Brower Family Blog

Jakob turns 3 Today

2010-09-08T13:06:00.003-04:00

It brings tears to my eyes as I sit and write your birthday post.

Jakob you are an amazing little boy. We love you so much.

We don't know the day or the time or even the place where you were born. But we celebrate with you this whole week the joy of your birthday and that you are turning 3 years old.

You have sure had ALOT of use out of your birthday present already. I wish it had an odometer, because there have been may miles put on your tractor.

Happy Birthday Jakob!
We love you,
Daddy, Mommy & Yay Yan

Our Summer Story

2010-09-07T22:12:00.002-04:00

This summer has been a great summer. The weather was hot and beautiful. We enjoyed hours at the cottage in the lake and on the boat.

Jakob is wearing his glasses more. He went to the doctor for his 3 month check up after his glasses and we have made a little progress It is very important that he wears them but it is very trying. We have had them back several times to be fixed already. Jakob has a couple back teeth coming in and has been fairly healthy. He recently had an ear infection, but is almost over that. He loves to swim in the lake and the pool. He got a new tractor for his birthday that he loves to ride. Pictures will come soon. Jakob is saying many more words and seems to learn new ones everyday. I can't believe he is going to be 3 tomorrow. Jakob doesn't really like to eat much, but when he does watch out. He loves hot dogs and cheese. Occasionally we can get a vegetable in him, but very limited.

Ethan is growing like a weed. He is still a peanut but he is getting much taller. He was just at the doctor and weighs 23 lbs at 19 months. He has graduated to the 10% percentile for weight and 25th% for height. He has just recently added 2 more teeth to his collection. He also has been pretty healthy. He seems to be favoring his left hand so he maybe a lefty. He loves to play basketball and baseball. Ethan is saying many more words as well. He is trying to keep up with Jakob and is doing pretty well, however I don't think he comprehends all of it. Ethan is a great eater. He really likes gummy worms and M&M's for treats. He also likes his peas.

The boys are doing great and love to play outside.
We have spent many weekends at the cottage with family and friends. We went to the Tractor Pulls, Horse Show and Farm night this summer. Mom is really branching out into the country.

Loved Summer, but excited for Fall to see all the new changes in nature and the boys.
Good Bye Summer, Hello Fall.
Love,
Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Night at the Farm

2010-08-07T15:29:00.003-04:00

GG invited us to a night at the farm. We went on a hay ride and Jakob was able to sit and ride on tractors. Jakob LOVES tractors. Ethan had a fun time too.

Too much summer fun.
Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Little More Summer Fun

2010-08-07T15:19:00.005-04:00

Every Thursday the boys go to GG's house. She has a rocking horse that the boys ride on. GG plays the piano while the boys ride. YEE HA!
For a change, Jakob wanted GG to ride the horse. He even helped her get on. :-)

Then he played the piano so she could ride.
We had quite a rain storm this summer. One Saturday morning (while Rick was working) the boys went swimming in the "pond".

Boys will be boys. The water has since disappeared and we now have to mow the whole yard again. :-)
Loving Life,
Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

My Sister Graduated from College

2010-08-07T15:14:00.005-04:00

In June Mary graduated from Baker. Yea, Congrats Mary.

June 2010

2010-08-07T15:04:00.006-04:00

June was a great month. Jakob got a new bike, the boys love the cottage and they play outside all of the time.

Finally getting a chance to update the photos.
Enjoy,
Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Pictures at the Park

2010-05-09T17:52:00.006-04:00

Today we went to the park to try and get some pics of the boys. Nothing fancy, but here is what we came up with. Enjoy.

Jakob likes to imitate a boy in his Barney movie. He thinks it is so funny when the boy is pretending to sleep by the tree. He always runs to the base of the tree and pretends he is sleeping.
They would rather play in the water.

Hope you all had a great Tulip Time.
All our love,
Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Baking with Daddy

2010-05-09T17:50:00.001-04:00

We came home from Sunday school today and decided to do some baking. Originally we were looking for brownies, but must be out. Cake is the next best thing. The boys love to help bake. :-)

After all this, the cake did turn out.
Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's out there.
All our love,
Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Jakob's Glasses

2010-05-09T17:47:00.005-04:00

Let the Glasses adventure begin.
We arrived at the eye doctor at 4:00 on Friday. The nice man put Jakob's glasses on so he could adjust the fit. Once they were on, Jakob proceeded to put them up on his forehead and say PAPA and walk to the door like he was going to leave. It was really cute, but needless to say it wasn't time to leave. Through out the evening we put the glasses on for a few minutes here and there. By 9:00 pm they were broke. I fixed them on Saturday after finding a tiny screw driver. However this morning they were broke again. Guess where we are going tomorrow. :-) Here are a few pics anyway.

Enjoy - the adventure is just beginning.
Mandi

Tulip Time 2010

2010-05-05T20:35:00.003-04:00

What a great day for a parade! After some rain this morning the weather cleared, the sun came out and we were able to have a great ride on a float in the parade today. Jakob was intrigued by the ride. He did not like our Mascot Willie Washer at all. He did however enjoy all the bubbles on the float and riding with his friends. When we had about 1/2 mile left he started waving and saying HI to everyone. Ethan on the other hand sat very still, waved very nicely and then fell asleep. A fun time was had by all. We are very tired tonight though. Enjoy the pictures of the boys. Planning for more on Sat even though the weather sounds questionable.

Happy Tulip Time.
All Our Love,
Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Spring Fun!!

2010-04-06T23:25:00.004-04:00

The rain today was nice, but it is sure hard to keep the boys inside. All they want to do is play. The new slide and swing set is up in the back yard. Now the ground is so mushy it is yucky to get to it. Hopefully the ground will dry out for a fun weekend. Until then driveway play.
Ethan now thinks he can drive the car and has to copy everything that Jakob does. It is pretty funny to watch.

Have a great week.
Love, Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T14:49:00.003-04:00

Happy Easter~
Hope everyone had a relaxing enjoyable day. Of course it would have been nice to laying on the beach in Florida with the rest of the city, but it was a pretty nice day here to. After church we had some time to play outside. Then off to lunch at Grandpa and Grandma Browers, right after lunch, back outside. Hoping it stays warm through the week. Heading out to Nana & Papa's tonight. Enjoy some Easter Pictures of the boys.

Happy Easter,
Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

GOTCHA - Party #2

2010-03-31T22:15:00.007-04:00

Last week marked the 2 Year Anniversary of bringing Jakob home from Ethiopia. It amazing what has happened over the last 2 years, to see this little baby so tiny and sick, to this young boy running everywhere. Can't wait to see what the next year brings.
Looking forward to the summer as Jakob loves to be outside.

Friends and Family ~ Thank you to everyone for the support you have showed to Jakob over the past 2 yeara. We appreciate all of you love and support that you provide our family.

Jakob We love you and GOTCHA!!

All our love,
Daddy, Mommy and Baby E

A Week of Ups and Downs!

2010-03-31T21:53:00.002-04:00

Last week wasn't one of our better weeks. As you can see in this picture. Jakob has had some trouble with his right eye. We have been going to the doctor and go to see the eye doctor the end of April. We have been concerned that he would need a patch or glasses to correct. Possibility of even surgery because it is continually getting worse. Well, Monday the lid started turning blue. Called the doctor they said come right in. Look at him and didn't really say much, except further testing was needed. So we went to DeVos Children's Hospital on Tuesday morning for a CT scan. They didn't have sedation scheduled, so we started the process to see how he would do to just lay there. Not a chance. Back home we go. Back on the phone with the doctor Tuesday afternoon and all day Wednesday, trying to ask the right questions and get the next appt scheduled. After already 2 1/2 long days not knowing what is going on, I have a heart to heart with the nurse. What really are you testing for? She had to call me back - interesting. She asked what I knew so far - (not sounding good). She mentions it could be a "mass" on the brain or behind the eye. WHAT?!?!?!? (it was clear just so you know). So back to Devos on Thursday for sedation and a complete MRI of the brain. Nurse tells us we will hear in 3 - 5 days unless it is serious. UGH! We travel home. Relieved a little that it was not an emergency situation that they would have to keep us. About 3 hours after I get home, I see the doctor on Caller ID. My heart skip several beats and I ran for the phone. The MRI was cleared!!! He still needs some blood work and continuning follow up with the Eye doctor. They are now back to thinking a lazy eye. What a relief! Glasses, a patch and even a little surgery doesn't sound all bad now, after thinking of what it could have been last week. Thank you for all the prayers and concern last week. We really appreciate all of your support.

So he is pretty happy in these pictures. It doesn't give you the real picture of the events at DeVos. However it was a nice place and great staff.
Praise God for our health everyday. It is truely a blessing from Him.
All our love,
Rick, Mandi, Jakob and Ethan

Tubby Time!

2010-03-31T21:39:00.003-04:00

One of our favorite times is tubby time. It doesn't happen everyday, but it happens often. In the big tub the boys play and play. Bubbles everywhere. Somehow we all manage to get wet.

