World-Themed Birthday Party for Dad

We celebrated my father's 60th birthday party over the weekend and had a blast with relatives and friends.
Instead of telling you all about my dad... I'm just going to share the speech I delivered that evening:
"On behalf of my mom and sisters, we thank you all for being here tonight to celebrate our dad's 60th birthday. We felt very inclined to celebrate his birthday this year because when he turned 50, not all three daughters were able to join him. Also, two years ago, my dad became gravely ill and we were afraid we'd lose him. I reflected a lot during this period and realized how fragile life is. I thought to myself that if God allowed my dad to be around for his 60th birthday, we would celebrate it, even if it meant a small family party at the house where we grew up.
My dad is not a perfect man. Sometimes he's extremely temperamental like my late grandfather, Papa Panchito. He is oftentimes controversial, opinionated and stubborn in his ideas. But he is a very happy and passionate man whose love for world cultures, music and folklore has become contagious. Lately, he's shown us that it's never too late to fulfill a lifelong dream... After having worked in construction for many, many years in order to provide for his family and observing later in life that his hard physical work had paid off in one way or another, he decided to switch his full-time job to travel the world as a tour guide! That's why we thought there wouldn't be a better theme for his birthday than this one encompassing world cultures.
All this to say: Dad, to the world, you may just be another person. But to us, you are the world. Happy birthday, dad!"

World-Themed Dessert Bar with goodies purchased at Cost Plus World Market, among other places

English Tea Cart for guests to enjoy a cup of tea

We made the "suitcase" centerpieces out of cereal boxes

Italian Panettone

Canadian Maple Leaf Cookies

Turkish treats and world trinkets and globes

Burlap Runners & World Themed placemats

Destination: Panchito's 60th Birthday!

En español

Este fin de semana, organizamos una fiesta para mi papá, que cumplió 60 años de edad.

Podría escribir por horas sobre mi padre pero mejor les voy a compartir el breve discurso que pronuncié la noche de la fiesta. Aquí les va:

En nombre de mis hermanas y mi mamá, les queremos agradecer por acompañarnos esta tarde a celebrar el cumpleaños de mi papá.

En esta ocasión sentimos un deseo especial por celebrar sus 60 años de vida porque cuando cumplió 50-- no pudimos estar las tres hijas presentes... y por qué hace dos años, se nos enfermó gravemente mi papá y pasamos un susto que yo me puse a contemplar lo frágil que es la vida y pensé, si Dios permite que llegue a los 60 años, vamos a festejarlo aunque sea de manera sencilla aquí en la casa familiar.

Mi papá no es un hombre perfecto-- a veces puede ser corajudo como lo fue mi papa panchito, que en paz descanse. De vez en cuando es polémico, obstinado, y en sus ideas, tenaz como ninguno.

Pero es un hombre alegre y apasionado que siempre nos contagió con su amor por las culturas del mundo, la trova y el folklor. Y últimamente nos ha enseñado que nunca es tarde para realizar un sueño, pues después de haber trabajado en la construcción durante muchos años para proveer para su familia, y observando que sus esfuerzos se habían compensado de una manera u otra, decidió cambiar su oficio y dedicarse totalmente a los viajes! Por eso pensamos que no había mejor manera de celebrar su cumpleaños que con una temática del mundo.

Papi, te queremos decir que para el mundo, quizá únicamente seas una persona más.... pero para nosotras tú eres el mundo... feliz cumpleaños, papi!"

We made a 5-gallon jug of Sangria!

A tres leches cake (representing Mexico) ended up becoming the centerpiece of the dessert bar

From L to R: My sister Frances, representing Germany, myself in a Mexican traditional dress and my sister Irene as a Spanish senorita.

We encouraged guests to come dressed representing a country of their choice

Delicious Tres Leches cake from "My Bakery" in Sylmar, CA

My beautiful cousin Alani.



Benny's Cousin Ethan being held by his grandmother

Benny and his little cousin Ethan dressed in authentic German Lederhosens

Here's the man of the night, my beloved father, Juan Francisco Marquez aka "Panchito"