So Much To Do, So Little Time

This weekend I got my Brazilian citizenship and passport! So now I am a dual citizen. The Brazilian Consulate had like a traveling consulate so I had to hurry and do it all this weekend, and it was crazy. I got there ten minutes before it opened and I still had to wait for two hours. I'm glad it's over with though, because now I am a legit Brazilian. Once I did that I called my stake president to tell him it was resolved and he told me I could now leave two weeks earlier or a month later. I chose to go two weeks early! I also am only staying at the MTC for 10-12 days. Missionaries are now reporting Wednesdays and Thursdays since there are so many of us and I get to be one of the weirdie Thursday ones. Exciting times people, exciting times. So I wanted to compile a list of fun things I want to do.

• Go to Disneyland one more time. I don't even care that I've been 4 times within the past year.
• Go camping.
• Have a legit tea party.
• Go tubing at the lake. 
• Go to the beach
• Watch all my favorite movies.
• Go to concerts. So far I am going to T Swift.

That's all I can think of for now. There are important things I should do too. Like get my typhoid fever & yellow fever shot, get shoes, luggage, read Preach My Gospel twenty more times, etc. I am confident I'll get it done though.

Now for some great things people have said:

-I talked to an old friend that I hadn't talked to for a while and he pretty much worships Lady Gaga. I know, she is the literal worst, but to each their own. He said the following in our conversation:
"You're my Mormon Lady Gaga haha." I was equally flattered and amused.

-Alexis Wilkins on the dad from Good Luck Charlie: "I like bald. He looks hot.".... what!?!? No. Just stop Alexis.

The institute posse on the last day of class. I love them.

-When we took this picture Brother Wold asked to look at it. He says " I look good. Like really good!" He then turns to me and says "You look okay."

- "Jonathan, remember that one time I slept in your bed? Well I didn't sleep on it, I laid there. It was more like I just crawled on it"- Alison

Some Funny Things People Around Me Have Said

Laura proudly walks in: "Tiff, I have a crush on Harry Styles."
Me: "Oh cool, me too!"
Laura: "No Tiff, I have a crush on Harry."
Me: "Uhm, okay. Well can I like him too?"
Laura: "No."
Me: "Oh. Okay."

A kid we met that just got back from his mission talking about sisters gaining weight: "Some sisters would get to the mission and be cute, and by the end , it was just like, what happened? All I'm saying is, don't let go of yourselves."

Will as we were driving and listening to "The A Team" by Ed Sheeran: "YES!!! This is my favorite song about cocaine and prostitutes!"

Will: "When you leave on your mission, I am telling everyone you got deported to Brazil."

Levi: " I don't eat when Brenda isn't around."
Me: "So you are like anorexic?"
Levi: " No, it is my Brenda diet"

#brevi

This a blog titled after my favorite couple (Brenda+Levi=celebrity couple name=brevi). Did you know I started #brevi and it is now an actual thing? Like people will actually refer to them as Brevi which kind of brings me joy. As aforementioned in the previous blog post they were option A) thisclosetobeingengaged. They got engaged on Monday night! Which further proves my point of all my friends being married,because I'm a psychic genius, duh. They are getting married a little after I leave, but don't worry folks because they are going to have a cardboard cut out of me. Rachie is in charge of lugging me around. Which is cool. I hope people will hangout with cardboard cut out me because they miss me or something. That would also be cool. Anyways I am SO SO happy for them.

 Levi's idea was for Brenda to fake flip me off. Brenda never would though because she is clearly a saint.

What the, Brenda is getting married.

Levi just taking a selfie instead of taking pictures of us.

 Brenda attacking Jason because he was taking bad pictures

Our institute teacher Brother Wold getting his retirement cake. Him and his wife are serving a mission in Uganda which is way cool! This picture makes me LOL.

#lunch (Jason is not pictured because we hate him. Just kidding we don't)

Also let's talk about how Jason told me if I were an animal I would be a macaw. To which I responded that macaws are ugly. To which Levi started to say no I would be a mediocre macaw but changed it when he realized that was a bad statement. To which Zach said in his weirdest voice, "Show us your beak". I prefer to think that my spirit animal would be something cool. Like a unicorn. Or a narwhal. 