Loving the weather. Almost 80 here today. March 31. Heard on the radio it was warmer here today than in Key West Florida. Enjoy it, looks like 40's next week again.
All our love,
Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

We Miss U Great Grandma

2010-03-22T14:00:00.004-04:00

Feb 12, 1929 to March 1, 2010
Connie Malda

All our love,
Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Back from CR and My Sister is Married

2010-03-22T13:47:00.001-04:00

Even though our blog failed to tell we did make it back from Costa Rica. (A few weeks ago no less). The wedding was spectacular. The weather was hot, very hot. The guests were fun, the attire was beachy, a fun time was had by all.
The flight home was less eventful than the flight there. We were very thankful for that. Check out these pictures.
Congrats - Mr. & Mrs. Nixon. :-)

5/6 missing Kristen in the photo.
Congrats Uncle Jon and Aunt Mary.
All our love,
Rick, Mandi, Jakob and Ethan

Day 2, 3 - Really What Day is it?

2010-02-18T18:27:00.004-05:00

Here are a few more photos of the trip. On Wednesday Rick went out on the Ocean Fishing. They caught 2 Sail Fish and a Rainbow Runner. We had the Rainbow Runner for dinner. Eventhough we don't like to eat fish, it was pretty good. On Thursday went Zip Lining through the Jungle with the group.

Trip is going great. Boys are doing well at home. Miss them like crazy.
Just a few more days. Wedding day tomorrow.
All our love,
Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Day 1 in Costa Rica

2010-02-16T19:28:00.003-05:00

Today we finally reached Costa Rica. Our adventure began on Saturday with a 3 hour drive to Chicago. Planning to fly out Saturday afternoon, the airlines decided to change our plans. We arrived at the ticket counter to find that our flight had been cancelled. Note not just delayed. It was cancelled. The Gentleman behind the counter said, I can get you out on Thursday but there is nothing before then. At that point really wasn't to fond of this guy. I asked him to help us rebook on other airlines. He gave me a phone number for the airline. He said they probably won't take your call, but you should get through by Monday. WHAT!?!?!?!? I called thinking whatever. The message told us Sorry due to the volume of calls at this time we can not take your call. Please call back later. Click. So here we sit. We found a spot to lay/sit on the floor. After talking with EVERY airline by phone and in person we came up with nothing, even considering driving to Miami to catch a flight. 6 hours later still sitting on the in the airport, we found a great lady at Contenential Airlines. She found tickets for us to depart on Sunday for $1400 each. They were refundable within 24 hours. We booked them. Then we decided enough of this airport. Headed to TGI Fridays for dinner, after not eating yet that day. We found another flight on Mexicana that would leave on Monday but MUCH cheaper. We booked it and finally felt relief of knowing we had a flight. So 3 Hotels and 3 days later and 3 Hours of sleep on Sunday night we finally arrived in Costa Rica. Here are some pictures of our 1st day.
The TiTi Monkeys were up close and friendly.
The Pool was refreshing and fun.
Our flight from San Jose to Quepos was great this morning @ 6:00 AM. 3 Hours of sleep last night and off to airport. This is a field of Palm Trees.
Here is the Marina in Manuel Antonio.
The Pacific Ocean.
We talked with the boys over Skype today. It was great to see them. They are doing so good. We miss them like crazy, but are so thankful for our awesome friends that are taking care of them. Give the boys lots of kisses.
We love you guys. Be home in a week.
All our love,
Rick & Mandi

Ethan ~ Teeth, Walking and LBS.

2010-02-14T16:46:00.002-05:00

The 1st Week of February Ethan decided that it was finally time for his 1st tooth The top right one was the 1st to break through. By the end of the week, he also had the top left and the bottom right. He is now working on the bottom left. Nothing like 3 teeth in 1 week.

This past week he decided it was time to walk. He has taken up to about 5 steps at a time. He walks pretty well. My guess is by the time we get home he will be walking a whole lot more.

Ethan also had to go to the doctor this past week for a check up on his ear infection and strep and RSV. The doctor said he was doing great. In a week and 1/2 he also gained almost a pound. He now weighs 19 lbs and 11 ozs. The doctor said it was finally time for him to get out of the baby car seat carrier at 13 months. He still can't face forward, but is too long for the carrier.
Looks like the new car seat when we get home.

The boys are doing great and much healthier.
Can't wait to see them in a week.
Love You Boys,
Daddy & Mommy

Shredding Fun

2010-02-14T16:37:00.002-05:00

PLEASE NOTE: Rick wants you to know he was at work while this event went on.
So Jakob loves to shred paper, credit cards and whatever else he can find to shred. The following pictures will show you what happens when mom and the 2 boys are home alone with the shredder.

Clean up was a little work. Fun was had by all, except daddy. He had to help clean up. OOPS.
All our love,
Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Ethan's Birthday - Part 2

2010-02-14T14:11:00.006-05:00

A few weeks ago we had a birthday party for Ethan with the Brower Family. It was so fun watching him open his presents and eat the cake.

I can't believe Ethan is already 13 months old tomorrow. My baby is growing up so fast.
We love you lots Ethan!
Daddy, Mommy & Jakob

A Week to Forget!

2010-01-28T14:28:00.003-05:00

The weeks started out with a small cold that Jakob had. After being home with them on Monday & Tuesday it was a phone call to the doctor. Wed AM we went in and discovered that Jakob had a double ear infection and Strep Throat. Thankfully we took Ethan with us to the doctor and she check him and he has Strep Throat. Feeling under the weather myself she told me to call my doctor. With reviewing how I was felling and what was going on, she gave me a scipt for antibiotic too. Between Ear Infections and Strep it has been a week. We have played a lot, cried alot, lauged alot and have gone through a whole lot of Kleenex along with an entire roll of toliet paper. All 3 of us on antiobioctics hoping to kick this quickly.
With the help of grandma and gg we have made it to Thursday afternoon. Naps for everyone is on the agenda. Another couple of hours and we have all been on our meds for 24 hours, so we are hoping for some big improvements.

Jakob is a couple days ahead of Ethan and I. He is showing good signs of improving and getting his energy back. He is running everywhere and now I really can't keep up with him. Ethan and I are hopefully on our worse day today. Please tell me it will only get better.

Thank you Grandma and GG for all your help this week. Thank you daddy for taking care of us every night.

All our love,

Mandi , Jakob & Ethan

Ethan's 1st Birthday

2010-01-16T11:19:00.006-05:00

Friday we celebrated Ethan's 1st Birthday. We started out with Breakfast at Russ' with Papa & NaNa. Ethan enjoyed a big pancake.

Ethan teaching Nana how to text.
In the evening we had some family over for Pizza and Cake and Ice Cream. Thank you everyone for the wonderful gifts. Ethan has had fun playing already this morning. Thank you for being a part of Ethan's 1st Birthday and 1st year.

Ethan did enjoy his cake very much.

It has a been a wonderful year. Quite busy at times, but loving every minute.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Happy New Year!

2010-01-11T14:08:00.002-05:00

Now that we are almost 1/2 way through January, we would like to wish you all a Happy New Year.
So far this year has been filled with fun things ~ Rearranging furniture, playing in the snow, another Christmas Party and lots of new fun toys to play with.

The boys went to the doctor a few weeks ago and are doing great.

Jakob is in the 90th percentile. He is 36 1/2" tall and 32 lbs. He is doing great. We are in the process of debating about sending him for some Speech Therapy to help out his talking a bit. We have not decided what to do on that yet. Every week he is saying a few more things.

Ethan is doing well also. He is still a little peanut in the 5th percentile. He is 27 3/4" tall and weighs 18 lbs and 3 ozs. He will be on 1 on Friday, however still to little to turn his car seat around. He is still in the baby carrier. He is starting to eat table food and loves it. Hopefully his weight will be catching up soon.

Happy New Year!
All our Love,
Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Christmas All Wrapped Up!

2009-12-26T15:52:00.008-05:00

Over the past month we have lost a few things. 1 ~ The month of December ~ I swear it was just Thanksgiving. 2 ~ The playroom floor ~ There are now toys everywhere. 3 ~ Our bedroom Floor AKA Laundry folding area ~ Just when we think we are caught up we get more new clothes.
Over the past month we experienced all that Christmas is suppose to be. Peace, JOY, Hope & Love. It was a great joy to teach the Christmas Story to my 2 Yr Old Sunday School class (with the help of Aunt Crys's books).
It was Ethan's 1st Christmas and Jakob's 2nd Christmas with our family. They are growing every day. They love to play together too.
We had a chance for each of the boys to see Santa at one of our Christmas Party's. Jakob was not a fan of that. Ethan didn't mind him, just stared.

Thank you to all our friends and family for the fun presents. We have spent hours playing with them already. The boys are sleeping right now, so I actually get some computer time. We are laying low today as we are exhausted from the holiday.
Merry Christmas!
All Our Love,
Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Unexpected November Weather

2009-11-15T20:43:00.005-05:00

We took advantage of the great weather yesterday. We played outside for hours. We tried to go for a walk, but Jakob got bored. He kept trying to crawl out of the stroller. Rick had to work so it was an adventure by myself. We decide to go back to the house and play. After playing in the jeep and other toys for hours we headed to the sand box. Ethan ended up in the sand box head first - quite a site. He had sand from head to toe, even up his nose.

