Picnic with the Pops - Bourbon Street style

Where August brings school bells for the girls it brings Picnic with the Pops for their parents.  This marked year eight for us, and it was a big year because we expanded the fun.  For the first seven years we purchased one table and eight of us gathered for a great evening.  But this time we bought a second table and sixteen of us enjoyed great food and great music on a beautiful evening at Keeneland.
 

Over the last four years as we have refined our menu, Sarah has been responsible for the signature drink to start the evening off right.  The theme was Bourbon Street and so what fits that theme better than Hurricanes and jello shots?  Nothing, that's what.  For some of us, including Sharon, this was their first encounter with a jello shot.  They certainly jump started the evening well.

Believe it or not, this picture was not the result of too many Hurricanes or jello shots.  However it was an opportunity to show off some of Sarah's other contributions to the evening.  Yes, with the annual Pops event Sarah now has one more reason to contribute to the coffers of Party City.

From year to year the table of eight has varied to an extent.  The Abrahams have subbed for the Muellers when they could not make it, and Tommy has never brought the same date twice.  But with sixteen chairs we were able to bring together so many people that we enjoy spending with.  You may not be able to see it clearly in the picture, but our placemats were old jazz album covers that Chris discovered at his Uncle Norman's and contributed to our decorations.

The food, as always, was incredible.  Chad Mueller went above and beyond by making enough crawfish etouffe and jambalaya to feed all sixteen of us and then some.  Susan Combs also hit a home run by bringing ice cream that we actually had to thaw because the dry ice did such a great job.  We had more than enough dessert to go around and by the time the music started we were feeling fat and sassy.

For the first time we were so impressed with our own decor that we entered our tables in the decorating contest.  We didn't win, but we were still very proud of what we had pulled off for the evening.  As the sun set and the music played on we enjoyed the tiki torches that had been incorporated into street signs indicating some of the more famous intersections of New Orleans.  It was another phenomenal year and we can't wait to do it again in August 2016.