What should we do? Stick to family obligation or spend time together?

My Boyfriend has been in Ukraine for almost 3 weeks with his Marine Corps unit, he gets home this Saturday and we haven't seen or talked to each other since he left on the 5th. Problem is that when he gets home we have to go to his uncles retirement party then my uncle and aunts 50th anniversary that is 1 1/2 hour away and then he has to go straight back to work the next day...so we pretty much get no time together once he gets home. Should we skip the events in order to spend time together or still go and just somehow find time after everything is done?