To help clean off the sand they boys took a nice warm bath. Jakob and Ethan always have fun in the tub.

Not much planned for this week. Hoping to clean and catch up on sleep. Sounds exciting doesn't it.
Have a wonderful week.
Love,
Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Halloween ~ Our Style

2009-11-01T11:33:00.002-05:00

So our Halloween wasn't like most others.
After having Jakob's costume on Friday and determining he really doesn't like it, Rick doesn't like Choas, I hate the cold and Ethan had a cold we determined to not go trick or treating.
We started our Halloween out at Target, had to pick a few gifts and a few things for Ethan. We then went to Meijer to get a few groceries. After that we wanted to go home, but with the dog trying to escape and Jakob trying to escape we really didn't want to hand out candy. So we picked up food from Johnny Carino's. We pulled in the garage and quick closed the garage door behind us. We ran in the house keeping the lights out we grabbed our things and ran up the stairs. We laid a sheet out on the floor in our bedroom and put in a movie. We had a picnic up on the floor in our bedroom. It was very messy with the boys but was kind of fun. It is crazy how many people still ring the door bell with all the lights out.
Sorry no pictures of the picnic didn't want to get caught running downstairs to get the camera.

Resting up today, so we all feel great to start the week.
Hugs, Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Halloween - Pre Party

2009-10-30T22:26:00.002-04:00

Went to Grandpa and Grandma Brower's house tonight. Had to test out the Halloween Costumes. Jakob is not to sure about the head piece to his costume. Not sure if we will venture out tomorrow night or not. Gail force winds, rain & cooler temps - doesn't sound like fun with 2 boys. Enjoy the pics, they may be the only ones we get in costume. You never know.

Jakob is suppose to be a dinosour and Ethan a Frog.

Starting off with a good record. Pictures posted the same day they were taken. WOW!

Headed to bed. It has been a week!!

Hugs,

Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Blogging not as easy as you think!!

2009-10-24T21:32:00.005-04:00

I thought I used to be a pretty good blogger, updating every couple days. Then it grew to weeks and now months. Taking the time to blog is not as easy as you think. Maybe it is uploading the pictures or just getting a chance to sit by the computer without someone banging on the keys or stealing the mouse. Well I was told to step it up a bit. GGram leaves for Florida in 2 months and wants to see new pictures every week. WOW! Wish me luck on that.
We have been busy. Ethan is sitting up and scooching around. He should be crawling in no time. He not the best eater, but is working on his baby food. He likes fruit and vegtables not so much. He has had a little cold, but so far have been able to avoid the flu. No teeth yet, but drooling like it could be any day. Jakob is growing like crazy. He runs everywhere and only knows 1 speed Fast. He isn't the best eater either but loves Cheese Sticks and Hot Dogs. He can live on that right??? He helps with chores. He loves to take Ginger outside and fill her bowl of food and water. Both the boys love taking baths. Rick has been busy working as usual. He is getting his plow ready for the snow. He also has been holding down the house cooking dinner and helping to clean. I have been crazy going from task to task. Work has been quite busy. We have had a few big fundraiser lately that take some extra time. I have been working on a fundraising committee for a new Christian School in Costa Rica which is going great. Teaching Sunday School, taking care of the boys and the house fills the rest of the hours in the day. Occasionally I get some sleep. I will practice updating the blog more. Hope it goes well.
A few weeks ago we had our family pictures taken. We need to decide what ones to print. Any input you have would be great. They turned out pretty good considering.

Hope you enjoyed our photos.

Will be back soon posting soon.

Hugs,

Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Jakob turned 2 in September

2009-10-24T17:51:00.003-04:00

We finally have a weekend at home to catch up on things we haven't really spent time on. One thing would be updating you with pictures. We had a party with the Browers back in September for Jakob's birthday. I made his cake. It is suppose to look like a tractor in case you couldn't figure it out. It tasted good. Jakob enjoyed it too.

Jakob had a wonderful birthday.

Hugs,

Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Apple Picking 2009

2009-09-19T14:55:00.004-04:00

We ventured out into the orchard today, in hopes of finding some apples. We definately found plenty. We had a great time too.

Had to take a few minutes to show Jakob what to do. After that he was on the run.

Find an apple you might want!
Inspect the apple and pull it off!

Inspect the apple again and think about eating it. :-) His favorite part was pulling the wagon.

Well maybe it was picking the best apples from the top of the trees.

Ethan tired out from the bumpy stroller ride.

Another 4 generation outing and we forgot to take a picture of all of us.

Missed daddy while he was at work, but somebody had to pay for our apples. :-)

Had a blast. Now time for naps, busy day tomorrow. Jakob starts Sunday School tomorrow. It will be so fun. Off to California on Tuesday @ 4:00 AM.

Have a wonderful weekend. Enjoy the beautiful weather.

Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Jakob is 2

2009-09-14T22:22:00.003-04:00

Jakob had a great birthday day week last week. He ended with a party this past Sat. He loved all his new toys. It was a car birthday. He received many match box cars and monster trucks. He slept with his cars the 1st night he got them. I will post more party pics soon. Thought you would enjoy his 2 Year pictures.

The drool definately is a great accent to the picture.
Enjoy more pics to come soon.

Hugs to all,

Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Jakob's Birthday Party

2009-09-06T20:25:00.004-04:00

We had Jakob's birthday party yesterday. He received lots of fun gifts. Thanks everyone for coming.

A little warm to wear the new snow suit, but fun to try on.

More parties to come.

Have a great Labor Day.

All our love,

Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Summer Play

2009-09-05T14:32:00.005-04:00

I had a request from G Gram to update the blog. Sorry we have been a little busy again. Here are some fun pictures of the boys. We are celebrating Jakob's birthday this weekend so hopefully birthday pictures tomorrow. I can't believe he is 2 already.

Here is Lindy and the boys playing in the Jeep.

Suppose to be sleeping. They don't really look tired.

Birthday pics coming soon.

Have a great Labor Day.

Hugs,

Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Sitting Up!

2009-08-17T18:34:00.001-04:00

Ethan started sitting up by himself today. 7 months and 2 days old.

What's next???

Making the Best of the Hot Weather!

2009-08-17T11:14:00.008-04:00

What a beautiful weekend to be in the water. We made the most of it.
Jakob skiied for the 1st time. He lasted about 7 seconds, but we didn't quite get a picture. This was the picture before he went out. He didn't cry, so that was a good thing. Later in the day the Reeves came out to join us for some fun.We borrowed this fun castle to play on.

It was a great summer weekend. Too bad, we are nearing the end of summer.

Have a great week.

Hugs, Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

A Day At The Zoo!

2009-08-10T16:51:00.006-04:00

Today I took both the boys (with the help of Sara, Alyssa, Trenton & Sydney) to John Ball Zoo. I definately couldn't have done it without their help. We started out with a picnic lunch by the play equipment. Then we headed into the park. Here are some pictures of our fun day.

It was a bit warm but it was a very fun day. Thanks guys for going with us.

Hugs,

Mandi, Jakob & Ethan (daddy too, but he had to work today)

Ethan's 6 Month Photos

2009-08-09T11:10:00.003-04:00

Ethan posed well for his 6 month photos. They were fun to take too. He is feeling a bit under the weather this week. The doctor thinks he just has a bad cold. We will see if anything else develops in the next few days. He is now 12 lbs and 14 ozs.

Looking forward to a fun week. Zoo, work, dinners, & play.

What a beautiful weekend. Summer is finally here.

Hugs,

Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Another post called "CATCHING UP!'

2009-08-01T09:42:00.006-04:00

Eventhough the weather hasn't been the hottest we have still been enjoying the summer fun. As you can see we haven't taken much time for computer work.

Here is what has been going on.
Ethan has been to the doctor and is 6 months old. He is 14 lbs 3 1/2 ozs. and 25 inches long. He is in the 5th percentile. If they age correct him he is in the 25th percentile. So he is still a little peanut. He is starting to eat cereal but isn't a fan. We are lucky to get 3 spoonfuls into his mouth for his feeding. He still wakes up at least 1 time per night, but hopefully if he eats more cereal that will help.
Jakob is doing well. He went to the ER a few weeks ago. He had 2 spots that swelled up very large. The doctor thinks they were Yellow Jacket stings. Doing fine now.
Jakob still loves to make food. He even likes to eat the pancake batter.

A couple weeks ago, the Reeves family came to hang out with us at the cottage. Ethan and Lainy just enjoyed watching all the other kids play.

The weather was chilly, so there was fishing but not a lot of swimming.

We couldn't keep Jakob out of the pool eventhough it was COLD.

Yet another outfit wet in the pool.

Hope you enjoyed the photos.

Hugs!

Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Ethan's 1st Hair Cut & Summer Fun

2009-07-14T21:57:00.004-04:00

It was haircut night last night. Ethan has his 1st hair cut. He really just had the top trimmed, it starting to be quite a mowhawk. Of course Jakob had his done and screamed the entire time again. Rick just sat there for his hair cut.

Here are some more pictures of our summer fun.

There was a baking mishap when Jakob and grandma made pancakes. Jakob forgot to put the mix in the bowl.

He did enjoy making the brownies though. He almost forgot to put them in the pan.

I can't believe it is almost the middle of July already.

