5 Months!!

Well. Today marks 5 months since I said "see-ya-soon" to Chase! Time is really picking up. I mean, just 30 more days and he'll be 1/4th done with his mission!
 Is it bad to say it's almost going too fast?
Just kidding.
 I can't wait to have him home. But we spent 2 1/2 years dating and anticipating this time in our lives, and it's here, and almost 1/4th done! Crazy! 

I've spent the majority of this month just working. I'm working two jobs, trying to save up money to go to China next February. I have enough in my savings, but I don't want to use that, even though I might have to. 

It's funny, I already feel like me and Chase are married at times.

 Like this, I felt like I should actually ask his permission and make sure he's okay with me spending half of my savings to go on a 4 month trip. Because really in less than two years, that's not just gonna be my money but his also.
He thought I was funny.
(And he said it was okay for me to spend it.)
He's really excited for me to go, even if my mom isn't (:
 

This month...

He...
said goodbye to Elder Castro, who went home!
got transferred to Matagalpa, Nicaragua
celebrated his 19th birthday!
got his second birthday package from my family
Jacky got baptized
Jose got baptized
Jose and his wife finally got married
completed the mission goal of 102 baptisms in June

I... 
celebrated his birthday at home!
went to a campaign party for my dad (**boring**)
walked in the 4th of July Parade
went hiking (unheard of for me.)
finished reading the Harry Potter series. finally.
went on a few dates
went to Oregon to visit my great grandma and go to the beach
went zip lining!

One of my favorite parts about this month was spending time with my family. One week my mom took all my brothers to BYU for basketball camp, so it was just me and my dad at home spending time together. Then 2 weeks later my dad took the boys to scout camp and me and mom had a few nights just by ourselves. And right now I'm at Cannon Beach in Oregon with my family! We just went zip lining today, and it was SO FUN. Now we're about to go to dinner, so I'll be writing another blog post later this week!


-Tara

My Chinese Bucketlist

This list is in no specific order of what I want to do most. I want to do all of it. And I plan on it. The food tasting ones obviously I may not be looking forward to as much. And I will say that I am definitely looking forward to #26, although my mom is not as excited about that one. I will most likely add to this list over the next 7 months leading up to my trip. But for now I feel like this is a pretty decent start. (:

Also, if you missed my early post of why I am going:  
http://untilforeverends.blogspot.com/2014/03/im-going-to-china.html

#1 Celebrate Chinese New Year (Feb. 19th)

#2 Visit the Forbidden City & Tiananmen Square

#3 Climb the Great Wall

#4 Graffiti the Great Wall (in the allowed places)

#5 Shop in Shanghai

#6 See the world's largest Buddha in Leshan

#7 See the terra-cotta warriors in Xi'an

#8 Learn *some* Chinese

#9 Take Kung Fu Class

#10 Go to the Lantern Festival (March 5)

#11 Ride the Bullet Train

#12 Eat Shark Fin Soup 

#13 Visit Zhangjiajie National Forest Park

#14 Be on the Yangtze River

#15 Visit a Monastary

#16 Climb Heaven's Gate in Tianmen shan, Zhangjia jie

#17 Eat Thousand Year Old Eggs

#18 See a Chinese Acrobats Show

#19 Visit the Longji Rice Terrace

#20 Walk Across the Wind and Rain Bridge in Guanaxi

#21 Visit the Nanjing Massacre Memorial Hall

#22 Go to the Shanghai Circus World

#23 Eat Chicken Feet

#24 See the Yuanyang Rice Terraces

#25 Go to the Dragon Boat Festival (June 20)

#26 Hike the Stairs of Cirith Ungol in Huangshan 

#27 Walk on the Silk Road