Saint Joseph's Day 2011

Finally, the celebration we have been waiting for is here!  Happy St. Joseph's Day to my Dad and Michael!  While preparations for this event started the day after last year's event- much of the manual labor started last night as we arrived at the church hall ready to get things set up!  When St. Joseph's Day first started- thirty-five people gathered for a fun Italian feast in my parents house.  Last year- we thought we had reached the peak of our capabilities when 250 people attended the party.  This year, we knocked it out of the park when there were a projected 430 people coming to St. Joseph's Day! 

Holy Family just built a brand new, beautiful social hall across the pathway from the church.  In previous years, there was a plan for how to set up tables, lights, and decorations because we had done it in the old social hall for years.  This year, not only did we have more people coming- but we had to pull in all off in a new facility.  The thing we were worried about with the new facility was making the event feel as Italian, quaint, and down home like we had done in the old hall.  The biggest question was how were we going to string the lights?  This was tough because the new facility was so much taller and we couldn't tape things to the wall.  We (okay, actually Damien)  figured that with umbrellas in the tables- we would be able to create a grid of lights that would still hang over the guests and feel festive.

Set up was pretty grueling but we managed to pull it off.  We just hoped when we showed up the next morning that all of the lights wouldn't have fallen and been laying on the ground.  Good news- the lights stayed put and the room looked amazing!  A great group of friends and volunteers showed up early this morning to set up all the tables. It is a huge task to get the room ready for the evening so all the help was helpful!

While my sisters and I were busy setting up- we were also busy choreographing a dance to the song Sisters (from the movie White Christmas).  Every year after people eat dinner- there are a lot of fun things that happen at St. Joseph's Day.  One of them is a skit that is always centered around Cicci (my Dad's alter ego who owns an Italian restaurant).  Well, this year- my Dad decided it would be funny if all of his daughters sang and danced to a song.  Um.  Yeah.  Really funny.  I do love a good time but this was a little daunting.  Not only was I unsure that we would have the time to come up with a dance worthy of being watched by 400, but how in the heck do you dance to the song Sisters?

Natalie and I found ourselves home in the afternoon.  We stared at each other until it was nearly impossible to not get up and start choreographing the dance.  At first it was tough but then we got on a roll!  Between stupid moves we called birdie circle, charlie chaplin, karate, flip kick, fake fight, shimmy shimmy, and a few more that I refuse to mention because they are so ridiculous- we had a pretty snazzy dance on our hands!  Once we had the dance ready, Gina came over to my Mom's after she finished work.  Step by step, we worked her through this dance that was growing funnier by the second!  Then Jill came home from work and we did the same.  When it was just Nat and me doing the dance it was funny- but to see all of our reflections in my Mom's bay window was just too much to handle.  Pure hilarity! 

We danced the dance over and over, trying to work out the kinks.  We quickly realized that we couldn't put Gina next to Natalie because they make each other giggle.  It is a legitimate problem!  So we split the line Jill, Natalie, Lisa and Gina.  When my parents saw it for the first time, they were laughing so hard that we heard breathy laughing from my Dad (a sure sign he loves something) and saw flared nostrils and heard deep cackles from my Mom.  We weren't sure how the audience would react to our dance but our family thought it was hysterical!  We also decided that we had to act dorky and not cool because you couldn't dance this silly song and be cool at the same time!  My Mom made us these hideously dorky headbands that were perfect.  Let the show begin!

The party started and it was spectacular to see the huge number of people arriving!  The food that they brought smelled amazing, the silent auction was being hit up and was instantly successful, and people- all dressed in their red shirts, looked amazing.  The mingling lasts a while until my Dad summons everyone to their designated Italian themed table (i.e. Frank Sinatra table).  My Dad does a great job of thanking everyone for coming and also reminds everyone that although we are going to have tons of fun tonight- we are here to change lives across the globe.  This has been a tough year for some of our good family friends and my Dad brought us all to tears when he dedicated the night to Diana Sciola.  Diana was a wonderful friend of Gina's and their family has meant a lot to us over the years.  It was a somber moment that turned beautiful when my Dad called up to Diana and asked everyone to toast to her.  Bellisimo.

Once people ate, I knew the skit was coming.  Suddenly- the bravado I held earlier in the day had dissipated and I kept thinking, What in the heck had I gotten myself into??  Michael was part of the skit, too.  He wore his mobster suit and we drew black eyebrows and a mustache on him.  He looked the part for sure!  The music started playing which meant Cicci was supposed to start the show.  He called for his daughters which was a cue to raise a screen which revealed the kitchen to the party.  In character, we were hitting each other with baguettes and screaming at each other.  When we realized the crowd saw us- we acted like little angels (all staged).

He brought us out and then told the whole crowd that we has having the worst time marrying off his daughters!  He offered a man named Pauli, who was a patron of the restaurant, ownership of Cicci's Restaurant if he would marry one of his daughters.  Then Cicci told Pauli that we would perform a dance for him so he could have an easier time choosing.  Laura, who didn't dance with us, was folding towels at a table next to the stage the whole time.  We started dancing and pulled it off!  It went great!  After the song- Cicci asked Pauli which daughter he wanted to marry.  We were all saying, Pick me!  Please, pick me!!!  He surveyed us all and then told Cicci that his daughters were crazy but one in particular was the one for him.  After a few seconds, he walked over to Laura and said he would marry her.  The place went crazy and Laura loved it!!!  I was still trying to stay in character but I had tears in my eyes watching the joy this brought Laura.  She is truly the best. 

The night came to a wonderful close.  People had the best time- like they do every year.  My family had such a great experience and I loved that my kids were able to see how you can be creative in finding ways to help the less fortunate.  I am proud to report, that with all of the hours and countless dedication put into this party (most of it by my Dad, Mom, Gina, and Natalie)- we raised $19,000 for the people of Malawi.   They now have the money they so desperately need to build a grain silo that will keep their food safe year round while protecting it from the elements.  How wonderful that we can actually change the lives of others across the world while having a fabulous night.    Simply Amazing.