boots on ground.

The past several weeks have been very eventful. I feel like I haven't had time to just sit and breathe, which is a blessing in a way. One of the best ways of protecting my sanity throughout this process is by remaining busy and not letting my brain catch up to the reality of my current situation.

For the most part, happy things are keeping me busy. Just last weekend, the much-anticipated Hogan wedding finally happened! I had the honor of being a bridesmaid for this occasion (and Eric was a from-afar groomsman), so between crafting nights, little wedding errands, the rehearsal dinner, and the actual wedding, that special little occasion took up much of my time in the best way. The wedding day was incredible. Madison and Tyler got married in such a beautiful location-- a hops farm in Aurora, OR. It was the perfect country setting. The event itself was so meaningful, too. The couple exchanged the most incredible vows I've ever heard, and hearing all of their loved ones make toasts and speeches was so heartwarming. Eric also had a presence there; their officiant mentioned Eric and his service in the first opening sentences of the ceremony. Eric was devastated he couldn't make it to the wedding, and prepared a recorded video toast for the couple to watch. We didn't bank on the video being shown at the actual reception, but Mad's family made it happen. They played Eric's toast as the last speech of the night, which was quite moving. I am so beyond thrilled for my two wonderful friends who, in my mind, have been mentally/emotionally/spiritually married for quite some time. These two are inspiring both as individuals and as a couple, and to witness their marriage was a huge privilege.

Major props to Katy Weaver for capturing the unbelievable spirit these two have. My heart bursts when I look at this picture.

I also have been keeping busy with planning our own wedding for next summer. It's less than a year away! All of our vendors are booked, so now the momentum of planning is kind of in a lull. Sometime it feels like a fake fantasy I'm working on since there's no groom in sight. But, Eric is doing a wonderful job contributing from afar in the ways he can. We've started bouncing around the idea of a honeymoon as well, I'm very excited to see where that conversation goes!

I also am currently moving out of my apartment into my dad's house in Lake Oswego. I'll be officially living there as of this weekend. Transferring my life to the LO house will mark my 7th consecutive annual move. I'm starting to wonder if I'm going to get an itch to move every year of my life even after things settle down. This move will also mark the first time I've lived with either of my parents since high school. I'm a little nervous that Perry and I will drive my poor dad crazy, but I suspect it will go very well. Both my dad and I are going through pretty significant life changes right now, and neither of us were too keen on living alone through our respective situations. So, I'm glad we can be there for each other as family and as roommates this year.




Finally, the most impactful event for me; The goober to the left has arrived to his "home" for the next several months. In keeping with what the army tells me I'm safe to say, "boots on ground".

So far, we've learned that Eric has WiFi. Score. This alone will make enduring the deployment so much easier. Although we've suspended his data/cell plan, we can still Facetime, Skype, and use other apps we have to text. I also love that he can still use Instagram and Facebook. I know this sounds super millennial of me, but the fact he still has a social media presence makes me feel like we still have some sense of normalcy.We're not confident how often he'll be at his home base to use the internet, but the fact he has it at all is a major win.







We've already surpassed our previous record for the longest we've gone without seeing each other. Up until now, that record was six weeks. Now that stretch seems like child's play, because six weeks barely scratches the surface of what this deployment's timeline is. As of now, we still don't have a solid date to count down to. I'm crossing my fingers they don't hold him there past May, but we just don't know. In the meantime, the McOmie and Ruberg households are proudly displaying our deployment ribbons until he returns.

So, on my to-do list for now is simply to adjust. In keeping with how 2014 has gone for me thus far, I'm aiming to continue being flexible to the frequent changes that I'm going through, whether they're out of my control or not. Easier said than done, but I've gotten a lot of practice at this whole adjusting thing in the past few years, so bring it on, life!