It's official...

...we are new homeowners! And in classic Dugan fashion there was drama right up to the end because of underwriting holdups and appraisers. We were forced to push back our closing, which caused an unpleasant domino effect... but never fear, thanks to amazing family, neighbors, and friends, we pulled it off (yes, even in the steam heat)! Pictures coming soon we promise. And rest assured, as Mike and I were signing the 119 pages of our documents, I announced we will live here until we retire! Look out Whitewater!

Early Summer 2009

Getting ready to "rock out" with his big brother's guitar!

A trip to the park when Mimi & Bubba were visiting at the end of May.

One of our favorite bicycles from this year's Whitewater Community Art Project. There are bicycle sculptures hanging all over Main Street! We love them and hope to participate in next year's project as a family.

The boys hanging out with their Bubba down by Cravath Lake on a sunny Wendesday afternoon in early June. Dad was in Minnesota playing with the orchestra and Mom was teaching!

Colin before his last baseball session. Bubba took him and said he's a fairly good hitter! (Please note he does have the glove on the right hand... this boy is 100% lefty in all he does!)

Mr. Joe Cool.

Whirlwind!

We just returned from a whirlwind trip to Ohio for a fantastic family reunion. We arrived in Cincinnati on Thursday, having spent Wednesday evening at the halfway point in Champaign. The boys were ecstatic... for days, no for weeks, they'd been talking about their trip to Grammie and Pop's house. They couldn't wait to see them and to spend some time with Nala. We visited the Aquarium, had a fabulous lunch at the Hofbrauhaus, walked across a bit of the Purple People bridge, and then spent the rest of our time visiting with the extended Roth family. The boys loved seeing "BeeBee" and Mike's cousins Will and Jake--and of course the baby in Aunt Jenna's tummy! We returned after a long day in the car Sunday and have been packing for our move ever since. Hopefully we'll have pictures from Pop's camera to share soon from our trip. And certainly, once we've settled in a bit, pictures from the new house!

Finally, an update!

Can it be that it's been since May 8th since I've updated this blog? My, oh my, how the last few weeks have flown by. All of my boys have been home since May 15th--Mike and Colin's last day of school. We have spent the last few weeks transitioning to being a real family again... or at least our version of a normal family! We have also been preparing for our move to our new home--in exactly two weeks. That coupled with a trip up north to the cottage over Memorial Day weekend and another trip to St. Charles while Mike headed to Minnesota for a week, means we've really been on the move.

Ethan at the park during Colin's end of school celebration on May 14th.

Colin and one of his best buddies Nicholas. They are cut from the same cloth these too!

Ethan, Nicholas, Calvin (another good buddy from school), and Colin.

Finally, the last day of school! Of course, this occasion calls for the use of the "Red Plate." That, and a bowl of extra special, lucky to eat them, Fruit Loops. Breakfast of champions.

Last day of preschool--2009.

"I have do do a superhero one!" (When did my little boy grow so tall?)

Ethan wanted to pose for his last day too....

Our last double decker ride to school. This jogger logged many miles this year to and from school with these boys--through rain, sleet, snow and sunshine too.

What Mom? Everyone reads in the hallway in a laundry basket.

The king of cuddling.... Charlie.

Mom, of course I'm eating dinner in my costume!

No, I won't smile in my new Buzz Lightyear costume.

This has been our best garage sale find yet this year--a working $5 telescope for our obsessed with star gazing sons. Colin spotted it during a drive by from the car! (Great eyes for spotting the deals already!)