ANDO MIKA HIGASHI POWELL's Passport Photo

This week I'm getting Ando's first passport, here is the final photo!

+ the making of the passport photo:

Need I say more?

Ando's 1 Year Birthday Party!

More birthday photos click here.

Dear Ohana,

Thank you all for witnessing ANDO's 1st BIRTHDAY! We always enjoying throwing parties and having our Ohana get together. We do always wish afterwards that we had more quality time with all of you, but that is for another time. We feel so lucky to have such wonderful, talented and creative people in out lives. It was very special to have you all there witnessing this big milestone for us and Ando Mika! Our only regret is we didn't get a group photo in front of the bun truck! So here is our embellished photo.....

Ando had a great time. When I was putting him to sleep he couldn't settle down until 9pm. He usually goes to bed at 8pm. He kept clapping while drinking his bottle of milk. Later that night while sleeping he continued to laugh in his sleep. Obviously he had a happy birthday!

Thank you all for your contributions, gifts & love!
with affection, April, Eric & Ando

Some musings from the mama sharing our gratitude: p.s. I hope I got you all. You can tell it's a rambling .....so let me know if I forgot anyone!

CHRIS NEFF thanks for suggesting the bun truck! super big hit! Also for being part of the Shibumi community. OLIVIA thanks for sharing Ando's birthday, it makes it extra special to know that you both are born on 'girl's day' SHERRY OLSEN special thanks for being 2nd wife and coming to make slaw and help consulting on Ando's outfit! CHRISTIN &EDEN POWELL thanks for the zuzus, they are strangely adorable. Also so great to have Eden & Rowan so near to grow up with Andosando. Hope the boys are feeling better. JIM & JUDY POWELL special thanks for coming down for this occasion and getting to know Ando as he grows! Also for the stuffy. FREDERICA DROTOS (fd) & MICHEAL thanks for the special toy that Ando's mom loves so much, for having exquisite taste and also for the emergency boot loan! DIANA & SUMMER so glad to share our little ones growing up together. We are so happy to know you all. Sorry Josh couldn't make it. When should we tell Ando & Summer about their pre-arranged marriage? Thanks for the lucky $. CARLA POWELL aka 'ANDO's GRANDMOTHER' thank you for all your visits and the love you have poured into Ando. Love the pj's an sweatshirt. KAREN, PAUL & LOLA thanks for the yummy homemade wine. Also for being a creative reference point for us. We really admire all you do and it's wonderful to cross paths with such busy lives. Also many thanks for all your generous big time hand me downs and understanding style matters. Lola is so adorable....looking more like Karen these days. So enjoying watching her grow. ANNIE DECAMP thanks for the gold baby guruda. very special, very generous. MAYA KINI & SHAMUS thanks for driving down and being here. Ando loves his caterpillar and we finally hung your beautiful butterfly mobile. Hugs to Delilah June. We want to come visit you for a lazy summer day in Sacramento. Let's really do it! Also thanks for driving Sherry down. ANGELINA DE ANTONIS & JACO special 'birth auntie'!!! thanks for being at Ando's birth, I see it has set up an amazing bond with you both. You are so generous and such a good friend! We are so lucky! Missed Oliver big kiss to him. ELIZABETH SHYPERTT& DICK So rare it is to have friends & work overlap in such an amazing way. Thanks for being here. CAROL LOURIE 'special' auntie. would Ando be here with out you? Thank you for the world's most amazing cake! It will forever be our favorite. Yum! ELKA, PETER & ULI so special watching our boys grow up and having that connection with you. From womb to birth to growing up SO quickly. We treasure knowing you all, don't move away! Thanks for the sweet air plant. DAVID GUILETTI ANNA & FOREST thanks for your support and witnessing of life & work. So nice to meet your kids again. Ando loves his hedgehog, who wouldn't. CATHY, CRAIG & ZANE love you guys. Thanks for your continued friendship & so great to see you. We look forward to many more years, trips to Hawaii & so wanted a Cathy piece for Ando's room. Thank you. We might need to commission or see what you might have for a painting. Also Craig, thanks for the vision / design on Ando's room. Love it! TARA RECH & PAUL GOWER thanks for moving with our ever changing life. Tara you are a true fashionista who adds a splash where ever she goes. Paul thanks for grounding the ship! You know what I mean.Love the ecco Zebra. NICK & BETTINA ZURICK you are both lovely. lovely! thanks for all your visits, yummy meals and witnessing our lives. We love knowing you are near. Ando loves his duck, he tries to run the cats over with it. ANN TAYLOR gift giver, complement giver. We feel uplifted by your energy. thanks for the train and teddy in the box & CHRIS BROWN good neighbor, good sport, thanks for hanging in there as Ando grows and screams and all our noise next door. Very happy to have you as our neighbor and friend. RAE DUNN & JOHNNY WOW rae.rae. it's been so long, and many roads we've walked. So nice to see you with your handsome man. Love to come for happy hour soon. Your gift was wrapped so beautifully and so it unfolded to such a thoughtful marker of time. merci! JEANNIE PAYER thanks for coming. I've loved how our paths keep crossing over the MANY years. It seems fitting that we should have lunch soon. We like the book? It's not for girls? Ando's will appreciate it when he stops tearing pages. Love to meet William sometime too. ANNA KONDOLF (& PETER BROCK) Thanks for your great style and support in the gallery and life. You always bring me such interesting people. So appreciate it and also love your kindness and gentle energy. Ando loves his tool set. He takes it apart every day. Hi to your mom. We missed Peter but could NOT have done the room without you! Thank you Peter!!! FIONA MORK thanks for holding down the Shibumi fort. Also for your great energy and love for Ando. He lights up to see auntie Fi. CAROL HACKER you are