bank. She was pretty happy about that. But mostly she was happy to be able to help.

This was by far the most fun we have ever had at the Irish Picnic. The kids had a blast and so did Mommy and Daddy. The food and fellowship was, as always, amazing and the games were super fun. I think it was especially fun because we knew a lot more people this year.

We are already looking forward to the Picnic next year and Rosie is already talking about playing in the duck pond. Thanks St. Patrick's, for such a wonderful event.