Silent Sunday

or A Picture A Week. But Silent Sunday sounds better. It's also a line from one of my favorite movies, The Trouble With Angles, a classic 1966 Disney film which you must watch if you've never had the pleasure.
Anyway.

I was thinking about things I wanted to do with the blog next year. Lots of people do world less Wednesday. It's a catchy phrase. No writing required. Fine. But I really wanted to take a picture that either summed up our week or showed a big, important part of it on a regular basis. (I got to thinking about this after doing our year in pictures last week).

So I guess you can add another goal to my non-resolution list and see how I do at posting a picture a week, or Silent Sunday!

...Is it bad to start a new goal by saying I may fail epically on the first Sunday of the year? We'll be on vacation. (WOOT!) But if I don't actually get it done that day, I can always back date my post ;-)

Goals

Not resolutions. I mean who actually makes New Years resolutions...?! Lets call them goals.

The first one is to continue to document some things. This year I did really well at keeping up list of each book I read, when I read it and reviewing it. It's been awesome to look back at that! I want to do it again. (And save the one I posted to the sidebar of the blog this year). I also tried to keep track of J's trips this year. That didn't go so well. He's gone so much I forget to write down when he leaves and where he goes and when he gets home all the time. This year I want to do a better job!! At least a few photos with a few stats about each trip.

(these aren't my closets, and no I'm not hanging baby clothes in mine anytime soon either. I'm just giving you a visual aid. Work with me here...)

Second, clean out the closets. Inside closets, outside closets, everything. We've got clothes, luggage, odds and ends, books, seasonal decor, empty boxes, shoes, posters, pillows, and who the heck knows what all in those things! Total disarray. I have blocked it out for the last year+ because you can shut the door and no more mess. But It really needs sorted and put into boxes with labels and stacked neatly away. I hate to think about it, but April marks 2 years in California which means the moving clock starts ticking again... so better get this stuff done now!

Quilt! I got off to a great start last year. Then I got busy. Maybe too busy. I was desperate to keep myself involved, especially while J was gone and it just has gotten to be a lot. So I'm hoping to step back from a few commitments and spend more time at home sewing, scrap booking, and crafting. But I'd really like to work a LOT more on quilting.

Conquer the calendar. I started this year off really well. I wrote down birthdays and other special events several months in advance, bought cards and even mailed them in a timely manner. This fall things kind of fell apart. This year I want to sit down for a few hours with some hot tea and a blank calendar and a fresh pack of high lighters and mark down every important date for the entire year (color coded of course) and then stack up the appropriate cards, addressed envelopes, etc.!! I'm going to be the card queen!

2011 In Pictures

~JANUARY~

 Jack and Andy visit for a week (pictured at Alcatraz)

A trip to Napa with Andy and Jack (pictured at Mumm)

~FEBRUARY~

 My Momma and Aunt came for my birthday (Pictured on my birthday at the Mondovi Winery)

Momma and my Aunt our day in San Fran (Pictured at Alcatraz)

~MARCH~

 J went on a 3 week Presidential support mission to Washington DC and Rio (pictured at the WWII Memorial)

J in Rio

~APRIL~

 Decorating Easter eggs together :)

My first quilting project all by myself! Zane's quilt.

~MAY~

 J pinned on Captain!!!

My Dad came for a visit (pictured at The Franciscan Winery in Napa)

~JUNE~

J's birthday =D

Happy 4 year anniversary to us <3

~JULY~

Visited Fort Myers Beach

Visited Orlando and it was my first time ever at Medieval Times!

Visited Ohio where our favorite summer activity is picnicking at Blossom

~AUGUST~

The Air Show on base (and the one year anniversary of J flying the C17)

~SEPTEMBER~

Trip to Orlando for Momma's 50th!

Trip to Napa (pictured at Flora Springs Winery)

~OCTOBER~

J's family visited us in Cali

J left on his very first deployment

~NOVEMBER~

Spent 2+ weeks in Ohio over Thanksgiving (picture at my Grandparents)

~DECEMBER~

J returned from his deployment!!! =D

Christmas morning

Merry Christmas!