GOTTA GET DOWN ON FRIDAY

So I have 16 blog views from someone in Germany. Here is my question: Who are you German? Are you a kind soul? Are you devising a plan to take me like in the movie "Taken"? Because I don't think I would appreciate that really. Plus, my dad would probably find you just like in "Taken". Anyways, if you aren't trying to kidnap me/stalk me/kill me, then read away. Today is Friday! Yahoo, finally! In celebration I bought myself new pillow shams and an ice cream sandwich. Me and the ice cream sandwich man used to be besties because I used to get two red velvet cookies with vanilla ice cream in the middle every single Thursday. I haven't gone in a month or two though, so he acted like I was a stranger today. It was kind of sad. On a random note, I am convinced everyone I know is getting married. The only three that are for sure not getting married are Alison, Sheridan, and Reagan because they are going on missions. Everyone else is either A) thisclosetobeingengaged B) going to Hawaii C) Already married or D) Highly probable to get married within 18 months. My plan is to come home and get myself one of these:

                                 (Whitney Hansen's dog. This is so creepy I stole this picture, but I love her dog)


OR

Look at it.

OR 

BABY GOATS! But I would give it away to a petting zoo when it stopped being a baby

Also, can we discuss this whole liking baby gurl teenz pictures that say super cheesy or stupid quotes on facebook? So dumb.

This is what I am talking about^^^^^^. Except the bottom one is great. This one is the most puke worthy:

WHAT IS THIS CRAP?

April Fools

The title of this blog is totally misleading because it has absolutely nothing to do with April Fools. Except I will say this, on the video of when I got my wisdom teeth out and I am high as a kite, I definitely say that they take out my teeth and are like April Fools your teeth are gone. It was definitely January 31st and not April 1st then. So this week is conference! Which I am so excited about. I remember being 8 and trying to fall asleep during conference because I was bored and that was the only way to get out of watching it. What a great child I was. Now I can't wait for conference and I really look forward to it. Two of my sweet friends Sarah and Tori had a fantastic idea to prepare for conference. They are the best girls ever, and I love them. http://generalconferenceprep2013.blogspot.com/2013/03/a-time-to-prepare-general-conference.html?spref=fb . Basically, all week you prepare to hear what the Lord wants our prophets to teach us and guide us in. I know that President Monson and the apostles are men called of God, and that the Lord reveals to them what he would have us know. To really get out the most we can out of conference, we should try and have the Spirit more present in our everyday lives. Sometimes, we become to wrapped up in the world around us. I am excited for a break in media because I feel as if I have been way too connected lately. Too much facebook, too much instagram, too much snapchat. So I deleted those apps from my phone to not even  be notified or tempted, and this blog post is my last recreational use of the internet. I think that media can sometimes really cause us to become too caught up in it and we lose sight of what is most important. I look forward to getting rid of it for the week, and just slowing it down and having more time to focus on important things. Sarah and Tori's idea is the best, and it couldn't have come at a better time for me. I am going through the temple this Friday. Not only does this awesome conference preparation prepare me for conference, but also for the temple by drawing close to the Savior. I really encourage all 3 of you who read my blog to unplug and really try and prepare yourself. When we do wholesome things like this, we are able to more aptly feel and listen to the promptings of the Spirit. Hey just ask the girl who looked like an idiot as she was bawling to "I Know That My Redeemer Lives" on her way to work. Happy conference week!

Mission, YO!