such a good auntie to Ando. You totally look out for him and we know you are there. Thank for his wonderful book collection, backpack! We never have to worry about his style with you around! RACHEL, JASON, LUNA & PLUM so fun to see you all more and more. Glad you have moved to this side of the E. bay! Your girls are lovely, Ando definitely has a crush on Plum. Luna too but something between him and little Plum. Ando loves his hammer set. He is hammering everything including the glass doors. SCOTT, SASHA, FINN & BERG you have all been great to see and know as our wee ones grow. Lots more brunches and good times. Thanks for the cute ball. REBECCA HASELTINE you are so good with Ando. Thanks for all your visits and keeping a thread with us and him. Very special indeed to have you in our lives. MONICA & HOWARD neighbors! We are so happy that you have moved to our side of the block because we get to see you so often. I'm sure we'll see you much more and Ando is looking forward to duck's nest. Thanks for the great book, bear, & puzzle. GARY, SAGE & LORELL old time friend of Mr. Powell. Wonderful that you could attend and great to see your kids grow up so big. Value that you could come and Ando is intrigued by his cobra. SETH QUITTNER sethy.sethy. thank you for witnessing my/our lives, being a good friend and always being there. Wish Heather would come too. love you uncle seth! AHNA, RUBY & CHAROLOTTE ahhhh the girls, you all look like you are out of the Victorian era. The girls are so beautiful, it will be hard for Ando to chose which one he will marry. ha. Miss you at Shibumi and glad you could come. Thanks for the cool card & book! COLETTE O'BRIEN great witness, beautiful bear from your collection, we will make sure Ando feeds him and brushes his hair. Thanks for coming lady in red. SHAYA DURBIN & JAMES thanks for coming and joining in again with the Shibumi family. James new haircut makes his eye even more beautiful. So glad you could come. CECILE MOOCHNEK we love the little bird book. You are a great giver of books and stories. thank you for sneaking away to visit us. KELLY NEEDERMAN & HUSBAND DARIUS fun to see you married, we all are so happy for you! Thanks for coming, we'd love to catch up more. Ando's new lizard is very cute and green. ANDREW, ZOE, ANAIS & MIIKA wow. what a journey we have all been on. Your girls are BEAUTIFUL beings. Could this all have happened in the last 10 years or however long we've know you. We so wanted that book! Very merci! LISA, MARK, SONIA & MARTIN thank you for coming down. We don't see you much but have loved that you show up and are your lovely selves. We'd love to come up for a visit this summer. Love to Lucia.....and thanks for all the very generous hand me downs. We will send them along down the new baby line! CATHERINE BUTLER & THOMAS love you guys...thanks for the representation Catty, send our love to Thomas. Ando will frolic with the fairies in his new sun attire. We will enjoy taking these along to Tulum next month! To be continued.....MICHELLE & DOUG you two are too fun. Great looking and thanks for the positive spirit you add in our lives! DEBORAH BOSKIN what long road we've been on. Thanks for coming and bringing your great colorful self! We love your sense of humor and you. STEVE, MARTHA, AUDREY & JACKIE thanks for cooking our books. JUST kiddin'. You are a true original. Glad to find an accountant with such flair! That push cart will keep Ando busy for months! Thank you all....and your beautiful girls! HEIDI STRUBLE hawaiian auntie. you are family. truly. we love you. the tiger-fish will love his mobile once we find a place for it. RENE AVALOS tia na na. great to have you back. Ando likes fishing for cats with his new toy and poking us with his new tweedy stick. KATIE HAWKINSON & JOE SLUSTKY thanks for coming, we will leave Ando's rocking chair for Joe in our will....ha! DONNA & RALPH BRISKEN glad you could stay awake for the party. You are both wonderful. We wish you would give other art collectors lessons in your genuineness. Thanks for the sheep for New Zealand. We have to send you a photo of Ando in his Tiger fish outfit. JUNE SCHWARCZ the oldest and the youngest person I love at one party. We love you. Thanks for being you. JULIA TURNER we love having you in our lives. Your talent and beauty amazes us. We are so lucky to know you. The tulips were indeed bright in the celebration. TEX GIELING you don't have email so you will probably never see this but you are a true original! Glad to get you over here! CHIA, GARY, KIA & ISAMU You win the award for most beautiful package presentation. Ando has a super crush on Kia and it is so nice you are near. We hope to see Ando & Isamu out on the town when they are teens! MICHAEL DIPETRO true witness. thank you. you are dear. BERNARDO LOPEZ We love your spirit and your work. Would love to do a get together and talk, hang out and discuss gardens! BEN & MURIEL thanks for showing up! Muriel hurrah we get to see you again and much appreciation for brining June. Look forward to your future celebrations! LLYR & WILL GRIFFITH you have changed Eric's life! And so great to see the boys growing up together. Thanks for coming and celebrating with us! Missed Jenny. JAYMIE & KENAN MALIK so excited for you all. Jenan is coming soon. Ando loves his cork toys. We will enjoy gathering to celebrate your soon to be new arrival. You have been so dear in our lives and witnessing our many events. Love you both. MOSE & ANU VAUGHAN you really are family. I know you are there and we can always count on you. It is very dear to know. NATHASHA, CHRIS & BABY NICO special thanks for the youngest member of planet earth to attend his first party. We look forward to watching your family unfold. Will come visit SOON! CHARLIE POWELL thanks for representing the Powell crew. Uncle Charlie, Ando seems so comfortable in your big arm. He is so lucky to have you all in the family and be so near. Love to Jess, Corrina & Owen. ROBERT POWELL & DIANE PETERSEN last but not least.....god parents. "Come visit me more I'm growing up fast!" says Ando. Love you.