Ethan will be 6 months old on Wednesday. He is starting to wear many clothes of Jakob's now. Yea!

Otherwise all is well.

Hugs to everyone.

Love,

Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Cottage Play!

2009-07-03T20:57:00.003-04:00

We came out to the cottage on Wednesday night. Dad and mom went to work on Thursday, but Ethan and I hung with GG & Gram at the cottage. Cousin Zach was there to and it was very fun. We played toys. Then on Thursday night my friends: Alyssa, Sydney & Trenton came out to the cottage. We made cup cakes, pizza and went fishing. Here are some pictures of our fun.Here is our cousin Zach. Here is a picture of Alyssa, Trenton & Sydney when we were making cup cakes.They caught lots of fish. Today daddy took me on the Sea Doo, I really didn't like it much.

I hope you are all having a great holiday so far.

Happy 4th of July!

Hugs Jakob & Family

Cottage, Beach & Backyard Play

2009-06-29T17:28:00.007-04:00

Another weekend of fun in the sun. We spent the weekend at the cottage. We came into town for party at the Brower's on Saturday. It was a beautiful evening to be outside. We went to a beach party on Sunday. It was great weather for the beach. Here are some fun picture of our weekend.

Looking forward to a great 4th of July weekend, with family at the cottage.

Love,

Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Cleaning up Flood 09 & Happy Father's Day!

2009-06-23T22:12:00.003-04:00

Happy Father's Day Daddy! Love you lots! The Boys & Mommy
Wow - What A Storm we had. We were very very thankful that our house stayed dry and the boys stayed sleeping. (both Thurs & Fri night at least during the storm). Here are some pics on Sat morning. Rick had to work Sat. I loaded up the boys in the car and we were headed for a day at the cottage. The sun was out and there was water everywhere. With a small detour we made it to Chicago Drive. On the way out, I thought would stop at my mom's and my grandma's just to make sure the basements were dry. They had spent the night at the cottage. This is ETNA Plumbing on Chicago Drive.Here is the Fish and Game Club. No way to even get in.Much to my surpise and walked into the basement at Grandma's and sploush. Not good. Called them up and said bring breakfast, we are not coming out. They came in from the cottage and we had a family reunion sucking water out of the basement. Luckily grandma has been cleaning her basement and everything was able to be saved. The paneling and floor were history, but it could have been much worse. We laid out everything in the yard to dry. Her street looked like a yard sale at every house.

Aunt Crys came to work, well she definately got the best job - someone had to hold Ethan.

We weren't too sure about everything that came out of the basement. We had to have a little fun with it.

All in all, it was another weekend. Headed to the cottage this weekend - hopefully. Then a beach party on Sunday - hope the lake keeps warming up.

Hope you all stayed dry or are recovering OK.

All our love.

Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Check Out Our New Jeep!

2009-06-17T19:20:00.002-04:00

Daddy came home from work with a fun surprise for Ethan & I. I am learning how to drive so I can take my brother for a ride.

I should be driving circles around the house soon. However Mom doesn't trust me to take Ethan for a ride. I don't know why!! :-)

Hopefully the next pictures are NOT of my crash.

Love You All,

Jakob

Loving Summer!

2009-06-15T21:34:00.002-04:00

I was so lucky to be home with the boys this afternoon. Nana came over and spent the afternoon with us as well. We set up Jakob's pool on the deck. Of course we had to add a little extra fun and put the slide into the pool. The house was a bit warm after the hot afternoon. So the boys hung out in just there diapers for hours. Friday night Rick and I had a night out. We went to his boss' house for a concert in the lawn. An entertainer that they had met from TN came up and was headed to the Asparagas Festival and stop by for a private concert on the way.

His name was Dewayne Shaw. He was really good.

Ethan was at the doctor on Thursday last week. He has a bad cold. He is 5 months old today. He weighed in at 13 lbs and 7 oz.

It is so nice that the weather is finally warm. Love it.

Have a great week.

HUGS,

Rick, Mandi, Jakbo & Ethan

Summer Fun!

2009-06-10T21:29:00.005-04:00

And we thought we were busy before. Summer brings a new sense of busy. Going to the cottage, playing outside, blowing bubbles, swimming in the pool, riding bikes, softball games; we long for the summer days to get outside. Now it is even busier than before and harder to get Jakob to bed or even in the house. But we are having a blast. Have fun checking out these photos.Jakob loves to cook. He helps me with dinner every night. He helped grandma make Uncle Chris' birthday cake.... Then he needed a nap. The cake was hard work. We saw cousin Zach once already and can't wait to play at the cottage some more.Jakob is learning how to ride a bike. BTW that is not blue frosting it is Sidewalk Chalk - YUM YUM!Playing at the neighbors.

Ethan is definately growing. He is starting to sit in the jumper. Ethan was at the doctor a few weeks ago. He weighed 12 lbs 7 oz. He had a slight ear infection, but otherwise both boys have been pretty healthy over the past weeks.

We hope that you are all having a wonderful summer. Stay Tuned for more summer fun pictures.

All our love,

Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Ethan's Special Day - Baptism May 31, 2009

2009-06-01T21:40:00.003-04:00

Here are the fun photos of Ethan's special day.

I made the cake for Ethan's baptism. I must say it turned out pretty well. I think I will go have a a piece that was left. :-)

Afterwards we had a small celebration at our house.

Thank you everyone for all your love and support.

All our love,

Rick, Mandi, Jakob and Ethan

Memorial Weekend Photos

2009-05-31T20:40:00.000-04:00

Last weekend we went out to the cottage. It was the 1st weekend out there with both of the boys. They both did really well. It helps to have GG, Grandma and Grandpa along. With 5 of us, we can keep them under control. The weather was great. It was a fun weekend.

Nana and Papa came for a birthday party for Ryan.

A fun time was had by all. Looking forward to next weekend.

All our love,

Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Ethan 3 Month /Almost 4 Month Pics

2009-05-29T21:59:00.002-04:00

These pictures were taken a few weeks ago, but never made it up to the blog. Ethan is now 4 months old almost 5. Don't know where all the time went. He is rolling over from his stomach to his back. He gets really upset when he is stuck on his back. He is eating a bit better. He weighs 12 lbs and 7 ozs. He sometimes sleeps through the night and sometimes doesn't. He is generally very happy and relaxed. He still is fussy from 6:30 to 8:00 but typically daddy can calm him down. Enjoy!

Jakob loves to hug and kiss Ethan. He holds him a little everyday.

Life is crazy, but going great.

All our love,

Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Family Fun!

2009-05-18T19:16:00.001-04:00

Tonight we had family fun night. After dinner we made some cookie dough. It never turned into cookies and probably never well. Cookie Dough - The Snack of Champions!!

Enjoy! YUM YUM!

Hugs,

Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Tulip Time!

2009-05-16T22:11:00.003-04:00

We made it back from vacation in time for a funnel cake and some pictures in the park. We went to the park on mother's day. My treat was the funnel cake afterwards - YUM!

The boys weren't totally in proper costume attire. However we did the best we can at 4 months and 20 months old. There were no judges and not many tourists left. Next year we will try for better.
We had fun.

Happy Belated Mother's Day to All!

Hugs,

Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Day 6 - Last day at the Villa - Final Vacation Post

2009-05-07T18:08:00.005-04:00

Today started out to be a beautiful day. It was very hot and humid. Jakob is showing you the nice flower planters that are near the entrance of the villa. Playing on the tile to keep cool. Waiting to go for breakfast. We went out today to have breakfast with some friends.

Hanging with his cousins Caleb & Christian. It was red day today!

Beautiful view of the Pacific Ocean. This view was from our breakfast retreat.

After breakfast the little kids all went to El Puente of Costa Rica. This is The Bridge which is now part of Zeeland Christian in Costa Rica. It is part of the Spanish Emersion program. They went to see the kids at the school. The rest of us went to see the JADE Project. The Jade is a condo complex that my grandpa is part of in Costa Rica. The JADE is the purpose that my father started coming down here and has now brought all of us down here. It is about 190 units to be completed in December 2010. They started selling them in October and have sold 50% of them. So far a great project. These pictures are the scaled replica of the project.

Really the pictures don't do justice. You will just have to make a trip down here to visit once it is completed.

We had no power for 6 hours today. They were working on some lines, so we just swam. Now a huge Thunderstorm came through and Jakob is taking a nap. Thought it would be a good time for the final post.

We fly out early tomorrow. We are looking forward to heading home. As you can see from the all the pics we had an awesome time. The weather was great. The family was fun. The accomdations relaxing.

Thanks for following our trip.

When we get back hoping to still get some Tulip Time pics of both the boys. Dying for a Funnel Cake.

Happy Mothers Day on Sunday!

All our love,

Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Day 5 - Rest and Relaxation

2009-05-07T17:45:00.006-04:00

Yesterday morning started out in a usual way. We wake up way to early. Everyone is up by 6:30 here. The sun comes up by 5:00 and everyone starts to wake up. We sit around for a while and then we have breakfast. The morning was going as normal and then someone says "MONKEYS." The villa is nestled back off the road a ways but in the back yard is the ocean. It is probably a 2 miles down a hill of rugged terrain. We walked down about 1/4 mile and saw about 10 - 15 monkeys. We took bananas with us. This is one brave monkey would come and eat the bananas.

