Things have been nutty around here. I cannot process or organize my feelings, thoughts, ideas ... or anything at all really. I guess I am going to try, I just don't know that it will land well. Play along if you'd like.
Troy took me to that crazy spa place. I need to clarify right off the bat that these are my issues, so don't bother thinking I am judging anyone else. I am not.The place was crazy nice. I have been to that kind of place one other time in MN and this was nicer. It is inside the new hotel in Petionville called Karibe - the hotel has only been open since the end of February. (It beats The Montana any day.) I have never had a pedicure before or a facial, I got to have both on Thursday. I know it is because of my ODSOJ (over-developed sense of justice) that I felt so crazy in there. I was trying to focus on just having fun, being treated like some sort of queen/royalty person ... I kept reminding myself that Troy wanted me to have fun, planned the birthday gift, etc, ... but the ODSOJ kept dragging me back to thinking of the ladies carrying water on their heads in the heat outside and of Jeronne and the other ladies out here in LaDigue and all over Haiti (and the world).
I am pretty sure they would die if they saw that you can pay someone money to wash your face for you and scrub your toes. Seriously. Some people get pedicures and some people wonder where the will find the money to buy a cup of rice to feed their skinny orange haired kid. It makes my tummy hurt I tell you. I was telling Troy all of these crazy thoughts after he picked me up -- and I just cried it out. He was not offended at the tears and seemed to get why I thought it was an irreconcilable thing. Troy said I should bring Jeronne there sometime -- but I really wonder if she would even believe it was real??? Air conditioning, music, robes, aromatherapy, a billion choices of products ... I don't know. I would think it risky to take her there... but the weirdest part is ... I don't give a darn if wealthy women choose to go there once a week or every day -- does not bother me at all --- I don't care if you get to go, do it up! - I only care if *I* get to go -- but most others do not. I guess I am a socialist now or something. It just bugs me.
All in all, I will say that I look at least 3.2378 years younger after that facial, and my heels have less callous-type material on them now too. Below is the fancy restaurant at the hotel. Their food was killer good. The entire experience was alternate reality.
We claimed we would decide something about a house ... some house - by last Friday ... but we lied. Instead we kissed and spoke to one another without yelling over children - and we did so, at great length. 
Plus, the owner would not deal on it with us on our time schedule - it is almost like we are foreigners in a foreign land or something! We are meeting with the owner of the house pictured below on THURSDAY.That is the house we think we want. He says he wants us to have it and that he will "negotiate" with us on price. We hope that is truly what goes down come Thursday. It has four bedrooms and some funny Haiti quirks - but is incredibly clean and nice. Again, with the ODSOJ -- this seems wrong ... but you know -- I don't think we would last in a mud hut either. Props to real missionaries that do. 
We did some appliance shopping. Thanks to some of you (and a shout out to you - you know who you are) for helping us with those up-front costs. As it turns out, appliance shopping in Haiti can be somewhat ... how shall we say ... frustrating !!Troy called the people in the know and they directed him to the same two places - at one place you walk up to a refrigerator and say, "How much for this one?" The salesperson will either calculate the price based on some mythical formula unbeknownst to the customer OR the salesperson will say, "It should have a price on it. But it is not available yet." Um. Okay. Not priced or not available. Work with me on that. So, like ... it is free? Out of stock? Or? "No, we did not price it yet so you cannot buy it yet." OH-- OH, I see. Well that makes PERFECT sense. I bet you really move a ton of stock out of here with that approach.
We only priced, no buying ... but we've gathered as many facts as Haiti will allow for the time being.
Speaking of TIH ... below you'll find proof that things are officially getting nutty here now too. In a country where politics (elections) and democracy have floundered -- we're promoting an election/candidate in another country. Did you put Preval '06 stickers on your car two years ago? I sure hope so. ;)
Below, Britt and Chris (formerly known on this blog as Baywatch) - since we're slowly adjusting to the fact that we will become the dreaded in-laws -- we thought we better post a photo of the boy. 
These two love-birds will both be at Baylor beginning fall semester. We are old. Very old. Troy told me so right after my facial too. :( Here they are in a tap-tap headed to the market on Saturday.
More TIH. Marvel at and enjoy this marketing genius - a display at the local grocery store. Who does not love a bag of totally smashed Tostitos?? - laid flat for emphasis on the smashedness. (We eat our chips off of a spoon - spoon full of chips, spoon full of salsa. Voila!) 
Sunday we went to the prayer rock for "family church" which is mainly just Troy and his guitar, a couple songs, prayer time and me yelling at Noah and Isaac to sit still and listen. Noah can make a sport out of interrupting prayer time ... throwing rocks at goats, looking for bugs ... poking at Isaac - whatever ... all of that is far more interesting than THE LORD to him. His Dad needs to work with him a bit. ;)After that we spent the day trying to catch up on office work and started packing some boxes. That feels odd. Most of you have probably had the great fortune of moving at least once or twice in your life. We have done our fair share of moving too. (Thanks for all the free-backs Mom and Dad!) This time around should prove to be a bit different. We have never moved with seven kids in the developing world in the hottest month of the year near the equator. At least we're keeping up our track record of worst-case-weather-scenarios - We moved out of our MN house for the renter on December 21, 2005. Then we lost the renter and had to move out to sell it once and for all in December of 2007.
So, if your name is Livesay and you are going to move --- you have choices:
A. Minnesota in late December
or
B. Haiti in late August
or
C. Both in the period of 9 months because you are that stupid.
