Atrociously late update

Adam has been back nearly a month, and I am finally posting an update on his return. Pathetic, I know.

The demobilization ceremony April 22 was lovely and intimate because it related only to Alpha Battery and Golf Company of 2/218th Field Artillery. The ceremony was in Forest Grove, Ore., also the location of the battalion's headquarters. Gov. Ted Kulongoski spoke, and though he might have provided empty promises, he brought a tear to my eye. I do believe he supports the troops, but some things are out of his control. Patricia played family coordinator, greeting attendees, and later got to sit int he VIP section. Adam's aunt Joyce Ann also attended. (For more photos of the ceremony, see my Flickr page.)

The day after the ceremony, Adam and I left for a weekend trip at the beach. We went to Seaside, Ore., and chilled mostly, hanging out, eating sushi, walking on the beach. We shopped as well, of course. :) I found a mug that says "Stud Puffin," and that is Adam's designated mug at my house. After leaving Seaside, we planned to go to the Tillamook cheese factory, then head home. Upon arrival, we found that Adam's truck was leaking transmission fluid. One more night at the beach it is. The truck couldn't be fixed immediately, so we rented a car and went home, and Adam returned later in the week to retrieve his truck.

That weekend, Adam's parents threw him a homecoming party, and many family members attended, including some from Canada. Adam did a slide show of photos from Iraq and explained his work there. It was great that so many of his family members showed up, showing their love and support.

For the past couple of weeks, Adam has been setting up his apartment. He got a place in Clackamas, Ore., near Target, Petco and the mall -- perfect for me! He bought a giant TV, a leather couch set and a king-size bed -- maybe he will no longer sleep diagonally, though I'm not banking on it. I find it ironic that before he left, I lived in Clackamas and he in Milwaukie, Ore., and now we're switched.

That about sums it up. He won't be returning to work until mid-June, probably after our Las Vegas trip. He will be gone about three weeks during the summer for a military class. Everything is slowly becoming normal again.

Correction: I lied. He won't return to work until August because he has a military class in July that lasts three weeks, so it seems pointless to return to work for two weeks, then leave again for nearly a month.

Busy and lazy

I will at some point post an update and pictures about Adam's homecoming. As you might imagine, I have been busy spending time with him. But know that he is home, safe and still kind of wonderful. :)

We've set a date!

Most of the 2/218th Field Artillery, of which Adam is a member, will not be home in time for Wednesday's demobilization ceremony in Portland, so they are getting their own ceremony Thursday in Forest Grove, Ore. Originally they were to get no ceremony, but there was major backlash, so the Guard relented.

Thursday's ceremony will be at noon at Forest Grove High School, 1401 Nichols Lane. The troops are expected to arrive at 11 a.m., and families will get to greet them then.

Other demob ceremonies, with information subject to change:

Portland: 2 p.m. Wednesday at the University of Portland's Chiles Center, 5000 N Willamette Blvd.

Eugene: 1:30 p.m. Friday at Lane County Fairgrounds, 796 W 13th Ave.

Medford: 3 p.m. Saturday at Spiegelberg Stadium, 815 S Oakdale Ave.; 3 p.m. April 27 at Medford Armory, 1701 S Pacific Highway

The first ones are back!

My BFF Jess and her husband, Eric, were in Sisters, Ore., during the weekend, and they caught a celebration for the first Oregon Guardsmen heading home after leaving Joint Base Lewis-McChord.

Photos by Jessica Banister

It's official

Adam is no longer in Iraq. Operation Homecoming has begun.

The beginning of the end

Some members of the 41st are already at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, the combination of what were Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base. It doesn't seem real that they are, in fact, coming home.

One month left

This is it. This is the final stretch. The 41st Infantry Brigade Combat Team is expected home mid-April. I did not start a countdown and do not plan to start one because I think that would make the days longer. I want to go through each day and then, "Boom!" we're there.

Everything is winding down over there. The guys have started packing their belongings, and they are moving to tents soon to prepare for the next wave of soldiers. Though no one wants to move, I think in a way they are glad because that is an indication that they are coming home soon.

Every now and then, it hits me that it's been a year, and I'm amazed. When he left, I thought to myself, "A year is nothing." I truly believe that. Anyone can do anything for a year. It's no big deal. But I still tell myself, "A year is nothing," except it is no longer a year. It is a month. I think that actually keeps my anticipation down, so I am not driven crazy by the fact that it's soon. I prefer that so I don't have to freak out every day, "He's coming home soon, he's coming home soon, he's coming home soon!"

I don't anticipate that our adjustment period will be too difficult. Adam doesn't seem to have changed much. I think I'm fairly the same. We're pretty independent, so it's not as though our other half has been missing for a year -- we're two full pieces that have been apart, and it will be great to put them next to each other again. :)