After the excitment of the monkeys it was to the pool. It was time to practice surfing.

We laid around, tried to get Jakob to take a nap and ate snacks. We did a bit of shopping in the markets. Then we had dinner. During dinner Jakob decided to do his famous poops and it was directly into the bath. He likes the bath here, he has been in it several times. It is very nice to have a big tub.

This is our bedroom - Rick Jakob and I share this room. We have our own bathroom. It is very nice.

That pretty much sums up the day.

Enjoy.

Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Day 4 - Swinging In the Jungle

2009-05-06T10:14:00.006-04:00

We traveled to the Jungle today (really yesterday as I type the post) to do a ropes course. It was a great time. Jakob stayed by a sitter and had fun playing with his cousins. They own a hotel so they swam in the pool for 2 hours and played and played.
Sorry I had to stop updating for a second we had a group of monkeys that I had to go see. They are so cute. I will post those pics tomorrow or tonight.
This container is full of Palm Nuts. They make Palm Oil and Coconut Oil down here. There is a very large factory. They are collecting them from the trees right now. Before we were dropped in the jungle we went to a butterfly farm. They were beautiful.

Here is Rick in his gear ready to go.

Here is part of the group on a platform. We went on some ziplines, repelling, and rope swing. The guides were really fun.

Mary and "super" Mario hang out before the next jump.

After the jungle it was back to the pool.

Back at home Ethan is still doing well. G-Gram came home from Florida. Ethan had a chance to meet her for the 1st time yesterday. So sad I missed it, but very glad they could meet.

He was able to spend some time with Great Aunt Marcia too.

He also got to meet Great Aunt Mary for the 1st time too.

Everyone is still doing well. Only a few more days left and we will be back home.

We love it here, but ready to see baby Ethan.

Hugs & Kisses,

Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Day 3 - A Day at the Beach!

2009-05-04T22:12:00.004-04:00

Today was a long day at the beach. I am one that usually loves the heat. It was HOT! WOW! After a short time we all found ourselves under the tent to find some shade. Jakob had a blast, but was very tired by the end of the day.

Our friend Roger has a friend that is a professional surfer. He showed us how to surf today. It is very hard work. I tried it and 3 x's and I was done. Everyone did really well that tried it. Christian is learning how now.

Caleb had a great time in the water playing.

The 3 girls swam and played in the sand.

Jakob didn't really like the ocean much, but he did spend hours playing and eating sand.

On the way back from the beach we went to a waterfall where there was all fresh water. It was cool (I say COLD) but it did feel good after a hot day. We were able to swim in the base of it and get rid of most of the sand.

Here is Jakob after a long "tough" day.

Tomorrow Jakob is going to hang with 2 of his cousins at some friends house. The rest of us are going to go do a ropes course tomorrow. Should make for fun pics, if I can take my camera.

Overall we are doing well. A few wierd bug bites, some sun burn, and eating to much, none of which are causing too much trouble.

Hope you are all enjoying Tulip Time. I see on FaceBook many of you are enjoying the food already. Be sure to save some for us, we will be home on Sat.

Hugs & Kisses

Rick, Mandi & Jakob (Ethan too)

Day 2 - Papa's Birthday!

2009-05-04T08:06:00.011-04:00

Today we started out swimming in the pool. After swimming we had some breakfast and headed to the beach. It was PaPa's birthday today! It was a very fun day and Jakob got very tired. We did take a stroll around the grounds this morning. Here are some things that we saw.

We went to the car to play on the driveway before we headed to the beach and we saw an Iquana(sp??) on the roof.

Off to the beach we went. Jakob loved playing in the sand and in the water.It was straight to the bath when we got home. The tub was full of sand after Jakob's bath. As you can see he thought it would be fun to put in his hair. You can imagine how nice that was to get out. (or try to get out!)

At night we had a big party for PaPa. Many of this friends from Costa Rica came over. There were alot a people here.

After some rain, the sunset was beautiful!

We had fun sparklers and fireworks for PaPa's birthday.

Ethan is still doing well at Grandpa and Grandma's. Yesterday they took him to see the Tulips downtown. Headed out for another day at the beach today.

All is going very well.

Hugs and Kisses!

Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Travel Day & Day 1 of Costa Rica Trip!

2009-05-02T22:11:00.008-04:00

We left yesterday morning to Chicago. We took a flight to Houston and then on to San Jose Costa Rica. Jakob did really well. The last leg of the trip, was wearing on him and all of us, but he did well. We stayed at a hotel in Costa Rica last night. Rick and I and Jakob got our own room. We hung out had a some ice cream before bed. It is our usual tradition at home too. All was going great. Then Jakob had a little trouble getting the ice cream out and the spoon flipped it right in his face. I happen to be taking the pic at the same time.He woke up this morning refreshed and ready to go. Needless to say we were up very early because of the time change and the sun comes up at 5:30. We got ready and headed back to the airport. Their are no car seats down here, so I keep Jakob in the backpack carrier all the time. He is getting real used to it. He also likes to pull my hair.So used to it, he couldn't stay awake any longer. He has pretty much spent the past two days in here with the airports and traveling. He is a trooper.Our flight today was a real puddle jumper. Didn't really seem any bigger than a 15 passenger van. I think we only had 14 people on it with all seats full. We had to take two because our group was so big.

We had about a 1/2 hour flight out to Quepos. Here is the instrument Panel for the plane. A little different than your typical commerial airline.Well here is our runway. Really looked like a long drive way. It was a good ride. We struggled with our ears a bit. The kids were crying and I thought about it. It was really beautiful and we got to see a lot of the country.It didn't take long and we were in the pool. Jakob loved to swim. We swam, swam and swam some more, until we took a nap. It rained all afternoon, so we toured the town. We had some dinner and now have called it a day. The internet has been a bit spotty down here. I am glad that I was able to finish this post before I lost it. I will continue to try and update regularly.

As far as other notes, Ethan is doing great at grandpa and grandmas. My MRI came back good. No tumors. Just some sinus trouble that I will probably have forever. No appointment to go back as of now.

We miss Ethan very much, however we are very glad we left him home. It was quite and adventure traveling with Jakob and it is taking both of us to chase him around this place.

Here are some pics of Ethan so you don't forget him.

Ethan loves to sit by GG. Every Thursday and whenever mom needs a break.

Jakob loving on Ethan before we leave. He puts is head on him like a little hug.

Ethan learning how to swing. He was smiling, but of course not when I take the camera out.

Stayed tuned for more updates soon. Have a great weekend.

All our love,

Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Healthy, Passport, & Sitting in a Fire Truck

2009-04-28T23:42:00.004-04:00

After a trip to the ER with Ethan, another trip to the doctor with Jakob we are all back to being healthy. I have a follow up with my ear doctor tomorrow, but otherwise we are doing great. Ethan was confirmed to have an upper respitory infection. I don't really think they knew what he had. They did rule out RSV and pneomonia when we were in ER so that was good.

We have been working to Jakob's passport for the past 2 months. After a little trouble here and a lot of trouble there we finally have it. However there are stipulations. It is only good for 1 year They lost all of our original paperwork, so they issued it off the photo copies. My dad, Jakob and I spent the day Friday in Chicago trying to get it all worked out with them. However we have it right now and are good to leave on Friday to Costa Rica! YEA! A much needed vacation. They said they should be able to locate our paperwork at some point and will send it back. Then we can start the process all over. Let's hope. It is a long trip back to Ethiopia to get new paperwork.

Sunday we had a fundraiser for the Holland Area Fire Fighters. Rick took the boys to come visit. Jakob loved to run around and look at the trucks.

Wishing he could drive the big truck.

Trying to drive!

So unless we have a completely crazy day tomorrow or Thursday and have to tell you all about it. Our next post will be from Costa Rica.

Bon Voyage

Hugs & Kisses

Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Happy Easter (A few days Late)!!

2009-04-16T21:40:00.003-04:00

For being healthy most of the winter we got hit the past 2 weeks. Jakob was recovering from Croup, slowly. Another trip to the doctor and additional phones calls to the on call doctors, he finally recovered. It took through Easter before he was 100%. So well over a week. Of course I had to come down with it while he was sick. I had a cold all last week. After a few calls to the doctors I ended up in ER on Sunday night. Their comment was a Severe ear infection. After taking the medication throwing up all Sunday night and all day Monday I then had blood draining out of my ear. Usually not a good sign. For those of you that don't know I have had a few ear surgery's in the past and it on this ear. I already can't hear so no big deal really. A trip to the doctor on Monday afternoon sent us to the ENT yesterday. My doctor that I worked with in the past is no longer in practice so I have a new doctor. After meeting this doctor I now have an MRI scheduled on Friday. Should be routine, he just wants to compare to the last ones and see how things look. He definately says my ear doesn't look normal, which we already knew, but what is it suppose to look like - who knows. Today after almost 2 full weeks I am back to work a full day. It feels good to be back, but tiring as well. We are hopefully on the up swing. No results from the MRI until April 29, so don't expect anything on that.

