AMERICA!

After 10 months of being in England we took a trip back to America! We loved every minute of being home! We went back to Texas and got to see most of my family! Family, friends, shopping, eating!

On our trip in we got stuck at Newark for 48 hours! When they told us our connecting flight was cancelled I was really upset - I had my mind made up that I was going to be in Texas on Friday night, and now I was stuck in New Jersey! But we decided to make the most of it and find a bus tour to take us around the city! It was amazing!

We took a boat tour out to Ellis Island and Liberty Island - both of which completely blew me away.

On the way out to Ellis Island!

Where so many immigrants got off a ship and began the long process of entering America.

Very humbling experience I think every American should have.

If you didn't pass initial screening you walked through this door - down this hallway.. which meant more testing for those who so badly wanted to enter America.

My handsome husband assumed we'd be going to Texas and wouldn't need a heavy coat.. so he spend day in a sweatshirt.. On the boat towards Liberty Island.

And here's me in my warm winter coat as we approached Liberty Island!

what an incredible opportunity we had to walk this close to Lady Liberty!

Rockefeller Plaza! much smaller in real life than it appears on the Today Show!

The second day we were stuck we went out on our own and amazinly enough found our way around NYC! There were several parts of the city that we weren't able to get out at on the bus tour so we checked them out the next day!

I had been to NYC before on a mission trip, and the one place that I remember vividly was Times Square! There is no other place like it!

Jery found the world's largest hershey bar!!

Across the street at M&M World! There were at least six walls like this!

I just had to take a picture!

we ate some very yummy cupcakes!

Of course mine had to have sprinkles and Jery's was German Chocolate!

We have this strange fascination with going up to the top of buildings. It's not even something we question, regardless of expense, line, height.. we're going! So we had to go to the top of the Empire State Building!

Really neat sign about the flag on top!

Here we are! At the top!
Awesome view!!

After NYC we spent three weeks in Texas during which I did not take a single picture.. America is the best place on earth and we had a blast enjoying everything American!

so.

since it's only been 3 months since i've blogged i figured i'd say something!

that trip mr. huddleston was suppose to go on didn't happen for him, so clearly my blogging attempts didn't either!

They had to be there at some ridiculous hour in the morning and were suppose to be gone for 30 or so days to Africa. He sent me a text about 830 saying he was getting on the plane and he would let me know when they landed. About two hours later I got a page in my classroom asking if I could step out - I said no - so they sent someone. I went to the front and they said I had a phone call. *really? who calls me at work!?* I picked up the phone and it was our friend Jeff who was suppose to be on this plane headed to Africa with my husband. He told me one of the flight chiefs wanted to talk to me. I don't think I'll ever forget his words. "Camii, Jery had an incident on the plane, we've turned the plane around, landed back on base, and they're taking him to the ER. He's fine, but if you could just meet him there as soon as you can." I don't even think I responded - he gave the phone back to Jeff and he promised me he was "fine" but told me to head over there. With tears rolling down my face I walked out of the office and told work I was going to meet my husband at the ER. Of course I have to work 50 feet from the ER and he was about 15 minutes away. Those 15 minutes felt like an eternity! They couldn't tell me what was wrong with him... but I wasn't stupid.. you don't turn planes around for nothing. I sat in my car in the parking lot and told myself I had to pull it together - crying wasn't going to help the situation. I asked the Lord for strength and peace and walked inside. I didn't know how he was getting to the ER nor did I have any idea what to expect - so I sat there. When I saw ambulance lights in the window my heart dropped to my stomach. I got up and looked out the window just as they opened the back doors - as soon as they did I saw his backpack and knew it was him. I watched them pull his stretcher out.. he was covered in blankets and all I could see was his head. As soon as he was in the building I went up to the window and let the guy know that he was my husband *because he couldn't possibly have figured that out on his own..* he calmly told me they were getting his room ready and would let me back as soon as they could. So I sat there again. At some point the ever so nice and calm technician came out and told me I could come on back. I walked into the room and there in a hospital bed covered in cords laid my handsome husband. Eyes open and alert. PRAISE YOU LORD were my first thoughts - he's alive and breathing! Quickly followed by what is wrong?! Turns out he stopped breathing about an hour or so into the flight. The stewardess came to ask him what he wanted for breakfast - he answered her - and when she came back he wasn't breathing. Fortunately because of the type of squadron he is in they had a medic on board. He claims he has never had to slap someone so hard in his life, but he was able to get Jery to wake back up. He hooked him up to an IV and stayed with him until they were on the ground again. In the ER than ran several more tests on him trying to rule out seizures. None of his results came back irregular and we left the ER with no real explanation as to what happened. God is so good - our Healer, our Strength, and our Comfort. A couple months later we still have no real explanation as to why he stopped breathing, but nothing has happened since then to give us any concern. He has seen doctors and run more tests and everything comes back normal!

So he didn't go to Africa. and I didn't blog. but i'm gonna!