So we are in the single digits people. 99 days until I leave for Brazil. This makes me equally excited and freaked out. I'd like to share how I knew I was supposed to go on a mission. The decision to go on a mission wasn't a super simple one like it was for some girls. Some girls watched conference and knew right away they were supposed to go. Or there were girls who had wanted to serve their whole lives so the announcement was perfect.  I was never turned off to the idea of going, but I never was like, yes I am going once I'm 21. My opinion was when I get to 21 and if I'm not married, I'll make that decision. Let's be honest though, I was kind of hoping I'd be married by then. Mormon girl problems, seriously. When the announcement happened, this is what went through my head : HOLY COW THIS DECISION I WASN'T PLANNING ON MAKING FOR ANOTHER TWO YEARS IS HERE. So I watched conference, then watched President Monson's address again later that night and prayed to know whether or not I should go. The Spirit works in many different ways. It isn't always some huge manifestation or super grand experience. Sometimes it is just the feeling of peace, or that makes sense. That's what I had. After watching it again, I thought, why not? That makes sense. What greater thing could you do than go on a mission? Not only would I be serving the Lord and others, but I was excited for the growth and desire to always do good that comes with a mission. However, I regret to say that within the week, I talked myself out of it. My thoughts were: oh my gosh that is so scary, you are halfway through school and you have a full ride scholarship, a mission is so hard, your family won't be a huge fan of that, I think I will choke when teaching people and just be awkward., I don't want to be doing this because everyone else is, is it more me just wanting to go then an actual answer, I want to do study abroad in England. So I regret to say that as the week passed, I talked myself out of it. DON'T DO THAT! Seriously, don't ignore a prompting when you know you've had it! Remember what you felt. So a month went by, and suddenly I started thinking about going again. This time it didn't seem so scary and I could see myself going. I wanted to go! I was still really keen on going for the right reasons and being 100% sure that it was I was supposed to do. After praying, fasting, and reading my patriarchal blessing, I just knew. I also knew that I knew it all along. That was the first week of December. I do want to add though, that the day after I made my decision and I felt so good about it, I started freaking out again. All these silly little worries started flooding in for the next week, but I absolutely knew I was supposed to go. There was no denying it! I think that Satan tries really hard to work on you and have you do contrary to what the Lord wants. I think that it's one of the times where I actually felt Satan working on me. I am going to link a talk by Elder Holland that I didn't read until after this whole debacle,but it was perfect for the situation and brought me a lot of peace to the way I felt. The rest is history I guess. I am going to Brazil in 99 days! I am so so so so so pumped. It can still be overwhelming because this is what goes through my head everyday: finish your semester strong, be preparing, prepare for the temple, buy cute mission clothes( which by the way is the worst), visa stuff, passport stuff, get your shots, etc. I am just excited to be out there. I just want to go go go! We live in an exciting era, the work is moving forward at such a quick pace, and I am excited that I will get to be a part of that.
http://www.lds.org/new-era/2004/08/remember-how-you-felt?lang=eng

Come Get Your Lemonade!

                                          Pre-Lemonade lemons

                                          Lemonade makers

                                          Lemonade Stand

                                          Me enjoying the fruit of my labors. Get it?

                                         Arizona not sucking.

So the plan today was not to have a lemonade stand. My plan was to get ready, go to Goodwill, San Tan mall, and Trader Joe's. When the girls came and asked if they could have a lemonade stand, I wasn't that enthused, but I couldn't say no either. I mean, they're adorable and I knew they were really wanting to have one.  Apparently, Mother had told them they could have one but she forgot she had a doctor's appointment. The girls went and grabbed their cute friends to help them, and the stand began. You guys, I think I had almost as much fun as the girls did. I was the official lemonade maker delegator and would make the lemonade once they would squeeze all the lemons. Next thing I knew the whole neighborhood was participating and they would come in asking for more lemonade, like every 15 minutes. Business was booming. I even ran to the store to get more cups. In total, they made 20 dollars. Winning girls! I helped them for about 2 hours and once my mom got home and the stand winded down, I stuck to the original plan. Goodwill was a bust with the exception of getting two ties for missionary friends. I always try being a good thrifter, but I am terrible. I think it's because I am not very patient to look through everything. Everyone says they find mission skirts and cute clothes there and all I find is short jean mini skirts and shirts that have stains on them and cat hair. Maybe someday I'll be good at thrifting, but thus far I am far from it. I'll stick to Forever 21 and TJ Maxx. On the other hand, Trader Joe's is my place. I LOVE Trader Joe's. Basically, anything you buy from there will taste good. Serious. I'll share my favorites though:

•  The blondie bar mix. SO GOOD. 
• Any of their organic vegetables/fruit. It always tastes delicious. 
• They have butter leaf lettuce year round which is my favorite lettuce. It beats all other lettuce.
•  They also have pre-packaged salad, and my personal favorite is their Pasadena Salad. It has it's own special dressing and it is really yummy.
•  Trader Joe's has the best frozen pizza. I even prefer it to some of the fast food pizza. 
• Also their tamales are way good. 
• And Joe's O's. (Trader Joe's Cheerios)
• They have these frozen cheesecakes on popsicle sticks. YOU GUYS. 10/10
•  I am a flower lover. I just love flowers. They make me happy and they are pretty. Trader Joe's always has a beautiful selection of fresh flowers, and they are usually WAY cheaper than any other place that sells flowers. They also have pretty potted flowers as well! Sadly, this trip they didn't have ranunculus which are my favorite. It is ranunculus season though, so I'm excited.

Just go to Trader Joe's. I promise they won't disappoint. It's great. I hope you had a great Friday, because mine has been splendid.