For EASTER - Happy Easter Everyone!
It was both of the boys 1st Easter. We kept pretty low key. However they both had styling new outfits. Enjoy the pics.

Looking forward to our normal routine again for a few weeks anyway. We have Dutch Costume pictures coming in the next few weeks. Also Ethan has turned 3 months old yesterday, so I will be sure to get some good 3 month photos of him for everyone. I can't believe he is 3 months already. He is holding his head up well. He can also hold his body straight when you hold him. A huge relief to me, as it frees up a hand to attend to Jakob. Overall doing well and loving this warm weather.

Lots of Love,

Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Back to the Doctor!

2009-04-08T10:43:00.003-04:00

Sunday Jakob started coughing and not feeling to well. I stayed home with both the boys Monday, hoping another day of rest would help. He lounged around all day. During the night Monday night, Jakob's fever spiked. I waited till morning to take him to the dotor. I found out that he has Croup. He fever broke last night, so hopefully he will be back on top of it soon. He is still very congested and has a running nose.

Ethan has a slight cough, but so far he is not showing signs of it.

We hope that both the boys are better by the weekend, so we can have a fun Easter weekend.

Have a great day.
Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

GOTCHA WEEK!

2009-03-29T20:12:00.005-04:00

We didn't have just one GOTCHA Day celebration. We had a whole GOTCHA week. Here is Jakob getting ready to go celebrate in his Ethiopian Outfit.Friday Night we went to GoJo's in GR. It is an Ethiopian Resturant. We first went there before we left to get Jakob. We went with Ted & Jill to celebrate the Gotcha day of Josie & Zuri with the rest of the gang.Here is the gang minus the 2 babies. They are sitting with Sammy the owner of the resturant. Jakob really didn't like us taking this picture.Picking out the food is fun. Luckily it is all in English here.Here is what we ate. There is all different kinds of Wat on the injera; with some Salad in the middle. It is very good and very spicy. The injera is what you use to eat it with. No silverware.Zuri loved the injera. She remembers eating it in Ethiopia.Here is Josie and I.Jakob loved the injera to. It will be fun to take him back there as he gets older.On Saturday we had a party for Jakob. The cake is a symbol of their flag. I made it myself (well with my mom's help). Here are some things from Ethiopia that we had on display. The outfit, is the outfit from the orphanage that we took him home in. Here is our special baby. He is growing up to be such a little boy. Words can not express how thankful we are to have Jakob from Ethiopia. The bonding and the love that has taken place over the past year is amazing. Jakob you have a special place in many peoples hearts. We love you very much. We are looking forward to all the adventures of this upcoming year.
Love Ya
Daddy, Mommy & Ethan

A Night with the Reeves!

2009-03-25T20:12:00.000-04:00

This past weekend the Reeves came over to hang out. Here are some fun pictures of the night. Jakob sure likes to wrestle with them.

Enjoy!

Lots of Love,

Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Today and Forever

2009-03-24T11:24:00.001-04:00

1 Year Ago today we picked up Jakob from the Orhphanage to live with us forever. What a delight it has been.
Jakob we love you!!
Love, Mom, Dad & Ethan

1 YEAR AGO!

2009-03-22T22:14:00.005-04:00

1 Year ago yesterday we met Jakob for the 1st time.
1 Year ago today we were traveling to Alaba to see the area where Jakob was found.
1 Year ago from Tuesday we took Jakob from the Orphanage to live with us forever.
Here are some pictures from Ethiopia and this month.
This picture was taken from friends that traveled before us to Ethiopia.
Here is the 1st time we met Jakob. Here is Jakob just last week trying to eat.Here is Jakob sitting with dad by the table enjoying his sippie cup with a can cooler. He wants to be just like dad. As most of you know we traveled with another couple from Zeeland; Ted & Jill. We have become great friends with them. They adopted 2 daughters. Here is their daughter Josie when we picked her up. Her is Josie Saturday night when we had dinner with them.

Here is Zuri in Ethiopia.Here is Zuri on Saturday night. All of the kids are doing so well and growing great.

We can't believe that it has been a year already. It seems like we were just in Ethiopia.

What a great year!

All our Love,

Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

The Doctor Says...

2009-03-18T19:55:00.003-04:00

JAKOB
Weight: 31 lbs 11 ozs
Height: 34"
Jakob is in the 97 % for weight and the 90% for height. He is doing great. He doesn't need to
go back for 6 months. Jakob got 1 shot.

ETHAN
Weight: 9 lbs 8 ozs
Height: 21 1/2 "
Ethan is in the 10% for height and weight. He also is doing great. He has to stay on his Zantac
for a few more months but we are seeing improvements with it. He goes back in 2 months for
a check up and more shots. Ethan got 3 shots.

It was an adventure taking both boys today, but we survived.

A year ago tonight we were packing our bags to fly out tomorrow to Ethiopia. It is amazing where time has gone. We are so thankful for both of the boys and that they are very healthy.
All our love,
Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Jakob's 18 Month Pictures at the Park!

2009-03-17T19:18:00.002-04:00

I have been waiting to get Jakob's 18 month pictures and yesterday at the park was the perfect day. We made it a picture day. Enjoy.
Jakob is starting to show Ethan more attention. He wants to hold him often. So yesterday I let him. In the big bean bag he held him.

It didn't last long.
Ethan is really getting big. Can't wait to take him to the doctor on Wednesday.

Here are the 18 month pictures of Jakob.

Jakob loves to look at his reflection and follow his shadow. This is our reflection in the side of my truck. The picture turned out too cool to not include it. See his hand on the left side. He is reaching for his reflection.

Hope you enjoyed the beautiful weather the past couple of days. It really makes us think that spring is on the way.

Gotta Go,

Love,

Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Ethan almost 8 weeks old!

2009-03-09T15:12:00.002-04:00

On Thursday Ethan will be 8 weeks old. He is definately growing. He is eating better and sleeping better as well. Each week we see improvements. He is sleeping in his own crib and doesn't like taking a bath.

He has hair just like Rick's. It is very soft and goes everywhere. It looks like a tornado from the back. Jakob is still working on some teeth and loves the camera.

Overall we are doing great. Can't wait till we can play outside.

Lots of Love,

Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Jakob is 18 Months Old Today!

2009-03-08T19:12:00.003-04:00

We hope that everyone had a great week. We had a very fun week as the weather was a bit warmer. Here are some pictures of what we did. Last Sunday we went to Grandpa & Grandma M, we had lunch and there were about 15 dear in the back yard. They were very cool.I played outside 3 days this week. I love it. Here I was playing shy with the neighbor boys.I love to climb up the deck stairs.On Friday my Mom's cousin Becky came over and brought her daughter Hanna. We played in my playroom it was so fun. I can't wait till she comes again. She lives in Ohio, so we don't see her very often. She was 18 months old yesterday.

Today is my 1/2 birthday. Can you believe 6 more months and I will be 2? Mom says I act like I am 2 already.

Mom also says we will post more pictures of Ethan tomorrow.

The end of this month, we get to celebrate my coming to America. March 30 I will have lived with my forever family for 1 year. Mom says it seems like just yesterday we were in Ethiopia.

Have a great night.

All our love,

Jakob (Dad, Mom & Ethan too)

Another Crazy Week!

2009-03-02T14:19:00.002-05:00

Last week was a bit crazy.

Ethan is not eating well. He has been having some problems spitting up and such. Tuesday we took him to the doctor. They were concerned about the development of a flap between the stomach and the intestines. We had the appointment and she gave us some new formula to try. I then had to take him to the hospital for an ultrasound. She left me saying if it is Positive you will need to go to DeVos tonight and probably surgery tomorrow. AAAHHH! Anyway I went to the hospital and did the ultrasound. I had to wait at the hospital until the radiologist sent the report over to the doctor. 1/2 hour later she called. It was negative. Obviously you knew the answer already, because there would have been many more posts if he had to have surgery. So she put him on Zantac for a while. We are starting to see some improvement. He is eating a bit better and spitting up less. He has not been sleeping well at all though. I think it has to do with his stomach. Hopefully it will improve soon. They said he could be showing signs of collic and told us a few things to do with him. It has not helped yet, but doesn't seem to be getting worse.
Results of the doctors appt:
7 lbs 13 ozs
21 1/2 inches long
He is doing fine she said.

Jakob has another tooth on the bottom. We can also start to see another one on top. He is doing fine. He went to play with his friend Sydney last week. He had a great time as always.

It is back to work full days this week for me (starting tomorrow). It has sure been nice being home. Our rental house on 16th street also came open this week. If you know of anyone looking for a 2 bed 1 bath house to rent or puchase, send out my info. It would sure be nice to have it filled or sold soon!!
I will try to post more pictures soon.
All our love,
Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Ethan is 5 weeks Old & Jakob is teething again!

2009-02-20T14:40:00.004-05:00

We have been spending a lot of time at home lately. The boys are both doing well. Ethan is growing and eating. He doesn't sleep as much as he used too. Which is good and bad. Some days he is awake most of the day and some nights he is awake most of the night. Jakob is doing well. His top front teeth are finally all the way through. He is now working on a moeler (not sure how to spell it, but you get the idea) or 2. He has a fever and broke into a rash. He gnaws on his fingers all day. Hopefully they will come through quick.