MISSED BUT NOT FORGOTTEN:
JULIE FRANKLIN & ANDRE
SARAH GRAHAM, STRUMMER & MICHAEL AMATO ando does love his wooden xylophone it is complimentary to use with his new hammers
TAYLOR VOGLAND & BRAD thanks for the crayon set. how'd ya know?
ALCINA HORSTMAN
FELICIA ROSCHE why did a birth come on Ando's birthday~ you are HIS doula...kiddin' thanks for his rolling frog.
LISA PEPPER SATKIN & FAMILY
BRAD BROWN & DAPHNEE ZEPOS
MIKE HOLMES & THOM HILL
JUANITA
SANDRA ENTERLINE & DAVID / WALKER
SUSAN CUMMIS
ANDREW KORNIEJ & CHUCK
SHANA ASTRACHAN
SANDY & BOB SIMON
KELLY BURKE
ALIDA & SOPHIA BLAIR
KAREN LEE
GABRIEL, SUZANNE, AMALA
VERNON THEISS
ROBIN, TOVA, MICHAEL
JONATHAN, SAORI, KAYLAN, AND KUZUKI
NICK & HEIDI VAUGHAN
JENIFER, MICHAEL & ZOE
GRANDMA OBA thanks for the $ grandma oba....I'll ask my mom to buy something nice for my new room.
UNCLE KEVIN
AUNTIE BETH

.....to be continued.

Ando Mika is 1!

TODAY is my little Tiger-fish's 1 year birthday!

Our friend Kelly Burke just sent this beautiful illustration she did. We are so lucky that Ando will grow up around all these talented and passionate people!

I JUST CAN'T BELIEVE IT!

Last year this time I was going into labor.

Ando is such a happy sweet boy. We feel so lucky. He has learned to clap and say "yeah!"

We are having a BIG bash on Sunday.....
stay tuned for the festivities!

We are giving Ando his own room for his 1 year birthday.
Now to try to get him to sleep there. It is a day away from being finished. We had to enclose the balcony.
It is a beautiful room with windows that look out over the bamboo.

He is lucky boy!

We are lucky parents!!

Happy Birthday Andosando.....we love you SO much!

Thanks for picking us as parents.