Still alive!

Blogging fell somehow to the wayside in the last few months as we moved into our house, Jeremy started his Foreign Service training, and we contemplated the real meaning of impending parenthood ...

With each week, the house looks less box fort and more home sweet home. On June 8, we will find out where we are heading next (and when!). Options literally range the world, from a number of dusty Mexican border towns to Casablanca to Antananarivo to Moscow to Manila to Beijing. I'm hoping we'll get to stick around for at least another eight months, if not a year. If that happens, we may get our house into good enough shape to post pictures eventually.

Jeremy's Peace Corps class from Armenia had their five-year reunion over Memorial Day weekend. It was a fun, if exhausting time. I think many will agree that this was the highlight of the weekend:


That would be Jeremy, getting down with the belly dancer at Marrakesh restaurant in DC. Lacking a real camera, I had to use my cell phone to capture these images. You get the general idea. I unfortunately missed Jeremy's shimmy - for sure the best part of the dance.

Big news x 2

Seems we've got two bits of major news to share.

News the first ...

God willing, the traveling Richarts will be blessed with a new addition come late September! I'm about 16 weeks pregnant and finally over much of the morning sickness (all of which Jeremy conveniently missed). The little one currently bears the name "Figlet," though we are pretty sure that will change once he/she becomes an outside baby. At the moment, we believe it's a boy, though we don't plan to find out the gender ahead of time.

News the second ...

Jeremy has accepted an offer to join the Foreign Service. He'll start his training in mid-May and we should be overseas again within about a year. We can't wait to see his bid list; if things haven't changed in the five years since I did my orientation training, he should get it on the first day of class.

Now I just have to wait, somewhat impatiently, for two and a half more weeks until Jeremy comes home.

Kabobs and Rain

We recently took a trip around the PRT to visit some projects. It was raining, but we were still able to stop and get some kabobs at a local restaurant. They make the best pepper kabobs in the area.



Just remember: Mud and Rain probably don't mix. Good luck guys!

Tony Soprano arrives in Panjshir

Where Tony Soprano can be found after HBO canceled the show: In Panjshir. The PRT team with the Governor, Haji Bahlol.

Myself and Tony Soprano

Flight out of the Valley

All Kitted up!

My Ride!!

Love the smog line

Just like coming over the mountains in the LA

An isolated village up at 8000 feet. Damn cold up there.