Time Outs!

As you all read in a previous post, Jared and I took a vacation away to Oahu before deployment. I never got around to posting the pictures from our amazing time and thought I would do so today! I am really missing Jared today and it has been building that past few days. Uploading these pictures was a great reminder of how awesome of a trip it was because I got to spend time with my best friend and laugh again at some of the silly things I did (or didn't do!).

This is the tunnel that leads to parking
(the lot was FULL!!) and the start of the trek.

This is the view from outside the tunnel. This isn't even
at the start of the trek and we are this far up!

More of the "not even the starting point" view.

Somewhere up there is where we were headed.

See the path on the right side. Looks fun doesn't it?
This was my idea and it was not a good one!

Close up of the path. Still... not... there... yet!

Part of the path had this fence to protect
those who would fall and roll down the
mountain?

The love of my life! <3 Such a trooper!

Ahh! The view from the top of the second set of steps....

... where I stopped! I just couldn't make
it any further!

This must have been before I stopped climbing...
I wasn't looking so happy after.

I think this is from the top of Diamond Head... I don't
know though, I didn't make it that far :)

View from the top of the hotels along the beach.

The Outrigger Reef is along there somewhere.

Close up of where our hotel was. It's to the right
of where the first pier thing jets out to the water on the
right in the middle of the picture. 

 The other time out from the real world I am referring to is my trip to California this past weekend. A friend of mine from Whidbey moved there a few months ago and said that anyone could come visit her! Well... I took her up on her offer and to California I went! Poor planning on my part meant that I was there for only 37 hours, but I had a wonderful time catching up with Tracey and seeing the few sights we could pack into our day! We "trespassed" on the Biggest Loser Ranch - which we really did not, but it kind of felt that way. It is actually in a park. King Gillette Ranch Park if I remember correctly and they are open every day from 8am until sunset. If it's a park, we can't be trespassing! We then hit up the Hollywood sign, which is best viewed from an observatory. The view is amazing, but who could live with all that smog?! California has the most awesome Frozen Yogurt place called Swirl! You get a cup, serve yourself the amount of soft serve you want (in lots of flavors too!), you add your toppings, and you pay by the weight!!! It was delicious. If there is one around you, you should go... and go often :)

Not as awesome as you would think. They have a ROSS
on Hollywood Blvd and a grocery store!

These yellow signs direct the Biggest Loser trucks and crew
where to go. 

Part of the ranch.

Cameras set up for filming.

TA-DAH!!!!! There it is!

The infamous sign from the show!

We could be part of the crew -  right?
Two military wives and two small children in a Honda Odyssey?!

The Hollywood sign is just to the left of my head. Great self portrait!