Check out my top 2 teeth.

Hope everyone is doing well.

We will post again soon.

Love,

Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Ethan's Hospital Photos Arrived!

2009-02-11T19:10:00.002-05:00

We received Ethan's Hospital Photos. They took them the last day he was there. Thought you would enjoy seeing it.Enjoy!

Love,
Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

A Day At the Park!

2009-02-10T13:26:00.006-05:00

Feb. 10 and 57 degrees in Michigan. It doesn't happen every year. Today we took advantage of the nice weather and headed to Timber Town. Well, it wasn't really a day at the park. It was more like 45 mins. It was beautiful, quite windy, but warm. Jakob loved the mud puddles and the snow that was left at the park. Here are some fun pictures of our time there. Ethan slept the whole time in his seat. Grandma stayed by Ethan to make sure he was OK.

I on the other hand ran after Jakob. It isn't an easy job, but it was fun.

Can't wait for more warm weather to take the boys out.

Hope you all enjoyed your day as much as we did.

Lots of Love,

Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

3 Weeks Old Today!

2009-02-05T13:32:00.005-05:00

Brotherly Love - as good as we can get for a 16 month old and a 3 week old. Jakob is starting to adjust to Ethan. He helps me feed him and wipes his mouth. A bit rough, but he is learning. We set them together in the bean bag chair today. We got 1 OK photo. Ethan was not to happy himself.Then Jakob decides enough and pulls his arm and stands up. It went better than expecting. However probably won't get another one for a while, unless they are both sleeping. Ethan went to work with me for a few hours this week. He slept by Papa the whole time. He is not ready to start training yet, but he did good at sleeping.

Thank you to everyone who follows our blog. It is fun to keep updating and showing pictures of the boys. We love to read all your comments to. The comments are definately inspiration to keep updating. Thank you!

All our love,

Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

What a Beautiful Day!

2009-02-03T16:04:00.002-05:00

It was a beautiful day. The sun was out a good chunk of the day with just a few snow flurries this afternoon. The sun really makes us look forward to spring.

Ethan and I went to work this morning for a few hours. He slept by papa most of the time. Rick was home with Jakob, they had fun watching movies, playing toys and drinking smoothies.

This afternoon we went to the doctor with Ethan. He is now 19" long and weighs 6 lbs. He gained about 12 oz's in 6 days. The doctor is very happy with his progress. We don't have to go back for 2 months. Yea!

We are doing great.
All our love,
Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Hanging Out at Home!

2009-02-01T12:25:00.003-05:00

We have been spending a lot of time at home trying to keep both the boys healthy. We took Jakob out on Friday night for a night out. He had fun. Other than that, we have been watching lots of movies and playing with toys. Good thing we have a lot of toys to keep us busy.
Jakob now has this 4th tooth in. He seems to be working on the eye teeth now, as he is continuing to knaw on everything.
Here are some fun pictures of what we have been up too.

We did take Ethan for his 1st outing to Target. Grandma and GG came along. It was an adventure. The boys did great.

Ethan goes back to the doctor on Tuesday for another check up. He seems to be doing great and is eating like a Champ!

Happy February!

We will post again soon.

All our love,

Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Doctor's Update #2

2009-01-28T19:17:00.002-05:00

Back to the doctor today.
Ethan gained 2 1/2 oz's. He is now 5 lbs 3 1/2 ozs. He also gained another 1/4 inch, bringing him to 18 3/4". He is trying to catch up to his brother quickly.

We had a great weekend with Rick home. We didn't get many pictures as most of the weekend was trying to get some things done around the house and caught up on some sleep.

Everyone is doing well here.
We will work on more pictures soon.
Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Doctor's Update!

2009-01-23T15:34:00.002-05:00

Today Ethan went to the doctor. He grew a 1/2". He is now 18 1/2" inches. Trying to take after Jakob already. He hasn't gained any weight yet. He is 5 lbs and 1 oz. He still has 4 more oz's to get up to birth weight. The doctor doesn't seemed concern. We are just going back in for a check up next week. I expect that we will be there often. He is doing well considering all.

Jakob is doing good too. He went to play at his friend Sydney's today for a few hours. He is starting to take more interest in Ethan, especially when he cries.

We are home for the weekend. Looking forward to it. Should be able to get some more pics.

All our love,
Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Home At Last!

2009-01-22T15:20:00.004-05:00

Last night went well! Jakob slept great, Ethan not so much. Mom got about 4 hours of interuppted sleep. Hoping for maybe 4 1/2 tonight. :-). Overall we are doing good. Jakob is adjusting well. Today he tried to kiss Ethan it was very cute. No pics of that, Hands full making sure he only kissed him and nothing else. Grandma and GG were over today to play and help out.
Here are a few photos of the past week. Jakob has his own swing at GG's house. He loves it.

Grandpa came to the hospital to see Ethan. Mom had to sneek in the picture.

Jakob at Grandma's house. Just running around.

We gave Ethan a bath at the hospital before we headed home.

It really woke him up.

Here is my hand compared to the size of Ethan's body.

Aunt Mary came to visit before we came home.

Everyone is doing great. I am hoping to get some more pictures of Jakob and Ethan together. It is difficult to get Jakob to sit at all. Hopefully over the weekend.

Thank you for all the prayers, we appreciate all the love and support.

Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

My Brother's Home!

2009-01-21T19:02:00.003-05:00

Welcome Home Ethan!
Today we took Ethan home from the hospital. We are all home tonight and doing well. I am starting to adjust, I have been getting into everything. I have been a bit naughty too, but I am just trying my mom and dad. Ginger has been barking alot, I think she is jealous of baby Ethan.
Mom said we will post some pictures tomorrow. It has been a long day and we are all very tired. We are headed to bed after we feed Ethan.

All My Love
Jakob

Jakob has been adjusting really well so far. We will see what tomorrow brings.
Ethan came home doing great. We go back to the doctor on Friday.
More pics tomorrow.
Love,
Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Update on the Boys!

2009-01-20T19:17:00.003-05:00

Here is the news for Tuesday.

Jakob is doing well. He is missing his dog Ginger very much. We are going to pick her up tonight. He walks around the house going Rah Rah! He is also cutting his 4th tooth. So he hasn't been in the best of moods today. Hopefully it will come through quick now, since it is so close to the surface.

Ethan is also doing great. He is eating what he should be. They are talking coming home in the next few days. They are monitoring a few things, but everything is headed in the right direction. Maybe Thursday if we are lucky! The hospital has been great, but it is not home.

We will let you know what we find out tomorrow.
Have a great night.
Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Day 5 of Ethan's Life!

2009-01-19T15:25:00.003-05:00

Today is Monday. Jakob went to play at Graphix this morning while Rick & I met with the doctors. Ethan is doing well. He needs to work on eating more. He is taking the bottle very good, but is still not eating enough at each feeding. They are hoping to have him to 50 ml in the next 2 days. So far he is 40 2x's today which is good. They are going to be doing some more lab work just to keep an eye on things. He is a little more awake than what he has been. They are very happy with his progress. Hoping by the weekend to maybe have him home. Jakob came to meet his little brother yesterday it was an interesting experience. He was very jealous, but did fine. Today he came again for a few minutes. A little at a time, maybe he will get used to the concept. We will see.

We meet with the doctors at 10'clock again tomorrow, so more information then.

Enjoy the pics.

Have a great day.

Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Mom's Home!

2009-01-17T17:51:00.002-05:00

Today was a great day. I am starting to get my energy back. We spent alot of time with Ethan today. He is up to eating 1 oz every 3 hours. He is taking it from the bottle each time. Jakob is back home with us. He had a great time at Grandpa & Grandma's. They looked pretty tired when they brought him home tonight. Last night he had them up every 1/2 hour. They are looking forward to more sleep tonight. Needless to say I will get much less. I am so glad to have him home though. We are already are playing toys and they are all over the house. This picture was taken last week as he is posing with his new slippers.Ethan had a great day today.

Papa returned back from out of town, so Nana & Papa came to visit today.

Rick and I spent some great time with Ethan.

I want to get back to play with Jakob. We will update more tomorrow after spending more time with Ethan and Jakob too. Hoping to get Jakob to the hospital again. We will see. You know his attention span is about 0, however he would love all the plugs in the nursery!!

Thanks again for all your prayers. Our God is amazing.

All our love,

Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

Quick Update!

2009-01-17T03:32:00.002-05:00

During the night Ethan has had 2 bottles on his own. So he is starting to understand what to do.
They are cutting back his IV fluids and will continue to work on feeding him on the bottle. They are hoping to have him off his IV this afternoon. They will keep the needle in his hand, just in case they need to hook him back. So far he is progressing well. Better than Rick and I had expected.
Back to sleep.
Mandi

Pictures!

2009-01-16T16:55:00.004-05:00

Here are the long awaited pictures of Ethan. We thought we would start with this nice picture. It was taken earlier today before he was hooked up to his feeding tube. Ethan has been doing great today. We were able to hold him and start to change his diapers (Rick got the dirty one) and change his clothes. He is on a feeding tube as he has not developed his suck reflex yet. He is also still on IV for the Nutrition that he needs.
Here is the 1st picture after he was born. We were able to hold him here for about 20 secs before they took him to get hooked up in the nursery. It looks like a sad picture here, but everything really helped him. Great Grandma came to visit today. He was doing great so we could get her in to hold him. He is resting in his little bed here.