2011 Christmas Newsletter

Merry Christmas 2011! We hope you enjoy catching up with our year as much as we look forward to hearing from you...

I have long since lost track of exactly how many missions J has flown; the only reason we know that he has flown around 900 hours is because the Air Force keeps track. Needless to say, J has been busy this year! Among the many different missions he has piloted has been Presidential support in South America, transporting different Navy Seal teams, aero medical evacuation trips, troop and cargo transport in the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Europe. So far this year his flying has kept him away from home for about 130 days. Along with his missions he continues to practice in the C-17 simulator and fly local training missions. A milestone for him this year was being promoted to Captain! When J isn't flying he works in his squadron as a pilot scheduler. It is his responsibility to coordinate all the pilots’ schedules to fill all the missions that are sent to his squadron. He has been working long days, but it has not gone un-noticed. He was rated first out of all six schedulers they have this year.

While J is busy at work I’ve been busy in the squadron, on base and at church. I was appointed to be a Key Spouse for the squadron this year. This is a commander nominated volunteer position that involves several hours of formal Air Force training. Since then I’ve become responsible for over 20 fellow spouses in the squadron; ensuring they are getting the help and support they need, especially when their husbands are deployed. I continue to run the squadron book club and am one of the Programs Chair-Women who plans and executes the Travis Officers' Spouses' Club’s large monthly socials. The TOSC raises almost $40,000 a year to donate to Air Force individuals and organizations. Along with lots of volunteer work I’ve been babysitting for various people from the squadron and church. I’m also part of the women's Bible study at the church and volunteered with our VBS this summer. We have also taken over the hosting duties for our church small group. Every Wednesday night we have a house full which has been such a fun blessing!

The highlights of our year have been the time spent with our family and friends. Between January and May we had six different people visit us in California! We also got to spend two weeks traveling this June/July. We spent a week in Florida, dividing our time between Fort Myers Beach with J's grandparents and Orlando with my sister and brother in law. We also spent a week in Ohio and got to see our parents, and various other family and friends. J’s family visited us this fall and I was able to be in Orlando for my Mom’s birthday in September and Ohio for two weeks over Thanksgiving.

As these cards are sent out this year J is away on his first deployment. It has been a challenging experience, but it's also made us realized how blessed we are with such great networks of support both here in California and back "home" in the Midwest. Hopefully, J will have just returned from his deployment in time to celebrate Christmas at home in California this year.

As this year ends we pray that God will bless you and your loved ones during this Christmas season and in the year to come. If you would like to keep up to date on the adventures of this Air Force couple, we have a blog that you are welcome to: http://jascherff.blogspot.com/

“Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.” - Ephesians 5:20

 ~

The Scherffs

Napa :)

It's beena while since we spent an afternoon in Napa. Today was the perfect day to go. Sunny and bright and not too cold. We had lunch at one of our favorites, The Rutherford Grill. Then we stopped by Dean and Deluca for a chocolate fix. And last but not least we stopped by our two wine clubs to pick up our selections. Now we just have to figure out how to pack some of it up for a New Years plane ride to the beach :)

Christmas Book Review

I know I said I was going to try and not re-read books so much this year. For the most part I did a good job of that! But there are certain Christmas books that I have to read each year. The first is Dickens' A Christmas Carol. I have it in a collection of other Christmas books. I read The Chimes for the first time this year. Not sure that will become a Christmas tradition; it was depressing. But reading A Christmas Carol always puts me in the mood for more Dickens! He's my go to winter author. After the holidays I'm planning on diving into Nicolas Nickleby.
Link to this book: http://www.amazon.com/Christmas-Carol-Stories-Signet-Classics/dp/0451531094/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324571719&sr=1-1
This is my other favorite Christmas book and I'm reading it now. You just can't go wrong! It's a shame she's only written 4 novels; I've read them all multiple times... Go read it!!
Link to this book: http://www.amazon.com/Winter-Solstice-Rosamunde-Pilcher/dp/0312978383/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324571939&sr=1-1