This is me getting my Flag. The lady who gave me my flag is Susan H. Swart.


This is the 86th Class of the State Department's Foreign Service Specialist. This took place October 7, 2005. Henriette H. Fore administered the Oath of Office to us.

Here is Lola and Uncle Bill's new house. Nice place. There was a lot of fog in the morning. It made for a pleasent day though.


Here is a the house from a differnt angle. See the cute porches.


Here is Jacob sitting on the bench at the side of the house overlooking the rather breathtaking valley they live in.


Here is Jessica behind the house. You can see the little shed they have out back.


Here is a picture of the house from way at the far end of the property. You can see all the work that Lola has put into the landscaping.


Here I am with Jacob, Mildred (Lola) and Jessica. Just call me the Jolly Green Giant. That is the valley that Lola's home overlooks.


Here is Jacob, Marilou, Lola and Jessica at Lola's work. This place is amazing. It is a special club you pay 50,000 us dollors to join. Basic membership afords you use of the golf course and a myriad of other things to do. Milred works in the spa doing nails and other various beauty things. Look at the scene behind them. Is that a runway I see . . . on top of a mountain. Well let me just sign right up. . . .now where did I put my 50g's?


Jessica and Jacob are playing one of the kids play areas at MountainAir. Nice tree house!


Jessica is taking it easy in the hammock there at the kids treehouse. Like I said WHAT A CLUB!


Well that was Fun. Here are the kids in the back of Lola's SUV ready to go back and have some more fun at Lola's house. Where the rates are much more reasonable and the cooking rocks.


So once we got back we took a hike, Lola showed us the new development in her neighborhood. Along the way the developer has 'improved' the little creek that runs down the hill. See the cute waterwheel behind Jacob. Are they not all just amazingly cute people? I am truly blessed to have them a part of my life.


Here is the love of my life at the fish pond just below Lola's place. Quite the beautiful scene, on MANY levels.

Officially an official.

 
This is Myself, Marilou, Jessica and Jacob in the John Quincy Adams State Drawing Room.

Today I have been sworn in to the Foreign Service.

I, Jared Stokes Do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the Umited States, against all enemies foreign and domestic, That I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same, That I take this obligation freely and without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, That I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter, So help me God.

Here is the main entrance to the Harry S. Truman building of the State department. This building is also known as Main State. 


Here we are in the same lobby with all the Flags of the contries that the U.S.A. has diplomatic relations with. We are actually standing below the flag of China. 


Here I am addressing my class in the Benjamin Franklin State Dining Room. Ok I was not REALLY addressing the class offically. I was just having fun in this VERY huge VERY elegant room.  


Here is Marilou and the kids in the Thomas Jefferson State Reception Room. 


This is the device that holds the Great Seal of the United States. They use this to emboss the seal onto offical papers. This machine is over 150 years old and is still the only machine used to do the imprinting. Amazing! 

Beijing, China

Well this is going to be our first post. I can hardly believe it.

Beijing, China.

Here is a list of places I can choose from for my first post.

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Algiers, Algeria
Athens, Greece
Beijing, China
Bogota, Colombia
Caracas, Venezuela
Chengdu, China
Chennai, India
Geneva, Switzerland
Kiev, Ukraine
Luanda, Angola
Mumbai, India
Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
Port Louis, Mauritius
Pretoria, South Africa
Vienna, Austria

Let me know what you guys think.

I have just made the biggest, craziest choice of my life. I have join up with the State department. I am not talking about the State of Arizona nor am I talking about the State of Utah. I mean http://www.state.gov/.  


They asked us how we wanted to get there. We decided to take our own car. The only stop we made was in Liberty, Missouri.

That is right we visited liberty jail. I have always held a special place in my heart for the 122 section of the Doctrine and Covenants. But this tour cemented what I have always known. Joseph Smith is a Prophet of God. 


I hope that this choice I have made to drag my family all over the world is a good idea. At least for now we have never felt closer. 


I love Marilou, Jessica and Jacob more then I can express in any form. I hope they will be safe as they stand by me, where ever it may be.