Here is his home until he is ready to come home. It is 80 degrees in his cuddy.

Grandma came to visit too today.

Proud daddy doing great.

Missing Jakob in the family photo, but there are way too many plugs to unplug in the nursery. It would be very hazerdous to have him there right now. He did get to look at Ethan through the window.

Just resting in his bed.

Hoping I can go home tomorrow, it would be great to sleep in my own bed. Also I miss Jakob very much. However he is having lots of fun at Grandmas.

We will continue to post through the weekend.

Thanks again for all your support. Sorry it took so long to get you pictures.

Enjoy them.

Lots of Love,

Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

3:00 AM and Can't sleep!

2009-01-16T03:15:00.002-05:00

Believe it or not I actually slept quite a bit on delivery day, so I am awake very early.

Things are still going well. They took Ethan off from the Cpap machine and he is breathing good. He is not tolerating the bottle feeding yet, but he is getting his nutrition on the IV. We will go see him in a while when Rick wakes up.

Rick is actually getting a full nights rest tonight. 1st night in a week. He is sleeping in the chair right next to me. I really like having him here. In addition the chair is much softer than my bed, so he doesn't mind. I tried to trade, but he thought I should have the bed. He is doing great though.

My mom took Jakob up to see us last night. He wasn't sure what was going on, but was happy to see us. I miss him a bunch, but hopefully will be home with him on Sat. Jakob is having fun at Grandma's though.

I am doing well. Feeling rested and ready for 1 more relaxing day at the hospital today before it is back home and then back and forth to visit with Ethan.

Thanks again everyone for all your prayers and comments. We really enjoy reading them.
I will hopefully get pictures up today. Sorry about the delay.
All our love,
Rick, Mandi, Jakob & Ethan

WELCOME ETHAN THOMAS BROWER!

2009-01-15T19:00:00.003-05:00

Good news today.
January 15, 2009 At 12:15 Ethan Thomas was born. He is 5 lbs 5 ozs. He weighed a bit more than what they expected, so that is really good. He is 18 inches long. He did really well during labor. Mom did alright too.

Ethan is under close care right now. He is doing fine. He has a Cpap on to help his lungs push the air in and out. He is also on IV for nurtrition. He will probably be here for a while. The cord was wrapped around his neck once and the doctor took care of that quick. My doctor didn't get to deliver today as she was home sick with her kids. Dr. Kraus delivered and was great.

Hopefully I will be able to get home on Saturday, but we will be back often hoping to hold Ethan and help him grow.

I only held him for about 20 seconds today and then they hooked him up, so not much bonding yet. I don't have my camera cord here, so hopefully I will get that tomorrow. Then I will get some pictures posted.

Thank you so much for all the prayers and thoughts, we really appreciate all the support we had.

All our love,
Rick, Mandi, Jakob, & Ethan

Big Day Today!

2009-01-14T17:45:00.000-05:00

Today has been a big day. We started out with a doctor's appointment for Jakob at the health Department. He has taken his TB medicine everyday for the past 8 months. Today starts month 9. He officially had his last appointment with his nurse today. We have seen her every month since June. After he finishes this bottle he is done. Yea. It will be such a relief to not worry about that pill. It is very stressful getting him to take it.

I had an ultrasound today and we were able to get some measurements. I started typing this as I was waiting for the doctor to call. Doctor Called gotta go.

Ok it is now a few hours later and we are at the hospital. Baby is under weight. Still 3 lb and 10 - 15 ozs. So my doctor wants to deliver. We are sitting waiting for her to come in. We got here about 3 pm and it is currently 5:45. Hopefully we will have another update yet tonight. Otherwise should have some news tomorrow.
She has me hooked up to the monitors right now everything is looking good.

Stay tuned for more fun.
Lots of Love,
Mandi, Rick & Jakob

More Christmas Pictures!

2009-01-13T12:12:00.001-05:00

Here are some more fun pictures from Christmas. ENJOY!

Mom's appointments are still going well at the doctor. We should get all new baby measurements at the ultrasound tomorrow. Otherwise nothing new.

Love,

Jakob

Play Time!

2009-01-07T15:09:00.003-05:00

The past few weeks I have spent many hours playing with my new toys. This is my new inflatable car. It came with plastic balls. I have a lot of fun with it. I can't wait to take it outside in the summer. Mom said I can maybe fill it with water. I love to swim.

We have been spending a lot of time at home lately. Mom's doctor said she had to sit more, so I get to play and watch Baby Einstein alot. I will let her tell you about what her doctor said.

Here's Mom!

Just before Christmas we were sensing some trouble with the movement of the baby. We have been through different tests and my doctor has showed a little concern on the growth of the baby. In short her thoughts are that the baby is not getting enough blood flow, due to my high activity with work, Jakob etc, etc. So I am under strict survellance with a NST test 2x's per week and an ultrasound every week. Since working 1/2 days and having to sit all the time, the tests have been going well. Just before Christmas the baby weighed only 3 lbs 15 oz. So she is hoping to get that here in the next couple weeks. That way if she senses too much stress on the baby she will feel more comfortable about taking it early. A NST is a test that is performed in the doctors office. I just have to be hooked up to a monitor for 1/2 hour. They monitor the baby's movement and heart beat. With the ultrasound they measure different things each time. Last time they measured the fluid around the baby, the blood flow through the cord and the heartbeat. Overall things are coming along and we are doing Ok. The tests have come back good, so we are just taking it one day at a time right now.

We will keep you posted.

Back to playing.

All our love,

Jakob, Mandi & Rick

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-30T17:40:00.007-05:00

Here is the story of our Christmas! We finally did get a family picture. No smile, but who would smile at a camera when no one is standing behind it. Jakob enjoyed playing with all of his cousins during Christmas.

He liked spending extra time with mom and dad too.
He really enjoyed opening his presents and all of his fun gifts.

Christmas Morning we went to Grandma M. He had to help mix breakfast. He loves to pull all of the dishes out of the cupboards.

Sneaking a peak before the present is all the way open.

Here he says "Dad I sit on the potty just like you!"

Christmas was sure fun. Thank you everyone for the cool toys and clothes. We are looking forward to a restful New Years this weekend. We will probably have more pictures to post playing with all of the new toys.

Merry Christmas Everyone and Happy New Year!

All our Love,

Rick, Mandi & Jakob

Family Fun!

2008-12-23T18:40:00.003-05:00

Last night we had another fun Christmas Party! We went to my GREAT Aunt Mary's House! We had a fun time. I spent time with all the ladies. I like giving them kisses. That is my GREAT aunt Myra that I am giving a kiss too. There was really good food and lots of fun.

My papa and I played some ball. I showed him some moves and he showed me some moves.

My GREAT grandpa and GREAT aunt Marcia joined us for some fun at the hoop. We had to be careful not to spill the drinks. I had already tipped over 3 that night.There was this really cool race game, I really liked to play. This is my uncle Nate and I driving the car.

Daddy and I drove for a long time too. Daddy says I drive like mom. Mom and I took that as a compliment. That we drive very well. Dad really thought otherwise.

It started to get late, so mom dressed me in my Christmas PJ's before we left. What fun. Of course I sat in the center of the circle. Boxes are my favorite.
Thanks GREAT Uncle Vern & GREAT Aunt Mary for having us to your house. It was very fun. Merry Christmas!

All my love,

Jakob

Looking forward to Christmas Eve tomorrow. I actually have a doctor's appointment so we will see what is new. Another Christmas party tomorrow night.

Rick is hoping to get some sleep as he has been plowing ALL the time. We do have fun riding with him. Jakob just sleeps in his car seat.

Merry Christmas!

All our love,

Rick & Mandi

Catching Up on Christmas!

2008-12-17T19:54:00.002-05:00

Last week Jakob had his 1st Christmas Party we were by Great Grandma's House. Jakob loved helping her open the presents. Tonight we went to the mall to see Santa. Jakob would not sit by Santa. He was very interested in him, but wouldn't leave mom. We had fun.

Nothing else new at home. We are just getting ready for Christmas.

More Christmas pictures coming soon.

Merry Christmas,

Mandi, Rick, & Jakob

Winter Fun At Grandpa & Grandma's!

2008-12-07T14:05:00.004-05:00

Yesterday my mom and dad had to go away, so I spent the morning at my Grandpa & Grandma's. I had pancakes for breakfast - yum, yum. Then I bundled up and went to play outside in my new sled. I had so much fun. Check out these cool pictures. I really like to play in the snow. It is good to eat too.

In the afternoon I went to Nana & Papas and played with my cousins. Then Mom and Dad picked me up and we went snow plowing. It was so fun, I fell asleep in the truck and didn't wake up for 1 1/2 hours. I slept the whole time dad plowed. Mom says that I should go with dad every morning. I sleep better in the truck than in bed.

Have a great week, we will post more later. We have our 1st Christmas Party on Friday. Should be fun.

Lots of Love,

Jakob, Mom & Dad